My Unexpected '66 SWB-Fleet-Restomod Project!

[Palf70Step]

Nice looking box.

[pdxhall]

Hey man, I just caught up on your build after my 3 yr absence and your truck is looking fantastic. Quality work.

[clemdaddy]

Box does look good...
Scottybob doesn't remember the material from your seat, probably because since then a lot of others have clouded his mind. See if there is a place under the seat that you could snip off a small piece to match.
You might go to a local shop and look through their swatches to get the name of the material. Will PM you later.

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nice looking box.

Thanks for the compliment...More progress yet to come!

Originally Posted by pdxhall

Hey man, I just caught up on your build after my 3 yr absence and your truck is looking fantastic. Quality work.

3yrs? Sounding like me now! Thanks a bunch!

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

Box does look good...
Scottybob doesn't remember the material from your seat, probably because since then a lot of others have clouded his mind. See if there is a place under the seat that you could snip off a small piece to match.
You might go to a local shop and look through their swatches to get the name of the material. Will PM you later.

Clem!
Thanks...You haven't seen anything yet!!!
I have the material samples here in the envelope that you originally sent them to me in for approval!
They all (3) have the color names written on the back side. I am going to go up to my storage to confirm that these are all correct and let you know the outcome.
And just in case you don't remember what the seat looked like....

[Modges'66]

Well guys, over the past few weeks I have started to make a bit of progress with my stereo system project for the '66. I have started to see the UPS man more often with some of the selected items arriving.
The first items to be chosen for the system are a JL Audio 900w/5ch amp with a pair of Rockford Fosgate 10" DVC 2ohm subs...I will be picking-off other items as I need them, but I already know what I want. LOL!

I have carpeted the box with exact matching carpet as already installed in the '66 and added an aluminum moulding to split-up the carpet & painted areas. The amp cover for the box is primed, sanded, & ready for paint, but I am waiting because there are a couple other items that I will be painting to match also...



I will have more to come Soon!

[silvertonguedevil]

This has to be one of the most inspiring threads on this website! Amazing work! Makes me itchy to get started on mine!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by silvertonguedevil

This has to be one of the most inspiring threads on this website! Amazing work! Makes me itchy to get started on mine!

Thanks Greg!
I haven't posted in a while, and when you said that, it made me look for myself....I saw a lot of things that I had forgotten about! LOL!...Good times!

[Modges'66]

I have been working on my audio project pretty heavily lately, and decided to remove my kick-panel vents, and replace them with front speakers. I don't really use these vents, because they seem to pick-up all of the exhaust fumes in traffic (cruising).
I built these plates from aluminum sheet to replace the vents, and contact-cemented some 6x8 baffles to them that I bought from Crutchfield to enclose them, and protect the speakers from the weather. I painted the adapter plates to match the interior of the '66.








Have a Happy Easter Everybody!!!

[LDO]

Those look great!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by LDO

Those look great!

Thanks For the comment!
I am trying to plan this system out so that nothing in the interior is de-faced in the process....It is getting harder as I go though!

[Modges'66]

I have started building enclosures for the corners of the cab from aluminum.
I will be adding component speakers to these also! These will be fastened in-place by screwing or riveting them to the weatherstrip flange on the door-jamb, and believe it or not, I will be taping the other flange to the rear wall of the cab using sound-deadener...LOL!
I was originally going to use automotive structural panel bonding epoxy to secure them, but when I went to remove some of the sound-deadener to do so, I decided otherwise!!! I appears that the adhesive on the sound-deadener will work just fine.
Here are some pics of the panels that I built...


I then added sound-deadener to the back-side of them, and carpeted the fronts.



And finally installed the speakers & crossovers into the panels...If it ever stops snowing here, I will get these mounted into the truck!!!

[Modges'66]

Hey Guys!
It has finally stopped snowing here!..Crazy, I know!
Funny, but I was listening to the radio this afternoon, and they were talking about today being the last day of snowboarding/skiing at a local resort!...

I have also finally gotten the chance to mount the sub-box and my cab-corner enclosures in the '66.
Here are some pics with the seatback removed to make wiring easier....I was alone and couldn't figure out a way to get the whole seat out!





The amplifier cover turned out pretty nice also! Hard to tell in these pics, but it looks soooo damn custom...


I am getting really impatient to get this audio system finished-up!
I've got some pretty non-conventional ideas for the receiver unit and it's placement!
I am pretty sure that NOBODY has done anything quite like I have planned........yet anyways.
Stay tuned to prove me wrong.

[Palf70Step]

Very Nice!

[rustbucket66]

Now that is the rock n roll stereo. Wow. Beautiful installation and used the space behind the seat to the max. These cabs are fairly loud inside at highway speed, but this one will have concert hall sound inside. Crank up the rock n roll.

[deejaaa1]

looking so custom now that it seems hard to trump that.

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Very Nice!

Thanks Bill!

Originally Posted by rustbucket66

Now that is the rock n roll stereo. Wow. Beautiful installation and used the space behind the seat to the max. These cabs are fairly loud inside at highway speed, but this one will have concert hall sound inside. Crank up the rock n roll.

Thanks!
For the longest time, I wasn't sure that I even wanted to have a strereo...But every so often you get that urge to rock-out!!!

Originally Posted by deejaaa1

looking so custom now that it seems hard to trump that.

Thanks a lot!
I have worked really hard at making this all match the rest of the interior without modifying any of the existing cab!

[Modges'66]

Well Guys, sorry for the delay!
I had decided to design a console with cup-holders to house my stereo head-unit but after 20+ hours of messing around on the computer, I decided to toss my first design ideas into the garbage. I had mocked-up a full-size cardboard model of the console in an attempt to finalize the design before fabrication began....I am so happy that I did, because I hated everything about it!!!
It seemed that a full-on console gave me a feeling of being crowded with absolutely NO spare room inside of the cabin!!!
I have already given up all of the space behind the seat, and now I would be giving up all of the space over the tunnel too......Just for a stereo.

One of the things that I hated about the console idea with a bench-seat was that you needed a space between the seat & the console to allow for seat adjustment, which made things look odd when the seat was all the way back.....Otherwise, you couldn't move the seat to store things underneath very easily.
I went back to the computer and started over with my original thoughts, from before my elaborate mind took over to maximize things. I came-up with a new idea for a mini-console that travels with the seat, making the seat easy to adjust, and store things under.

There is a support that attaches to the bottom of the seat frame (without drilling) to support the "mini-console" and allow it to travel with the seat...Here is a pic.

I fab'ed the support from aluminum to be rigid & lightweight


I made a another cardboard model.....I hope that you get the idea!




I have already started the fabrication, and it won't be long before I have the real thing in place!!!

[Captainfab]

And another cool idea

[aggie91]

I like the idea. Now to see the finished product.

I agree with you, a console and bench seat usually does not work out well.

[jchav62]

Beautiful work!!!

[made2drag]

Nice!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by jchav62

Beautiful work!!!

Originally Posted by made2drag

Nice!

Thank you so very much guys!

It looks like I have been missing for quite some time!

Here are a few pics of the finished console!...I thought that I had posted these months ago! I think that it turned-out sweet, and I can't wait to hear all of your comments.
The first two pics are during trial assembly, and before faux carbon was added!
If you look closely, on the upper right of the front (when installed in the vehicle) there is a USB port & Aux-in for playing music from a flash drive or ipod, and on the upper left there is a JL subwoofer level control knob.....It seems that the pics aren't very clear. Sorry...




Here is a pic of the console unit wrapped and installed in the truck. Just in case you are wondering, the center portion is a single piece of aluminum sheet-metal bent into a odd shaped tube with a welded seam. Then tabs were welded inside the open ends to attach the sides plates, which were CNC milled. The sides plates are fastened using 3M heavy-duty plastic velcro, which makes it easy to access the wiring of the head-unit.









Please respond with your comments. I really want to know what you guys think!!

[Grizz1963]

That’s pretty special mate.


Beautiful Engineering

[aggie91]

Very nicely executed. Well done my friend!

[Strodder]

Very, very nice. Good idea.