What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[mick53]

I got back to work on polishing the back case on my 6-71. Inside corners suck and that is pretty much all there is. My biggest challenge is once I get it ground down to good metal getting it flat again. My little HF mini 2" D/A sander works great for this because it gives me good control without gauging like the rotary tool does. So I made an extension for it to use a 1" pad. Then I turned down a 1" pad to a about 1/2" pad. This is a game changer. I have to keep the speed down which is fine. Also a bonus is I can make them out of worn out 1" pad and punch the paper out of worn out paper because the center is still fine. This will undoubtedly void the warranty on my $20 tool. Thank you for your time.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by mick53

I got back to work on polishing the back case on my 6-71. Inside corners suck and that is pretty much all there is. My biggest challenge is once I get it ground down to good metal getting it flat again. My little HF mini 2" D/A sander works great for this because it gives me good control without gauging like the rotary tool does. So I made an extension for it to use a 1" pad. Then I turned down a 1" pad to a about 1/2" pad. This is a game changer. I have to keep the speed down which is fine. Also a bonus is I can make them out of worn out 1" pad and punch the paper out of worn out paper because the center is still fine. This will undoubtedly void the warranty on my $20 tool. Thank you for your time.

Pretty soon you'll be making machine tools to make your hand power tools Mick. Just sayin'...

[nvrdone]

So my wife has been wanting to purge our basement in prep for our up coming move. I dont normally haul crap in my '49 but it had to be done. so off to the dumps we went. My wife decided she wanted to go - its been over 10 years since she rode in the truck. And she enjoyed it !!! we stopped for burgers and shakes and made a great day out of a dump run.

[idbeast]

Matt Dare is just starting on working with photography and was at the Adna Car Show and made this up for me just because he was impressed with my truck!!!

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by nvrdone

So my wife has been wanting to purge our basement in prep for our up coming move. I dont normally haul crap in my '49 but it had to be done. so off to the dumps we went. My wife decided she wanted to go - its been over 10 years since she rode in the truck. And she enjoyed it !!! we stopped for burgers and shakes and made a great day out of a dump run.

Fun with an old truck - that's what it's all about!

Originally Posted by idbeast

Matt Dare is just starting on working with photography and was at the Adna Car Show and made this up for me just because he was impressed with my truck!!!

Looks magazine-quality - the truck and the photos!

[mr48chev]

I dug out my Eastwood contour and started cleaning up my passenger door so I have a clean area for my vertical cut line.

It did such a good job ma nature decided I had done a rain dance and we are getting a light sprinkle of moisture in the area.

That's the first step for extending my doors 9-1/4 inches.

[fourspeedwagon]

Double posted.. Rain must’ve gotten in my router..

[fourspeedwagon]

So you’re the one that had bare metal outside today. I wondered why it was raining here in the valley!
I’ve missed what you’ve plans are (if it’s all layed out here somewhere?) The doors are getting stretched- what else are doing to it?
Greg

[mick53]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I dug out my Eastwood contour and started cleaning up my passenger door so I have a clean area for my vertical cut line.

It did such a good job ma nature decided I had done a rain dance and we are getting a light sprinkle of moisture in the area.

That's the first step for extending my doors 9-1/4 inches.

I'm intrigued. Please do tell what the plan is?

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by mick53

I'm intrigued. Please do tell what the plan is?

The plan is to stretch the doors 9-1/4 inches, chop the cab between 3 and 4 inches, Section the cab 3 inches and then run it on a GMC half ton long bed frame with it's stock short box.

My scissors shop image redo (can't do photoshop) of Cole Fosters old Salinas Boys truck as my concept image.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The plan is to stretch the doors 9-1/4 inches, chop the cab between 3 and 4 inches, Section the cab 3 inches and then run it on a GMC half ton long bed frame with it's stock short box.

My scissors shop image redo (can't do photoshop) of Cole Fosters old Salinas Boys truck as my concept image.

Wow, that's going to be awesome.

[OrrieG]

Got my "year of origin" plate approved and registered. Now I need to get it done. I looked 10 years to find a near mint 59 truck plate. Wires are for the LED lights.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Got my "year of origin" plate approved and registered. Now I need to get it done. I looked 10 years to find a near mint 59 truck plate. Wires are for the LED lights.

Wow that's really nice! This is the best I could do after about 4 years searching. We only run 1 plate now. Indiana didn't make a plate in 53 due to metal shortage so the topper was the hardest thing to find. We are not allowed to restore them. We have a standard plate for the sticker that you have to carry with you but not display. Both numbers are on the registration. I'm still polishing my blower case.

[Rickysnickers]

I had to put a new power steering rack on it. I got new tie rods as well. Lastly, I have LED headlight, front blinkers, and rear taillight/blinkers. I got tired of the slow and fast blinking. I got a flap wheel and cleaned off a couple of spots in the frame. I put two new ground straps on and now they seem to work as they should.

[dsraven]

sometimes the led lights need a different type of flasher unit because they draw such small current.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/ligh...-flasher-leds/

[dsraven]

sometimes the led lights need a different type of flasher unit because they draw such small current.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/ligh...-flasher-leds/

[Rickysnickers]

Yeah, Dennis, I had to buy two of them. One for the blinkers and the other for the hazard lights, but even after installing, they were still doing the slow-normal/fast blinking.

[dsraven]

I think 1/2 of the wiring issues I have troubleshot or repaired over the years have been caused by a poor ground somewhere in the system. That or a bad connection due to a poor crimp on a terminal, wires imply stripped and twisted together, poor initial engineering/install or someones previous repair that didnt get any protection from the elements. Where I live, if the connection isnt inside the vehicle then it needs to be sealed/shrink tubed/coated with anticorrosion of some sort.even inside, why not protect it.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The plan is to stretch the doors 9-1/4 inches, chop the cab between 3 and 4 inches, Section the cab 3 inches and then run it on a GMC half ton long bed frame with it's stock short box.

My scissors shop image redo (can't do photoshop) of Cole Fosters old Salinas Boys truck as my concept image.

would have loved to do that to 58 truk, by that point i was in the "just finish it" mode

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by dsraven

I think 1/2 of the wiring issues I have troubleshot or repaired over the years have been caused by a poor ground somewhere in the system. That or a bad connection due to a poor crimp on a terminal, wires imply stripped and twisted together, poor initial engineering/install or someones previous repair that didnt get any protection from the elements. Where I live, if the connection isnt inside the vehicle then it needs to be sealed/shrink tubed/coated with anticorrosion of some sort.even inside, why not protect it.

I couldn't agree more, with all you said. I was watching one of the car shows I like and they were talking about grounds and what they should be. I now have;

1. Cylinder head to frame
2. Cylinder head to transmission
3. Transmission to frame
4. Battery to frame
5. Body to frame x2

I think that ought to do it

[mick53]

Ditto on the grounds. Even a functional ground that is poor will cause a functional item to operate poorly.

[dsraven]

that will probably do it as long as the lights are grounded to the frame or a body part that is directly grounded. on some trucks, the front lights ground to the surrounding sheet metal which may or may not be directly grounded to the battery through a cable. sometimes the lights only worked because the light housing was screwed onto something that was bolted to another body part that was bolted to yet another body part that was actually grounded. it's always best to run the light ground directly to a bare metal spot on the frame, with a star washer, then use some anticorrosion on the connection when tightened up. on newer vehicles you will find a ground distribution wiring diagram where several accy have been wired to a common ground wire that has a dedicated grounding area on the vehicle. there are usually several f these in the system.
a good way to check for a poor ground, if the lights are dim or the heater fan seems slow, is to use a long test wire connected well to the battery ground, then turn on the light or accy in question and use the test wire as a ground for that accy. if you get proper operation then the problem is a bad round. a test light can also be used if it is grounded like normal and then when the tester is touching the ground of the accy, if it lights up dimly then there is a voltage difference there so that indicates a poor ground connection for that accy.
sorry, that got long winded.

[Rickysnickers]

Always appreciate all your knowledge Dennis. Have a great day!!!!

[toymanbob]

A good week! I changed out the front coil springs, they were old and sagging. I bought coils for a big block Camaro and gained about an inch and a half so now the tires don't rub. I also got glass installed and am now working on hanging doors. What a PITA! The usual story, rusty bolts and worn parts. It's all fun.

[G&R's57GMC]

Thought about it .