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I know this is way way off topic but I'm so pumped right now I can hardly stand it...

A good friend stopped by my shop a couple of weeks ago and told me he was retiring and moving to Costa Rica. Just being able to retire sounds pretty cool to me but to move to Costa Rica ta boot sounds really cool. Any way he says he has a 01 Ford f350 crew cab long bed he would like to give me as he cant take it with him. I asked if he was sure? He answered yep and without asking many questions about the truck I said sure, Id love to have it. He then told me it had been sitting for about 6 years but I later learned it was closer to 8. He said I needed to get it moved as it was on a non op and parked in his mother in laws driveway who had just passed and they sold the house.

So I hook the trailer on the 150 and off we go to fetch the new prize this last weekend. Took a battery and some gas thinking I could start it and drive it up on the trailer. So we get there and to my surprise its a 7.3 diesel in great shape. 150,000 miles on the speedo and just waiting for me. Oh and did I mention its a 4x4 6 speed manual trans? with a pretty shinny S/Steel exhaust, and Programed. I need to drop the tank and clean up the algae in the diesel but I think that is about all that I will need to do. The thing is in great shape and very timely. My old 93 Dodge dually 3500 diesel just turned 385,000 miles and the tranny died. Think I will sell it as is and use the money I get to register the Ford. Ive been researching this thing for the past few weeks so the VW Thing will be on hold for at least 2 more weeks while I get this sorted out.

Those diesels are heavy and I had no idea the F350 was such a big truck. So we thought better and called my buddies at Road One towing.

Nice score. 50 or 60 front axle? I like my tcase lever and locking hubs. You know, the stuff that works every time I touch them.

cbeck wrote:Nice score. 50 or 60 front axle? I like my tcase lever and locking hubs. You know, the stuff that works every time I touch them.

Thanks and yep a Dana 60 up front and a Sterling In the rear I believe? I honestly don't think he has had ever locked those hubs! I asked him if he ever wheeled it. Said he may of had it in the snow once but wasn't sure if it was this truck or another?

Edit... so in looking it over more closely it is a d-50 and not a d-60. Same housing and outers but a d-44 ring and pinion. A little disappointed but for as much off roading as this thing is going to see it should be just fine for me and the price was right. 373 gears which kinda of surprised me? maybe just fine with the 6 speed manual? We will see.

Well its not earth shattering but my son and I did have a few minutes this last couple of weeks to decide what we wanted to achieve on the front tube fenders. He used some 3/16" x 3" FB to make the flanges where it bolts to the body. I got lazy and just slotted the holes in the mill so there is a bit of adjustment if needed. We decided a little kick in the front edge of the 1 1/2" Dom fender would look better than just throwing a radiused 90 degree bend on it. It looked good on the ones he built for his Jeep so why not? He left it a bit short on the bottom as we would like to build a fairly aggressive rock slider and that empty space will be the landing for that. Not much but at least we are moving forward.

Lookin' good!

Well that ain't gonna work! My tires would hit those!

You had the fenders tilted up in front so you must be betting some mighty amounts of travel or the tires are insanely large. I still like the idea you are playing with on the fenders.

Lee

Ol'fogasaurus wrote:You had the fenders tilted up in front so you must be betting some mighty amounts of travel or the tires are insanely large. I still like the idea you are playing with on the fenders.

Lee

Actua Lee These tires are quite a bit smaller than I eventually want to run. I figured out years ago with off road vehicles that it is best to go as far as you can the first time. Eventually an A Arm front end might land in this Thing? No need to cramp things up.

And just for the record the front bumper was fabb'ed up by the PO. I'm thinking about possibly shortening it up considerably and mounting the winch off of it along with the spare running lights...

3/16" flat bar for flanges for fenders on a Thing?????

OK....

Must work on trucks and bulldozers a lot.

They are made out of tubing though Dusty, they aren't exactly sheet metal.


Smiley

smiley wrote:They are made out of tubing though Dusty, they aren't exactly sheet metal.


Smiley

Seamed tubing is just sheet metal without side edges.

DOM and 4130 is just seamed tubing with the seams hidden better.

The car sitting next to the Thing in the front view explains a lot of the story.

The new tube frame fenders are still mounted to the 22ga flat sheet metal of the front 1/4 panel. .025 with .187 mounted to it. Which is supporting which?

Bengel, don't take this too seriously. It'll work the way it is. I would do it differently. That doesn't mean your way is "wrong", just different.

If he backed it up with another flange inside it would be really sturdy!

It IS much easier to weld tube to than 22 ga...
...but I thought the idea was the fenders could take damage w/o destroying the main body?

Maybe use nylon bolts to hold them on? (ducks)

Aw if the world was as easy as Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda, and every one followed the fabrication rules... It would be a much better world. I'm just not that guy! I'm not going to defend my use of heavier metal on a 22 ga. body. The fenders will all be tied together through the rock sliders, front and rear bumper and cage. In essence it will be a descent looking exo portion of the cage. The whole reason for the fenders are to protect the body something that 22 gauge fenders couldn't do. My long range goal is to reduce or eliminate the crumple zone by tying everything together. I'm sure some day this will ultimately be a V8 car with a Moly or DOM frame under it... So as mentioned in the very first paragraph on in this thread...

"All that to say I am going to be incorporating aspects of a lot of these different off road interests into this build. I most likely will not fit into the traditional mold of what we think of when we think of a BAJA Bug or similar vehicle. Id like to build this Thing into a more of an overland style rig while incorporating tube off road fenders much like a rock crawler. And a bunch of other ideas that will be subtle but different."

Encouragement, humor, Insecurity, or Trolling Richard?

"3/16" flat bar for flanges for fenders on a Thing?????
OK....
Must work on trucks and bulldozers a lot. "

Maybe it would be best if I just build it and check in when it's all done, this would save us all from having to deal with comments like these that I'm sure will continue if I post here... Now I remember why I got rid of my Forums. Enjoy

"Maybe it would be best if I just build it and check in when it's all done, this would save us all from having to deal with comments like these that I'm sure will continue if I post here... Now I remember why I got rid of my Forums."

Naw, discussions like this is where a lot of knowledge is shared both good and bad (depending on who posted what). I would hope the comments are not an ego thing... at least shouldn't be. This is a hobby thing and that is where the fun is.

I ask for comments/opinions and sometimes someone will say something that might be a way I had considered then dismissed or something I hadn't even considered has come to light for me to think about.

Think about all the lurkers out there that will miss potentially needed information.

Stay and enjoy the complimentary comments and enjoy the comradery.

Lee

Added the word "not" to ego. Missed that the word not was missing on my origional 'put. I hate the spell check!

Lee.