What Did You Do With Your Truck Today ?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Fredo,
What's going on with your flat bed, or have I missed it? Last I heard you said you buggered up the fenders you bought and were gonna buy new. That happen? Installed? How about pictures?

[1956chevtruck]

I went out for a drive. Can you believe it? It's Dec 11th and I was out ripping around in the old boy today. That may not sound like a big deal for anyone from California but it's a big deal when you live in Canada. Beautiful sunny day of about 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit) and dry clear roads that haven't been salted for at least a week. Life is Good!
Byron

[FFredo]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Fredo,
What's going on with your flat bed, or have I missed it? Last I heard you said you buggered up the fenders you bought and were gonna buy new. That happen? Installed? How about pictures?

Hey Dan, yeah I messed up the fenders I bought. Have not bought the new ones yet. I have been so busy with leather orders that I haven't had time to get out and make a cardboard template. I finnaly took a cpl of days to get the front end lowered and new shocks on. I'll get pics of the new stance as soon as this little bit of rain goes away. Whats happening with your truck?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by FFredo

... Whats happening with your truck?

Copious amountof NOTHING!

I've had a series of issues get in my way - the latest being "The Great Pasadena Tornedo of 2011"! My backyard block wall blew over crushing all sorts of stuff, had a really large palm tree fall on my patio shade structure - screwing it up. Clean up & temporary board-up was done this weekend but there's still a lot of work to be done. Right before that, our forced air heating system died so bottomline is its gonna be HUGE $$ to have the entire thing swapped out including the AC, get rid of the asbestos wrapped ducting and get all new put in - probably gonna use space heaters til after Christmas is over then deal with that. The only quasi "good" thing about it is I wil get a new roll up garage door out of the deal. My ancient tilt up was a POS BEFORE the windstorm so getting a big tree limg blown right thru the sheet metal door was kind of a blessing....sorta!

Anyway, my truck is not running, steering wheel off while I've been sanding and painting the interior but one thing leads to another and it is further apart (and for a lot longer) than I ever intended for it to be.

I suppose its a good thing you are very busy with your leather work, huh?!

[FFredo]

WOW Dan, sorry to hear about the wind damage. We got lucky here in San Diego it never got as bad as they thought it would. But like you said there is a bright side, roll up doors rule!! Will your home owners cover any of the damage?
The leather work is keeping me busy, unfortunately it is not keeping me in the money.
I'm almost finished with my 78 shovel head (harley), when I finish I can pull the new cab I have into the garage and start on the body work for that. Right now I'm hoping for a finished truck around early spring of 2012.

[1959 Apache 3600]

Finally got the front body-clip removed. Next out are the motor and trans. (poor phone pic...sorry)
Before:


After

[Dan in Pasadena]

Well that looks like a helluva lot more progress than I'm making. I want to pull my front body work just for a thorough cleaning and detailing. "While-I'm-in-There" I want to pull the headers and paint/ceramic coat/or replace them, I want an excuse to try my hand at some painting since I bought some TPI HVLP guns and a new (to me) big compressor. Knowing how I am, I'll probably use the access as an excuse to do a lot more stuff too, if money allows. C'mon tax return!

As to my garage door: I hope it doesn't look like a "diamond in a goat's azz" -Ha Ha. I've got a 80+ year old house so it may. Again, I'll probably use it as an excuse to do a lot of other stuff I've wanted, like fix my badly cracked concrete floor, expose the oil change pits in it I've never seen to see if they're usable. etc. It never ends huh?! What are your engine plans? V8 or a rebuild/detail on the six? Will your engine compartment be body color or are you thinking of original black? Enquiring minds (aka nosy people) want to know!

[AD51]

Working on some engine mounts. This is what I am doing. A 1/2" plate 5"x8" Holes drilled to the factory 4.3 mount locations and use the back hole to place the frame mount. Then I will drill and tap for the other two holes. It measures out to give me about a two inch gap at the firewall for distributor clearance. Then just use a set of 4.3 mounts for the small block.

[1959 Apache 3600]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Well that looks like a helluva lot more progress than I'm making. I want to pull my front body work just for a thorough cleaning and detailing. "While-I'm-in-There" I want to pull the headers and paint/ceramic coat/or replace them, I want an excuse to try my hand at some painting since I bought some TPI HVLP guns and a new (to me) big compressor. Knowing how I am, I'll probably use the access as an excuse to do a lot more stuff too, if money allows. C'mon tax return!

As to my garage door: I hope it doesn't look like a "diamond in a goat's azz" -Ha Ha. I've got a 80+ year old house so it may. Again, I'll probably use it as an excuse to do a lot of other stuff I've wanted, like fix my badly cracked concrete floor, expose the oil change pits in it I've never seen to see if they're usable. etc. It never ends huh?! What are your engine plans? V8 or a rebuild/detail on the six? Will your engine compartment be body color or are you thinking of original black? Enquiring minds (aka nosy people) want to know!

I hear ya... C'mon tax return! One purchase I plan to make before the end of the year however is an Eastwood welder while they still offer free shipping. Compressor is planned for January.

Regarding the truck, if you look beyond the front frame rails in the "After" picture, you'll see the Chevy 454 big block sitting on the floor that's going to replace the 6. Not really going to jazz this truck up too much aside from that. May lose the box and flatbed the thing, converting to a dually. Afterall, it's a 3/4 ton. This is my 1st project, so I want to use this lab rat to learn before attempting anything real nice...

[FFredo]

Yeah! Flatbed fever grows.

[Atommik]

Cleaned up and got the original latch to work well in the right door. Took apart the vent window frame...rusty!! Working on that now!!

[Helilog56]

For anyone thinking of re-wiring their truck, I just finished installing an American Autowire kit and am very impressed with their product/kit....instructions even a doofuss like me can understand....!!!??!!

[Daze57]

atommik

good article on rebuilding them vent winnders in stovebolt forum - also if ya need help i have done a few of them . 55-59 also
juss holla -- good luck

[mknittle]

I made a couple tools to press my control arm bushing in and out. and cleaned up one of my rear control arms.

[AUSSIE54]

Tonight we dummied up the cab onto the chassis and got the engine and trans seated. It's going to be tight squeeze!
Posted via Mobile Device

[1959 Apache 3600]

Got the motor & trans out. Did it all myself. Next time I'll be sure to have an extra set or two of hands to help...
BEFORE:


AFTER:

[yossarian19]

Wrestled the intake / exhaust manifolds off & removed the driveshaft from the transmission. Started removing the shifter assembly from the top of the trans. Should be ready for a cherry picker next time I get to visit the old girl, & from there I'm ready to go engine shopping.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by FFredo

Hey Dan, yeah I messed up the fenders I bought. Have not bought the new ones yet. I have been so busy with leather orders that I haven't had time to get out and make a cardboard template. I finnaly took a cpl of days to get the front end lowered and new shocks on. I'll get pics of the new stance as soon as this little bit of rain goes away. Whats happening with your truck?

Gotta watch out for Murphy!

[Atommik]

Disassembled and sand blasted the left door. Metal work (rust patching) starts today!

[55metalmonkey]

Built a roll pan and bolted it to the rear, made templates to cap off the bottom of stake pockets for a more finished look. still have to decied which way I'm going to go with the rear lights..... too many choices.

[oldcouple]

Took pictures of the progress at the body shop..

[mknittle]

I made another tool so I can press the bushings out and in the camaro control arms for my 52.

[rollinrooster]

Made brackets to hold my air tanks on the frame.

[oldcouple]

Ordered a new three row aluminum radiator for $215 with free shipping. It will replace the four row copper one that I paid over $500 for from Henderson radiator and had to have fixed several times because the seams keep opening up, its leaking again.

[mknittle]

i worked some more on wearing out my tape measure.