My 1961 crew cab- XRMYCRU

[AJCK87]

Beauty Job! I'm no stranger to the difficulties of the working the firewall around the steering column, my sympathies! Your rig is awesome! I can't wait to put my hands on a 60-63 crew definetly next on the project list, the panel is getting finished first hahaha

[jonzcustomshop]

I got the cab on the frame today!
my friend that helped with putting the cab on also brought by a bunch of bodywork supplies, and helped for about 4 hours getting me started on doing the roof.

[Palf70Step]

Looking good!

[CHIZZLER]

Looking great jon. I can't wait to see this thing together. Roof looks good.

[piratexpress1369a]

Looks awesome

[DPowers]

Congrats. Looking good.

[Bomp]

Factory looking, you hit it spot on.

[aerotruk63]

Nice work as usual.

[firenuttz]

I have lurked, but I haven't logged in here for a few years and I feel like I might start doing so more with all the crew cab builds popping up. Your truck is absolutely amazing, sub'd to see the out come of this beauty

[61Chevy454]

Went and visited the truck today! Jon has a ton of cool stuff in his garage!

[aerotruk63]

I went and visited Jon last month and captainfab as well. Both are inspiring. But now I've got the 4 door itch. Re-thinking the 4wd project now. Now have parts and pieces to convert and this thread as a great reference source. Thanks Jon.

[jonzcustomshop]

I'll have to come up with some pics, but I spent a couple weeks this summer working on the stepside bed: I got all the mounts lined out and fabricated, and then worked on putting a steel floor form a 73-87 fleet in it. I also started on a custom rear bumper...then other stuff came up, and then it got cold!lol

[Android04]

It's come a long way, can't wait to see it done.

[Palf70Step]

Cold in Montana, who would have thunk.

I feel bad not going to the shop when it is cold down here, probably like your fall temps.

[jonzcustomshop]

Here are a couple quick pics, I will have to take some more detailed ones the next time I take it apart.
I just used angle iron to bolt the floor to the bed sides and front bed panel. I spaced the bolts on the side so they either go through the fender, behind the fender, or into the stake pocket.
Underneath there are some factory "U" supports from the 73-87 floor that sit down onto the frame, I did have to move one of them.
The floor sits above the step notch in the frame , and is only raised about 3 inches from stock.
In the back I bent a piece of sheet metal to space between the floor and bed when the tailgate is open.

[Captainfab]

Looking good Jon

[awbrown]

This thread almost motivates me to warm the shop up and do some work on the 63 , but then again , spring is around the corner , plus I have too much stuff stacked on my project truck right now....lol

[cwcarpenter98]

Just finished reading through the whole thread, and I must say that you do some great work Every crew cab build on this thread makes me want to turn my 63 into a crew so bad. One day I'll get there

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Shes looking great

[jonzcustomshop]

Finally got around to sorting out the steering.... I used a 62/63 column since I am going to use a 62 wiring harness, and I don't have a good 60/61 column and turn signal cup.

Since the crossmember is pancaked, and the steering box is moved up I needed a universal joint, a friend had one laying around, and since it was a double, and the rag joint is still there I needed to make a bracket for a support heim joint so the column wouldn't flop. I bolted it to the upper crossmember holes, and had to notch the motor mount to clear the bolt.

Now on to the dash and wiring harness...

[Captainfab]

Glad to see you back to making some progress

[jonzcustomshop]

Well,, there is a little bit to report, I finished trimming the inner fender wells to clear the pancaked crossmember, steering heim joint, and steering box. the pass side was a quick and easy clearance over the A arm, the drivers side a bit harder. I had to trim around the new power steering box location, and decided to just put a hole for the power steering pressure line, and hook that up after the inner fender is mounted.
I cut off way too much to clear the heim joint, and ended up welding almost all of it right back where I cut it, I finally ended up with a notch for the joint, and there is a separate lower piece that covers the hole that now bolts on.

Next I was on to electrical fun!! I ended up mating a 63-64 column to a 62 harness, and a 60/61 instrument gauge cluster. My friend Chris was invaluable with a couple 62 (b/w) and 63 (color) wiring schematics and some input. The hand written one is the final cross reference for the 61/2 column wiring to the 63/4 column. I pretty much traced and discovered the use for each wire in each schematic to make sure everything would work as it should, I only had to add 1 wire to the harness since the 62 must have still been a generator harness, and the 63/66 is an alternator harness


All this was me just using what I had on hand, I had actually bought a 63 that had the gauge package and a complete uncut harness, and I was going to pirate all of that and the column out of it, but I went and got the silly thing running, and now with a different box, doors and hood it is too nice to part out. So I found I had a good 62 harness, a 66 front and engine harness, and a 63 or 64 steering column.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Nice job Jon