66 C10 Project SWB

[66Project]

Finished the sand blasting of the frame. Its not prefect but my main goal was to knock off the loose stuff and etch the metal.





Primed it:



Started painting.




I ran out of paint and didn't get the under side all that well. Ill pick up some more this week. I'm looking forward to putting on the suspension.

[timmytimm3]

Nice work on the frame and nice Jeep. I like your style

[Jer64]

good job man, the frame looks great!

[66Project]

Originally Posted by timmytimm3

nice work on the frame and nice jeep. I like your style

thanks!

Originally Posted by jer64

good job man, the frame looks great!

thanks!

[Low Elco]

Gotta see where this goes- Got a motor yet?

[66Project]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Like what ya got going on so far.
Sub'd

THANKS!

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Gotta see where this goes- Got a motor yet?

My plan is a new modern 5.3 I would love to go with a 6.0 but don't think my funds would allow it. Keep it fuel injected. I want to run a modern 4L60/80E but I also want to keep the original gauge cluster and the 4Ls never came with a cable driven speedo. They make kits to convert it either way.. cable tail shaft or cable stepper motor box. Both are pricey so Ill probably settle for a 700R4.

Anyone have any better ideas on the transmission?

[66Project]

Been working with the mistress on and off over the last few weeks. Picked up a sway bar at the local pick a part and waiting on the frame brackets to show up. Installed all new steering components and bushings.

Everything is torqued and lock tied with the exception of the control arm bushings. Anyone know how those are suppose to be torqued. They seem like if I tighten then down it'll clamp down on the bushing making them squeak and fail prematurely. Any thoughts?





Took it out for some sun.





Ordered a panhard bar from CPP. Its the bent one for over sized differential covers. Not sure if it'll work but it may be a good starting point and then just modify it.

I also welded back on the front bag cups that I cut in half. It raised it pretty good but now I want it lower again. Anyone got any good pics or links of theirs lowered about where mine is? I looked through the bagged pics section but they are all extreme modified frames with laying frames.

[Jer64]

Frame looks good! My set up is really similar to yours, but I'm running tubular control arms.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=587028

[Jmorales3181]

Cool truck and Nice progress man! For some reason I couldn't see your earlier pics. Nice how just a bare frame looks cool. I remember sitting there staring at mine on more than one occasion not sure how low you are trying to go butIf you wanted to go a hair lower you could cut an inch off the front lower cups and add 2 inch lowering blocks in the back. Just a suggestion.Can't wait to see more and welcome to the addiction
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[66Project]

Originally Posted by Jer64

Frame looks good! My set up is really similar to yours, but I'm running tubular control arms.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=587028

Thanks. Nice build. I really like the stance.

Originally Posted by Jmorales3181

Cool truck and Nice progress man! For some reason I couldn't see your earlier pics. Nice how just a bare frame looks cool. I remember sitting there staring at mine on more than one occasion not sure how low you are trying to go butIf you wanted to go a hair lower you could cut an inch off the front lower cups and add 2 inch lowering blocks in the back. Just a suggestion.Can't wait to see more and welcome to the addiction
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Thanks for your nice comments and sorry to everyone on the pictures. I tried to rearrange my albums in Photobucket and it that was a bad idea. I got most of them fix though and gave up on the rest.
I may go with blocks in the back and just do a lca cup in the front. Seems pretty straight forward. As far as how low...not really looking to tub or raise the bed floor but I'm not against it. I think lowering it any more that what it is now will involve both as well as notching the driver's uca for the steering shaft. Not looking to lay frame but at the height that it is air out is just a little lower than I wanted at ride height. So from what I understand its better to have as more air in the bags rather than just a little. I figured if I can get it to go lower aired out it'll ride better at ride height. I may not do anything right now until I get the body bolted back on. See how it looks.

I could mock it up the body on frame but Sneaky has the engine hoist and is being a lazy ass and not swapping out the engine he was needing it for. J/P I shouldn't complain since Ive been "borrowing" it for the last 10+ years.

[66Project]

Pushed the frame out of the garage and started on the bed. Its in great shape but it does have its problems. No real rust but it does have some panel damage. This is the worse.



Pulled this strip of metal off and this is what is under it.

Oh well on no rust

[66Project]

Got some replacement panels from Top Banana. I highly recommend them. Prices were super cheap compared to everyone else and the shipping was reasonable. I ordered the rear tail light section and the lower bed panel. Looks like they were drop shipped from Keyparts and they sent both tail light sections and no lower bed panel. One phone call and they had it resolved...quickly. Good people, no complaints from me.

Started cutting away and welded in a new lower bed panel.


Cut the tail section off and as the story goes....found more rust



The more I looked at this inner structure the more I just wanted to replace it all. I looked at the original lwb bed and its rear section looked pretty good. It had some rust in the same spots but not near as bad. Mainly the same strip where the tailgate would line up is also rusted. But very repairable.



Cut it out

Weld thru primer

And replaced

[66Project]

So with the new inner structure cleaned up and ready to weld in, I decided that I would like to try and do something Ive seen others do to the 67-72 tail lights. Hide the gas filler be hide it. I was wanting to do this from the beginning but I scratched the idea. But since I was doing all this other stuff with the tail light section I decided to give it a try.
Went to the local u pull lot and looked at a crap ton of gas doors. I was looking for a usable spring loaded hinge that can be adapted to work. Most of the designs were exactly the same. The one that I went with though was a 98 Blazer for the gas door hinge and mid 90s Chevy truck filler neck. I also picked up a mid 80s Chevy truck door hinge just because it was different.
I thought it would be wise to experiment with the original inner structure before cutting it out. That would give me the chance to hack it up and not worry about how it looked and more on the functionality.
First attempt

Second attempt

Third attempt

Final attempt

[rustbucket66]

Now that is a cool idea. Good stuff.

[Jeff La]

I like what you did, waiting to see how it turns out running the inlet

[vegadesign]

Very cool idea with the taillight and filler
Keep up the good work
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[66Project]

Thanks for the comments. I think I have an idea on how im going to clean it up. The way it looks now the more I look at it the more it bugs me. The filler neck I picked up last weekend could work buts its a 2 inch diameter and I know I saw 1 1/2 when I was at the u pull yard. Going to bring a saw-all next weekend and source one out. Also think there maybe a way to add a spring on the light plate to make it more fluid like opening and closing. It may not work but we'll see.

[northern 85]

Nice work cant wait to see this one done!

[vegadesign]

What about a small spring for a carb and a shock from an RC car as a strut?
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[Ta2Don]

Just stumbled onto your build... Amazing work... Really Diggin' the filler tube mod
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Posted via Mobile Device

[66Project]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Just stumbled onto your build... Amazing work... Really Diggin' the filler tube mod
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks!

Had a few hours this afternoon.











Thanks for looking

[66Project]

Got the tail section fitted last night. It fit ok to begin with but needed some work. I lined up the main body line in the center as that is the only one that I can not easily fix. Then made the other lines fit. Two of them had to be cut pushed out and then welded back together. Finish welding the patch on the lower side. I started to grind them down but my air compressor decided to blow a gasket. So now im at a stand still.





It looks off in the pic but its right on. The angle of the camera I guess.

[66Project]

Its been a while since Ive posted so Ill give some updates. Continued the work on the bed. The more that I striped the paint the more I found filler hiding problems. Ended up replacing both lower panels and part of the rear tail light housing. They were repairable but my skills at hammering out wavy dented up metal isn't very good but my panel replacement skills are getting better.

Taillight filler neck turned out ok.



Started the stripping process



Passenger side lower panels replaced.


Had to pie cut the inner wheel well. The replacement panel's wheel arch didnt line up all that well.

[66Project]

Passenger rear tail light section. Dented up good with some rust spots.





Used some All Metal to rough in some of the metal work. First time using All Metal and its some pretty cool stuff. Doesn't feather out real good but it isn't suppose to. It dries rock hard and still sands easy.


Used All Metal on the passenger side and experimented with crisping up the body line between the side panel and the rear tail section. Mudded in right over the seam and before it fully harden, I used a knife to cut in the body line. I would have never done that with normal body filler but I have a lot of confidence in this stuff.





Rough sanded. Body line worked out real nice. I didn't do the complete section because I didn't know how well it would work. I think Ill be doing both sides now.



Thanks for looking

[C@rnut001]

Your truck bed is looking good and your work on your truck is looking great. Keep it up! Thanks for updating us and sharing your hard work with us.