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

I got the drivers fender ready for stripping, welded up a bunch, hammered on it a bunch, so there. :P

Got the right bed side up next to garage for tomorrow morning. I am spending the day with family (mine and inlaws) at the Pumpkin festival in beautiful Half Moon Bay on the coast tomorrow as we do every year. So I hope to get out there in the morning for my five minutes I MUST so I will.

Today I was gas welding on the fender and was reminded how much I enjoy using that damn torch. I had a big hole to weld up, built up a ball on the end of the welding rod, set it in the hole and wham, melted it done deal filling it and flattening out pretty good, hardly took any grinding. Just fun, way more easy to control than MIG (at least for me) just fun.

I am still blown away removing this orange paint that I applied 41 years ago! My God does time fly, wow.

Brian

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

I got my brother to install all the guts in the steering column I shortened.

He has a photographic memory. I don't.

While he was doing that I was finishing the wiring for the tail lights.

We have tail lights, brake lights, and turn signals. Need another flasher for the hazard lights.

.

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

I literally take photos of stuff before I take it apart so I can see how to put it back together.

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

Some great tips here...

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

I never would have thought of that, but this is one of the things I do at work. When I disassemble a car I record where things go with photos and notes so the guy who puts it together will be able to without ripping his hair out. It works AMAZINGLY WELL and now at home I do the same thing.

Brian

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

Got my five minutes in this morning before heading out of town. I have to tell you, I am torn, this will take some thinking. I have planned on having the bed blasted so I can get epoxy primer down on that metal. I painted these in 1979, all with lacquer. They are in DARN good shape! I am thinking now of spot blasting here and there myself and sanding it down thinner and epoxy priming over it. I am going to have to think about this long and hard.

The last photo is of the chrome hinge and chain that I removed this morning that I bolted on back then. The chain covers, I will keep. An old friend made them who passed away unexpectedly seven years ago, damn, way too young. :(

Brian

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

You could make some pretty neat wall art with those chains and covers - maybe even hang an old tailgate as a shelf in the shop. That way you'd see them every day...

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

I have managed to put about 100 miles on the truck in the past couple of weeks, so far the issues have been pretty minor.

Anyway, I drove it to the Twin Cities Roadster swap this morning and it began to snow. Driving it in bad weather was bound to happen sooner or later, now I got that out of the way...

https://youtu.be/fZDO5SxEZQI

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

Scuff 'em, shoot 'em!

Ha ha, as winter approaches the older I get the harder it gets on my aging body. I just learned of a neighbor who died from a heart attack while shoveling snow last winter.

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

Mark, cool stuff with the video, and yes we all get caught in bad weather sometimes....Jim

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

As long as the road crews don't get ambitious with the salt you'll be OK.

I haven't posted any progress reports lately because it's boring. All I have been doing is wet sanding on the cab after paint. By hand, P800, P1000, P1500, then P3000 and P5000 with the new orbital sander. What a machine! That's all done, and now I'm starting the first stage of buffing.

I used Southern Polyurethanes (SPI) "Universal Clear 4000-1" with their slow activator, recommended by a Pontiac body shop guru who is a friend of mine. GREAT product! Flows like glass. You don't have to get on it right away to buff it. You can do that a year later if you want. I've had it on the front of my 2009 Honda for 3 years, and it's durable as well. If you have to call them, most of the time Barry (the owner of the business) will answer. Not only unbelievable, but downright personal tech support. They own your problem. His cell phone is out on his forum if You have an emergency. Call on Sunday if it's a crisis!
http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.ph...-5000-5100.29/ 2 gallons of product for $279, including shipping. I've said too much, but I can't say enough...

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

I'm using SPI too.


Brian

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

That sure has a nice shine to it, hard to cover it up.

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

Shot urethane primer surfacer on the cab inside and outside yesterday, right away i could see a few flaws i missed fixing before hand. Started block sanding today and found more flaws, will fix a couple of the worst of them now and call it good enough for who its for.

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

Your going down to 5000? Wow, should be glass smooth. I think cut-and-buffing paint is one of the most fun things you can do because it makes such a big difference. Thanks for the paint supplier tip too.

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

Just 12 bolts installed today, but a huge symbolic achievement: I got the seats installed, meaning I can actually sit in the truck and drive it! Forgive the condition of the seats, they came with the truck; after my budget recovers from Christmas I'll take them in for upholstery. I like them however because they fold forward to access the rear cargo area.

Can anyone identify the seats - my guess is '68 Chevelle? They have the plastic back panels but are missing the matching side panels on the bottom.

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

Have you noticed that things never get simpler, they just get more complicated? Before 1980, all we had was the U.S. "ANSI" standard for grit size. For instance, 400 grit was, well, 400 grit. Life was good.

Sometime after 1980, probably to comply with European Union (EU) standards, and thus be able to sell into that market, sandpaper manufacturers adopted the European, or "FEPA" standard for grit size, where all of the numbers start with "P". Now, P800 is close to the old 400 grit size (and yes, I'm amazed at the number of restorers and production body guys that don't know this). P3000 is around the old 1100, and P5000 is around the old 1300.

Here's a chart: https://www.google.com/search?client..._KWM574s2uZUM: (This chart is for tool sharpening, but you get the idea. It was the only one I could find quickly that went to P5000.)

Sorry for the technical stuff, but it is what it is. From here on out, when someone tells you they used "800 grit", you won't know whether they mean P800 or 800 or 400 :confused:. (Actually, ALMOST everyone will mean P800.)

Hey MartinSr, have you done a "basics of basics" on scuffing and buffing yet? Here's a start!

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

Ah, thanks for the education. I just checked my inventory of 3M and Warrior sandpaper - standard US grits, no P number visible anywhere, thank goodness. I'm too old to change now!

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

I never have, I have planned it but never have, I have cut and buff MANY cars to show quality including firewalls and door jabs, even frames, yes, cut and buffed frames! But you know what, since then, I have been married twice, had four kids, four grand kids.............it's been a while and things have changed a LOT. When I cut and buff the next time, I will be learning myself!

The last time I repaired and polished some stainless moulding I was blown out of my mind how good the sand paper is now for this, going up to 5000!

OMG it didn't even need to be polished! The "sand paper" left it better polished than the compound used to do! WOW!

I remember the first time I touched "ultra fine" I was blown away the same. It was on a V6 powered T bucket LOLOL "Ultra fine" was the first sandpaper that was finer than 600, it was basically 800. This was around 1979. LOLOL Yeah, I am an old dude. Only the old dudes will even understand the V6 T bucket, WTH? Back in the late seventies we saw the death of the V8 huh guys. It was leaving, there would soon be no V8s in new cars or trucks, the gas crunch hit and speed and power were a thing of the PAST......we would have never imagined in a million years we would see what we do now. Honestly young dudes, at that time, the V8 and "performance" as GONE FOREVER! Honestly, that is what was forecast. And because of that there were a lot of cars being built like that V6 T Bucket, the guy who built it was on the cutting edge, he saw the "future." Pretty wild huh!

Brian

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

Those are wet after hosing them off so they aren't that shiny but pretty close. Being they are lacquer and I could buff them to shine pretty easy. But there is some rust at the edges of the stake pockets to bed sides not bad, but some there. I will have a decision to make for sure.

Brian

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

What did I do with my truck? We did what trucks were meant for........:metal: Haulin' wood chips.

http://www.cmaynard.com/Truck/HaulinWoodChip.jpg

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

That is one of the coolest photos I have seen of an AD in a long time.

Brian

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

I love it! Somewhere there was an old thread about these trucks still working; Maybe we should start another one!

I once loaded my '50 pickup with about a ton of bagged sand:

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

Its not to far off in the threads, but I'll dig it up.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=767843

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

Yeah, I enjoyed looking at that when it was new, add these photos to it guys to keep it alive!

Brian

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Wow, thanks man - I'm going to spend all evening going through those pics!

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

I just added some more pics to that thread.

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

Just a little bit out in the garage tonight, made a patch and started welding it in the bed. Again, this is a custom thing I did 39 years ago that I am now un-doing. LOL It's so odd, I cut this hole for the fuel filler to up in the rear fender from the tank I got from my '64 Nova that I put under the rear of the bed. I will now be cutting another one like it up in the front of the bed for the stock 48 tank. I was rocking and rolling figuring I would finish this up, then I looked up at the clock to see it was 9:30! Nope, I will finish it tomorrow.

Brian

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

been driving mine a lot. runs well. im still getting used to the sound of the new fan. its loud. sounds like a tornado. when you drive an old car or truck you get a lot of attention. any time I stop I get comments and questions. today I got an arm out the window thumbs up. the death rattle is a peoples truck for sure.

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

Went back to post 2000 to find a pic of your truck but didn't find one. Can you post another?

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Picked up an axle for free, hoping for the 4:11 gears and a posi, but I guess we will see. Installed 3:38 gears 10 years ago when I had a 3 speed. Now I have an OD transfer and the 4:11 would work great with the 283. Any bets before I open it?
Out of a 62 Chevy Truck

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

So.... I couldn't wait. Me and the wife dug in. 3.90 gears. Not what I wanted, but I'll take it for the price. At least till I build and axle.

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

I got the patch over the filler hole welded in and finished. I then figured I would make a patch and fix the rear stake pocket where I ground the stock weld off 37 years ago to pull the bed apart. I painted it apart and never welded it. I am thinking I will patch this up and bolt it together like I did before and not weld it.

So I got the patch made and will get on that tomorrow.

Brian

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

Nice patchwork, Mr. Martin! In the pic in post #2108 you have 3 metal "feet". Are those to pull the heat out when welding? Are they magnetic? (I think I'm showing my rookiness...)

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

3.90 < 4:11 not tooooo much different. At least it wasn't a 2.73 ha ha!

I installed my rubber hood bumpers today. Typically, what should have been a 10-minute task turned into an all-afternoon ordeal requiring removing the latch plate, sanding down the bumpers to close the gap at the nose, and then readjusting the hood.

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

No, those are just "C Clamp" vice grips holding the metal behind the hole to mark it with a sharpie, then I cut the piece out to butt weld it into the hole.

Brian

https://www.hardwarestore.com/media/...296574_p01.jpg

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

if you don't have any of these c clamp vice grips, and you do any welding, you should invest in a pair or 10. you will be surprised how much you use them.

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

I have done this for a living for years of course, but I have 37 pairs of vice grips, about 15 different ones. Yep, VERY valuable.

Brian

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

[quote=MARTINSR;8366203]No, those are just "C Clamp" vice grips holding the metal behind the hole to mark it with a sharpie, then I cut the piece out to butt weld it into the hole.

Brian


I see you're good at trick photography too! Egg on my face! :uhmk:

I have about 10, maybe more! Big, little, a pipe holder, etc. Thanks!

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

the vice grips come with ends like shown or ends with a flat surface, sort of like a c clamp would have. sometimes they are great as well and leave less of an imprint. sometimes they can be a pain too though. I have a few sets of both kind plus a couple of long reach ones. I use them all the time. various sizes help too.