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1968 Dodge A100 pickup - tribute to the 'Little Red Wagon" - pic heavy

kiwigtx

kiwigtx

International Mod
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Location
Auckland
Hey guys,
It's been eight and a half years since I bought the A100, so I thought it about time to start a build thread. Obviously a chunk of this will be retrospective....but that means you won't have too wait long for updates. :D
Going to be mostly pictures ...but feel free to ask any questions along the way. I'll do my best to answer all as fast as I can.
Thanks,
Roger
 
Text Stolen from "my garage".....

I bought this truck out of Arkansas in March 2009, from a local Online Trader site (Auto Trader Classics). After making a $10 deposit on PayPal, I sent an Internet buddy from near Houston to drive across and check it out for me, as it was not possible for me to view the truck myself. The truck was seen, a deal was made and money handed over. Transported across country to Long Beach, California, the truck was then loaded into a container bound for New Zealand.

Unbeknown to me, it travelled in the same container as a '78 Dodge Ram Pickup, bought by another Kiwi guy, who I didn't know at the time. This guy has turned into my best friend, and also my Number One guy for all things mechanical. Cliff "MowPar" and I have been working on vehicles together now ever since, and it was he who provided the expertise in reviving this older engine transplant and bringing the A100 to life.

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Cliff and I are currently donkey-deep into a revamp of the existing combination....but you'll have to wait just a little longer for those updates (can you say tease?) :nailbiting:

Condition when bought - as advertised in Arkansas....
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The inspiration...
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The tee shirt...
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The toys...
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Collection day from the Customs bonded area...
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Behind the wheel at last....
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OK, let's get it started up...
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Starting the tear down under cover...
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Lots of parts that were quite different to the norm started appearing. Had to source a replacement steering link - came from Jegs.
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Dismantling the 'doghouse' ....all this was a new adventure, and we learned fast how this truck was assembled....
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A bit nasty on the floor ....called our panelbeater in for a look at the damage...
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Dash was really quite tidy....just the wrong colour...
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Gas pedal was shot to bits...and is a really crazy setup with rods and levers to operate the throttle....went to Lokar for a cable system...
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Doghouse panels were all in really good condition...so I cleaned off the hideous insulation, and took everything to be dip-stripped. much easier and a cleaner finish...
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Getting a bit of practice in here....
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Picked up a set of new headers locally...Hooker Super Competition...
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A very ugly looking but hardly used engine...
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Wishful thinking here...
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Really quite clean underneath the truck - no chassis rust at all....just a lot of dust and underseal to scrape off....
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New brake master cylinder fitted up with new lines...all the old lines were corroded inside and dry from lack of use...
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Lots of parts to clean here...
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LocuMob said:
Nice to see the backstory on the truck.
Click to expand...
Apparently the previous owner had plans to use the truck as part of his Water-blasting business enterprise....never happened. The tide mark in the tray reflected the fact that this A100 could have been a Fire Tender. :D
 
My big task apart from tearing stuff apart and cleaning etc was the wiring. I decided to rewire and start from scratch. I carefully pulled apart the existing looms and labelled as best I could, then removed carefully and laid the looms out on the floor to check over. I had a CD copy of the FSM, so the drawings were copied and enlarged for ease of reading.

The wiring was relatively unmolested, but had been touched a little over the years.
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Wiper pivots got a clean and a grease etc along with new seals eventually...
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I managed to find a new Light switch - same as Dodge Dart etc....just swapped out the bezel.
Ignition switch was in good condition.
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Measured the heater box for future A/C install - need to know how much room we have to play with...
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Radiator was checked and re-cored with minor alteration to outlet and inlet piping to suit the hoses.
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Engine was then stripped down for inspection....checked for leaks, and damaged gaskets etc...
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Found that someone had inserted the rear main seal incorrectly....causing a leak.....
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Frost plugs were all removed and the block was thoroughly cleaned inside....found a lot of rusty build-up....a lot of crap came out. new brass frost plugs inserted afterwards....
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A light sand blasting on the block, some scrubbing and then a coat of fresh Petty Blue paint...
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Engine dress-up time begins....a new kit of pulleys, brackets and A/C unit from Bouchillon Performance Engineering in SC....
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We had to cut one mounting leg off the A/C pump to clear the bypass hose....nobody mentioned that little trick before we started....
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Solid one piece kick-down rod was kept for now....were not really sure about what else to do at the time...
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Quarter windows were removed for inspection. I had ordered a set of what was advertised as direct reproduction rubber seals for the windows and whiskers for the doors....but none of this stuff was even remotely close....in fact it was pretty much junk. I was able to reuse the whiskers for the doors, but had to re-drill the fixing holes. Until a genuine Vendor steps up and makes these window rubbers correctly, I am satisfied enough to have the windows Urethaned in place, and unable to open them.
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Outer bodywork stripping was well under way at this time, and a sandblaster had been booked to clean up the worst and most difficult areas. When he became available, the truck had to go....
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And after a week with the Sandblaster....it was back for a quick coat of etch primer....and to the Panelbeaters for another two weeks....
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Back from the Panel shop, and straight into prepping the body work for paint...
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Trial fitting doors, had the hinges all re-pinned...
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Slotted a hole for the A/C controls....
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Inside the cab looked a lot better in one hue ....minor panel dents will be eventually covered with carpet...
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Newly designed and built frame for holding the advertising sign was prepped and painted....
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Underbody was shot with Wurth Underbody Sealer....
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A very messy job. :yuck:

A group effort to get the diff and rear end re-installed....
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