Re: my radical 60 build
 

i can't wait for pix!!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

a couple shots from the show-

Re: my radical 60 build
 

that rocks!!!!:metal:
are you still planning on chopping it?
looks sweet!! NICE WORK!!!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

yes some time in august I will work on cutting down a windshield, and then I will cut the roof to that. Probably 2-3 inches

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Man I'm bummed I missed the show. Got held up waiting on somebody else all day trying to deliver that red toy. It's still on my trailer BTW:cuss:
I recognize mark's flat bed from Kettlehouse and the white stepside behind look's familiar but tough to tell for sure.

60 looks great out and about town.

Josh

Re: my radical 60 build
 

This is a neat project!! Your def not scared to cut into something!!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Great job!! I still can't believe how much you have accomplished in such a short period. That's just awesome!!:metal:

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Well how does she drive Jon? How did the show go? I should see you this week somtime.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

It drove great! rides like a pontiac :lol:
there always seems to be one thing that you forget, we never balanced the wheels/tires, a friend mounted them for free...,so they go to the balancer monday. there was a sweet spot at 45 and 60mph and there was a nice ride.
I was worried about the cooling system, I used an old 60 chev car v8 radiator with no shroud, and the fan is not centered exactly on it, but it ran at 190' all the way.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

sweet. nothing fell off? only in america can we take our trucks to a show like that and it be a show stopper. I am guessing there were not many vehicles at that show that had as many hours as you do in yours.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I did get a "sponsors pick " award, at our show club members do not compete for regular awards-we can just get spossors picks, and the hard luck , which I won last year!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Great job.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Congrats man! thats got to feel good after all the hard work.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

here are some shots of how the rear is coming together.
I used part of a bed side across the back to wrap the body line around the truck (had to section that too.).
I had a 60 gmc hood, and I was going to use the front part of it to make a taillight cove,however I turned that thing 10 different ways, and it would not flow with the bedside and the bumper- too many curves and angles up against straight lines...now it is a garage wall hanging , which I don't mind ...

So I just happened to have a pair of 62 buick taillights sitting around, and they turned out perfect. I might buy some more red lenses , and get rid of the reverse lights.

The bumper is 1960 elcamino/wagon.

I will probably get one of those 60-66 rollpans for under the bumper.

And I have alot of fab work to do to bring the corners together, and mold the taillights in.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

you need to chop that top on the rat in the back ground!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Congrats on the test drive and the award. I am really digging the wrap-around back you're building, and look forward to seeing that all together. I'd definitely go with more red lenses and ditch the reverse lights. Hopefully I'm as successful on my test drive this week as you were on yours.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

here's another shot of how the bed was cut down:
I took the horizontal sections out of the top and side, then I cut 15" off the back of the top. I cut 15" off the front of the bottom piece, and then slid it forward, and then put the cap back on the upper rear.
The rear cross sill was retained, and I just used 1 cross brace up towards the front on some of the pontiac body mounts. On the back, I got even more use out of the cab mounts that I cut down for the front- I used the angled scraps to create the rear mount.

the gas tank is out of the pontiac wagon, I fabbed up a brace to hold it to on the frame, since on the wagon , it was held to the rear floor. I used a big tubing cutter-no sparks around the tank!-, and cut the filler neck down to fit it inside the bed.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Nice work. You are moving fast. Do you do this for a living? Are you going to recess the lights in the tailgate or are they going to sit on the surface? The bumper, are you going to section it? I cant wait to see more.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

no this is just a hobby, the bumper will get extended 2" behind the liscense plate, you can see the 1" gap that is to the right of the liscense plate in one pic.
the taillights will sit where they are, and I will sheetmetal in the holes, when done they will sit flush to the new shape of the rear.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I scored a set of jeep coils from a jeep shop in town, free! They dug them out of the scrap bin for me.
It only set the rear down an inch and a half, but the ride is lots better with the softer coils, this bed is no where near the weight of the rear of the stock station wagon.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

looks nice! :thumbs:

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I dig it looks killer , you must gets some crazy looks when you are driving

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Just Read thru your entire Build & want to say Congrat's on your Vison , It is Inspiring to see such creativity being put Together.............

Signing up for More.............

Rick

Re: my radical 60 build
 

How about some step side fenders for inner fender wells?

Re: my radical 60 build
 

That ^^^^ is a cool idea. I cant wait to se you blend the front fenders and doors. Sweet ride Keep up the good work.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

That is a cool idea, I am still hashing out the inside of the bed, I wanted to use the chevrolet tailgate letters off one of those new avalanches on the front bed panel, but I found out that they are fiberglass.
I have been taking it easy on the build these last few weeks.

I had eyeballed the bed when I mounted it, and the horizontal body line creeped up about 2 inches higher to the rear, I used a laser level, and cut the rear frame horns and dropped the bed till it was level.
I got one (of the 8 I need to do) bed corner figured out and welded up.

I nhave been doing a bunch of homework trying to figure the best way to do the chop on the roof.

and I am going out later this week to try to find a better drivers fender and hood before I get into welding up the fender blend.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I found the same problem with my project, the rear of the bed was too high. Once you get it dropped down, they look just SICK with the rear wheel tucked.

As for the top chop, I've seen a few guys sink the roof into the cab sort of. I'm still looking for ideas as well, as I think my Tornado project would look pretty wild with a chop.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

here is the bed corner, I just used the original cap and then cut and angled it to match the bedside sngle for the rear piece.

then, shots of the cut frame to lower the rear bed, this was easier than re-doing the box and bumper mounts. this lowered the rear of the bed to get the horizontal body line right.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

the new side profile.
the shots with the hood on.
I will have to use the rear bit of a 60-66 hood to get the straight edge across the back, and the gap is wedge shaped (the 60 cab is a half inch wider than the plymouth), so I will have to cut and fix that.
First I am going to try to find a beter hood to start with, this one had frozen hinges, and somebody shut it anyway, so it is a little bent.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

here are some shots I have wanted to get.
parked next to my stock 65.
until I did this, I did not realize that this truck is the same length as a lwb truck! Just the cab and wheels are in different spots. the wheelbase on this is 115, compared to the 127 of the lwb.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Hmm, the differences are so subtle, it's hard to distinguish..:lol:

I just ran across this and will definitely be keeping up on your progress! I like it!!

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Did you raise the front of the front fender in the last pics as well or was I seeing an illusion? Before it looked like the fender line dove down in the front compaired to the rest of the upper body line. Looks like it all lines up almost perfect now. Killer project I wish I had half the nerve and talent you do.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Oh 2 more things, 1st the wheel openings. I vote you should change the front to match the GM rear, rather than matrching the rear to the chrystler front. Keep it more GM.

2nd, I wonder if you could use a piece of a 60-61 hood for a mild hood scoop? The top of one of the eyebrows, I dunno it just needs something on that hood.

Just my $0.02

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I think there might be a bit of fish eye to those photos.. and the angle of the drive way plays hell with trying to visualize things.
I haven't changed the front, but it might look different now that the truck sits level, and the bed is down in the back.
I am not fond of the front half of the front wheel openings.
I think the wheel might not be where it should be in the opening,and I don't really like how it comes back in on itself.
I was actually photochopping them this morning!
that hood idea was a solution that I had for my sectioned elcamino, if I couldnt get the hood to clear.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Wow man that is some crazy work... mad props for your patience to keep going with it.. Awesome project

Re: my radical 60 build
 

I went with an old 60's trick for the grille, I raided 2 Ace Hardwares for all thier drawer pulls-twice! They were probably wondering why they sold 60+ of that style of knob in a matter of days.
plymouth had a chrome trim that surounded the original grille and hood that I am going to try and find,and I might put one more row up by the hood, depending on how thick the trim is.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Lovin the grille Jon! nice work. Hope to get up there soon.

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Looks cool Im liking the whole project. I could be wrong but I think the hood trim has some sort of chrystler thing on it but they changed so often its hard to say.

Maybe you can change the front a bit to distract from the mopar parts. It just cant be a HIGHLY modified chevy truck with a chrystler front clip, if ya know what I mean. No offence at all and its your build, I dont intend to tell you how to build it. Sometimes I just dont know when to leave well enough alone LOL.

EDIT: just another idea you could add the 4,5,6, hood line, and the bottom of the front to the bottom of the chrystler hood. You would have to add a bit to the openings to match the curve around the headlights. I couldnt do it very well with MS paint but heres the rough idea anyway.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...lzer/hood2.jpg

Re: my radical 60 build
 

That grill is sweet. show car style all the way

Re: my radical 60 build
 

Plymouth! sorry dunno why im stuck on chrystler I guess its all mopar no matter how you :smoke: it

rock on :metal: dont mind me im just passin through