Build thread 37 Dodge PU

[Mike P]

Ryan I actually went with the lower stall converter. My thinking being 4.56 gears and no weight over the rear end might help the rear end hook a bit better.

I may wish I'd done something different especially if I decide I don't like it and end up pulling that long heavy SOB out to change it.


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[40FordDeluxe]

At least the lock up and OD will help with that 4.56 gears.

[Mike P]

In between other projects that needed taken care of around the house I spent the last few days getting some of the small stuff out of the bed of the truck and bolted on.

I got rid of the big clunky brake pedal I had rough cut out (that would have taken hours to finish up) and built one I am a lot happier with. I also got the gas pedal/emergency brake assembly in ….it fit like it was made for it and solved 2 problems. I never liked the black plastic body on the tach and had picked up a chrome metal housing to adapt to it a few years ago at a swap meet so that went on. The inside rear view mirror was long gone when I got the truck but I had a left over mirror from my Harley days that adapted nicely. Finally I added the politically incorrect 54 Studebaker truck ashtray that I knew I would eventually find a home for.




I haven’t completely figured out what I’ll start on next, but I suspect that it will involve spending money



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[40FordDeluxe]

People tell me spending money on a project is progress. It doesn't feel that way when you're spending the money though. Nice work!

[Mike P]

I managed to get a few more things checked off the to do list. I decided to get the driveshaft taken care of. Of course that meant finishing up the rear end. I got the spring clamps installed, set the pinion angle and got the spring perches welded on. As I’m pretty much putting this together like a 60s-70s era hotrod, for now I stuck on an old set of Lakewood slapper bars I had laying around (when those don’t work so well I probably build an adjustable pinion snubber and then finally bite the bullet and pull the bed and build a set of caltracks LOL).





On most builds I can usually find a used driveshaft in the pile that’s the right length and then dig up the correct U Joints to hook everything up. The long 46RH make for a pretty short drive shaft on this one (39”). I ended up shortening one of the longer shafts I had so that’s taken care of and on the truck.




I decided to spend some more time under the truck and get started on the exhaust. I only got as far as building the headpipes, which include the exhaust cut outs for now (I’m currently waiting on a pair of copper flange gaskets so I can install them). Once I get them on I can get the mufflers and most of the exhaust done. I’ll probably end up holding off on tailpipes until I figure out what to do for a rear bumper.




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[40FordDeluxe]

Very nice Mike! I have the bumpers off my 40 I'm not going to use and would make you a deal on one if you wanted?

[Mike P]

I got the rear bumper and exhaust taken care of over the last week. As far as I can tell these trucks didn’t with a rear bumper but I was hoping to find something from that era that I could use. I didn’t find anything at the local wrecking yards that I liked or would work. I really appreciated Ryan’s offer on the 40 bumpers, but I found some metal out in the iron pile that would work so I just built one. It really needs a rear valance/roll pan so one of these days I’ll get around and make a template and take it to one of the local heating and cooling places to have one bent up.

I still don’t have a local muffler shop I like so I got out my pile of exhaust pipes and built my own.




I seemed like I spent almost as much time going to town for parts as I did building the exhaust. I went in Saturday morning to get mufflers, hangers and clamps. I ended up going to one store for the clamps and hangers and then another store for the mufflers. Of course they only had one of the mufflers in stock so I had to make another trip in the afternoon to pick up the other one. I got home and promptly ran out of wire for the mig.





I haven’t decided on what to start on next but there is still a pretty long to do list.



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[40FordDeluxe]

Your bumper looks great! Your luck sounds like mine. Spend more time gathering supplies than getting the work done. Keep at it!

[Mike P]

Thanks Ryan, I think it fits the truck pretty well.

Unlike some states Arizona doesn't have any bumper laws on the books and I wasn't planning on running a front bumper at all (I do have an original front bumper and brackets). After doing the rear bumper I’m reconsidering a front bumper. Once I get the front fender back on I’m thinking this might look good on the front. I’ll have to build some brackets to space it out to where the original bumper set (about 8” ).




If I don’t like it I’m just out a bit of time and I will come off with 2 bolts.


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[40FordDeluxe]

I think that will look sleek on there!

[Mike P]

One of the remaining jobs on the truck is going to be rebuilding the front suspension. The Mustang II suspension was already installed when I bought the truck years ago and as far as I can tell they used all the stock components from a V6 Mustang II donor car including the springs. Those springs actually gave a pretty good ride height with the mockup motor and transmission ……..with a complete motor and full transmission case, not so much.

Knowing new springs are going to be required I started looking thru the Speedway catalog and have pretty much settled on either the 400 or 425 rate springs, leaning pretty much toward the 425s (I really don’t have a problem if the ride is a bit harsh).

Mustang II Suspension Front Springs

Reading the description on the springs reminded me about the spring settling issues you normally run into with new coil springs (and makes me miss the torsion bar cars I’ve built in the past ).

In the past on coil spring cars I’ve usually put in OE style springs and then drove the around with a nose high car for about a year until the springs finally settled to their final (and usually) correct ride height. I figured on the 37 Dodge I’d have a couple options;

Cut the springs a n 1- 1 1/2” taller than I want and let them settle (and hope I guessed right)

Cut them to the ride height I want, knowing that at some point I would have to go back in and add the hard rubber spring cushions/spacers to bring the ride height back up.

Then I came across these ride height adjusters



Their a bit pricey and add some more work but I like the concept and am seriously considering them.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience (good or bad) with the Speedway springs or these adjusters.

Thanks


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[firebird77clone]

Those adjusters look pretty slick. Probably a bit of a bear to make any large adjustment, but surely easier than swapping springs.

[40FordDeluxe]

I thought about installing those on my 40 but then decided to go air ride. Sorry, can't help you here.

[Mike P]

In between maintain the other vehicles in my fleet (especially the wife’s car and truck LOL) I’ve started sorting out the cooling system. Of course that dovetails with a few other parts of the project that will be addressed at the same time. Before hanging a radiator and fan I will need to; rewire the headlights, install front turn signals, build brackets for the horn and install the trans cooler and hoses. I also had to decide if I was going to install a heater or not. After going back and forth I finally decided that I would.….mostly to have defrosters for some of the winter cruises I do.

I happened to still have the original radiator for the truck, so getting measurements and seeing how it was originally mounted was where I started.



Nobody lists a replacement radiator for a 37 Dodge so it was more time spent doing a computer search for something that would work. I wasn’t having much luck finding anything that would fit or was affordable. After an hours or so looking at various radiators I remembered the post here on the site from a couple of months ago from the guy who had used a first generation Mustang radiator in his 37. The width is right but it could stand to be a few inches taller. I really debated about whether to keep looking for something bigger or to go ahead and order one. I eventually ended up deciding to take a chance on a 2 row (1 inch tubes) and see how it does. My thinking is the engine is only 341 cubic inches, it will have open hood sides and it will not have AC (and without the AC it will stay in the garage on those 100 degree days we have ).

The radiator has a built in transmission cooler but as the fittings are only ¼” NPT so I won’t be using it. When Chrysler designed the 518/46RH they went to 3/8” lines and fitting and a bigger cooler to keep the transmission temperatures down and recommend they don’t be downsized. So I also ended up ordering a remote transmission cooler.


While I was waiting on the radiator and trans cooler to come in I decided to get started on the heater. As I’ve been trying to keep the majority of the things I put on the truck pre 1970, I happened to have the perfect candidate, an old Arvin unit that I had pulled from a 1950s truck.





The motor and switch were good but it needed a new core. Fortunately a little time with the catalog at the parts store and I found one that could be adapted.



It mounts up out of the way but the switch is a bit difficult to get to so I’ll leave it set to high and use a switch in the dash to turn it on and off.





I decided to use an old style water control valves that most of these add on heaters came with. I remember these from couple of the old trucks we had on the farm when I was growing up…….turn them on in the fall and off in the spring LOL.


Naturally the water pump I’m using doesn’t have a fitting on the inlet side for the heater return hose and none of the radiators I was looking at had them either so I picked up an inline adapter with a 3/8” pipe fitting.





I’ll probably get started on rewiring the headlights, horn and turn signals first and then get the radiator and cooler (which came in today) fitted in the nose. The electric fan in the picture is a left over from another project and I’m still kicking back and forth about whether to use it or a mechanical fan.


Of course now that I dragged out the electrical stuff, doing the rest of the wiring will probably be the next project.






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[NTFDAY]

Are you going to use relays on your headlights? I did on my Vette and it does make a difference and since the battery is behind the seat I hooked up at the alternator, same electrical point.