Canadian Rustbucket 66

[rustbucket66]

Powder coated the valve covers and Caddy air cleaner. Taking them to the air brush artist to do something with them. I'd like to paint the Chevrolet embossing on the valve covers silver, and maybe some pinstripping on the air cleaner. I set the flags and 283 emblem on the air cleaner to see what it might look like, I'll see what the artist thinks. Also, will be taking him the glove box door to try and recreate the Life magazine ad on the face.

[McMurphy]

Where did you get your air cleaner from?
I am making a good long list of things to look for in the junkyard, but right now 3feet of snow is strike one, sub zero temps is strike two, and with those there isnt a strike three LOL
Just patiently waiting for Spring so I can fight the mosquitos for air to breathe.

[Corts60]

Your build is looking great!

[rustbucket66]

Alaska, I understand the northern lights are in color up there. The air cleaner is a repo of fifties Cadillac and Oldsmobile, I forget where I got it, but there are several places that sell them. I've seen quite a few, maybe google Cadillac air cleaner and you can find it. Some of the hotrod parts dealers carry them. I have even seen a cast aluminum one that looked really good, but the guy wasn't around to ask about it.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by rustbucket66

Alaska, I understand the northern lights are in color up there. The air cleaner is a repo of fifties Cadillac and Oldsmobile, I forget where I got it, but there are several places that sell them. I've seen quite a few, maybe google Cadillac air cleaner and you can find it. Some of the hotrod parts dealers carry them. I have even seen a cast aluminum one that looked really good, but the guy wasn't around to ask about it.

Ahhh thanks for the info.
I have late '60s Caddy catalogs. I keep forgetting about Ebay, mostly I am not a fan....

The aurora has been out and kicking it hard!
You can always tell because the Japanese population of tourists jumps up, from what I understand it is considered huge good luck to concieve a child under the aurora ... maybe that is where come from? Star powered Samurai ????

Anyways, I want to get ahold of one of those air cleaners. Local boneyard has an Eldorado guess I will look under the hood next time I am there !!

[northern 85]

Anything new? Looking forward to more pics

[rustbucket66]

I have taken the glove box door, valve covers, and air cleaner to the air brush guy. Excited to get that stuff back. Been spending most of my time getting the front fenders, and header panel to fit. I made a blog on it on the message board, maybe you have seen it. That has taken most of my time recently. Right now, I am making some adjustments on the elec windows. Since putting the outside wiper felt and the inner felt on, the glass doesn't align properly. Also awaiting some parts that should arrive any day now. More pics very soon.

[McMurphy]

cool, some photo scooby snacks would be awesome!

[rustbucket66]

A good day today. The last couple of days,have been spent trying to get the drivers door to fit and latch properly. That takes some patience, no one has ever accused me of being a bodyman. Once it fit, I installed the outer wiper seal and felt in the window opening. Now the window doesn't align in it's track very good. Some more cutting, welding and adjusting, finally got it going up and down smooth in it's track. Small victory. Pushed it outside to put it in the other bay of the garage, so the welder will reach the passenger door. Now down the same street again with the other door. Getting somewhere though. The inner, outer fenders, rad support, and header panel are back off and are going to the bodyman this weekend. It's getting kind of exciting now, for me anyways. I'll take some pics of the inside of the door next.

[niterider65]

I like the way the builds going looking sweet love the wheels not sure of
the white stuff on the ground .. guess thats what they call the great white north .. keep the pics comming .

[northern 85]

So cool when they start looking like a truck again,not a pile o parts.Great job looks fantastic

[rustbucket66]

Still messing with my doors. I put a one piece glass kit in, with electric motors. A lot of time on each door, would take a separate blog just for the install. Be warned, a lot of grief with these things, a lot of time, and a lot of hacking up the doors. I had everything pretty good until I put the outer wiper rubber, and the felt strip in the window openings. Now the window doesn't align with it's track right to the top. The bottom of the glass had to come closer to the inside panel of the door. In order to do this, I had to chop out this section of the door that is in primer. It had to come outward about 1/4 inch, so the position the window slider comes out towards the inside of the cab, then weld it on again. Made me cringe, but it had to be done. Note the large square missing where the window crank went also. This is necessary to install this kit. My welding isn't that nice, but it holds, and the glass now goes up and down smoothly. The first pic is in the up position, and the second is with it down a few inches, so you can see the track it sits in, and it's supports on the sides.

[rustbucket66]

I have a piece of aluminum plate that covers the big square hole where the window crank went, and fastens on with rivets. Then I will mount these switches in the position of the original window cranks. This will give a stock appearance, and you just push the crank down a half inch or so to go down, and lift it a half inch to go up. It is spring loaded and returns to centre. I like these switches because I don't have to fill the round hole where the window crank shaft came out, and I dont have to mount a square rocker switch somewhere that looks like it doesn't belong there. Had a little grief with these though. The spline on the shaft is about 0.030" larger around than the original, and the handle won't go on. I called the manufacturer, and they said it was a universal switch for all Chevys from the 50s up. They said it fits fine on 67-72 trucks. Hmmm. Maybe the diameter of the window crank shaft on these trucks is slightly smaller. 30 thou is a lot though. Had to carefully grind and sand some material off the spline on the shaft, and take some material out of the inside of the handle to make it fit. It seems every part I buy lately doesn't fit. I don't have the inner door panels back from the painter yet, so I can't really install the switches until then, as I have to know exactly what position the shaft comes through. I bet my bodyman/ painter shakes his head when he sees what I just did to the inside of the door. Had to be done though, just glad the inner panel on the door will cover all this butchery up.

[lenguini]

Truck is lookin great !The white looks good,guess there will be one in Albert and one in B.C.


Look forward to the updates !
Cheers,
Ed.

[LostMy65]

I'm sorry I just now noticed your thread.
Beautiful work, and I really like your wheels.

[lenguini]

Originally Posted by rustbucket66

Mounted the A/C condensor, borrowed the idea from Project Vitamin C, hope he doesn't mind. His build is awesome, the guy has a lot of talent, and I like a lot of his ideas. Will be mounting an electric fan in the future, to come on when the A/C cycles. Using the cross brace across the rad support for mounting just made perfect sense, it tucks it in for good clearance in a space that is unused anyway.

Greetings ! Just wondering what supplier and size for the condenser ? Vintage air compatible with it ? Any concern's about the structural support you loose when altering the tension bars for this set up ?

Thanks,
Ed.

[rustbucket66]

hey Ed, That a/c condensor is part of my kit from Old Air Products. I think it might be a bit different possibly thanVintage Air's, but it should mount in there. Looks like the same one from the pics I've seen of each. I welded the pieces of crossbrace rods that were cut out, vertical between the mounting tabs to give it more strength. I don't think any strength will be compromised, infact I think it might make it stronger. Make sure you mount it to one side, not centred, so you have room for the lines and fittings. Project Vitamin c10 had some pics of this in his blog, and I liked the idea, of which he has several. I chose the Old Air Products kit mostly because it uses the stock heater control, and no cables. I think it takes a bit less room under the dash also, as you can use your glove box, with a bit of the back of it trimmed off.

[chevy88]

Nice clean work.

[lenguini]

Originally Posted by rustbucket66

hey Ed, That a/c condensor is part of my kit from Old Air Products. I think it might be a bit different possibly thanVintage Air's, but it should mount in there. Looks like the same one from the pics I've seen of each. I welded the pieces of crossbrace rods that were cut out, vertical between the mounting tabs to give it more strength. I don't think any strength will be compromised, infact I think it might make it stronger. Make sure you mount it to one side, not centred, so you have room for the lines and fittings. Project Vitamin c10 had some pics of this in his blog, and I liked the idea, of which he has several. I chose the Old Air Products kit mostly because it uses the stock heater control, and no cables. I think it takes a bit less room under the dash also, as you can use your glove box, with a bit of the back of it trimmed off.

Thanks for the info !Appreciate it.

Cheers,
Ed.

[JasontheBeaver]

Thanks a million for the effort of posting the pics as you go! This is great information.
What are you doing with your gas tank? I'm curious because I want to do a seat conversion like yours but want to keep the tank in its original position.

[noonzor]

Howdy Fellow Albertan! Beautiful Truck! Keep Up The Good Work!

[rustbucket66]

I ditched the gas tank long ago, along with the brackets on the back wall and on the floor behind the seat. First, I think it is unsafe having a tank of fuel inside the cab. Then, when it is half full or less, you can hear it sloshing around when you turn corners. The biggest reason is for the lack of storage these trucks have, even without the tank in there. i'm planning to build a fibreglass custom made compartment behind the seat. It will have a couple of doors that open for all the junk you might be carrying. Maybe some speaker boxes integrated into it also. I have a couple ideas about where the fuel tank will be outside the cab, but I'm still undecided.

[rustbucket66]

I finally have something to report. Just got some pieces back from the bodyman, bless his soul. Brake booster and master cylinder are on, still one line to install. I glued the seals at the back of the inner fenders and have put the inners on. Got the lower mount at the firewall on the wrong side of the mount, in the first two pictures. It is corrected in the third pic. Caulked and installed the rad support and bolted it together. Next will be header panel and fenders. Getting interesting now.

[rustbucket66]

Got the fenders and header panel on, still some fitting and bodywork left to do. The towel on the inner fender is to catch any brake fluid that might drip. The front fitting on this master cylinder is quite a problem to find. It came from a 90 Chevy truck. GM and jobbers can't seem to find it, got one from a wreckers, but it still wasn't right. A trip to pick your part is in store I guess, it's a 5/16 line with the outer threads a size larger than what the flare nuts that usually take that size of line. Weird. It's got to be out there somewhere. It is nice to put on painted body panels and see what it will look like. After all the ugly work is behind you, every job you finish makes it a little better. I plan to paint the trim ring around the grill surround in silver, and flat black on the inner part behind the grill.

[rustbucket66]

I messed up on the pictures, here they are.