1968 C20 Build

[dagnabbitt]

Originally Posted by LT7A

From here, it sure looks like you could get the paint matched from the cab and fenders, and use it on the bed. Single stage, matte. Let it weather a little bit and just have yourself a rough and ready 3/4 ton.

In planning to start a build thread myself, I got to thinking that the name of the build thread doesn't have to actually be the name for the truck. But it might be my idea of the direction the build will head. And along the way, a name for the truck might bubble to the surface. I think you could call yours Jerry Springer, for one idea, since the suspension is unusual.

Haha, that is a pretty good name. I think the matte blue paint is a good idea, I will likely try something like that.

[lil hoodlum]

subscribed.

I also have a 1968 C20, but mine is an anniversary 50th custom camper. Originally came with a 327 and 4 speed transmission. 327 is long gone and a 1972 350 resides in the engine compartment.

I clinked on your link of your build thread from your posting about restoring your hubcaps.

[dagnabbitt]

Originally Posted by lil hoodlum

subscribed.

I also have a 1968 C20, but mine is an anniversary 50th custom camper. Originally came with a 327 and 4 speed transmission. 327 is long gone and a 1972 350 resides in the engine compartment.

I clinked on your link of your build thread from your posting about restoring your hubcaps.

Great! I love the 50th anniversary trucks, though I have never seen one in person. I wonder how popular they were, it's kind of a cool thing for GM to do for truck owners in 1968.

[dagnabbitt]

It's been awhile, I have a couple updates.

First of all when I discovered that the rims I had blasted and painted had no hubcap nubs I was kind of bummed out until I realized that those would look good on my 72 GMC, which I was going to outfit with conversion nuts and modern hub covers. So that is what I did. They are now satin black and awaiting the modern touch.

A friend of a friend who was restoring a 70s Ford supplied the below rims, which do have provisions for hub covers. Blasted and powdercoated an "antique" white color, they look pretty sharp. In fact I get thirsty because it is like looking into a bowl of milk.

I have some driver quality 69-72 hubcaps for these, but after all this fooforah I might go with conversion lugs nuts on this one, too. I have a set, anyway. We will see. I also pulled my new Firestones off of this truck and put it on the 72 since that one is already a driver.

[3757chevy]

I bought a truck that had been parked for awhile and had the cowl full of debris. Not good. I just glad it hadn't got a lot of moisture in the mix .

[Warrens69GMC]

Nice progress.

[dagnabbitt]

I had a fun Saturday, I removed the rad support - it needs some metal repair where it sat under the battery - as well as a broken body mount. Oh and a flimsy crossmember thing as well, it was under the rad, looks like someone tried to tow the truck with it and ripped it half off.

For the body mount I used a grinder to get at what I could, and then when it was pretty hot, an air chisel. Worked great. I have a new one arriving (along with a whole bunch of parts for this build) sometime hopefully this week. Of course, as soon as I ordered a new one a used one showed up on the parts board, that seems to happen to me often.

[68Gold/white]

2 words..............

Oh boy!!!

[dagnabbitt]

I haven’t gotten much done over the summer but now it’s winter and am getting back at it. I have dry fitted inner and outer rockers as well as cab corners and am ready to try to make them permanent. I don’t really know what I’m doing but I’m willing to try. This is the truck I will learn on so I expect to make lots of mistakes.

[dagnabbitt]

Been making some progress, lately. All inner and outer rockers, cab supports, cab corners are welded in. I am not a very good welder, but I am learning, I think.

I also have the body mounts in, but left them loose for now. I have read that the position of these cabs are pretty adjustable and that it is possible to have them bolted in too far to either side if you are not careful, so I will wait to tighten them up.

Working on one of the fenders, now. I also have the box pulled back another foot and am going to test out some paint colors to see what works. I have this one shade of blue that I really like but it only comes in a gloss. I don't think my bodywork skills extend further than a satin finish.

[clay68c10]

It looks good and solid. It’s nice to have that part done.
You don’t have to be a great welder if you’re a good grinder

[dagnabbitt]

I am a world-class grinder at this point!

Definitely learning some things for when I do this to the next truck.

It was originally the plan to glue the corners in with 3-M, but I thought what the heck I'll challenge myself.

[dagnabbitt]

Here are some more pics, I just happened to have the exact right scrap wood to place between the rails. This rig was already nailed together and leaning against the corner of the shop, no assembly required. Forget what it was for but it now has "bed remover" written on it in Sharpie.

I first tried this from the side of the bed as I have seen others do, but I found that to be cumbersome as the hoist does not want to move sideways. When I positioned it behind the tailgate it worked better than expected despite the lack of reach: because all the junk I had in the bed allowed it to balance.

The blue that I like is a Rustoleum/Tremclad color called Harbour Blue, but it only comes in a gloss finish. I know that I can get paint mixed up and put in cans, I just like the idea of an off the shelf color that I can get easily and is always exactly the same.

I am also leaning toward French Blue, which does come in Satin. For the roof and the grill and the bumpers, Ivory Bisque.

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

I am a world-class grinder at this point!

Definitely learning some things for when I do this to the next truck.

It was originally the plan to glue the corners in with 3-M, but I thought what the heck I'll challenge myself.

Knowing how to weld sheet metal is a good thing. The skill will help down the road. I am learning, also...patience helps. There's a guy in Saskatchewan that I would call a metal artist. His Utube channel is called Carter Auto Restyling. You need to check it out. He gives instructions on all his videos, explaining the hows and whys of what he is doing. It is well worth checking out!!!

[dagnabbitt]

I found that youtube account: I'm watching him fix a fender right now. Pretty interesting, I like how instead of pausing all the time to explain, he says that you should just watch him work. I also like his sense of humour: it is pretty, well, Canadian. Right now he is frustrated and mad at himself for a mistake he made and is saying he is going to give up welding because he is terrible at it, and that he will just put Bushwacker fender flares on the car, since that is what guys from Saskatchewan do with all their vehicles, even 1940 sedans. Sounds like me.

The big development which I think counts as an actual leap forward for this project: a friend of mine who has been a professional welder for 40+ years stopped by yesterday to show me a few things about welding. He's been looking at my work whenever he comes by, and he has up until now given me some general advice ("you should maybe learn how to weld"), but this time he actually gave me some coaching, set up my welder properly, and worked with me on some practice welds.

What I really appreciated was him watching me operate the welder and making adjustments to the speed and heat while I ran a bead. He didn't tell me he would do this... I was wearing a mask and welding away and had my back to him while he did it: so the effect was like I suddenly had magical welding powers. I would start a bead and it would be terrible, but by the end it was puddling and penetrating like I'd never seen it. After a lot of practice and me watching him like a hawk, my welding improved with each attempt. When he left his parting advice was "get the thinnest wire you can and run that machine as hot as you can just shy of burning through". Seems obvious, I know.

He would sometimes weld without a mask... "I just position the gun to block my view" he said. Well I won't be trying that.

Unsurprisingly, I learned more from him in 20 minutes that I did on my own for the last two years. The next day on his advice I bought some regular mild steel welding wire and a can of C25, and reversed the polarity of the machine. So I am now welding with gas, which is helpful since I no longer have to clean up my welds before going over them. I thought that a set up like that was for experts, it is not, apparently. As an amateur I would recommend this, I go over my welds often.

Anyway I am pretty pleased with today's welding. Not perfect but better than most I have done, and it took hardly any time. I am resisting the urge to redo some of my older, previous welds. Might take a quick look next weekend anyway.

I decided to make patch panels to cover up the entire floor in the cab corners: that is, all the way into the cab corners. I have seen others do this and I think as long as I leave some drain holes and make sure the underside is correct it will be fine. In the area where my little floor patches meets the insides (contours) of the cab corner I plan to just tack it in place, and then seam seal. I want to quit while I am ahead with these cab corners, I don't want to burn through or warp them. And since these floor patches aren't factory I don't think it is against the rules.

I've really learned a lot from this build: I can guarantee that there are a lot of things I will do differently next time.

[Roostre]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

I found that youtube account: I'm watching him fix a fender right now. Pretty interesting, I like how instead of pausing all the time to explain, he says that you should just watch him work. I also like his sense of humour: it is pretty, well, Canadian. Right now he is frustrated and mad at himself for a mistake he made and is saying he is going to give up welding because he is terrible at it, and that he will just put Bushwacker fender flares on the car, since that is what guys from Saskatchewan do with all their vehicles, even 1940 sedans. Sounds like me.

The big development which I think counts as an actual leap forward for this project: a friend of mine who has been a professional welder for 40+ years stopped by yesterday to show me a few things about welding. He's been looking at my work whenever he comes by, and he has up until now given me some general advice ("you should maybe learn how to weld"), but this time he actually gave me some coaching, set up my welder properly, and worked with me on some practice welds.

What I really appreciated was him watching me operate the welder and making adjustments to the speed and heat while I ran a bead. He didn't tell me he would do this... I was wearing a mask and welding away and had my back to him while he did it: so the effect was like I suddenly had magical welding powers. I would start a bead and it would be terrible, but by the end it was puddling and penetrating like I'd never seen it. After a lot of practice and me watching him like a hawk, my welding improved with each attempt. When he left his parting advice was "get the thinnest wire you can and run that machine as hot as you can just shy of burning through". Seems obvious, I know.

He would sometimes weld without a mask... "I just position the gun to block my view" he said. Well I won't be trying that.

Unsurprisingly, I learned more from him in 20 minutes that I did on my own for the last two years. The next day on his advice I bought some regular mild steel welding wire and a can of C25, and reversed the polarity of the machine. So I am now welding with gas, which is helpful since I no longer have to clean up my welds before going over them. I thought that a set up like that was for experts, it is not, apparently. As an amateur I would recommend this, I go over my welds often.

Anyway I am pretty pleased with today's welding. Not perfect but better than most I have done, and it took hardly any time. I am resisting the urge to redo some of my older, previous welds. Might take a quick look next weekend anyway.

I decided to make patch panels to cover up the entire floor in the cab corners: that is, all the way into the cab corners. I have seen others do this and I think as long as I leave some drain holes and make sure the underside is correct it will be fine. In the area where my little floor patches meets the insides (contours) of the cab corner I plan to just tack it in place, and then seam seal. I want to quit while I am ahead with these cab corners, I don't want to burn through or warp them. And since these floor patches aren't factory I don't think it is against the rules.

I've really learned a lot from this build: I can guarantee that there are a lot of things I will do differently next time.

Great work! I think your project has passed mine, I've been stuck with the floor out lately. I really like your patch panels in the rear corners. I've been trying to decide what to do there on mine, and I may have to copy your idea.