Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Hmm never heard of the lizard skin. I like that idea over the sticky foil. Did you have to buy a special gun to shoot it? Please post pics of the install.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Yeah I agree and if I ever have make a repair I guess Ill just have to grind it off but at least it wont be sticky. (I hope that never happens again as long as I do it right.)

Yes I bought a kit which comes with the gun, based on the calculations the cost is about half of what the sticky stuff is and the great thing about the spray is that is lays down and can get into places where that dang sticky stuff does not go very well. And since I'm taking my roof panel off I'm going to use it up there too. So I hope that I'm going to have really quite and cool cab.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

65custom nice work, Do you remember what kind of paint you used on your frame?

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I had a local company powder coat it Black with the Satin finish

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Ok thanks it looks good!

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

can't wait to see the cab finished up and in primer.fixing this cab you have more guts than most men would lol.seriously you have done a fine job on it.i have pondered about tearing a cab down this way to get at all of the rust.to me this is the best looking bodystyle truck ever built,its a shame GM didn't build them to last forever.i think you have found a way to save many rusty old cabs that a few years ago nobody would have considered restoring.thanks for the info on the cab corners,yours sure look good.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I just looked at this build again. YOu have done a ton of work on that cab. Mine is not that bad, but I have even thought about pulling the cowl area apart to repair/remove rust from where you can't see it once it is together. I have some rust holes (small ones) along the edge where the firewall and cowl are meet.

Keep up the great work!

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Thanks

Believe it or not it really has not been as bad as I expected, yes it has been a lot of work and I'm working in small two car attached garage so logistics is tough sometimes, but do-able. Yes I am very happy with how the cab corners turned out and thanks for the compliments it helps keep me motivated.

I tell ya I think that there are a lot of cabs out there that don't get fixed as they should when it comes to the cowl area. I also will tell you that removal of the air boxes and the cowl is really the best way to fix the area it gives you the best access, I had the firewall and floor out when I fixed mine so it was even easier to fix, anyway good luck on yours and if you have a question let me know I have a ton of pictures, I just cant post them all I have some many. I am trying to document everything that I do.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

We had a nice day here in Ga. it is a great weekend of sun and the good ol boys racing is in town (NASCAR). I wish I had ticket for this weekend any way I digress. So I couldn't let this nice weather get away without doing something today, so I finally got the old drip rail off and a new one welded back on and hopefully now that the weather is getting warmer I can get motivated to get the cab finished up.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Starting to get some motivation back, so I decided to start to remove the roof panel and I thought that I would put up some pics of the process.

1 Roof panel I picked up from greg65 last year
I have had some ask about how to find spot welds so I'll put a few pics which might help some.

2 pic of the tools used
3 pic of spot welds they are not too difficult to find sometimes you can find them with your finger tips just feel for the indentations in the metal, you will feel the small dimples in the metal, but occasionally I miss one and eventually you find it when you think you got them all and it is still stuck on

4 pic of spot welds after being punched with a spring loaded punch
I usually punch them several times I found that the deeper the punch mark the better the tool holds to the center and does not walk around as much

5 pic of spot welds one which has been cut and the other one just started
if you notice the one that has been cut most of the way through you will notice some rust dust as I like to call it. when you get used to cutting them you will see a puff of the rust dust when you cut through and you will know when to stop cutting.

On the roof panel since the drip rail is visible part of the truck I am taking it a bit slower to make sure that I don't blow through the drip rail

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

The spot welds are generally about 2" apart and you can actually use your fingers to measure the spacing between the spot welds once you get the hang of it it can help you find a spot weld that may not be very visible.

1 pic shows the approximate spacing of the spot welds I have found this to be pretty consist on every thing that I have cut off including the parts trucks that sacrificed their lives for this project.

2 this pic is a shot of the section of the roof above the B pillar. This is right at the section where the Door jamb is there are several pieces welded together here and the roof panel has about 5 or 6 spot welds in this section. When i removed the replacement panel this was the section that provided the most frustration just making that I got them all off and didn't screw up the panel. We will see how this goes when I get there my cab

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Finally got the roof panel off. I was wondering where that seat cushion went.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

It is kinda hard to see here but when the original panel came off it is kinda twisted. The panel I have to replace it does not twist when picked up. I thought that it was a little strange that the original panel twist and if you try to straighten it up it flexes back and fourth. I have seen other sheet metal panels do the twist but was not expecting this one to twist when the replacement does not do that

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

the seat cushion is kinda funny.

When you get done, you wanna come and do mine. I need a new roof on mine as well. Post all the pics you can on what you do please.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I try to be funny although I don't always succeed.
I would love help fix your roof. I think a bunch of us on here would love to work on trucks and cars for living but we don't always get to.

I know that if I had a place where I could setup a shop I would. I will keep the build updated as I go through it, right now I need to get the roof cleaned up and fix a few spots on the replacement and get a few other parts cleaned I need to look up Ervin soon (The Local sand blaster)

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I wonder if a guy takes the roof off his dryer he'd find the missing socks.. LOL

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Nice progress. Your pics will be a big help to several people here. :metal:

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I have tried that before and to my amazement I have never found any socks but I know that they go missing in that darn dryer.

Thanks, I hope it can help someone. Yours has given me some good ideas and and lot of envy.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

your doing some nice work

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Thanks it is going slow right now hopefully it will pick back up soon.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I'll get up there someday soon. It is ashamed that I am so close and I have not gotten up there yet I have no excuse for not coming up.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Hey I picked this up at the meet and greet it needed a little work and after a few minutes with a hammer and dolly it looks as good as new.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Here are some after the hammer and dolly secession a really simple fix. I did notice that one of the holes for the mounting is a bit off center but that should be a really easy fix and will have to be done later once I get to that point

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Coo, gotta love new parts! :metal:

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

are the wheel tubs the same gauge as original?just wondering.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Yep and now I got to pick up another one

I honestly do not know I didn't check it but I can tell you that it is made pretty well, The originals that I have are pretty chewed up on the flanges so I cant tell everything about the orig vs the new one. It does have one hole in the flange that I can see is not where it should be but is fixable. I will try to get a gauge on them and let you know later

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Well look what I just put a down payment on! This is the deal that I was talking about at the meet & greet Saturday. I found this on CL and called but someone was supposed to pick it up and the guy apparently made a bunch of excuses and never went to get it, so I was poking around on CL at work today and saw the post again and I immediately called about it. So in order to make sure that I get it, I had to make a 150 mile round trip tonight, but I think it is worth it. It is a 99 Iron Block and Head 6.0L LS out of a 2500 pickup with the 480LE and accessories. It is said to be a high mileage but for now as long as it runs it will get me to where I want to be with the project. I go back to pick it up Sunday.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I weighed my old ones verses new ones and there wasn't much if any difference.

Cool

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Nice... Try to get as much hardware as you can when you pick it up. If you buy from GM they can get a little pricey. Does it come with the harness? Or are you going for a complete new one?

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

What I know that I am supposed to get is the 6.0L LS1 480LE Trans, all the front accessories, ECM and a cut harness. Unfortunately who ever took out the ECM didn't want to take the time to do it right but that is ok I will have to make up my own or get a new one I prefer the latter option as it is the easiest.

I will post more pics this weekend once I get'er home.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Nice score on the engine and trans. Kevin. 6.0 liters are not known for great fuel milage but just think of the power they can make. I'm thinking I have seen that smilie face before.:lol:

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Gas Mileage yep I'm going for gallons per mile instead of the miles per gallon forumula :metal:

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Well got er home today, but before I unloaded her I stopped by the local car wash to gave her a little bath, she needs another one but that will come at a later time.

Also taking a bunch of things over to where the parts truck is so that I have room in the garage for the new motor.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

I finally got around to checking the material thickness on the old tubs vs the new one and found them to be the same material thickness the old ones are 14ga and so was the new one.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

thanks for checking the gauge on the repro one versus the gm original.that is very impressive for aftermarket parts.keep up the good work on that cab,can't wait to see it finished.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Wow it has been quite a while since I have done anything on mine I'm getting a little motivation the last few days so I got out and welded up a few more holes in the top section of the passenger side door frame. Will post some pics soon of the progress.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

The passenger side door jamb at the top of the door had a lot of rust through that only showed up after the cab was sand blasted and since I have the roof panel off I decided to just weld up the holes, but once I started it seemed like I kept finding more pin holes than holes that I could see so hence all the spots that I had to fill. This will look much better once I get all this ground down and smoothed up I have a lot of grinding to do.

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

Here is what I did today.
1. I started out by welding in a brace to hold the space in case when i cut this it moved.
2. Then I cut the spot welds on the inside.
3. Then I made my cuts, I decided to just make two cuts instead of trying to cut out a square section and replace it this way the welding and grinding should be easier I hope.
4. got the old rusted piece out

Re: 65Custom Build Thread
 

1. Then I cleaned up everything up and get it ready for the new part.
Attachment 595309
2. Getting the new part ready to go back in place
Attachment 595310
3. Fitted the new part in place and ready to weld
Attachment 595311
4. After welding
Attachment 595312
5. After welding the inside
Attachment 595313