What about mounting it down off the drive shaft? I am guessing you have a one piece shaft but you might be able to incorporate in into the tail shaft or something.

This isn't a pieced together truck like mine or many other guys. It is a top notch show piece and that alt. is the only problem anyone could point out, I think.

 

I have exactly 2 inches on each side of the drive shaft that has already been looked at. the frame is so solid built and I dont want to compromise any of the frame. Trust me this isn't my first rodeo. The brackets I'm running were my only option. When I trailer it over to Hot rods by George to build the radiator, headers, and exhaust we are going to comb over the truck for any other potential areas we could mount it. The main issue is space. Hell if I were an inch taller my head would hit the head liner. This truck is literally a game of millimeters not inches. Everything clears by the absolute minimum. I had to take a file to the top on the mock up trans case to file down a ridge so I could get 3/16th on clearance from the floor.

For now the list before it goes on the trailer is as follows.

Wiring the engine and transmission
wring the new gauges
building the core 65E and installing it
building the transmission crossmember
making the under cab mount for the PCM
cutting the driveshaft shorter
replacing the open diff to a 3.90 trac Loc third member

after this is done it will go to Hot Rods by George and I will begin the radiator, headers, and exhaust. Addressing a possible alternator change.

When it comes back home I will pull the cab and bed and work on blocking it and preparing it for paint.

I will be changing the brakes over to wilwood 4 piston fronts and rears.

Once this is done I will trailer it down to a friends shop and spend the week off from work to get all of the truck in paint.

From there it will be time in completeing the interior, a few other small items, and a major detail of the frame and other areas that will collect dust.

Hoping to have it on the road and tuning it by may of next year.

 

It clearly isn't the first time seeing how amazing this and your other trucks are. Good luck.

 

Is there any company that makes a small-bodied alternator? If the alternator was smaller, it might open up other possibillities for placement. I know that you've got a very restricted space to work with, and the water pump is freakin enormous.

Come to think of it, I think I've seen adapters that allow using a SBC water pump on the LS series engines. Would that be worth looking into?

 

I have an MSD billet alternator also which is very small yet it still doesnt fit where I would really like it to and that is on the lower side where the typically camaro/TA alternator is.


no you actually have less forward area with a SBC waterpump. they are actually longer from the mounting flanges to the end of the snout on the pulley.

I had to run the LS3/LS7 to have just enough clearance for the electric fan.

You guys will really start to see the space restrictions when I get the radiator and the front grille back on.

 

I've got a cousin building something similar to this, I believe his is a 32' pickup as well. Biggest difference is that he doing period correct. We've got a flat head sitting between the frame rails now.

 

Cool!

I thought about doing the period correct thing, but would be rather boring for me. Flatheads are very expensive. You can easily get into the 5-6K range with just a averange rebuilt longblock with a few goodies and they don't make any power compared to the modern day stuff.

In the end he will have one cool *** ride for sure!

 

As always, looks awesome Dan. Def givin me some ideas on my project

 

I saw the other day on Gears that Stacey was building a truck similar and swapped to a low profile rack and pinion. It gave him the room needed to put the alt. on the lower left side of the motor and obviously upgraded the steering.

Might be a possibility if the cost isn't outragous.

 

Yes it is called a cross steer system made by unisteer. The people I have talked with that have used it have had mixed opinions about it. It doesn't change the clearance issue I have as the bracket on the frame is the issue, not the steering box itself. If the frame was smooth there and I could drop the mount below the frame it would work great but having limited ground clearance screwed that idea up. I may end up going that route as I like the look of it and the price is nice at about 350.00.