Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Spent the whole day trying to align the fender and hood.

When it comes to adjusting the front sheet metal on these trucks I've come to the conclusion that while the actual fit may not change, after several hours of frustration your perception of it does.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

That is looking DAMN good actually, DAMN good.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Got out to the garage and made a patch for the cowl top, it'll need some fine tuning of course but got her close.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Clean work. I have rot on both left and right lower windshield. I might just end up getting a replacement panel and cutting out what I need.
[IMG]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/913/2...d98cceec_k.jpgIMG_3674 by Andrew Bushnell, on Flickr[/IMG]

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Thanks Brian. However I still have the passenger side to do :-(

Do you have your own sheet metal brake for making those bends, or just put it in a vise?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I have a cheap brake, but it works like crap. I used a vice with a pair of one inch angle iron. Bend the middle one, using a spoon to gently do it. Then the bend on either side of that center I use piece of quarter inch by 1.5 inch flat stock and just whack it with the hammer.

Andrew, I can walk you through it if you want to give it a try. You will also need a shrinker/stretcher.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Hey Brian, appreciate the offer. Right now I have zero room in the garage for anymore equipment. I have a small 2 car garage thats not deep enough even for my truck, I need to remove the bumpers and bumper brackets to be able to close the garage door. Plus add in the 3 motorcycles I shoe horned in around it, and its almost impossible to get around it to work on. Reminds me, I need to sell some stuff to fund this project further.

Will probably start a build tread soon. Just trying to inventory what I have, what I thought I had and what I need to still get. My memory is very cloudy of what I thought I parked in the storage garage 20 years ago.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

My "five minute a day" plan is WORKING! I go out there to just fine tune the patch, that's it, then I think, ok, I will tack weld it in place, then ok, I will weld it, I finished it! WHOOO HOOOO!

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

OMG I can't believe what I have found that I forgot I had! OMG it happens to me over and over!

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

An old car friend of mine (my oldest car friend, met him while riding my mini bike) came by and took this photo.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

anyone know what size socket I need to remove factory running board bolts? I remember them being a common size but I don't want to get out to the yard and find they are a star bolt or something.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I believe they are either 3/4" or 1/2" socket if that narrows it down for you!

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Made a couple of Stainless Steel 1/4" thk "FLEETSIDE" emblems for my 58.:metal: if anyone is interested in a pair let me know

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

How about others?

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

MARTINSR Like?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

They look good.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

thx ... just got to machine them down to look more like the originals then polish them.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Do you do any for a 48?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I am not sure, Cameo' but not the originals, a different font?

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Boshears send me a pic and ill let you, know i see why not tho
material?

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

MARTINSR sure just send me a pic with the size, font and material

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Made my own version of the Lokar 350 shifter bracket and cover for my series 60 B&M shifter.:metal:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Nice bracket...Jim

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

oldman3 thx

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Just took my '51 running boards off - they were 1/4-20 carriage bolts, however I have no idea if that's original or not.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Couldn't face another day of adjusting fenders, so a appeased myself with an easy job - installing the front hood emblem.

I just picked up this emblem off Craigslist last night and I'm very pleased with how it blends with my truck. I'd tried a brand new one but it was too shiny and conspicuous for the "old truck" theme of my build. It's not a rat rod, but I do want it to show it's age and "experience."

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Looks nice, I bet one that said Chevrolet would look nice on a glovebox door or on the interior

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

MiraclePieCo, I think my running boards are stock in all ways on my '54 and the nuts on the 1/4 inch bolts are square. Had to make a special socket to get them off. My factory assembly manual shows the nut to be GM part 131395 nut but I don't have a cross reference so not sure what that nut is in real life.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Interesting thought!

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Perfect!

Brian:metal:

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I put in my five minutes on the truck cleaning up under the dash and going to spray some rust magic stuff and then found holes in the floor! Geeeez, more welding, I am telling you I am NEVER going to say I am done welding on this cab.
But again, thought I would cut it out and make the easy patch, and that would be it, I took another step and another and got it finished completely, it's like it never existed. :D

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Lol, for square nuts my "special tool" is a crescent wrench ;) Or a blow torch.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Ha ha, Crescent wrench will not fit in the "U" shape step hanger. Blow torch maybe.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Removed the old headliner with only 2 cuts in my hand from the sheet metal. Liner is in great shape, I feel bad pitchING it. Clean and installed Thermo-tec and Dynaliner. Waiting on fabric for new liner.

Welded up almost all of the exhaust, few bits remain. Installed all the new sensors going to the new gauges.

I'm beet...

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

met a guy out at the truck yard who wanted to buy a coupe of parts off the parts 53. he took some but the running boards wouldn't come off. after removing all the bolts we got down to find they have been tack welded on. wtf dudes. I didn't have a grinder with me. im going to go out tomorrow and cut the welds off. it was 99 degrees in the shade today. drove my truck to the gym this morning and then to the truck yard to meet the guy. the death rattle is a hit every where we go. running great

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

WOW, yeah that's a bummer.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Today I got out to the driveway to get the Rambler control arm swap job done, I have to make a spring tool to get them out, very unique, I will make it tomorrow. Had to get over to a friends house to help him get his two post into a his moving truck (yes HIS truck, he bought it to move all his car stuff) and got that done, spent the day there. That is a whole nother subject.

Got back home, and HAD to get out to the garage and actually got a lot done cleaning up the floor on the truck getting her ready for primer.

My favorite part of the day was watching my little sweetie (she is 17) cleaning the windows in her "new" car that she just drove for the first time yesterday. I am so glad I was able to get this car for her, it's like new inside, very nice. I put "Lady Soul" by Aretha Franklin in the deck so she can have a memory for the rest of her life when she hears those songs of the first days of driving her first car. She is such a sweetie and she deserves so much.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Love the rambler, had a guy in high school that drove one identical to that every day, bring back memories.

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

I really enjoy driving it every day. It puts smiles on faces.

Brian

Re: What did you do with your truck today, Part 3
 

Sigh, must I do everything for you guys? :lol: