[ProMetalShop]

Well I decided to continue the Grump in the project section seeing as there never done and always a project.
I have to do a motor swap with the 454, and I'm sticking a 402 in its place. When I start the 454 , a few minutes later it will smoke. After talking to the previous owner Jack, told me if i wanted just swap the 402 from his 55 ( earlier thought to be a 396 ) which has less then a hundred miles on a rebuild before Jack had us bring the 55 over.
But I had to do a major body mod to both lower rear of the front fenders, down near the rocker.
Can you say Mooneyes ! !

Now I can start the motor swap ! !

 

[ProMetalShop]

Got my cam and push rods installed this evening.

My storage area while I'm doing the engine.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Ordered more parts last evening , I've decided to stay with long water pump so I got one from my buddies at Summit, and can't wait to get this 402, in the Grump.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Hi Guys
Well the other day I was in my storage room and realized I still had a set do wheelie bars. So I figured I would mock them up under the Grumman Kubvan. So Tom and I sat them n place to see what it would look like.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Hi Guys
I've been playing with the idea of fenders on my Grumman Kubvan to cover the tires a bit better. The back ones are flat and do the job, however, " there flat " so just an idea and it would work for all four corners.
I started with some 18 gage cold, and put a 3/4 inch 60 degree bend on one edge and ran it threw the stretcher to get a radii for the wheel opening.

Then trial fit....

Now that it fits the opening I need to to shrink the outer edge to give it a sort of bike fender shape.

Here's a look at the shrinking dies I used called thumb nail dies.....

 

[ProMetalShop]

You can see the compound in the fender starting

I premarked some lines to follow when the fender was still some what square, so I could track straight.

Now that I've shrunk the outer edge I am trimming in a bit to get a bit close to my crown with the shrink.

Here it is cut to about the size I want to end up with.

Now I need to get a real strong shrink and isolate it to a particular area, so I am going to tuck shrink with my tines.

Here's a nice tuck formed.

Here I tapped the edge with my door edge hammer to lock the tuck so it doesn't try to open as a trying to crush it in to it's self.

This is the direction I will hammer to drive the metal into itself.

Ok some fast forward some wheeling and cleaning up the first outer edge I gave it a trial fit and here's what we got.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Hi Guys
Well got the body off today, took be about an hour longer then expected, but I also mocked up a whale tail on Kates Mustang GT

Had to mark some wires so even if I replace them I know were they are going..

everything worked but just not organized, so it will take time to get it cleaned up and put were or replaced with new.

Well its coming up so far nothing hanging up......

and she's free

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well made some headway today on the Grump......

I got the fender well headers off, drive shaft, and fuel lines... and then removed the motor and trans..

Then I got out outside hung it in the air with my tractor and pressure washed the frame and it's components.

Tomorrow I'm going to dress up some of the welds and make it look a bit more presentable....

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well I ran square dimensional marks on the Grump frame today. I started with a straight bar just behind the steering box and measured from the center gauge hole in the front cross member and cross checked back from the upper arm mounts.

From there I went back to a good marker on the rear frame rails which I chose a factory rivet head....

Right side measures 77 .750 77 3/4 inch

The left side measures 77 .375 77 3/8 inch

That gives me .375 or 3/8 of an inch out of square now divide that in half if they are both out with each other even and that gives you .187 or 3/16 inch.
So that gives me enough to change the perimeter rails. I have some 2 X 5x 3/16 wall so there are a few changes I can make along the way. One get those ugly angle irons off and clean up the whole appearance of the frame. Also they ( previous builder ) went from 32 inches across the front from out side to out side of frame rail to 34 1/8 I guess for choice

Oh and I pulled the steering box I ordered a quicker manual one and pick it up in Carlisle tomorrow. I also ordered tubular upper and lower control arms with adjustable bushing for caster and urethane bushings, so it should handle better.... And look cool to ....

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well I got some tubing cut today, and removed the front clip of the frame.

Got my center line for my rear cross member marked.

and did my pre-cut

this way I don't have to work so hard to cut in my drive shaft loop after the rear cross member is installed..

and here's how I left it before I came down for some supper.

Guess I'll head back up for a bit to get thing lined up for tomorrow.....

 

[ProMetalShop]

After getting the centers lined up I cross measure to make sure I haven't created a diamond effect, and constantly checking my level side to side, front to back.

Off to the shop

 

[ProMetalShop]

Just came down for lunch, after starting to tie in the front clip to the side rails.

After I welded inside the rails I was ready to close the outside, I'm using 10 gauge plate to join the clip to the rail.

I'm going to give it a slight bend which will ad strength and save some room.
Looks like I will need about 50 degrees

After a slight bend.

Not quite enough the first time.

That looks as close as I need.

Fast forward , trimmed and clamped in place and tacked.

Well done with lunch, so back at it.

 

[ProMetalShop]

It was a lot cooler today, but that didn't get the job done any faster. :character0029:
I finished up the front clip except for underneath. I can get that when I strip all the components off it and flip it up side down.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Ok some updates on the Grump, I had less time in this week it just seemed the week flew by...... Next I had to clean up a real mess from a previous builder on the front cross member were the motor mounts were installed.

After the clean up

Now I ordered my motor mounts today, but I'm fabricating the frame mounts. I can't put them in place till my motor mounts come in but I started the pieces.

My new steering box and pitman arm came in and mounted up perfectly.

My tubular arms came in today also.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Ok you'll notice the rear clip was put back on and that was later removed because I decided to build a new one.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Started setting motor and trans to get mount fabricated. Here's were the clock really starts to slow down.

I have a block of steel under the flat of the oil pand that an inch thick and some shims off the side to keep the motor from rocking back and forth. That way I can get it level and it will stay put long enough to start fabbing.

I switched gears here a bit on the motor mounts. I had a set about fabricated and when my new Summit urethane mounts that bolt to the block came in, the bushings were to wide so I stepped down in size to a one inch D.O.M. with no bushing because the engine side of the mount has the urethane, were I was going to use a solid Moroso that would have bolted to the block.
Just a quick note, always remember when engin mounting with soft rubber or even urethane, you have to mount the transmission with the same.
If you mount with solid engine mounts, then you have to also mount the transmission solid.

Here are some pics of the frame side of the engine mounts.

These were the first that wouldn't fit.

These are the ones that I will use now.

As I'm fabbing the motor mounts I started the trans mounts. I had some mandrel bent that was cut off another job so I decide to use it. They need cleaned up but will work great.

Now I just have to round some of the corners off were the bolts will go threw.

Here's were I plan they will go with a swing down mount.

More Later

 

[ProMetalShop]

Hi Guys
Thank you all for the compliments :happy0001: Yesterday I finish placing the motor mounts and running some weld.
After which I rolled the chassis with the mock up under the Grump, just to make sure I didn't get the motor and trans to high off the frame.

Looks like plenty of room so now I will just lift the body off and finish up some welding and start planning some of the other chassis ad on's and maybe then the body mounts.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Went back up tonight to get a bit more time in, and welded up the transmission mount, and the safety loop. Well all but the bottoms ! !

Boy ! ! It's getting close, I have to gusset up some of my work and clean up the front frame rail were the original bumper attached and the rear frame rails need to be boxed and cleaned up..... Phew ! ! Did I say it was getting close ? ? ? Well I'm chipping away at it anyways.
Im not waiting on much for parts so when I'm finished fabricating, blasting, and painting, assembly should go quick. hopefully

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well here's a shot of it on the chassis, now the front sits a little high because the lack of weight were the set up block is empty.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well I came up this morning to fab up a set of front body mounts. But Tom wanted to pull the ocward looking transmission hump out of the Grump. Once he did that I thought now would be the time to see if my Lokar shifter would fit.
I have to say I was quite pleased.

After the shifter, I got back on the front mounts... I cut 4 of these out of 11 gauge 1 1/2 wide by 5"

After cutting them out I polished off the edges..

Then I marked them out for some speed holes.

After I chamfered the holes.

And here's were they will go after I clean up the frame rails.