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Jun 11, 2016 21:04:34 GMT
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THANK YOU sir! I'm out working on the air conditioning lines now. If I can pull that off, I'll be really happy. Going to do a walk around vid later today.  What happened to letting the next guy finish the AC?  Do you think you might actually drive this one for a few weeks before it goes away? Another question...The IH body and Durango chassis seems to be an Oreo cookie and milk combo...they just go together. Can you stay amused for long with the combinations and permutations of this formula or are you going to start looking afar for more exotic combos? |
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Jun 11, 2016 22:26:12 GMT
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Well, I did some Googling and made some phone calls. I spoke with a chap in Texas that has sold AC parts for the last 50 years. He gave me a bit of schooling on how the systems work and what they need.
I laid out the lines that I have from the donor and it turns out, I need two end fittings re configured and four compression couplings and a bit of line to connect it all up.
It seems like I can get the receiver drier and the condenser in the bay, once I get the electric engine cooling fan, so I can see how to mount it all. There is an AC shop here in town that can make hoses and I'll look into having those made and getting it all connected up. What I was calling a "Coil" is actually an evaporator. I basically have to get that piped from under the dash, to the engine. Shouldn't be as bad as I thought. Will it work? I dunno but I'll try it. The guy that bought the last one, we talked for quite a while about these things and he's excited about them but says the Air Con has to work because they're getting exposure in the southern hot states. He's had my first build all over the place, in front of people at shows.
As far as getting bored with this design, well- not for a while because the guy that bought the last one is saying a run of ten trucks should be no problem before I start on a more modern version (mechanically) of the builds. I had mentioned the newer Hemi engines with cylinder management systems, but that's for the future. He, like Grizz, mentioned that I should start putting a small stamped Built plate/data tags numbered "One of one" and Two of ten", that type of thing. He said because people love exclusivity of things like this and seeing the evolution of how they started and how they became what they are today. He's got big vision this guy, and with good reason.
He said the sprocket on the hood and the side exhaust, they are either "love it or hate it" with people. He said that's about the worst of what people say about it. I'm not sure what category it won a trophy in, I'll ask him. He said other car builders look at it and say to him "You can't do that" about this or that, and he says to them "Here's the guy's email address that built it, email him and tell him he can't do that because I've put over 5,000 miles on it and you sure as hell can do that"
He was approached by a TV channel, at one of the shows- to put the truck in a country music video. He said it's happening, he's leasing the truck to them for three days of shooting.
He also said that he wants this old blue truck I'm building now, done in 3 weeks. He wants it for a huge car show, where he says he will put it on a stage on a rotisserie with his company name and mine as the builder.
The one thing I DO know, is he paid me for the last truck, so he's not a bullshitter as far as I can tell. I'm going to try and hit the 3 week deadline and see what happens.
Grab popcorn, this could get exciting. (or as life is sometimes, nothing could happen and I'll just keep building rusty junk and talking about it on a forum anyway) lol
Side note- I did promise this next build to the UK guys with first crack at it, I'll let you all know when it's ready to shift.
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Last Edit: Jun 11, 2016 22:30:11 GMT by grenade
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Jun 11, 2016 22:42:52 GMT
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Sounds like it could get interesting. Best of luck!
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Jun 11, 2016 22:59:42 GMT
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Love the trucks and the way you work. Have an idea and just build it. Regarding the ac it should be really simple. If your using the standard compressor, condenser, evap, reciever and wiring it's just a case of piping it up. In my old job I worked for an oem parts supplier developing amongst other stuff, ac systems. We just had a stock of old ac pipes that we would rummage through to get the right lengths then tig weld the right fittings on the end. These days you can buy the crimping tools to make new pipes up from scratch but is probably way more expensive than adapting your own. Just use the standard ac gas charge amount for the base vehicle. It won't be a million miles off.
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Jun 11, 2016 23:08:24 GMT
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hangon, back the truck up a second.
is he eluding to the fact he could have 10 of these off of you and not struggle to sell?
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hangon, back the truck up a second. is he eluding to the fact he could have 10 of these off of you and not struggle to sell? That's a possibility, but we're just talking at the moment. I take things one deal at a time and this truck isn't even finished yet. I'm not putting the cart before the horse so I'll just "do what I do, and see what it does".
It's cool to think about either way. I'm optimistic for sure. I drove this old blue truck in the back yard today. The front calipers were a bit stuck so I brought it back in and cleaned the slides and the pads. It should be better, I will try to get a video for tomorrow.
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Great news from your previous buyer.
I think the exposure you would get from the rotisserie and having your name there...... Priceless.
Build whatever he will buy and sell.
This really could a turning point formula for you.
And before there are ten or twenty other pretenders and copiers, get your name in lights. (Despite copies being flattering, they can also damage your reputation and take money from your potential market)
I am really pleased for you and look forward to V3.0 through the V10.0
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fer4l
Posted a lot
Testing
Posts: 1,497
Club RR Member Number: 73
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V10 sounds fun! |
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mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,426
Club RR Member Number: 84
Member is Online
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Congratulations! Sounds like this could be your way into full time custom building!
The speed you work at is literally incredible, making a decision and doing then learning for the next time seems to be a very successful method. I'm not surprised you have people biting your hand off for them, a classic old truck that drives like a modern one is a winning combo. I've already said I'd love one, maybe from the next batch!
I think you've done well on selling your first to someone who isn't taking the credit and is giving it good exposure, as well as fending off people who 'know better'. As I said above, you're doing not chatting, but learning all the time.
An inspiration in many ways
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v8
Part of things
Posts: 312
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Fantastic build I feel so lazy now for the speed that I work at  |
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Paul Y
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,951
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Ok. Just spent 20 minutes writing what was, in essence, a business plan for you and then realised you are a big boy and probably know what you are doing... If you do need any pointers however, it is - sort of- what i do for a living... You know how to get hold of me. 2 comments. If he can sell 10 the you can sell 10. Get him to put up half the money for the materials and then split the sale price 50/50. Your builds are awesome. Build your own name, not somebody else's. However, feel free to use their name and contacts.... Don't forget us when you have your own series on Discovery, remember we know that truth.... Please continue... P.  |
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Last Edit: Jun 12, 2016 9:54:28 GMT by Paul Y
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jpsmit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,274
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Jun 12, 2016 12:53:17 GMT
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hangon, back the truck up a second. is he eluding to the fact he could have 10 of these off of you and not struggle to sell? That's a possibility, but we're just talking at the moment. I take things one deal at a time and this truck isn't even finished yet. I'm not putting the cart before the horse so I'll just "do what I do, and see what it does".
It's cool to think about either way. I'm optimistic for sure. I drove this old blue truck in the back yard today. The front calipers were a bit stuck so I brought it back in and cleaned the slides and the pads. It should be better, I will try to get a video for tomorrow.
I just have to say that while interest in ten trucks is awesome, what the guy reallly loves is that he can buy a truck from you, sell it for almost double and laugh all the way to the bank. Please don't undersell yourself or the truck. And please negotiate before the build. Or to put it another way, if you cut out the middleman, you only have to make/sell half the number of trucks for the same money which affords you time to be thorough, creative and get some rest. |
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Jun 12, 2016 16:33:40 GMT
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Messages read loud and clear folks. This one, is not priced like the last one. I'll be communicating with several of you with regards to this because you guys are helpful and useful. I'm editing the little test drive video right now. Video will be done soon, I'll post it up in a bit. |
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Jun 12, 2016 17:26:01 GMT
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May I present the first DRIVE Video of OLD BLUE:
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Jun 12, 2016 19:12:00 GMT
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May I present the first DRIVE Video of OLD BLUE: Well, I just said Bliksem, you figure that one and context out. Made some other involuntary noises too. That is just awesome, I love the exhaust note. Well done mate. |
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Jun 12, 2016 20:48:45 GMT
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Awesome work Grenade.
Sounds evil
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Jun 12, 2016 21:14:03 GMT
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Bliksem? I googled it and unless you're talking about the metal band, I assume it's the Dutch word for Lightning. As in, lightning fast or sounds like Thunder or both. NICE! I think I'll adopt that word  The exhaust is nothing but the stock exhaust cut off at the Y merge. Stock manifolds and stock cats into a Y. Then I chopped it off. It's too loud for the roads. That's one thing about the USA, they don't like cars on the road that are what we call "ticket loud". This will get a muffler and some surprise exhaust exits. But the muffler I ordered is basically a straight through, so it'll be loud, just not too loud. |
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Bliksem? I googled it and unless you're talking about the metal band, I assume it's the Dutch word for Lightning. As in, lightning fast or sounds like Thunder or both. NICE! I think I'll adopt that word You're right about it being the Dutch for Lightning, in this case, actually the Afrikaans for lightning, but actually used as a mild curse word. The word for Thunder is "Donder", so "Thunder and Lightning" is "Donder en Bliksem", which is often a combined mild expletive and also could be used in mildly threatening context. It just passed me by till you called it out, and I'm surprised. How difficult I just found it trying to explain in English. Keep up the good work!! |
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Jun 13, 2016 10:20:02 GMT
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errr, 10 seconds through 15 seconds. grenade ghost !
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Jun 13, 2016 10:50:57 GMT
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Wow! For the car of course, but also for THAT garden? Is this all yours? In this case I would have a vision: space for lots of durangos plus lots of classic truck cabs and beds. A small building for the conversions and durango spare parts from the left overs for sale, grenade paying flight tickets to RR users to come over for a certain time to help you FOR FREE to build those trucks,... Our land is about 80 feet wide, about 800 feet deep, from the road to the back line. It would be great to have a small shop built, but the problem is for one thing- I don't have the money to build a shop and two- if you see in the video, the only way to get back there with a vehicle is to drive on the neighbor's property. I asked permission but if I did have a building back there, I'd have to knock down the current garage to make a driveway to get back to it. That's another expense as well as it's a big deal because this garage butts up against one of our upstairs bedrooms. Major construction to take it down to make room for a path to a shop in the back, plus cut down a huge tree that's sat right in the way of that. The amount of money it would take to do that is probably more than I make in a year. Nice big yard, can't do anything with it except step in deer poop and test drive trucks. |
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