Canadian built... Project Dool-Eh!... Lots of pics

Hey everyone, my names Chris and this is the build of my 85 crew cab long bed SRW that I'm switching over to DRW. Gonna be bagged and stockfloored on 22" Alcoas. Also the bed will be shortened 12" to become a "medium" 7ft bed. Drivetrain planned is a carbed 383 stroker but the more I read into the various LS swaps, the more I'm opening up my mind to going that route. All work will be performed by myself and a few friends/club members in my 16'x20' garage. Everyone likes pics so hopefully I don't screw this up... Enjoy!
The day I picked her up

Wheels I picked up

Before the tear down and a look at My other trucks

Adapters courtesy of Trevor a Tennessee wheel and tire

Tear down begins

Removed bed and sent off for scrap... I'll have to track a good one down when I need one

Tear down

Engine out

Suspension removed...under all the grease and oil, the frame was on great shape

Cab off

Frame out

Cab parked outside next to my toy

Frame stripped

A small blueprint that I whipped up for the rear backhalf... Going with a parallel 4link with a watts and bags under the notch

Measuring for the Z... 4.5" up and 1" forward

Cut away

Tacked back up

Material for the new frame rails... Went with 4"x3" 1/4" wall tube

Drew up an actual full size blueprint so I could make sure everything was right

New rails started

Weld porn... All joints were prepped and beveled to insure proper penetration

More welding

Done

Fitting the new rails under the cab

More fitting

New rails in with the bottom of the stock frame cut off

More... I had to keep the section of stock frame so I could locate the new rear body mounts

Started plating and welding up the front frame transition

More welding

Plating up the inside

Filler plate tacked in

Smoothed out

Other side

Welding the new frame to the old

Drew up some plates for the rear cab mounts

You get the idea

Boxed and welded

More weld porn

I still need to drill the holes and finish welding when I rotate the frame on its side

Cleaned up all the other cab mounts and started welding them on

Starting to look cleaner

More

Started trans crossmember

More

Welding

More weld porn for ya

Building the 4link pieces

Threading the bars with 1 1/8" threads... All machine work is done by a good friend of mine

Perfect fit

Bars all tacked up and ready for mock up

I drew up all the 4link tabs and my buddy burned em out for me

Ready for test fittin

Mockin up

Getting wider


Which brings me up to the present... I've started building the front 4link crossmember and should get that in this week so I can weld up all the link tabs

WOW! Just WOW, the work is superb looks awesome. I'm a weld engineering tech and those are weld porn........lol very nice weldin! You definately got my attention, keep the photos comin. Welcome to the site by the way.

Very nice! I like the up and out on the Z. I was planning that for mine. Is 1" out the magic number?

I think it might take a bit more than 1" to get the wheels perfectly centred but at least it'll help.

Thanks for the props guys!

You are building a killer ride! Yeah I like the welds, if your not busy over the winter... You could come down to Texas... We will feed you lots of good food... In trade for your welding! Seriously I think you are going to have a ton of fun with that ride. What engine are you going to drop in it?

Yeah the up and forward is nice, makes room for motor and exhaust etc.
Or when you make your new upper and lower control arms you move the spindle forward an inch to do the same.

so the z in the front would be one inch backwards?

Killer entrance! Nice work man!