Brad's 1954 R Series Build

nevermind, i think i found the right reference, the one on the left is the passenger door window

Hooray! I have doors again!!!

54 IHC by isu_phi, on Flickr

And, a buddy and me built a battery box. I measured it up, so I know it wont sit any lower than mounts that hold the running board. I realize it could be a PITA to access it while behind the passenger side running board, but that appears to be the place where there is space.

54 IHC by isu_phi, on Flickr


Next up.....i think i will get the seals in place, refurbish and install the window tracks/door windows.

Brad, That cab is looking really good. What is your plan for wheels and tires ?

Glad to see your progress! Looking good.
I see you're considering placing the battery under the cab. That's where mine is I wish it was not there or at least somewhere more accessible. It's a real pain to get to and whenever I need to change or charge the battery, getting to it requires a lot of extra effort. It's your truck and you can certainly place it where you want to. I just wanted to give you the benefit of what my experience has shown me.

Our R120 had a 6.9 V8 Diesel that filled more than 75% of the under hood space so the batteries were installed behind the right running board. I made the battery brackets so that they could be lowered on an inverted J track. The part that moved and lowered had a .50" pin on each side that traveled in the tracks. The battery brackets had to be lifted with a floor jack, tilted out to get the pins out of the J then they lowered easily.
I don't have a picture and cannot get one, I gave the R to a friend in Merritt, BC.

Brad, That cab is looking really good. What is your plan for wheels and tires ?

first, thank you all for the comments.

ledsled, this the burning question, as this is probably the next major purchase that i am saving for. I need to get the front end hung on, do some measuring, and then figure out what wheel is going to fit on the front. The rear is wide open as i am going to essentially build something around the fatty tires i am planning on.

I really really liked the torque thrust II's that i had on my old camaro, and the classic hot rod style look of them should fit this truck in a 17" rim really well too. I am leaning that direction. they'll be the only shiny bit on this truck.

WEW51L110, your blue truck has the Fatman MII front end, do you recall the specs on your front rims???

as far as battery location....I certainly haven't attached the box anywhere yet. I suppose i could always move it back to more accessible, it just wouldn't be as hidden. I'll have to think about that one.

My front wheels are 7" wide x 17" dia. The backspace is 3 1/2". The tires are close to 29" dia. I do experience some tire rub on the inner panels when the tires are turned fully either left or right if a bump is encountered. If the backspace was a little smaller or the tires a little smaller dia., then the rub would not happen. A 1/2" spacer would likely correct it too. (Truck's grey btw. Light slate)

Brad, I had a the same issue with the battery location. I built a battery box very similar to the one that you have constructed except it holds the battery above the frame rail. It bolted to the side and top of the frame rail on the passenger side near the front of the truck. I cut a battery sized opening in the fender skirt and after the battery was in I made a patch with sheet metal to cover the hole in the fender well. I did this of course after the wheel and tires were installed to ensure that the right front tire would not rub when turning left. There is about 1.5 inches clearance at full lock. This may not work for you as you are building a very different rig than mine, but it worked for me.

yall are great, thanks for the info. and pics are always helpful

I'll be curious what kind of room i'll have in the front corner once the motor is in, the inner fenders on, the radiator support and grill are installed. I don't foresee much room at all.

(may bad on the blue vs grey) Maybe my eyes are just bad. I look at the color i painted mine, and it'll look dark grey like its supposed to in one light, and almost a dark midnight blue in another light.

I know what you mean about the grey. I have several photos of my truck after it came out of the spray booth and the light in the shop made it look blue as blue could be. However the paint was mixed using white and black and the slightest amount possible of blue. Like one drop in the gallon of white/black mixture. Yet in certain light, the blue really shows.