Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

This morning I started on my cherry picker cab jig. I copied what others have done. I mentioned in another thread that when I was under the truck I noticed my passenger side cab support was rusted through.

So I ordered another, and after getting some advice here, I plan to lift my cab with the cherry picker just enough to roll chassis forward, then set it back down and roll it onto it's firewall. This'll be a perfect time to clean and undercoat too. Here's a pic of cab support and of my jig.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Got my new support in. I don't think I'll have much time this weekend but maybe Monday.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I rolled the cab over. Kinda scary lol but it is easy to get to the support now.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I cut the bulk of the support out and I'm working my way down with the pieces that are left. I welded the floor to it and had a patch and well the support got more than spot welds. As an extra precaution, I sprayed some white primer around the edges to the old support before I started. I don't think I can make any mistakes of getting it even a little off.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I had a very productive morning. I patched where the support meets the rocker panel, fitted and welded the new support on and I added some cross braces under where a trans cover would go. I didn't have one so I cut a piece of sheet metal and welded it instead. I think the factory piece has depressions and stuff to make it rigid... I had to improvise with the cross braces to make mine good and strong.

I cleaned up the underside of the cab and primed it in preparation for some high build underseal I have left over from my old job at the dodge dealership. Theres still a patch i need to make but my grinder died so ill havebto get to it later.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Man you are moving right along!

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Thanks, my welds are still ugly but they penetrate. I'm hoping to set it back down later today.

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I'm keeping busy today. That high build underseal went on super thick. I also cleaned up the frame some more.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I got the cab set back down yesterday evening. This morning I got the rear shackles bolted back on, got the doors on, and I set the bed back on the frame. Since the trans is set, I centered the engine today... it was off by 1/2 inch. I won't bolt it yet like I did the trans, just in case I need to make adjustments later I'll only need to undo the trans.

I might get the driveline shop to double check my angles...

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Moving right along.

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I've decided to mess with my pedals and try to get my steering column where I want it. When I first set up my brake pedal I had it to low and to the left. I've gotten it in the right spot and need to brace it to the dash. I'm also going to try and get my gas pedal mocked up tomorrow.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I mocked up my gas pedal, got the brake pedal assembly moved over, and made sure I liked my steering column height by getting the seat in and pretending I was drivingbit already lol.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I'm thinking of doing something different with the gas pedal... looks kinda bulky, and I want to maybe lower it some...

I'll sit on it for a day or two, I'll mess with exhaust and e brake pedal next. The exhaust from my donor should work fine... it's the length that'll need to be fixed and maybe where I want the pipe to stick out. Straight out or behind rear tire.. what do you guys think?

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

First, did you make vroom vroom noises when you were pretend driving?

Second, is the gas pedal really that noticeable from the driver's seat? If not you may want to keep moving forward on other things so you really can drive it.

Wish I had a thought on the exhaust, but that is so far from where I am now I can't even fathom it.

Good work.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Well... I may have made some noises in my head lol

No, gas pedal isn't really noticeable. I spaced it out from the brake pedal the same as from the donor. I wanted it to be the same as I was used too. But... due to space on both sides of firewall, I have brake pedal assembly a little higher than how it was in the donor. Not much, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches, but it's enough to make the gas pedal feel funny.

It is spaced good and really does seem ok, but I drove the c10 for so long it felt off. So I'm going to take a step back and worry about some other things for a bit. I know it won't be the same but it was comfortable.

I've been waiting to bolt the exhaust back up to the engine until I had cab undercoated and the trans set. Now that I have, I think I'll mess with exhaust some...

I jump from little project to little project, depending on how much extra cash I have lol

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

if you plan to put in carpet or even a rubber mat with something on the back, do that FIRST! on the last 41 my pedals looked way too high but I put in some 5/8 jute and carpet and whaddayaknow, the pedals fit perfect.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I hadn't thought of carpet thickness. Maybe I'll throw something in to act as carpet and see how it feels.

Do you guys ever have those days where everything runs right with no hiccups? Usually I always have something go wrong but for the last few days I've been on a roll. Until today, I was so sure my exhaust idea would work. Shorten the donors exhaust and be done. Unfortunately it's hangs to low for my liking and I don't think I can cut up the Y and put it together right. I also think I need new exhaust manifolds. These are kinds bulky and ugly and when my engine was swapped out in the c10 I wasn't told my exhaust manifold on the passenger side was messed up. I never had a leak so I guess that's something.


So, what manifolds work well that I can find at a junkyard or swap meet without spending much? Are there any Y 's I can scavenge that will fit better?

With the exhaust on hold I started cutting the rusty spot out of the lower driver cowl panel. I think I can get away with a small patch. I was worried it would be worse so I'll do that tomorrow.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Started my driver side lower cowl patch fix. Ran out of wire had to go get more and hopefully I'll get it done in the morning.

Since I ran out of wire I decided to go after some spots on the body with the wire wheel. The PO really loved bondo, tiny little ding meant several inches of bondo feathered out all around it. So you can imagine a bad spot... I need to replace the cab corners. I attacked the driver side and it's rough, and it was reshaped with a lot of bondo. I haven't looked at the passenger side yet.

I also had a piece of metal inside the cab, it wasn't tacked on good and I was able to pull it up. It made a crack in the outside paint. So I went after that spot with the wire wheel and found a nice round hole.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

The hole looks like maybe a CB whip antenna, but just guessing.

As for the bondo, welcome to my world. I had a cab that looked good until I had it blasted. Then there were so many holes and dents that I had to get another cab.

IMO you are doing it right welding up the areas. A little skim is one thing, but all the bondo is just wrong.

Keep at it.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Someone went through a lot of trouble to bondo over a lot of areas, and yet half the floor was rusted out. So either this truck got rusted.. fixed up.. and then rusted again... or someone started to fix a really rusted truck and then it continued to sit for who knows how long. The paint was cracked and faded all over so it's been awhile. I've also run across areas fixed with lead instead of bondo. I'm thinking at least two different POs worked on the body at some point. I've found blue and green when taking off the paint. I'm thinking the blue was original because I can find it in hard to get to spots or from areas that needed to be opened up to paint. Like under the hood.

I was real scared when I first started gping over the body. I think 1/4 of the hood had bondo! I was expecting to be messed up. Just another tiny spot...

I wish I had just gotten it blasted.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

It's nice to make regular posts. I've been moving along real slow up until recently. Thankfully I'm not waiting on someone else for welding anymore mine's not great, andbi have to redo it a lot, but I'm moving along. I've also got more time on my hands too.

This morning I attacked that new hole I found. And I also finished patching the lower driver cowl piece in. Slapped some bondo on both and maybe throughout the day I'll sand those spots and get them just right.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Keep at it. You are making good progress.

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Got a little work in. I cut and riveted a piece of sheet metal where my MC is now mounted. I did this to help bracevit and cover the old holes from where I moved it over. Now I can make some "arms" to extend the brake assembly to the dash to brace it further.

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I got both cab corners ordered today. Let's see how long it takes to put them on lol.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

hey man, progress is progress!

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I had mentioned making "arms" for my brake assembly to extend it to brace to the dash. It's ugly but I got it done. Used metal from my donor frame, pieces that still had a lip from where it was a channel. Pretty thick and the extra edge I feel gave it some stability.

I probably over thought it but it's installed. Spent a long time bending them into shape. Clamp, hammer, check it, hammer again. I also put the original brace in too. Even with the brake assembly out, I couldnt get it back in with out some trimming. Maybe I fixed it wrong. It rusted in two where it bolted to firewall. Right down the crease, only rust it had. I cleaned it up, used anouther piece over them and welded it back together.

Anyways, both are in and painted. I also did some sanding on a couple bondo spots. Remember that hole I filled in where maybe an antenna went? I'll try to sand and finish it tomorrow.

I've got a couple other spots to fix, I think I'll have them on tomorrow too with pics.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

It probably takes me longer than some but that spot where I filled in the hole is turning out nice. I have a slight low spot and I'll be done. I'm using very little bondo at a time, then sanding and repeat. I needed to use more at first but I had had that problem before of using to much and then I would have to sand a lot. I'm learning.

Also patched in a spot that can't be seen with fender in place. I'll finish it next time, I jump around a bit, let welds cool.

Also tackled the door today, the big spot I mentioned before. A real pain and I had to walk away a time or two. I'm hoping it'll all smooth out real nice. I'll admit, the welds sucked. Some pin holes but I had to leave it. I kept burning through. I was able to somewhat reach in the door and built up the back side though. I'm getting better, but it will be a while until I have even half the skill as some of the guys on here.

I'm hoping to have all my little spots fixed and done by the time I start on corners. Between the inners and outers, I'm going to try to make the inners, it might take a couple of weekends.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

The light coming in the cab corners reminds me of a house i once owned. Soooo Glad mine were in such good shape. I also made sure the weep holes were clear this last 50+ years

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Lol, and I didn't get all the bondo off either.

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Today I cut a small patch for the other side like the one I just did, but I didn't put it on yet.

Since my cab corners should be here Tuesday, I thought I'd better do some more prep. Got thevrest of the bondo off and went ahead and cut out just the rust area on passenger side. The inner looked more complete and I thought if I was careful I could copy or patch it and then use it for reference on driver side.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Got an hour in today. I recut the outer skin about a 1/2 inch up. I used electrical tape, and carefully laid it around the curve and I got a nice straighter line. Previously I was just cutting out the rust and evaluating the inner piece.

Cut out a section and put in the piece I formed yesterday. I put it a vice to get my lip and then used pliers as a crude tucking fork. It required a lot of work to tuck then hammer then tuck and hammer to get a flat curved pieced, not perfect but not bad. I did lap weld it, not by much but this is a nice hidden area and having overlapping pieces or a backing piece sure has helped with my flux core welding and limited skills. I'll seal it real good.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

looking good! I just picked up inner and outer cab corners today, I will be doing this work this weekend likely.

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I find body work therapeutic. Being able to make something out of a flat sheet of metal and it ends up pretty solid and permanent. 50 years from now, you'll have the guy with the big car shop and the TIG welder stripping down the truck saying "what was this guy thinking." haha...

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

I have been ok only recently doing some welding all by myself, but to tackle a cab corner... I'm very pleased with myself! I know it's not done, I'm going to fill it in slowly.

I did use a 1/2 strip behind to act as a backing piece because of burn through. I don't burn through as often as I did even just a few months ago but it still happens.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Go slow and practice, practice, practice. It looks like you are getting there. Good work.

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We've been getting a little rain so I kept the passenger side primered and cut the rust out of driver side so I could cut rust out of the inner piece.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

It doesn't rain in Odessa! :lol:

Keep up the good work.

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Yesterday my new inner cab corner for the driver side came in.

Over the last couple of days I started ordering stuff off my wish list finally!

Front main leafs
Shackle kits
Spring eye bolts
U bolts
Anti squeak liner
Center bolts
King pin kit

This stuff will start rolling in next week! Plan is to finish up suspension this month and order my brake stuff next month.

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

you are going to be a cab rebuild specialist by the time you are done!

Re: '50 chevy 3100
 

Two surprises when I got home!

All my goodies are in except one back ordered spring eye bolt. I didnt expect the u bolts yet.


2nd surprise was my Great Pyrenees got a little sick. Explosive watery diarrhea sick. Omg the smell was awful. Thankfully on tile... not exactly what you expect when you get home.