Machine Builders Network+ Forums Machine Builders Network Cars, Trucks, Vehicle - Mods, Repairs Getting back in the saddle...

Well guys it's time to stop licking my wounds and get back in the game.
I have tried everything I can to get pictures to post but they are too big. Flickr has a resize tool but my 65 year old brain can't get it to work.
I'll tell you about it so you can get a mental picture.
I'm sure most of you know what a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup is. In some places they call them a Caddy.
Front wheel drive in two flavors, gas or diesel.
BORING!
Mine is a bit.....eh.......different.
It looks the same only there is no engine up front. It's no longer front wheel drive. It is however rear wheel drive. Now if the engine isn't up front it's got to be in the rear. It is V-8 powered though.
Got you guys scratching your heads?
The back of that little truck is stuffed full of Oldsmobile Toronado engine and Trans.
To say it is a spirited little ride is an understatement. There are now 4 pieces of 2 inch plate steel up front under the gas tank just so it will steer. Amazingly it has pretty good manners though.
There is quite the story behind the truck. It was built by a dear friend of mine who passed away in 2001. He and I had been talking about rear engining a mini truck one Sunday during one of my visits. A year or so went by and he called and said he had something to show me. At my next opportunity I packed up my little Ford Festiva and motored from South Carolina to middle Tennessee just above Nashville.
We chatted for a few then headed for the garage.
There it was.
At first it looked like a Rabbit truck with fat tires.
A tonneau cover hid the bed and the surprise beneath.
To say the least I was a bit confused.
Pull the cover back he told me.
Oh!
We drove it around some and after a couple of days he handed me the keys. He had built the truck for me.
I was dumbfounded.
I had just separated from the Air Force and was renting a house from a coworker. I had no place to keep the truck nor any way to get it home. I had to claw and scratch to get the funds for the trip much less any other thing.
I had to turn him down. I told him that if he could sell it he could. It hurt but it was all I could do at the time.
That was in 1997.
His wife called in the spring of 2015 and asked if I was interested in the little truck. It seemed that the present owner had talked to my friend and knew the story behind it. He wanted me to have it. Over 15 years later it came back to me!
Shortly after I got it home my life got turned upside down. All my savings and time was tied up in lawyer fees and legal battles. Then my wife got sick.
I want to get this little truck back roadworthy and worry some of the kids at the 1/8 mile dragstrip.
I have a guardian angel watching over me now.
Time for some fun!
Cheers!
Terry
Oh....suggestions on posting pictures please......😁

from what I remember of the Olds Toronado they were a front wheel drive car(and a BIG one at that) -I think that engine is a 455ci/in big block with a TH400 adapted to front wheel drive transaxle? you have your work cut out for you..hopefully the builder reworked the frame to handle the torque load imposed by that engine..what rear axle are you using in this? since the Wabbit(LOL) was a front wheel drive I'm guessing a Ford 9" axle or so was used?

read this,: Toronado engine and transm

the engine combo was also used in the GM big bubble RV's of the 80's..unbeliveably up front-under the cab

Bunk, it's a 1978 Toro 403cid. He cut the whole front clip off the car and slid it up under the truck. Pretty slick it's just like a module. Some of his work could be a bit coarse so as soon as the garage is clear it's up in the air to check it out. I hope I don't find anything terminal.
The little truck looks like crap right now, been sitting under a Pecan tree for at least four years. I guess some folks would rate it as a "rat rod".
LOL!
I'm not putting it on the road until it's right.

that crossdrive transmission and torque conv drive might be hard to find parts for..but best of luck to you..love to see some pics of it all

Terry!!! I use Imgur for my pix now,----Flick'r has a LOT of extra work involved. Imgur has a choice of sizes and the 640 x 480 is the url you copy for message boards and then post them direct in the message box. Really quick/simple and no cleaning up the extra stuff that Flickr puts under the pix,--or did,-- I assume they still do.

been using flickr so long that it's normal reflex action to sweep away the extra stuff. And I have a pro account because a have 2 other sites I maintain so I'll stick with it.

Ok guys, lets try this......[img][img]http://i.imgur.com/819Vbu4.jpg[/img][/img][img][img]http://i.imgur.com/IzskyYS.jpg[/img][/img][img][img]http://i.imgur.com/pnQ0RTS.jpg[/img][/img][img][img]http://i.imgur.com/knd1Z4J.jpg[/img][/img][img][img]http://i.imgur.com/gbNTeLW.jpg[/img][/img]

Well.....it worked.......sorta.....

In Imgur , after you upload your pix click on the one you want and it comes up. Then on the right side there are different boxes with the codes in them. -- go down to the one that says message boards and click the box that says copy. Then come to the forum and click paste in your thread.
Thats all I do here, dont click on images in the forum or any other place.

this pic comes from Flickr.


I get it by deleting the last line. there's a spot in the code where the URL brackets are back to back. that's where you make the split.





Had to take pics of the code in order to show it. this next one is where to copy the code.



Just click on copy then paste the code in full editor. that's where I delete the last string.

Jim,--I still cant seam to get the hang of it! --- Still got my Flickr account and add a pic now and then to keep it active. Someday I will figure the right split! LOL!