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speaking of tapering....

BranndonC

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since i'm swapping my 89 clip onto my 73, what ALL is required to sucsesfully narrow a front end, i know it doesnt add "too" much more function since the A pillars are still there, but anyway
1. do i just cut the part jlaughner has in his post and bolt everything back up?

2. where would i put my batterys?

3. would a motor big block fit in there with no problems

4. Is it as simple as it looks.... cut core support, attach fenders, thats it? i know there has to be more, but how much more

5. are there any disadvantages of it?

thats all i can think of now, i'll ask more later /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
1. NO it's much more than that.

2. You definitely would have to move the batteries somewhere aft of the drivers seat. Behind the rear wheel wells.

3. I don't see any reason why a big block wouldn't fit.

4. Cut core support, Cut fenders, skin fenders, skin hood and cut hood. remove inner fender wells. Cut grill. You pretty much end up altering every peice of sheetmetal in front of the windshield.

5. Finding a replacement body panel is gona be a mother.
 
still with all that it doesnt sound like too hard of a task, it seems like nothing compaired to say, rebuilding axles, or rebuilding a motor, installing a lift and axles, all which i'm also doing to the truck, so i'm still contomplating it /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
cybrfire pretty much summed it up..

the way i've done was to completely tear apart you front and start with the radiator support.

after the grill/support is cut to your likings it just a matter of making the rest fit.

this is where i relocated the battery
DSC04267_1.jpg


and you can also see the bars i made that go to from the firewall to the radiator support to add a bit more support..

more pics
http://www.texasoffroad.net/galleries/members/albuo60
 
I like where your batt. went.

BrandonC,

I wouldn't say its harder than doing those other things you mentioned. Those things have a certain way they have to be done and this mod is kinda done on the fly by most I believe. I kinda had some ideas when I did mine but nothing really solid. Just winged it after the first little bit. You can get creative and destructive as you want to get.
 
Its a big undertaking. I worked on it off and on all winter. I did have to go to electric fans though as I lost the room to fit the stock fan. My BB fits just fine. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
thanks guys, i have windstar fans waiting to go in.

also why do we skin the panels and hood, is it for better flexability and ease of installation?

how do you know exactaly where to cut the hood?

if i install support bars like bowtie wouldnt i be able to have some sort of stock hinges bolt to that if i could mount them parallel to the frame lines?

and last but not least do you sandman or any of you have pics of the fenders mounting to the support? you said you used L brackets, but if you skinned the fenders where to you screw them to with out screws sticking out the side? same with the wheel wells, where do i bolt them to, that is if i can still run them
 
You could always make it 9" narrower per side, 8" off the rear and 1'+ off the nose...and put a Willy's body on it. /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif
 
I had to skin the fenders to get them to drop in tight against the body without having them stick out in the back.

I left the part that bolts to the front and the back. the fenders end up being rather light.
 
big block is no issue, plent of room to still crawl around too..

320728_254_full.jpg


as for the battery I put it on the frame, marve gave me this idea, fully stuffed I neved touched it, here is a pic of the tray /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

320728_83_full.jpg


yes it is that easy, making it look good is what is the hard part, take time, and carefull on the cuts and it should be fine, just try to care about the overall result while you are working on it /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 

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