Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

made more progress on the weekend project:
removed rusty driver side rocker, welded in some small sheetmetal repairs underneath, test fit the new outer rocker

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I DROVE IT BACK 6 MILES FROM THE FRONT END SHOP TO MY SHOP !!

DROVE LIKE A DREAM,,,,,,,,,,,,,:gmc2:


Now we have it back in the shop finishing up the wiring and 1000 other small details. I am ordering the A/C system today--------it is 99 and it needs to be cooled offffffff.................Kieth :devil:

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I just received a PM about my second battery and box. IN it, the sender didn't want to blow his electrical system up with the "24 Volts" it would then have.

PLEASE, LET ME MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR, I DO NOT WIRE THE BATTERIES TO GIVE 24 VOLTS, BUT WIRE THEM TO STAY AT 12 VOLTS, POSITIVE TO POSITIVE, NEGATIVE ON BOTH BATTERIES TO ENGINE AND CHASSIS GROUND.

I use high amperage large case GM alternators, producing 130/140 amperes, and single wire them, one per vehicle. This alternator/battery configuration maintains each battery in top charge.

I do run a diode between the positive posts of both batteries, with the current flow TO the second battery, and not OUT of it. This way, the one alternator will charge both batteries fine, with each battery being able to single output to different accessories.

My neighbor with the Dodge dump truck built his own hoist/winch, and simply wired both his batteries to give high amperage and 12 volts, no diode. He needs the high amperage for his winch motor, virtually a starter motor that uses a lot of cranking amperes.

My battery box is an ole bed frame, L shaped steel angle, cut to clear the battery I am using, with each end of the angle cut at 45 degrees, so they match at 90 degree angles. I then use a thin sheet of steel plate set into the box, with a liner made of an old rear floor mat, just cut to fit, leave sides so they will cushion the battery in the box. The hold down is simply, round steel rod, bent to fit, and brackets made of strap steel. One end has a bracket welded to it, and bolts to the core support bolt at the battery, the other end is threaded, and sits into a hole in a bracket welded to the bottom of the box. I then also add two large long nuts, bolted together, thread the rod on the top of the battery, so I can change the length of the rod, for different width batteries.

The fellow wanted pictures, and I will take some, and will need help posting them, because when it comes to adding pictures to a web site, I am a real dummy. I really enjoy looking at the pics on these pages, and will have to learn how to post 'em.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Man I love bed frames.. You can build almost anything from one.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

HEI's doin' it right....
No reason to be scared.....
Parallel = Two 12V DC batts wired + to + / -'s to grd. = 12V with combined CCA
Series = Two 12V DC batts wired - to + / - to grd. = 24V with combined CCA
Three for 36V and so on and so on and.......... whatever
Sounds like a safe system with redundant safeties....and a ton of amps.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Drained the fuel tank, installed new battery, changed oil, new plugs, wires, coil, cap, rotor, AAAAAAAAAND.......no start :( all i can think of is it needs a new fuel pump.....

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

When we built the winch on the dump truck across the street, it would work OK for large logs and railroad ties with the idle sped up and one battery, but, if it was any heavier, no dice, the electric motor on the winch wouldn't do well. This winch is mounted on the side of the dump bed, is changeable length, and uses the same cable to lift itself up to higher angles.

With both batteries and the engine rpms risen to 1,600 idle, we lifted a tree trunk that was over 3 feet in diameter, and longer than the 9' 8" dump bed, with NO problem. We came across the street and lifted a complete Yamaha XS1100 motorcycle, over 8 feet in the air, no problem. We were going to lift the front end of his son's Dodge Neon, but the kid chickened out and left in a big hurry before we could hook it up, DANG.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Hey that looks killer dude what color is that and was it ralttle can thanks, Tony :metal:

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I finally gave my daughter the keys to her 66 that that we did a frame off on.... here is the finished product.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

The donor for my 63 stepper was a 84 Suburban. I had to use the old drive shaft from the straight six. O gutted it all out from radiator to chunk, steering cloumn too. a 350/700r4 combo and Man, you wanna talk about GIDDY-UP!?!?!? That thing will flat-footed, git it now!!!

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Dude, that's beautiful!
You may have just decided my paint scheme (I have the same truck/same Cragars on mine as well) - what color/code/paint brand is that blue if you don't mind?

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Lucky girl for sure!

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Well we got the rear bumper on, wired the rear lights, set the timing, it sure runs better and actually idles at a stoplight. tomorrow we will install the grille and get the front turn signals and running lights working.........it is coming along.....finally

ps I bought a 66 C10 today BBW, factory air, power steering , custom, 283, powerglide

How will I ever finish them ??

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I never appreciated how puny and undersize the rims look on VDO gauges until I mounted the vacuum gauge in the same accessory panel with two Autometer gauges. The new Autometer vacuum gauge arrived today and was installed a few minutes later. Both are 2 1/16" but comparing the two, the Autometer version is certainly more impressive (IMHO). The fun part being my wife inspired the upgrade. She insisted after all the work that’s gone into the project the gauges all need to match, so the new 160 mph Autometer speedometer should also arrive Friday.

Here’s the before shot with the VDO gauge in the center. The rims are so small they will fall through the hole if it's cut slightly oversize:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4889/beforewn.jpg

And here’s the after shot with the Autometer matched set:

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5999/afteryj.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Much better - looks great.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

replaced battery and starter today, lesson learned.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Pulled the steering wheel and instrument panel again, pending arrival of the new Autometer speedometer tomorrow.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Today, I am installing a longer belly tank filler tube, so I can fill the tank under the flat bed without having to get under the bed. I will also pull the cover off the tank and figure out just which fuel level gauge I will need to get it to work with the stock in dash fuel gauge. I have taken the feeds form the belly and side tanks to the gauge with a toggle switch that works one tank for both the tanks, up works the in cab tank, fuel level gauge and supply line, and the other works the same through the electric fuel tank switching valve for the belly tank.

I am also in the works for what we built for the dump truck, a GM solenoid mounted on the carb, electrically activated with a switch on the dash and a remote, to kick the idle speed up to 1,600 rpms when I need to heavily use both batteries. Keeps the charge rate up. We did this to the dump truck because the hoist we built needs the amperage to lift the really heavy loads, like a front end of a car, etc.

Later on this evening, I'll redo the radio antenna.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

The guages dont have internal lights?

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

all exterior lights working except front headlights, installed grill and letters, no headlights. backed it out of the shop for a few pictures......will get the body panels touched up next week, wire the headlights tomorrow, start on the dash panel wiring....

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-G...459364_KBxw3JJ

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

The late design gauges in the panel do have internal lighting, but back when these external lighted panels were produced (around 1961-62), many aftermarket gauges had no lights at all. The gauge housing was a simple solid metal can with two electrical posts sticking out the back, and nothing else. For a very brief period Moon, Dixco, and Eelco made panels for these gauges with the same dome shaped lights on the front which were suppose to illuminate the face of the gauge. They aren't needed in my setup, I just always loved the way the looked and spent 10 years looking for this type panel at a price I could afford. The external lights are functional but not connected. I'm not sure if there's any advantage to hooking them up.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/6687/0009m.jpg

These panels went obsolete very quickly because the next generation of gauges came with plastic lined "translucent” windows around the perimeter of the gauge housing, just behind the rim. A sheet metal piece was attached to the back of the panel allowing a bulb to be plugged in, which sprayed light everywhere. Some of the light spilled into the gauge providing marginally improve illumination.

Soon after, the next generation of gauges had a conventional tube attached to the back allowing a conventional bulb and socket to plug in, providing good lighting for the first time.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

The new Autometer speedometer showed up today, along with the new retractable lap belts. The belts arrived early and got installed first. Light was pouring in through the garage door and the back window so the 2nd shot is pretty bleached out, but it shows how they mounted. I went for the 70’s style with the starburst metal buckles. It sure is nice not having the big heavy buckles and belts laying all over the floor.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5395/001swe.jpg

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9122/002mwe.jpg

Tomorrow I’ll calibrate the speedo after I confirm the accuracy of the highway mile markers with our Honda. Although both gauges are the same size, the face and numbers on the Autometer is so much larger it’s much easier to see.

Here’s the last remaining VDO gauge, the old speedo. The only nice feature it offered was thru dial lighting, but it looked washed out and the numbers were too small:

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/152/003iz.jpg

And here’s the new Autometer. One other advantage - my truck now has a 40 mile per hour higher top speed. The speedometer says so! :lol:

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/4971/004fm.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Looks very nice now mark with the new matching gauges makes a great truck all that much better...Vernski:c2:

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

markeb, your truck is just plain cool. how did the install on the passenger side retractable male end go? i had to bend the 90 degree bracket to get it to work.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Yesterday I put the dome light and cover on. Put the passenger side mirror. Pulled the tank down to check for the leak and turned out to be my sending unit and rubber line, yeah. Ordered new sending unit will be here next week.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Little more work done.. Do you have any ideals or comments,Let me here them

[SIZE="5"]CHECK OUT MY BUILD THREAD [/SIZE

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=468622

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I had to do the same thing, on both sides. The 1960 has a cover plate on the driver side over the area where the taillight wiring enters the cab. This required moving the retractor forward to the angled area.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7154/001cxw.jpg

So that I wouldn’t bend a curve into the angle bracket like happens when using a large Crescent wrench, I clamped it in the bench vise and pried it open slightly with a crowbar, just enough to clear the bolt head I used next. Then I attached a heavy steel plate along with a stack of washers and a bushing that just fit inside my cheater pipe. I just kept nudging it until the bracket measured straight up measured with a torpedo level. Here’s the arrangement shown on one of the spare brackets that didn’t need bending:

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/4858/002jr.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9177/003tzc.jpg

Rather than use the angle brackets on the inboard belts, I used the eye bolts that were in place for the Simpson belts. I just happened to have some serrated flange washers the same outside diameter as the eye bolts, making a simple and secure connection that didn’t require crawling under the truck.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Looking good Mark!!!! Whats your steering column out of ? Is the cruise hooked up?

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I was curious about that cruise switch too. I have the cruise setup but never installed it. Mainly, becasue i don't know how. Is there a how-to here somewhere?

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

The column is a generic aftermarket unit for a 68-89 GMC I bought from Butch's Rod Shop back in 1992. I think they've been out of business for many years. It's been a dependable column, but the lower bell that bumps into the dash was too long, pushing the steering wheel too close to the driver. Several years ago I pulled the column and cut away the upper portion of the lower bell to match the profile of the dash, so I could push the column forward about an inch and a half. That made it much more comfortable.

And yes the cruise control is hooked up. It's a Rostra model 250-1223 I bought from Summit Racing back in 2000. This is an electronic unit that has no vacuum connections, making hook up much simpler. They are so convenient I’ve added one to every car I’ve owned since the late 70’s. And believe me the new ones are much easier to install than the early models.

This photo shows where I originally had the control module. It worked fine but looked crappy so I moved it into the cab next to the heater.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4487/cruise01p.jpg

And here’s where it now resides. This is looking through the glove box opening:

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2442/cruise02.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Do you know what type or brand you have? I still have the installation instructions for mine. It's called an UltraCruise II by Rostra Precision Controls, which may or may not do you any good depending on what you've got.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Got a donor BBW cab piece. now just gotta decide which cab I am gonna use to replace my rust one.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I took off the front sheet metal and stared at it for about an hour afterwards...

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I finally had the whole day to work on it. I started at 6am. (The wife is in California on vacation). I got the rear brakes done, I por 15 the frame, I replaced springs in the back with some lowering springs it now measures at the very end of the frame 22 inches at the bottom of the frame. I installed my new rims and tires on the rear. I installed the rear shocks, and needless to say Im tired goodnight:waah:

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Started the body work for a driveway paint job.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Scored a pair of outer cab floor extentions as part of selling my 96 Suzuki Sidekick.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

I finally finished all the rear frame cleaning I could get to and sprayed a few unreachable areas with rust converter. Ready for paint when that dries. I removed the axles and backing plates from the rear end to prep the rear end and plates for painting and to change to 5 lug axles and drums. By the way, in the for sale section I have the 6 lug axles and drums posted. I also ordered trailing arm bushings, new u-bolts and a new fuel tank for the rear.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Changed the oil, contemplating pulling the original (see:beat) wood bed out, & am today starting some minor surface rust removal/sealing in the usual areas, bottom of f. fenders, inner rockers, drivers floor pan.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

It was actually yesterday, but I made some seams to finish off my roll pan.

Re: What did you do to your truck today?
 

Excellent. Nice work.