Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Picked up this short stepside on January 13th in 20 degree weather. Drove it about 15 white knuckle miles to get it to the house where it now sits awaiting some sort of rebuild. I'm determined to use it as a daily driver and not over restore it like my other truck. Like many 40+ year old trucks, it has lots of problems. My goal is to address the safety and reliability issues as well as the sheetmetal shortcomings. I doubt it will get anything other than a good coat of epoxy primer and I currently have no plans to convert it to discs or 5 lugs. I will post progress reports as they occur, so follow along if you like.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Looks like a good start for a fun truck.

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Keep it as is! Piss off the neighbors! See ya next thursday, Vic!

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I have seen this truck in person and it is obviously rough however Vic has serious fabrication and welding skills and he will make this thing better than the day it rolled off of the assembly line. I am looking forward to watching it go from a lump of coal to a diamond.

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You know he can't help himself.

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hi powered pressure wash, fix the heat, wiring and seals, freshen up the brakes, tune up, and wear it out. Love the rake and stance of it. What size wheels and tires are those on the back?

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Uhhhh... too late! Found too much rot causing the fenders to droop and generally creating an unsafe condition. As you can see, I have progressed beyond just minor stuff. Not to worry though, it will be thrashed on the street as I have no plans to pretty it up.

Rear tires are P275/50R15's on 8" rims (I think). They're worn out so I'll know the exact width and offset when I get the tires dismounted.

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X2 on the rot. Yeller's front biscuits had DISINTEGRATED. Totally. So now what? What's rotten? Core bottom? Fender cups? New wear parts in the front end? How are the rockers/cab supports? I have the # of a great sandblast guy. How's Kathy feeling?
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Core bottom is completely gone, will require a different one. I picked up some good used inners from Bob's. Don't know about the front end stuff yet, however, the old dog drove nice and straight coming home, so hope springs eternal. Has new rockers and some floor patches, but all the floor supports are gone and the panels were scabbed on like you see a lot. I plan to cut the new outer rockers off where they were tacked on and reuse them. I already bought a complete new floor for it, so that takes care of the supports, the inner rockers and the gaping holes in the floor covered by the scabs.

I saw your post about Mark in Blue Springs and will give him a try. Do you know anyone who has experience using his services? Brian wants to buy my stepside bed so all I need to have blasted is the cab, doors, LF fender, hood and maybe a few other pieces. In keeping with the low buck objective, I plan to buy a long fleetside bed and cut it down to make a shorty out of it.

Kathy pulled thru okay and we're both back to 100% ...or as close as you get to it at our age. ;) She gave me quite a scare though. First night she came down sick, she fainted and fell while getting out of bed. Then fainted again about 15' down the hall on the way to the bath. At least I had ahold of her the second time so she didn't hit the floor like a sack of taters. She's sporting several large bruises, but no other ill effects.

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OY, that's scary when Momma goes wobbly! Glad she's better!

Teeitup, Ron Manes and Bob may have a good support. I've gotta come see the floor deal. On the one hand it looks mega-sketchy, on the other, it solves a ton of problems at one whack.

The Grain Valley blaster is a good cat. Young guy, comes from a family of hotrodders and will give you exactly what you request at a good price. The paint store cats know his dad and have yet to hear a bad review. There're always car parts there whenever I go, must be a good sign.

I think it'd be cool to see what you can make out of used stuff, kind of as a point. Except of course for the floor, let's not be silly. Have fun with it, call me or Dad if you need a pair of hands.

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I don't think there is anything that Vic can't do with metal, that old truck will look better than the day it rolled off the factory floor when hes done with it.

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whats a little metal flaking off on the prius driver beside you? lol

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

:lol:

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Ps- Vic, I have a small trailer and LBT, all yours if you need to haul to the blaster.
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That would be great! You're a lifesaver, Chip. I have no way to move stuff since we traded off the Jeep, so I was planning to rent a truck and trailer from U-Haul. I'll get with you when I've got everything ready to go. It will be a while. Still have a lot to take apart. Thanks!!

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No prob at all. Do you have a cab cart? You can use mine. We could sched a day if you wanna get it pulled down, well get it off the frame and on the cart and on the trailer at one whack. Give me a bit of notice, I'm happy to be there.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

The cab cart I used for Silver was borrowed and isn't available to me now. (It's being used by its owner.) So that would be a big help. I wonder what it's like to do stuff without friends? Thanks!!!

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No problem atall, the cart is actually my bed cart from the thread. There are measurements on here somewhere for the cab floor bolts, and I have another set of the big casters if you wanna pop another one together that's a bit more on purpose. Or the big cart works good too. Let me know!
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Will do. The main thing is to be able to roll it outside when the need arises. Thanks again!

BTW, I may also need to borrow a cat if you have one...

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Ewwwww. Always fun. What's the harness look like?
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Harness is a mess ...but not from four legged critters. The two legged variety has done the bulk of the damage. Already have a Painless wiring kit for 67-72 trucks in the parts room. I could tell from the twisted and taped wires under the hood and hanging down from behind the dash that fixing the stock harness was a non-starter. When it comes to wiring, it needs to be right.

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Yeah, this is sounding more like a "clean it up and drive it" project by the minute! (Chuckle, snort, chuckle) Should I order some Al's for the underside of the cab? (actually not a bad idea) What color base should I order? Has the interior guy got an open spot in May? (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more)

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Yeah, I'm eatin' it now.

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It's ok, we all understand. Hope my envy isn't showing too bad.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Hey Vic, Have you found a bed? I kinda remember Bob having some nice parts on hand.

Are you wanting to do the blasting pre or post new floor, or while it's open? Just wondering, I'm bored.

Also, not to be a nosy prick or anything, since we're talkin' blasting, what are ya gonna do now? Epoxy primer sounds great in theory, but gets sketchy on a daily. What about that Hot Rod Flatz paint? It's UV stablilzed and comes in something other than black. Everyone does black. Hrrmmmmm. You'd think this was my damn truck! Tell me to go away if I'm a bother. I'm just stoked, I like slammed beat-around trucks.

Oh, I found a guy in Columbia that will polish a full set of wheels for $100 if they're stripped to bare aluminum. Flyin' Ryan says he does good work, he has Ryan's blower and custom bike exhaust now. You don't even have to pull the tires. I'm gonna have him do some on LBT if you wanna chuck yours in as well.

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Bob had four long beds last time I was there but I have no idea what he wants for them. A couple are fairly nice (not very rusty/dented) the other two would take a lot more work.

Probably while it's open. I hate trying to TIG metal that still has rust pits in the area. Spits back on the tungsten. I plan to remove most/all of the floor and weld in 1X1 tubing to brace it, blast away all visible rust and then see what kind of a mess I have fitting the new floor.

Well, I'd been planning on using black epoxy as the base then covering it with clear flat urethane, but I'm open to suggestions. One of the things I'm picky about is door jambs. If I did a color, I know I'd end up taping and squirting the jambs. With black epoxy, the inner stuff that doesn't see much sunlight can live without the clear topcoat. Mostly an issue of laziness (plus a little bit $$$). Whatever I do, it will have a flat topcoat so I can do it here and not have to outsource. Plus, I'm waaaay over sanding and polishing paint.

Mine don't look like they've ever had a coating, just raw aluminum. They're dirty as all get out, but would probably clean up with a little effort. Or, we could have Mark hit them with the media, then take 'em for the shine. Three tires are shot and one is brand new, so I'll have to pony up for the ones I need to match the good one. I'd planned on dismounting all four, blasting and powdercoating the wheels then mount/balance the tires, but that's way cheap for polishing. I'm in if you plan to do LBT.

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Well, CRLS has a fleetside bed courtesy of Craigslist. Just got back from Olathe where I checked it out and tendered cash. It's a longbed, so I'll have to section it and convert it to a shorty, but the price was right. It has no rust and minimal dents/holes, plus it comes with a decent tailgate and lights. Probably be a couple of weeks before I can get it if the weatherman is correct. They're calling for another foot of snow Monday nite into Tuesday. Will have to wait for it to melt to gain access. Seller has a trailer and offered to deliver which is very helpful. Plenty to do in the meanwhile.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

WoooWoooo! Progress! Bed looks solid!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

looks like a fun project !

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After a few days of working on OPS (other people's stuff) I'm back on CRLS. I ordered some inner door bottoms recently and decided I'd fit them into place prior to hauling the sheetmetal to the metal blaster recommended by Chip. That way, they can media blast the inside of the door skin which will make it much easier to install the patch panels.

I'm still on the fence about whether to weld the panels in or use panel adhesive. Ordered a small MIG welder today from Eastwood which I plan to use when shortening the bed and if it works reasonably well, I may weld the door panels with it as well. Part of my dilemma is that Duramix was bought out by 3M and their adhesives are now as rare as a North Korean chicken. Naturally, the 3M cartridges won't fit the $60 Duramix applicator I have. At least my paint store guys said if I buy the 3M adhesive, they will loan/rent the applicator. Decisions, decisions!

Anyway, below are some pics of a surgically removed lower door bottom and the panel in various stages of trial fit. With the weather improving daily, I need to finish up some of this prep work because it won't be long before the Craigslist longbed arrives.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I was gonna say, I'd heard "rumors" of alleged "work" at your place! Fit up looks real good! Only trouble I've heard of with bonding is differing expansion rates of the 2 parts can give you a woogie in your paint later. I'd weld, but that's me. Looks great!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I can certainly weld it, was just looking for a way to avoid the warpage that seems to always accompany it. I know adhesives have gained in popularity, both at the factory and in the aftermarket. However, most applications include folding over the door skin lip for added mechanical strength. I don't have that luxury as the existing crimped lip in that area wasn't in very good shape and couldn't be worked back to 90 deg. What does remain could be welded, possibly. I hadn't heard about any paint issues with adhesives. I know fiberglass is prone to showing repairs down the road. However, not sure if two layers of sheetmetal with a bonding adhesive sandwiched between would behave badly later on. No data in the personal experience bank.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Lol, Vic just noticed thats my old parts truck. I have the cab to that truck in my garage, I'm restoring it. Roy.. the guy you bought that bed from is my buddy, he is a good guy. I'm supposed to help him with the truck this weekend.

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Ha, small world!

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Roy loves these trucks also, he has two short beds and one he needs to finish. Here is one them.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

That's pretty cool, Scott! You're right ...Roy is a good guy. He gave us the nickel tour of the garage in the photo you posted. His cinnamon colored truck (not shown) was also very nice. I felt lucky to run across this bed. It's in much nicer shape than any I've seen up to this point. Should work great for my purposes. You'll get to see it again when I post progress pics. From what Roy told me, the cab was in mint condition. Wish mine were better, but with a bit of elbow grease, it should end up okay.

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Ain't it though!

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Glad to know it was you that picked the bed up Vic, I seen your silver truck build and you definitely do amazing work. I thought that cab I have was in good shape till I started looking at it and removed the rockers, it got ugly after that.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Likey the black one!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

personally I don't like stepsides but I think this truck could be really cool! cant wait to see whats next! maybe a small tuneup and some adjustments here and there:truck: