Ryoken's 89 Crew Cab Tubebed build... aka Mutt....

[ryoken]

Are you planning the light bar just for aesthetics or do you feel it's needed for towing? I don't think you need it for towing unless you're doing recovery work, like a wrecker. You'll also need a cert. from DMV to use it one the road, just like a fireman w/ the blue lights on his roof.

outstanding question.... when I first came up with this tubebed idea, I knew I would be doing it.. C-hoop behind the cab? no question it was gonna get one on a purely aesthetic reason.


that said, it fell right in with my eventual use plans for the rig... so it's every bit of 75% looks, but hopefully it'll be good to have down the road...

I'll have some time after this weekend and I'll play around in photoshop w/ these.

I have a boat customer who does sign, vinyl, some boat names, etc... I was talking to him over a beer from our kegerator in the office after work one night... about font's for one....

he said to make sure the "MARINE & HAULING" is a simple, very readable font.... I like Tahoma... not sure what that one above is have to go back and check...

but he said for the "ANGRY MALLARD" is where I can be a bit more creative in my font choice.. and that they should be 2 different fonts... still wanna make up a whole bunch more in various fonts to see what I like the best... for as decisive as I can be about certain "looks' I want from components/parts, etc, font's are just one I get very wishy washy on.. and will readily accept advice...


he also suggested it might be cool to have the mallard kinda exploding out from the center... and that got me kinda thinking on something I always liked in tattoo's... that torn, exposed kinda deal? ya know like having a Terminator metal innards arm thing, with torn skin around the edge to window it?


the other thing that may, or may not, help with is another potential issue I thought of... the background/door is Ryoken red, and I want the mallard bill the same color... the prob being even if it had a "torn skin" kinda deal around it, and say black in the middle, I run into the same issue cuz the duck is black... so, some kind of outline-y deal to the bill/duck may be needed....

Here's one with a cracked/weathered look..

see above graphical notations...

I'm not a 100% sure on New Jersey DOT rules but if he's oversize at all (Pulling Boats?) The lights maybe required; maybe not to the extent of a light bar, but the cool aesthetics of the old school is a definite plus in my book.

great question.. I have no crue on nazivi, ummm joyseys laws pertaining to it... at that point where it would be getting used over the road, it'll be registered commercial... but for awhile, it would just be standard registration use...

how oversized a boat I may be hauling? don't know.... I definitely need to grab one of our regular haulers we use that come to the marina and talk to em about that stuff... or even my local LEO that loves the rig so much may know some info too...

I would also like to voice my support for an old school roller light bar. Just looms right on that truck. I would probably replace the bulbs with LEDs though. Those light bars suck down alot of energy.

it was just my first, gut reaction as to what to run.... I definitely need to research some more... I know Brett knows a ton on that stuff... need to go peruse that forum he suggested to me.. just gotta find the link...

and yeah, the incandescent versions suck ton's o' amps...

I prefer this one. With the crazy custom tube bed and LED tail lights I think this fits better.
IMO nothing about the truck is really saying "old school" other than the body style. The bed, the rims, tail lights, dash, hood gauges, the duck, etc, etc... I think the LED light bar above would fit in just right with all of that.

this guy.. coming in here and making all kinds of sense.... wtf?!!!??

guess I should be open to the possibility... maybe I'll have to work some photochoppy stuff to kind of see how the different ones look....

it'll be a bit... but if the price is right on a light bar, I may actually nut up and get it just prior to the fuel tank/doghouse deal, as that one is gonna be pricey.. I'm figuring the fuel tank, drawer mods/dividers and doghouse work will be 2 g's...









thanks for all the great input today fella's!!!!





Ryoken - VERY hopefully Fed-X freight shows with my spare tomorrow...

 

[Chief Brody]

You mean like this?

Maybe it should just be the Duck's head

 

[ryoken]

oh, and on a "there's hope for this world yet" moment..


leave the he!!hole tonight, driving home, stop at my deli for a bottle of diet coke...

get out of Mutt....

there's like a, I guess, 10 yr old kid getting on his bike to leave..... he say's to me, "I love your truck sir"..... I thanked him...

than he say's "ya know what I like about it?" I reply, "the duck?"

and he says.... "nope, you'll never see anything else like it"

I told him, "that's why the sticker say's what it says..."


I'll have to make sure to wave to him whenever I see him around town...

 

[beags86]

I think the amber strobe light thing is going down the wrong road when there is so much cool technology out there.
I think something like this is where its at. Flood lamp, yellow strobe, or spotlight. Or any combo of above. Couple of these and your set.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remote-120W...-SPOT-FLOOD-Offroad-4x4-Warning-/191250887049

 

[ryoken]

You mean like this?

sumfin like that... these are the kinda tat looks I was kinda referring to...

and I'm not even sure how it would work out, in this case... torn skin isn't the term, TORN METAL would be the look I want... like the mallard is busting thru the door..

 

[Chief Brody]

Oh wow...that is really 3D looking....I've seen that effect on sidewalks and graffiti but never with a tattoo...that's incredible work

 

[blazinzuk]

oh, and on a "there's hope for this world yet" moment..


leave the he!!hole tonight, driving home, stop at my deli for a bottle of diet coke...

get out of Mutt....

there's like a, I guess, 10 yr old kid getting on his bike to leave..... he say's to me, "I love your truck sir"..... I thanked him...

than he say's "ya know what I like about it?" I reply, "the duck?"

and he says.... "you'll never see anything else like it"

I told him, "that's why the sticker say's what it says..."


I'll have to make sure to wave to him whenever I see him around town...

I enjoy getting g compliments from adults. But from a 10 yr old kid man that's just awesome. And the fact he noticed a detail. The whole truck is sweet but there are lots of details. Awesome truly awesome

 

[ryoken]

I enjoy getting g compliments from adults. But from a 10 yr old kid man that's just awesome. And the fact he noticed a detail. The whole truck is sweet but there are lots of details. Awesome truly awesome

some wouldn't place much stock in it... eh, he's a kid, yada, etc.. but to me often, their honesty, is WAY more revealing, than an expert adult...

his answer blew me away... it wasn't "I like the big tires, or the duck, etc"

it was his appreciation for the originality of the whole thing... it really kind of floored me in this day of Fast and Furious, homometals and fartcans...

 

[ryoken]

maybe something kinda like the edges of this..... with some of the edges "rolled up" a bit more..

 

[mrk5]

Kinda like the eagle on my truck.

 

[ryoken]

yup

 

[NorCal69]

Man, I thought you were going old skool, like the 50's tow truck door logos.. Now you want the duck tearing through the door?

I don't know, bud. I think I liked what was behind door number #1 better.

I do like the low profile of that led light bar tho. It won't look like a big ol orange bubble on your roof.

Just my .02.....


Now carry on and get back to fabbin something..

 

[izzy1776]

Combining old and new is what Mutt is. Old skool 50's hot rod sign lettering surrounding the angry mallard busting through sorta like this but with your duck.

You have already proved you can do anything you want, designing the perfect decal will come too.

 

[ryoken]

hey, we figured out the taillights, a duck logo will be a piece of cake!

that actually looks pretty darn good.... I can envision mine done similar...

 

[ryoken]

so... no spare today, Monday I suppose....




and after driving the rig around for a month or so, I finally decided to actually check my driveshaft angles tonight...

need a 5 degree up in the back.... guessing that's probably my driveline vibe that comes in around 50, 55...

so I'll give Kert a holla and see about having him machine that into an ez inch for me at his convenience....

 

[ryoken]

Mutt got a new 60 cover today to match the rear.....

also did 3 new shaft joints, carrier bearing and oil change today....

 

[GWeakland620]

Don't let Martin see your high steer

Looks real good sir!

 

[ryoken]

thanks... yeah, I know, I know...



it certainly looks eleventy times better than a fat tie rod in front of the cover....

 

[ryoken]

well... looks like I may not need to change the pinion as much as I thought...

was scraping and easy off-ing my 465 and 205 today, so I could determine where I had a couple minor leaks coming from...

when I realized my 205 was laying on the skid plate...

damn new trans mount I installed with new motor mounts when I built the rig 2 1/2 yr's ago has caved/bent down.... it's not the rubber, it's where the metal brackets get pinned to each other.. not sure HOW much it has fallen, I gotta figure a 1/2" maybe...

I think it may be f*cking up that primary driveshafts spline angle coming thru the carrier bearing a bit... tipping it up... so I'll call my guys at Napa, bust their nut's and try to find the best quality one I can... can't go poly, as I went stock rubber up front..

 

[Richcz28]

well... looks like I may not need to change the pinion as much as I thought...

was scraping and easy off-ing my 465 and 205 today, so I could determine where I had a couple minor leaks coming from...

when I realized my 205 was laying on the skid plate...

damn new trans mount I installed with new motor mounts when I built the rig 2 1/2 yr's ago has caved/bent down.... it's not the rubber, it's where the metal brackets get pinned to each other.. not sure HOW much it has fallen, I gotta figure a 1/2" maybe...

I think it may be f*cking up that primary driveshafts spline angle coming thru the carrier bearing a bit... tipping it up... so I'll call my guys at Napa, bust their nut's and try to find the best quality one I can... can't go poly, as I went stock rubber up front..

Rubber is the right way to go. In my experience the poly is always loosening up. I lost one of the bottom mounts out of my k5. I have also re tightened my body mounts 4-5 times in the past two years and they always have worked loose. I don't seem to have the same issue with rubber.