My 1955 Chevy 3100 build

[55 Chevy Dave]

I also saw a very well done Chevy in the auction. You could tell someone spent a lot of money on the build. It came out great.

While I thought they did a great job smoothing out the drip rails and installing the flush windshield, I decided this was not the look for me on my truck.

No, I didn't get to drive this one.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I did manage to get some work done on my center console.

I made the center section that will attach the front and rear consoles. It will also hide all of my wiring and provide a base for the shifter boot.

Once I permanently install the center section, I will use some cable ties to hold the wiring away from the shifter.

I plan to eventually have the entire console wrapped in leather.

[55 Chevy Dave]

After confirming everything fit properly, I removed the front and center sections from the truck for finishing.

I glued everything together and used a 1/4" round-over bit in my router to smooth out the 90-degree corners and then filled the remaining screw holes with vinyl filler.

I made a couple of mounting brackets out of a piece of scrap angle iron and mounted them to the front console section.

[joedoh]

great console work, reminds me of my time working in the install bay

[Advanced Design]

The auction job had to be a blast. And it is cool you made it on TV. Were the auction prices pretty strong overall?

Nice work on the console! Good creativity and execution.

[ptc]

Nice stuff Dave - coming along real sweet!!!! -

Yea I agree that flush windshield dealio didn't come out the way I would expect it.

[Nut Case]

-Dave

Boy oh boy, you are a true craftsman, in both wood and metal.
And your creativity is up there as well.

It's been great to pirate your ideas and solutions.
Thanks

Keep on keepin on

NC

[55 Chevy Dave]

To fill in the hole in the front of the console, I made a cardboard template to get the size I needed and then cut the shape out of 18 gauge sheet metal. I then cut (2) 3" diameter holes in it to accept the cup holders. After all, the cup holders are important, right?

I bent the sheet metal to match the bend in the console.

After getting the bend just right, I drilled holes in the sheet metal where I wanted the mounting screws placed. I drilled and tapped corresponding holes in the bent angle iron pieces previously attached to the console. I screwed the bent sheet metal to the console.

My plan is to paint the sheet metal a contrasting color against the lighter leather wrapped over the MDF console. To replace the zinc-plated phillips head screws, I picked up some stainless steel allen bolts that I will polish and then replace during final assembly.

In the future, the bent sheet metal will be easily removable if I need access to the wiring behind it.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I picked up some speaker terminals off E Bay and used them to pass the subwoofer wiring from the amplifier into the subwoofer enclosure. The plug-in terminals will end up hidden inside the console.

I then made some mounts for the subwoofer enclosure behind the seats. It has been sitting there loose. I screwed the enclosure to the mounts.

I then made the final piece to completely enclose the subwoofer. The odd shape was a bit tricky to make and it had to squeeze between the bucket seat rails. The first trial ended up in the wood burning stove, but the second trial fit like a glove. I screwed it into place.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I attempted to make another housing for the LED push buttons out of 16 gauge sheet metal and was finally able to get all of the holes aligned properly. Believe it or not, it is harder to line them up than you would think.

I then painted the panel flat black (temporarily), mounted all of the buttons into the panel and mounted the panel and buttons into the console. I once again used some angle iron to make mounts. I screwed the mounts into the console and then drilled and tapped some holes into the mounts.

The entire panel mounts to the console with 4 screws now. Again, I will replace these screws later with more of the SS polished allen heads.

I may put a sliding cover over the panel to hide all of the buttons, but haven't made the final decision on that one yet.

[55 Chevy Dave]

And here's how the console looks reinstalled in the truck. Those cup holders are gonna work out just fine!

[55 Chevy Dave]

I also managed to get my custom aluminum driveshaft made. I was accused of giving them the wrong dimensions for the rear u-joint on the first shaft (which I did not do). Check out the third pic below - I don't think that's how they are supposed to fit!

I managed to get them to correct it and (3) 2-hour round trips later, I finally had a drive shaft that fit.

They didn't charge me any more for the mistake (that I did not make)!
I guess it's just part of the adventure that is a custom truck build, right?

[55 Chevy Dave]

For Christmas, I decided to make my father a new workbench. I spent the next 3 or 4 weekends making the workbench in my garage in Chicago, took it apart and managed to fit all of the pieces into the back of my truck and then put it back together in Dad's basement in Ohio.

I clear-coated the top and fit electric outlets and built in LED lighting in the shelving unit. It now sits next to the workbench my grandfather (Dad's dad) made - but mine is much bigger!

He loves it!

I should admit that I just posted this so no one thinks I have been hibernating in the house for the winter! It took a whole day to clean all of the sawdust off of the truck and out of the garage before I could get back to the truck project!

[55 Chevy Dave]

After cleaning the garage up from the workbench project, I got back to work on the truck.

I made a storage cabinet out of some more MDF and mounted it behind the driver's seat. The cover will eventually be hinged at the bottom. I'll use it to carry oil, water, cleaning supplies and other odds and ends.

If fits flush to the subwoofer enclosure, and I tapered the width so that it did not stick out past the seat.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I made a mirror image of the storage cabinet behind the passenger's seat to hide the relay center, again fitting flush to the subwoofer enclosure.

The entire setup will eventually be wrapped with leather or vinyl depending on what the 'truck fund' will allow.

I haven't decided what I am going to do with the remaining space next to the cabinets to the end of the cab yet. I will, at least mount a fire extinguisher in the leftover space on the driver's side.

Your ideas are definitely welcome on this one!

[Kim57]

Looking real good.
Nice work bench.
Kim

[Rods57]

That is some really cool work. love all of the detail on the interior. Ill take the automatic version please

[Advanced Design]

Truck and the bench look really good. That is a nice lighting feature on the bench too.

The open area next to the cabinets to the side of the cab....speaker? Tool storage locker? Jack? Just for some random ideas.

[Nut Case]

Dave

Oh you honor your father and such a well built beautiful bench.


Keep on keedpin on

NC

[Scottish58chev]

Fantastic work

[55 Chevy Dave]

It is definitely time for an update. Believe it or not, I have gotten some work done on the truck.

I made a lid for the console between the seats out of 2 layers of 1/2" MDF. I cut out an area in the middle to sit odds and ends such as my cell phone. I still need to do a bit of sanding on it and still need to find the right hidden hinge to mount the lid to the console.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I am pretty nervous about picking the right wheel/tire combo for the truck, so I decided to make some mock-up plywood wheels to see what an 18"/20" rim combination would look like on the truck. The measurements of the rims and tire sidewalls are exactly what I am thinking of buying and the truck is basically sitting at ride height.

I think this is the look I am going for.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Turning my attention to the brake system, I installed the thru-frame adapters at all four corners.

I drilled the holes and then welded in a tube to accept the adapters.

Now, at each of the 4 wheels I can connect the brake hoses on the outside of the frame and the brake line on the inside of the frame.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Here's what the connection looks like on the inside face of the frame and what one of the front connectors looks like.

I gotta get rid of those brass fittings!

[55 Chevy Dave]

I installed the sleeves for the LED back-up lights in the roll pan. The clear lenses will sit flush to the roll pan once they are sanded. The LED modules fit at the back of the sleeve and will light up just above the rear bumper on each side.