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#1 |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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It shrank!!
After looking hi and low for a short wide bed for the 68 I am building and only finding ones that needed way too much work, or were way out of my budget, I decided to cut a long one down. Here are a couple of pics. Tell me what you think of my first attempt. Now its time to work out the damage in the lower right corner.
Man is it fun cutting em up!! |
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#2 |
BlahBlahBlah
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Wa.
Posts: 19,866
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Re: It shrank!!
Hey that looks great Mark. I need to stop by and check it out.
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#3 |
Son of a gun
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Posts: 1,636
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Re: It shrank!!
Awesome work, so exactly how much did you cut out in front of the wheels, and behind the wheels?
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Bill BEATERS ARE NEATER |
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#4 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Deer Park, Tx.
Posts: 2,524
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Re: It shrank!!
Looks good man. I am going to have to find me some LWB beds and start cutting them all up. What were your measurements by the way?
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#5 |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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Re: It shrank!!
The front was cut 12 inches.. and the back 8 inches. it even uses the factory mounting holes.. I couldn't believe how straight forward it all was. the front lined up perfectly.. the rear took some pushing and shoving.. I ended up cutting the rear portion down to just below the body line then angled the cut toward the wheel well to make the differences line up easier
Last edited by Livrat; 04-25-2007 at 12:05 AM. |
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#6 |
Son of a gun
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Posts: 1,636
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Re: It shrank!!
I'm getting set to do this, and those are the most awesome pics I could have to show what to do and where to do it, I swiped 'em to my computer.
What did you use to do the cutting? you do really good work ![]()
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Bill BEATERS ARE NEATER Last edited by Bus Ted Knuckle; 04-25-2007 at 12:09 AM. |
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#7 |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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Re: It shrank!!
Thank you for the compliments,
95% of the cutting was done with a cut off blade in a skill saw the rest was with an angle die grinder and also a straight die grinder |
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#8 |
Son of a gun
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Posts: 1,636
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Re: It shrank!!
Sweet, that makes me want to go cut mine down right now...in the rain...in the dark...
OK maybe I'll wait till this weekend ![]()
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Bill BEATERS ARE NEATER |
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#9 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: La pine Oregon
Posts: 1,668
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Re: It shrank!!
Mark that looks great!!! What a fine job you did. You'll never be able to tell. But we all will know, HA,HA............
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1972 Cheyenne K-30 6"lift {502 PROJECT} 1972 Cheyenne K-30 8"lift 454 450hp {Ol'Blue} 1972 Cheyenne K-20 Custom Stretch 6" lift 454 1972 Custom Deluxe K-20 4" lift 2007 GMC Crew Cab Diesel 6"lift {The Tow Rig 2017 Ford F-350 Crew Cab 6.7 6"lift (Wife's) 1977 El Camino SS Grandpa baught new 1986 K-30 Crew Cab 502 1955 Chevy 2-Door gasser 454 550hp{project} 1956 Chevy Bel-Air 2-Door hardtop 572 700hp 1979 Ford F-350 All Original 4x4 (Wife's) |
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#10 |
Saving 1 truck at a time!
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 6,465
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Re: It shrank!!
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET...u da man!
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'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary) |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Bakersfield,CA
Posts: 7,893
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Re: It shrank!!
good job dude, always love when its bare metal, just looks friggin awesome
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-steven Alte Seele S.S. "Allison" '72 C/10 LWB 350SB/TH350 - DD PITBULL IS NOT A CRIME |
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#12 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA
Posts: 12,684
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Re: It shrank!!
Looks like you've done a great job!
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1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 |
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Englewood, CO
Posts: 146
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Re: It shrank!!
That is some SWEET @SS work!!! Welll Done. I bow down to you almighty sheet metal god!!!
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#14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Chukar Hunting Paradise
Posts: 80
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Re: It shrank!!
I don't think I would have the gutt's to try that! Great job.
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1972 Chevy LWB K10 Custom/Deluxe Earth first! We'll log the other planet's later. |
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#15 |
Weekend Warrior
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: CT
Posts: 1,787
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Re: It shrank!!
Looks good - got any pictures of the area that you welded after you ground it all down - the outside of the bed?
Skill Saw ![]() ![]() oh and what type of electric Cut-Off grinder is that? - do you like it compared to an air cut-off?
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-'07 GMC Sierra K2500HD -'66 C10 Suburban -'68/'71 K20 Service Bed Project -'69 Chevy C30 Mason Dump -'33Ford P/U 396ChevyPowered ![]() ![]() ![]() Last edited by arkracing; 04-25-2007 at 01:55 PM. |
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#16 |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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Re: It shrank!!
Thanks for all the compliments guys!!
arkracing... I do have a couple more pics of the outside after grinding.. it does look better from distance .. go easy on me as I am not an expert on sheet metal welding.. MORE PRACTICE MORE PRACTICE MORE PRACTICE.. Sorry no pics of the skill saw.. never dawned on me to take any , Its just a normal 7.5 inch saw with a cutoff blade make for skill saws.. The electric die grinder is a Hitachi.. Yes I do like it much better than an air one.. not much slows it down unlike the air grinders, the downside is it can not get into tight places. Last edited by Livrat; 04-26-2007 at 12:20 AM. |
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Dallas,TX.
Posts: 499
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Re: It shrank!!
great job looks fantastic pics were a plus thanks this will help a lot.
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#18 |
Rally Wheel Club
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Billings,MO
Posts: 97
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Re: It shrank!!
Nice job, when I welded aluminum fuel takers we used skil saws and regular tooth blades for cutting out our welds, they had to be continious welds so you got real good real fast its tough holding one of those over your head very long. lol great job.
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#19 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,859
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Re: It shrank!!
Awesome execution.I like the jog at the bottom to bring the taper more together.It looks like minimum plastic is required.Your welding looks good to me.I`ve had bodymen scared to weld mid-panel ever since I`ve been working on stiff.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#20 | |
Weekend Warrior
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: CT
Posts: 1,787
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Re: It shrank!!
Quote:
Looks like good welding to me. It's very tough to get MIG welds "metal Finished" - i.e. look like they were never there. on the Skill Saw - is it a "Grinding Wheel" type blade - one of these things: http://www.metaldevil.com/index.html Videos here ![]() http://www.metaldevil.com/seeing.html
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-'07 GMC Sierra K2500HD -'66 C10 Suburban -'68/'71 K20 Service Bed Project -'69 Chevy C30 Mason Dump -'33Ford P/U 396ChevyPowered ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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#21 |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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Re: It shrank!!
I was discussing cutting down a bed with the guy that builds burbs into shortie Tahoes and he suggested the Jog to make the taper easier. and it was. My first "mid panel" weld was scary to me (twenty years ago) my very first attempt was using a suburban roof on an extended cab I built.. I used the front 2ft and the rear 2ft of a burb roof and welded them together in the middle.. it was a real challenge. On the box shortening project I figured the worse I could do is end up with a bondo bucket trailer and have to go find another $100 parts truck for another bed and start over..
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#22 | |
Member #1049
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
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Re: It shrank!!
Quote:
The cut off blade is a normal style abrasive cut off.. similiar to these. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...5691_200335691 |
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#23 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Fairview, ks
Posts: 203
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Re: It shrank!!
Nice looking project LivRat. I never understood why GM didn't build an extended cab; I'm sorry but to my the crew cabs were fugly.
Howard |
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#24 |
Cowboy Fan for Life!!!!!!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Amelia, Virginia
Posts: 2,921
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Re: It shrank!!
Nice metalwork Livrat. It gives those of us in search of short beds a little to think about. Thanks, .....Jerry
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1967 ShortBed Fleetside 3/4 Drop 350/700R4 Tilt wheel 18 x 8 Torque Thrust II's Future mods: All new gauges & wood bed My Zip is 23002 I ship UPS, USPS |
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#25 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Marana, Arizona
Posts: 3,416
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Re: It shrank!!
Where do you buy "the metal devil blade"? looks worth trying
p.s. where did they move "the unfinished nationals" ? always a good show !
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"I feel the need for speed!"... as soon as I am done with my nap. |
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