My 66 GMC LWB

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

Hey Tony,
Thanks for the score on the grill.
Stopped by the platers and they gave me a price on fixing and replating it. Now I just need the extra dough before I drop it off... looking forward to the tax return,,,, filing next Monday... OH! And it was a pleasure meeting you. I think all the 60-66 guys in central AZ should start a club if there isn't one already.

I forgot to metion.... NICE truck

[AZ66GMC]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

Hey Tony,
Thanks for the score on the grill.
Stopped by the platers and they gave me a price on fixing and replating it. Now I just need the extra dough before I drop it off... looking forward to the tax return,,,, filing next Monday... OH! And it was a pleasure meeting you. I think all the 60-66 guys in central AZ should start a club if there isn't one already.

Hey Chris, it was great meeting you today. I'm glad that someone got the grill that can put it to good use hopefully it's not too costly to have it rechromed.

I totally agree about a local AZ 60-66 club. We have got plenty of these trucks here

I'll have to look you up the next time I'm the far East side


Tony
Posted via Mobile Device

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by AZ66GMC

Hey Chris, it was great meeting you today. I'm glad that someone got the grill that can put it to good use hopefully it's not too costly to have it rechromed.

I totally agree about a local AZ 60-66 club. We have got plenty of these trucks here

I'll have to look you up the next time I'm the far East side


Tony
Posted via Mobile Device

I have had a lot of stuff done by this plating guy over the years and it's not as bad as you may imagine.
Now all I need to do is find lettering...
And hey, it's really not all that far...
I was home by dark.....
and it snowed on us going home!
That was crazy!

[AZ66GMC]

I got a good deal on some leather 05 Silverado seats for my truck

Exact color that I was looking for

I got the drivers side bolted in, but still need to finish the other two. Hopefully this Saturday

Hoping to drive it to the Glendale Community College swap meet this Sunday and sell some of my junk I don't need anymore...













Tony

[jimmydean]

Damn, those look awesome! I am looking to do something similar, can't wait,

[AZ66GMC]

Thanks

I've been wanting some for awhile now and just happen to be the first to call on them. They were usually sold by the time I called...

They are very comfortable, I just wish they were a little thinner on the back portion. With the seats hitting the back of the cab, I feel like I need them to go back one or two more clicks on the adjusters... Still not bad to drive, just wouldn't want to drive for hours...


Tony

[66-PMD-GMC]

I know exactly what you mean about needing just a little more room behind the seat.
I am very seriously contemplating stretching my cab a foot and using a short bed on my longbed frame.
Kind of an extended cab.
I get out of my 95 suburban and slip into the 66 and it just feels pinched.

[SFTorange]

Your seats look great! I wish mine were in tan, but grey is all I've been able to find. Doing a frame off resto is really nice, but expensive and all-consuming. Your truck is WAY better off now than mine ever was. From what I can see, drive it and enjoy it! Nice work!

[AZ66GMC]

Well, I installed my third brake light when I got home this afternoon. It was pretty easy and took about an hour to install. I think the hardest part was getting under the dash to tie in the wire to the brake light...

I was smart enough to pull a nylon string in when I replaced my dome light and wire harness, it made it so simple to pull the wire down to the door jam





















Tony

[AZ66GMC]

And... I started working on my spare instrument cluster. I got some cool little LED lights for the turn signals, high beams and alternator.

I'll post more details soon






Tony

[Shaky]

The third brake light is slick. I like the dash panel too. The '60-'66 panels really lend themselves to customizing (at least they're easier than the '67-'72 clusters).

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by AZ66GMC

And... I started working on my spare instrument cluster. I got some cool little LED lights for the turn signals, high beams and alternator.

I'll post more details soon






Tony

Tony that third light looks like it was always supposed to be there. Way cool. I have also been keeping my eye open for a spare gage cluster to refinish and customize. I saw an old Pontiac dash that would be cool to graft in as well but at the moment, I want to keep it simple.
Nice job so far.

[Chad215]

Originally Posted by AZ66GMC

And... I started working on my spare instrument cluster. I got some cool little LED lights for the turn signals, high beams and alternator.

I'll post more details soon






Tony

Hmmm....did you say spare? as in not going to need it later? as in maybe you wanna part with it sometime in the near future? *cough* dibs *cough*

[chev-obsession]

sweet build!

AZ66GMC - how do you like the '05 chevy seats?

[AZ66GMC]

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

sweet build!

AZ66GMC - how do you like the '05 chevy seats?

Thanks man

I love the seats. I wish they could go back one or two more notches on the sliders, but at 6' I'm still comfortable. I have a tilt column that helps some. I still need to mount the center seat after I remove the gas tank in the cab. I got a rear tank that I hope to install in the next few weeks.



Tony
Posted via Mobile Device

[66-PMD-GMC]

Tony, your build is coming along great.
I am at decision time.
Continue with the LWB leaf frame build that I have boxed and added 3/4 ton disk suspension front and rear,
or use the trailing arm SWB frame with the 6 lug disk/drum combo that I recently picked up and swap cabs.
OR, do the insane... add another truck to my build list and build both...
The question is, do I really need 2 SWB trucks and a 3/4 ton plus the suburban???
Your build does look good, simple and sane.
That's why I keep popping in... seeking a little sanity..

[Corts60]

Hey Tony, how did you make the tan gauges?I think they look killer.
Posted via Mobile Device

[AZ66GMC]

Thanks Chris. I would love to go wild on this truck and do some cool things, but funds are limited and I just want to drive this thing . Even as it sits, it's great to cruise in, but I want to do small upgrades that won't take it out of commission for long periods. Of coarse, if I had a second 66, one of them would get the full treatment if I had the money

Hi Cort, I actually made a decal from clear shipping label paper by scanning the original instrument back plate into photoshop and cleaning it up for printing. I painted the backplate with tan paint and then cleared them after installing the decal . The hardest part is getting the decal on straight as it sticks too well... Thanks for the comment

Here are a few more pics that I haven't posted yet.












Tony

[protrash64]

Hey Tony, did you get your engine sorted out???

[AZ66GMC]

Originally Posted by protrash64

Hey Tony, did you get your engine sorted out???

I'm planning to pull the top end Saturday. I'm trying to decide if I want to just spend the money now and get the heads done, or just replace the valve springs, push rods, cam and lifters. I have all of those parts and also have a new timing chain and high volume oil pump. The engine only has less than 60k, but it has sat for 3 or so years...



Tony

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by AZ66GMC

Thanks Chris. I would love to go wild on this truck and do some cool things, but funds are limited and I just want to drive this thing . Even as it sits, it's great to cruise in, but I want to do small upgrades that won't take it out of commission for long periods. Of coarse, if I had a second 66, one of them would get the full treatment if I had the money

Hi Cort, I actually made a decal from clear shipping label paper by scanning the original instrument back plate into photoshop and cleaning it up for printing. I painted the backplate with tan paint and then cleared them after installing the decal . The hardest part is getting the decal on straight as it sticks too well... Thanks for the comment

Here are a few more pics that I haven't posted yet.












Tony

I like it a lot.
For some reason my eyes find the white print on the black background difficult to read. I can see your black print on the light tan background a lot clearer.

[Dinos63]

nice!!!

[AZ66GMC]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I like it a lot.
For some reason my eyes find the white print on the black background difficult to read. I can see your black print on the light tan background a lot clearer.

I love what I did on this. It reads so clear and looks sweet

It's the main reason why I want to keep the original gauges in the dash. I'm pretty proud of myself on how they turned out. Many people think that they are Autometer


.
Posted via Mobile Device

[66-PMD-GMC]

WHOA BABY! do I know about shoestring budget builds Tony.
I search the countryside for parts that I can afford and time being the only thing on my side, I actually find good deals.
Not too long ago I was tripping over TH200-4r transmissions (the grand national type 4spd autos) and now that I want one I can't find one to save my butt. SBC motor parts are so freaking cheap that I question my sanity at times for using my Pontiac motor and I need to pull out the dyno sheet to remind myself why I did.
It is fun to drive these trucks that's for sure.
I sometimes wish I could just work on my truck until I get sick of working on it but I don't have an extra two years to try that.

[AZ66GMC]

I finally got the dash back together










Tony