CJ's C30 Build

[crimsonride]

Hey guys. I thought I would start a build thread for this C30 project. The plan is to swap in a cummins....maybe convert it to 4wd depending on my options.
Other modifications to include:
-Body work and paint.
-Custom winch bumper
-New wheels and tires.
-New Bradford flat bed.
-Interior upholstery.

Here's the starting product. I'll get a better photo tomorrow when the sun is out.

And the dodge I picked up for the cummins.

And here's my progress so far.

My shop is a disaster....Man that motor is HUGE!!!

Tomorrow I will clean it up and try to get it ready to paint. If anyone knows of a good local shop that does cummins work. I'd like to have this motor looked over. It needs all new gaskets etc. and I think I might just pay someone to have it done.

 

[crimsonride]

Aaaaaand here's kind what I'm shooting for.... although with modern accents, black and aluminum rims, flat black accents instead of chrome....maybe I'll get a little carried away and throw in a diesel stack on the passenger side.

 

[Hickey]

Aaaaaand here's kind what I'm shooting for.... although with modern accents, black and aluminum rims, flat black accents instead of chrome....maybe I'll get a little carried away and throw in a diesel stack on the passenger side.

Yes please.

 

[mbryson]

How difficult to swap the Chev cab to the Ram chassis?

 

[crimsonride]

How difficult to swap the Chev cab to the Ram chassis?

apparently not that easy. I guess the Cummins sits pretty high in the frame. Too high to fit under the Chevy hood without a ghastly body lift. I do know there are some out there that have been done that way.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Nice, but if you’re going to add a stack it needs to be 12” in diameter and put in the center of the bed, making the bed completely useless. At least that’s what the cool kids do.

 

[I Lean]

You don't mess around....getting right on it. I like it!

 

[crimsonride]

Nice, but if you’re going to add a stack it needs to be 12” in diameter and put in the center of the bed, making the bed completely useless. At least that’s what the cool kids do.

I was thinking of just getting a 55 gal drum and cutting it on an angle!

 

[Gravy]

A stack will just throw ash all over whatever you've got on the flatbed.
I had a day dream you linked and bagged the rear so you could load sleds super easy.

 

[Jesser04]

I don’t know what @ubae drives but I’d like to think it’s something like this.

 

[I Lean]

@Gravy might be onto something here....rather than lifting the front or 4WD-ing it, drop it instead.

 

[Hickey]

@Gravy might be onto something here....rather than lifting the front or 4WD-ing it, drop it instead.

ER.
MAH.
GERD.
Those are beautiful.

 

[Bart]

You had me until the pic. Nah, no, no how. Love that era of GM trucks.

 

[crimsonride]

@Gravy might be onto something here....rather than lifting the front or 4WD-ing it, drop it instead.

Those trucks are rad for sure but not my style. I want something I can haul my jeep with and also throw a few pallets of material on the back for work.

 

[Coco]

Soooo sweet! I have always wanted to build one of these pretty much identical to what you are doing, though I will admit, I would want to do dual stacks.

 

[mbryson]

grab that Super Duty frame and axles, put the body on that and swap the Cummins there. Plenty of axle. Might a bit much on gear though

 

[crimsonride]

Well I haven't made a lot of progress lately since I've been studying for my pilots license practical. Good news...that's all done and I am a fully licensed pilot!

I haven't had much to share but I have been making some progress on this project. I have finally cleaned most of the goop off of this cummins. New rings and gaskets arrive tomorrow so I can get it put back together and paint it! After I pulled the engine I was going to just clean it up and re-gasket it and paint it, but...as things go, I ended up just going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole and now I'm rebuilding it. Anyway.....we'll see how that goes. Hopefully but the end of the weekend be all done with this and in the process of fitting it in to the new truck.

Additionally I designed a bumper that wont work so I get to do that all over again....dang it! Aaaaaand I also bought a winch....then bought another winch because I changed my mind on the first one.

.....Most things with me are one two steps forward and one step back every time.

 

[crimsonride]

Ok...engine is done. I got a quote for 6K to rebuild it so I decided to do it myself. I honed the cylinders, re-ringed the pistons and replaced all the gaskets and seals. Let's hope it runs. ???

Also! I removed about 100 billion pounds of old caked oil and dirt and added some new paint. It already looks more powerful!

 

[crimsonride]

Made a skosh bit of progress. Converted the front end to 4WD with the dodge front end. I fabbed up some coil spring towers and radius arms. Midnight 4x4 had a frame mount that I liked more than the one I designed so I used those. Also fabbed up the motor mounts and boxed in some of the frame.

Things I have to do next:
-I still have to build a couple crossmembers and the transmission crossmember and mount. I guess that's next. I also
-Complete boxing in the frame.
-Fab up the track bar mount and steering linkage
-Fab up the steering shaft linkage.

 

[crimsonride]

Finally made a tiny bit of progress today.