1958 Chevy Roadmaster

[Kingmike]

I have been lurking a while, there are a lot of cool rigs on this forum. I figured it was time to contribute my own. I have been with the task force group for a while. I got my first in 1988, while in high school. It was a 1957 3200 long bed that I promptly swapped to a 1977 Jimmy chassis. I still have and is currently on the road, and is a blast to drive. It is no show piece, but currently running a 305 / turbo 350 with holley tbi, power steering, power disc brakes up front, it runs really good and reliable!
My Dad lives next door and he got his 56 around the same time, and he put a 400 in the stock frame and added power brakes and drove his off and on for the last 25 years this way. however You will see pics of his pop up too. we have his truck swapped over to an 89 chevy k1500, because he liked the look of my 4x4... more on that later
This thread is about a 58 big window cab and title I bought about 10 years ago I also picked up a 1992 Buick roadmaster8 or so years ago. I have two boys of my own so I need two trucks, one for each of them, RIGHT?? so to bring this thread up to date, Body work started on the cab early 2013 and the Buick got stripped late 2013, the cab was fitted to the frame March 2014, and last week I got the Buick wiring harness in and got the steering and brakes operational, so currently sitting on a milk crate, I can move it under its own power, It will be easier to work on!
on with the pics...

My first

I get a lot of help from dad...
http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7d53ab52.jpg
dash is in nice shape
http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/...ps232cc592.jpg
cab in epoxy primer
http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/...pscacce7b3.jpg
and how it sits now, notice the temp fenders so as not to ruin the nice new paint

[Baldeagle SR]

Welcome looks like you got a good start.
I am running a 430 Buick in mine.
Rich
my build
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=576185

[Kim57]

Welcome.
Looks like a real cool build.
Kim

[_Ogre]

i like it
can we see the roadmaster frame mods?

[Kingmike]

Actually there were no mods to the frame except mounts for cab , the mods are to the cab to clear the frame , we modified the step area to clear the frame. I'll try to get some more pics up

[Kingmike]

got some work done. I'll be using a 89 chevy bed for now I need to use a fleet side to hide frame rails (step side steps would interfere with frame rails), I have a 58 fleetside bed but it's in really bad shape, so I'm going another route at this time
how it sits now

I did score some impala ss wheels I threw on to see how they looked. disregard battery strapped to top of engine, that has been rectified also, got my battery tray mounted in original location

[Kingmike]

You can see in side view, how the steps have been modified, and this shot shows how cab corner was cut to clear frame rail

[Kingmike]

How Dad's sits now

[Kim57]

Nice progress.
Kim

[Kingmike]

We have been busy on both trucks. Dad's truck got the body finished, primed, and painted. and mostly put back together!!

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[michaelt55]

Sharp looking vehicle!!

[dubie]

Ill be keeping an eye on this one. I'm just starting a build of a 58 GMC short fleetside on an 86 Caprice frame

[Kingmike]

Hi all, back with an update, we've spent some more time on Dad's 4x4 mostly mechanical clean up, installed a lock up kit in 700r4 to get rpms down while cruising( very nice improvement!) installed a module to indicate gear selection for the Dakota digital gauge cluster he has had for years, but the old generation of truck used a floor shifter that had indicator but this truck now has column shift. We also replaced the pressure treated bed floor that lasted almost twenty years and although quite faded and minor cracking, held up quit well, However when looking at the truck as a whole the bed floor was probably the only part that was untouched and looked as such. We installed new Brazilian hard wood (ipe) that I had left over from building my deck, and it looks sharp, I will post pics of that later. But, we also got to spend some time on my 58 also, the bed has been on and off multiple times to figure out what we were going to do with the fuel fill. We decided on adding a fuel fill door in the bed floor, happy with the end result, but not the location I wanted. We went with a roll pan out back and I was looking to hide the fill behind flip down license plate, but the bed sits so low that the fill would only allow me to fill the tank half way before running back out the fill. and I'm using the stock Buick tank with center rear inlet, It would have been difficult to run the fill piping to the bed side, with the length and multiple 90 degree turns , I thought I might have filling issues, so that is why it ended up where it did. With the roll pan we added the 89 caddy tail light buckets and shaved the original fuel door. We also put some thought into back up lights. I bought these 12 volt leds online, (with some help of this forum!)we made a die for a regular knock out set, to press recessions for the lights to reside in the roll pan, pretty happy with the outcome and locations . I think it gives a modern look of almost like new cars with back up sensors. with the new bed and other little mods I think it fits... On with some pics

[Kim57]

Looking good.
I like the back up lights.
Kim

[Kingmike]

the Brazilian hard wood in Dad's truck... we raptor lined the bed sides and front and used custom aluminum strips and counter sunk stainless screws...

[Kingmike]

I found newer Malibu center caps fit the 94-96 impala wheels I'm running so I scored a set...

Also got my door bottoms replaced, inner and outer, and got them tyest fit on their hinges on the cab, they fit nicer than Dad's repop doors. A lot more work, but I'm pretty happy with fit, and cost, but did I mention A lot more work...


We are waiting for the weather to warm a little bit, to paint, so we are getting more parts ready to spray

[Kingmike]

still doing body work, I hate sanding... got my doors done and ready for paint, and working on front clip...

[Kim57]

Looks good.
I want that lift.
Kim

[Kingmike]

how bout a video!!!
https://youtu.be/pptWo5uiMFc

[Kim57]

Nice video.
Kim

[Kingmike]

Working on the wipers. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth all the time and effort....
I removed a perfectly good working electric set up from the cab, to work the1992 buick motor assembly. I guess I should be happy enough to have a working electric set up, but I was looking to have a multispeed, with delay! and be able to use the control on the updated steering colum. I'm pretty happy with the results...
these pics are after I had it installed and worked ok, but I made a few adjustments and then reinstalled, unit hangs on stock mounts, but takes up a lot more room under there. (causing other issues to be deal with at another time,lol)

[Kingmike]

Got the bed primed and painted, and installed back on the truck, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel

[Kim57]

I like it.
Kim

[Baldeagle SR]

That does look nice. Rich