Power Wagon mud race truck build

[NakeDiesel]

Talked to Fenders and more and I'm going to order my rear fenders from them. Getting fenders that are 13" wide with a flat lip on the back side and a about a 1" rolled edge on the outside made of steel. We are worried that the aluminums will crack with all the bouncing around the truck does in the pit. I'll have the fenders drop down 1 1/2 inches below the bottom of the bed so I can use some 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle to make bottom supports. They will cost about 150.00 each. Better than the 650.00 they want for repops. I'm also going to cut off the inner fenders but leave the lip in place to help with the rigidity of the fender and will fill in the arch with sheet metal to make it flush with the bed/frame. I will then mount the new fender over that. This will help keep more mud out of the truck bed

[NakeDiesel]

No working on the truck today, we are throwing a birthday party for my son and step daughter, my son turned 18 last month and my step daughter turns 18 in a few days, so I've been working on stuff for that. I did sneak in a little time with Gimp and threw this together. Thinking of a large sticker of this for the front grill of the truck.



Here's the birthday cake I made them:

[Gordon Maney]

Good job!

[Andydodgegeek]

I just read this thread, looks like its going to be sweet when you are finished. I would like to see it in action when you get it out in the mud.

[NakeDiesel]

I'll post up some video's of it when the season starts, I have a youtube site that all my video's from my races can be seen. It's http://www.youtube.com/nakediesel/

Cleaned up all the grinding residue, scrap metal dirt off the shop floor this morning, added quite a bit to my scrap metal pile I need to haul to the scrap metal recycler and filled half a trash can with dirt, slag, and other debris from working on the truck.

I worked out placement of the radiator today and what I need to pickup to get the base mount built for it. Still a little fuzzy on the upper support on how I am going to make it. but I plan on having the upper/sides come out as one piece and spanning the width of the bed. The sides will bolt up the side of the bed and help tie the bedsides together.
We also worked on the front bed panel, I had originally planned on keeping the tube at the top, but it was so bent up and I couldn't get it straightened to where it looked good, so I ended up cutting it off and then welded on a 1 1/2" wide strip at the bottom of the panel so it would be long enough. That's about all I was able to accomplish today on the truck.

Marking the front panel where to cut





Test fitting the panel

[NakeDiesel]

Working out radiator placement

[NakeDiesel]

My son grinding down the welded on strip



Radiator and front panel on the truck

[NakeDiesel]

Just another shot of the truck

[NakeDiesel]

Worked just a little while on the truck this evening and got the front bed panel installed and bolted on.







I figured out how I'm going to mount the radiator, I'm going to build a u shape out of 4" c channel and attached it to the bottom and the bed sides, then I'll add in a support bar along the front to attach the radiator mounts too it. I also need to figure out how I am going to mount the two radiator coolers to it as well. I'll pick up several feet of 2" strap while I'm there for the coolers to mount on.

[NakeDiesel]

Went to pick up some C channel today and some strap, but the 4" channel they had was way overkill for what I needed, so I picked up some 2x2x1/4 angle and my son practiced his welding turning them into c channel.

[NakeDiesel]

While he was doing that, I made a template for the wheel opening's to cut out some 26 gauge to fill them in. Managed to get the template cut out and the first filler plate cut out and fit where it's going to go.

[Andydodgegeek]

This is a good thread, I am enjoying checking in on your progress. Seems like its a good father son project.

[NakeDiesel]

Thanks, this rebody has been a dream of mine for about 3+ years now since I started racing the truck. My son is in Votech to be a diesel mechanic and is planning on going on to OSU IT down in Okmulgee and taking their 2 year Cat Diesel Mechanic program they offer. He helps me on the mud truck because he likes riding in it during race season and he's gaining skills, plus I help him on his project.

We bought him a 91 Dodge w250 with low miles but a hard life on a farm. We have it stripped to the frame and we are putting a straight bodied 93 D150 body on his truck. We have the bed on saw horses sanded down ready for primer, the cab is tilted on it's back and undercoated now and ready to be moved and sanded now. then we will start assembling the truck after I get all the jams, firewall, bed front and cab back painted. We have lots of projects to keep us busy.

[Gordon Maney]

We have lots of projects to keep us busy.

You certainly do!

[NakeDiesel]

Found a hydroboost setup out of a wrecked 98 dodge 1 ton today at a local salvage, so I have that piece of the puzzle that I've been missing for the brakes.



Finally sold my RV that I've had for sale for the last 3 years, they picked it up this evening. Also got the final race schedule posted to the website today as well, we have 11 MAMR points races this season and Tulsa Raceway Park is having 2 Mud Fests, but nobody is sure what they mean by that yet, the details are still being worked out.
On the truck front, Finished cutting and welding the sides onto the radiator support I've been building. Got it all welded up and sat it in the truck with the radiator on it and trying to visualize the rest of it. I also have to figure out how I'm going to mount the transmission coolers to it as well. My big one is going to cross over the edge of the radiator some.