I jumped ship on the 24V guys...

[Todd T]

that’s right gang. after 18 months, I left the 24V world and am RE-ENTERING the 12valve world.



this weekend I stripped all my parts off the truck and traded it in for a "previously experienced" 97 12v. It’s a regular cab 4wd auto.



my plans for the truck in the next 4-6 months are to convert it to a CREW CAB using the back doors off a Chevy crew, change it over to a modified 215 pump with all the goodies, go through the head, and overall just wake it up a little (450HP or so ) I will put in some of Bill K's magic in between the motor and transfer case to hold it all together and put the power to the ground. I also plan to put air ride all the way around, with automatic levelers, and incorporate a purge tank so the truck will sit down on the bump stops when you shut it off. this should make it a little easier for the wife and kids to climb in. we also talked about putting electric steps/running boards on, that would lower and come out a little too. once the truck is fired back up, it will pick itself up, tuck in the steps and prepare for lift off



I plan to make the truck look like the factory did it. not the customized or limo route. it will be a crew cab short bed with decent sized tires, no bigger than 35's, oxford white with tan along the rockers, front to back. maybe a nice little stripe or some phantom flames in pearl under the clear.



I had to sell the 01 due to the quad cab. it is not as easy to convert the quad, and I picked this one up pretty cheap ($12K) nearly half what is still owed on the 01. Plus for the last few months I have wished I didn’t buy the 24v in the first place. the 12's are easier to hop up and I don’t have to worry about things like lift pumps, bucking and surging unexpectedly and all the other neat things the 24's do. the time was right, and the price was too. we finally got our Rebuilders license from the state and I found this truck at the same time.



wish me luck, and you 12V guys, please, grant me some of your patients , I will be asking allot of questions on topics I haven’t kept up on and I will most definitely keep you posted of my progress

 

[John_P]

Todd:



Welcome back to the "properly valved" crowd! Good

luck on your project!



----------

John_P

 

[The patriot]

Sounds like it'll be a trick ride!

Keep us posted.

Eric

 

[Extreme1]

Sounds SWEET!



Especially the air dump at shut down.



I would LOVE a crew cab, the quad cab doesn't do it for me. I might convert mine in a year or 2 if it is in good enough shape.

 

[R.ebel]

12 valves rule!

Bravo Todd T

I'm sure you won't regret coming back to 12 valves and the mighty P7100



Don't forget to take care of your KDP via the Tab or jig method (what ever trips your trigger). Your truck sounds like it will be pretty cool when completed.

 

[tschwab]

Welcome back to the 12V forum and congrats on what sounds to be an awesome set-up..... the 24V guys have got to be jealous. 12V and the mighty P7100 RULE

 

[Cooker]

$12k does sound like a good deal? How many miles were are on it?

 

[Bigsaint]

TRAITOR

Just kidding, best of luck, Todd. Looking forward to pics. of the conversion .



Scott W.

 

[Todd T]

ya thanks Scott, look at it this way. i wont hound you about the Carter pump anymore.



the dealer i traded to is known for having good used heavy duty trucks and has over 100 in stock at any given time. when he drove my truck before he would agree to the money i was asking (just to make sure it ran and everything) he came back and had a big grin on his face. he said "that thing i pretty peppy" i just grinned and agreed. well yesterday, when i picked up the new truck his daughter asked me "you had your truck turned up right?" i admitted to it and then told her it was all back to stock and ready to go. she then confessed, her dad was so excited about his test drive, he told her that it was "scarry fast, and probably the fastest one he has driven"



Cooker, like i said it was "previously experienced" it only had 227000 miles on it. I didnt much care about the mileage. i plan on putting in a new transmission, different pump, head and turbo. so the only thing to really worry about is the bottom end. the truck was well cared for and is still a virgin. they even put a new track bar and tie rod on it before i bought it ($600).



hopefully my carefree attitude wont bite me where it counts



as long as she stays running long enough for me to collect all the parts, that is all i care about. i didnt want a truck with a salvage title so i had to buy this way. who knows, maybe i'll build this one and sell it to pay for the next one i build.



then i would have a crew cab that was paid off.

 

[TKemper]

Hey Todd, sounds like a great project. My name is Todd also and it sounds like we think alike. I'll try to post a pic of the truck I want to build. I'm curious how you plan to use Chevy doors and make it look right? The air ride set up is the way to go!!!!! I,ve been dying to do the conversion, but I don't think I can get the Ok to spend the $$$ She let me buy another truck, but it's going to be a long project. Good luck. Todd

 

[Todd T]

Todd, i use the chevy back half(doors), floor, the whole roof and back of the cab. then you skin the doors using a piece out of the front of a dodge longbed side. that gets you the body lines and contour the same as the bed sides would be on the regular cab. so they would match up with the front doors. then you take the dodge back wall's outer skin and put it on the back of the chevy cab. again this gets you the style and contour of the dodge cab back. the only thing left of it is the shell and the roof of the chevy cab. the true give away is the lines on the door windows, they tend to slope forward on the chevy and backwards on the fords.



plus you have to scab in the door handles from a dodge which is pretty easy if you use a die and punch the recesses into it.



My brother is a machinist, my dad owns a chain of three body shops and i used to work in the trade as a youngster for extra money.



I have to buy a crashed "builder" truck out of the insurance pools yard and go to work.



i have a buddy that has a ext. cab long bed frame. i plan to use it for the pieces i need to lengthen my frame. then i have to buy a lift kit and use the mounts for the front axle, then change it over to bags instead of springs. the back suspension will probably be a four link type setup with a bar across the back for the bags. i will also have to utilize some type of pan hard bar, we may have to build that too. my other option is to strip all the leafs off the main springs and use the bags to support the truck with some custom shackles and re-arch the springs.

 

[Todd T]

all it takes is time and lots of money



or is it lots of time and truck loads of money?



just kiddin the main thing to remember here, is i dont pay myself. its my free time, and that is how i choose to use it.



hopefully i will be able to recoop my cost of the builder truck by parting it out after i take what i need from it. the air ride is not all that expensive and again the body work is on me. I might have to bribe my big brother to make me up some custom barckets here and there, but i just wont charge him to ride in it after its all done



everyone else get your quarters out