Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I'm hoping to get away without tubs but my tires are pretty close to the boxsides. I may end up putting them in yet, I'll wait till I have the box all done to decide

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

very nice work, thanks for sharing

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Yeah that's why I asked. Tires look close. Easier to do it while the parts are light enough to manhandle.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I can tell you from experience that with leaf springs back there and the tires being close to the box sides, they will rub. I believe most link suspensions control this better than leaf springs either through the lateral support of a panhard bar, or maybe by virtue that they typically have less suspension travel. When you pull into a driveway at an angle, you'll hear a squeal like belts slipping, but coming from the back.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Great looking build. Can relate to the custom box as I am just finishing mine as well. Did something very similar. Wish I saw your grooved pipe idea before I did mine. I’ll be following

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Can you post a pic of your box? Just curious how you built yours. Yes, groving the pipe worked out great

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Today's project, I got the box pieces in place and all tacked together. I went with a new, stock tailgate, just trying to figure out how i will hinge and latch the tailgate now

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Here’s a couple of pictures. I welded a stud in place for my lower gate hinge. I’m going with the hidden latches from classic auto industries as well. Hope this helps

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Your box is looking good! I'm curious how your tailgate hinges look. I really like how you curved your pipe to meet top of the tailgate!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Got some work done at both ends of the truck today. My friend came over and installed my new intake manifold and my new Holley Sniper fuel injection system. The engine i'm using had TBI but it was old and I dont know much about wiring it up so this Sniper kit seemed like a good way to go. Seems like a simple install, it comes with all the wiring, fuel pump, filters and fuel lines,etc.I hear good things about these systems, hope it will work well!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

At the back end of the truck I made myself some hinges for the tailgate. I wanted to keep it simple and clean looking, I think it worked out good.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I also played around with some ideas for the stake pockets. I always think the stock ones look a bit unfinished the way they just end with a straight cut at the bottom. I'm trying different ideas, Not sure yet if this is the final version, but I'll do something similar. Im making a few different patterns out of wood to see which I like best

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

i like it!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Nice work! If you click on the link on the bottom of this post you will go to my build. That way you can see all the pictures of what I’ve done.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I spent the day yesterday building my stake pockets. I tried a few different designs and came up with one I like. I started off with bending up an"L" shaped piece for the sides of the stake pocket

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Next I used my wooden pattern to cut out a left and right side piece with my plasma cutter

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Wow! That is nice.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Then I welded a strap to join the two pieces

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Here is the finished stake pocket, all welded and smoothed off

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

doing killer work.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

So I bought some teardrop shaped tailights at least 6 years ago because I liked the shape of them. I wasn't sure where or how i would mount them on this truck, but after trying a bunch of different things, I think I have figured out a look I like! What do you think, Good or bad idea?

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Definitely a good look! :metal:

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

What's wrong with that.....Nothing! I think it looks great! Thanks for sharing.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I like it!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Curious what size is the lens on that torpedo tail light. Is it a sealed beam style?

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I can measure it next time i go to the shop. It is an LED light, A new reproduction for a 37ish ford I believe

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Ok. Thanks. I assume the light is a sealed beam replacement style. Wondering if there is a dimension for the actual sealed beam.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

very nice work, well done

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Thanks for all the positive comments guys! I'm having a blast being more or less confined to my shop these days!

Dsraven, this is what the light itself looks like, about 3 1/2 inches diameter

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I like those lights frenched into the stake pockets. Looks like maybe '37 Ford taillights. I have thought of this idea too but maybe lower and closer to the tock position - but that's my preference. Looks great and nice fab skills! Keep it up!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

great, thanks for taking the time to measure and post. appreciated. I also like what you have done on the box to french the light in. makes it individual.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

One of my projects this week was to figure out what to do for a rear bumper. I like the look of a rear bumper but I dont have a rear for this truck so I was hoping to make something work that I already had. I have several old cars in the backyard, and I liked the look of a 53 Chev car rear bumper that was already off of the car. I brought it into the shop and started cutting it up, hoping I would like the results! This is what i started with. At first I was hoping to use the bumper guards but I had to mount the bumper very low so that the tailgate would'nt hit them when in the open position so I scrapped that plan

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Here are a few pics of how I got to my end result. I did a lot of cutting and fitting and recutting till I liked what I saw. Figuring out how to mount the license plate so it looked ok was one of my biggest problems!

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I tried mounting the plate on the bumper but I was not happy with that idea

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

This is my final version of a rear bumper! I mounted the plate behind the bumper and put a small notch in the top of the bumper. I am pleased with the curve and width of the bumper now. I will make a small filler panel to fill the gap between the bumper and the box. I think I will sink the plate into the roll pan as well

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

That looks good.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Nice custom touch....Are you going to have it chromed or paint it?

Marc

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

Thanks guys for the comments! I would like to have the bumper chromed eventually but I will paint it for now. I'm doing the body work on the whole truck nice enough for shiny paint, but I'm doing the truck in Flat black for now. My plan is to drive the truck a year or two to work out all the bugs and then paint it. I want this to be a daily driver/shop truck that I can use as a truck so I may never paint it shiny! The cab got painted yesterday

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I also got my dash painted. I used PPG's Ditzler Hot Rod black on the truck, seemed to go on smooth with little streaking. I have found some flat blacks to be very difficult to apply without streaks.

Re: Got it one piece at a time... 51 chev
 

I got my dash painted and installed. Also put in my new Dakota digital RTX gauges to see how they look in the dash