1958 FC-170

[58-fc170]

This is a recreation of a lost build thread on my project that I started back in 2014.

How I found it:

The first progress get it drug out:

Now to drag it home and get to work:

First on the hit list was to remove what remained of the original 9 foot bed and replace it with a 9 foot dump assembly I got off a Minneapolis Moline dump hay wagon:

Then some 15x10 rims and 31x10.5 tires to keep it from sinking into my mud pit of a yard:

Into the barn to weld the dump lift assembly to the mounts on the frame:

 

[Andy G]

Looks awesome so far!!!

 

[58-fc170]

Images fixed and continuing on to bring the build up to date. Many many images to come.

 

[58-fc170]

well the dump frame idea seemed to work.

Pulled the cab to get on with removing the old 226 in line 6 cylinder that was rusted up tight and found a few interesting frame repairs:

Old engine out:

The cab has an interesting 1968 Chevy impala dash grafted into it.

Undoing past "body work":

Improved the rear hitch and cross member a bit. The original one is on the floor below. 4x6 3/8 wall square tubing with the receiver tube through welded is a decent upgrade.

 

[58-fc170]

Got the house finished now back to the fc-170:

Rebuilt the old 3 speed t-90 with all new internal gears, syncros and needle bearings. Then bolted on the novak adapter for a small block chevy. Then mated up my redone 1968 Chevy nova 307 updated with better flowing 1.94 heads and a slightly hotter cam shaft.

On with the flat bed. Take 400 lbs of 4" c -channel and 2" c-channel plus anout 15 lbs of welding rod and presto a 69" x 9 ft flat bed.

I came back and welded in 2" square tube in each corner and mid way along each side for the future racks to mount in.





Boxed in the front have of the frame with 3/16 to strengthen it and removed the other previous crack repairs:

Engine and trans refit to the transfer case and new engine mounts fabricated. Not pretty but they are going no where.

Off to have the frame and dump assembly sand blasted:

Good cab to bed clearance:

Back from the blaster and in primer, they didn't blast the cab just shot it with a light coat of primer:

 

[58-fc170]

Cab back off and 2 gallons of rustoeulm metal primer followed by 3 gallons of gloss block resulted in this:

Painted up the engine, trans and t-case:

Engine in and looking good:

Time for some bed wood:

Cab back on for engine fitment, had to basically remove the entire previous engine cover to make room:

Front bumper beginnings (10" c-channel):

8 lug axle ideas:

Insert project break as I move to a new house with an actual attached garage and a barn :).

 

[58-fc170]

It continues:
Put the XJ to work moving the FC to its new home.

Safe its new mud free home:

Had to bust out the big rig to move the XJ to the new house, things you have to do when no one is around to help.

Back to the build:

I figured 4:88 gears and a ancient drum brakes weren't the best choice for a work/exploring camping rig.
So all the upgrades began:

A 4:10 14 bolt full float rear axle with disc brakes from a 2004 chevy 2500 hd was found for the rear:

The front was a 4:10 ratio chevy dana 60 from a dually truck. Needless to say the front was a bit wider than the rear.

 

[Rusty burbin]

For some reason only about 10 of the pictures you uploaded are viewable. But it's enough to get the idea... awesome build!

Jonah "Rustyburbin" #4084.
5 kids, a wife, dog and a
1970 K20 Suburban

 

[58-fc170]

Drive line changes then ensued. After many hours of internet research I determined that the rebuilt t-90 transmission and dana 20 transfer case weren't the best choice . Due to straight cut gears and potential to fail behind a V8. So I ended up with a chevy TH350 3 speed auto and a Northwest Fab np203/ np205 double transfer case. The bonus of this was excellent drive line angles front and rear and almost equal lengths as well.

Dual 4" c-channel cross members and three stock rubber np203 mounts hold up the transfer cases. There is 2" c-channel for the bottom that doubles as a skid guard.

 

[Rusty burbin]

Drive line changes then ensued. After many hours of internet research I determined that the rebuilt t-90 transmission and dana 20 transfer case weren't the best choice . Due to straight cut gears and potential to fail behind a V8. So I ended up with a chevy TH350 3 speed auto and a Northwest Fab np203/ np205 double transfer case. The bonus of this was excellent drive line angles front and rear and almost equal lengths as well.

Dual 4" c-channel cross members and three stock rubber np203 mounts hold up the transfer cases. There is 2" c-channel for the bottom that doubles as a skid guard.

Awesomeness! I went with a 203/205 doubler too. I replaced my th350 with a 4 speed, and yeah those new driveline angles are nice.

 

[58-fc170]

Got the pictures sorted. I think. I am only up to last January on progress.
Keep in mind it only has a 103" wheel base :)
Stock 9 leaf packs front and rear.
clears 33's easily.

I'll try to get the rest up to date this evening.

 

[Tinker]

Good grief that engine looks like a nightmare to remove any bit of hardware from! Flathead & reverse-flow... gave me a shudder down my spine at the very thought.

Maybe that frame repair was ballast to balance out the drivers weight hahaha!

Was any of that previous "body work" you had to clear out made of lead? Never dealt with it myself, hopefully someday when I get to work on something from that era. I'm not against modern vehicles that need laptops as much as wrenches, but it's still pushing my tastes further & further back in time.

Those 205 cases are such tanks! The combo with a 203 really seems to be the best way to go. I'm guessing it's twin-stick? Front digs are next level

I had no idea you started with that thing in such a state. Damn fine work so far, thanks for sharing!

 

[58-fc170]

thanks .

On i go getting a little closer to its current state:
The main issue with the FC's is the steering being non power and an odd bell/crank style.

I got around that issue with a 1975 dodge ram charger power steering box (standard rotation not the reverse rotation one) and a precision 1 inch shaft 90 degree gear box. The pitman arm is from a wagoneer and had to be reamed out to fit the 1 ton chevy tie rod end.

 

[58-fc170]

Since I had to replace the front round cross member i had to remove for the steering connector shaft why not more 4x6 thick wall tubing. It just clears :)

The cooling side of the build started up about then:
I picked up a big griffin radiator and three auxiliary coolers. The outer two are the transmission coolers and the center one is for the power steering due to me running a hydro boost brake booster.

welded up a simple rear shroud that i mounted my dual 10" fans to.

 

[58-fc170]

About that time i was getting sick of the crappy dual 8ft florescent so the barn got a nice upgrade. I stuck 12 can lights in the open rafters and stuffed 1,100 lumen leds. Best investment in the shop yet.

before:

after:

Now to make the cab mounts and floors well actually exist instead of swiss cheese.

rear cab mounts:

old vs new

front floors:

cut out the fronts and replace with nice 1/8 th inch steel plate:

Diver side:

Passenger side:

 

[58-fc170]

Got a bit off course at this point and picked up a nice Warn M8000 winch for mounting under the front. (edit this mounting configuration will be changed from rear mount to the which hanging from a plate above it all because warn says the current mounting is a no no)
The fair lead will come out through the middle of my wide bumper keeping the winch hidden and protected.

Back to the steering. A dodge durango short intermediate steering shaft connects a piece of 1" solid to the 90 degree box and its coupler.

Tossed the shortend solid shaft in the lathe and turned the ens down to fit the dodge shaft and my quick release steering wheel hub. I added an after market black wheel I think a 12 inch.

 

[58-fc170]

I tried round tanks under the bed on each side but have since decided to go with rectangular tanks.

More work on fitting the radiator in the cab behind the engine. it is looking promising:

The new bracket kit showed up so the alternator moved the drivers side and the AC compressor came in on the passenger side. I picked up the complete hurricane air 2100 kit that comes with all every part you need including hoses for heat and AC in a old cars. I figured basically sitting on the engine in the summer AC might be nice.

finished up the radiator shroud/cooler/ac condenser mount fits excellent.

back to the steering: I decided a single pillow block needed help holding the shaft straight so I added a second one.

 

[58-fc170]

Then I got started on the interior engine cowl/ removable cover frames.

Bounced around to the dual 2.5 exhaust. It is a universal dual kit from summit if i recall but cam with no mufflers so i ordered some stainless internal walker mufflers for a 2001 dodge durango. I want this thing to breath but breath quietly. :)
Changed the headers off to new 2.5 inch corvette style cast rams horns manifolds to reduce in cab noise to actually fit where the shorty headers had no chance.

Forgot to leave room for the dump assembly to come down so the mufflers went on a bit of a diet.

 

[58-fc170]

I had been waiting around to find a set of dodge dana 60 single rear wheel front hubs. Why not just get the chevys? because the track width is slight wider on the dodge hubs and it happens to exactly match my rear axle. Plus I can run the vintage mile marker external hubs. The combo has dodge rotors, dodge hubs with 9/16 chevy studs pressed in. It also uses the chevy dually calipers because they are beefier than the single rear wheel. New seals, bearings and races pressed it together and put it on.

 

[58-fc170]

side tracked a bit again and decided i needed a goose neck hitch on it but not bed mounted. I happened upon a putnam pull up gooseneck hitch. It was trimmed down to a circle and sufficiently welded to the top of a 1/2 wall i think 10 inch tubing. That is welded down to a pair of thick wall 4x6 tubing that runs between cross members parallel to the frame rails.

it clears every thing :)

Rolled it out at some point to look at it.