Spring has sprung here in Minnesota, so in a few weeks I'll be able to haul my '94 to the shed to get working on it.  I posted WAY back when I first found this forum on my build plans.  I'll start here again to bring everyone back up to speed.   

 

First off, is this the right part of the forum to post a "build" thread?  If not please direct me to the correct location.  thanks

 

I restored a '51 Pilothouse B3D truck that was my great grandfathers truck.  I seem to have a disease now, lots of old truck parts in my house, garage and at friend's sheds.  I decided a few years back I was going to take a modern powertrain and graft on a Pilothouse cab/front clip as a daily driver.  This truck will be a stretched 3 door cab flat bed stake side hauler style truck.  I've got all the old Pilothouse cabs and doors to cut apart and re-weld up to the stretched cab.  As well as all the doors I could need to make the 3rd door and fill the space behind the passenger side door.

 

The '94 has a fresh rebuilt tranny and about 150K on the engine.  I've been thinking that since it will all be available to work on, going thru the engine and rear end would be a good idea right now.  Before I start to tear things off, any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Plans include air ride, saddle fuel tanks, rear duals and a tip up front end like a semi for engine work.  

 

thanks, I look forward to keeping this thread moving over the course of the spring/summer while things start under way.

Edited March 12, 201411 yr by PilotHouse2500

Someone has been in the transmission before. That looks like a goerends converter.

A little St Patty's day work.  Cab is about where it needs to be, but will go down about 3".

Edited March 17, 20187 yr by PilotHouse2500

so, sitting right here now.  Need more eyes at some point soon to finalize where things are for sure.

I just logged in to say she's looking good! 

 

What are your plans for the doors now that you have stretched the cab?

11 hours ago, diesel4life said:

I just logged in to say she's looking good! 

 

What are your plans for the doors now that you have stretched the cab?

 

suicide half rear doors like a modern 1.5 cab

Awesome!!!!

 

I love it!!!!!!

"new" fenders pounded "straight" and installed.  Now I can make sure the fender is centered on the wheel and align everything and finish the cab mounts.

 

 

Well, the 94 is almost stripped down to nothing,   Gotta pull the trany and driveshafts yet for me (trany for core exchange).  Then it's pull the axles off for sale and chop the frame up for scrap.  Body parts go to the scrap yard tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Torched the springs to get the chassis to sit right (bunch of parts missing that would weigh enough to compress the front suspension).  And then the cab mounts got put in.  Even with the shop at a "cool" 75°, outside hit near 100° yesterday, it wasn't all that comfortable with the humidity so high, then ad the torch and welding heat!  

 

been a while...life has again gotten in the way.  I hope to spend more hours this winter on the project.

 

removed the cab (glad I figured out this EASY way vs. what I was originally thinking) and gave the frame a degreasing power wash...now at least I won't be full of it head to toe when I work in him.

 

 

Been TOO long since I worked on TODD.  Right now in between wood projects so time to grind down some early welds and redo so I'm not embarrassed by them!  And cut out all the cross bracing as it's no longer needed and I can now climb around inside w/o being a contortionist!

 

Edited January 22, 20196 yr by PilotHouse2500

Starting to look like a truck now. Compared to long ago with the body in cut pieces and trying to fab up the body. You are making good progress.

It is going to be worth a lot when it is completed.

 

I cannot remember.... you extended the cab to make it a quad cab? Is that right?

Extended cab.  1/2 size suicide rear doors.

2 hours ago, PilotHouse2500 said:

Extended cab.  1/2 size suicide rear doors.

Let me know when its done I'll hire a covered dump truck to bring enough money. Its going to be really really cool and I hope everything goes well on it. Man!

Does look good. I dont like being a contortionist either. The body just doesnt bend as well as it used to.

Looks great; you obviously have a knack or experience with metal mods.  Keep it coming.  A question, your posts have a definite separation between one post to the next; I have a project I'm posting on but they all run together.  How do you get them "separated" where they can be responded to individually?  Don't mean to take time from your project but could use "skill enhancement"; I'm obviously not good on the computer.  Again, super, I love your posts.

After fighting and fighting to get the passenger door to line up right, I called the neighbor.  He runs his own hot rod shop and has built MANY over the years.  He's been kind enough to help me when I needed for nothing but a beer and a smile.  I think he just likes helping me learn.  Regardless, he came over and we chatted, and we tried, we got the torch out and bent hinges, and tried...and finally came to the conclusion below.  I think he loved the pucker factor I had when I resigned myself to doing the cuts.   Also we will likely work on flattening the top of the window to follow the now long flat section of the roof to make it look more pleasing.

 

Edited January 28, 20196 yr by PilotHouse2500

This project is a lot of work, but it is the coolest truck ever. Look at the 3 windows in the rear and quad cab to boot. Best figure on a good security system for it also.