New Project: 1974 2WD Shortbed

[Shady Chevy]

ok, so if everyone thought it was crazy to fix the bed, they will be even more unhappy about me fixing these doors. LOL. I almost bought another pair at Carlisle, but it didn't work out. So I am going to fix these.

[Shady Chevy]

[Shady Chevy]

So I want to start planning the custom door panels I want to make. I am going to start with a piece of MDF as the foundation. I will fiberglass over that. I found the material I think I am going to use to cover them with. It is a soft black simulated leather material that I think will match the black part of the Cobalt SS seats I am going to use. I will have to convert to power windows because my speaker pods cover the window crank. I will add a piece of wood trim along the top. Undecided on the wood right now but it will match the wood I use on the console.
Here is the paper template:

[Shady Chevy]

[Shady Chevy]

Starting to layout the door panel on a piece of 3/4 inch MDF.

[Shady Chevy]

Progress on the doors. Ordered the inner bottom of the door from LMC. Cutting and fitting right now.

[Shady Chevy]

One a different note. I just came across the flush mount rear windows for these trucks. It has a built in 3rd brake light. Very cool. Has everyone else been aware of these???? I didn't even find the price yet. I can't believe I never saw them before!!!

[Shady Chevy]

here is a link to the flush mount rear window:
http://www.onepieceproducts.com/Prod...0BRAKE%20LIGHT

$295 I might have to have this. They are too cool.

[bbbc10]

Great progress on the truck an I seen/ know few ppl that have used the flush rear window but without the break light

[Shady Chevy]

Thanks. I can't wait to get some paint on this thing to see what it is going to look like.

[Shady Chevy]

[Shady Chevy]

I got the door skin welded on. Now I need some type of slide hammer to pull the panel back to where it should be. I would be interested in any suggestions on what type of slide hammer others are using.

Then I decided I better do a test fit of the door on the truck. I should have done this sooner. My rocker panel I put on a few months ago, is not in the right place. I am going to have to cut it partway off and move it to where it should be.

The I decided I better weld little tabs of metal right up against where the door hinges attach to the door, so every time I take the door back on and off it ends up in the exact same place. This is the first time I have taken on a project this involved.....so a lot of these "little" things are causing me problems. What to other people do to help bolt the door back on the hinges in the exact same spot every time. The gaps on the jams are going to need a lot of work to make them uniform. So the door must go back on in exactly the same spot.

Then the most perplexing one was that the the body line on the side of the truck didn't line up between the door and the cab????? It was about 1/4 inch off. The door would have to raise 1/4 inch to make it line up. If I did that there wouldn't be a gap at the top of the door????? So I am getting creative here and cutting/welding this back to where it matches the door body line.

[Shady Chevy]

I made this sketch of the interior back in March. I am going to work on the door panels this week. More pics to come this week. Today am am working on welding nuts to the door that will hold the panel in place.

[73Super8]

Dude your thread is an inspiration. Like most have said, I wouldn't have tackled such a project. You've got great skills and it shows. I'm looking forward to seeing it completed. Great work!

[Shady Chevy]

Thanks, I can't wait to post some more pics.

[flashed]

We cant wait to see them either ,as said above ,great job .

[wideopen1967]

Just a suggestion. If you put a fuel cell under that bed cover make sure you ventilate it some kit of way. Or you will be Da Bomb........

[Shady Chevy]

Most of the bed floor has been cut out, so there will be lots of ventilation for the fuel cell.

I mounted the door panel on today. I am using (4) 10-32 socket cap head screws to hold it in place. I welded nuts to the door, to thread into. Then countersunk the heads and put washers in there for support. The MDF will be fiberglassed over soon. I am going to make the armrest next. I am going to copy the armrests on my '08 Expedition. The wood will match whatever I pick for the console.

[ivorton74]

Its crazy how this truck is transforming...I cant wait to see it don't. I also like your sketch...I do my own sketches too of my 74...I did one a few days ago of what I want my 5.3 turbo set up to look like.

[Shady Chevy]

Some update pics of the door panel work. Here I have a piece of tiger wood that I am cutting out to use on the top side of the arm rest.


And I started to put the fiberglass over the MDF form. I used the mill to remove the excess material on the back side of the panel. This will get a layer of fiberglass also. I never tried doing this before so we will see how it goes.

[Shady Chevy]

Here is the armrest I am working on....


And here is a pic of my '08 Expedition that I am loosely copying the armrest from...

[Shady Chevy]

Ok, here is the armrest mocked up on the door panel for the first time. Speaker pod is off for this pic. Need to lay up more fiberglass.....


Now I am going to start to put the body filler on all my welds on the top of the bed cover. This is all welded, ground and sprayed in Eastwood self etching primer (black). Let the body filler begin. We will see how straight I can get this???

[95gmc]

Those door panels are nice! That was a great idea

[Shady Chevy]

Thanks. I never made a pair of door panels before, so I am learning as I go. I have to decide on a few things yet.
1) which parts will I put the black vinyl material that matches the black part of the seats.
2) Color to paint speaker pods? Right now, I am thinking wild strawberry that matches one of the two colors on the outside of the truck.
3) what to do with the arm rest part. Right now I am thinking a silver interior paint from Eastwood
4) do I stay with the wood I have right now, or pick something different. I am going to put a high gloss finish on this piece and see how it looks.
5) I have to do something with where the door latch is. I haven't put any thought into that yet.
6) And I haven't finished the speaker grill covers yet. They will be 1/4 diameter stainless vertical tubes. I want to do something that has a matching effect on the center console to tie things together.

[Shady Chevy]

And I started the body filler on the top of the bed. I only have an hour before work each day, so things are going slow. But I want to see how it turns out.