Influencer II
Betsy, my 1959 Jeep FC-170
- Thread starter billiardspintail
- Start date
Traveler II
We have the engine rebuilt and painted :) Working on getting the pumps and pulleys together before we remove the cab
Influencer II
- 3,135
- First Name
- Lyon
- Last Name
- McKeil
- Member #
-
4052
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- AI6F WQZP709 M0GVK (UK Ham Licesne)
- Service Branch
- CAL FIRE
Traveler II
There is a guy in Arizona, Jesse Ybarra, who is the king of FC's and owns many of them including several very very rare military models (the M-677 and M-678 I believe). He has a Chevy 350 in one of his and there was a post somewhere where he said he didn't need to modify the late style tunnel. So here is to hoping!
Yep he has way more skill at FC work than I could dream of.
If you haven't found it this site is very usefull http://www.thefcconnection.com .
I am trying to keep my Fc's body as low as possible by mounting it on jeep CJ style rubber mounts. I guess you could have more engine clearance if you put in a slight body lift or mounted the engine lower in the frame.
My engine is where it is height wise because I based it off mounting it to the original t90 transmission and transfer case with a 5 degree down slope to the rear for oil drainage. It has since slid forward 6 inches from that spot to make room for the radiator between the distributor and the rear vent area of the cab. I have had to trim the stock tunnel and floor to clear my engines valve covers.
If you haven't found it this site is very usefull http://www.thefcconnection.com .
I am trying to keep my Fc's body as low as possible by mounting it on jeep CJ style rubber mounts. I guess you could have more engine clearance if you put in a slight body lift or mounted the engine lower in the frame.
My engine is where it is height wise because I based it off mounting it to the original t90 transmission and transfer case with a 5 degree down slope to the rear for oil drainage. It has since slid forward 6 inches from that spot to make room for the radiator between the distributor and the rear vent area of the cab. I have had to trim the stock tunnel and floor to clear my engines valve covers.
Traveler II
Do you anticipate any cooling issues with the radiator being behind the engine?
I am also keeping the stock T90/Spicer 18 in the truck so I'll probably be mounting the engine similarly to yours.
I don't anticipate any cooling issues. I am using a large 2 row aluminum radiator with dual electric fans.
Traveler II
Not yet. I haven't been able to get time off to work on her more, but the next step is to rebuild the T90 (3-speed manual) transmission, and the Dana/Spicer 18.
Traveler II
Finally a new update! Betsy has new shoes!
5 rims have been powder coated black and I purchased a 6th (2 spares). With such limited time and being an hour drive's away from her, I figured it was time for real progress. The person helping me all along agreed to put her together on an hourly basis and I am very happy with the progress! The drivetrain is nearly complete: the T90, Dana 18, Koenig PTO (Power Take Off) and the Borg Warner R10 overdrive are all ready to go, with the axles and body work needing to be completed.
The paint will be a matte military green, and the OB member badge is going right under the FC emblem on both sides just behind the doors :)
(If you cannot tell, I am very excited)
Betsy should be running sometime after August and I hope to be out on the trails immediately after that!
EDIT: More on the shoes: These are 8 ply NDT (non-directional tires) military tires that I found on Amazon. They are non tubeless.
5 rims have been powder coated black and I purchased a 6th (2 spares). With such limited time and being an hour drive's away from her, I figured it was time for real progress. The person helping me all along agreed to put her together on an hourly basis and I am very happy with the progress! The drivetrain is nearly complete: the T90, Dana 18, Koenig PTO (Power Take Off) and the Borg Warner R10 overdrive are all ready to go, with the axles and body work needing to be completed.
The paint will be a matte military green, and the OB member badge is going right under the FC emblem on both sides just behind the doors :)
(If you cannot tell, I am very excited)
Betsy should be running sometime after August and I hope to be out on the trails immediately after that!
EDIT: More on the shoes: These are 8 ply NDT (non-directional tires) military tires that I found on Amazon. They are non tubeless.
Betsy is looking good.
Be careful with NDT tires on asphalt in the rain, they can tend to skid during braking. Other than that they are an extremely durable tire.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?61785-Non-directional-tires-on-a-civilian-Jeep
Be careful with NDT tires on asphalt in the rain, they can tend to skid during braking. Other than that they are an extremely durable tire.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?61785-Non-directional-tires-on-a-civilian-Jeep
Traveler II
Hey @58-fc170,
Yeah I've read all about the downsides of NDT tires. This won't be a DD for me, but I will be driving it on the road. I don't usually drive with a lead foot and will be driving this as it is: an old jeep out for a stroll. The gearing isn't conducive to mashing the pedal on the road
Yeah I've read all about the downsides of NDT tires. This won't be a DD for me, but I will be driving it on the road. I don't usually drive with a lead foot and will be driving this as it is: an old jeep out for a stroll. The gearing isn't conducive to mashing the pedal on the road
Traveler II
I also have a Borg Warner R10 overdrive that is either a 20% or 30%, just for cruising on the freeway.
Traveler II
It's been a while since my last update so here is where the Betsy project stands:
The guy that was working on her, up and moved to Nevada so all work has stopped for now. He is finishing the rebuild of the Borg-Warner R10 Overdrive, only missing the speedometer gearing before it can be put back together (though the rest has been rebuilt and is ready to go.
He has all of the parts with him, and around February/March, when he is done with the overdrive, the drive-train will be returned to me.
Because I live in an apartment without the space (and frankly the experience) to complete a job like this on my own, I have spoken with a few shops (and looking for more) to install the drive-train. Any Bay Area natives who know someone who can handle this, I'm looking.
I have the drop the drive-train onto the frame, rebuild (if needed) the axles, install the driveshafts, including a shortened one for the rear axle on account of the overdrive unit sticking out the back of the Dana 18, then through the cab and bed back on, hook up all the linkages, cables and wiring and drive from the shop directly to a trail.
I don't have any newer pictures right now, but aiming for mid-year as a completion date.
The guy that was working on her, up and moved to Nevada so all work has stopped for now. He is finishing the rebuild of the Borg-Warner R10 Overdrive, only missing the speedometer gearing before it can be put back together (though the rest has been rebuilt and is ready to go.
He has all of the parts with him, and around February/March, when he is done with the overdrive, the drive-train will be returned to me.
Because I live in an apartment without the space (and frankly the experience) to complete a job like this on my own, I have spoken with a few shops (and looking for more) to install the drive-train. Any Bay Area natives who know someone who can handle this, I'm looking.
I have the drop the drive-train onto the frame, rebuild (if needed) the axles, install the driveshafts, including a shortened one for the rear axle on account of the overdrive unit sticking out the back of the Dana 18, then through the cab and bed back on, hook up all the linkages, cables and wiring and drive from the shop directly to a trail.
I don't have any newer pictures right now, but aiming for mid-year as a completion date.
Traveler II
Hey all, the day had come 2 weeks ago to put her together. I took Betsy the the mechanic and as soon as she got there, they told me they couldn't finish the build. Turns out the rust in the cab was "too much" according to them to put the motor and everything in. Because of a few reasons: the cost to repair the cab to the point of being able to work on it (~20k estimate, given by several shops independently), and not being able to store it for the time required to save that money because of storage costs (~13k at the cheapest), I have decided to sell Betsy.
I have moved to go more practical with my future rig, and get one that I can use _now_ opposed to a longer build. I hope to own an FC in the future, either for show or utility. Thanks all for following me on this journey, I'm rather heartbroken.
I have moved to go more practical with my future rig, and get one that I can use _now_ opposed to a longer build. I hope to own an FC in the future, either for show or utility. Thanks all for following me on this journey, I'm rather heartbroken.
Protector II
I can't imagine the disappointment, and can only offer the cliché "One door closes, another opens" sentiment. You can't say you didn't try your darndest to give her life.
Looking forward to seeing what's next for you! Will be following along for the new journey!
Corrie
