My Unexpected '66 SWB-Fleet-Restomod Project!

[Modges'66]

Block sand, prime, block sand, prime. The flatter it gets, the more imperfections I find.
I just guide coated & blocked it out for a second time & I'm convinced that the cab & doors are 10 times as straight as when new. I'm about to graduate from cab & door detail & move-on to other body panels.
I still have no idea on a color choice yet.
2 colors in mind, pearl orange/pearl white 2 tone, or simply pearl white.

I spent some time over the weekend retrofitting the door latches with solenoids, since I have now received the shaved door-opener kit that I ordered.
I totally forgot to take any photos, but many soon to come!

[Captainfab]

Nice score on the truck, and very nice body work

You've obviously done body work a time or two.

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Nice score on the truck, and very nice body work

You've obviously done body work a time or two.

Thanks!
Yeah, unfortunately I worked in a bodyshop for a few years after high-school, and I have had a fair share of project cars. Haven't done any body work in over 10 years...But you never seem to forget how to do it (bummer).

[C@rnut001]

Great looking truck to build and it looks like you are doing a killer job on all of the body work for it. Keep the updates and pictures coming, we love to see progress being made on a truck build! It is always nice to know how to do your own work on these old trucks (or cars) as it saves a ton of money.

[McMurphy]

Looks like your door handle shaves came out very smooth!
Looking good from here

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Looks like your door handle shaves came out very smooth!
Looking good from here

Yup, smooth like a babies behind!
I cheat a little by keeping a spray bottle filled with wax & grease remover nearby.
After I think the panel is flat from blocking it out, I wipe it down, then fog it with the solvent to look down the reflection that it produces...as if it were painted.
It allows you to see almost all imperfections! then simply wipe it off, and prime & block again if necessary.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Yup, smooth like a babies behind!
I cheat a little by keeping a spray bottle filled with wax & grease remover nearby.
After I think the panel is flat from blocking it out, I wipe it down, then fog it with the solvent to look down the reflection that it produces...as if it were painted.
It allows you to see almost all imperfections! then simply wipe it off, and prime & block again if necessary.

So just that I am sure I am keeping up with you...
You grind down your welds, probably some sanding, then fill with either bondo or self leveling primer (like slicksand?) and then you do your blocking.... then the steps you just listed?

Thanks .... sometimes I feel like the kindergarten kid in a college physics class.

[Modges'66]

Yes, grind down the welds to make sure that they are not high, sand for good adhesion of your filler, spread a coat of filler, knock down the high areas with power tools, then I block the filler by hand to the assumed finish level to assure flatness, then prime with a high-build primer, then block by hand to maintain flatness. A D-A sander can make it seem flat but still have slight waves, but a block is the only way to assure flatness.
Most areas on my cab & doors have been blocked (in primer) 3-4 times, then guide-coated & blocked.
In my opinion, 90% of the paint job is preparation. if the prep is good, you can just about color-sand & rub anything to make it look spectacular!

[Modges'66]

I retrofitted my door latches with solenoids to accommodate for my shaved door handles. They turned out great! They may look a bit weird, but remember that the opener solenoid has to be positioned not to interfere with the path of the window glass.
I started by making a profile template of the door latch surface from cardboard that included the latch, & window track mounting holes, I mapped out where the widow traveled, and worked around the space that was available in the door to situate the solenoid & required linkage.
I did the fab work a buddies shop, then went & installed them into the doors for tryout, and everything works perfectly (for once).
At first I had the linkages adjusted with zero-lash, & the solenoids didn't always want to un-latch the door. It seems that at the FULLY extended position, the solenoids only produce a fraction of their maximum pulling-force, but if they are slightly retracted in their travel, they have a considerable greater pulling potential. So by adjusting a little slack into the linkage they worked flawlessly, every-time!
This made my day!

[Modges'66]

A few more pics!

[XtechX]

I was just reading through your thread and noticed you're a fellow Michigander! You don't see too many of us on here for some reason...probably because all of the trucks we usually see are rotted beyond repair....lol. Nice work so far, and what a great find on your truck!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by XtechX

I was just reading through your thread and noticed you're a fellow Michigander! You don't see too many of us on here for some reason...probably because all of the trucks we usually see are rotted beyond repair....lol. Nice work so far, and what a great find on your truck!

Hey! Thanks!
Yeah, I'm real excited, if you can't tell. I can't seem to work on it enough, and with the unusually nice weather we have had lately, it makes me anxious!

[awbrown]

So where are you working on this beast ?? I have a few 63 projects in the works so it is great to see another michigander on the board.........

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by awbrown

So where are you working on this beast ?? I have a few 63 projects in the works so it is great to see another michigander on the board.........

I live south of Grand Rapids near the airport, but working on the truck at my parent's home, north of G.R. near Cedar Springs, and I work on the lakeshore in Grand haven....Spending more money on gas than the project!

[Modges'66]

I did some interior cleaning this weekend, I sanded everything inside the cab.
While sanding the dash I noticed that quality control must not have been at its optimum levels at the time of original build. It seems that the dash was never secured to the cab on the right-hand side! The holes were so far off that you couldn't see them. I wedged the porta-power between the dash & floor & got them to line up, but busted spot-welds on the dash along the windshield frame in the process. All is golden now! I sanded every inch of interior, but only primed the dash with the epoxy. I'm gonna get some lighter weight primer for the headliner & rear of the cab.

[Modges'66]

the exterior is looking pretty pristine, i can't wait to move-on to other panels.
Next step is to block the exterior of the cab & doors with #320 grit, then it WILL be ready. I should only be about 5-6 hours away(labor time) from having the cab & doors totally prepped for paint!

[Modges'66]

A few more pics!

[McMurphy]

Looking real good !!

[allaboutchevelles]

Very nice job. Its funny because I just did the same thing on saturday myself. sanded my complete dash to bare metal. I still have to prime mine but I did the headliner and around the back glass a couple weeks ago and primed that. Nice job your doing!!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by allaboutchevelles

Very nice job. Its funny because I just did the same thing on saturday myself. sanded my complete dash to bare metal. I still have to prime mine but I did the headliner and around the back glass a couple weeks ago and primed that. Nice job your doing!!

Ha-Ha! Thanks!
My posts are actually a couple of weeks behind.
I finish-sanded the exterior this past weekend, but slightly off on my estimate for completing paint prep.
Once that the exterior was blocked with 320, I washed it down with wax & grease remover & noticed a good sized wave in the roof that would not pass inspection for me. All on the roof is fixed & re-primed, but another round of block-sanding for this area is in order. Still gotta sand the dash & firewall, but this portion of the truck is sooooo close to paint!
The next step is to start working some of the smaller pieces, so that I can bring them home to finish them as I have an hour or two, as I am doing the build at my parents house (35 minutes away).

[McMurphy]

Looks like your parents have a real nice place!

[Modges'66]

Yeah,
My parents moved here about six years ago because it had a pole-barn twice the size, and a bigger lot than the one at my childhood home. Since then he has doubled the size of the barn, and we are still cramped for space!
This is the major reason that this is my unexpected build project. He told me that he wanted this for himself, but he didn't want to do all of the work just to wind-up leaving it to me! Ha-Ha!
This way he can just pull up a stool and watch me & ask me "how many times are you going to block-sand this thing?"...I just keep telling him "till its straight"

[Modges'66]

I decided to repair one of my OEM fenders this weekend.
after close inspection, I noticed that someone had already started their own version of repair by welding the holes up & metal-finishing the surface.
I spotted a few areas where the surface looked to have some issues, and poked them with an awl, and just as suspected the fender was paper thin.
The awl poked right thru!
I then began cutting a hole for closer look at where the fender needed to be patched.

[Modges'66]

I then sand-blasted the area & primed it with self-etching weld-thru primer,
& used a repair patch-panel as a donor for the repair. I cut & ground the patch for a near perfect-fit, & primed the back side of the patch before welding it in place.
I welded the panel in using a series of random placed tack-welds, being careful not to get the panel too hot, to avoid warping. Ample time also needs to be given for panel cooling between welds. Spot, wait, spot, wait......wait! spot, wait! Sounds like a childrens book!
The process took awhile, but turned out pretty nice.

[Modges'66]

I then ground down the welds, sanded & cleaned-up the inside of the fender, applied & blocked out the filler. Now it is ready to prime & block...Prime & block, will it ever end?