Power Wagon mud race truck build

[NakeDiesel]

Not much accomplished today, was tired and sore from yesterday. But I cut the areas out on both floor boards where the roll cage kept them from fitting flat. Just need to put some por 15 on the edges where I cut them to seal them up.

Mounted the transmission dipstick, starter solenoid, and the 70 amp fuse I use for the up circuit of the fuel shut off solenoid. Prepped my battery boxes, shut off switch tab and the inner c of my rear frame, rear drive shaft and center section of the rear end to be coated in Chassis black tomorrow night when I get home.

I also closed up the front of the frame where my tow bar enters it so there isn't a huge gaping hole there. The front boxed frame is now ready to be filled with foam to keep it from getting filled up with mud again. Then I will get the front frame painted next.

I also drilled and bolted the rear portion of the cage to the frame, and have all but the frame portion of the holes drilled in the cab to go to the frame on the back of the cab, but I have to get a longer 1/2" drill bit, mine wasn't long enough and I need to pickup 2 longer grade 8 bolts.

[NakeDiesel]

Spent the night putting on more Chassis Black, got the battery boxes covered, my main disconnect plate, rear drive shaft, the front of the rear differential and most of the inner c channel on the rear part of the frame.

I also finished drilling the two back cab bolts, cut a spacer and tightened the bolts down when my son got home from work, so the cage is all bolted down to the frame.

[NakeDiesel]

[76WAGON200]

Looks like some serious progress is being made. Nice of your brother to chip in..that roll cage looks pretty stout! Thanks for continuing to post your progress, you seem to be the only guy in all powerwagon land doing anything to his truck at the moment.

[NakeDiesel]

Yes, I'm making progress, but already feeling the crunch of time pressing down on me to make the first race.

Most of the racers are all rushing to get their truck finished right now. Winter is the time of changes and repairs, so we can tear them up all summer.

Yeah, my brother helps out from time to time when I need it. He has a big miller mig for good penetrating welds and has the bender, so it was easy to build the cage in his shop and he's already built a cage for his truck.

I'm afraid the body work is going to kill me on time. The roof of the cab looks like somebody played the bongos on it with ball peen hammers. And I have to get the cab painted before I can put the bed panels on the truck and bolt anything down in the bed of the truck.

My next few weeks are going to be packed.

[NakeDiesel]

Spent mucho time tonight brushing on the por 15 chassis black on the front frame after I filled all the holes in with spray foam today on the boxed in portion of the frame. I managed to get all of the outside, underside and topside of the boxed frame painted tonight as well as the front drive shaft and the front differential. I was working on finishing up the rear differential and my caltracs when my last foam brush decided to fall apart.

I will pick up a couple more tomorrow so I can finish up the differential and the last couple of little pieces I need to coat in the chassis black. I'm hoping to have enough to finish that. Then I need to figure out if I want to spend another 50 bucks to get one more quart to do the inside of the boxed frame rails.

My new ppp shifter came in today, man is that thing light and smooth operating. I think I'm going to like it. **** of a lot easier to operate than that piece of junk B&M truck shifter I've been using.

I had decided to put regearing the truck on hold due to time/money and my wife is pressuring me to do the regearing, she want to make sure I win. God I love that woman.

[NakeDiesel]

Picked up the new drive shaft for my daughters truck tonight and got it installed, hopefully this fixes her problem with her truck. I then decided since the wind was blowing less than 20mph, that I'd sand blast till dark.

I managed to get the second front fender completely sand blasted just before I lost all light outside.

Ordered my 16" travel fox 2.0 remote reservoir shocks today, almost waited too long to get them ordered. Said it would take 3 to 4 weeks before they can get them and then they will revalve them and ship them out to me. Hopefully they will get them quicker.
Should have my seat in tomorrow as well as the fittings needed for my air filter to get it complete.

[NakeDiesel]

Today I finally finished sand blasting all the metal parts that needed it.
Received my new aluminum seat, the rubber 90 and the aluminum 90 for the air filter. Man it's tight trying to get that rubber 5" 90 in there. I trimmed an inch and a half off of one side of the 90, and having to cut the support ribs off because they are in the way with the bolt supporting my water to air intercooler. Hoping it will fit better once I get the ribs trimmed. Then I can measure and cut the aluminum 90 so it fits better.

Worked on making the hold in the dash bigger to fit the steering column so that the couple can be welded to the front roll cage bar. Then I will build a mounting plate for the firewall side.
Still trying to figure out how I'm going to fix the lower window channel. It's pretty rotted out. Got some thin sheet metal I think I'm going to use to help rebuild it.

Also ordered enough 3/16" lexan for all my windows today, so it should be here in about a week. Need to call around Tulsa tomorrow to find a sheet of 1/16" aluminum diamond plate for my bed.

[NakeDiesel]

[NakeDiesel]

[NakeDiesel]

Didn't get as much as I wanted to accomplished today, but I did get the drivers seat mounted, the 45 support added behind the seat, seat belt mounting locations drilled and setup as well as starting on the steering. I have the upper clamp welded in place. Now I just need to figure out the bottom clamp and how I'm going to attach it to the firewall.

I also figured out the rubber 5" 90 I bought to go from the turbo to an aluminum 90 for my air filter isn't going to work. I've found another one that is a tighter 90 that I'm going to get ordered and hopefully it will work.

[NakeDiesel]

[NakeDiesel]

Today I finished up the steering column and can now steer the truck. I had already welded the top clamp onto the cage and dash, so today I built a mounting plate for the firewall out of 11 gauge sheet, and cut out the oval for the clamp to fit into it. Mounted the plate to the fire wall and then welded the clamp onto it.

I then put on the stop collar at the bottom of the column and cut the tube off where it needed to be. I then cut off the tip off my old steering column so I can use the rest of the steering components. Welded the nipple on and the steering was complete.

I cut and an welded in the second diagonal brace on the rear of the cage today as well.

Removed the cowl vent and found a massive wasp's nest under the dash while I was removing it. I also figured out how I was going to place my gauges and tachometer and shift light. I cut out two rectangles to fill in where the old rectangle gauges were in the dash. I will weld them in place tomorrow and then cut out the circular holes for my gauges and switch panel. The tach is going to be placed where the original speedometer was located and I will mount the shift light on the top of the dash at eye level.

I removed the seat, belts and unbolted/moved the rear bed frame back so that I can start taping off the frame tomorrow and begin the preparations for shooting some primer on the inside and outside of the cab.

Tonight I broke out the leading supplies and worked on that huge dent on the windshield pillar on the driver side. I couldn't get into where it was located and knocked out, so I used the lead and filled it in to where it won't need near as much work getting it smoothed out.

Started cleaning my air filter from last season in water and simple green. Also ordered a tighter rubber 90 to see if I can get my fresh air figured out.

[NakeDiesel]

[NakeDiesel]