My 1958 Fleetside project

[fabguy]

I have been here for a little bit asking ALOT of questions and have finally got some pictures together on one of my builds going on. This is of my 1958 chevy fleetside truck. It has a 1971-72 C-10 1/2 ton frame clip in front. and factory frame from the cab mount back. It was a running truck before I pulled it apart a very long time ago.


Here is a pic of the frame. I have it sitting on the rubber until the bags & brackets show up. I have C-notched the rear 2 1/2" and am gonna get the rear bag brackets on this week.




Here is the bed that showed up from the painter on tuesday, the cab is supposed to leave this week.

[Kim57]

Nice looking truck. Keep the pics coming.
Kim

[poncho_villa]

Awesome. Do you have good clearance with the tires and fenders when you get the cab and box on? I see you have your brake booster under the floor. Just to give you the heads up - it'll be a bugger to bleed the system, but you might already know that. Are going to put a gas tank in the back under the chassis or leave it in the cab behind the seat?

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Nice looking truck. Keep the pics coming.
Kim

Thank You, Kim

Originally Posted by poncho_villa

Awesome. Do you have good clearance with the tires and fenders when you get the cab and box on? I see you have your brake booster under the floor. Just to give you the heads up - it'll be a bugger to bleed the system, but you might already know that. Are going to put a gas tank in the back under the chassis or leave it in the cab behind the seat?

Well, the tire to the inside of the fenders is very tight, I will have approximately 1" on each side running 73-87 stock rims. I have some whitewalls that are going on it. I was thinking about getting some after market A arms to bring it down another 2" but I am not sure if 2" is worth all that money
I am gonna bleed the whole brake system (after I get my lines done) before I plant the cab on, then I am gonna install a remote reservoir from CPP.
I have a rear underbed tank that was installed but pulled because as soon as I get the bags welded in I am gonna strip the frame for paint, I am gonna use an industrial grade gloss black on the frame.

[fabguy]

Here are a few pics of my future/upcoming projects;

[fabguy]

Ok, finally got a little more done yesterday. I made some bag plates for the front, although they aren't done yet. I used 1/4" plate punched with 9/16" holes then welded to 5" x 3/16" wall tubing. Easy to make.





I finished welding my C-notch in.
I started to lay the rear bags out with my bag brackets I had designed, then had them waterjetted they are also going to be used as new shock relocators ( dual purpose ) I wanted to bring the lower shock mounts in a couple inches. I think the quality of the ride would improve if I have the rear shocks more vertical than the way the factory set them up




Hope to start on the top front bag plates in a couple days. Then to do the fuel lines, brake lines, & etc. etc.

[fabguy]

Well, worked on the rear of the truck this last saturday again. I got the bag brackets welded in and the rear leaf springs rebuilt, the shackles anyway.






This was the easiest way to press in those frame bushings, works good with a little bit of persuasion from a 4lb. hammer.


I still have alot of cleaning to do to the rear axle before paint but will do that when the frame is stripped down for paint.
Now to work on the front bag plates then start all the new lines. Trying to have frame ready for the cab by Jan. 1

[jsmithbm]

okay we need more pics? thanks for the post over on my thread.

[fabguy]

Hi all, I'M BACK.... Been along time since I did anything to the truck. I really even haven't drove the 55 burban around. I sold the other burbans and picked up a 39 chevy 2dr sedan. I am STILL waiting for the body shop to finish the cab so I can re-assemle the truck. I have learned my lesson on this truck as far as body shops go. I think next time I have something painted like that, I am going to add a 10% discount each month compounding for every month that my vehicle sits passed the promised date on their paperwork and if they don't approve, then I will just keep looking. A shop that agrees to it is pretty much saying to me that they plan to have my stuff done on time or early. I have paid this monkey 65% to date and he tells me yesterday he needs more money, I say to him " next time I want to hear your voice, is you telling me to pick up my FINISHED truck, and by the way you have until the end of January to finish it" and then said, "look for a letter from my attorney advising you of this before we bring a lawsuit on you and removal of my truck from your property" He got nervous when I said this, mainly due to all his other customers telling him the same thing, nice meeting all the folks he has been doing this too.. one poor guy has his car there for over 5 yrs and all work that was done is ruined because his car had been sitting outside for 2 yrs uncovered.
I think what we all need is a place like "angies list" for auto restorers like us. Maybe I will start one soon. That way everyone across the US can look up a body shop, fab shop, chop shop ( J/K) etc and decide before they get hooked and robbed.
Anyway, nice to be back all, chat with you soon and I will post some pics soon of whats been done to the truck.

[meter swinger]

Great looking truck. Thats to bad about the body shop, the work looks good though and i think the brown color is awesome.
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[fabguy]

Originally Posted by meter swinger

Great looking truck. Thats to bad about the body shop, the work looks good though and i think the brown color is awesome.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks, the color has a gold metallic base and it looks SWEET in the sun

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by fabguy

... I am STILL waiting for the body shop to finish the cab so I can re-assemle the truck. I have learned my lesson on this truck as far as body shops go....

and why i try to learn and do all my own work.
that and i'm a cheap bastard

nice suburban

[Rude Dude]

Sorry to hear about your problem with paint and body shop, especially here in SoCal there are some really good shops here, maybe you should post the shop for others to avoid. That's why I do my own work

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

Sorry to hear about your problem with paint and body shop, especially here in SoCal there are some really good shops here, maybe you should post the shop for others to avoid. That's why I do my own work

Hope I don't get into any trouble with the MOD's but here goes: M&M Customs in Irwindale, He is a joke. I got my cab back from him and wanted to charge me an extra 1,000.00 for shaving the firewall & gas tank filler hole, except I had already shaved it and the gas tank filler. I haven't really been around because I have been color sanding the parts & parts of the cab. It came out pretty nice with the exception of the areas of rust he didn't fix as he was supposed too. I have spoke to another guy who is going to fix those areas, then repaint it. My attorney should have already sent a letter to him about this. I guess I will see him in court soon.
I am trying to find my proportioning valve so I can finish my brake lines, fuel lines will be installed then time to put the cab back onto the frame and start re-assembly. I have been gathering all the parts I have bought over the past several years and am excited to FINALLY get this back on the road.
I was going to put a stock deluxe heater back into it but the wife wants A.C. or else, so you know what that means, I will be putting A.C. into it. I will post some pics as I get time for it, but for now my time is going into getting this thing on the road.
Next is my suburban...woo hoo

[fabguy]

Ok, went by the body shop yesterday (friday) and the cab was painted. Talked to the guy and he wanted me to pay him right there and I said finish and deliver it and he would get paid. He still has color sanding, undercoating, and painting of the cream color inserts to do and wanted to argue that he needs to get paid, I just walked away and told him to finish if he wanted to get paid. Going to the shop again today to get pictures of it to post up here, I will keep you updated as things unwind.
I am excited though, it has been along time that I have been waiting for this truck to be painted and hopefully will have it drivable by June. Wooo hooo
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[Kim57]

Sounds like it's getting close.
I think you made the right decision to insist on him finishing before payment.
Years ago i paid someone up front and the work never got done and it took months to get my money back.
Kim

[fabguy]

I think I did also Kim57, he has been a pain in my side since I took my truck to him, he wants and for some unknown reason thinks he is going to do my 55 suburban when my truck is back on the road. I didn't want to be taken as you described and sorry to hear about that by the way. My 9 yr old son is going with me to see the truck today and he is just as excited, he has been saving a little money here and there for his own truck, but what he doesn't know is that in the end mine is his. He is excited because he has never seen the truck together nor running because I started the project years before he was born..lol
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[Maximus]

Photos of the 39 sedan? I am building a '39 coupe my dad bought back in the '70s, and what could that poor suburban need????

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Maximus

Photos of the 39 sedan? I am building a '39 coupe my dad bought back in the '70s, and what could that poor suburban need????

I can dig some up I'm sure, gimme a lil time. as for my burban it needs a stock frame dur to it sitting on a 71 chevy C-10 frame, and a whole lotta rocker work on the bottom end of her all the way around.


I spoke to Bam today and I will be starting back on the truck this week, he has curbed my ADHD ( ). I am dying to get this baby on the road and driving again. I called my buddy who has been holding onto my tune port and am getting it in the morning tomm. I am thinking of selling the 39 2 dr. sedan because I want to finish the burban next. I got some great ideas talking to BAM and am going to do it.
Thanks again for the motivation

[fabguy]

ok soooo today I picked up the engine and tranny. I am going to switch the intake for now.
I am excited to be putting the engine back into it, hopefully it will be on the road by christmas.

[made2drag]

nice fab work!

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by made2drag

nice fab work!

Thank You, sorry for the late reply although been really busy.

to date:
Well, in my lil time away I have managed to install the small block, 700R4 trans, new modular spindles ( need to bring track width IN), New Calipers & pads, New Brake hoses, Wheels & Tires, Airbags (front) & Lines.
I need to fix my column bracket at floor board, install all my brake lines, fuel lines.
I am going to machine an under dash bracket for the steering column, then order my gage setup, not too sure how to go with gages or which type of dash. was thinking of machining an insert and putting vintage style gages into it.

Maybe a chime in from everyone to give me some ideas as to what I am going to machine for a dash insert and steering drop, pics would be even better. I am hoping to get this truck back on the road by JUNE so I can cruise over and meet the master of restoration...>>> "BAM". I am going to sell my 39 chevy 2 door sedan to start the restoration on my 55.2 suburban/carry-all.

[fabguy]

Ok, as of today I have installed all new steel brake hard lines to the front and rear, also installed new brake hose to the rear axle. Tomorrow on the agenda is to install brake & fuel line clamps.

[fabguy]

OK, still haven't installed brake & fuel line clamps although I did manage to manufacture a steering column drop, here's a couple pics of it. I needed something close to the dash and couldn't find anywhere that sold something like what I needed and I wanted something a little different from everyone else, so I made this out of piece of scrap 6061 aluminum I had laying around the shop for 2 yrs.
The Keyway slot is for the column wiring to pass through as it slid down the column. It has 2ea) 1/4-20 set screws to hold it in place as well as a rubber lined clamp at the floor.



1st hole set up.





Machining in process.





sanded and polished almost ready to install it





and finally installed, truck is coming together slowly, hopefully driving it VERY VERY soon.



Today pulling heads off the 327 to check the cylinder walls since engine has been sitting for 10 yrs since rebuilt. Should I worry about spring tension on the heads for that length of time? or should I just re install as they are?

[OrrieG]

Nice job, makes my welded muffler U bolt look like dog breath.