Canadian Rustbucket 66

[rustbucket66]

Thanks, I have a 57 BelAir also, had it 33 years and I like the Chevrolet script.

[66farmer]

That came out really nice

[rustbucket66]

Got the tailgate installed today, a few shots of it closed.

[rustbucket66]

Here are a few of it open.

[Ta2Don]

Very Clean!!!

[McMurphy]

Your build continues to inspire me sir!!
That tailgate is pretty awesome.

I hope I can get my stepside tailgate on a par level as yours, though it will be different, of course.

[TJ's Chevy]

Some awesome work! Done a great job! Looking cool!

[rustbucket66]

I got the dash extension piece back from the painter recently. Installed the A/C vents, passenger window switch, gas tank switch, and mounted it. Need to plumb the A/C hoses next.

[lenguini]

Originally Posted by rustbucket66

I got the dash extension piece back from the painter recently. Installed the A/C vents, passenger window switch, gas tank switch, and mounted it. Need to plumb the A/C hoses next.

Lookin good buddy !

[inkabot]

This is really turning out nicely after reading through the thread. Good job!

[rustbucket66]

Received my fuel tanks today, I am very pleased with how they turned out. I have pictures of the old tanks that I dug out of the junk pile. They were the saddle tanks like some of the 67-72 trucks had, that typically had the aluminum door cut out of the box side (ugh) for the filler. I had the filler necks moved to the back and filled fuel from inside the wheel opening. Obviously, they are rusted out, and will live in a scrap bin from here in. The new tanks are stainless and make better use of the area where they will be mounted. Also sitting on the floor is the mold I made out of Styrofoam, so the tanks could be made the same dimensions. I need to get a few fittings for the fuel lines, return lines, vents, and drain plugs. There are some previous posts on this thread as to how they will fit. Stay tuned. We did some calculating, and they will hold 18.7 Imperial gallons each, 22.5 U.S. gallons each, or 85 litres each. That is a lot of fuel and will give a lot of range between fills. Also, the senders are the same as the behind the seat tanks use. They happen to be exactly the right depth, and will jive with the original guage in the dash. 0-30 ohms, 67 and newer I think is 30 to 90 ohms. When mounted, they will be out of sight, no filler doors on the box sides, and no filler cap in the box anywhere.

[TJ's Chevy]

OOOH FANCY!!!!

[rustbucket66]

Had to get the filler necks on the tanks turned outward about 30 degrees. My mistake. Should have pics of the tanks mounted real soon. In the meantime, I just got the seats back. Brown with silver, supposed to be. Not too sure about the material on the top of the console, looks like it should be darker. I'll install them anyway, and see what it looks like in the cab. It's not a perfect world.

[rustbucket66]

I mentioned in the last post about having the spouts on my tanks turned about 30 degrees. The first pic shows one of the tanks with the fill spout going out to the side. I have the drivers side mounted. There are some specially made brackets and straps that hold the stainless tanks up. The tanks are 45ed on the outside lower edge so they can hardly be seen from the side. With the truck on the ground you will have to get on your hands and knees to see them. The spout at the back is shown with the wheel off and the wheel on. It is pretty much totally out of sight also. I used senders from the behind the seat tank on both sides. I know they will jive with the guage, and they happened to be the right depth...lucky. The fuel comes from that sender, and there is a fitting for return line on the top, and a vent. Also a drain plug at the front on the bottom. Still have to hook up the lines and hook up the wires. 22.5 US gallons in each, or 18.5 Imperial gallons, or 85 litres. Lots of capacity with that much on each side.

[Ta2Don]

Been a bit since I checked in...

[TJ's Chevy]

WOWZA!

[McMurphy]

Very nicely done !!

[NEWFISHER]

The only thing cooler than than the tailgate is the Spiegle behind it. Nice work!

[rustbucket66]

I have installed these aluminum plates to the cross braces of the box, just above the mufflers to protect the wood of the box floor from the heat. The mufflers are pretty close to the box floor, as you can see. There is dynamat stuck to the bottom of the wood also, as per previous pictures. With both the dynamat and the plates, the bed wood should be protected from damage from the heat of the mufflers.

[rustbucket66]

I almost forgot, thanks for the comments fellas, I appreciate it.

[chevycowboy1985]

Love the truck and what you have done nice to see a good old alberta truck done up

[rustbucket66]

I bought an Auto Meter volt guage at a garage sale for a dollar, and decided to try and install it in my dash. I took the thing apart and took out the ammeter guage out of the dash. The American Autowire wiring kit in my truck said in the instructions to not hook up the ammeter at all, as it can be a fire hazard. Those ammeter gauges were only designed to handle 40-50 amps. Most alternators now can make upward of 100 amps with all the accessories we run. The first picture is kind of fuzzy, but it shows the discoloration on the back of the guage where it had been hot. Hmmm. The next picture shows the Auotmeter guage taken apart so I can use the insides of it for my dash. The old ammeter is beside it. Next shows the guage installed beside the temp guage, which is being replaced also, because it doesn't work. I had to trim the face of the new volt guage a little bit around the top to make it fit. Next pic shows the wood spacer that was needed in behind the faceplate. I used a mousetrap, as the wood was the perfect thickness and was easy to grind it so it fits perfectly behind the faceplate. I used epoxy glue to fasten the wood spacer and faceplate to the guage. The only modification I had to do to the dash was to open up the holes a little bit on the backside where the posts go through. I used the gaskets from the old guage so nothing would contact the back of the dash and ground out. The last picture shows it installed in the dash. Pretty simple really. Now I know what the charging system is doing and battery voltage before it gets started. Those ammeter needles barely move, even in the 67-72 trucks, and aren't really that useful, especially if you are running an alternator with any kind of power. The new temp guage disappoints me a little, as the faceplate isn't the same. I was going to switch over the faceplates, but they aren't the same in the back at all, and I couldn't do it. At least this temp guage works.

[chad64chevy]

I did the same thing to my gauge cluster but it was a sunpro not a autometer! truck looks great, great to hear its down to working the lil things out!!

[CRGRS 66]

I have been following quietly for the most part, but yours is one of my favorite builds on the forum, feeling a bit of the Canadian pride, this is one fabulous truck, well done my Western Canadian Brother

[1963c-10]

Great looking truck. Can you show pics of your emblems placed in the bed trim. I know they aren't factory but nicely placed and very hard to tell. I like the emblem on the air cleaner also....very nicely done.