Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I would be right over, if you were not some 2000 miles away

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

:agree: I'd love to see this truck in person and be able to contribute a tiny part in its' completion :chevy:

And I was thinking just this week how cool it would look for someone to use the black engineered decking wood to simulate an original style wood floor....and you did it and it's just as cool as I pictured :metal:

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

The bed is on the frame
Now just installing some of the things that hang on it like the steps

One item that was not reusable from when I took the truck apart was the braces for the step. I almost had to cut them off but my impact gun did overcome the stripped threads. I don’t know if it was the rust or the over torqued lock nuts that caused the stripped threads, but I was going to need replacements.

I couldn’t find a reproduction part for this brace, so I made some from LMC 38-7368 Fender Center Braces (see picture below). Per the Factory Assembly Instruction Manual the torque for the adjustment lock nuts is 120 – 180 inch lbs and it would be easy to over torque the lock nuts because the treads on the rod are not as strong as a grade 5 bolt. This is more like a grade 0 bolt threads, and I don’t want to strip the threads on my new braces.

Normally this brace can not be seen from the outside, it sits on the fender lip in the wheel well and the bolt holds the step, fender, and brace together.

Attachment 786920

Attachment 786921

I’ve got to clean up the new braces and get some paint on them.

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce, im at this EXACT point now, and i did not even KNOW that there was a brace that went there. Good to know.

If no one is going to step on your stepside, should you worry about this brace?? I have fiberglass rear step fenders.. Let me know please.

Once we get done, we need to get the trucks together just for a stock vs non stock pic. ahaha... Your trucks evil twin.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

It is the way the Factory Assembly Instruction Manual shows the way the step and fender is installed (see picture below). If nobody is going to use the step you probably can get by with out one.

Attachment 786971

Sounds like a good idea to get together for a picture shoot, but I don’t think you could classify mine as stock. I think this truck probably has an identity crisis brought together thru my mines eye (smile).

Bruce

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I might make those like you did. Just in case the kids decide to hop up on one of the steps... You cant buy that replacement part though huh?

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I couldn’t find any replacement part for this step brace, but maybe you can.

If you want to make your own, you can have my stripped one as a template. The brace can be made with some mild 3/8 steel rod about 17 inches long. Heat up the one end and do some hammering to flatten it out drill a hole and put a 3/8 die to the other end. I just used the LMC brace so that I didn’t have to do the blacksmith work on the one end.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Nice markup. :metal:

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

love this build makes me want to get started on mine

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

One fender on
One to go

Applied two coats of Herculiner to the inside of the fender, then moved onto installing the fender.

Prior to our trucks you would find the factory used fender welt between the fender and bed to seal and give a cushion to prevent the painted surfaces from rubbing together causing wear, the fender would move around slightly during normal flexing of the fender during driving. On the 67 – 72 step sides the factory used some kind of caulking/sealer between the fender and the bed. I couldn’t find out exactly what this compound was, but I remember when I removed the finder there was a sealing compound between the fender and the bed, it was not hard kind of like a clay compound.

I used the 3M Ribbon Sealer, ¼ inch 08610 to seal the fender, after using this product I think I should have used the 3M Strip calk 08578, it would probably be a little easer to use and would seal the area just as good. Both are non-hardening and a butyl rubber compound.

I still have a few spots to clean up some minor squeeze out mainly at about 3 or 4 bolt locations. I found that some wax/grease remover does a good job and will not harm the paint.

Attachment 791995

As you look at the next picture of the forward inside of the fender the question of what that orange hose is doing in there. That’s what I call a high loop for my fuel tank vent system. If your interested the vent system it can be seen better in a prior post #301 & 311 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...318544&page=13

Attachment 791996

Attachment 791997

Attachment 791998

Time to be moving onto the other fender installation

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

WOW-what a great job you have done with your project. Your thread has inspired me to plan a step, by step, restoration of my truck when the time comes. I now have also started a list of tools and supplies I will need to get the job done, and more importantly, reflect upon the memories of my Grandfather who owned the truck before me. Like you, he spent his life working as an aircraft mechanic/machinist for Boeing and Northrop, making fighter planes in WWII and later working on the Apollo projects. Listening to your attention to detail and the thinking that goes into the things you did is a mirror to the discipline he practiced. Thanks for sharing your story!

Kind of funny how things come full circle sometimes.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I have never seen such great detail put forth into a project such as yours; awesome job!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Not everybody’s way of finishing off a stepside
The older stile look of the past showing thru

The 1972 was the last year that a step side was made with what I would call a true step side in the older tradition and stile. The step was actually functional (you could stand on it), they had wood bed floors, and the spare tire was mounted on the side. This is how I remember it from my younger days as a work truck, nothing fancy but functional. Where my truck has been customized in some areas I wanted to incorporate its roots as a work truck and functional and the spare tire on the side helps in one way to say that to me.

How I set up the spare tire mount can be seen on (post #79, 82 & 84) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=318544&page=4 . All the mount parts have been powder coated and hear are a few pictures of it installed.

Went down and had 5 new tires mounted and balanced on my new rims. P255/60R15 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires, since I didn’t take the truck down to get the tires put on the truck you will see in the pictures that the tires still have the light blue protective finish on the white lettering (it will be washed off with its first bath) (smile).

A number of things coming together, tire mount, left hand fender and tail light gas filler door.

Attachment 795488

Attachment 795489

Attachment 795490

Attachment 795491

Attachment 795492

More pictures than I can post in one post (see continuation post)

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Continuation post for additional pictures

If your interested in how I came up with the tail light/gas door concept (see post #37 & 39) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=318544&page=2 .

I did have to shorten the filler tube about 1-1/2 inches for it to clear the tail light when it’s closed. A minor adjustment to the plans that can only be finalized when everything comes together (smile)

Attachment 795493

The end to assembling all the parts for the build is in sight (smile). No I didn’t forget and leave the lights on in the picture below, it’s just the camera thought it needed to use the flash and the reflective nature of the tail lights light up from it. In fact the wiring for the tail lights is not hooked up and is one of the final things that needs to be done along with making a shroud/cover for the gas filler cap to protect it from the dirt and grime of the inside of the fender.

Attachment 795494

The truck should be on the road soon, then starts the fine tuning of the parts, like front end alignment and engine for best performance.

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Your truck looks great Bruce! I Had those same wheels on my 77 stepside I love them! Thanks for sharing the pictures of the near complete project. Jobe well done!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I'm really impressed with your build. Very thorough and no shortcuts. And the body shop did a great job as well. What type of wheels did you have to begin with? (with the black centers)

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

The truck looks great Bruce, you have done a fantastic job!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

You better not EVER delete this thread! Because it's going to take me FOREVER to copy everything you have done! :lol:

Great attention to detail.:chevy:

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I’m not sure of a brand name on the old rims, there just chrome with black centers. They are the same offset and size as the new rims and the tires are the same size as what’s on the truck now.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce, once again I say " This build is the BEST! " I have followed it from the beginning and check in and reread areas that are of interest. You are a true craftsman.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

good-goggley-goo! WOW!

I just spent parts of the last two days reading 26 pages of posts and I am impressed with your attention to detail in your postings. I wish I was half as detailed with the models that I build and documented on my website.

My question is actually non-truck related. What camera are you using to take your pics? I like the clarity of your pics.

Mike

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Hi Mike

Thanks for the picture complements, I try to generate the best clarity so that everyone going thru this thread can feel like their hear seeing it in person.

I’m not a photographer and I can’t say that it’s all due to the camera. I’m using a Canon Power Shot A630 and found it set to 180 pixels per inch works for me along with a shop drop light aiding to light up some darker areas. I take 2 to 4 pictures of an area and keep the best one to modify/enhance with Adobe Photoshop. There are so many ways to take a less than sharp picture and make it more clear/sharp within Photoshop (and I’m learning more everyday).

All I can say is take your pictures with a high pixel setting and maybe from different distances along with some added light where needed. Then use a good imaging software to improve its quality and sharpness. After you’ve made the picture as good as you like, then size the picture for the format that you’re going to present it on. I convert mine to 72 pixels per inch with a 640 max pixel width and 100KB JPEG size max for this web thread.

Hope this helps you out, I don’t think it’s just the camera it’s a combination of things.

Bruce

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce, just want to show you, im about 95% done on the outside. Thanks for the help and the seat/ and belts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC09265.jpg

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Looking good, thanks for the pic

It’s been about two weeks since I checked out your build thread, you’re moving right along.

I’m having second thoughts about putting our two trucks together for a photo shoot, mine is such a plain Jane compared to yours (smile), build well done.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

WOW!!!

I just read this entire thread and when I got to the end of it I noticed that my pants were off and my Rubik's Cube had solved itself.

Amazing, just amazing. Now I am going to just scrap everything related to my truck and take up knitting.