Not another build thread! Progress on my '67

[BigSky71]

Awesome work! I have been apprehensive about shooting color at home [but I have no real option], so this thread is a great motivation!

[67ChevyRedneck]

I've been "piddlin" with a few things this week. I got the grill inserts cleaned up and painted. I got the turn signals cleaned up and painted white inside and out (should make the bulbs brighter) and put them together. I also put in some new orange bulbs and new clear marker lights. Can't wait to get this stuff on the truck!

[67ChevyRedneck]

I got back to it this weekend. I had to work late friday and it rained most of saturday, so there was no paintin' or primin' this weekend. Oh well, it didn't really matter much anyway because it took most of the weekend to install all of the front end goodies and do my hidden hinges on the tailgate. So... HERE GOES! I started off by installing new hood letters and getting the grill inserts and chrome pieces on:

[LUV2XCLR8]

Very nice work

[67ChevyRedneck]

I've had bad luck in the past with repop bumpers rusting on the backside so I coated this sucker with rust encapsulator! Me-1; Rust-0 (awww, who am I kidding, rust always wins, right?) I also coated the brackets, bolted them suckers onto the bumper, and installed the bumper. If your wondering about the bumper, it's a "tri-plus" unit that I bought. It's "special" because it has driving lights in it. I was not able to hook them up because I got a killer deal on the bumper as it was the last one at The Truck Shop had at the Charlotte auto fair and they couldn't find the wiring and switch kit for it Guess I'll have to come up with my own

[67ChevyRedneck]

The last part of the grill to install was the turn signals and bowtie. I put them in the truck (after lightly scuffing a few spots so they were grounded) and tested 'em out! I also got the headlight bezels in as well. I really like the clear lenses with the orange bulbs. With the buckets painted white they are pretty bright (brigher than they were with the faded amber lenses) AND when the turn signals flash they are plenty bright!

[67ChevyRedneck]

The headlights work too! High AND low beam

[67ChevyRedneck]

Now for the "not so fun" part of the weekend.... installing hidden hinges on a stepside tailgate! Start by cutting out a section on the BACKSIDE of the tailgate. This is necessary so the hinge will have a place to fold into. I cut about 1/2" from the edge of the 'gate and then ground about another 1/16 down.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I got this idea from Putter so I already had an idea of what the measurements should be, so I went from there and drilled a hole in the bedside and tailgate, but whoops silly me, measure twice and drill ONCE!!!!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Here's what she looks like with the new hinges down and up!

[67ChevyRedneck]

After that was all squared away, the sides of the tailgate that were cut earlier needed to be welded back up and while I was at it I filled in my "oops" hole that I drilled wrong earlier! My welding skills still kinda suck but I should be able to hide a bit of it will a skim coat of filler. Plus, it's on the BACKSIDE of the tailgate anyway

[67ChevyRedneck]

I did put a couple hours into the "bondo buckets" that are my back fenders There really isn't as much as it looks, but if I ever get to do a "frame off" these suckers are going bye bye!

[67ChevyRedneck]

And finally, after cleaning up my big mess, I gave the old girl a bath before I put her away. She was real dirty from all the sanding dust and from sitting under a tree (I can't wait to take 'er home with me!) So here are a few fun shots of her all cleaned up.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Here's a couple more for the heck of it

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by LUV2XCLR8

Very nice work

How'd you sneak in there?

I really appreciate all of the comments fellers. They keep me motivated to keep this $$ pit going and to see her on the road once again! It's hard enough finding time and $$ to work on a project...it's even harder driving 2 hours to work on it, work my ass off, then drive home, then go work another 45 hour week at work. I'm about wore thin, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Almost forgot! I was lucky enough to find some Medium metallic blue paint in a spray can at wally world. I painted my bowtie with it and cleared it and the color seemed off, I guess the clear coat made it look "off" a bit. Since the truck was painted with all the parts on there was a bit of primer under the hood still, and I figured if it's off, it's off. So I masked away and painted the top of the grill today (the area that would be under the hood). Looks to be a spot on match! I'll know for sure when I go back next week to see if it has cured the same! This is good news as I'll be needing to mask off the doors and do the door jams seperately (but not until the truck is back in greenville, that's something I can do in the apt.'s parking lot)

[Richard Dobson]

I am installing the (2) grill trim pieces that are aftermarket. Polished aluminum anodized I presume. The retainers that hold them on are a pain (14) each trim piece. I happen to have an extra original grill that still had some of the retainers in it, needless to say they were a better design, but they had rubber part that compressed along with one leaf spring which was a better design. Did you have much trouble installing the trim? Any advice? Thanks

[67ChevyRedneck]

Yup, I did have trouble installing the trim. I don't know what the "originals" looked like because by the time I got my old painted grill pieces off a few months ago (that I sold to a board member) the clips basically decintegrated (sp?) and broke to pieces. My trim came from The Truck Shop and they use "counterparts" for their repop stuff. I thought they were a little on the "cheap" side as well as the headlight bezels. I don't know what the genious who made the new clips was thinking, but mine came with these huge black nuts that were supposed to go on the backside of the grill???? NO WAY!!! They were about 3X too wide!!! I went to a local hardware store (I brought a clip with me) and found small nuts that fit on them. There was no way the others would have worked Also, if you have the same clips I do, there is a curved hooked side and a longer straight stick with a little 90 degree bend on it. The curved area ALWAYS goes to the inside of the grill (the thicker, wider area). I pushed this end in first, then pushed the cresent shaped bolt part in, then you have to push the long straight piece in. You can slide them to where they need to go, but they don't move easily, so I put my trim piece up to the grill each time I installed one so I didnt' have to move it much. I would also use a socket on one of them screwdriver things because an actual wratchet to "too much" for these little bolts.

Hoped I've helped more than confused, and once again, yes, they are a pain in the butt to install

[Putter]

Glad to see that those tailgate hangers worked out for you.
I STILL haven't gone to get replacements for myself, yet.
You sure have come a long way, and it is looking great.
Keep up the hard work....that light is getting closer in that tunnel.

[Richard Dobson]

Back to the (2) grill trim pieces, For as much $ as they cost they are very cheaply made. They have scratches from the tooling die when they were stamped out. Mine were missing the 10-24 nuts, the track that the keepers is supposed to be able to slide inside of was all distorted, but we have to make them work because it is the only source for the parts. Regards

[ThatOneBlue67]

Not looking to hijack your thread here RedNeck,

What about just getting the better quality originals chromed? I dunno if y'all have ever gotten the cahnce to compare between original and aftermarket, but he original trim pieces weight at least twice as much! I've got two pairs of headlight bezels, is chroming expensive do ya s'pose?

[67ChevyRedneck]

GOOD LORD! was it HOT this weekend! I got to columbia friday and dove into work on the rear fenders and tailgate. As it got darker I decided to install some of my bowtie overdrives TV made EZ kit. This involved removing my carb. I knew it would be dirty (I've cleaned it twice before) so I took the carb apart... but NEVER was it THIS dirty! There was, I kid you not, an 1/8" of silt on the bottom of the floats. How did this thing still run you wonder? I don't rightly know either???

[67ChevyRedneck]

SO I took the ENTIRE innards of the carb out, (I mean everything!) and cleaned the crap out of it with carb cleaner and a good ole air hose set at 90 psi I cleaned everything out 3X just to be sure! This was one of my biggest motivators to do an underbed tank, I knew the one in the cab was crap to begin with. I did check the fuel filter, (it's a clear one) been on the truck 3 months and still clean as can be I had to keep some of my old 700R4 tv cable bracket because it had the return spring for my gas pedal on it, so I cut off the part I didn't need (it was in the way of the new BTO kit) and reinstalled it. I then put the BTO piece on the carb and tightened it down. Then with the supplied gaskets I put the BTO piece on the manifold, put the carb back on, tightened everything down, and the beast fired right back up

Sorry, but I forgot to take pics of the inside of the cleaned carb (it's clean in the first pic) and of it back on the intake

I did not hook up the BTO kit yet because my tranny is junk There will be more on that in what looks to be more like late september.....

[67ChevyRedneck]

It RAINED like crazy starting at about 3 pm saturday, so at 6 I took the rest of the night off and went out to eat with the family....mmmmm....texas roadhouse... I got back to it sunday morning and got the steps and tailgate ready for primer. Bad news is that I ran out of primer and need to buy more to finish the fenders

I also got the taillight brackets cleaned up too.

What do y'all think of my spray booth stand? Purty neat-O, huh?

[67ChevyRedneck]

FINALLY, and I mean FINALLY! The rear fenders are FINALLY starting to look like fenders again. Once again, I normally HATE to see this much bondo on anything, buy I'm too deep in it now (and too out of money) for another set. Maybe them repops will drop down to $500 a set in a couple years?? I almost feel bad posting these, but I figure, what the hell, it's just a home built driver. I'm trying