Clifford the big red? truck

[Iplay4keepz]

Ok so to start off this project, I may or may not have been working on this for a little under 2 years now. This was my first major endeavor into a full on frame off restoration, and hopefully this thread will help some people where they needed, and hopefully some get a kick out of my so called "handywork."

Truck is a 1963 C20 fleet side that belonged to an old fire department out in who knows where. Originally it had an 292 inline 6 with a 4 speed granny transmission, but I'm thinking an Ls1/t56 combination might bring a few more smiles per gallon. Winch in the front, 10 bolt in the back, take down light, super freaking sweet off center hood scoop for air compressor, air compressor, custom camper box in the bed, and lined with the original wood in the bed. Rust free, all of it came with the truck, luckily most of it was in the floor boards.

Here's a link to my imgur album in case you don't like waiting for pictures/ you'd like to see full size images: https://imgur.com/a/LGUyS

[Iplay4keepz]

Here's a few examples of the lack of floor and some of the body damage.

[Iplay4keepz]

[Iplay4keepz]

[Iplay4keepz]

[bj383ss]

Very Cool Truck. Looked through your imgur. Damn you repaired a lot of rust. Looks like you could have just bought the whole floor replacement and used it. I have rarely seen rust through on the back of the cab wall.

Definitely try to keep those cool horns under the hood. What are you going to do with the storage compartment in the bed?
Keep up the good work.

Bret

[Iplay4keepz]

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Very Cool Truck. Looked through your imgur. Damn you repaired a lot of rust. Looks like you could have just bought the whole floor replacement and used it. I have rarely seen rust through on the back of the cab wall.

Definitely try to keep those cool horns under the hood. What are you going to do with the storage compartment in the bed?
Keep up the good work.

Bret

If I had known of that option from the get go I may have changed the way that this projet has went so far. The rust was exponentially worse than what I had thought, but I'm a sucker when it comes to old cars and trucks and I absolutely couldn't let it pass me up. Hell I've probably spent close to $800 in sheet metal and patch panels. Lots of fabrication, lots of learning.

The horns still work, but I will have to find a secondary way to power them. Reason being is I'm not using the original engine in this case. I think what I will do is mount an independant compressor under the big ass dent on the passenger side of the bed where the aux air tank was originally. Sorage compartment will be used as such, I would almost rather fab up a second one for the passenger side than the compressor for the air horns, but well see how it all goes.

Thanks for taking a look bj383ssI! I have about 150 more pictures that I haven't yet loaded into imgur yet so plan on this thread being 56k unfriendly.

[Iplay4keepz]

Ok comrades now it's time for some good ole fashion work. My original plan was to... well I didn't have an original plan. I actually came across this truck helping my mom buy a vehicle and I swear something called me to it, all tucked away in the garage under some tarps all lonely and forgotten proceeded by a 64 gmc, and the guys fathers f100. Needless to say, I think I know why the guy was saving this one for last because this sucker is rough. Swiss cheese floorboards, non existent rocker panels, mice in the roof, but no time for sob stories, it is not going to fix itself.

Action number one! Fix something! The front fenders seemed like a good place to start so parts were ordered, and away I went.









Elephant boogers holding the bottom of the fender to the cab. Honestly not sure how this even seemed like a viable repair option, but there's more madness to come.

[Iplay4keepz]

Alright time to break out my brand new craftsman 110v gas less wire fed and melt some metal.



Holy crap I haven't torched sheet metal since I was in auto shop... almost 10 years ago! I am certainly going to need some practice to get myself back into shape!





This fender is warping like son of a gun. Time for a hammer and dolly.
***On a real note if you're going to do thin panels use a nice damp sponge or rag to help heat dissipation, I wish I would have known/remembered this trick this early in this project***

[Iplay4keepz]

Hood scoop



Horns







Hard to find parts for 10 bolt, hornets/mud dobber nest for scale.

[Iplay4keepz]

Even though I had fully expected to either A: leave the doors unlocked B: get the locks worked. I found the spare set in one of those little magnetic containers tucked away inside the frame rail.

[Iplay4keepz]

Here's where I started to get into some trouble. I'd like to think i'm mechanically inclined but I have no background in sheet metal, welding, body work, or fabrication. I went to school for mechanical engineering, manufacturing processes, and business yet I never got a degree. I mean i got all these book smarts I should be able to fit a panel right?

[Iplay4keepz]

[Captainfab]

Welcome to the forum

What the heck sort of power steering conglomeration is that? It looks like a second idler arm behind the steering box.......and the pitman arm towards the front?

[Iplay4keepz]

[Iplay4keepz]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Welcome to the forum

What the heck sort of power steering conglomeration is that? It looks like a second idler arm behind the steering box.......and the pitman arm towards the front?

That is exactly whats going on here! It's hard to see by this picture and I don't think I've ever taken a picture of the whole setup, but the pitman arm is positioned towards the front, and connects to what I'm going to call the trac bar about half way through the shaft. Look parallel to the frame rail directly across from that gaping hole in the radiator support. To me it looks like they took a piece of 3/4 rod, stamped it, drilled it out to support the ball joint, then welded it to the trac bar. It still has threads on it....

[Iplay4keepz]

Found a better picture.

[Iplay4keepz]

And maybe a little spoiler....

[namloc]

Originally Posted by Iplay4keepz

Found a better picture.

Just sayin' .That is not right nor good or safe.That is the center link they welded on.Hit up the Captain and get his brackets and update that steering.

[Iplay4keepz]

Seems to have held up to the 70k miles or so that the fire department put on it.

Edit: Not saying that it is factory standard or as safe as other conventional methods; however with the center link supported on both sides, I don't see much of a draw back geometry wise to this setup. Maybe you can enlighten me on why this seems so unsafe?

[Iplay4keepz]

Here's all the best pictures I could find pertaining to the steering setup on the truck.

[Bomp]

Interesting to see what people have come up with in the past. Glad to see the truck in your hands now. Dig the work you've done so far.
Welcome and thanks for posting.

[Iplay4keepz]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Interesting to see what people have come up with in the past. Glad to see the truck in your hands now. Dig the work you've done so far.
Welcome and thanks for posting.

Ain't that the truth though, necessity is the mother of all inventions. Sometimes good inventions and sometimes ones that make ya scratch your head, but neat none the less. Thanks for the welcome, I have a feeling I'll be around for a while lol.