What sheet metal to start installing first?

[FarmerSid]

Got my floor cut out, inner and outer cowls and inner to outer cowl cut out and hinge pillar separated from the rocker. Cab is braced. Made a new cab mount and rocker extension that was rotted forward of the door behind the lower hinge.

Been reading here on and off all day but I think I got myself all brain twisted. What order of new panels and such should I concentrate on installing first?

Cheers!

[mr48chev]

I'd think it is kind of similar to building a house. You do the foundation and get it square and then build off it.

You might have to build down from the top in your case though as it seems that you don't have a lot there to attach to if you go bottom up.

Personally I'd get the hinge pocket in place. set the doors on and make positive that the door gaps are right where you want them and adjust the bracing accordingly and then put the rockers in and probably do the floor and floor bracing and work my way up from there.

I learned a lot of things when I chopped my truck or since I chopped it and one is that it is imperative to get the door gaps perfect before you start on the rest of it.
The second thing is to have patience and don't get caught up in the "I have to do x amount of the work today or else" as that quickly creates issues that you have to go back and correct or you will always know are there.
Last when it becomes "work" instead of creating and fun back off and go do something else unrelated to the truck. Take your lady for a ride or a date night, go fishing or dig the clubs out and play pasture pool or anything else that totally clears your head of issues on the truck and then with a clear head you can go back and it should be back to creating and having and enjoyable time.
As long as you can see positive progress on a regular basis it doesn't matter how much progress just that you are making progress.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

Got my floor cut out, inner and outer cowls and inner to outer cowl cut out and hinge pillar separated from the rocker. Cab is braced. Made a new cab mount and rocker extension that was rotted forward of the door behind the lower hinge.

Been reading here on and off all day but I think I got myself all brain twisted. What order of new panels and such should I concentrate on installing first?

Cheers!

Cab mounts
Transmission access hole braces that go from the seat pan to the toe board.
Rockers if its a major section not just an end past the pillar and mount
Floors
Rockers if its just ends or near the front mounts at the pillar
inner cowls
outer cowl > doors on as said above

very similar to this thread the pictures may help with visualizing what it normally should look like in each step

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=614384

[FarmerSid]

Thanks for the help. Here's a few pictures to give you all an idea where I'm at. Here you can see the rocker patch and new cab mount.

[dwcsr]

I would make sure the mount is bolted down until its finished but your doing a great job

[skip99]

It may seem, it may even be...a waste of your time, but. I had started some body work, and something just didnt look right so i put front fenders on , and the hood hung past the fenders and firewall abut 1/2. To 3/4 inch on each side...after measuring it was apparent that the previous owner, had well. Ill make it short....really screwed up.....i had to cut off the cowls, cut the firewall loose on the sides and put in filler strips.....
So....i suggest you tack it together. And loosely install fenders, rad support and hood. Before you do any complete welding......or not...! Lol

[Hogger54]

Awesome pics. Keep them coming, I'm about to start the same process. Just not quite as extensive rust decay........ so far....

[av8tr33337]

Good Stuff. I'm almost to the point of starting that part of the job myself.

[Highsider]

Mr48 drops good advice, indeed.
"Last when it becomes "work" instead of creating and fun back off"

Difficult to recognize some times.

[FarmerSid]

Thanks guy's. That's why I'm here asking questions. Looking for direction from others that have done this before so I don't make the same mistakes. I was told when I first got the truck to take a break when it's no longer fun and that's what I have done a time or two. I'm glad I took that advice.

[FarmerSid]

Got to thinking.... When I fit up the front fender to the new outer cowl to fit the outer cowl, I will need the rad core support installed. The shims or spacers are long gone on mine. LMC shows an assembly but no kit to buy. Are the shims rubber and 1/4" thick?

[FarmerSid]

Wanna bring this back to the top. Need some past experience info from you guy's. I rebuilt my door hinges and am ready to hang the door to correctly fit the outer cowl for proper gaps. I stood back for a min to take a look at things and got to wondering. Do you think I should install the core support and hang the fender to make sure the curve of the fender matches the curve on the new outer cowl? I'm afraid if I weld in the outer cowl so the door gap is correct but end up with fender fitment issues. How thick are the spacers under the core support?

Thanks!

Sid

[99 to Life]

nice work sid, the spacers under the core support isn't getting answered cause often times these trucks are being so modified and or come in pieces and or people aren't running stock core supports. I suppose if I remember I can have a look at my all original (again most guys don't have originals to reference). Door gap idea is good, just gotta really make sure you got things braced up for that weight. Putting front clip on and hood and leveling the fenders and having the hood latch is what you are going for, regardless of your spacers. you could take your outter cowls and clamp it to your fenders, snug it all up, block it level it etc and see if you can't make some marks to see where your outter cowls should weld up. as long as you got your fender bead curve in the outter cowl to line up with the fenders, the holes aren't a huge issue, they should line up and if they don't you could redrill/plug whatever doesn't. I think you have a great handle on the situation.

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

play pasture pool

Ok, I'll bite, what is pasture pool, pocket pool with the bulls???? Swimming in the horse tank??

On the core support shims, that can be affected by the cab angle alignment too, which also affects the bed. Before final welding get the doors with the step sill parallel with the frame at the right height, probably stock shims with yours. Then the core support and hood and fenders in that order. There are lots of threads about hood alignment that go back to doing the fenders and core first and the hood not fiting. On TF the fenders align with the doors. I would also drop the bed back on to make sure the horizontal accent lines are lining up. Now and then I see a truck where lots of work was done on the front clip and cab but the bed is tilted because there was not enough room to shim it to align with the cab/door line.

[Highsider]

Golf, Orrie, and I don't golf!

[FarmerSid]

Thanks guy's. I brought home some 1/8" rubber squares and made some stainless washers as shims. Maybe I'll start at 1/4" and see how it goes. I was just hoping that someone who went through the same thing could save me hours if fitting. No biggie.