55.2-59 Duramax Task Force Panel

[dsraven]

make sure you keep that serial plate attached and the rivets just as they are. I had to go through the whole deal of getting a new vin. now it is classified as a vehicle made of parts. the model is 1957. and it ain't cheap to get that done.

[FinnDiesel]

Yes agree - i'm partially through the messy ICBC process for out of province thanks to a new process for hot rodders implemented apparently by someone in the provincial ranks with a soft spot for classics. Had to get approval from head office to apply. The rego is BC now, just need the actual inspection after complete.

[dsraven]

on mine, it was a good thing I kept the original bill of sales for both trucks and I had lots of pics showing the completed trucks before tear down, with pics of the vin plates attached, and also during teardown as the inspector wanted to see those. I guess it is a good thing they are thorough, they make sure you didn't just steal a truck from a farmers field or steal parts or a vin plate from something else. do your best to keep the vin plate and rivets intact, the rivets were actually pretty flimsy on mine abd one nearly fell off by itself. there is no way it needs to be as pricey as it is though, here in Alberta anyways. the system is for cars, trailers etc etc, anything that needs a plate. it used to be you could fab up a utility trailer and just go get a plate for it. 50 bucks or something. no vin required for a utility trailer. now they need a vin like a car and it costs you 1500 bucks for the dude to come and inspect it, oh well, it keeps us honest I guess.

[lower50's]

Looks like a very clean panel, You can focus on making it yours instead of rust repair. You will love a diesel in there.

[FinnDiesel]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Looks like a very clean panel, You can focus on making it yours instead of rust repair. You will love a diesel in there.

Yes I agree - look for the best condition for sure. I also agree to the diesel. I can't wait. At least I get to daily drive my 02 Duramax Silverado in the meantime.
This Welderup '58 build really got me thinking.

[dsraven]

while thats cool it would suck, in my opinion, for a daily driver or work style truck. too high off the ground and probably a leg burner getting in and out. gotta be a grab handle someplace or the steering column gets pulled out all the time (tilt steering wheel column really takes a licking). the wife would def not be coming for the ride without a step of some sort, great idea, just modify it a bit for what you want. I wonder how the little dirt bike gets on the roof rack, lol.
something closer to the ground would suit me better and would be totally doable but would need smaller tires or bigger wheel openings. for a work truck the deck height about like a stock chevy truck bed works better, especially at the end of a hard construction day when you just don't see your butt climbing up to pull a sheet of plywood off the top of the pile in the back. for a weekend warrior, the height may be ok because you don't get in and out that much probably. nothing against welderup stuff, they just aren't usually practical. more like show vehicles for the rat rod and patina crew with soot belching coolness.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by dsraven

while thats cool it would suck, in my opinion, for a daily driver or work style truck. too high off the ground and probably a leg burner getting in and out. gotta be a grab handle someplace or the steering column gets pulled out all the time (tilt steering wheel column really takes a licking). the wife would def not be coming for the ride without a step of some sort, great idea, just modify it a bit for what you want. I wonder how the little dirt bike gets on the roof rack, lol.
something closer to the ground would suit me better and would be totally doable but would need smaller tires or bigger wheel openings. for a work truck the deck height about like a stock chevy truck bed works better, especially at the end of a hard construction day when you just don't see your butt climbing up to pull a sheet of plywood off the top of the pile in the back. for a weekend warrior, the height may be ok because you don't get in and out that much probably. nothing against welderup stuff, they just aren't usually practical. more like show vehicles for the rat rod and patina crew with soot belching coolness.

We're not all old guys yet

[dsraven]

yeah, I get it. I've been called mr practical before. haha. have fun gettin in, my knees don't allow that kinda movement anymore, too much dirtbiking, sledding and other sports when I was YOUNG! haha

[Advanced Design]

Cool project and I am tagging along!

[FinnDiesel]

Got the courage and chopped the firewall out ready for the 03 Duramax swap

[FinnDiesel]

couple more pics

[dsraven]

looks like a big parking spot for that diesel. I highly suggest some cross bracing in the opening but it is your truck so keep plugging away at it with your plan. good idea to keep those hood hinge mount holes intact.

[FinnDiesel]

Hi all. I'm back with progress. I had a second chance at work in Brisbane, so we took off for a year.
I was pondering the chassis the entire time and decided a new donor was needed.
Searched and searched for the unicorn - finally found it. Drove her 1,000 kms home.
Mint 2001 Chev Silverado 2500HD Duramax 6 speed manual ZF6 trans, single cab-long box with 133" wheelbase. Single owner super clean.

[FinnDiesel]

Now - lets get tearing her down.

[FinnDiesel]

We sold our house with my lift, so I improvised with my JD digger. They have tons of lifting power but a bit sloppy in the finesse dept.
Constructed a lumber guide frame to allow the body to only move vertically and fore and aft. Simple, but worked great.

[FinnDiesel]

As other projects on this site stated, a few times up and down to determine cut points to line up the body with its new firewall and floor pan.
The lining up and cutting took a day and a half straight.
I kept the main components installed so I knew where and where-not-to cut.
Its only approx 2-1/2" narrower inside on each side than the GMT800 cab.
Managed to keep the entire dash structure including the cross-body bar and its bolt- on pillar points.
It appears its just the outer vents requiring new locations. The passenger air bag stays in its original frame and location.
The defrost plastic tubes are almost a direct fit !

[FinnDiesel]

Here's the 1st look at it.

[FinnDiesel]

The original 3800 1958 hubcap actually fits on the wheels that came on the 2500HD. Does anybody recognize what these wheels are off of?

[dsraven]

cool.
throw a seat in there and ensure the dash isn't too tall. on my envoy frame swap i left it a little tall and may have to make the seat a little taller to compensate.
keep up the great work and please continue posting pics and explanations, we all love following along.

[FinnDiesel]

Good idea! I believe the seats have a vertical movement on them.
I'll try it tomorrow.
The body can go a bit lower, but the trade-off is the 2500HD frame rails in the rear.

[FinnDiesel]

The mounting surface around the perimeter where the factory caged nuts are is already 2-1/2" below the 2500HD frame rail - and the cross beams are not installed yet. Thats coming tomorrow.

[FinnDiesel]

Originally Posted by duramax55

hi finndiesel the biggest problem you will run into is the with of the stance. i put a 2005 dmax under a 55-2 chevy truck short box took 39 inches out of the frame. but had to do a lot of searching to find wheels that would tuck inside of fenders . I ended up getting after market dodge wheels with a +54 offset and they just fit inside the back fenders about 3/8 clearance. another problem is getting the rad (not oem) and air to air to fit in front had to move motor back 1 inch just to get enough room in the front. had to get a different air to air. had to put trans and ac condenser under the box with some fan setups. was not an easy build but can be done. you will also have to have a raised bed as the frame goes up in the back. hope this helps

Doing some measuring to (hopefully) use the factory intercooler, rad and AC condenser. Very limited space with that huge clutch fan in there.
The tape measure is lined up with the large nut on the waterpump pulley and thee top of the grille.

[FinnDiesel]

And I don't mind the length of the 2500HD front frame horns and tow hooks.
Thinking about just adding short extension to the factory 55 painted bumper to cover - I'll mock it up with cardboard first.

[dsraven]

rear floor if body dropped a little more- you will probably need to do a little mod there anyway so if needed to drop the body a bit to make the dash height correct it's not as big a deal
front frame horn length- mock it up with a bumper and a cardboard filler panel but the later task force trucks and the GMC task force trucks have a filler behind the bumper, howver not a long as you will need. it would make a good excuse to have a custom front bumper with a winch possibly? a ledge to stand on while working under hood is a bonus as well.
looking good, like you have done this before?

[dsraven]

if you drop the body a little more and end up with a raised floor in the rear you could use some of that space for under floor storage compartments with lift off lids. anyway, your choice. I just know that on my envoy frame swap i kinda wish I would have dropped the body another inch. the dash would have lined up better and the seat height would be better for a short dude like me. there is lots of space overhead for sure, not gonna be dragging my hair on the headliner, lol (short bald guy actually. haha). on yours, being a 4x4, a little more headroom may be desired. if the seat jacks up high enough that may be just the right height mine is a awd kinda 4x4, although it does have 4L on the shifter. gonna work at the boat launch i hope. thats if it ever gets done between other projects and life.
anyway, keep us all updated. your project looks awesome so far.