I've been wanting to build a Traveler for a long time. Finally found a '79 with a thrown rod/siezed motor for cheap. Everything else on the truck is good (well, besides "some" rust:D ) It was the guy's DD, 90 miles round trip to work everyday. Ive got an extra 345 in the garage waiting to be rebuilt. The guy I got it from said it lost oil pressure one day so he drove it home, yanked it and put in his spare. He said it never made any noise during it's final drive home.

Main question is this: Should I rebuild my 345, throw it in and run the truck doing upgrades as I go, or wait on the motor and build from the ground up from the start? I figure option #1 while getting it in running condition, will decrease my motivation for tearing it all down occasionally to do upgrades. Option #2 will take longer, but when it's done, it's done (well, it's never really done, is it?).

Final plans for the project are:
SOA on Chevy fullwidth D44 front w/with hi-steer (not sure on locker yet, would like ARB but $$$) 14b rear, Detroit or lincoln. 345/Edelbrock 1405, 727/twin stick D20. Would like to run tires in 36-38 inch range. Maybe 1" body lift if I end up needing to replace the bushings. I'd to lift as little as possible, I'm not afraid of hacking the body as much as I need to. Full cage and harnesses.

This rig will be used as a 90% trail rig but driven to and from the trails, could be a few hundred miles. I should be able to get my hands on it in a few weeks. My inlaws are picking it up and towing it to their place in Kansas City, then I have to figure out how to get it to my place.

So how did you build your rigs? Gradual build up or tear it down and start from scratch?
Thanks for any help!

Gradual builds, then you and your rig can increase capabilities at the same pace.

It takes a lot more skill to drive 33" tires then jumping straight to 40's. You can tell the guys that went straight to big meats without learning to drive.

I didn't even think of it like that, but I see the wisdom.

The only things I would change is, dump the Edelbrock #1405 for a Edelbrock #1901.

36-38" tire on a D44 with a heavy ass traveler, would call for some cro-mo axles.

Originally posted by jdjanda
Gradual builds, then you and your rig can increase capabilities at the same pace.

It takes a lot more skill to drive 33" tires then jumping straight to 40's. You can tell the guys that went straight to big meats without learning to drive.

I'm with Joe. I'm glad I learned to drive with smaller tires before moving up to larger ones.. if you can get there on 33s, imagine how much better you can make 40s work. :D

I also like the phased-in approach.. though all-at-once is often cheaper. :)

Do *you* have it in you to start and finish a 2 year frame-off project?

Or would you rather wheel it most of those 2 years? :D

Originally posted by Old Scout
The only things I would change is, dump the Edelbrock #1405 for a Edelbrock #1901.

The PO told me the Traveler had a #1405 on it. I was going to keep it cause it was cheaper than buying another one and the P.O. said it worked fine, but if it's a POS I'll dump it.

I'm wondering if he meant #1905? The #1905 is Edelbrock's "Q-Jet for Thermo Quad applications". The #1405 is a "600 cfm, square-flange, manual choke". My other motor is a '79 as well and had a Thermo Quad on it stock, but the PO took it off before I bought the engine.

Personally, after 4 plus years into a frame off restoration that still is not done, I would recommend a 'do it as you go' type of approach unless you have ALL the parts, LOTS of time and are HIGHLY motivated.

It is not the big things that get you, it is all the little, niggling time wasters that add up to weeks and months. The few dollars here, a few more dollars there that chip away at your budget. Then you stand back and look and it still isn't done, you are over budget and everyone else is out enjoying their's while you stand and look at piles of pieces/parts.

Don't be me, enjoy your Scout and plan your upgrades to allow as much seat time as possible - you will be much happier and with each mod you will get more experience and more confidence to do more ... and more ... and ...


Have fun either way.

Hell, slap the engine you have in it as is. See if it runs. "lost oil pressure" could be lots of things, as simple as bad gauge/sender.

If it truly is bad, eaither pull it back out and rebuild it, or build the one with the thrown rod while the other engine atleast makes the truck movable.



Build as you go. Get it running and start playing with it. You plans will change as well your parts choises as you go. Upgrade parts as you :nuke: them then "take the truck down" every once in a while when your ready for a big mod.



Talk to some of the guys with trucks in "perpetual build status" and see if they would rather be driveing them and tinkering as they go rather than be rig less for 3+ years...


And yes, start small and push your rig to the envelope then build a little more and push it. More fun in the long run, and your a better driver (and wrencher) for it.

Dirk, funny you should reply, you and Torc/Mechanos are the reasons I was thinking body off/ground up in the first place!

Thanks for the advice guys. When I get the truck I'll pick up one of those red star deals (mine expired in FEB) and post a couple pics.

What everyone else said.

I'm all about the gradual build.

Yeah, it winds up costing more in the long run, but you also learn a lot about what works and what doesn't. You'll get a good idea of what you like and why you like it. You're "finished" end-product may wind up being totally different than what you drooled about when you first got started, just for those reasons.

Also, as others have said, it let's you wheel during the project. I see too many people out there with super badass projects in the garage, that haven't gotten their tires dirty in the past two years because they wanted it all at once.

In addition to the fun you'll have, wheeling through the process also helps reveal a lot of the inherent weaknesses in your rig that you will need to address, as well as improving your driving skills.

having done a frame up and body off and all out project a time or two, it is easy to see why the vast majority do not get done. the initial expense, time and energy are hugh. all of this goes up dramatically the more care you take in your execution and how you expect the end result to perform and look.

as a newbie to this darker side of 4*4, i do not presume to appreciate the complexities associated with building an extreme rig. i do however concur with the comments above that suggest an incremental approach may be more suitable to the foray you now contemplate.

ps. really like idea of throwing 345 back in to see if you can make it run and go from there. also, also have read on this board that sometimes projects work best if you can keep them to a weekend effort. this will free you up to wheel that next week.

the trick is to have definite ends to each project. This winter I have been down most of the time, but at least once a month I drive the thing, even if it is around the block.
I try to "finish" each step before begining the next. longest I have gone is 4 months and that was when I had to do a ton at once, Bob, D60's, r44044s.

After 4 months of not being able to drive the thing it was discouraging to say the least. wrenching was no fun either, no payoff.

First don't buy it if the rust is extensive - total waste of time/$$$.

I would check the "lost oil pressure" engine. No oil pressure and no noise does not compute. You can check it on the ground with a drill to spin the pump and a good gauge. If it is indeed bad I would buy a good used 345 or 392 and worry about the rebuild much later. Once you have it on the road start assembling your SOA fullwidth axles. When the axles are built you can do the swap in a weekend or two. Also, I recommend finding a d300. Pricey but worth it.

I made the mistake of trying to build a monster from the get-go.

It still isn't done, so I left that one to rot for a while, and went with another idea. It is coming together much faster, and I am far more pleased with it as it is the rig I should have started with the first time around.

See if you can make it run, and wheel it. Then decide what needs changing/fixing.

Originally posted by Hammerlock
First don't buy it if the rust is extensive - total waste of time/$$$.

I would check the "lost oil pressure" engine. No oil pressure and no noise does not compute. You can check it on the ground with a drill to spin the pump and a good gauge. If it is indeed bad I would buy a good used 345 or 392 and worry about the rebuild much later. Once you have it on the road start assembling your SOA fullwidth axles. When the axles are built you can do the swap in a weekend or two. Also, I recommend finding a d300. Pricey but worth it.
I think I'm going to head this direction. I probably won't have many "PBB worthy" updates to post, but I'll be keeping the BB guys busy for a while! I post over there as Dave_stl.
Thanks for the advice guys. It means alot coming from people who have BTDT.

Just to finish this off, here are a few pics. It's still at my in laws in KC, hopefully I'll have it at my place in a few weeks. I don't know what's up with the wierd ass seatbases.

http://www.imageshack.us/img1/6772/79int.JPG


http://www.imageshack.us/img1/4134/79dash.JPG


http://www.imageshack.us/img1/4246/79seatbase.JPG

Thanks again.

Originally posted by 90WAG
[B I don't know what's up with the wierd ass seatbases.


Thanks again. [/B]

There midas bases.

Yep, they are for swivel seats.

Are those ONLY a midas item? The IH manual (the little glovebox booklet that came with the truck, not the FSM) for my '78 shows those as an option, so that's a question I've wondered about from time to time.

Go to HERE. (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=218369)

This is where we all opinied what we would do if we had it all to do again....it is the hind sight is 20/20 thread. There is a lot of truth in that thread.