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My Build...Red Rocket

9126 Views 49 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Concrete slinga, Feb 24, 2016

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2014

8

This is my farm truck but even as a work truck im super anal about how things look. I cant stand the rust on this truck so its time to do some work. After weighing out all of my options and what body work and paint costs i chose to find a clean rust free exceptional truck and swap the cab and front clip onto my 12v frame. Then part the rest of everything out. I can come out better $$$ wise by going this route.

The truck has a bradford built flat bed on it so i didn't need the box therefore i could recoup some decent $$ from that alone.

Build name is red rocket because the donor truck is red haha

The Truck

1997 2500
120k miles
0 plate afc tuned
4k gsk
Gauges

I would like to push this truck up into the 500 hp mark someday but while the cab is off is there anything i need to do? I was going to order head studs and valve springs and i thought maybe a clutch. but that could wait as far as im concerned. Can i just get away with studs and leave the gasket alone since i wont be pushing crazy boost #s? will the stock keepers and retainers hold 60# springs alright?

here are some pictures of the progress so far. This should be a fun project!

This is where i got after 4 hours of work. I put rust free fenders on this truck about a year a go so after doing that once it goes easier the second time.

This is the reason i decided to do what i did. Cannot wait to have a rust free truck again. And it wont see salt this time.

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Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #2 · Mar 26, 2014

5

Tonight i spent about 2 hours unhooking the cab harness from the main harness, brake master cylinder, clutch master cylinder, throttle and steering wheel. I pulled the seats since they are new and the donor truck only has a bench and no split with a counsel. The other two hours i unhooked the ebrake cable and the 4 bolts that hold the cab on. Then lifted the cab off and set it out of the way so i can swap interior parts when the other truck comes in. I cant believe how easy those came out for as bad as they looked.

Im going to do some brake line work while i can easily do it.

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pa coal roller

· #3 · Mar 27, 2014

I got to watch this. I got to put rockers on my 96 and a cab corner

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 27, 2014

pa coal roller said:
I got to watch this. I got to put rockers on my 96 and a cab corner

I wont be replacing the cab corners and rockers on this cab since the cab mounts are shot. Hence why its getting all new cab and front clip.

Today i decided to replace the brake line that goes to the rear axle since it was easy to get to. Ill post pics tomorrow, didnt have time today. Going to take my donor truck to the local shop and have the A/C sucked down so i can use it in the 12v. Then will tear that beast down so stay tuned....should be alot more pics to come.

Redthies

· #5 · Mar 27, 2014

Nice to see another one saved from rust. Great to have a shop with overhead crane too!

alanack6795

· #6 · Mar 27, 2014

Its a lot easier to replace rockers, cab corners and floors than the whole cab.... idk why everyone does this

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 27, 2014

alanack6795 said:
Its a lot easier to replace rockers, cab corners and floors than the whole cab.... idk why everyone does this

Thanks for your input......After 2 months of figuring out what to do since the doors are gone and the cab mounts are gone. I'm gunna be money way ahead by finding my rust free truck and swapping bodies since I can part the rest out out. I needed a project, this is how I relax at night and I enjoy wrenching more so than body work.

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 27, 2014

Redthies said:
Nice to see another one saved from rust. Great to have a shop with overhead crane too!

It sure helps haha. I would have used my new shop but hated to get it cluttered up since we're getting equipment ready.

More pics coming tonight of the donor truck and the progress.

m715

· #9 · Mar 28, 2014

subscribed

Good project, love the shop and the overhead crane/space. I can barely fit a stock 2500 4x4 into mine...

A body swap is sometimes the easier route to go, doesn't take that long to unbolt and empty the cab out.

alanack6795

· #10 · Mar 28, 2014

Cummins4ever said:
Thanks for your input......After 2 months of figuring out what to do since the doors are gone and the cab mounts are gone. I'm gunna be money way ahead by finding my rust free truck and swapping bodies since I can part the rest out out. I needed a project, this is how I relax at night and I enjoy wrenching more so than body work.

In my chevy k30 you could check the transfer case fluid from the cab... Thats when its time to swap the cab lol... Id rather weld for a weekend with my friends than be chasing wiring harnesses and vin tags and moving cabs around

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #11 · Mar 28, 2014

8

alanack6795 said:
In my chevy k30 you could check the transfer case fluid from the cab... Thats when its time to swap the cab lol... Id rather weld for a weekend with my friends than be chasing wiring harnesses and vin tags and moving cabs around

Everyone has their own style lol. I compared harnesses and part numbers. Everything appears to be the same so far. Just some plugs are taped off that they didnt use on the dash harness but time will tell more on that side of things.

Here are some pictures from today

New brake line....only took about 30 mines since the cab was off.

here are the pics of my donor truck.....really too nice to tear apart but i cant justify 3 of them and what am i going to do with a v6 half ton 2wd haha. Dont mind the dust....this things is mint.

Only 66k miles on a 97!

Here is the overhead in my newer shop......but i dont get to disassemble this truck in the new shop either haha

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m715

· #12 · Mar 28, 2014

Nice find on the donor truck that thing is amazingly clean :shock:

:shock:

Reactions: 1

ghostman

· #13 · Mar 28, 2014

Off to a great start!

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sawyerfullofit

· #14 · Mar 30, 2014

Loving the overhead crane set up! Giving me bad ideas for when I build a shop!

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Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #15 · Mar 30, 2014

sawyerfullofit said:
Loving the overhead crane set up! Giving me bad ideas for when I build a shop!

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Thanks, we ended getting a bunch of that H Beam from the railroad when they built a new bridge in town. They were going to send it to the scrap yard so we put it to good use.

Update on the truck, i pulled the cab light harness out of the silver cab and put it in the red one. I drilled and installed the cab lights, cut out the headliner for the overhead counsel and got everything mounted back up. All i have left is to cut the hole in the floor for the shifter and 4wheel drive. Then ill be setting the new cab on the frame. Will get pics up tonight hopefully.

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #16 · Mar 31, 2014

6

Today i got the hole cut in the floor for the shifter, cab swung over and set on the 12v frame, wiring all hooked up, steering column in a shaft hooked up. I think about an hours worth of work and i will be able to start the truck.

Cab lights installed....never dawned on me with my last truck to just use the same size hole saw as the hole thats in the shell of the cab and drill from the inside out because the other hole holds the drill where it needs to be. Worked great.

steering column in and gauges in.

ha should these stay on just to confuse people???

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Redthies

· #17 · Mar 31, 2014

Damn! You're making it look easy!

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 31, 2014

Redthies said:
Damn! You're making it look easy!

Its so much easier than i thought it would be.....even my dad helped some and was like wow, this is simple stuff here. Granted the overhead hoist makes a difference.

alanack6795

· #19 · Mar 31, 2014

Cummins4ever said:
Its so much easier than i thought it would be.....even my dad helped some and was like wow, this is simple stuff here. Granted the overhead hoist makes a difference.

It's more tedious than difficult, its really just nuts and bolts and wiring

Cummins4ever

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 1, 2014 (Edited)

4

I got the drivers side fender on and all the wiring situated. Put battery boxes and batteries back in. Went ahead and fired the truck up, made sure all the gauges worked, lights and turn signals all worked fine. Overhead counsel lights worked great. Pretty excited about that. Got all my gauges back in, rewired them and they tested out fine.

tow mirrors are ordered and should be here by the end of the week.

Here are a few pics from tonight.

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