My Unexpected '66 SWB-Fleet-Restomod Project!

[Jeff La]

If you don't mind me asking what color blue is that, that's kind of what I'm looking for. Thanks

[Modges'66]

As always, thanks for all of the comments Dudes!!!
It's been a lot of work, and it far from being finished!

The colors are current Corvette Jetstream Blue & Mercedes Iridium Silver
This is where I got the idea:
http://http://www.goolsbycustoms.com/projec...4-chevy-truck/

[McMurphy]

Still watching you work this buddy!
Sure is coming along nicely !!

[Desert.Chevy]

Just finished going throught the thread and the truck looks good. Nice choose of colors also. You do good quality work.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Modges'66]

Things have been a little boring around here on the paint scene so in the meantime I have decided to focus on some other details to avoid boredom.
I ordered some misc. parts from LMC last week. One of the items was an ashtray handle as mine looked as if it were smiling.
When I received the new one, I was slightly disappointed with the appearance.
It didn't look at all like the OEM piece. I then decided that I would use a heat-gun to try to re-shape the original to not have the smiling syndrome.
It worked pretty good. I heated it up bent it back into shape for the most part, sanded it flat, & took scotchbrite to it, then re-painted the letters. All in all it looked pretty good, but I wasn't buying it, so I decided to build a billet one.
So here are a few pics of my ashtray handle fabrication!
I took a piece of aluminum and drilled & tapped it with what would end up being the mounting hole locations, & screwed it to a piece of aluminum plate & began carving it away in the Bridgeport, and here are some pics of the process & what I came up with.

[Modges'66]

Here are a few more pics showing the finger pull area & the final machining, and the finished piece after a slight polish.
It really looks good next to my billet dash insert!
Next I am going to figure out something for my heater control knobs...that may not be as easy to fab...

[clemdaddy]

very nice modges... i was also disappointed with what the replacement market had for the ash tray handle. way to go man.

[flips72]

man thats awesome now i know 2 things i need you to make me .....wheel tubs and a ash tray handle

[CRGRS 66]

hmmmmm, me thinks you could sell those baby's to.... most of us on here!!!!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by flips72

man thats awesome now i know 2 things i need you to make me .....wheel tubs and a ash tray handle

Hey, I don't know if you noticed, but did you see how nice the tubs turned out with paint?...I am pleased!

Originally Posted by aggie91

Cool!

Thanks for the comment, the pictures really do NOT do justice!...Looks way better in person!

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

very nice modges... i was also disappointed with what the replacement market had for the ash tray handle. way to go man.

Thanks Clemdaddy, the replacement looked really cheesey to me...shoulda known by the price, eh?

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

hmmmmm, me thinks you could sell those baby's to.... most of us on here!!!!

I have the item modeled-up in Solidworks, and while machining it manually, I was contemplating having one of the programmers at our shop write a program to machine it in one of our 5-axis mills. What a bunch of work if only a hand-full of people want one!....

[aggie91]

Cool!

[Desert.Chevy]

Looking good.
Posted via Mobile Device

[McMurphy]

Awwww man that is awesome!
You are SO out-cooling me..... I now have a serious case of power tool envy.

[flips72]

yeah, the wheel tubs looked great painted, thats why there still on my things to get from modge list

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Desert.Chevy

Looking good.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks for whatchin the thread man, I appreciate the comments!

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Awwww man that is awesome!
You are SO out-cooling me..... I now have a serious case of power tool envy.

You kill me McMurphy, every time I feel that you & Bomp are conquering new territories, I feel the need to try to 1-up ya!

Originally Posted by flips72

yeah, the wheel tubs looked great painted, thats why there still on my things to get from modge list

Hey, I was seriously thinkin bout this, and maybe I can help you out when I get my build a little closer to completion....Seriously!

[198plus]

Nice job on your build. I'm really liking that ashtray handle, I'll take one too...

[Jmorales3181]

Just read your build thread again...your doing an excellent job. Keep up the good work!

Posted via Mobile Device

[Modges'66]

Many thanks, as always guy's.
I started working on the heater control knobs, and like a fool, I forgot to take my camera.
I shot some pics with my phone, but haven't had time to e-mail/download them to see if they are worth a crap...maybe tomorrow.

[Desert.Chevy]

Cool, you know all of us on here like pictures. Thanks
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[Bomp]

As long as your wrenchin' on your rig you can "one up me" all you want.

[Beetle]

Subscribed!

[Modges'66]

Well I finished my heater control knobs the other day....I'm thinking of it as jewelery for the old girl.
I didn't have my camera with me so shot some random pics with the phone. I wasn't sure how good the quality would be, and was surprised. If I would have known they would be this good, I would have taken more pics!

It all started when I was modifying the heater controls so that I could remove the front bezel to paint or polish to match my dash. I got started by center-drilling all of the riveted areas, and grinding the heads off. Then I drilled all of those spots & tapped them for a #6-32 screws. It worked perfectly!
once that the unit was disassembled, I cleaned it up and sandblasted & painted the sheet-metal bracket & reassembled the unit...It still looked boring!
Nice, but boring.
BTW this heater control is not from my truck, as mine had a heater delete plate in the dash. A friend happened to have this laying around for some unknown reason, and gave it to me. Hence it why it has cut cables & wires. I plan on using it to control a vintage air unit somehow...I WILL figure a way to make it work.

[Modges'66]

And now, without further adieu, on to the fabrication of the heater control knobs!
I started with a piece of aluminum big enough to yield 5 knobs from, in order to have a backup plan for screwing up a few in the process. NOTHING ever goes as planned in your mind!
Once that I was pleased with the profile of the knob shape, I drilled & tapped #10-24 holes in the bottom of the knob profile that would be used to retain the knobs onto the levers of the control. Then, through the center of each tapped hole I milled a 3/32" slot for the control lever to fit into.
So as you will see, the threads on each side of the slot hold the setscrew that retains the lever.
Pretty simple really...NOT!
Once that all of this was completed, I separated the knobs from the workpiece by sawing them & machining the sawed surfaces to size.
I then milled a groove into the face of them with a 3/16" ball nosed cutter, and polished the individual knobs!

I didn't even screw one up!...yet.

[Modges'66]

And now, on to the pics of the finished product!...The bezel still needs to be painted to match my dash, of course.

[aggie91]

Very nice!