On a build like LockJaw, the hard part is not making one custom part. It is making several systems share the same space without fighting each other. We scan the front sheet metal, hood, chassis, wheels, tires, and suspension positions so we can design the FEAD, intake air system, exhaust routing, and reverse-opening hood hinges in CAD with real geometry instead of guesses. That same approach matters even more at the bed. This truck is getting split for a dump-bed setup, so the structure has to stay rigid while articulating on hinges and actuators. By merging the inner and outer bed scans into one usable model, we can work out the skeleton, clearances, and cut strategy in the computer before cutting original sheet metal. The payoff is simple: more precision up front, less fabrication waste, fewer clearance surprises, and a much better chance that everything fits right the first time.
The team is working against a July 1 deadline to get Lockjaw to the sheet metal shop, so the immediate focus is on capturing accurate geometry and resolving major packaging problems before any irreversible cutting begins. The truck bed is a particularly complex part of the build. While many builders have modified similar beds by reworking crossmembers, slats, tubs, and sheet metal to clear larger tires or fit a different frame, this project adds another layer of difficulty because the bed will be split and converted into a dump-style assembly actuated from underneath.
Even mounting the bed onto the chassis requires substantial disassembly. The tubs have to come out, and many of the original carriage bolts are expected to be seized badly enough that cutting them will be easier than trying to remove them intact. Some inner seams are bolted and can be removed as assemblies, but the original wood slats and hardware are still a nuisance. Beyond simple fitment, the larger engineering concern is structural integrity. The bed is already relatively flimsy in stock form, and once it becomes an articulating assembly with rear hinges, it will need an internal skeleton that resists deflection during chassis articulation. The team expects that triangulation and a purpose-built support structure will be necessary so the bed can function as a rigid moving component rather than just a decorative shell.
Before designing the front-end air system, the team first needs accurate sheet metal data in CAD. Gale has already laid out the airflow concept: air will enter through the front of the truck, pass through the radiator, charge air cooler, and condenser, then route to a filter arrangement off to the side before feeding the supercharger inlet. To execute that layout with the precision Gale expects, the front sheet metal, chassis, and surrounding components must be digitized.
Using a handheld laser scanner, the team places reflective dots across the sheet metal and chassis so the scanner can continuously determine its spatial position. The resulting scan data is post-processed and then imported into CAD. Once there, it is aligned using known reference geometry already modeled into the project, including the Banks high-flow manifold and flat datum surfaces on the Roadster Shop chassis. The firewall is also brought in, and the tires are scanned through suspension travel and steering sweep, including full compression and lock-to-lock movement. That allows the designers to route systems such as the exhaust around the tire envelope and package the supercharger inlet without relying on rough tape-measure estimates.
After scanning the front end, hood, grille, bumper, and surrounding sheet metal, the hood scan was separated from the rest of the front clip in CAD so the team could model its motion independently. Rather than buying an off-the-shelf reverse-opening hinge kit, Matt chose to design a custom hinge system. The challenge is that the hood must both lift away from the front sheet metal and then rotate upward over it, which requires more than a simple four-bar linkage.
The solution is a six-bar linkage. In Matt's layout, one bar is the fixed mounting structure attached to the core support through a bracket that still needs to be designed, and the remaining bars create the controlled motion path. The hood mounts to the upper portion of the linkage. Properly configured, the six-bar system first raises the hood away from the front sheet metal, then begins rotating it so the leading edge clears the nose of the truck while still opening wide enough to expose the engine compartment. The goal is to provide practical access to the engine and Whipple blower for maintenance while also allowing the engine bay to be fully visible when the truck is displayed.
The CAD model allows the team to animate the scanned hood with the proposed hinge geometry and verify clearances before any parts are fabricated. As the linkage opens, the hood initially lifts away from the front sheet metal, then continues rotating upward. The modeled opening range reaches 65 degrees, which appears to be the practical limit of the mechanism.
That limit is important because two of the links approach an over-center condition at about 65 degrees. If the linkage were allowed to pass over center, it could bind or fold back into itself and lock up. To prevent that, the final hinge design will include physical stops that limit travel at the safe point. The team also plans to use a spring assist rather than a gas shock. The idea is to use an over-center spring in the style of older factory hood hinges. When the hood is open, the spring will act through a useful moment arm to help support the hood. As the linkage closes, the spring force vector will move back toward the rotational centerline, reducing its effect when the hood is shut. It is an intentionally old-school mechanical solution integrated into a modern custom linkage.
The hinge placement was chosen not only for hood motion but also for compatibility with the crowded engine bay. In the CAD model, the radiator and the nearly finished supercharger inlet are already present, so the hinge system has to avoid interfering with those components. The linkage is positioned just behind the core support, where brackets can tie into the structure and be triangulated for strength.
The spring assist is expected to occupy a narrow dead zone behind the headlight and in front of the tub, one of the few remaining usable spaces in the front of the truck. That location matters because other areas are already claimed by large air filters and inlet plumbing. By combining the scan data with the chassis, engine, transmission, and tire envelopes, the team can verify that the hinge hardware remains accessible and does not consume the space needed for the induction system.
Once the truck was back on the ground with the jack stands removed and the front shimmed to sit level, the team began evaluating how the bed would fit over the chassis in real space. One immediate issue is driveshaft clearance. In its current form, the driveshaft would run directly into the new bed channels. Many builders solve similar problems by remaking the U-channels and fabricating custom laser-cut cross bracing, but this truck's split-bed layout and exposed understructure make the problem more complicated.
The bed is expected to split roughly at the body line, around the notch and shock mount area, though the exact location will be confirmed in CAD after scanning. The floor will sit at approximately that level, leaving a large open volume beneath it. Because the bed will open and expose everything underneath, the structure cannot simply be functional; it also has to be visually clean. Additional modifications are also required at the cab and bed interface. The yoke is already close to the cab, so the cab floor will need more cutting, the back of the cab will need to be notched, and the front of the bed will also need relief. The current driveshaft position represents the highest point of upward travel with the frame on the ground, and the final tire is expected to be slightly taller, leaving only about a quarter inch near the top sidewall area. Stake pockets and other bed features may also become tight depending on final tire width. All of this reinforces why the team wants scan-based packaging instead of relying on visual estimates.
To capture the bed accurately, Erik covered it with a large number of reflective targets and prepared the scanner with a calibration plate. The calibration process uses a pre-made target sheet that the software recognizes, guiding the operator through the scanner positions needed to establish accuracy before the scan begins. For a large object like the bed, the preferred method is to create one comprehensive scan rather than several smaller scans merged later. Multiple separate scans increase the risk of small dimensional errors, which could become significant when locating mounting points or aligning the bed to the chassis.
During scanning, the reflective dots also serve as a diagnostic aid. If the scanner struggles to track a region, adding more dots in that area usually improves stability. The scan reveals surface imperfections clearly, including dents that are more obvious in the digital model than on the actual truck. Erik scanned both the outer and inner surfaces of the bed and intentionally overlapped the top surfaces so the software would have common geometry for alignment.
After capturing the inner and outer skins, the two scans were brought into the merge stage of the software. The alignment process uses the reflective targets as the primary defining features. Overlapping points from the top surfaces of the bed appear as shared reference data, allowing the software to place both scans into the same coordinate system. In the merge view, the overlapping regions are highlighted so the operator can confirm that the inner and outer scans occupy the same space correctly.
Once aligned, the inner and outer scans are combined into a single STL file that becomes the master reference for CAD work. That unified model will make it much easier to determine where to split the bed, how to build the internal support structure, and how to package the bed around the chassis, suspension, and driveline. As the team notes, splitting the bed in CAD will be much easier than doing it in real life, but the digital model is what makes the real fabrication possible with confidence.
With the front end and bed now digitized, the project can move from rough planning into detailed design. The scan data will drive the final air-system packaging, hood hinge fabrication, bed split location, structural reinforcement, and driveline clearancing. The immediate value is precision: instead of guessing at available space with a tape measure, the team can work directly from accurate geometry that includes the chassis, engine, suspension movement, and body panels.
The episode closes with the sense that a large amount of fabrication still lies ahead. The truck needs extensive sheet metal work, custom hinge construction, bed restructuring, and additional chassis-to-body clearance modifications before it can meet the deadline. The next stage will add braking hardware, with Wilwood scheduled to stop by with large brakes, while the current work establishes the digital foundation for everything that follows.