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#451 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
Posts: 8,032
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
truck is looking great. lots done in short order. it is nice to have those previous paint lines to go by for lining things up with the naked eye i bet. great idea with the string afterwards so you know it is good and not out of whack side to side either. will you be moving the wheels back in the rear do you think? smaller tire to compensate instead? leave it like it is?
curious minds........ haven't had time to look at mine for a bit. grandkids (2 within a month) and kids selling and buyng houses. mt old trailer is getting a workout, like my old back is....... keep up the great work. you'll be done in no time. |
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#452 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 996
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Quote:
You and I are living the same life in a parallel universe. Kids, grand kids, houses, kid's rental houses..... I don't intend to move the wheels at this time. I have pushed the bed sides as far as they will go forward and I am comfortable with the rear tire space. If, when I am "finished", I don't like it, I will downsize the rear tires which I may do anyway if I run across a pair.
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#453 | |
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Quote:
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#454 |
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Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Kim57 & 58-GMC...Thanks! If everyone knew how much fun this is there would be a law against it!
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#455 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Decided to test a handy tip I learned from one of you brilliant guys on this build site which is to heat gun old bondo. Said it would come right off and it DOES. No dust and it goes really fast. So, I decided to test a suspicious spot on the tailgate. Not sure how you can damage a tailgate like this and not bend it. Its as straight as an arrow. They basically stuffed the tailgate with newspaper, pushed the loose metal segment into the gate and floated it out with bondo. A new tailgate may have been cheaper than the bondo used. Anyway, did not discover the newsaper until it caught on fire. Would have take a shot of it but was busy putting it out. Based on the newspaper, tried to determine what date the repairs where made but it was too late. Looks like I have another surprise area at the bottom of the gate. Also tested the heat gun on the bed side bullets. YIKES. The passenger side bullet is in about 0.5" nearly the entire length. I keep telling my self that the good news is that there is no rust!!! I'll be re-reading the "Bumping Metal" book I bought based on Ricott's suggestion.
Trimmed the bed front top rail and started fitting it. Photo shows it on the inside of the bed which is where it will ultimately be but a good bit lower. If I put it on the other side of the bed, it hits the cab. Since I will probably be using some sort of spray on bed liner, I will probably spot weld the rail and use seam sealer to make the gaps go away and hope nobody crawls into my bed upside down to look at my work. Also toying with putting a storage shelf in the filler piece at the tailgate. Since there is no room in the cab, I should be able to carve out a big enough space to store the TB jack and tools. Another possible location is below the bed behind the driver (opposite location of my battery). Stuck an old ammo case under there and it fit easy. Needs to be slightly larger though.
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#456 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
just curious if you could simply extend the link arms later for a more rearward effect on the tires. driveshaft extension would also be part of that ball game.
I like that trail 70 in the back too. a few years ago i had a honda 55 which is a step through model like a honda 90. it was really old and even had the huge front fender. that wouldda looked cool in the back cuse it would be almost period correct, haha. |
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#457 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Quote:
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#458 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
I removed the chrome UL181 Duct Tape I used to tape the mass air flow sensor (MAF) to the throttle body and replaced it with a rubber boot I cut off the end of a long plastic air intake tube. Used my heat gun to persuade one end to stretch around the engine side of the MAF. Received my $28.00 air filter straight from China today. When I ordered it, I assumed it would be light weight and I considered to be a temporary solution. Turns out the unit is heavy with a robust thick washable/reusable filter and will be fine as a permanent solution. Fits the upstream side of the MAF like a glove. Picture #3 is a shot with the hood closed and my camera stuck way up in the engine compartment. Looks like at least an inch of clearance between the top of the air filter and the hood.
Although tight, I am pretty happy with the fact that the corvette radiator, electric fan, air filter and radiator hoses fit nicely and look like they grew there. If I had to remote mount the air filter it would have gotten pretty messy trying to find a place to put it. I'll probably install a small filler panel on top of the radiator to direct the air flow into the radiator and to hide the top of the radiator. In retrospect, I should have mounted the water filler neck towards the driver side and still may do so in the future. It will look cleaner and like it was done on purpose. Located a pair of Nexen 245 45 18's that match my fronts that I will pickup Thursday for $40 each. Said to have less than 500 miles on them.
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#459 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Had a visit from grandson Noah. He and I decided to take the '59 for a spin.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iBhipLqW88
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#460 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Corona, California
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Very cool.
Kim |
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#461 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
that's awesome, love those glasses Noah has on.
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#462 |
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Very cool!!!
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So when is this "Old enough to know better" supposed to kick in? My 1959 GMC build thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=686989 |
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#463 |
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Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
So, I figured out the California body man's approach back in March 1982. I found a dated newspaper inside the tailgate. Basically, he drilled a hole at one end of the dent and cut the sheet metal along the perimeter of the dent except for one side. He then pushed the sheet metal in, stuffed the gaps with newspaper and commenced with filling it with filler. There are two of these repairs in the tailgate and one in the right bed side. Instead of buying a new $400 tailgate, I decided to remove the sheet metal flap, straighten it and stitch it back in. I was able to straighten both tailgate flaps pretty good and was able to reach some of the low spots with my demolition bar and get them raised. What I did not correct was the slight bow in the tailgate which appears to be about 1/4" over the width of the tailgate.
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#464 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Bedside repair. The flap was hanging by a pretty thin piece of sheet metal so I stitched it across the top.
I'll start feeding the media blast guy the bed sides, tailgate and Honda TL250 frame tomorrow. He will blast and epoxy primer the components. Front clip will be next followed by the cab. Back of the top of the cab is a mess. Took all the filler off and have decided that the truck must have been a delivery truck with a pipe rack. Some of the dents even made it into the cab and dented the inside wall. I suspect I will be buying a stud welder attachment for my MIG and a stud puller to get the cab back in shape. The fun continues!!!
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#465 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Corona, California
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
You're doing a nice job on some bad metal.
Kim |
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#466 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 285
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Your truck is looking great. You gotta love "bubba" repairs from back in the day (or even today!). I purchased a heavy duty Stud Welder from Eastwood years ago and it works great. Some dents are so bad (you might not have this problem on your truck) that a stud will break (or pull a hole in your metal) before the dent begins to pull out. On the GTO quarter I had to weld a series of small plates with holes in them and use a come along to do the "major" pull, then I could use the stud gun for the pulls after that. You can see what I did in post 100 of my pickup truck build in my signature line.
Good luck, and keep letting me dream about my truck while watching you get yours done. Ricky
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#467 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 996
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Kim: And it seems to keep getting worse.
Ricky: Yeah, that was a pretty serious dent. You did a great job pulling it out. The metal bumping book you recommended has really helped me understand what I am supposed to do....I just have to do it. To keep from buying another piece of welding equipment, thought I would just buy the stud tip for my MIG or just simply hold the studs and weld them on manually. Figured I would buy the attachment for my slide hammer that fits over the studs but can't seem to find one anywhere on the internet. Harbor Freight sells the studs and stud welder but no way to yank on them. I cut the old bedside inner panels off today. This exposes the inside of the bullets for better access for metal work. In addition, I cleaned off the driver side bullet and found less than 2.5" of somewhat clean bullet from which I can make a template. Figured I would have my buddy cut a fairly heavy metal template for me to beat the bullets into for a consistent radius. The more dents I uncover the more I am seriously considering doing the remaining work in 2 phases. Phase 1 will be finish installing the bed, welding all holes and cracks, replacing the cab corners, steps and passenger floor (material I already have) and banging out both bullets and the roof. Put a cheap paint job (maybe even with some very mild fake patina) on it and start driving it. Once I finish the house, Phase 2 will be straighten it better and doing a real paint job on it. Decisions decisions....
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#468 |
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Theodore, AL
Posts: 61
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Hey Doug. Your work is looking good as always. I came by your house Friday evening at around 5 o'clock. I thought I might catch you doing some more great work on your truck so that I could learn from you, but you weren't home. Maybe next time. Keep up the great work and keep posting the pictures. If I can't learn in person, maybe I will be able to learn from your pictures! LOL
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#469 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 996
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Quote:
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#470 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 996
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Found a pair of 245 45 18 NEXEN tires on Craigslist in Hattiesburg, MS which is about a 2 hour drive from here. They exactly match my fronts and are said to have less then $500 on them. Paid $50 for the pair. Got to enjoy the Manheim car auction while there so it was a full day of fun.
Decided to make the patch panels for the old gas tank filler neck on the driver side and the old CB antenna hole on the passenger side. Used the wheel tubs I cut off of the '95 bed. Metal may be a gauge thick but it had approximately the right curve for both locations so it was just a matter of taking the jig saw to it and then shaping with the grinder. I used a piece of cardboard to determine the curvature. I held it tight to the cab with one finger just in front of the hole and measured the distance from the top and bottom of the cardboard to their respective locations on the cab sheet metal. Moved it to the tub and found a spot with roughly the same dimensions. Low tech but it worked nicely.
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#471 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Corona, California
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Real nice.
Nice score on the tires. Kim |
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#472 |
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 996
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Welded the patches this morning. Curvature of the piece on the driver side looks pretty close. A bit of sculpting with filler will finish it up.
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#473 |
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Location: Buffalo NY
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Like the patch Dug
Mike |
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#474 |
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Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
Mike: Thanks. Can't wait to get down to bare metal like yours to see what's REALLY in store for me!!! Once the rain quits here, will be moving parts to the blaster. dug
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#475 |
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Location: Corona, California
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Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside
The patch came out real nice.
Kim |
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