One of these days T Truck

[Knowledge]

Somewhere on the NSRA site there’s a Tech Q from me about UJs for steering. Now I HAD intended to just fit the1302 VW column and wait till later to sort out the column I want but now I think I shall use what I have and just ‘dress it up’ later. I originally had the whole Beetle but sold all but the column off. After decided to use the column on the Truck I was kicking myself because I’d let the 1302s twin UJ connecting shaft go with the rest of the car as sold, but there was a happy ending when I won a replacement shaft (Plus all the rest of the steering!!) for 0.99p on ebay. (NOTE: I have a 1302 steering box and all the track rods going spare if anyone needs them).
With the base to the cab now solid I sat for the first time in the driver’s seat (if you can call a lump of wood and a piece of foam a seat) and weighed up the controls. Grabbing the VW column I tried it for size and found that it’s ‘just’ the right length. Just a shame that the twin UJ shaft is going to lift it up… then I had a thought. If I could remove all the parts in the middle and have JUST the top and bottom parts of each UJ I can connect the column direct with just one UJ.
Taking a good look I could see that the bearing caps are held in by ‘staked’ marks around the edge. Deep breath and go for it. I used a centre punch to tap away the stake marks and tapped the UJs apart. After a quick clean up and some fresh LM grease the new single UJ was assembled in the vice and the bearing caps re-staked to hold it all together. Later I may buy a Borgson StSt one but for now this does the job perfectly.

[Knowledge]

Well it’s been some time since I wrote anything about how the truck is coming along but I have been rather busy. With the rolling chassis designed and fabricated it was time to strip it all down again and recondition all the bits necessary. The rear IRS came in good condition and needed little done to it. That said I did have the usual ‘squeaky bum’ time with the bleed nipples. No worries though as I used the three most valuable tools you can have. The correct fitting hex socket, WD40… and patience.
The front however is a different matter. All of these parts were as made by Ford in the late 70’s so needless to say not that pretty. Now some of you may not like my decision, but I want to keep the original sub-frame, arms, and all that goes with it. I had originally intended to use ‘polly’ bushes in all the places available but decided against it as I had heard that these are great for a performance Ford, but make everything very harsh and clunky. In the end this car is for cruising and enjoying the drive not for speed, and there was also the difference in costs. The biggest problem with the Mk3,4,5 Cortina was those chassis bushes as they allowed the whole front clip to wobble about in the front, quieter yes by not a nice ride. I’m hoping the fact I’ve solid mounted the sub-frame will help there.
All the parts stripped and checked I set too on the arms with just a hand grinder with a rather vicious ‘twist’ wire wheel (I highly recommend these but you MUST use a full face mask and thick gloves) a coat of red oxide and black later these look reasonable but will get a second going over at a later date. I made my own bush extractor from a long 10mm stud and various tubes and collars and after removing the old bushes forced brand new ones in. All the old ones were in good condition but I wanted to be sure this truck is safe to drive.
The sub-frame was never going to be possible even with time and the hand tools so a trip to the sand blasters and £40 later the whole lot was again shot in red oxide and black. For now I’ve just removed the old engine mount brackets, but again at a later date this will get some considerable work to make it a whole lot better looking. Yes I could make a new sub-frame and suspension arms from box and laser cut brackets, but I like a challenge, and to me the original parts look more robust.
The front uprights as I’ve said before are Cortina Mk3 but with P100 (Cortina Mk4 shape) hubs and brakes. Sadly the discs are no longer available, but I’ve already designed a pair of adaptors to take the available Cortina discs. Time and cash has made these a later project. It’s true I could always just use the Mk3 hubs, but I want the matching Cal500 slots and they’re Jag/Chevy 5 stud pattern. New bearings fitted I’ve used the callipers as bought as they’d already been reconditioned.
I’ll rebuild the suspension this weekend but it will be minus springs. I’ve yet to source these but will need the total front axle weight to know what poundage I need. I’ll post pic’s of the suspension later this weekend. But for now here’s a pic of the frame all painted.

OK so now to todays toils. I decided to get Paul (Whengparts) to laser cut the front panel for me, if you’ve ever tried to hand cut a sheet of steel like this you’ll know it’s freckin hard work. Fortunately as I have the technology at my disposal so I drew it, sent a drawing to Paul, and waited for the part. At this point I’d like to thank a National courier for their work in getting the part to me. I’d LIKE to but I figure a 14 day search to find where they left it gives them the big thumbs down. With the cab front welded together the panel was slowly stitched into place 10mm inset to create an ‘echo’ of how the wood at the rear will look (Frame with ply panels behind).
To hold the window rubber in a strip of 3 x 10 steel has been tig welded around the inside of the window opening. A pair of steel strips 25 x 5 x 100 were then welded to the rear of the front and these bolt on a pair of angle iron brackets, thay in turn have a 30 x 30 box and more angle across to make the frame the dash will be assembled on. Four 8mm button-head socket heads will hold the whole dash on.
Finally the front was welded to the floor assembly with a temporary post to hold it up at the rear, and a scrap strip tacked from the lower window edge and the temp’ post to hold the whole lot square while I make the rest of the cab.
It’s a strange feeling. I first drew a pencil sketch of this car right back in the late 90’s. I’ve doodled ideas and designs for this for years. I’ve had the 3D model on my pc for at least a year, and before that the original 3D model on my AutoCAD machine. The frame parts were made over a decade ago. But today for the firt time EVER I got to stand back and look at the whole thing as a REAL thing. It’s magic moments like that which make us build...Later peeps.

[Knowledge]

OK so here as promised are pics of the suspension as assembled today. As you can see the arms were rather sorry for themselves having spent many years under the front of a rusting Cortina. However a clear up with the afore mentioned wire wheel and a lick of paint and they look half decent. These like the sub-frame will get a fettle and much better paint at a later stage, but for now they’re clean and safe with all the new bushes.




So on to today and a nice warm afternoon with a spanner or two was enjoyed and the rolling chassis is ready for wheels. As seen there are no springs in there yet. I will add them at the end once I know the all up front axle weight.

[Blackjack]

Good progress - keep plugging away.

[Knowledge]

OK so yesterday I finished welding up the main structure of the cab. The back will bolt on and be made out of steel box and either sheet panels or plywood (Yet to decide). The frame for the dash as previously said is made and the column mount fabricated. Having curved slots means I can adjust the wheel position. As you can see the wipers are mounted into the top of the frame and the motor will be in the overhead console.
So today I brought it home with help from a tolerant friend Adrian (Lem) and we dropped it onto the four Polly bushed mounts. Four bolts and a little tweak with a screwdriver later and she was on. Wheel and dash frame added I sat behind the wheel for the first time. Special thanks to John Shakeshaft for putting up with me while I borrowed his shop and all its equipment. Don’t you just love those milestone moments?

[Knowledge]

Ok time for a little update. As you can see the cab now has a frame for the back half. This is made from thin-wall 50 x 50 box to keep weight up high down to a min, otherwise she’ll roll like a barrel in the harbour. There’s a pair of ‘bars’ across the back and these are what the harnesses will pass through on their way to my shoulders, the anchor point being on the main frame for the cab.



Windscreen wipers are now installed, although yes if you’ve realise I DO have to slightly dismantle them to put them in, Hay! How many times do you need to remove them? As the Mini wheel-boxes come with angle cut rubber scuttle mounts I needed to turn up the Ally bosses seen.




With that done before the engine is sorted and gets in the way I’ve added the brake and fuel lines. As you can see there are twin SU pumps that send petrol through two lines. These will go to a Zenith carb each, but there’s a balance pipe between each so I guess I ‘could’ run just the one pump at a time and have the other as reserve. With both running I won’t suffer fuel starvation. All this is a bit of whimsy as I believe one would do, but I like symmetry. CBS do the neat Fuel/Brake clips. NOTE: you have to cut the ‘boss’ part off and then after hammering that in to a 6mm hole thump in the ‘clip’.

[v8pop]

Cracking progress mate, she's coming on real well. Keep it coming.

Cheers. Tim W.

[Knowledge]

Engine's in.... Will try and start it this weekend.... Wish me luck.

[Russ]

good luck , btw hope its a blown bbc to haul all that steel

[Knowledge]

good luck , btw hope its a blown bbc to haul all that steel

Naaa. Rover V8 with Zenith Solex's. BUT it all weighs about the same as a Fiesta!!!

[kapri]

Don't forget to jack the rear up if you are hot wiring without the inhibtor in circuit. Last thing you want is it starting in gear .

[Knowledge]

There’s a stage we all get to in a build where it all becomes less about parts and the whole thing becomes a car. Usually this point is the first time you start the engine. Well I’m pleased to report I now have a CAR. Had a few hurdles to get over this weekend. Wrong oil filter meant a trip back to the motor factors to change it. Both SU pumps failed to work and had to have the points in them scraped off (Re-build is a must), but with two coffee jars on the floor full of petrol and pipes from the pumps dangling in them I nervously turned the key and after a few missed beats up she went. I obviously only ran it for a few seconds as the block is dry even though the rad and hoses are all connected, but with those few seconds of burbling 8 I know have a living breathing car…oh! And a huge smile.

[jimmy the pump]

Wipe that grin off your face and get back in the garage! You've got an audience and we want more

Brilliant so far.

[Knowledge]

Small post script to todays events. A friend came round a short while after the posting and I took her to see the engine run (Yes a girlie but interested even if it is big boys toys stuff). Sadly however the f***** wouldn't fire up again. Having put the battery on charge I ventured back about 7:30 this evening and sure enough the battery was now up to spec. Hmmmmm still wouldn't start. Did the usuals, spark-Check, Fuel-check... Not a beat. So time for those last resorts moves. Into both carb mouths goes a couple of squirts of fuel. Bingo she fires up, but dies once the fuel has gone. Now at this point I would have thought fuel wasn't getting into the carbs, but seeing as what fuel it first started with came from the pumps I thought this unlikely. So after a little searching I found my problem. NEVER trust a Haynes manual 100%. According to my manual SD1s are auto choke..GRRRRRR good job I had a new spare cable to hand. With some choke on it runs like a dream....oh! except for the horendous leak coming from the oil pump.

[v8pop]

Nice one, alls well that ends well then. Be MOT time before you know it.
Keep it coming.

Cheers. Tim W.

[Knowledge]

Oil leak fixed. It appears the pump 'outer' had been replaced as this engine came to the guy who sold it to me with a bypass block for a remote filter. Does explain why the engine number is SD1 but I needed a P6 filter. Old gasket had been used and it had a split in it. Shame as now I've used the gasket from a full set... which of course means I now don't have a full set. Chassis number stamped on which proved a pain in the ****. As a trained engineer I remember the words given to me "Hit it ONCE'. If you try to hit the same letter more than the once you invariably get a double letter whish is messy. But even having hit it herd with a lump hammer they were so shallow when I re-sprayed the section of chassis you couldn’t read the number. Took carefull 'feel' to align the stamps again but it's done.

[Knowledge]

As I now begin to believe this is a possible rather than a struggle that I might even fail with I'd like to take a moment to say a few thanks.
A big THANK YOU to:-
Adrian (Lem) Day for all the help shifting things and lending an extra pair of hands.
Darrel Hoskins for the engine and box, plus all the welding I couldn't do myself (Mini mig aint THAT powerful)
John Shakeshaft of Armour Fabrications (Irchester) AKA Arma Rods. If it wasn't for his patience and understanding PLUS the kind use of his equipment this car just would never have happened...Oh! and a fair amount of materials..Not forgotten John. I owe you BIG.
And Anne. Ex GF but now great friend who’s kept me sane and motivated over the last few months at a time when I needed it most.

It's normal to thank peeps at the end, but no matter what happens now I feel I at least achieved what I set out for. If I run out of time or a big F up gets in the way now I shall just have to smile and plan a BIVA car... But I don't intend to lay down and admit defeat yet.

[29stude]

Looking good.

When is SVA booked? Any chance you could do a quick report on how test went afterwards?

[Knowledge]

Looking good.

When is SVA booked? Any chance you could do a quick report on how test went afterwards?

Awaiting the date, but they took my money from the bank on Monday so expecting a letter in the post. And yes I intend doing a blog on how things went.

[Knowledge]

OK been very busy as you can expect. Pick-up steel frame is now finished and back at HQ. Note the idea is to have a steel frame and then on top of this is going a wood frame held on with coach bolts through those ‘tabs’ sticking up. Wisbech rod ends make both the hinges and the front mounts. The front edge of the frame rests on a pair of rubber bumpers on brackets welded to the rear of the cab. Note the front mounts are flipped out at the edge so it fits over the rod ends easily when dropping it down. A single double trailer arch has been cut in two to make two front arches, next thing is to fold up the sheet metal to form the floor, seat base, and inner arches, Back will get sheets of steel to fill it in, and the roof will soon have wood atop to stop the rain getting in.