Re: 52 Project
 

Nice work.

Re: 52 Project
 

Coming along nicely!

Re: 52 Project
 

Nice job Bernie on the patch panel & firewall.

Re: 52 Project
 

Any new progress pics?

Renegade

Re: 52 Project
 

Renegade, nothing new to post right now. I took the past 2 weekends off to do other things and it has been really hot so I haven't felt like messing with it. Other than that I have been doing some finish welding and getting ready to send it to the blasters. Kinda boring picture wise so I haven't even been taking many pictures. I talked to dad yesterday and we are going to load it up on the trailer in the next week or so and then get it blasted. I am sure when it gets back from there I will have plenty to do so I will start posting pictures again. Thanks for asking.


Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

Well we decided against getting it blasted so dad is now in the process of mechanically stripping it. That was the way he wanted to do it cause he didn't really trust the local blaster. He found some different types of things that are working well at getting the old paint off so it doesn't look like it is going to be that bad. It has been crazy around here and we haven't gotten a lot done for the past two months but we are back on it now. Here are a couple of pictures that I took today of the firewall in epoxy primer. He told me today that he ordered the steering column and is going to get some cab corners to replace the rusty ones so there will be a little more body work before we can put some paint on it. Now if I could just find some more time......

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

Man, that looks good Bernie!

Re: 52 Project
 

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you guys are back at it.

Re: 52 Project
 

Looking good.

Re: 52 Project
 

i belive i am gonna have to do a smooth firewall on the 58 now, made me jealous

Re: 52 Project
 

Thanks guys I just didn't want you to think that I had disappeared...lol. It has been a crazy past couple of months and I think things are finally settling down so back to the truck. I know it doesn't look like much but body work is boring and labor intensive and pretty much sucks. I wish we had the money to send it somewhere but...well you know. Hopefully it will start to take shape quickly and I can get busting on the Camaro, but I have to wait until my kids get out of college before I can get to much done on it. Until then I am planning on getting this truck done and posting pictures so you guys can enjoy.

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

Did Hurricane Ike hit you hard?

Re: 52 Project
 

Cal, It wasn't too bad at our house. I lost a few shingles and a big tree in the yard. The yard looked like a bomb went off though with all the limbs and trash that was blowing around. I feel pretty lucky that I didn't have more damage. Mostly things are back to normal around here but there is still a lot of damage in Galveston and around the bay.

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

Here is my worst damage. Take a look at the first picture and you can see the tailgate from my sons truck, but what you can't see is the Firebird under there too. Some how the truck survived with nothing more than a broken antenna and the Firebird had some scratches and the antenna got punched through the fender so that will need some body work. All in all I was really lucky. The insurance adjuster is going to come look at the roof and some other minor things but I don't know how much they are going to pay if anything. I really don't expect them to pay anything but I did want them to check it out just in case. Here are a few pictures.

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

glad you made it ok, that scene is way to familiar to me here in southwest Louisiana. scary how those big trees have so little roots. mine that are around my house are all geting cut.

Re: 52 Project
 

Hi Bernie ,Very nice work ,been reading your post for a while now .When you did the boxing of the frame did you grined it flush or just left the whole weild ,could not see from the pictures ,Thanks Robert

Re: 52 Project
 

Hey Robert, sorry I haven't gotten back with you but this is the first time in a couple of days I have been on here. What I did with the boxing plates was to grind a little bit of an angle on the edge that I was going to be welding. This way I could make a solid weld and then grind it down without loosing the strength. And actually the only area that I ground flush was from the front to where the frame starts to turn up to go over the rear axle. The area back around the rear axle was a little tricky and I had to actually bring it inside the frame a little so I couldn't get in there to grind. Hope this makes since if not I will look for some more pictures for you.

Not much going on lately other than all the fun stuff like cleaning the underside so that we can paint an undercoat. This stuff is boring and a pain in the A. I do have some pictures but I don't have them downloaded yet. Maybe tomorrow I can do that and post a few.

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

Ok I know how you guys like pictures so here are a few from last weekend. These are the boring cleanup pictures but what the heck....everyone has to so it sometime in the project....:lol::uhmk:;). The first one one is of my dad cleaning the bottom and the other two are of me touching up some of the welds on the bottom that I missed when I was installing the floor.

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

those gas cans are empty, right?

Re: 52 Project
 

I noticed them in the picture after I posted the picture. Yes they are empty and probably have been for years. Those were the cans that we used when we were racing. Or I could have come with a good excuse like I am living on the edge:devil::bomb:

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

.............. Your dad does some nice work !!!!
How come you made him do all the dirty work !!

Re: 52 Project
 

Solid, I busted out laughing at that one.....

Two reasons, one he can't see so he gets all the fun stuff and two it is his truck!!!!!!!!!!

Bernie

Re: 52 Project
 

just looking at the front cab mounts, they are not even. is that normal? I will get to check my welding soon when I do the prep on my cab bottom. the very last rust on the truck :clap: looking good

Re: 52 Project
 

So what’s the plan for the bottom? Paint or undercoating? I know a guy that did Rhino bed lining under his. He said it really cut back on the road noise.

Re: 52 Project
 

50adrod, That is an after market floor kit from *****in Products and that is the way they made it. I am not sure how the original is though. The mounts on the frame are not even also though so I am guessing that is why *****in made it like that.

Cal, It is going to be primed and undercoated with something...I was looking at Lizard Skin but not sure what we are going to use yet.

Bernie