Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

This morning early, before going off to work, I popped into the scrap yard to check out the chassis and wagon Mickey had told me about.

I guess it looked a bit weird, me arriving in a suit, and him in a bright green health and safety suit.

I approved of the chassis and wagon.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps6ce91011.jpg

Tonight after work, I went home and grabbed the truck and went down to fetch my treasures.

Can you say Junk Yard Dog ??

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...pscfe445fe.jpg

Loaded, with Mickey standing by.

Then off to drop the wagon at Martins place as he will be using the wagon for his chassis.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psf88ac9ce.jpg

Once at Martins we removed the sides and he too it in, he had been at home today, dismantling his truck even further.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps43fc8d89.jpg


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psfc9ca859.jpg



Thats all for today.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Nice Score...:metal:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Been looking at the little things on the truck that will need seeing to when I do the rebuild.

Lights......

Lenses and internals of both rear lights are pretty bad.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps57f5e6e4.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps759dab12.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psaf325d6f.jpg

And all together now.....

I will be restoring parts and replacing the plastic lenses and all the rubber seals.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps88d07cd4.jpg

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Is this start of the strip down ?
Have you finally got the bug

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

This pic is a reminder that I have a plate I need to get in the post to you mate!!! :mm:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

26/06/14 Update.

Went to the pub to look for another rear window for the shed......

Noticed the interior was still on the bonfire pile.

This is what I started with,

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps42fc07f5.jpg

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Looks pretty grizzly Grizz!!! :haha:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

The bad part about those little things like brake and parking light lenses, they may look okay now, but when everything else has been restored and repainted the little detail parts can look really crappy and can spoil the overall looks.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Hi Mark, you are absolutely right.

I will be replacing with new, Martin is off to the USA later in the year and his partner, Amanda (does not know yet) has volunteered to bring back all the bits I need from Florida.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Happy 4th of July weekend to all our American friends.

Nothing like football and a pickup truck to say YEEEHAWW !!

Been driving this truck a lot the last few weeks and thoroughly enjoying it.

It really does put a stoopid grin on my face when I am in it, and also the amount of people who either drop their windows in traffic, give me the thumbs up or take mobile pics, as well as a couple with iPads (yes, it seems a bit eager) does make you realize the truck has an undeniable presence on the road

It kinda makes me sad for my mate who has come to a point in his life where he is selling his awesome '74 C20 Camper Special with 350/350 combo.
I think he will miss it madly once it is gone. But hey-ho.... that's he way life goes.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1312328200...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


My Smile per Mile pic of the week.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps5a94db7c.jpg

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Picked up some packing crate sides today, hope to make a sand blasting cabinet, albeit a bit big.

I will line the inside with some thin ply sheets from other packing crates, and create a valley to gather the blast media in.

Plan is to pop down to the local pub and see if I can scavenge some caravan windows to use as the viewing window, if the blast media do not destroy them totally, alternately, a used glass/double glazed window may just do the job.

Then out to scavenge for an old vacuum cleaner I can build an extractor from as one needs to see what you are doing.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps7e765abe.jpg

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Road presence...:metal: In '89 when I shipped my '72 Harley FLH to the Azores, it was amazing to see the shear number of Portugese who would cross streets or re-direct their paths to come look at that old sled… Whenever my Brother's and I, 2 Sportsters and a Dyna Glide, would ride and stop for refreshments, crowds would gather and the talk was always about the size of the engines and the fact that the Speedo's registered 120MPH… Other than a 1954 BSA 350cc bike, all other Portugese bikes were 50cc scooters...:bann:
Here are a few pics from then… the boy sitting on the stretched Sporty is my son Brandon, who is now 32…

Looking forward to seeing this bit of Grizz Madness come together! :metal::metal::metal:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Took the box down to the shop this afternoon after work and helped Nicola do the basic set up.

Some fine tuning to be done.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps2e1523a1.jpg

Outside view..... (yes, the building needs a load o attention)

Size of display is limited by the size of the building and reception area.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps07e0c098.jpg

Sister in Law Margaret sat and crocheted 60 poppies as well to help with the decoration.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps7ef77e89.jpg


Some finer details to be added, but I am pleased and impressed with how it has turned out.

I suspect some of the branches will not make the same effort, and wait to see what others have done.

"LEST WE FORGET"


Thank you to everyone who commented and helped with advice and additions to the display.

Unfortunately, barbed wire and other "dangerous" objects were banned, in case someone hurts themselves.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Very cool display ,you always do awesome work.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thank you for your reply and comments.

I have said it before, mostly I just have to keep busy.

Here is another idea for some of you to potentially copy.


Had Nicola's daughter, Hannah over for the weekend, plan was bootfair this morning, but rain halted play.

SOOOOOO...... ??

Getting a bit stir crazy, she started talking about making furniture etc from pallet wood and various other bits of offcast timber.

So we went and rummaged around behind the garage, and inside the garage.

She identified a half a pallet and said that she wanted to make a wine rack from it.

After her explaining to me how it would work, I was none the wiser.... like me, she sees it in her head and would make it from that plan.

Of course I agreed, any excuse to get the tools out and make stuff.

Unfortunately I did not take a before photo of it on the pile, but halfway through this was the state of play.

Drilling the holes for the glass rack.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps9cb13983.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps98eeab53.jpg

After she cleaned up the glass rack, she had a feel for the belt sander and started to partially sand back the pallet sides as well.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psccf62769.jpg

Final assembly.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps97bfd75a.jpg


And done.

Takes 12 bottles of varying size and glass rack made to accommodate tall glasses with ease.

Now she just needs to learn to drink wine.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psa5a4ba19.jpg

Yes, I am both pleased and proud of Hannah.

Next weekend it is coffee tables and some other mad stuff.

Need to get her onto the lathe too.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

That is Awesome Mate! My son just bought his first motorcycle and I am enjoying watching him act like I did when I got my first bike... :metal:
The yesterday was the other son's birthday, Jeremy, and I was needed to help replace an Alternator belt in his Mazda Protege5... So far yesterday has been the hottest day of the year topping out at 34C... Full sun and the car parked on very Black blacktop... The best part was Jeremy thanking me because he is learning more and more about wrenching...:metal

Glad Hannah is eager to lean as she builds, that is truly a blessing!!!

Now I get to change the oil in our car and probably Geena's car as well and then some truck time...:bann:

Cheers!!!:mm:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

That is so very cool! I taught our youngest daughter how to change starters, spark plugs, etc. It's so nice to see kids of all ages interested in learning and having some interest in mechanical things. That and appreciating how handy it can be having a willing and helpful parent to share/work with.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thanks guys. I really enjoy it.

Hannah texted a photo on Wednesday of herself proudly standing next to her boyfriends VW Golf with it loaded with pallets. So I guess its tools out again over the weekend.

I may have found some horse shoes too which will see her start welding a bit.

In other news....... Regarding Nicola's WW1 commemorative display.


Seems most people get it. One "lovely chap" on UKGSER did not get it. And managed to stall the thread with a hugely negative reply. But eveywhere else people appreciate it.

Whats nice is that Nicola's manager shared it with her regional manager who shared it with the zonal manager and they all were blown away that she made the effort.
She was also approached by "Funeral Service Times" an industry publication for August to write up a short article and submit photos to go with it. She was shocked but I was really pleased that someone saw fit to escalate her efforts.

Too many people these days are too lazy and cannot be arsed to make an effort.
Its always easier to break down than build up or go the extra mile.

Thanks for all the support.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Congrats to Nicola!!!:metal::metal::metal:

Cheers!!! :mm:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thanks Don !!

She had emails from three levels of management last week to say thank you.

Yesterday she called me from work (very rarely does that) and told me that their national director had just called her to say thank you for making the effort. I am pleased they have noticed this, as you can so easily be forgotten in big companies.

Her next big thing is a charity drive for Macmillan Cancer support.
We already have ideas around a load of clocks and time flying....... watch this space.


This weekend Hannah brought Luca, her Sicillian boyfriend along, and they had collected pallets through the week, which came in the back of his poor abused Golf.

Plans included a spice rack(s) and some other ideas she had neatly written and drawn on a piece of A4 paper. Known as "The Blueprint"

After a good bootfair session on Sunday, and brekkie at McD's as is customary, we headed home and they started preparing for battle.

I took the truck out the garage and up the drive a bit so that I could address all the sheets of ply I had harvested at a local catering equipment factory, being crate sides, they were filled with nails and these were all duly removed.

Hannah decided to start with the cable drum coffee table she wanted to make out of some cable drums I had stashed in the garage rafters.

So they started by sanding it all to a smooth finish, then assembled with 4 small screws (nuts n bolts)

At this point my father in law arrived with Ruby, the retired Greyhound who wanted to help with the sanding as well.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps6166f66e.jpg

Deciding the undeside had to be a cream colour, she proceeded with that after careful masking off.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps8403e2b8.jpg

In the mean time Luca proceeded to start coating the £3.00 bootfair bargain, Indian marquetry table they had bought as well with what ended up as 5 coats of Danish oil. The life has really been breathed back into what was a tired piece with loads of potential.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps97310bd2.jpg

At this point the weather changed and it started raining, so play was halted and moved into the garage where the tabletop was coated in 3 coats of quick drying varnish, I have added two more coats yesterday, so 5 coats should see it resisting all the abuse that may be thrown at it.

We love the smell.......

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psba6fbbc9.jpg

And job done.

Cups for perspective of size.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps98401e94.jpg

We never got to the next lot of pallet wood items, but there is always next Sunday, as we will be going on an Alpaca Trek on Saturday, and to visit Robert, the guy I bought the Chevy truck from.

I also want to teach Hannah a bit of welding, and have managed to get some horse shoes through a biking friend, David Slevin, who managed to ride home straight into the eye of a thunder storm with his wife on the back of their new Harley after delivering the horse shoes..... SORRY MATE !!.

She has some ideas of what she wants to make, but I am sure there are loads of things one can make using them.

Post up your ideas, or pics of what you have made before.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps0d3848ab.jpg

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

I love those tables she came up with ,very creative .I have to ask, what is a boot fair ? And congrats to Nicola on her display ,our funeral services dont do any type displays like that ,I think its pretty cool.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

I'll help Grizz out since it's past his bedtime...:haha: a Boot Fair is what we colonists call an outdoor flea market...:mm:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

That was what I figured it was but never heard it called that .

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

I guess also known as garage sales.

Cars park up in a huge field and you sell whatever you bring in the car.

My father in law called earlier to say that the display and Nicola's name was featured in a local newspaper today.
She was also asked by two funeral trade magazines to do a write up about Chatham's contribution to WW1 and to submit some high resolution photos for publication in the August and September issues.
I am glad many people are "getting it"

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Morning Mate… If all works out I will be taking a ride up to Strawberry to see Donnie aka Dwcardfan and pick up my new to me frame...:bann:

Glad the DD has AC…;) as the Heat index is forecast to be around 42C today...:waah:

Oh yeah, almost forgot… What, no Alpaca pics???

Cheers

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Still have not got around to showing Hannah how to weld, but did some neat stuff this weekend.

On Saturday we went down to Romney Marsh to "Annie's Alpacas" to do Alpaca Trekking.

I got to walk with Hershey and Nicola had Bertie, I think they tend to walk us more than we walk them.


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps1eec610c.jpg

Then we went and spent just over 4 hours in Rye, which included a really good "Cream Tea" with two large scones each, and strawberry jam and clotted cream, I opted to change my tea for a rather good latte coffee.

Today was Bootfair again in the morning, out the house before 06.00 and hit two followed by McD brekkies.

Then back home and Hannah and I went to the garage to address the little step ladder I had scooped off the pavement earlier this week.

Today I let her do most of the prep by herself, so the first thing was to remove the bottom step and replace it with good wood.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps9d077232.jpg

Next up some plywood was marked and cut to create a top and bottom shelf.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps1a2e381e.jpg

Followed by prep and paint.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psfce9d47d.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps265535bf.jpg

And finally there was a show and tell.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps79a7ebec.jpg

So that was today's lesson to a 22 year old radiographer.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Awesome Rian. Its great your are passing on your skills. The new bookcase came out great.

I'm about to post some woodworking in an update you will like.

Bret

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

She's turning out to be quite the pupil! :mm:
She will be melting metal together in no time...:metal:

Here's a couple of screen shots of my phone at 2020 this evening..Bloody HOT!
Cheers Mate...;)

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thank goodness for longer summer days.

After work tonight I popped down to the local spot where I get a lot of cast off crates, plywood and pallets.

I have been planning to create a "clean space" inside the garage for a while, so that when I start the body work on the truck, all the dust stays in one part of the garage.
It will also act as the spray booth one I have done all the preparation on the truck.

My garage rafters are about 2.3 meters high on their underside, so the 2350mm height of these panels will be just fine. There are two at 4 foot wide and two are 6 foot wide.
The guys at the unit said they were unloading another crate the same as the one dismantled and removed today.

Today's pile........ and they are looking for people to take away as much as possible, as it means they do not have to create regular bonfires. Wood is at ME3 Postcode area.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps5191ec16.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps488a9e09.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...pscdb030d5.jpg

Back home waiting for me to empty out the garage of trailers etc, and to put up the sides.

I will also build in a decent sized door that I can get my R1200GS out when I want to go ride it.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psf5cdff38.jpg


Did I mention FREE is GOOD ??

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Awesome score mate.

Bret

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Im with you ,free is good .

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Free = Awesome Score...:mm: and putting the Redneck Express to work...:metal:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

I just see the free stuff as a way of releasing cash to use when I buy bits for the truck.
Alternately, stuff will be crushed and used as landfill, or to build new refrigirators over in China.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thanks Bret, see my comment above.

I just think people live such priveleged lives if they can throw stuff away, on the other hand, over the years I have had people say stuff like: "You must be doing well, getting paid too much or where did you get the money?" when they see my tools, toys and then are shocked when I mention that it was repurposed, saved, repaired, bought at 10% of the original price when I hit Ebay etc.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Last week I noticed this trunk in the passage where all the broken equipment gets slung while trying to see a customer, so I texted my mate who has to ensure written off/broken equipment gets slung into the industrial sized skip on site mentioning what I had seen.

On Friday he texted to say I could pop around to collect when I wanted, as he had put it aside for me.

I had thought it would be perfect for mate Martin to stick in the back of his truck to store tools, tie down straps etc.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps07823efc.jpg

When I got there he asked if I had any use for another, slightly smaller one as well ?
Perfect, as it has wheels and would be perfect for the tools I have been putting together for Hannah when she moves into her own place.


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps5f9e6977.jpg

While walking to my car a few weeks ago, I noticed a small table that had been outside a unit for a couple of weeks, so I buzzed the door buzzer and spoke to two ladies from different departments who confirmed that it was meant to have been taken away as scrap........ "Could I have it???? "Yes please take it away" was the reply.

I had the perfect function in mind for it when I saw it........

Nicola does a Macmillan Cancer care coffee morning every September at work, as everyone of us is or has been affected by cancer in some way. And if nobody is going to do anything to help others, we may be the next ones needing help.

She was saying recently that she wanted to set up a small table with coffee/tea cups, teapot and a cake stand etc. in the window, with a pair of small "Bistro Style" folding chairs (which we still need to find) as she gets no financial support in doing this, so it gets done on the cheap.

So yesterday I cleaned and gave the table two coats of fresh Dulux non drip enamel....... Looking just fine now.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps7afb8da0.jpg

I also made some signs up to put in the window.

The theme this year is "TIME TO GIVE" which I think is very appropriate seeing as most of us know someone who has been affected by cancer.
And if nobody does anything to help, we may be the next to need some help.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...psab2c133e.jpg

As well as doing a top hat I thought I had given away before, in the style of Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatters hat. I used an old neck tie and a Chinese food tray cover to make up the card.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps369d6cff.jpg


Lastly, here are the clocks we have collected so far. Half were purchased, a few were about the house and some donated.
Nicola set a limit of 50p for the clocks we buy at bootfairs, unless it is exceptional, in which case £1.00 would be the bid.
The large white one was badly damaged, but I reprinted the white face and straightened the arms.
The wooden one on the left was in bits with the rear cover missing and the pendulum retrieved from a different box, I made a new cover, cleaned up everything and gave the wood two coats of Danish oil. Both donated by a boot fair house clearance trader.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps39990e1f.jpg

The clocks will be suspended in the front window from fishing line, some keeping time, and for instance an electronic digital clock will not be set, but left to blink non stop to draw the eye ato the display.

I have a few more ideas and want to buy some "clock wallpaper" that I saw on EBay to cover a pair of 4 foot tall sheets of ply to use as a backdrop to the rest of the display.

Nicola has also sent 50 letters/flyers around to local businesses requesting support, as one needs to start early, but had no response......... Still, if you do not try, you will never know.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Grizz ,I love all your recycling projects and especially the boxes .Stuff like that is now hard to come by here as the price of scrap metal has gone up most gets crushed.

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

I like the T-Shirt brother. You are a lucky and blessed man. What a lovely family. Take care over there. Nice truck too!

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Here ya go Mate!!! :metal:

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Just had a text from him that they landed in London and were taxiing to the airport building and that he had managed to get me a bottle of Baccardi rum I had ordered........ Happy days.

Of course looking forward to getting all my spares that Amanda had stashed in her lugguage. Wooohooo !!

Re: Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside BILLYBOB
 

Thank you friend.

I do feel blessed and am thankfull to have met Nicola.

As you know, she made me buy the truck.