Two is easier then one 1965 GMC S/W/BB build

[Robert Haas]

Starting with two basically complete trucks and building them side by side is a daunting task for sure.

The plan;

Take one pretty much finished truck and convert it from a street and show truck into a world class Pro Touring truck to compete in the Optima Batteries Ultimate Street Car Championships. We will call this the "race truck"

Take truck number two and build a world class street truck using the donor frame and running gear (Minus engine) from truck number 1.

Before anyone asks, these two trucks are owned by two different people, so quit asking why we don't just build Truck #2 into the race truck.

The Trucks
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1504709569

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1504709569


The Shop



http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1504709569

[Robert Haas]

The shop

[Robert Haas]

So begins the project. We built some needed equipment like a couple rolling carts to put the cab and beds on. A bed lifter to handle the bed-ectomies and modified my cherry picker as well.

[Warrens69GMC]

nice shop.

[Robert Haas]

Once the bed was off it was time to get that cab off.

[Robert Haas]

There is a simple way to look at these tear downs. Just pretend you are back in Fremont California in 1964 and do everything in reverse. ( Both of these trucks were built there about 2500 units apart.)

[Robert Haas]

Now the actual tear down really happens.

Greg (The owner) is a very meticulous and intelligent man and spent the time cataloguing every single fastener, clip, and shim. He carefully marked its location, photographed it, then bagged it and stuck it in plastic totes.

We even laid every part out on butcher paper laid the parts out and marked the paper in groups/assemblies and took pictures of them. Then rolled up that piece of paper and put it in the tote with those parts. I told you he was a smart guy.

[Robert Haas]

Lots of parts to inventory, and catalogue but it might be a year before we go back together and my memory is worthless so documenting this as we go is very important.

The motor is out of the frame, the cab is stripped to nothing and is ready for media blasting. All parts are safely packaged and organized. and we even got the shop cleaned back up.

Next will be tearing down the Turquoise truck. It's owner ain't as smart as Greg but he makes up for it by being really grumpy.

[Robert Haas]

Having these racks really helps on this type of build.

[Robert Haas]

here are some of the racks

[jhrusk]

Nice

[Palf70Step]

I would have bumped into the board and scatter those parts all over the floor.
You are doing some nice work.

[aggie91]

Well organized. I need more of that in my shop. I just have more crap than I need but don't want to get rid of any of it.

[DPowers]

Wow, oh my and wow again are the words that come to mind. Very nice.

[aggie91]

I was looking again at the parts storage. I like that rack you made for the doors. I might have to do something similar for my next full build. That's an idea I'm gonna steal...

[Indian113]

I bag my fastners and tag them plus take a picture on how they were used. But I like what you are doing with the ones your taking out. Keep up the Pictures just to keep me motivated Please!

[Robert Haas]

Started some actual repairs on the street truck. the previous owners must of had some problem with the passenger side rear spark plug so they cut an enormous hole in the inner fender. Then screwed a piece of tin on to close it back up, painted it black and left it like that.






So I had a piece of 16 guage laying around and decided it would do the trick.

[Robert Haas]

First thing I did was take a wire wheel to it to define the edge and see what condition the existing steel was in





Then pulled the sheet metal screws and pulled off the piece of tin.

[Robert Haas]

Now make a paper pattern of the patch panel I will build.



Transfer it to the new steel



and go ahead and clean up the area that it will be sitting in.

[Robert Haas]

Cutting the piece out was simple enough.











This is the rough piece. Still flat (not even close to where it is going to live.)

[Robert Haas]

Now the real work begins (At least for me) Shaping steel to have all the same contours, folds and creases as the original steel .


I lined where the first fold needed to be, then using my break (Known as a big ass vise and a block of wood) I replicated the factory V fold.



Then using several pair of welding gloves and a body hammer I was able to make the piece have the correct dish.

[Robert Haas]

Spent quite a while massaging and trimming the piece.



Now I traced the piece onto the inner fender and carefully cut the fender to accept the new section.



Then it was time to tack it in place.

[Robert Haas]

Lots of time here tacking this in so to control the distortion caused by the heat, but in time all the tacks became a ugly but continuous weld.




Now I just ground it down with a flapper wheel and sprayed some primer on it till I am ready to prepare it for paint.








I also welded in the misc. holes that were all over the inner fender where the previous owner had mounted God knows what. (looked like Swiss cheese)

[Robert Haas]

Tough crowd

I am in the process of building my very own frame jig, that coupled with the rotisserie we ordered (that will be here by the end of this week) we are making some serious headway.

Sure would like to be able to handle the sandblasting but the mess it makes is just not something I want to deal with. Does anyone have any experience with these dustless blasting systems? It is appealing to have them come here.

[Captainfab]

The dustless sandblasting just uses water along with the blast media. What I have seen done, leaves quite a bit of caked on blast media in the corners and crevasses that is a bit of a pain to take care of. I assume that you are aware that not all blasters know what they are doing on sheetmetal and not all do a thorough job? Also I would not allow anyone to use silica sand as an abrasive. Reason being that not all primers, particularly epoxy, is compatible with a surface that has silica imbeded into the metal. Yes the silica does get into the base metal.