68 LONG BED to SB Fleet

[72BlckButy]

Okay Kevin and blakeaz33, I've got a question. What is required to make the bottom of the bed/rear of the Burb line back up (behind the rear wheel)? Is it mainly just working the existing metal down, or do you have to add a little extra to that part of the bed?

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

No fair you started with a much better truck! Your work is looking great and this way of doing body mods really is the basic step to allot more fun projects.
Here is another use for the same basic steps








Kevin
LFD Inc.

Thanks Kevin - been following the burb also. Enjoy following all your builds - great fab work and ideas. Makes something like I'm doing here turn out much better being able to follow it and see the steps involved before tearing into it. I got the plans for your lift a while back and will be using that to remove the cab when I shorten the frame. Having a great time with this so far.

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by 72BlckButy

Okay Kevin and blakeaz33, I've got a question. What is required to make the bottom of the bed/rear of the Burb line back up (behind the rear wheel)? Is it mainly just working the existing metal down, or do you have to add a little extra to that part of the bed?

Nate - I'm planning on adding a piece from the section that came out of the bed to make the line from the rear wheel to bumper look the way it is suppose to.

[blakeaz33]

Here is the front of the bed with the section removed and going back together - quite a bit of welding and finish grinding left but the sections are lining up well.

[Scott Webster]

Looking good

[Rokcrln]

On a truck bed the lower rear section will pull and work out well with out any metal being added since it is single wall. That is all I did on LowBuck. As for the Burb this area is double walled and I plan on cutting the wheel well and lifting the end of the arch up just enough to match.

Are you going to leave the 5th and 6th stake pocket?

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[blakeaz33]

Haven't worked the area behind the wheel yet but it looks close - not sure about the stake pockets but I'll probably eventually remove those.

[blakeaz33]

Got the bed back together - still need fill in and finish work.

[blakeaz33]

Pulling the cab and moving the rear cab supports back 12" and measuring and marking the frame for the z cuts. Giving credit to another board member glock35ipsc for a great sequence thread on shortening a frame, here is the link I used.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=123624

I'm only removing what is necessary to lift the cab off the frame because I want to get it back together and running ASAP. The cab lift plans from Rokcrln were used to built that attachment on my cherry picker. The only way to go after using it. Was able to remove the cab without a ding or scratch by myself.

[blakeaz33]

Here is the progress made on the frame. Made good measurements before cutting - welding the legs on made it easy to move back and forth to check measurements and square and tweak as needed. Everything is within 1/16" an inch. I'm going to tack weld it together square and have a certified mobile welder come over and finish this part - the mig I have is only a 110.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by blakeaz33

Here is the progress made on the frame. Made good measurements before cutting - welding the legs on made it easy to move back and forth to check measurements and square and tweak as needed. Everything is within 1/16" an inch. I'm going to tack weld it together square and have a certified mobile welder come over and finish this part - the mig I have is only a 110.

Looks great! Glad to hear you know your limits with the frame weld, good safe call. I am also glad you like the cab lift, I use mine on a weekly basis.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Looks great! Glad to hear you know your limits with the frame weld, good safe call. I am also glad you like the cab lift, I use mine on a weekly basis.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

Thanks again Kevin - I have the welder coming by tomorrow so I should be able to reassemble soon. They seem to come apart quicker than they go back together. I'll defintely be using the lift again for future plans when the bags and air get installed and eventually it will all be coming back apart again to media blast the frame, cab, and bed for the final color.

[STOCKISH]

Looking good man. Nice work so far. Do the bed mounting holes line up when you are done or do you have to fill the existing holes and drill new ones. Thanks in advance.

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by 1972SuperCheyenne

Looking good man. Nice work so far. Do the bed mounting holes line up when you are done or do you have to fill the existing holes and drill new ones. Thanks in advance.

Thanks - I didn't have to fill any holes, I had to drill the frame for the pair of bolts closest to the the tailgate and will drill 2 holes in the bed floor and make them square for the original bed bolts with a small file for the pair closest to the cab, you can see in the picture below - the small black marks on the floor line up with the holes in the bed supports on the frame.

[PHAT TONY]

Have you measured how many feet of welding you're gonna need?LOL.

[STOCKISH]

Originally Posted by blakeaz33

Thanks - I didn't have to fill any holes, I had to drill the frame for the pair of bolts closest to the the tailgate and will drill 2 holes in the bed floor and make them square for the original bed bolts with a small file for the pair closest to the cab, you can see in the picture below - the small black marks on the floor line up with the holes in the bed supports on the frame.

Thanks buddy

[1LoC10]

slow down, you're making the rest of us look bad...lol

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by 1LoC10

slow down, you're making the rest of us look bad...lol

Thanks 1Lo - I had scheduled a welder to come by and do the final welding on the frame so I was working on a timeline and had a couple of days off. I should have it back together and driving hopefully before the weekend is over.

[blakeaz33]

Here is the frame welded up after the z cuts. I cleaned up the outside of the frame and put on some primer - didn't spend much time though because I'm planning on having the frame media blasted and I'll do more detail work then. Main goal is to get it back together and drive it.

[blakeaz33]

Here are a couple of shots of the LFD lift in action - it would have been rough to get this cab on and off any other way especially with the bed still on and the engine and core support / radiator still in place.

[blakeaz33]

Cab in place - get everything put back together and maybe get some pictures of a completed short bed posted this weekend.

[VA72C10]

Great progress!!!

[Hart_Rod]

Great progress. How much time do you figure you have in the frame and bed shortening?

[blakeaz33]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Great progress. How much time do you figure you have in the frame and bed shortening?

Thanks - I appreciate all the encouragement from everyone. I had this week off so I spent most of Mon-Tues and part of Wed. Didn't do much on Thurs and planning on getting it all back together before next week. In hours I will guess around 50-60 by the time it is back together. All the work was done in my garage with hand tools, I do have an air compressor - all the cutting was with a Makita 4" grinder with many cutting disks and all the welding was done with a Hobart 110 Mig with exception of the frame and this is the first time I've done this to one of these trucks. Following many of the threads here on the same work shaved many hours and saved mistakes I'm sure if I had not had that resource. That estimate doesn't include all of the final finish metal work on the bed floor and bed sides since that time depends on the result, for now I'm planning on finishing it to match the rest of the truck and will probably spray some matched green single stage on to hide the primer. I'm going to paint this truck factory red eventually and will spend the time then on a lot of detail work - good body gaps, a lot of blocking and sharp body lines.

[lolife99]

This place is a wealth of information,... and your build proves it!
For having never done this before,... you did an excellent job.
Keep the updates coming.