Project Curly - 1953 GMC Panel Truck

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by fredscarryall

i like the color on the panel and the turn signals look really cool.

Thanks! At first I was a little worried about the color because when I first sprayed it the green was rather vibrant! But a year later it has settled down a bit and is a lot closer to what I was actually going for! Put since its primer its easy to fix/update/change!

I'm actually thinking of doing a two tone on the suburban to kind of go with the panel. Green on bottom and black on top. What are your thoughts?

-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

Ok, here are some old pics that I'm just now getting uploaded.

This is the floor finished and installed:




and with carpet down just to see how it looks before fabrication began on the boxes on the sides:




Currently I'm just one hurdle away from being legal and driving this thing. The title finally showed up and I'm just trying to figure out why I lost brake pedal pressure and fix it so I can get a state safety inspection so I can get it licensed. I'm not sure of the problem but I'm leaning toward the brake booster being bad because I had great pressure for the bulk of a big drive when I got it out of storage. But then ten minutes from home I got off the freeway and my pedal pressure was nearly gone! I'm leaning toward the booster because it is EXTREMELY close to the exhaust pipe, less than 1/8 inch, and even though I wrapped the pipe with heat wrap I'm thinking it maybe have gotten to hot. More research to do it seems. Here is a pic of the booster I took out last night, though there are no visual signs that anything is wrong with it.





-Panelrodder

[50adrod]

the booster wont cause you to loose pedal pressure, possibly the master cylinder got to hot if the booster is that close to the exhaust. your truck is looking good I allways liked the panel's

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by 50adrod

the booster wont cause you to loose pedal pressure, possibly the master cylinder got to hot if the booster is that close to the exhaust. your truck is looking good I allways liked the panel's

Thanks for the info, and after getting it off and trying to compress the booster I found that it had quite a bit of pressure and was quite firm so I've come to a casual and untested conclusion that it must be the MC. I'm not very happy with that idea but sometimes the truth hurts! Now I just have to take the time to test it out and get it replaced or rebuilt. Updates will come as I have them!

For protection in the future do you think a simple heat blanket like those for starters would solve the problem?

And thanks for the compliments on the truck, I've become extremely attached over the years that I've had it!

-Panelrodder

[hopped up]

nice truck, just hate that shifter!! my truck came with the same one and couldnt wait to change it . i ended up going witb the b&m unimatic i picked up at the swapmeet for 45 bucks.
Posted via Mobile Device

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by hopped up

nice truck, just hate that shifter!! my truck came with the same one and couldnt wait to change it . i ended up going witb the b&m unimatic i picked up at the swapmeet for 45 bucks.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks and thanks again! I love the truck too and I also hate the shift, the second 'thanks' was for pointing it out!! I was in a weird spot and this is all I could afford... mostly cuz the guy that had it was open to trades! I had a nice Lokar shifter that I had to pirate off this truck, long story, and now my dad owns that truck and the shifter was stuck with it! Some day I will go back to a more traditional and smooth looking shifter. The Lokar double bend Nostalgia shifter is what I had an it looked hella good in there!

Once again, thanks for pointing it out!

-Panelrodder

[2dwn4u]

you didn't have any problems with the bear claws be jambed up against the window rail? we had to bring ours out just alittle more, unless suburban doors are different than a truck door. I will try to get a pick of our project truck.

Originally Posted by panelrodder81

Been awhile since I updated and that is because I haven't gotten to spend as much time as before in the garage. I do have some pics though!

Since getting it back on the ground I finished up my trans cooler install, started repairing my door jams from the botched suicide door install (long story), and I got and started installing my bear claw latches with the new install kit.

Trans Cooler:

Still need to get the hoses right but close enough for now.

Door Jam Repair:

Driver Side - I cut this side up a lot for testing and so I have a bigger mess to clean up. I'm doing the repair on the still open part in pieces rather than try to form a single patch. Easier to match the shape from the other side.

Passenger Side

Bear Claw Latch Instal:

I'm using the big latch kit from AutoLoc. I learned a lot on my first set of doors and so this time I'm going slower and doing what I can to retain as much of the original door as possible. (The idea of not using an entire patch panel just only what you need...) I'm pretty close here, I just need to make some slight modifications with a body hammer to the patch and then I should be able to weld it in. The cut marks on the door edge are mostly in the rubber though I did knick the metal a little bit... oops!

[panelrodder81]

A pic would be great because I didn't have any problems. I removed the lower window guide screw and had to snake the latch into place but it works just fine with no issues, either with the latch or the window.

[panelrodder81]

Oh, and these doors are front a truck actually.

[2dwn4u]

Originally Posted by panelrodder81

A pic would be great because I didn't have any problems. I removed the lower window guide screw and had to snake the latch into place but it works just fine with no issues, either with the latch or the window.

Here are the pictures of our bear claws

[C@rnut001]

Your truck has come a long way and I love what you are doing with it. Have you made any more progress on it? I liked your "Larry2" truck that you sold. It was great too. Keep it up and thanks for sharing your build pictures and info.

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

Your truck has come a long way and I love what you are doing with it. Have you made any more progress on it? I liked your "Larry2" truck that you sold. It was great too. Keep it up and thanks for sharing your build pictures and info.

The truck has been a bit stagnant since I bought Larry2 and all the work that went into him. Currently the truck is holding steady at a new brake master cylinder. I bought one, got it bench bled, cut out a bigger notch in the trans xmember to clear it (I found out after the fact my old MC was a corvette style and I bought a full size car style), and got it all bolted in place. Remaining is to bleed the brakes out and pray the brake pedal pressure problem is gone.

That's where he stands. After that is done though I plan to slap some plates on it and drive it for awhile, making sure it is all tight, runs cool enough, shifts smooth, and otherwise is in good order. All the while I'll be wrapping up the custom interior structure and beginning the second half of that project.

I did get some small parts for it as part of my Christmas gifts. Some seat belts for the front seats, kick panels, and a few other small items. And I also got my mascots!



-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

Had a little problem with Curly today. I lost all brake pedal pressure and wound up slamming the truck into the stairs and railing in my garage. Buggered up the grill shell, grill shell emblem (that I've only had for a year now), a little of the grill, and then killed the bumper.





Looks like the frame horn on the passenger side hit the actual cement step and it is pretty clear that the rail is now pushed back about 1/2 an inch or more. Look down the edge of the radiator (top of the pic) and you can see how much that crossmember was knocked back on the right side of the pic.


Appears that what went wrong was the line to the driver's side rear drum burst completely lose from the fitting that screws into the wheel cylinder opening the line completely to the atmosphere.


Bunch of stuff is now out of alignment.
Hood and Fender:

and even the glove box to speaker grill alignment is messed up now.


Not a happy day for Panelrodder or Curly.

-Panelrodder

[VA72C10]

Man, sorry to see that!

[panelrodder81]

Well I've made some progress getting the truck back on the road. I pulled the front bumper off along with the bumper brackets, the grill, and the grill shell.
This is how bad just the bumper was!



Then we had a big swap meet here a couple weeks ago and I found the following:
New grill shell -

New rechromed grill - (only $220!)

And a fun side mirror so I can actually see behind this beast! -


After some work this nice long weekend I was able to get the brakes fixed, bleed, the trans temp gauge installed and working, and the gas gauge finally finished. Then I got to stripping the grill shell and not it looks like this:


The goal for the week is to get some glazing putty on the shell and get it finished out and sprayed black for installation. Hope to have it all put back together this week. The ultimate goal is to actually mask off the fenders and running boards and do those black to match the grill shell and break up some of the green on the truck.

-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

I've been leaking coolant outta my thermostat housing and its been annoying me so I finally got around to dealing with it. I guess the housing was cracked and I didn't know it.


My new housing installed and waiting for a new rad hose. I'm going to do a hard tube with rubber hose segments on the end.


While I was at it I'm adding a fuel pressure gauge into the mix just cuz.

(Yes I know its not done yet!)

-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

All back together and running. Got the engine warm enough for the thermostat to open and it hovered shortly after at about 190 degrees. Then after it cooled down I didn't seem to seep any fluid from the housing so that is major improvement!

Overall I'm pretty happy to be so close to being back on the road. All that is left is some body work on the new grill shell, paint it black, and install it along with the grill. Thought I still do need to find a new bumper and GMC emblem.

-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

BIG UPDATE:

First - My photobucket account need some organization but by so doing I managed to kill the embedded photos for the rest of this thread.... so here is a link to all the photos: http://s281.photobucket.com/user/pan...0Panel%20Curly

There are so many photos I can't go back and swap them all out. But this change will lock in the new photos which are exciting pics if I do say so myself!


Second - The update! So after my little accident last summer where I bent the frame I tried to get it pulled and the prices that came back for estimates were crazy high in my opinion. So in stead I grabbed an extra 53 frame from my brother (he's building a 53 pickup on an S10) and started to build a whole new frame.


It was down the road 2 miles at my dad's place so I loaded it up and drug it home.

Got it home and on stands:

And the proceeded to strip it of all unnecessary brackets. Anyone not using the 'cut and x in the head of the rivet and air hammer it off' method is kidding themselves! It was super slick and easy to do!

Speedway Motors provided a new xmember and spring hat kit which comes w boxing plates... but since I didn't see those in there I made some... yup I'm dumb.

Fantastic kit and great price of $299.


Test fitting:


Tacked in... only to find my measurements were off and now I get to cut the tacks and re-position.


Also got some universal LS motor mounts from Speedway for the forth coming 5.3l I was planning before I even knew I was gonna build a new frame.


Next was to get the old frame out so I could get parts off it as well as measurements.

Had to deflate the rear wheels to get the frame out!

The whole time I was lifting the body, by myself by the way, I was imagining the article that could be written about me as I won a Darwin Award for a truck body falling on me.

My daughter came out after it was all secured though and helped:


Old frame separated from the body for the first time since about 2001... hopefully never again too.


New frame will get the front suspension parts, rear end, tank (i hope), brake booster and MC, wheels, body brackets, running board brackets and running boards. It will also get a brand new Ride Tech polished Stainless four link kit w Shockwaves.

For the motor swap, which I started buying parts for before I knew I needed to do a new frame, this is what I have:

5.3l 2000 Suburban engine w 75k that I purchased for $625. As you see it here is how I got it. (Actually bought two for that price. Other one is my dads)

Test fit on the old frame shows the stock manifolds won't work... looking at some Hooker Super Comps to replace em.


From there I put it on the engine stand for paint after much scrubbing w a toothbrush:


I don't have a pic w the intake back on but is all back together now and so I started working on the brackets for the accessories. Scrubbing, sanding, and filing off the casting seems was the first order of business. Since I can't afford some custom brackets I decided to put some good effort into making these look good.

sanding and filing

Semi gloss engine enamel will look really great next to the silver engine.


Bought all my accessories (alt, starter, p/s and MAF sensor) from partingout.com which was super cool place, highly recommend.

Picked up a 4l60e to put behind it, it still dirty and unpainted though.



The plan - Build out a full rolling chassis and then roll it back under the body and lower the body into place. I wan the motor and trans in place, the brakes working, the air ride hooked up (albeit on poor man style right now schreder valve.), and tires on.

If I can have the engine wiring harness roughly in place and radiator installed safely then I will do that too. Since this was a running an driving truck before all this my hope is I can plunk the body back on, bold down, connect the few dots remaining and fire it up.

Today is 5.14.13... and the goal is to drive the thing to a big show, Cache Valley Cruise In, on 4th of July weekend. (I know, its a tall order!)

-Panelrodder

[not2oldchevy]

Early C5 manifolds will work perfect.

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by not2oldchevy

Early C5 manifolds will work perfect.

Thanks for the info, in fact I used it this past weekend to pick up a set of Corvette LS Exhaust manifolds for 20 bucks! Way better price than 250 for a set of headers!

-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

Small updated. I'm doing my own harness, cut down from a stock harness, using the lt1swap.com method. I've done the majority of the work and I'm just now doing a layout on the motor of the harness, where I wanna have it pass through the firewall, and where to mount the ecu, fuse panel, and the relays. Looks like they will mount just off center on the inside of the firewall. The wires will pass through the firewall right behind the motor at the bottom of the intake. So far I've only had to change the length of two wires, I'm sure they won't be the only ones though.





I also test fitted a fender and looks like I should be good on the wheel placement too!



-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

Wiring harness work has been slow... mainly cuz I'm being a puss about it and got overwhelmed. But the wiring work is back on track and I've gotten a bunch done.



Might look pretty much the same as before but thats cuz I was really working under the dash... but I like pictures so I added this one. I need to connect the new lengths of wire, had to lengthen a few from under the dash, to the engine side and then back under the dash for the fuse panel/relays and ecu mounting.


All goes well I hope to be sending the ecu off for programming, pulling the motor and trans back out for motor mount final welding, and harness wrapping. Stuff it all back in and then knock out the fuel system.

Then hopefully a big ol nasty burn out!

Here is a pic of what I'm calling a 'faux fuel log' is a fuel manifold that is meant to basically make the installation look more vintage. I took the idea of a the fuel manifolds on multi carb cars and isolated each port so that one functions as a supply line and the other as a return line. My brother-in-law machined it for me with the fancy fins and everything.


Hard lines will run up the firewall to ports on the bottom and then soft line from the ports on the front to the supply and return ports on the motor. Combined with vintage valve cover coil pack covers like Slosh Tubz blazer I'm hoping to get some of the vintage flavor back into the engine bay.


Here is a pic of the trans xmember I build... yeah its huge but I had some 2x4 tubing on hand and didn't want to go buy more!


-Panelrodder

[panelrodder81]

Its been a LONG while since I update this thread. Since the last post we moved back to Idaho and then six months later bought and moved into a house. The truck is now running and driving, mostly back together after the chassis and engine swap and I've added air ride the to front to match the back.

Begin the photo onslaught.....


Loading for the move.


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unloading at the first new house.


We didn't know how long we'd be at this house so I got kinda settled in:


Got it running and stuck a fender on it:


Doing an LS swap? Don't forget to put this plug in or you will have an issue with the rpms flying off the handle!


Getting the e-fans setup. The bigger fan is a Taurus fan and moves a helluva lot of air!



E-fans mounted


Took another break to go down and pickup Curly's bigger brother Larry, a 52 GMC 2ton.



Cleaning up and repainting the firewall.


Fenders jammed and installed along with the e-fans.


The rad hoses are done (they will need modification now though)


The Facebook page 'Rat Trap' snagged an photoshop mockup of my truck I did back around 2009 and ran it on their page.


Laying out the electronics to operate the e-fans and hiding them behind the panel above the hood latch on the GMC's.


Can hardly tell they are in there!


Trans hard lines to the cooler.


Loaded up to move to the house we bought six months after moving back to Idaho.



In his new home.


Still a hefty list of stuff to work on.


The air ride kit for the front showed up! Man I love Speedway.


Apparently I the pump in my 4l60e was busted... had to pull it out of the truck and replace it.


Cut and modified some manifolds. Passengerside is a stock truck manifold and the driverside is a Trailblazer SS. I cut off the flanges on both, clocked them for frame clearance, removed a wedge from the TBSS manifold, and then welded them up.


Comparison with air ride on all four corners aired up and down.


3" Magnaflow exhaust


Maiden Voyage was mostly a success!


Exhaust fabrication
Driverside -

Passengerside -


In the driveway, laid out, and rocking his brand new exhaust.





Engine cover in place and puke tank


Took it for short trip


Rear fenders painted and installed.


Lights installed front and rear


And finally the most current photo with one of the front fenders painted.



Here is panorama shot of what my garage looks like right. The chassis in the middle is from a 2001 Suburban and will go under my '52 GMC 2 ton I mentioned above.

[youngrodder]

Your progress looks great. Nothing like that first drive.

Marc

[99 to Life]

killer stuff.