My Unexpected '66 SWB-Fleet-Restomod Project!

[joesscamaro]

Ahhhh, just sat down with my iPad and read your whole entire thread! I've got nothing real useful to say, other than the typical...you've done a really nice job with your truck! I'm getting ready to jump into my '65 and have enjoyed seeing the progress and the quality of work you've put into your work. Helps get me motivated and eager to start on my truck. Thanks for posting the pics and explaining things!

[Ta2Don]

Nice work on solving the window switch mounting issue...

Also diggin' the Peep Mirror placement!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Strodder

I love that mirror. Lookin good

Thanks Dennis!
I thought that the old-school styling, along with the new-school LED's really hit the spot!

Originally Posted by glos55

Very Nice!!!

Thanks Man!
Kalamazoo eh?...Gonna have to meet if I get to the show at the fairgrounds this summer!
Hey, do you guys have any snow there?...or is it all here!

Originally Posted by aggie91

Very nice indeed!

Thanks Karl!

Originally Posted by Trsmotrhed

Looking good. Hey, you fire up that engine yet?

Thanks!
Let's just say that I know that my power-steering works...lol!
It kinda started by accident, but I need to break in the camshaft properly, and it is so cold outside that I couldn't open the garage doors for proper ventilation to let it run that long...So here it sets until warmer weather!

Originally Posted by Bigru

Very Nice!

Thanks a bunch!

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

Ahhhh, just sat down with my iPad and read your whole entire thread! I've got nothing real useful to say, other than the typical...you've done a really nice job with your truck! I'm getting ready to jump into my '65 and have enjoyed seeing the progress and the quality of work you've put into your work. Helps get me motivated and eager to start on my truck. Thanks for posting the pics and explaining things!

Dude, thanks for lookin in!
I am always glad to help people out...to not make the same mistakes as me!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Nice work on solving the window switch mounting issue...

Also diggin' the Peep Mirror placement!

Thanks Don!
The window switch thing was something that I thought about a long time ago and forgot about until I went to install them, then realized that I couldn't live with it!...The peep mirror thing is something that I saw somewhere else and stole, not my idea but something that stuck in my head!...Don't even know where I saw it!!!

[Modges'66]

Well, I finally worked up to another item that I can cross-off the things-to-do list!!!
I installed new door panel seals, and also installed my door panels & handles!!!
They look sweet, work sweet, and most importantly are complete!
....One small step closer to the finish line!!
Check these pics out!









I hope that these pics will tide you guys over for a few days!!!!

[McMurphy]

Awesome job on the doors man!!
They do look really really sweet... I often wish I had your resources, though with unlimited resources, and my boundless imagination, I guess I would run out of lifetime to get something done.

Looks good buddy

[Jeff La]

Love the way they came out, door handles are awesome

[clemdaddy]

parts is parts and you make the beautiful ones. love the handles and switch bezels.

[jlsanborn]

Blew through your build top to bottom. WOW! You do some excellent work and also do a great job of presenting it here. I love the color scheme and the tasteful mods throughout. Wheels?????

Props dude!

[aggie91]

Nicely done. The door handles look great with those switches.

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Awesome job on the doors man!!
They do look really really sweet... I often wish I had your resources, though with unlimited resources, and my boundless imagination, I guess I would run out of lifetime to get something done.

Looks good buddy

Ha!!!
"My resources amount to: Me, & how am I gonna get this accomplished?
The only difference is I have a couple of nicer tools, but for the most part, I don't work at the shop because after a 10+ hour work day, I am still at work.
I haven't even started to show all of the capabilities that my "work" has, because everyone would be wondering why I am doing it old-school?...
The fact is, i would rather do it all myself, than to line somebody up to do it for me!
I am no different than anybody else, I want to do this myself, without any outside help!

Originally Posted by Jeff La

Love the way they came out, door handles are awesome

Thanks Jeff for lookin-in on my build!

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

parts is parts and you make the beautiful ones. love the handles and switch bezels.

Awe Clem,
Give me a break, Your stuff ALL looks incredible too!
We just may specialize in different areas!

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Blew through your build top to bottom. WOW! You do some excellent work and also do a great job of presenting it here. I love the color scheme and the tasteful mods throughout. Wheels?????

Props dude!

Thanks a bunch..
I cannot lie, I learn something every time that I work on something, and I like to post items about things that I struggled with, so that others can learn from them!
Wheels?...Wheels & tires are gonna be a huge-ticket item, so I am waiting to verify critical dimensions on these until I am positive of sizes.

Originally Posted by aggie91

Nicely done. The door handles look great with those switches.

Thanks man!
I am trying to keep a cool billet theme going with all of the trim pieces!

[Modges'66]

O.K. guys!
I was starting to mount my front fenders and was having the normal problems with alignment.
I assumed that i would have some issues, but, doesn't everyone?
I had purchased this really nice bolt kit from Totally Stainless...or so I had thought.
It seems that the heads of the bolts are non-concentric with the treaded portion, causing them to scar the paint on my fenders upon installation...Truly nothing that I enjoy watching!

So, my cure to this issue was to approach it from a different direction for the visible screws!
I decided to fabricate some aluminum washers, and use flat-head screws...My vision was for the washer to remain stationary while the screw turned until tight, and NOT mark up the paint.
All worked perfectly!
The pic below shows some of the washers that I made.
It only took 1-1/2 hours for me to fab a dozen of them. Enough to do both fenders across the top, and the radiator filler panels, across the front.

Now a few pics of the washers/screws installed....Not very good pics, but I think that you can get the idea!





Now i have my fenders all installed & aligned...As far as I know!
Here are a few lousy pics of them. And again, I am sure that you can get the idea!




Hey Murph!
How are these for sealed-seams?
I gotta lot of time into these, and I am happy with the way that they turned-out!





Thanks a lot for lookin everybody!

[jlsanborn]

Thanks for sharing! All that is looking awesome man. It's the perfect blue!

[Bomp]

Sombeaaatch, Machined washers.
Throw me a couple a dozen if ya got'em. dang dude.

bar set even higher. moon running into bar.

[chad64chevy]

the aluminum washers are cool, I just bought about 20 of them of ebay, I know when they get here i'll have to get different countersink allen head bolts for them, I think! do you remember the size bolts you used??

[McMurphy]

Your sealed seams look great man !!
I could only hope mine turn out near as nice, and yes, very time consuming !!

Wife and I took off for Anchorage this weekend, a 6.5 hour drive, and indulged in fine dining, some skiing, and rare night life. Was great and much needed fun away from this place.

I should have gotten down today and worked on mine, but there is still unpacking to do from the weekend and tending the wife as she licks her wounds.....

Your washers look fantastic too, nicely done !
I have been polishing my stock fender bolts, but I like your set up better.

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Thanks for sharing! All that is looking awesome man. It's the perfect blue!

Thanks for the comments!
I cannot wait for it to get warmer here, so that I can get it into the daylight for a view of the blue!

Originally Posted by Bomp

Sombeaaatch, Machined washers.
Throw me a couple a dozen if ya got'em. dang dude.

bar set even higher. moon running into bar.

Ha-Ha-Ha!!!
Thanks Bomp!
You know, it is all-about the bling for me!
I couldn't think of a cooler way to fix my problem...Ya can't have scratches in the paint!!!

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

the aluminum washers are cool, I just bought about 20 of them of ebay, I know when they get here i'll have to get different countersink allen head bolts for them, I think! do you remember the size bolts you used??

Thanks Chad!
Send me the ebay link.
I used 5/16"-18 x 5/8" stainless flat-head allens.

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Your sealed seams look great man !!
I could only hope mine turn out near as nice, and yes, very time consuming !!

Wife and I took off for Anchorage this weekend, a 6.5 hour drive, and indulged in fine dining, some skiing, and rare night life. Was great and much needed fun away from this place.

I should have gotten down today and worked on mine, but there is still unpacking to do from the weekend and tending the wife as she licks her wounds.....

Your washers look fantastic too, nicely done !
I have been polishing my stock fender bolts, but I like your set up better.

Thanks Murph!
And again, I hope that the wife is having a speedy recovery!

[Jmorales3181]

Wow I have been away too long and think I have to go back a couple of pages and check every thing you have been doing. Your hard work is definitely paying off it looks fantastic!!!!!!

[Modges'66]

Originally Posted by Jmorales3181

Wow I have been away too long and think I have to go back a couple of pages and check every thing you have been doing. Your hard work is definitely paying off it looks fantastic!!!!!!

DUDE!!!
Where have you been?
You need to get cranking!
Spring will soon be here!
Thanks for lookin in man, I appreciate your comments.

[Modges'66]

Hey guys!
I accomplished a few small things this weekend!
I finally got my engine covers to dress-up the intake area on the LT-1, and put them on this weekend...I had to paint-in the corvette logo first though!


I looks like I need to hide some wires better also!


Also, Can you say HID headlights? Or maybe LED DRL's?
I received those this week, and fitted them to the grill assembly complete with a weatherpack plug so that I can remove the grill as a unit...I know that I will need to remove it at some point soon to mount an A/C condensor.
A few pics from the back of the grill, showing the ballasts & wiring!




This is a pic of the LED DRL. These things are super-bright!


This is a shot with just the DRL illuminated.


And now for the money shot!!!
A pic with the HID's illuminated...They look sooooo cool!

[Matty Wagz]

Modge, what a beautiful truck. Your skill and attention to detail is second to none. I can only wish that i had 1/2 the skill you do... Have been reading all along, but this is the first post.

Awesome truck!! Awesome pictures!! Awesome descriptions!!

thanks for all the ideas, etc

Keep it up, can't wait to see it completed.

WAGZ

[jlsanborn]

Nice work! Clean wiring and SUPER bright lights!

[markeb01]

Every aspect of your truck is turning out beautifully. Love the washer idea. But what really knocks it out of the park for me is the wiring/electronics all neatly packed in the headlight housing. That looks incredible. The color is fantastic, and that HID illuminated photo is killer!

[1963c-10]

great job....truck is turning out really nice!!!!

[Bomp]

Top Notch Dude!!!
You is burnin out my retinas.

[clemdaddy]

very very...top notch. .