Ollie progress photos:


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That thing is going to be soooo cool.

The body looks to be very nice after all these years.

 

Thanks T-man!

I tried to pick some pictures that showed some of the custom areas.

Like the trimmed battery tray and welded up intercooler tube on the drivers side.
The shortened secondary hood latch to intercooler clearance after I cut 1 inch out of it. Also note the center brace of the core support to the intercooler clearance is close too.
I used two slightly different style 2nd gen lower boots on the intercooler ends. The one with more angle built into the boot was used on the drivers side to get clearance from the battery tray and inner fender.

Also note the small lower hole drilled in the core support for the drivers side turn signal. I am hoping I can get the passenger side turn signal / wires to fit through the factory Cummins air box slot in the '90 core support.

Let me know if there is anyone who needs some more info on the core support work to get things to fit.

 

I picked up 4 gallons of Napa 100% anti freeze on sale for 11.99 a gallon last week.
The radiator is in and full now. The core support is totally assembled, right down to the '76 grill.

 

Found a couple of drips at the ends of 20 - 30 year old hose connections after filling up the rad.. A couple of extra clamps or tightening some of the existing clamps a bit fixed the issues.
I am sure once the cooling system gets up to temp. a few times and makes the old rubbers more supple they will seal even better.

I have found the new diesel radiator hoses for sale to be so flimsy, that I choose to re-use the OEM ones.

 

Thanks bud.
Texas seems great for sheetmetal but bad for interiors, plastic and wiring. I had never seen all the epoxy in a voltage regulator melt out and down the engine bay before this rig.
I am not using a single piece of the original plastic or rubber other than the fuel tank and 4 of the leaf spring bushings. No wiring, seats, body mounts, hoses, gaskets, dash parts, or door panels survived the heat and the burning sun very well.

 

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Thanks for posting the pictures T-man.

The first picture shows the front grille fitting over the huge, trimmed down 2nd gen intercooler. Also note the round headlights nicely placed in the '76 location on a '90 cummins core support.
It also shows the lower valance panel off my old '76 orange ram charger, painted as close as I could find in a spray paint can to match that metallic root beer brown color. I had to re shape and trim the panel up to fit the lower edge of the big intercooler.

The next couple of pictures are of painting the metal lower dash a dark red color to match the red seats, console, dash / glove box door and door panels I will be using for this build.

The last 2 are of me welding up the rear bumper / roll pan I am using on this ride. It came pre cut and bent from Far From Stock. I have had it on the shelf for years waiting for the project to ready for it.
After welding up all the cut and open seams inside and out, I played around with the grinding wheel and sanding flapper wheel for a bit. Now the welds look nice a smooth.
After I get it test fit up on the RC and the mounting brackets welded on, so I can mount it to the frame... It will be ready for some of that fancy spray paint, in that sexy '70 metallic root beer brown color.

 

Really looking good! Definitely looking like a sleeper!
Be real cool to see this thing cruise down to Moparty in September... just saying...

 

More Ollie Pix



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Thanks again NJTman.

 

I needed to cut down the brackets that came with the bumper to fit around the added rear tub mounting bracket on the RC frame, that would not be there on a pick up truck.

I used some screws with big washers, 2x4s and some clamps to get everything where I thought it wanted to be. The bumper came with no instructions or marks. I just tacked each frame mount 4 times and then test fit it. A few pictures of which T-man posted.
Other than needing to bump it over to the drivers side an 1/8th of an inch it looks to be about perfect. I welded the bumper brackets 3/8th wider than the frame , so I just plan on shimming the drivers side out to get the 1/8 I need.

I now have to pull it off the RC and weld her up solid.
After I get it all welded up I plan to hit it with some "color matched" spray paint. I am liking the way it looks on the shorter body of the Ramcharger.

 

Trying to make a 4 inch exhaust fit a short and low RC is less that fun. Things are REALLY tight around the frame, the crossmember for the rear shocks, the RC fuel tank and the passenger side rear shock.
The factory diesel exhaust hanger bracket will not mount to the '70s RC rear crossmember as it is different. The OEM gasser exhaust brackets still on the back 1/2 of the RC frame are not very useful.

 

Sounds like a specialty bracket needs to be Ollie-f-i-e-d.

Send me the pix and I'll post em up.

 

Or take the easy redneck way out and just stack it through the hood. Instant window tinting that way. Kidding of course...

What about a side exit in front of the rear wheel? Old school '70s mod style.