Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Behind the scenes discussion with @nickwheeler today resulted in a message that included the following advice.

It would be useful to have a list on a board of what's needed, although Sharpie on the bonnet also works....

Here's a start:

Engine, gearbox and engine loom
Radiator and plumbing
Propshaft, although you probably won't use any of it
Fuel tank and fittings
Pedal box, or at least the clutch pedal and master cylinder
Column stalks, or the whole steering column
Instrument cluster
Throttle cable
Body wiring loom


Stuff that will help:
selection of boxes and bags
tags for labelling, although masking tape works
angle grinder, cutting and grinding discs
several pairs of axle stands
chain for the engine - seatbelts also work

So the services, advice, guidance have been reserved.

It drove the rest of my day after I had started up and checked the vitals of the car one more time.

So I started buy rearranging and clearing a load of stuff in the one side of the garage.

Does not look like much happened in the before and after, but I did manage to find some 18 new, unused M12 x1.5mm thread silver anodised closed end wheel nuts.

Similar to the black ones fitted to the wheels.

Next job will be to find 8 for the rear in a 1.25mm thread pitch and similar style in case there are some cheapies around.



In the end I swept out both garages, cleaned the drill press and all the sharp swarf off the floor, ending with a decent space to lay out parts, including the wiring looms as they get removed from the MX5.

Before.



After.



Trust me, it is an improvement.

Next job………


The one I was dreading, because I knew it was chaotic and needed to get done.

Or else no progress.

Unpack the large shed and get right to the back of it to unpack the engine hoist and also the engine stand.

I did discover my full sized traffic light that I bought a few years ago (for sale now)



Assembly



Ready to rock and roll.



Plan is to check and service the motor on the engine stand and give the transmission a check over and refresh too, before fitting and bolting down.

Makes a lot of sense.

Thanks to all the helpers remote and nearby, advising and guiding on even this part of the build.

Trying to get it right first time out the gates.


Remember the list Nick suggested we work to on the strip down……?


Thought I would get arty-farty and start a list.




Weekend over it seems.


Again.

[Grizz1963]

Not an ideal weekend, but the S10 passed MOT yesterday, and today is a bit wet and cold out.

But @nickwheeler and @pauly would not forgive me for not at least walking down to the garage and looking at whats laying around on the floor.

Both are much more hardcore than me.



Lets see if I make it down there.

[Grizz1963]

With the weather being a bit rubbish outside today, i had two options when it stopped raining

Cut down this tree to below last years pruning knots where the new growth started, up a long ladder, or go play with the Chassis and front end.



Decided the soft ground and working alone was not that clever, I did last year and nearly came down with the ladder at one point when the ground was too spft.

So I moved everything out from under the carport, cleaned up, swung the chassis through 180 degrees, then realised it was wrong, and swung it all around again.

After picking up and loading the chassis onto the front crossmember, I took a jack and lifted the rear to get the 8 bolts seated and in place to keep it all together.

Awkward on your own, but not impossible.



Chilly outside at 4’C when I started, moving up to 6’C or 40’F at which point I was missing @pauly who usually is spread out on my driveway when the temperature drops to that level.

Front end in.



Done.



I thought getting the back end up and in as well was happening, till I realised there were two studs missing from the one hub, and that I need some very short wheel nuts/lugnuts to hold the 4x108 to 4x100 adapters in place. I thought I had a set, but they seem to have disappeared.

I also want to get different wheel bolts for the rear wheels than the chrome ones that came with the adapters.

So I pulled things together, disassembled the rear wheels and adapters that need some more parts to get the steel wheels on there.

I suspect @nickwheeler will be grinning tonight.



Weekend over, dark and cold outside, heating on for a bit, chill from being outside.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Kenny

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334212891...QAAOSwzZthZXFb

Very smart looking thing.

Prefer the Jago shape as it is smaller and daintier than the Eagle RV shape I have.

[Grizz1963]

Got a phone call yesterday from AIB insurance brokers.

I suspect to pre-empt me looking at comparison websites.

Ultimately, increased the value of the truck by 25% and the price of the insurance came down by about £8.00 for the year.

Happy with that.

[Indian113]

Rian, you might just do some comparison shopping just in case!

[Grizz1963]

Two day business meeting at Heathrow Terminal 5

Amazing how we get ripped a new ring every time we turn by the government and their cronies.

Signage is a bit ambigous and misleading, a bunch of colleagues managed to drive through the drop off zone at T5 and the fee, £5.00 for dropping a passenger, or just accidentally driving through.
Stealth taxes are all around us, and many are blatantly obvious.

Anyway………

Park your car sir??



I have had a chesty cough the last week, not the nasty governments mate virus, just a cough and a snotty nose that made me feel somewhat sorry for myself.

So by 4.00pm my boss sent me to my room to continue attending the meeting remotely on Teams.

Much better, though the cough continued.

Managed to stay awake all night, thanks to the cough etc.



Back home yesterday, I fell asleep in the chair, eventually waking at 7.20 and heading straight to bed.

Today was again desk time, but by 3.00pm my back had had enough and I had to go for a quick 3km walk,

Winter is here.

Over there is the Thames and Essex beyond it.



Sunset is early, and the chill slides in fast.



Weekend weather promises to warm up by Sunday to 12”

Fingers crossed.

[Grizz1963]

Saw this on FB.

[Grizz1963]

Some of you will recall my friend Kevin who lives a kilometre from me was building this Rolls Royce based replica.

Jaguar 4.2 engine……

CLICK LINK for VIDEO

https://youtu.be/lBQyUQN34oY

Completed and on the road.

Not bad for a guy in his 70’s who never built a car before.

Things like the bumpers, created from basic flat stock.

The rear wing stone guards, bashed out of flat aluminium sheeting and polished to a high sheen.

So many individual, hand made parts on this car that the most people would not notice.



So to celebrate, he went out and bought himself a new Aston Martin Convertible.



I love it when a man works hard and plays hard.

[Grizz1963]

Busy week and weekend really.

Just got back from the Thames river, collecting pottery shards and river glass with Sally, also spent a couple of hours working on my end of year review which is already 33 pages long, may end up a bit longer by the time Monday afternoons review comes along. It includes sales and performance graphs, but is a long cumbersome thing to creat for an hour long grilling by two managers.


Weather forecast is for 12’C tomorrow.


So the plan is to make time to get back down to the garage and start on the rear end reassembly, though I have not yet bought the wheel studs needed or the shallow nuts to hold the rear adapters in place.

Which are needed in order to see how it all comes together on the lower, shorter parts.

[Grizz1963]

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C10 related question.


Have any of you seen this specific shape of camper/canopy shell before, in long or short fleetside size?


I absolutely love it.







Thanks.

[Grizz1963]

Mate Craig found a guy to move his Mk1 Golf Cabriolet and the 1950 Chevy 3600 truck he bought his wife to the new place in Shropshire.



130 small hedge plants delivered and planted to replace the hedges he had removed or new ones being established.

Planning.



And this little waggon worked hard.

Not easy to see, but new hedge plants are right into the fence in order to grow into it and incorporate a dog and vision proof hedge

Muddy path will be remade once all the heavy vehicles stop going through.

With his neighbour building a complete new house next to him, and a shared drive…….

It may take some patience.



Plan is to move driveway over 450mm toward the lawn and new Laurel hedge.

[jmarkha1]

An awesome property and grounds - the truck is very cool too.
That camper shell looks good Grizz - it looks like an original 60s accessory - that raised part on the rear would be useful if used as a camper.

I have an original long camper shell from 'Custom Hardtops' in California - it came with the truck and is a lovely old thing - made of fibreglass but with sliding alloy framed windows.

I have cut my bed from 8 to 6 foot so at some point Ill also have to cut the camper shell down too :-)

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by jmarkha1

An awesome property and grounds - the truck is very cool too.
That camper shell looks good Grizz - it looks like an original 60s accessory - that raised part on the rear would be useful if used as a camper.

I have an original long camper shell from 'Custom Hardtops' in California - it came with the truck and is a lovely old thing - made of fibreglass but with sliding alloy framed windows.

I have cut my bed from 8 to 6 foot so at some point Ill also have to cut the camper shell down too :-)

Is it not worth seeing if you can find a short shell?

I had a spare roof off Martins truck that I had planned to use on the rear of a shell I wanted to build for my truck, but someone needed it more than me, so I gave it away.

My Teardrop Trailer hangs off the back of the truck like bollox on a bull, so a camper shell will change the look by closing the gap a bit.







Update on the weekend activity later when I get time to sit and write.

Just a quick lunchtime note while I have cuppa soup and buttered bread.

Before my 3.00pm end of year performance review, not looking forward to it, never do.

Yesterday @nickwheeler and I spoke about the valve dust caps I ordered when I saw the magnificent items @etypephil was trying to give away……..

Remember these?



Well, Nick is the kind of guy who “gets it” but would never attach suck tackiness to any car he owns, hell, the man likes a silenced hotrod.

Anyway, the wheels I have need a few more bits to make them fit onto the car, and wheel adapters, including 15mm deep spigot rings for the front, some wheel bolts for the rear to go with the front nuts. And about 8 15mm deep wheel nuts on a 17 hex head. Ohhh, and centre caps for the steels.

This is where Nick really got clever, another reason I love having other guys here when I am out back playing…… the amount of silly stuff, and also very clever stuff that gets shared is amazing, and often improves what we build, or prevent costly mistakes. Plus stuff gets done quicker.

So Nick suggested crown style centre caps to mimic the valve caps.

GENIUS I SAY.

This morning I woke to a PM from him, not dissimilar to the stuff @peteh1969 would whip up while making a cuppa tea.

You guys amaze me with your design skills.

Anyway,



BEHOLD !!!!!!






And mocked on a steel wheel.






Now this will divide us like the red sea, but that is OK, because people can be wrong.


@craigRK is too busy to print them for me, but at least we know it needs to be done.

[Grizz1963]

Dodgy style, or on all fours, who knows what innuendo I may be playing at.

Sunday was partly spend doing winter yard work and maintenance.

And partly spent with @nickwheeler over here allowing me to make him coffee, pick his brains and have a really good time.

Rear axle was going back in.

Old vs new shortened springs thanks to @kevins



So we got going, and the first job was to make up new fresh brake lines for the rer in before even rolling it under the raised chassis.



This is what you call a perfect fit.



Rolling Rolling, I am Rolling…..



Old 16” FWD alloy wheels on the rear, just to roll the chassis about.

Note how close to the chassis it sits.



Then decided to try out the look, using the one 17mm hex M12x1.5 - 15mm shallow nut to bolt the rear adapter to the hub, just to get to see the look.

I need to buy 8 of these and a few other nuts and some double sided threaded studs to change the adapters to Nuts rather than bolts.



From the front.



And then checked out the amount of missing hub studs……. 3 needed to get the full compliment bacl on the hubs, front amd rear.



Very pleased with himself there, Mr Wheeler.

And so he should be.

We now have a rolling chassis.



After this we stood discussing just how much of the MX5 can be transferred to the Rockit in order to save money.

Quite a bit it seems.



Another great afternoon of playing out back.

Next job, according to Nick could or should be removing the engine, gearbox, wiring loom, radiator and some more spares needed to the conversion.

Making up some engine mounts to seat the heavy bits in the chassis and then body on top to get an idea of the look.

Though not going as low as the dream, I am happy for the effort put in so far.

Even @pauly should be happy.

I am off work between 25 December and 9 January so any visitors welcome.

Kettle on most of the time.

[Grizz1963]

Off to Nuts n Bolts Fastener guy, followed by Small Ford Spares breaker guy in a bit.

Need to sort my nuts out.


Still trying to figure what my minimum width front tyres will be on the 8” wide steels.

Especially the front.

I am thinking a 195/50 - 15 should work and show enough side wall up front, and not look like it is stretched the way the 175’s that are fitted, do at the moment.

And out back, possibly as much as a 225/60 - 15 to create some visual rake to the whole thing and fill those massive arches a bit, to enhance the lowered look, seeing as the lowering has not happened as extremely as planned originally. I wonder if a 245/60 - 15 would fit on the rear rims.

Guys like rich tend to have this tyre, wheel and combo stuff bouncing around in their heads mostly.

For me it is much more guessing and testing.

My eyes are constantly open for almost new/part worn bargains on FB Marketplace’s parts sections locally.

Mostly…… not happening, and tons of 16” tyres that are no use to me.

[Grizz1963]

Popped out to go find some 15,, deep wheel nuts, a few tall, black domes wheel nuts and so e hub studs yesterday.

After stopping at two local suppliers, one could not supply, and one lot offered the nuts at £2.40 each plus a £10.00 shipping fee if they ordered them in, I decided to go to the third place, 10 miles from home where I knew I would get all the bits I wanted.



But they came at a cost.



£50.00 for the lot, and then that would not include getting 8 of the studs to fit the rear adapters.

Remember I am going from 4x108 to 4x100 and these were not easy to find.

They can be fitted to the rear hubs, using the shallow 15mm “Ford Transit Connect” style nuts that recess inside the adapters.

BUT…….. Then the chromed wheel bolts that came with the adapters are a different size and pitch to the front set, and wheel studs @M12 x 1.25mm vs originals @M12 x 1.5mm so I had planned on either drilling the threads out of the adapters with a 12.5mm drill and punching the studs through from the rear after removing (bodger alert &#128680 recessing collar/foot and then tack welding them from behind. Stop screaming, it would work, even if not conventional. The alternative would be to ask @nickwheeler to machine them correctly in an engineering way for me to allow me to use the Black domed M12 x 1.5mm threaded wheelnuts that the rest of the wheels have fitted, as I like that look.
So when I proudly got to Nicks place to show and ask, he gently but firmly pointed out that I was being an idiot…….. yup, straight and honest, the way I like it.

He had previously searched and found double ended threaded studs of the M12 x 1.25mm thread pitch that would screw into the adapters, allowing for the use of some chromed domed wheelnuts of the same size to be used.


[quote author="@nickwheeler" timestamp="1639415630"]M12x1.25 double ended studs    [a href="https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=2040_2239_738&products_id=4725"]LINK[/a]

M12x1.25 nuts                            [a href="https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=2040_2239_734&products_id=4657"]LINK[/a]

matching M12x1.5 nuts              [a href="https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=2040_2239_734&products_id=4656"]LINK                       

[/a]

Which just leaves the short nuts to attach the adapters[/quote]


The hope is still to find a set of 8 black, tall, domed wheel nuts to match the front ones somewhere out there in the wide world, who knows where.

Anyway, he suggested I return the studs and three black domed nuts I had bought, for a refund minus the 20% handling fee and order the studs from Rally Design, plus some chrome wheelnuts to go all the way around, or some black domed wheelnuts off EBay or a seller to match the fronts closely.

[quote author="@nickwheeler" timestamp="1639496642"]How about [a href="https://wheelpartsdirect.com/products/nuts/65?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzpUorSMYUVEJOO3KR7sxUsEPPHs7idkhex0HbLDgLR9SqyEayt6CzwaArEoEALw_wc B"]THESE [/a]or [a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113901899723?epid=28010254865&hash=item1a85150fcb:g:zskAAOSwCmlbdWm7"]THESE[/a]?


Bolts seem to be a lot harder to find[/quote]


So I took back the parts I did not need like a naughty schoolboy.


I will order the studs at some time, as well as some black nuts.



Changing direction completely, I was watching Guy Martin’s latest programme last night.

Been thinking about crazy paint and graphics that may create the illusion of both rake and lowering the car visually and saw this.

Certainly not necessarily what will happen, but made me smile.

This is not an important part of the build, but rather nice to just play with ideas.

Photoshopping is a cheaper alternative at this point.




Back to the day job.

Work to do.

[Grizz1963]

Remember Molly the cat that came here last year who loved the garage but had to go back to the yard she was living in?

Photo taken at the time.



This morning George came around and I took this pic of him.



How close do they look like each other.

George now sleeps here most days and often walks in when I open my door.

[Grizz1963]

Amazing what you can get done in an hour.

Cleaning the carport and paving at the garage.

Moving the Rezin Rockit body up the drive and starting the donor MX5 which happily started up and moved around under its own steam.




Then washed the fiberglass body with chlorine bleach gel and a soft broom.

Its amazing how dirty it got over the last year or so, grinder dust, sawdust etc.



Once rinsed.

It looked better.



And finally all the bits moved into place for the next phase.

@nickwheeler and a few others like @westbay, @kevins @jimi @pauly and the whole team of contributors should smile at the next few days planned actions.

First thing is to find a bit of time to unpack the big shed, where the engine hoist and engine stand are stashed, along with a few other reserve tools.

Once unpacked they can go into the carport area.

Keep in mind engine gets a full service, cambelt etc.

My holidays will be well used I suspect.




Progress is Progress.

[Grizz1963]

Dark

Dismal

Wet

Foggy

Cold

Day………..


All the good intentions shoved firmly under the carpet.


I had planned on using my “lunch break” to go unpack the shed and get some tools out.


Failed dismally as it was wet and drizzly down there.


Mate Fil “Sparkplug” did do a quick photoshop early morning.


Remember the cracks on the bonnet/hood.??





Well, I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that a pair of stickers may make life a lot easier.

Final design still open to editing and suggestions.

But you get the idea.



Weekend weather is forecast to get colder, so maybe not as much fun as one would like.

But hey………..…..

Keep hoping.

[Grizz1963]

So Today has started thus.

Foggy, cold, wet outside, even under the carport it looks like it has been raining.




Usually these are the temperatures that sees the likes of @pauly and the indestructible Super Fiesta®️ ( and of late @nickwheeler )make an appearance to spanner for a day on an American V8 of some sort that I may have bought wearing rose tinted spectacles a few weeks into winter.

Like the Not a Project Chevy Blazer.

This guy has always got a smile, even when things go badly wrong, he just grins and says something like “well, let’s think about it, we just need to get on and do this thing”







Well, I am still indoors because the fog is thick, wet and cold outside.

But I spoke to Paul earlier while he was walking his dogs in a field, and for the first time ever, I heard him say it was cold outside, despite wearing gloves.

So maybe I am not as soft as I thought I had become.

I will be outside ny 11.00 to start unpacking all the treasures from the big shed though, as I really need to keep the momentum going, both for the build as well as my head.

Later.

[Grizz1963]

Quick update.

Added and duplicated some of the suggestions made by the build team yesterday after I posted on the bonnet/hood.

Plus the law according to @jimi which resonates with most of us.





Mate Kevin popped over from Maidstone around lunchtime to collect a kitchen table I had stashed in the garage.

Of course he wanted to see what the progress looks like in real life.

Once down there, he noticed the headlights and how faded they are.

So asked how I had done the lights on the Galaxy before, so I fetched the G3 compound and 5 minutes later…….

From this.



To this.



I guess that means I have a set of front lights to sell to anyone who needs to buy a pair.

Or trade me for some modern headlights for the Rezin Rockit.


.

[Grizz1963]

First a video summary of yesterday and a countdown by @nickwheeler.

Really was an amazing feeling getting to this point.

I am so pleased at the pace we were able to lay out for the two days.

Resulting in this video:

Click Link.

.
https://youtu.be/KrMioNy9z80


This morning I needed to get some food early, before the world and their cat was out in the shops.

So I popped into Aghabridge and bought a roll of brake pipe and also a pair of M8 rubber mounts, to create the gearbox chassis mount.

The rubber mounts were £18.00 for the pair, kinda eye watering, but I did not have many options as I may be getting onto this sooner than later and postage and shipping is a bit silly this time of the year.




Back home I dealt with a load of work related stuff, after all, work does come first.

Then later I popped down and lifted the rear end, fought the exhaust system, broke two 1mm grinder blades as the exhaust was not cooperating.

Then cut the hangers out back, and managed to cut the pipe over the rear axle, rescuing the small resonator which looks to be stainless.

I also got the impact wrench and removed the driveshaft bolts, ticking off another item on the list.

Then I got inside the car and got to the final item……. Fuel tank parts.




Final tally……..





The next job was to pack all the parts that had been removed, back into the car, tidy up the carport.




Then came the shuffle…..





Also got the hoist in on the motor as it was not in the right place, middle of the carport.




And a mobile engine and gearbox.



After a lot more pushing and shoving I had the carport sorted.

The MX5 is ready for @KevFromWales to collect it again………


At this point Mickey came around to check up on me, he had had quite a few pints at lunchtime and managed to sleep all afternoon .


Typically he asked why I had not called him to come and help…….

Drunks….. bloody useless on a job, just get in the way.


Anyway, I was happy.


5.30 and today jobs were wrapped up.





I am on vacation from tomorrow, so a few things may happen.

But I am also spending some time with Sally as she is incredibly tolerant of me and my garage time.


Merry Christmas everyone.

[Grizz1963]

OK……


So I lied.


Boxing day break lasted till 12.00 then Sally went home to cook UncleBobs lunch for the next two days, leaving me bored after having a coffee and biccies.

So, I went down to the garage to see what the measurements were approximately for the gearbox, engine and chassis.

Unusually, Sally came back because she had forgotten her phone, and came down to the carport to tell me…..

Sneaky pic taken while I was doing the mock up of whwre the gear lever comes through the floor.




So, based on my simple measurements, the red can cap shows where the gear lever comes through the floor.

The front wooden bar shows where the firewall is.



Checking the engine mounts, they seem to be 400mm apart.

Also in the MX5 engine bay.




And working back from the waterpump hose mount, you have another 400mm measurement.



Looking from the diff coupling fact to the gear shift is about 34.5 inches.



Gear shift to waterpump 55 inches
Prop shaft - mounting face to slip in 36 inches
Gear shift to engine mount 960mm

Anyway, in order to fit the engine and keep the gear shift where it was originally, will be a tight fit.

Prop shaft mount seems to be different between the ford and Mazda items, but a small issue.



Next job will be to lift and lay the engine and transmission in the chassis to see where it all sits, and then to test fit the body over it all.


Boxing day……


Also did another small job that has been long overdue.


More about that later.

[Grizz1963]

Remember where we started last year.

What a mess.

Not much to start with.



Two nuts again, as it seems to be the case all around the Rockit



More of the same.



Anyway, with various helpers, including @nickwheeler and some of my own sweat and swearing of course, we got to this point where we are today…..

Adapters taking it from 4x108 to 4x100 and wheels I liked.

But still missing some hub studs and wheel nuts.

Steels with the 175 tyres stretsched on, not the look I am going for.



So removing the wheels and adapters I was able to fit the fromt wheel stud that had been missing all along.



Used the impact wrench and wheel nut to pull the studs into place.



The rear hubs were missing even more.



Pulled into position.



And done.

Much better now.




And another small job done that takes time.

195/60-15 shod wheels in place.



Very pleased with that.

Progress.