new guy

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 1:15 am

So. My name is shannon. Go by choptvan everywhere on the web. I am the prez of Hell Bounders Car Club. We have various chapters around the world. I was turned onto this site buy a screen name frank. My first car was a 63 ford f100. I got her for my b-day at the age of 14. I still have her. I drive my sons and daughter around in it all of the time. I live in colorado springs and for a time i was communiting back and forth to laramie wyoming while attending wyotech. 300 miles every weekend to see my kids. It never left me stranded. Recently i was given a 66 ford that gave me a 300 with trans, 4 barrel offy intake, and clifford split exhaust. Now my 63 has it. I have less than $2k in this thing ever. Has a 64 bed and is in desperate need of a cowl replacement. The hood latch AND safety broke. Luckily the kids were at home, and noone got hurt. Didn't even break the glass! I have HUGE plans that i should be able to start achieving soon. I really want to tear it all down and rebuild EVERYTHING. I have once before but i was 14. Now i am 28. Things just need freshened up a bit. Paint will end up being a pearl white w/emarld green 2 tone and green/gold/white pinstriping. Tuck and roll seat. Door panels to match. Headliner as well. It has been lowered just doing axle overs on the front and rear of it. Brought it down a long way. It still needs a small frame notch for those extra large bumps in the road. bed cover built to overlap the bedsides for a good seal. Most of it is free to me since i already have the parts. Here are a few pix.

edselcomet · Post by **edselcomet** » January 3, 2010, 1:53 am

your truck is looking good. it sits just right.you might want to consider some longer u bolts on the front axle.in the last picture it looks like the axle is welded to a plate that is bolted to the top side of the spring, the ubolts need to be longer with a plate on the top of the axle.sorry to sound like the safety police ,if the welds break on the axle plate it wont be pretty.

Anthony · Post by **Anthony** » January 3, 2010, 10:55 am

Welcome from West Virginia.... Love where the exhaust exits on your truck...

Post by **Greg D** » January 3, 2010, 10:58 am

Good looking truck - I like low.
I agree on the front axle flip - that is potentially very dangerous. "Phil" posted a pic of one a guy did, he made a couple plates that clamp over the front & back of the axle and the U bolts go through holes drilled in them with a plate on the top. Very solid setup. I tried to find the pic but couldn't maybe Phil will post it. I dropped mine with reverse eye mono leafs from No Limit, they also ride very well.
Welcome to Slick 60s.

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 11:06 am

i have thought about that on the front axle before. Something i do believe i plan on doing. It was welded by grooving for penetration though. So i know it will last awhile. It has been this way for about 4 years. No probs yet. I understand the concern though. I deleted the pic cuz i do not want anyone ho think i am a hack on my intro.

Post by **Greg D** » January 3, 2010, 11:40 am

I don't think you had to delete the pic.
We really don't intend to as edselcomet put it, be the safety police. Some of use have been into these trucks for a long time like you have (had my first in 94) and see some really odd PO (previous owner) stuff done to them and some of it down right dangerous. Alot of people get these old trucks and just don't understand how they work because they are used their 01 Taurus. We only intend to help.
I see the ads for Wyotech on TV - looks pretty cool. Seems like they teach some real old school stuff there.
You car club have a web site? There are a few of here in to traditional stuff.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 3, 2010, 1:38 pm

from Alaska.

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 5:03 pm

Greg D wrote:I don't think you had to delete the pic.
We really don't intend to as edselcomet put it, be the safety police. Some of use have been into these trucks for a long time like you have (had my first in 94) and see some really odd PO (previous owner) stuff done to them and some of it down right dangerous. Alot of people get these old trucks and just don't understand how they work because they are used their 01 Taurus. We only intend to help.
I see the ads for Wyotech on TV - looks pretty cool. Seems like they teach some real old school stuff there.
You car club have a web site? There are a few of here in to traditional stuff.

http://hellbounderscc.6.forumer.com/

You will have to cut and past the address to get to it.

Wyotech was the best decision of my life. Right after getting out i got a job, payed well. Until the shop closed. The owner lost interest. He was a football player with money to burn. So the shop was more of a side project. I am tryin out workin for myself. I have a few jobs lined up, but am being overly cautious since i have 3 kids. Since I went to school, i have learned alot about things i have messed up in the past. Like this ugly ass van for example.

should have died in that thing. Guess i got lucky. Since that P.O.Style, i have built much more engineered stuff. Like this floor in a 47 packard clipper limo. This was going to be a hardtop convertable. Left this car when the shop closed. It has 23 foot of new floor all hand crafted with a smooth firewall. When i got the car, it was in pieces. Cowl, b pillars, and trunk all seperate. I even suicided the rear doors. there is alot to tell about this, but i know it is not the place for it.

I also worked on a bad ass 61 unibody. I will have to post pix of that when i find them. That was impressive.

Anthony · Post by **Anthony** » January 3, 2010, 6:09 pm

Your metal working skills are absolutely beautiful... I myself go by the rule, "a grinder can make any weld look pretty". My welds only turn out pretty after I have been into the project a while...

Looks like there is no need for you to buy after market since you are very capable of building it yourself. Sure can't wait to see pics of the uni when you find them. My Son will graduate next year from high school, I am assuming you would recommend Wyotech?? He is very mechanical inclined and he needs to learn some form of trade. Where are you located at?? Looks sunny in the pics..

Hang around and learn what you can and share what you know, We are all like family....

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 6:53 pm

I live in colorado. And yes. i rec wyotech. Money spent is money earned. If he is open minded, and realizes that he doesn't know everything, he should be fine. Here are those pix...

body and paint i did not do. If I did, I would have tken more time on it

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 7:00 pm

This is a car i started working on while in school. You see, the school is 50/50, class/live work time and in some, like sheetmetal fab, or rather, streetrod, it is 20/80 time. Hands on is the only way!

hand built drip rail

extended quarters

i have got lots more, but again, this isn't the place for it. I will be gettin to work on my truck soon as i got my taxes. You will see progress then for sure.

Anthony · Post by **Anthony** » January 3, 2010, 7:10 pm

2 thumbs up

That uni is sweet... nice color combo.

jkimbrel65 · Post by **jkimbrel65** » January 3, 2010, 7:16 pm

WOW!!! Wish I had your fab skills.Nice uni

Post by **Greg D** » January 3, 2010, 7:36 pm

Shannon,
Feel free to post more of those pics. This subforum is primarily for Slick projects but post all you want in the Off Subject. You are very good - I am impressed. I like how you think too - you and I will get along just fine.
I can move this thread there for you and then you can show us more - we'd love to see it.
A Hot Rod shop has always been my big dream too - work too much and have to many bills to go out on my own with no capitol though. I think I figured a way to get going on the side though going to take a shot at it maybe next year - I have to get my 62 done to a certain point first though. Right now I have it in my garage doing the bodywork. I have something special planned for where the drip rail was - hence the "odd" metal reshaping at the B pillar curve.
We have chat at 8:00 PM CST every Sunday - feel free to drop in a visit.

http://fordtruk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9003

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 8:10 pm

well, you asked for it!

1930 hudson. 6 inch chop. 3 inch section.

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 8:12 pm

this had over 135 bullet holes in it. You can see evidence of them all over.I had to cut out and patch some.....

deviant1 · Post by **deviant1** » January 3, 2010, 8:17 pm

from Alabama. Your projects look awesome! The unibody in the pic you posted looks beautiful and the slick you own looks cool also.

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 8:35 pm

a 1954 ford mainline. 4 door to 2 door conversion. Mild kustom.

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 8:42 pm

a 1954 plymouth belvedere

this thing had extensive body damage. Figured it was best to cut the quarter panels off for repair.

figured while i was there, i would build a continental kit!

(those are just there to hold it in place while the work is being done)

choptvan · Post by **choptvan** » January 3, 2010, 8:44 pm

deviant1 wrote: from Alabama. Your projects look awesome! The unibody in the pic you posted looks beautiful and the slick you own looks cool also.

Thank you!