Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Ta2Don]

Awesome job on da Moose!

Merry Christmas to Nicola and you and the kitties as well!!!

[Palf70Step]

Better mouse than I can do. I just ran when I come upon on a real one in the woods of Canada many, many moons ago.

[clemdaddy]

you're quite the crafty devil... the stuff you can make from your mind is astonishing.
so looking forward to our face to face. but for now... Merry Christmas and a happy happy New Year.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Awesome job on da Moose!

Merry Christmas to Nicola and you and the kitties as well!!!

Thanks Don, spoke on FaceTime already, but good wishes back home.

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Better mouse than I can do. I just ran when I come upon on a real one in the woods of Canada many, many moons ago.

I hear they are big.

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

you're quite the crafty devil... the stuff you can make from your mind is astonishing.
so looking forward to our face to face. but for now... Merry Christmas and a happy happy New Year.

Thanks Clem, of course the same wishes to you and yours.

I tend to just make lot of stuff up as I go along.
And, Yup !!! I do just give stuff a try.

Looking forward to October.

[Grizz1963]

Christmas has come, and there seems to be a theme in the gifts.

Books, T-shirts and treats from Nicola and the kids.



Tailgate chains from mate Martin. THANKS BUDDY !!



And a model truck from Nicola. soon I may have a fleet of them in every colour.

[Grizz1963]

One of my big concerns with the Resto on this truck was replacing my tonneau cover on the rear, as it serves many purposes, looking good, increasing economy (not really a word associated with V8 trucks) and also a bit of visual security if you have stuff in the rear.

http://www.autoanything.com/tonneau-...-tonneau-cover

Thanks to the internet, and forums, Palf70Step has just given me the link above, and it looks like they will be able to deliver what I would like.

Most importantly, I will be able to weld up all the holes around the load body, including the arial hole and some others.

[disasterbus]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

One of my big concerns with the Resto on this truck was replacing my tonneau cover on the rear, as it serves many purposes, looking good, increasing economy (not really a word associated with V8 trucks) and also a bit of visual security if you have stuff in the rear.

http://www.autoanything.com/tonneau-...-tonneau-cover

Thanks to the internet, and forums, Palf70Step has just given me the link above, and it looks like they will be able to deliver what I would like.

Reviews on those are good and there is an importer in Frimley (10 miles from me) but they don't make them for step-side trucks :-(

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by disasterbus

Reviews on those are good and there is an importer in Frimley (10 miles from me) but they don't make them for step-side trucks :-(

Thanks Kerry

Do you have a name or contact details please??

[Grizz1963]

Got lucky on Boxing Day......



Was surfing the forums I go on with one eye/hand and watching a movie with Nicola, like you do.

When I found a pair of 3" QTP Cutout valves, pipes etc, used about 1500 miles (2400km) for sale on Rods n Sods for less than half of what I could have landed them in the UK from Summit Racing in the USA.
Better still, they are only about 30 miles or 50km from where we live, so collecting them and a set of tarpaulins mate Ashley in Southampton has given me for the work space I want to build in front of the garage in one trip.
Told Nicola and from the side if her face came the perfect reply......... "Well, that's your birthday in January sorted then"

So I sent a PM to the seller, spoke to him and agreed to buy them.

photobucket.com/user/niknakpix/media/niknakpix109/imagejpg1_zpsb41406d7.jpg.html][/URL]





I live at A, cutouts at B and tarpaulins at C when a friend of Ashley heads up to see his mum in Hayward's Heath and takes them up from Portsmouth.



Today will be fitting the new extra lights I bought for the garage and some other odd jobs.

Martin will be over to keep me company and work his door......

[Grizz1963]

Fitted the extra lights today, found that the "daylight 5' tubes vs 4' tubes" were not the same. Bit yellow.

Also fitted a 300 watt spotlight with passive to light up in front of garage and up the drive to the house.

Perfect for locking up at nigh or getting in after dark etc.

[URL=http://s294.photobucket.com/user/niknakpix/media/niknakpix113/imagejpg1_zps96ef1262.jpg.html][/URL

[mjh1965]

Thanks for you help today helping to make the inner repair section for the door

Rian cutting my old fender to make a repair plate



Rian then shaped the plate to match the inner shape



Then the plates were all welded in





Once again team work pays off

[flashed]

Very bright in there .

[Ta2Don]

Teamwork and Bright lights!!!

As for the cutouts...

[markeb01]

It certainly is nice to have a friend with welding skills!

[bj383ss]

Looking good fellas.

[McMurphy]

Nicely done !
I like doing projects with someone, it tends to shorten the decision making process.
I spend too much time pondering if I can do something, how I should do it, how can I make it better than I first imagined it....bleh. LoL

You guys rocked that panel though, congrats !!

[Paul Y]

Grizz,

Really good to meet you today, thanks for the guided tour and the trims! Now just need my truck to arrive, going to be a long 2 weeks....

Offer stands, not the best in the world when it gets to the oily bits but been around old Chevys long enough to know which end of the hammer to use if, and when, you want to look at your engine in more detail.

P.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

Very bright in there .

Never bright enough when doing bodywork indoors.

Made another mobile 5' lamp last night.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Teamwork and Bright lights!!!

As for the cutouts...

Spens most of the day at Martin's agin today...... Teamwork??
Hanging gates that started as 4 footers and ended at 6 foot.

Also went and collected the cutouts.
Pipes had been cut on the welds, so I may sell them on.

Originally Posted by markeb01

It certainly is nice to have a friend with welding skills!

Shared skills in this situation certainly works.

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Looking good fellas.

Thanks Bret. Little by little.

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Nicely done !
I like doing projects with someone, it tends to shorten the decision making process.
I spend too much time pondering if I can do something, how I should do it, how can I make it better than I first imagined it....bleh. LoL

You guys rocked that panel though, congrats !!

Thanks MM. It takes real focus not to stop working. But company is always welcome.

Originally Posted by Paul Y

Grizz,

Really good to meet you today, thanks for the guided tour and the trims! Now just need my truck to arrive, going to be a long 2 weeks....

Offer stands, not the best in the world when it gets to the oily bits but been around old Chevys long enough to know which end of the hammer to use if, and when, you want to look at your engine in more detail.

P.

Pleasure was mine.

Happy for you to get the trims,seeing as you will be massaging them back into shape.

Re engine..... May take you up on it some time.

[Grizz1963]

NEED I SAY MORE?

PERFECT ANTI-SOCIAL THUGGERY COMING TO A STREET NEAR YOU SOON.

3' Cutout Valves Tested - YouTube

3" QTP Cutout Valves and Pipes

[clemdaddy]

you and martin are knocking it out. nice paint booth you guys set up and in a short amount of time. i bet this spring you'll be cruising around with a beautiful paint job.

Happy New Year buddy... stay safe.

[markeb01]

You'll be amazed how much fun those are, and how often they get used!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

you and martin are knocking it out. nice paint booth you guys set up and in a short amount of time. i bet this spring you'll be cruising around with a beautiful paint job.

Happy New Year buddy... stay safe.

Thanks Clem, same for you and yours.

Maybe Martin will show you what took 5 hrs of our time later in his thread, along with picking up my pipes.

Originally Posted by markeb01

You'll be amazed how much fun those are, and how often they get used!

NO DOUBT MARK !!

[Grizz1963]

Been a bit chilly down at the garage lately, yesterday was -1'C when I left home at 09.00

Sorry about all the rubbish quality mobile phone pics, no idea why they are so bad.





Today being the first day of my holiday where I could actually do just what I wanted, I de-stickered the inside and also the rear window. Did not realize the BBW was so large.



Managed to relocate most of the stickers to the toolbox.



Once done with all the stickers etc, I decided to take the truck for its last run of 2014...... just a gentle run as the roads are cold, gritted and a bit slippery where we live.

Before leaving, I called Clem in Fayetteville, Arkansas and we chatted for over an hour about trucks and life in general.
Really looking forward to the trip to the USA in October.

I also ran into a friends dad who drives a 14 year old F150 and lives next to the HA retreat a couple of miles from where we live.
So after a nice chat, and some final photos of the truck on the road, I carried on down Ropers lane and back up around a roundabout.......

This is typically where things go wrong just when you do not need or want them to.

I passed some multi-wheeled truck, only to hear a very loud "WHACK!!"

SHEEETT!!!!! What broke?

Then looking ahead, I realized, the truck that passed had thrown a stone and hit the windscreen almost where my chin would be......BURGERR!!

That means that it will fail its next MOT next year as its cracked in the line of vision.

Also means I will now have to waste money on paying the excess and any top-up needed for a new windscreen.



Pics taken before the "WHACK"



Came home, after putting some fuel in the tank as it was very low (no idea why I felt the need to add 9 litres to a truck going off the road for a while)

Reversed the truck down to the garage, went up to put the other cars onto the drive that get moved when the truck comes out the garage..... found this on the drive.



Well, perfect timing again.....I have been planning to replace the exhaust system as part of this resto as well.



Then shortly after I got home, I got a text from Paul Y who I had given the trims from the truck to, and he offered to come help me build my own exhaust system for the truck, in exchange for buckets of tea and chocolate biscuits.

Have I mentioned Life is Good ??

After this I started the tear down. Sounds a lot more impressive than it is.

Nicola came home early from work, so I shut shop and came up to the house to spend time with her and to see out this year.




So, in closing out 2014....

Thank you each and every one for friendships, help and advice on here, and in our personal lives.

May 2015 bring us all what we need, and some of what we want.

This is how I left the garage tonight.




See you all in the new year.

Watch this space, and thanks for checking in.

[flashed]

Thanks for taking us on that last ride of 2014 and sorry to hear about the windshield and I think you got your moneys worth out of that exhaust system .Im looking forward to seeing what you accomplish next year .
Happy New Year
John

[Palf70Step]

...welll except for the windshield thing. Looking forward to next year's updates!