Double Dingo's 1965 3/4 Ton "Crusty Biscuit"

[DoubleDingo]

A change in plans. Since @idrivea2002golf removed his front suspension from his '81 C20, I am working with him to take it off his hands. This move has changed my mind on some things. I am going to leave Crusty Biscuit a v8 truck. I might yank the engine and do a hillbilly rebuild just to check main and rod bearings and do dingleberry hone on the cylinder bores and re-ring the pistons. The cam is fairly new and the heads were reworked, but I may eventually swap them out.

This will get Crusty Biscuit in running condition quicker. I may leave it a 3 on the tree, but may swap in a 4L80E. Nothing is set in stone yet, except it's remaining a v8 truck.

The C20 suspension I am buying will go on the bare frame of Mean Green. With Crusty Biscuit running, that frees up time and space by allowing things to be moved around more easily. I have a separate '65 C20 that's been sitting in the driveway waiting for the body to be swapped onto Mean Green's frame. I just never had the front suspension to swap to front disc, and soon will have it. Mean Green will get the hot 292. Working with a bare frame I can basically build it like the factory would, with the body going on last.

I told my wife about this plan and she liked it. I know she misses Crusty Biscuit, it's one of her favorite vehicles.

 

[DoubleDingo]

No pics yet. Just getting up. Still tired. 12.75 hour round trip yesterday because every paved surface that connects two points was stop and go. We made it, though. Jeep did okay even with 222k on the original drivetrain.

Got the suspension, met a gmsb member and saw his project up close. He's a cool guy and his truck will be unique when done. He has some good ideas for it.

Time to make some coffee, eat some food and figure out how to extract the suspension from the uhaul trailer.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I'll get some pics Sunday, but we were able to wrestle the crossmember assembly into a spot that is not visible from the street. It took a beating on the way home. I forgot to bring blocks of wood to support the lower control arms for the trip home, so it all sat on the backing plates, and then the rotors once the backing plates gave way.

Other than that, it's got some wheels installed and sitting on furniture dollies. It sucks having to hide everything, but there's too many Karen's nowadays with code enforcement on speed dial.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Couldn't have @1low4x4 being the only one working on a 65 chevy this weekend.

It's time to tear off the mangled sheet metal. Got a late start, but next time I go in it'll be cut time. So many bolts just broke and/or pulled out, but there's a couple that are impossible to get a socket or wrench on, so making cuts is the only way to remove those pieces.

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The only thing keeping grille support and radiator support from being removed is that mangled mess in the second photo.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I wonder if this fan can be saved? Only two blades are bent.

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[1low4x4]

I'll get some pics Sunday, but we were able to wrestle the crossmember assembly into a spot that is not visible from the street. It took a beating on the way home. I forgot to bring blocks of wood to support the lower control arms for the trip home, so it all sat on the backing plates, and then the rotors once the backing plates gave way.

Other than that, it's got some wheels installed and sitting on furniture dollies. It sucks having to hide everything, but there's too many Karen's nowadays with code enforcement on speed dial.

I live in an HOA now, I get it

 

[DoubleDingo]

I wonder if this fan can be saved? Only two blades are bent.

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After a search, it's not recommended to bend a bent fan back into shape. So now I need to peruse ebay again for another oem fan. This setup helped the on highway cooling some, but it still ran hot according to the gauge. It could idle all day long in triple digit heat and the gauge would show a 1/4 above the "C".

 

[DoubleDingo]

I live in an HOA now, I get it

I would have been booted from an hoa a long time ago

 

[DoubleDingo]

I have to admit, I have had a feeling of blah for a few months, trying to figure out why or what was causing that. I think it was the huge weight of too much to do and too little time, then spinning my wheels on the days I had available, or ready to go and bad weather outside so no progress.

Yesterday, being out there ripping into Crusty Biscuit has reignited the flame. Still have tons of little things to do before it's drive-able again, but each step is one less step towards that goal. Hoping to re-register it in a month maybe two, weather permitting of course. The joys of no shop or garage...lol... Either way, it's time to move forward, the weekend before last, when moving it around to hide the newly acquired front suspension, having to undo the tarps to be able to steer it, I didn't feel any anger towards the event that caused the mangled mess, or the sight of seeing the mangled mess. That was huge, as it used to p!ss me off big time every time I saw it. Almost to the point of sending it and the other 65 and all of the parts to the crusher. Glad I never did, but my wife wouldn't have minded...lol...

Yesterday it was calm and motivated. It's a good feeling. I know there will be hiccups along the way, but I am ready for the challenge!

 

[1low4x4]

I have to admit, I have had a feeling of blah for a few months, trying to figure out why or what was causing that. I think it was the huge weight of too much to do and too little time, then spinning my wheels on the days I had available, or ready to go and bad weather outside so no progress.

Yesterday, being out there ripping into Crusty Biscuit has reignited the flame. Still have tons of little things to do before it's drive-able again, but each step is one less step towards that goal. Hoping to re-register it in a month maybe two, weather permitting of course. The joys of no shop or garage...lol... Either way, it's time to move forward, the weekend before last, when moving it around to hide the newly acquired front suspension, having to undo the tarps to be able to steer it, I didn't feel any anger towards the event that caused the mangled mess, or the sight of seeing the mangled mess. That was huge, as it used to p!ss me off big time every time I saw it. Almost to the point of sending it and the other 65 and all of the parts to the crusher. Glad I never did, but my wife wouldn't have minded...lol...

Yesterday it was calm and motivated. It's a good feeling. I know there will be hiccups along the way, but I am ready for the challenge!

I know this feeling.....I'm learning effects of bipolar can get worse with age. I used to work so hard on squares back in my 20s, for the last 3 months its been hell with this sense of impending doom and despair I'm dealing with. Trying to get the meds right. Everything has a side effect.

On my 65, I pulled the engine because I was dying to do something to the truck and it needed oil leaks fixed. Then half way through getting it unbolted for yanking, I started kind of panicking like I'll never get it back together....Which is absurd because the last truck I did was literally a frame off (my bros C10) and I had it from full truck, down to bare frame and back to running truck in like 3-4 months. People dont understand though, its easy to forget those accomplishments, you have to be your own cheerleader, im ny case I keep reminding myself "Trust the process, enjoy the journey, you did this to have fun, so have fun". I tell myself that frequently

 

[DoubleDingo]

I know this feeling.....I'm learning effects of bipolar can get worse with age. I used to work so hard on squares back in my 20s, for the last 3 months its been hell with this sense of impending doom and despair I'm dealing with. Trying to get the meds right. Everything has a side effect.

On my 65, I pulled the engine because I was dying to do something to the truck and it needed oil leaks fixed. Then half way through getting it unbolted for yanking, I started kind of panicking like I'll never get it back together....Which is absurd because the last truck I did was literally a frame off (my bros C10) and I had it from full truck, down to bare frame and back to running truck in like 3-4 months. People dont understand though, its easy to forget those accomplishments, you have to be your own cheerleader, im ny case I keep reminding myself "Trust the process, enjoy the journey, you did this to have fun, so have fun". I tell myself that frequently

I hear ya. Mine's not bipolar, it's mostly lack of good space to work. No outdoor outlets, no garage or carport, tools and parts are about a 300 foot round trip each time you need something you forgot, and no leaving things out for the next day because it will most likely grow legs overnight. It's a process just to get everything out there, and double the process cleaning and putting it all back. That sometimes is the motivation killer. The big thing I'm trying to not let block me. Fortunately it's warming up, I have a new focus, and will be buying things to help "transport" everything out and back each time it's go time.

I'm with you, though, on the idea of keeping the project down as little as possible so it's drivable.

Crusty has been down way longer than I wanted it to be, but now that's gonna change, and any project down the road that requires disassembly of any part of it, will only be for a day or three so it can be enjoyed.

Let's do this!

 

[DoubleDingo]

Did a short look at the "inventory" at lunch. There is a section of the backyard that I forgot I had some body parts stashed. I knew about the fenders and bedsides, but I'd forgotten about the inner fenders. Going to clean up that area so I can get in there and check things out. I need to prune back some shrubbery too, as it's impeding movement through some areas. Who knows what is all back there, I sure as heck don't fully remember, but will get reminded soon enough...lol...

My quick glance did remind me that both sets of passenger side fenders are bent, but they don't look horrible bad. And the bed sides have some damage from the rollover but if I recall correctly they weren't extremely bad, so I might be able to swap the passenger side of Crusty Biscuit with the Mean Green's. I won't know for sure until I pull it away from the shed, the way it's leaning I can't see.

The dogs will be very curious about this area as well, as they have never been in this area of the yard.

 

[legopnuematic]

Having been through a similar, but different situation with my Ram, I'd put your main focus on the mechanicals, frame and suspension, stuff that will make it drive right.

Use what you can find or have for body panels, then focus more sharply on them later. But I wouldn't worry about the bed or anything that isn't "mission critical"

Make a list of stuff to do, for me that was a pretty good motivator with the Dodge, there is something rewarding about crossing something off, and I think puts things into perspective.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Having been through a similar, but different situation with my Ram, I'd put your main focus on the mechanicals, frame and suspension, stuff that will make it drive right.

Use what you can find or have for body panels, then focus more sharply on them later. But I wouldn't worry about the bed or anything that isn't "mission critical"

Make a list of stuff to do, for me that was a pretty good motivator with the Dodge, there is something rewarding about crossing something off, and I think puts things into perspective.

Frame and mechanicals are definitely top of the list. I honestly think it's just the body, with exception of the core support pad on the passenger side. The impact ripped it back, but I have one within 10 feet that can be ground off and bolted on.

Original plan was going to be to remove the front sheet metal, and tow it to the frame shop. New plan is remove mangled parts, clean, inspect, repair and replace what needs replacing. Then drive it to the frame shop.

Since the overdrive transmission is problematic with shops, I'll swap in the non-od-3 speed for that. I can rebuild the od trans while it's out. When Pop helped me rebuild it, the syncros just never were right, and it didn't help the I didn't use proper gear oil, so it needs to be pulled apart anyhow.

EDIT: The od trans can be problematic at shops if they mess with the overdrive cable. If they push that in even a little, it can engage/partially engage the overdrive, and it'll freewheel forward and can't go in reverse. If you force it backwards in any way it'll ruin the transmission. Swapping in the regular 3 speed will guarantee that doesn't happen, and allow me to work on the other while the truck is at the shop.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Posting this up for some inspiration. I am inspired, just wanted to have this in a more recent post instead of a few years back. This was after 27 hours of hand polishing and waxing for a car show that got postponed due to wildfire smoke in the area. Changed my profile pic as well.

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