Lurker OrrieG Progress Pics

[OrrieG]

Have to check my photos.

[OrrieG]

Just looked and I attached a spring from the stock tab on the pedal back to hook on the stock bracket.

[OrrieG]

Details on the gas door install. First I made a template of a section thru the bed side and floor. The door I got matches the curve. third photo is what a started with. I quickly decided that the inner piece needed to go. I fiddled with different filler tube (voyager and stock 59) but they are to large diameter to work. I cut the door down to the size I needed.

[OrrieG]

I then made a template of the door and got it in the right location. I had to move it toward the rear to miss the bed cross sill, you can see when I marked the location of the sill on the bed. I cut the hole using an air body saw, generates less heat than a cut off wheel. After I got the hole cut I needed to trim the inside top of the door housing to miss the bed floor. Also had to modify the hinge mount and cut off a piece of the hinge. Last photo is the door housing in it place ready to weld.

Note that the corners are rounded, that is a tip I picked up from someone here. With a square corner you have to weld twice in the same place, which generates twice as much heat and potential for distortion.

I need to get a smaller filler neck, a 60 gm auto tank neck that is 1.5" diameter will work (checked out the one on my Chevelle!) or I am going down to the harley shop to see about a tank bung. That would give me the added bonus of a pop out cap with a cable. Once I get that sorted out I will weld in the door housing.

[OrrieG]

Its been an interesting three weeks. Moved back inside and finished up the heat/ac. If you have installed a Vintage Air set up read to further. I had it in and out three times, it is a very tight fit. Was having fits trying to get the blind firewall bolt to align, so thought I could just replace the bolt with an inside stud in the case. Wrong! That little 3/8" projection was enough, at least on my truck, to keep it from going high enough. I did get the AC hoses ran, I was worried they might kink in the tight radius but they are ok. I got them thru the cowl and will deal with the other ends when I get the rest of the ac. I modifed the underdash unit, I did not like the plastic look. I cut back the projection, removed it from the box, turned it 180 degrees and made a new plate for the diffusers. I scrubbed off the "chrome" finish to black them out. The louver is 1" x 1/8" aluminum painted metallic black to match the steering wheel with the edges polished. I will adjust the louvers with a screw driver, based on my other cars they will stay in one position. Hooked up the power and the fan works and the relays click when various levers are pulled. I needed to make one longer, got a lawn mower cable and made my own, coiled the ends around a big nail.

[OrrieG]

Also got the steering wheel painted. Photos do not do it justice, the paint is a metallic black.

[Kim57]

Looking good.
I like the louvers on the bottom of the dash.
Kim

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Looking good.
I like the louvers on the bottom of the dash.
Kim

I'm with Kim, the louvers look really good, nice job...Jim

[1985-GMC]

Nice work! The louvers have a really cool 50's look to them, I like that a lot!

[Green 1959]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Nice work! The louvers have a really cool 50's look to them, I like that a lot!

I agree your work is always so impressive and imagitive!!

[OrrieG]

Thanks guys. On to the next task.

[_Ogre]

louvers look good orrieg
i didn't use the sure fit for that same reason.

gas door is looking good too.
the tf panel trucks had an indent in the bed that gm routed the filler thru

[dug224]

OrrieG: Watching your gas door build closely. My filler neck from the Envoy tank is roughly where you are mounting your door. What will be your closure method on the inside of the bed?

After reading your progress yesterday I was inspired and went home and made some progress on my front cab mounts. This will be the first weekend I have had in months to do any work so hope to post some updates on Monday. Dug

[daverod]

go baby go

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by dug224

OrrieG: Watching your gas door build closely. My filler neck from the Envoy tank is roughly where you are mounting your door. What will be your closure method on the inside of the bed?

Plan is just form a radiused piece of tin around what ever stick up to protect the fill pipe and not trap dirt or water. It does not look like it will be much.

[OrrieG]

Made a cover for the under dash ac hoses. Template, redneck brake, tin snips and it is ready for paint.

[Daze57]

very nice job sir !

i like the ''redneck'' brake !

[Kim57]

Looking good.
Kim

[oldman3]

Nice job, looks great....Jim

[Rude Dude]

Great fab work!

[sgtusmc]

Nice!!!

[OrrieG]

Break in the weather so I pulled the truck out and finished the fab and tacked the gas door in. I must have 12 hours in on this, had to fab the inside twice. Cut, bend, fit, repeat...a lot. Anyway here is how it fits. For reference the tank inlet in the same plane as the center of the bed cross sill. The fill neck is the top and bottom section of a stock cab fill welded to a piece of flat stock with the inside offset to the top. That give max. slope but keeps the cap almost centered in the door opening.

[1985-GMC]

Looks great! If you want a stock looking piece to cover it, go to the yard and look for a 73-87 K5 blazer. They have a nice looking hump that covers the filler neck, it should be screwed in.

Here's a picture, you may only need a small part of it.

[OrrieG]

Thanks for the tip, I'll go look before I fab something. I was going to just get a short section of 3-4" exhaust pipe and modify it to fit after I got the wood bed installed.

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim