pdx-sanity66

[66ChevyMax]

Nice progress. What a solid truck, keep up the great work.
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[markeb01]

Looks great. Amazing how much work goes into rebuilding an old truck.

[LostMy65]

Since I was really little, until even real recent, the older fella three houses down from my grandparents had a gold truck just like yours.
Keep a good coat of wax on it, and put off painting as long as you can. That gold is so nostalgic.
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[63sbssbbw]

Wow,great work Brett
I think you and I are at about the same stage..
LOL and in about the same time frame.
Looking good,keep at 'er
Trent

[pdxhall]

The Brown truck came for a visit on Friday and delivered my new dropped center crossmember. I got it installed today.

[pdxhall]

I cleaned up my 1 1/4" sway bar today and got a coat of primer on it. I also went to O'Reilly's and picked up the Moog sway bar bushings and new brackets. I had already picked up the frame brackets awhile back so as soon as I can get some paint on the bar I'll be installing it. I've got 3 12hr shifts of work ahead of me so it will probably get done on Saturday.
Next up will be getting brake shoes, drums, and hardware for the rear end, installing at least part of the emergency brake cables, and then plumbing the brake lines.

[Dinos63]

nice work !

[pdxhall]

Thanks Dino. I've got a lot of inspiration from the great trucks you've built and I'm looking forward to watching your newest one come together.

[theastronaut]

Great work!! I like where this one is going! That gold paint looks good too, you keeping it? Can't wait to see more!
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[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

Great work!! I like where this one is going! That gold paint looks good too, you keeping it? Can't wait to see more!
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Thanks man. I am a big fan of your work and even though I'm not close to having the skills you do I try to make things the best I can and I'm having a great time doing it. I'm still not sure about the gold paint but I need to be making up my mind soon. I'll be to the stage in the build where I'll need to soon.
When I was about 14, my neighbor had a 63 Chev Impala in light blue with a white top that I fell in love with and I've alwayts wanted something in that color combo but never have, so my original plan has been to go with a light blue Hot Rod Flatz with white around the windows and the front and rear bumpers, and then the light blue on the roof. I was thinking of the earlier years silver for the interior with black seats, carpet, and accents, but the gold is starting to grow on me so I'm torn.

[pdxhall]

I got my 1 1/4" sway bar and Moog poly bushings installed today. One thing more off of the check list.

[LostMy65]

Man! that is looking good.
You mention checking things off your list.
Do you have a set goal as to timeframe to start putting the body back together?

A frame up restore is some time out for me.
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[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Man! that is looking good.
You mention checking things off your list.
Do you have a set goal as to timeframe to start putting the body back together?

A frame up restore is some time out for me.
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Thanks. I'm hoping to get the cab floor patching done this summer so I can get the underside of the cab prepped and painted and set back on the frame rails. That will give me more room in the garage for when the rains return and I'm forced inside. I plan to get the brake and fuel lines in before the cab goes on and ideally I would like to get the engine and trans in before the cab also, but I don't know if financially that can happen. At least I will be able to start fitting body panels etc. and then pull the cab back off if necessary to deal with the trans mounting, etc.
I don't have any heat in the garage at this point so I'm hoping I can get quite a bit of priming and/or painting done this summer on things such as the inner fenders, core support, and other odds and ends and save other projects for the winter months.

[joesscamaro]

I tried finding that Grand Slam kit you said you got from CPP, but couldn't find the same kit that it looks like you have. Do you have a link for the kit? I'm sure I overlooked it somehow. Thanks! The truck is looking really good also!

[pdxhall]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

I tried finding that Grand Slam kit you said you got from CPP, but couldn't find the same kit that it looks like you have. Do you have a link for the kit? I'm sure I overlooked it somehow. Thanks! The truck is looking really good also!

I looked online, also, and it looks as though they aren't offering the grand slam kit anymore. I'm sure you could still piece together the same stuff, though. Good luck on your build.

[furrydice79]

really nice progress dude, i too have a 66 LWB fleet, and I am just about to start the restoration, in fact if you see a red/orange chevy around Ptown it may be me!!
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[pdxhall]

I haven't got too much done the last week or so. I've been busy finishing up our bathroom remodel. I'm gonna try to get back at it this weekend.
I've got a question to throw out to whoever happens on to my thread. Does anybody know or know of anybody that has attempted to cut down a bench seat in to a bucket seat? I think it would be a really cool period look. You know, kind of like what Chevy could have put in these trucks rather than the buddy buckets or similar to the suburban split seat. It seems that I saw this on a thread at one time but I could be mistaken. I tore my old bench seat down to the frame the other day and it looked like something that could be done fairly easy, so I might give it a try.

[66farmer]

PDX
I have been looking at my seat back and thinking about the same thing. I have another seat that I can use for the frame parts to make the bucket but have not come up with how to make it pivot foward. I would like to have a flip down arm rest my DD a Dodge Ram has a real nice one but it's to thick. If you find a thread about this let me know.

[pdxhall]

Hey farmer, I am hoping somebody comes forward that knows more about this or can lead me in the right direction. I think I'll post something in the other section to see if I get a response over there. What I am thinking, though, is taking the bench seat and cutting the middle out and welding the 2 ends back together to make 1 bucket seat. Of course I'll have to get another bench for 2nd seat but if it works I think it would be worth it.

[pdxhall]

I finally got a little work done on the truck this weekend. I got my new to me passengers side vent cover welded on and started the task of drilling out the spot welds on the passenger rocker. The rocker itself is good and I will be reusing it but I need to patch a small section of the outer front of the floor and I also want to inspect the inner rocker. I will also be patching the kick panel while I'm at it.
I had to get ready for work and didn't have time to post any pics, but I'll try to get some up soon. Just thought I'd better post something. I had to go to page 3 to find my thread.

[pdxhall]

Here are the pics of my vent cover replacement and the passenger side outer rocker panel removal. It looks like I'll have to replace the bottom of the door pillar, a section of the outer floor, and the lower kick panel. The inner and outer rocker panels are good so I won't have to mess around with an ill fitting aftermarket outer rocker. As much as I've read about problems with these, I'm happy.

[LostMy65]

You're digging into it now!
Good job on the Vent cover. (cowl)

[pdxhall]

Curiosity finally got the best of me. I had to get it started to see what I'm up against. If the other side is in as good a shape, I might be able to get the floors done and the bottom of the cab cleaned and painted but the end of summer. Then I can get cab back on the chassis before the rainy season.

[pdxhall]

I ordered up some patch panels for the right side of the cab today. Floor panel, front lower door pillar and the inner kick panel (cowl panel). It's time to cut out the cancer and heal this thing.

[MOTOIMPAIRED]

Just read through this whole thread, good job so far.. It was a really clean truck to start with and it's getting better everyday!!