The United shop truck project is kicking on with Ryan, Cliff and Eric ticking off a bunch of jobs each week as the October deadline looms. The trans crossmember has been made so the T56 6-speed manual has somewhere to live, while the chassis has copped a bunch of upgrades to handle the 5th-wheel trailer.
Fish plates were added to the rear of the frame rails and gusseted crossmembers were welded in above the diff, along with heavy duty plates for the hitch and helper air bags. Mallaby Sheet Metal water-cut us up some chain mounts the boys will weld on once the current rust repairs are dialled.
The truck will sit on a ’55 Chevy passenger car frame, which Ryan found in a sandblaster’s yard on the New South Wales mid-north coast. It sat outside for a few years after being blasted and primed so there has been some rust to attend to on top of adding the 4-link rear-end, custom crossmember and new engine mounts.
Ryan has managed to get rid of the bastard steel-cancer from the frame and by the time you’re reading this the whole shebang will be coated in black KBS Rust Seal!
We’ll show you the progress on the new floor for the step-side bed next week. Get keen!
