Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Very cool. If mine hadn't come with the 283 and camel hump heads I'd have left the 235 in it and dressed it out nicely. Something like this 250:

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...ixDetailed.jpg

If anything ever happens to my 283 I intend to rebuild it or replace it because I like the "retro" aspect the older, smaller engines give trucks.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, Be sure to punch a hole at the bottom of the tube so water can drain out.

Looks good.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks.

I don't know about "good" but it certainly looks better than the loose one did. (For some reason the old ones reminded me of those kids that wear their pants UNDER their ass cheeks,:lol:)

Yup, there's a rain hole. It's square made with scissors cause I don't own an old fashioned paper punch. Not sure how I'd only punch a hole through only ONE side anyway! lol.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan is absolutely right JR.
15 yrs ago when I 1st pulled mine down I used to spend between 50 - 100 dollars on parts whenever pomona swap meet was going and I was there. Over that time I had collected most of the parts I needed to finish mine like door handles, headlight bezels, tail lights, power brake booster, mirrors and arms, door relays, window & door seals etc. I used to save my change (coins) and use that for parts as we have 4 kids (aged 10-23 yrs old).
It sat for a long time while i worked in my shop and pushed it out of the way. Recently I have spent alot of $ but only because we had alot of change and aluminum cans :)
little by little is the best way, as for time to work on it I have spent alot of time on it recently mainly because my 10 yr old daughter has been pushing me hard at the fact that she wants too go cruizing to car shows in it and she helps me work on it sometimes. She personally wants a 55 chevy Belair for her 1st car. ;)
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

That gives me a GREAT idea! I need to load the family up and take them to a classic's show of some sort..........then maybe they would want me to spend more time trying to get 'er dun!
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Here's a theme that you might consider, OR not ...

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Oh, you mean military themed cause my truck is sorta/kinda Army drab? Hadn't thought of that but I wouldn't do it because I was never in the military. I'd feel like a phony.

Side note? I went to high school from '68-'72. For my Frosh thru Junior year I just assumed I'd get drafted and be going to Viet Nam. My lottery number was #49 so I KNEW I was screwed. I was classified 1A. Then Nixon put a hold on new draftees and I was reassigned 1H - for "Holding". I lucked out, but I was on edge for awhile there.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

A bunch of errands took up the morning but managed to do a little. I've got four of these uglies to repair.

Tossed my first attempt as I'm trying to get a tighter fit. I finally just pulled the latch actuator so I could get my arm down inside the door to hold the blank directly against the hole. Since door has "waves" from the factory so you've gotta make sure the patch is "clocked" right or these waves will not look right afterward. Using a piece of cardboard you never know. Putting the patch directly on the inside ensures it's clocked right.

Ground paint off all around & on small screw holes.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psfcd83f53.jpg

Close up #1. So far, so good!
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psd7f21c22.jpg

Close up #2, NOT as good but it's gonna have to do:
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps959127de.jpg

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looks good.
Kim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

What is with the Hole ?

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

It's a speaker hole the original owner cut into the door. Problem is there are two of them in EACH door! They're like 5" diameter too. Short of replacing the doors ($$$) there's no other way to address them. Unless I put speakers back in them - NOT. They looked amateurish....cause they are!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hi Dan. As I mentioned in your other welding thread, I'm not that far ahead of you on this patch panel welding, but I do have a suggestion that has worked for me. On panels you can't really get behind for tracing. Cut out a patch that is a shape you desire, and large enough to cover both the speaker hole and why not, the screw holes as well. Lay it on the face of the door over the hole. Your wavy profile should lay right in. Trace around the edge of the patch itself onto the door. Then cut the door to fit your patch. I think you'll get a lot closer on the first cut and have less fitting to worry about.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Rick. That approach would make my patch bigger though, wouldn't it?
After thinking it over, I can try it and see how it works.
A square patch with straight sides WOULD be much easier than trying to make a custom, squiggly edged patch. I'll give it a shot and post the results!
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

You wouldn't have to cut out much more of your door if your patch only slightly overlaps the existing hole. But I do think it would make matching the patch to the hole much easier. Besides, you already have a pretty large gaping hole anyway, right :lol:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Ha ha, yeah. The only thing that WON'T fit in that hole right now is my entire head!

But seriously, I should be able to cut a square hole with straight sides much much easier than the way I've been trying to do it.

I'm wondering if I can cut my patch on my tablesaw if I put a metal cutting blade on it? Much straighter, cleaner cut & easier than by hand using my angle grinder!
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan I use a saw zaw it works good for cutting , Just brace your metal in a vice or use vice grips to hold it . Rich

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I don't think I'd use the table saw. I've had pretty good luck using a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade, but as Baldeagle said, be sure you brace the metal you are cutting firmly. Otherwise, it will try to bounce around and makes it tough to keep a straight cut going.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I've been planning to cut the "blank" out of the spare door using the angle grinder - but it is hard (for me) to get a true straight line. Which is why I mentioned using the table saw - to "square up" the blank prior to placing it over the hole for tracing.

Then there's cutting the hole out of the door after I've traced it. In my experience, a Sawzall or a jig saw will be hard to control on the wavy metal the doors have. I can try it but I've got minimal metal to spare here and still three blanks to make.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I've seen people cut the Panels half Assed, and it really makes me mad..My Ocd goes insane

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I use a cheap delta table saw with a metal cutting wheel all the time for cutting sheet metal. You just have to go slow and let the saw do the work.
Kim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

In a perfect world, the Metal would cut itself the Perfect way by itself :lol:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I'm not a good enough welder to be able to get away with half-assed fitting patch panels. GOTTA be well fitting or I'm gonna blow holes. Hell, I may blow holes anyway!

I'm feeling a little case of "anal glaucoma" coming on (I can't see my ass going to work tomorrow!) so I may have photos to share tomorrow!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I know this is old hat for most of you but it's my first time attempting patch fabrication and weld repair. So I've been cutting, fitting, grinding, & cussing the last few days. I've got all four patches to this level of fit:

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psbbbe4286.jpg

Each patch needs some touching up along the edges for final welding. I'm not sure if that'll happen tomorrow or have to wait for the weekend.

I DID go out and get some of those sheet metal clamp things but they leave a .040" gap around their perimeter and someone(?) told me the rule of thumb is the gap shouldn't be bigger than your wire - .023" in this case. So I think I'm just going to use the magnets shown in the photo.

Any/all opinions appreciated.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

PS: A big thanks to "rgunlock" (Rick) for his advice to cut the patch first and match it to a square hole. It was MUCH easier than trying to make 4 wavy round patches.

Plus, I'm such a bonehead. I cut 2-1/2 of the patches before my jig saw blade broke. Went and bought a much finer blade and the rest of the cutting was butter.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

The patch looks good.
Kim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

x 2 ^

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

X3 !

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hot diggity!!! That may well have been my 1st actual useful post then:lol:
That patch does look like it fits very well.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Coming along nicely

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks for the positive comments guys.

Like I said before, it feels like Chinese water torture...one drip of work at a time...

I WILL get rid of all the rust, the feels like hundreds o miscellaneous holes drilled in it over the years, but there are SO many small areas to be dealt with!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looking Good Dan, like they say if you have to eat a elephant do it one bite at a time!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Yes and I have to remember the rust has been "eating" my truck for almost 60 years. So I can't undo all that in an afternoon... but I WANT to! Lol.
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I'm going to do a frame off on the 64 next winter so I may have to lean on some of your experience's. I'm so glad this forum is just like a great big family!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

You're right, Indian...most of the time. I always say we're "friends that haven't met yet"
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

For the most part.lol

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Bam,

You & I might end up being brothers from differnt mothers cause we already bust each other's ball and have never even met!:lol:

But eriously, I look forward to talking to some of you guys almost daily and when one of you says, "Hey, good job" it feels good. (I must be pathetically insecure, ha ha!)

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

you know Dan, I took a look back at the beginning of this thread when you picked up your truck and then look at where you're at now with this project. I just wanted to commend you on doing so much in such a short amount of time. It doesn't even look like the same truck.

Forums such as this is what drives people to keep working on their trucks. When I did the build up on my 72 back in the early 2000's, there were people helping me out from around the globe with technically information. There were a bunch of us that met up in Indianapolis for the Super Chevy Nationals back in 2004. We all stayed at the same hotel, ate at the same places, tail gate partied every night, raced go-karts and made a bunch of life long friendships. And it all came from this forum.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Dubie. It feels glacially slow to me because when I look back I see the 9-12 months in the middle when I did NOTHING. Not sure why but I got side tracked. Getting the welding work underway along with some plans I've got for the seat belts, dual master cylinder & gas tank relocation this summer have me excited.

You're right in my case. Seeing the progress others are making on much harder builds reminds me I don't have so much to do...relatively speaking.


That's very cool. I may never meet the East or Midwest guys but someday I look forward to having the chance to meet more California and Southwest guys.
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Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

yo dan if ya ever make it to vegas ---------

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I did final fitting/welding/grinding on the passenger side speaker holes today:
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps6bac2a56.jpg
Not great after having seen some of the work you guys do but I am proud to say I id it myself. I'll get better as I go along, I'm sure of it.

I threw some primer on it just to keep it from flash rusting until I get back to it as it started raining this afternoon.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps9201f9e5.jpg

QUESTION:

Do most of you guys and girls weld all the spots, then grind everything smooth? Or do you put in a few tacks, grind, tack some more, etc?

I ground them all at the end and thought I got too much heat built up. In this case, I could NOT reach behind to hammer & dolly as I went.