Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Obviously something moved. I'd loosen the cab mounts try scooting the cab back a little.
What do the engine mounts look like?

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan I agree with Henry50. Move the cab back, if NO ONE is sure on the placement of rubbers they could be wrong. Sorry no experience with the TF...Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I know its not exactly the same but my LS fits about the same on my '59 GMC, luckily mine's not beautiful new paint. Don't know what happened there.

Mark

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan were those covers on the engine when it was fitted up? Maybe they are causing the problem? Agree with what was already said, should be able to fudge the cab back 3/8-1/2 inch with no trouble. It just needs a little breathing room :)

IIRC when I did the body mounts on my 57 there was a few shims and a very thin rubber in the front and a much thicker rubber for the rear, like 5\8 or so. HTH

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Wow Dan that is tight!

I don't think you can move the cab back very much, if any, as the rear mounts are a tight fit.

As far as how they are installed, the front only uses the c shaped shim and rubber isolator, with the bolt going in from the top. On the rear the square rubber goes on top of the frame and the round one is under the cab mount, the steel tube runs up through the round rubber into the square on. The rear bolt usually comes up from the bottom into the captured nut on the cab floor, but I have seen them install from the top down, if the captured nut has been removed.

Hope this helps!!

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

First off... beautiful paint and firewall. But, wow that is close. If left this close can the valve cover be removed? If it can you should be okay, just close.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan looks nice.
Looks too tight.
I have had some issues with fitment during reassembly.
My buddy same thing, after complete mock up reassembly has had fitment issues. Take your time and dont rush anything

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks everyone for the fast responses.

Bob, Yes. First we fit the engine with the stock valve cover-mounted coils and they cleared. They take up more room than the retro valve covers do. The Delmo adapters & Moon covers should make the valve covers rise higher off the head but not move the cover closer to the firewall. Mike tells me the passenger side bank of cylinders is slightly further back than the driver's side bank. This is news to me, but ok. As long as it doesn't hit. I'm paying too much and have come this far to end up with chipped up, crappy looking paint after awhile.

JJ, Thanks a lot for the explanation of the sequence of mounting the cab bolt pieces. I'll cut & paste and forward to Marcos. Does anyone have clear photos of what JJ describes?

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Here ya go Dan ---- Firewalls are NOT our FRIENDS! ;)

Hope this helps

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

It wasn't that close in this picture, so something has moved.


http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...pshombvuur.jpg

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

It's one big puzzle, an excercise in planning with lots of balls in the air. Keeps us young. Enjoy the process take your time and don't get frustrated.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

You guys are SUCH a help, thanks!

ptc, That's exactly the kind of drawing I was looking for but it appears to be for the '60-'66 C10's, not our Task Force trucks. I don't think the bolt kit I bought included quite that many pieces. But I will send it to the painter and hopefully this resolves his confusion. Thanks again. I'll keep you guys posted on how this gets resolved.

In the pic Henry50 re-posted I now see what I hadnt noticed before: That the passenger bank of cylinders IS slightly more rearward than the driver's side. But you're right, it wasn't so damn close then. Not "problem" close. And I saw the work, Marcos didn't lay on a ton of filler. In fact I'm not sure if he left any filler in that location(?) There were multiple primer coats and high build too, but even with all that I find it hard to believe it could have added that much to the firewall. Right now I'm thinking the multiple primer coats AND a slight change in the cab that the bolt/hole sizes will allow add up to maybe an additional 1/8". If we can get back another 1/16" it'll be close but never hit (not that I'm sure it will actually touch now but its too close) and I guess that'll have to be good enough because I don't want to pull the cab off and cut/re-weld/re-paint to gain 1/4" in that area.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

My guy a Classic parts gave me this and said they are the same kits. The TF guys use this to line everything up with the front clip, radiator cushions, fender rubbers, spacers and everything. So your body guy has all the parts he needs to get everything square and right.

When we did my hood, my body guy setup my complete front end with some measuring device so that the length from corner to corners were all the same, but he needed all the mounting hardware to be in place to do it right.

So maybe you need this kit instead of the stock TF kit?

Also your cab just looks like it is too far forward.... that pic shows you had it in the right place at that time - just have to find that place again,

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I think when Mike goes over this afternoon he'll figure out what the trouble is fairly quickly. He's done a number of Task Force trucks recently so he's a little more familiar than Marcos, the bodyman is.

The thing about moving the cab much is the holes in it align with the holes in the mounts coming off the frame directly above and the bolts should be very close to perfectly perpendicular. If not it results in all sorts of other issues aligning the core support and the entire front clip sheet metal.

I have no doubt we'll figure this out but it'll cause some noggin scratching and cursing.

I won't be there this afternoon or tomorrow - niece's college graduation ceremony today and a backyard party at my house tomorrow that started out to be for 24 people and has now become nearly 70! And I live on a Southern California post stamp sized suburban lot! We'll see how that goes. But I will go over and check on Monday afternoon and hopefully they will have figured something out.

I'm thinking how I would do it (which is probably wrong and why I'm paying pro's to do it) I'd probably mount everything very loosely out of frustration including the core support and fenders and then gently push/pull everything around til I got it all close while still maximizing the clearence at that valve cover.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looks real good.
To bad about the rocker cover being so close.
Our cab kits are different than the one pictured.
We have very thin shims on the front mounts.
When I mocked mine up I didn't know and used some wooden shims in front that were as thick as the ones in the rear so I have thick ones every where.
I just used thick shims on the core support to get things to line up.
Kim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

There's a pic on this page. Pretty small but shows how it is supposed to be.
Kim
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...55ctsm0102.htm

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Kim. I'm seeing the photo on my phone right now so it's really small. I'll check it out when I get home from his graduation ceremony. Thanks for thinking of me.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan

Modify the valve cover?

NC

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan heres a pic that came with my new cab mount, hope this helps

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Nut Case - Modding the valve cover will be a last resort or possibly part of an overall fix with moving the cab a bit AND a subtle bit of grinding/polishing of the valve cover in order to get a workable clearance. To me a full 1/8" sounds like about the minimum acceptable clearence.

Svr - Thanks for the picture. I just did a "Save Image" and will mail it to Mike and Marcos and see if it helps them. Thanks for thinking of me!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Monday May 22, 2017

Mike & Marcos were together comparing notes when I got to the bodyshop today. The ONLY difference between how they each mounted the cab is that Mike used the 7/16" diameter bolts Marcos had used to mount the cab to the rotisserie. The cab was mounted on it when it was delivered to him. The mounting kit uses 1/2" bolts.

Though the difference is small when combined with the minor amount the filler, DTM primer, high build, base & clear coats it all combines to make things a little tighter than envisioned:
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psiabkfyfy.jpg

This^^^^ is how it looks now. Yes, the valve cover can be easily removed. It'll never touch, never cause a chip and the heat isn't enough to do anything to the paint so we're good. Certainly beats a hack or even a cut, weld, yada, yada to create an additional 1/4".

In other news, Al Reed's polish shop in Anaheim is doing my wheels and misc parts. They called and my wheels are back from curb rash fix and a bent interior lip. 3 of 4 are fully polished, they'll be ready for pick up Wednesday, May 24th. I found a great deal on Goodyear tires and they'll be mounted the day I pick up the wheels.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Tight!!

Have you coated the manifolds?

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Yeah, It's a little tighter than I'd prefer. But since nothing will come of it I can live with it. The main portion of the cover is 1/4"+ clear. The flange where it bolts to the head is actually below where the firewall coves inward or away from the engine so its not as tight at it appears.

No, I haven't had the manifolds coated yet. They'll be Jet Hot ceramic silver. Will likely do the entire exhaust all the way back.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Picked up my Boyd's Smoothies today from the polisher. Totally pleased they came out flawless. Each needed minor straightening of the inside lip (how do you bend the inside anyway?) One was noticeably worse but you can't tell which one it was now.

The polisher said these old originals used better alloy than the more recent ones so they re-polish faster and they never have porosity like the newer ones. He claims Boyd was a stickler when he was alive.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...pswq6vwjlt.jpg

I need to get replacement stickers for the center caps. The original graphics are partially messed up. Doesn't look like the originals were "stickers" or decals but searching online it appears stickers are available but no longer provided free by Boyds because too many guys put them on crappy repop rims.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psvltrtahe.jpg

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, wheels look great...Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Jim, I hope I like them once they're mounted on the truck! Lol.

If not, well I got a good enough deal on them that I can sell them and even make a profit including the repair/repolishing.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Those turned out nice!

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Wheels came out nice.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks guys! They did polish up very nicely. Now I'm trying to find replacement center cap stickers because the graphics on mine are partly smeared or just gone.

I also read online that someone simply masked them and painted them red, and someone else said it looked really good.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thursday, May 25, 2017

It's happening....at a glacial pace. The core support is installed and the inner fender gaskets were being glued on when I got there. I'll drop in again tomorrow just to "show the flag" since I'd originally wanted the truck done by Memorial Day weekend - which isn't happening obviously.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psf2eakyng.jpg

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psxrc5a8ft.jpg

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, the seals on the upper part of your inner fenders actually are to be installed on the fender or on the underside of the inner. The inners actually sit on top of the fender when installed.

Paint looks great!

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks JJ,

Damn, I didn't know this. And he bonded the gaskets to the panel too with some 3M product! Well, I'll drop by tomorrow and see if he's figured this out. I wonder if this is fixable without having to mess up the paint finish?

As it happens, I saw the white '58 Fleetside again at Mike's shop this afternoon (See post #1807 above) and noticed the outer fenders were installed on top of the inners. But now that you mention it, I remember the inners WERE over the outers on my truck before disassembly.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hey Dan, did you use a preformed template to cut out the clearance on the bottom of your inners or just eyeball, mark and cut? I had cut my old ones by eyeball, but will need to cut the new ones to fit over sub upper/lowers. Yours look neat and finished without removing too much. Just wondering.

Cheers, Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hi Jim,

We waited til the last minute and cut the inner fenders by eye. Then transferred the size of the cut to the other side. Hopefully we didn't cut too little!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looking good Dan!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I stopped by the shop early today. Marcos wasn't there yet but I told his son they'd put the inner fender gasket on the wrong side. That the inner goes OVER the outer fender and not the other way around. I'm embarrassed I hadn't noticed it. JJ saved me!

I asked if they could remove the gasket without messing up the paint and he thought they could. Just to make certain I stopped by Mike's shop to see one of the Task Force trucks he has had in this week. Only the '58 was there but of course it confirmed the mistake. I try to stop by every couple days to "show the flag" - keep them aware I'm expecting to see progress.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Saturday, May 27, 2017

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...pssrp4pecb.jpg

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psvt6hzfgg.jpg

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...pstgemxisa.jpg

Also, picked up these to replace the ones that came with the wheels in post #1984 above. Couldn't get Boyd's to return my phone call and these have the red that matches (+/-) my paint color. Let's hope they fit right. If they do, I think they'll look nice.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...pspqrj4aw1.jpg

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, looking good, nice caps...Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looking real good.
Getting closer to being on the road.
Kim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Replacement Boyd's centercaps arrived last night. Never got Boyd's to respond to my voicemails and these came up on eBay, PLUS they have red highlights that will match my paint so I pulled the trigger. They're as perfect as brand new so I'm pleased.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps1ppae7hy.jpg

Apologies for the lousy photo but I also ordered polished stainless rear fender bolts/washers AND polished stainless under hood X brace from MMS & Accessories - a place I stumbled onto online.
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/z...psqryox9ra.jpg