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

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by duallyjams

Always a fun day when you get to hang with your mates.

Really is, and I think between Martin and I there is very little selfishness, so we both are happy to go out of our way to help each other, it really gets stuff done fast.

Originally Posted by flashed

Grizz ,I showed my wife your thread here and she wanted me to tell you she likes your truck .

Hey flashed, thank you and your wife.

Half of the purpose of threads is to learn, and the other half is to entertain.

Next update in a bit.

[Grizz1963]

[font size="6"]IT HAS BEGUN........ NO TURNING BACK NOW.[/font]


Greeted by this before 09.00 today.

Driven by Bob the Magician.






Tools of the trade.




I met Bob a few months ago when he picked up a pedal kart for his son Alfie that he had won on Evilbay.

Typically of me, we started to chat and ended up talking jobs and hobbies...... so it was agreed that I would use him to pull the dents on my trucks door where it had flipped open before.

I still need to find a pair of Jeep Cherokee "door straps" to replace the stretched original ones.

Bob started dressing a few of the small dents on the bonnet for me.

Made it look so easy, I also made him a wooden tool to help massage the metal. Made me feel useful as he is so bloody skilled.



Then onto the door to open up the first crease......

The filler at the bottom of the ground back section is about 8mm thick, camera does not capture it well.

Loads of holes from previous damage repairs, I suspect the door was damaged again after the repairs were done in the USA before exportation.





Then I got to help...... now there was no going back.

The clips that hold the wide trim onto the door screws in, and I managed to unscrew one, the others we just ground the heads off, and dropped the bits inside the door for attention later.
I believe the new trim I will be buying when I have saved up the cash, from Mar-K, comes with new clips.



NINJA !!




Next up came the fun, magical part.

Using the "Wriggley Wire" welded on with this special tool.

Bob showed me, and then made me do the next few.



It fuses these wriggley wires to the body metal with current, then you get to pull the metal back with various tools and also tension, with added hammer and dolly strikes.

MAGIC !!!







PRO at work.

Hook in as many hooks as you needed and welded on and into the crease.







MARTIN had come over earlier from taking his Rottie to the vets, to take a look and learn as well.

He made a few very short video clips which will give an idea of what happens. Excuse the finesse and aspect of the clips, it is an iPhone 6 so quite technical (rofl)

The violence levels vary, and finesse is the name of the game in stretching and shrinking metal.

CLIP 1

Dent Pulling part 1 - YouTube

CLIP 2

Dent Pulling part 2 - YouTube

CLIP 3

Dent Pulling part 3 - YouTube

Bob dressing the steel after the wires, which he alternated as he went along.



Bit by bit the crease came back, as well as the swage line which is really badly creased.

Next up it was the time for a pin puller. Same as the wriggley wires, apply current, fuse to door, pull.





At this point Bob was trying to fill the holes we opened up with some of the pins, a couple took, but the rest would not seat.

So I brought out the Mig Welder, thinking that would be sensible, Martin, being the hero, who welds plate most days of the week took the welder out of our hands and proceeded to burn a hole and create a blob....... OOOOPPPS !! (OK, I admit, it was not his fault, though I would love to blame him)
After 5 years, the bottle of CO2 that Oldbus had brought me from Germany had just expired. BUGGGERR !!!
No Problemo..... Or so I thought, I have a fresh bottle of Argon/CO2 mix, specially bought for the trucks welding, just quickly change bottles and we will be back on track.

ERRRRMMM..... ?? NOPE.

Can you see the problem ??




YUP.

Female-Male or Male-Female.

So I needed an adaptor for my regulator. (suspect I have one hidden away somewhere)

So Bob just finished up as far as he could, as he had another home visit to do today.



Up here he could not do anything where some idiot had tried to crowbar open the quarter light at some point.





After Bob packed up and left, I went to Rainham to pick up a 3 speed Raleigh Shopper bicycle in need of attention.
Hammerite paint and a flat front wheel is the opening bid, but I have a plan.



Then I shot over to Machine Mart in Maidstone as I managed to get a 20% VAT Free discount voucher off a member on Rods n Sods to meet Martin and to do a group buy of tools we both needed.
I got an electric Impact Wrench, Oscilating DA Sander, two half packs of discs for the sander, 50 each in medium and coarse grit which Martin and I always share half and half, as well as the adaptor for my welders gas bottle.

My little pile in heaven.



This weekend has been wet, rainy and relatively miserable.

Nicola really only saw me this morning when I took her a cuppa tea and last night for a bit.

Yet, when I came in from all my "Manly tasks" the house smelt rather good and I found these in the kitchen, with a lovely casserole in the oven, cooking away, as well as a Summer fruits oven baked crumble.......


MY LIFE IS GOOD !!





That is all for today.

Next episode soon.

[clemdaddy]

wow, what a day.
your pal made short work of the door, that crease can be tough. the work you guys did together, outstanding. then after all the sweat and toll... theres a batch of hot muffins waiting...
wow, what a day.

i just gotta ask. how many batteries a day do you go through with that jumpsuit?

great job and a fun day...

[Ta2Don]

Wow! What a day!!!

New toys and Hot Muffins!!!

[CRGRS 66]

I thought you were going to say that Ian baked the muffins

Progress in dents looks great

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

wow, what a day.
your pal made short work of the door, that crease can be tough. the work you guys did together, outstanding. then after all the sweat and toll... theres a batch of hot muffins waiting...
wow, what a day.

i just gotta ask. how many batteries a day do you go through with that jumpsuit?

great job and a fun day...

You had Nicola choking on and spitting her tea out when she read your comments.

These suits were off an oil rig support tug, so needed all the bright lights, at least you cannot miss me in it.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Wow! What a day!!!

New toys and Hot Muffins!!!

YUP YUP YUUUUUP !!

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

I thought you were going to say that Ian baked the muffins

Progress in dents looks great

Thank you mate.

Ian is too bloody bone idle to bake the muffins, better at eating them

[Grizz1963]

Have started to clear out the garage so that I will have space to do the bodywork when I get going.

So tonight I removed the chrome smoothies and fitted these Japanese 4x4 wheels that my buddy Scott (Jabbo) dropped off here about a year ago.

They will be perfect to roll the truck around on, and are OK to get dirty etc.



I do love this quick Snap On jack.

Up Up and away.



Job done !!

I also used the new impact wrench I bought yesterday to undo the nuts, what a pleasure to have the "right tools".

It is brutal for sure.

I will not be using it for most fastening jobs.



Just before I pulled the truck back in, I looked down the side and again just grinned at how Bob had managed to sort out the creases yesterday.



I also started to move stuff into the caravan shed, as my bike trailer needs to go to Martins mums place 30 miles from here, into her garage.

Once the space is liberated I can move my motorbike across and put up the wall I want to add to keep the rest of the garage reasonably dust free.

The blasting cabinet needs to be assembled too.

[Grizz1963]

Found in a skip over in Hackney area today.

Will be almost perfect for when I sit alongside the truck sanding..... wheeled one would be better.

Put it on the table out on the deck, turned around and Harley was straight on it.



I suspect she will be there every step of the way while the truck gets done.

Cats.......

[Ta2Don]

Cats be Cats!!!

Will FaceTime you later today…
Cheers Mate

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Cats be Cats!!!

Will FaceTime you later today…
Cheers Mate

Thanks for the call, was cool having the lot of us in one room.


Truck time tomorrow, well, sort of. Working on clearing the garage.

Sold my Sachs Madass tonight.

Stripped off all the side trim on my truck after work.

Looks rubbish.

[62 Barnfind]

I saw that wire gun on Wheeler dealers last night. It looks like it works real good! Your truck is looking good!

[Grizz1963]

I can't believe how different the truck can look from one week to the next.




Last night I removed the side trim off the truck.

I was amazed at just how knackered the trim is.



First question is WHY ???

WHY do they need these clips to keep the trim on?

How the hell do you get it off the truck without getting a hernia??



BARSTEWARDS !!!!!!



These little clips are OK to remove.



Leaving the trim in a pile of mangled treasures.



While I was in the garage, I looked at the quarter windows, the passenger side is rotten..... now to find a decent replacement. Who said it would be easy.



Rusted frame.



Drivers side is a lot better, and the rubbers need replacing, but the frame is good.




I took a day annual leave today, to fit some hardboard into the rafters of the garage.
Hopefully it will help when I get to do the body work, to keep the garage a bit warmer, and also to manage the dust from sanding filler etc.

Once I pulled the truck out on the "winter wheels" and minus its side trim, it looked pretty misserable.



Went to B&Q Hardware to fetch 8 sheets of hardboard, and some cut timber for framing up the walls I want to put up inside the garage.

On the way back, I stopped for some fuel as the needle was dropping very low.



It took me the best part of 8 hours of cutting and fetteling to get the the drop down sheets onto the rafters.

I still need to tidy up the holes and some of the escapes for the heat, then I will do the walls.

Before






While I was clearing up the loft area,I found the trucks "aircon/blower" pipes. Merry mix of pipework.



After.




Getting there bit by bit.

[Ta2Don]

More productive today than me...

Looks like your plan is coming together...

[mjh1965]

Well mate I have just placed our order with Brothers so as long as it makes the container by the 17th of December we will have a lot of nice things to open in January

[mjh1965]

Here's our order
My parts



Rian's order



Combining the order



As you can see we save $38.50 it's a small saving but when you have to pay shipping cost and the 20% tax on top of it every little helps

[mjh1965]

Just to explain the cost of the parts and shipping is only to Florida
We then pay the container cost to the Uk then import duty @ 20% on the total cost so
Total Parts invoice including shipping to Florida + container cost to the Uk then 20% duty on the total cost

WHO SAID ITS GOING TO BE EASY DOING THIS IN THE UK

[Ta2Don]

Parts!!!

Having to wait till January...

[Grizz1963]

I had decided to replace the door window rubbers, felts etc in both my doors and the quater lights as I am going to remove the glass when I repair and repaint the doors.

Previously Martin and I had seen some 60-66 Chevy trucks with the 67-72 rear bumpers fitted, so they were on my to buy list as well, if the price was right.

The photos will show that the step or number plate recess is inverted. For me the 67-72 bumper allows me to put my number plate bracket on a hing, and then to have a removable tow ball fitted when I do tow, with the plate folded up and out the way, tidying the rear en up some more.

Correct bumper for 60-66 Fleetside.



Then the 67-72 style Fleetside bumper



I do not know who originally posted these pics, but thank you.

Looking forward to getting these bits home in the new year.

Also looking to buy a decent drivers side 1966 Quarter light window to replace my rusted out one.

Anyone know of one for sale, please PM me.

[markeb01]

That later bumper sure cleans up the rear view and looks like it was designed for the earlier truck. Looking forward to seeing one on your truck.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by markeb01

That later bumper sure cleans up the rear view and looks like it was designed for the earlier truck. Looking forward to seeing one on your truck.

Thanks Mark.

So do I.

Pity Martin keeps spending my money......

Showing me improvements I would rather not buy as I need to watch the spend, then of course I go out and get the next thing.

I desperately wanted to replace my existing bumper with the same item, but was not able to locate one anywhere, or to find out what it was from,, so I capitulated and bought the next best thing.

[Grizz1963]

Had to be home early today for tele-webex conference.

So the minute that was over I headed for the garage to remove a panel to take to the paint shop on Saturday, to buy my 2 Pack paint and other consumables etc for the truck.





While unbolting the 3rd bolt on this panel........ this happened. GRRRRRR !!



Once I cut off the areal cable, as I could not get it unscrewed, and then cut the actual fitting off with a cutoff wheel, I had my colour sample. Note the trucks original blue colour behind it.



I do hope I can the red colour matched up, as it really is very vibrant out in the sun.

[Ta2Don]

Nice Work Clothes Mate!!!

[mjh1965]

Those overalls are a bit posh

[mjh1965]

Well today at 6.45am I picked up Rian to go and get my car MOT and as it's only around the corner from the paint suplier I know he came with me . After the Car passed the MOT we drove to the suplier as I needed some thinners and he needed his colour matched . It turned out that a Chrysler red was very near match

Here's the pictures














Well all mixed up and a good colour match

[Ta2Don]

Paint matching...