My search for a shorty D100 is over

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Is the plan to keep the rear roll pan? I think a chrome Ramcharger rear bumper would look nice
Na, roll pan will go away. The plan has always been to put a chrome sport bumper back on it. I just don’t want to fork over the 360 bucks to LMC just yet.
 
Screw LMC, still waiting for the Dodge catalog for the 1983 d250 I bought back and am redoing, I ordered that catalog when I owned it this truck the first time back in 2008.... They don't want to acknowledge that Dodge even existed before 1994.... Seems like a default every time I get on my wife's fake book marketplace for some reason it wants to show me listings around San Francisco and every time I gotta tell it to look in my area all over again. There's a lot available from private parties out that way for these trucks. Help your co enthusiast instead of some faceless company that doesn't give 2 ***** about those of us that drive "other than Chevy"
 
Cool project, keep up the good work. I've always had a soft spot for '70s trucks myself.

Most recent one I owned (below) was a '76 SWB/BB/NP 435 4speed. (not an original BB truck though) Those are cop wheels with redline hub caps. I lowered it but nothing dramatic - just cheapo rear shackles. It mostly just leveled the rake. I never got around to doing anything in the front.

I drove it all the time and on some pretty long trips too. One day it wouldn't start and left me stranded pretty far from home. After that it ended up sitting in my yard for a couple years. Parts of it were starting to get rusty and leaving it outside uncovered wasn't helping. Didn't have any interest in fixing it up and I sold it as a roller. It was a cool truck though.

'76 D100 Custom
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Cool project, keep up the good work. I've always had a soft spot for '70s trucks myself.

Most recent one I owned (below) was a '76 SWB/BB/NP 435 4speed. (not an original BB truck though) Those are cop wheels with redline hub caps. I lowered it but nothing dramatic - just cheapo rear shackles. It mostly just leveled the rake. I never got around to doing anything in the front.

I drove it all the time and on some pretty long trips too. One day it wouldn't start and left me stranded pretty far from home. After that it ended up sitting in my yard for a couple years. Parts of it were starting to get rusty and leaving it outside uncovered wasn't helping. Didn't have any interest in fixing it up and I sold it as a roller. It was a cool truck though.

'76 D100 Custom
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Is that dark green? Super cool truck.
 
Is that dark green? Super cool truck.
Yeah, thanks. Inside the cab seemed to be the original dark green but the exterior had been poorly repainted at some point. Under the re-paint looked to be some sort of random '70s multi-color stripe deal. Every panel on that truck needed work.

This is when I sold it and after it had been sitting outside for two years. You can sort of make out the stripes on the door.
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I’m a glutton for punishment, and here’s why. You know those wire wheels that go on a grinder and spin 14000 rpm and love to stick little wires in your legs and arms? Not only did I use one to puncture holes in my thighs but to also get the scale and rust off of the floorboards before I cut out the really bad ****, but I gave it to my girlfriend to try as well. Don’t do this! Bad idea fellas. She now refers to that tool as the “spinning fire of death” tool, and I can never rely on her help when tools that spin are required. Anyway I got to fixing the floors yesterday and started on the passenger side. It’s about done. I have it in primer now (no pic) and I’ll paint it tonight. I’ll shoot a finished pic then. I decided not to do full floor pans and just patch the bad parts. The rest was treated, (Eastwood rust converter before anyone asks) wire wheeled, treated again, and primed. More to follow.
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So 4 coats of high build primer, sanding between each, and 3 coats of rattle can gloss white and the passenger floors are finished. Now on to the driver side.
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I’m a glutton for punishment, and here’s why. You know those wire wheels that go on a grinder and spin 14000 rpm and love to stick little wires in your legs and arms? Not only did I use one to puncture holes in my thighs but to also get the scale and rust off of the floorboards before I cut out the really bad ****, but I gave it to my girlfriend to try as well. Don’t do this! Bad idea fellas. She now refers to that tool as the “spinning fire of death” tool, and I can never rely on her help when tools that spin are required. Anyway I got to fixing the floors yesterday and started on the passenger side. It’s about done. I have it in primer now (no pic) and I’ll paint it tonight. I’ll shoot a finished pic then. I decided not to do full floor pans and just patch the bad parts. The rest was treated, (Eastwood rust converter before anyone asks) wire wheeled, treated again, and primed. More to follow.
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Good work!

Okay what's the secret here? I have a Hobart 140 mig and I need the metal to be perfectly clean or else the wire just globs up and rolls right off. Almost as if I'm attempting to weld on oil or something.

Then I look at stuff like this and you're clearly welding onto somewhat clean, but still pitted metal.
 
Good work!

Okay what's the secret here? I have a Hobart 140 mig and I need the metal to be perfectly clean or else the wire just globs up and rolls right off. Almost as if I'm attempting to weld on oil or something.

Then I look at stuff like this and you're clearly welding onto somewhat clean, but still pitted metal.
I’ve found that material thickness and cleanliness are both big factors. You have to cut out the pitted, thinner metal and not try to weld to that. Also fit up is pretty important with thin sheet. Try to get straight, tight gaps. But keep a small gap like 1/32”. I’m using my Miller 211 on 115v ac on power level 4 and 30 for wire speed if that helps. .030 solid wire and 75/25 gas.
When you weld, build on previous good tacks. Don’t try to start an arc on old metal, start on a previous tack, or on good metal and drag the arc quickly to the old metal and stop.that’s how I do it, hope it helps.
 
Hell yeah! Looking good Mike. I need to find me one now.... lol
Hey Bill! Glad to hear from you. Get one, they’re a lot of fun and pretty easy to put together. This year for duct tape drags it looks like we, (myself, @jedrattle, and @got6pak) will be caravanning to tucson dragway all in D100s. We’ll take you with us!
 
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