Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Loads of little jobs done today.

Starting off with fitting the following item.....

Had a text from Rob, the previous keeper/owner of the truck a couple of weeks ago to ask for my postal address, as he had a "thing" to post off to me that he thought I would appreciate.
So this week he had time to pop into the post office to post out the "thing" which came to me on Thursday.
I have to say, his parcel was a challenge, and only when the "thing" came out the last layer, did I know what it was.

I have always loved these and they make me chuckle when people use them in public. Just never got to buy one myself.

Seems that when I tested it down at the garage, Duke, our ginger cat shot upstairs without waiting the see what it was..... RESULT !!

So, Huge Thanks to Rob, as he had planned it for the truck when he had it.



After the rear end kissing I got from Nicola when we fetched the truck, I realized the nuts n bolts on the rear bumper and towbar need to be seen to.

So this week I ordered some M12 x 25mm high tensile bolts with nuts to replace the existing items.

I have seen some bodging on this truck and stuff done to a standard below my own expectation, but the fact that there were 4 different nuts, bolts used to secure (loose description) the bumper at some point in its past, just made me shrug and bite my tongue.

It took some time to get these all removed, the domed head bolts were the biggest problem, as there was no way or room to grip the heads while addressing the nuts, which I had given some WD40 the last three days.
In the end I gripped the threaded ends with the vice grip and had a ring spanner in place over the nuts, getting them undone slowly.
The one bolt just turned off in my hands.
You will note there are no two the same here.



While I was at it, I also fitted new longer bolts to the plate on which the light socket plug was fitted.
When Scott wired the truck lights I decided to fit the plug under the load body, to keep it out of sight and the weather.



Next job, which I was actually not looking forward to (though it was actually surprisingly easy in the end) was to make up a sleeve/spacer for the tow ball Tim had sent me.
Remember I had a 40mm hole drilled in the bumper and tow bar as the shop did not have a 32mm drill on site the day I went there with Mickey.
So this was a bit of reverse engineering.
I had got a 300mm length of scaffolding pipe from Charley the farmer this week.
After measuring for what I needed, I cut a 25mm section off with the angle grinder with a 2mm blade fitted.... easy with the right tool.

I had also cut a slot into it length ways.



Using the grinder repeatedly to cut slivers out of it, and using the bench vice to push it together, then also shaping it the opposite direction, I eventually had a 33mm hole and 40mm outside diameter.



Before and after.



Using a large shifting spanner I recently bought for an art project I am working on, I tightened the whole lot, and ended up with a result that pleased me.

Tow ball fitted and some red reflective tape added to the rear step for night time visibility.



As always, Mickey popped around through the day.

Then once these jobs were done, we also rolled up the tonneau cover and fitted the bed sides as he wanted to see the dark painted sides up, the cover tucks in nicely behind the uprights.




At this point I had a coffee and left overs from last night as Nicola was out shopping (not my favourite pastime)and visiting her parents.

After lunch I decided to give the greasing a go, which was interrupted by a sudden thunder storm,( so need to do it again, this time without the wheels and jacked up, followed by trying to figure out why every light on the truck works off the main switch, but the headlights continue to be non functional..... STILL NO IDEA, or lights.

I also gave the tonneau a second coat of polish, Rain-X'd all the glass and stuck some stickers I had laying about onto the boat fuel tank that is now the trucks Jerry can.

Just after 6pm I decided to call it a day.

Tomorrow is bootfair day, so we will be using the truck to go there, and possibly a couple of other places.

All in all, a great weekend so far.

Still loving this truck.

I do wish I could have my brother here to enjoy it with me, as he is mad about trucks too.