55.2 Chevy 3100

[Flames97]

I haven't posted in a few years...lol. I have been working on this project from time to time in the winters...however, something seem to always come up (work) and cuts my time short. I'm hoping that this winter I will be able to get a good amount of work done.
Not a lot of major progress since I last posted but here are some pics since I last posted.

[Flames97]

More door repair...
I haven't actually put the outter skin on the door yet. I wanted to get the door mounted on the cab to check the fit first.

[Flames97]

Now the next pics are current within the last couple weeks.
filled in the gashole!

[Flames97]

I finally put a door on the cab. It's been 15 years or so since the doors were on the cab. I want to have the doors on for final fitment of the rocker/step and cab corners.

[Flames97]

Also started filling all the holes in the fire wall. I like the look of the original fire wall with all the holes filled. I know it would have been much easier to just put a large piece of sheet metal over it, but I like this look better.
Then just a random pic...

[ChuckDriver]

Great work!

[Flames97]

Thanks ChuckDriver, I've always enjoyed checking your builds out.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Everything looks good! Be proud you can stay motivated to finish it despite the years its taking. Frame work looks real solid too! Congrats!

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Everything looks good! Be proud you can stay motivated to finish it despite the years its taking. Frame work looks real solid too! Congrats!

Thanks, I'm determined to finish someday, however long it takes..lol.

[Az. Hank]

Wow, I just came across your build looks great. I'm in a holding patern also. We bought property and are working on the house plans. So I've been tied up with that stuff. Don't give up it will all be worth it.

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by Az. Hank

Wow, I just came across your build looks great. I'm in a holding patern also. We bought property and are working on the house plans. So I've been tied up with that stuff. Don't give up it will all be worth it.

Thank you!! Ya I've had a fair amount of work to do around the property as well. I just get busy doing other things. Now trying to balance it all. We never ended up moving so that has helped. Otherwise I'd never get around to it.

Thanks for checking my build out!

[Flames97]

Cab corner progress!! I had to finesse the ridge a bit. Other wise I'm fairly happy with it.
The method I used was to put down some spot welds, then grind them, more spot welds, grind...etc..until it was all done. Which took a while..

[Flames97]

And more. Still a few things to do before its totally done. The lower area that meets the rocker doesn't match up well at all. So that will take some cutting and sculpting.
Also welded the step in at the same time while I waited for welds to cool.

[ChuckDriver]

Nice work!!!

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

Nice work!!!

Thanks!!

[joedoh]

holy geeze look at that metal finishing, nice work!

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by joedoh

holy geeze look at that metal finishing, nice work!

lol, thanks.

I've just welded and ground the welds down, then used a DA to smooth it. The ridge I did to a little tapping. There are a couple other areas that I could do a little tapping on..but overall it won't need much.

[Flames97]

I'm sure I'm overthinking this....but, I keep looking at where the cab corner meets the step and debating on what to do here. The step/rocker edge is straight up and down. The cab corner area that meets that has a slight angle inward to it.

I keep searching for pic of that area, most pics I find when I zoom in enough to tell what its really supposed to look like, it's not as detailed as I would like. I did look at some pics I had from my old steps, they look as if there is a slight angle to the rocker area.

If I were to bend the step area down to meet the cab corner lines it would match up fairly well overall. And would actually be fairly easy to do. This is kind of what I'm leaning towards. Then the rocker will have either a slight twist to it...or slightly bend the whole thing to match. And I don't have the front fender in the shop to see how that angle meets either. So it's that or massage the cab corner to meet the rocker angles..which would involve some cutting, hammering, and welding and hope it turns out looking decent.

If anyone has input or close up pics of this area so I could see the correct angles I would appreciate it.

[Dave0]

Originally Posted by Flames97

I'm sure I'm overthinking this....but, I keep looking at where the cab corner meets the step and debating on what to do here. The step/rocker edge is straight up and down. The cab corner area that meets that has a slight angle inward to it.

I keep searching for pic of that area, most pics I find when I zoom in enough to tell what its really supposed to look like, it's not as detailed as I would like. I did look at some pics I had from my old steps, they look as if there is a slight angle to the rocker area.

If I were to bend the step area down to meet the cab corner lines it would match up fairly well overall. And would actually be fairly easy to do. This is kind of what I'm leaning towards. Then the rocker will have either a slight twist to it...or slightly bend the whole thing to match. And I don't have the front fender in the shop to see how that angle meets either. So it's that or massage the cab corner to meet the rocker angles..which would involve some cutting, hammering, and welding and hope it turns out looking decent.

If anyone has input or close up pics of this area so I could see the correct angles I would appreciate it.

Do you have the inner cab corners in it? I was using the inners to vice grip them together to change the angle. You can put it where ever you want....

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by Dave0

Do you have the inner cab corners in it? I was using the inners to vice grip them together to change the angle. You can put it where ever you want....

Thanks for the reply.

No I don't, I'm leaving the inner cab corners out so it doesn't become a rust trap.
I'm leaning towards bending the rocker down a little to match the cab corner angle.

[Dave0]

Id put the door on and do it all together. But yes, you can tweak them any direction you want.

My inners fit like ****! In fact, I had to cut the bottom off of one to get the cab corner on. I thought about doing the same, but my seat belt retractor will be bolted to the top of it. So I need it pretty strong in that area. I may not "run them all the way down" To the bottom seam.

Nice fab work BTW, did you butt those cab corners together or lap one side under?

[Flames97]

[QUOTE=Dave0;8106655]Id put the door on and do it all together. But yes, you can tweak them any direction you want.

My inners fit like ****! In fact, I had to cut the bottom off of one to get the cab corner on. I thought about doing the same, but my seat belt retractor will be bolted to the top of it. So I need it pretty strong in that area. I may not "run them all the way down" To the bottom seam.

Nice fab work BTW, did you butt those cab corners together or lap one side under?[/



Thanks,
Ya I have the door on now to make sure it all lined up, those are all current pics.
I butted the cab corner to the cab.

[dragoncrx]

Do you have more pics of how you did the inner and outer door? I am about to start the repairs on my cab, it goes to the blaster next week then a quick epoxy primer before I start the repairs.

[Flames97]

Originally Posted by dragoncrx

Do you have more pics of how you did the inner and outer door? I am about to start the repairs on my cab, it goes to the blaster next week then a quick epoxy primer before I start the repairs.

The door I have been working on isn't finished yet. It just has the inner bottom tacked on and I'm currently trying to get that door mounted on the truck to check for fitment before I weld it up completely. The outter skin isn't attached yet either.
I took a bunch of measurements and used a square, I also laid some tape down to mark locations from.
It's been a while since I cut the thing up. So I'm trying to remember what I did. I Think I eventually cut the whole bottom off. When I do the other door, I think I'm going to leave the outter skin on and use it as a reference for the new inner, then when I have the new inner in place I will then cut the old outter skin off and replace with new. When I cut the whole bottom off the other door I did it was harder to make sure it was all right even though I had taken a bunch of measurements.
I don't know if that helps at all. I'll check for more pics. I think the pics that I've posted maybe it.

[Flames97]

One thing I did was set the new inner door section over the old door (overlapping). Got it where I wanted it and used self tapping crews and screwed it together. Then I cut through both the repair panel and original door with a cutoff wheel. Then I could just butt weld the new panel to the door.

In the pic you can see where I have tack welds then to the right of that there is a marker line which was the outline of the replacement panel before I cut it. And you can see the holes left over from the screws which I'll weld up.
I hope I explained that alright. I'm sure there are many ways to do this, this is just how I ended up doing it.