My 1955 Chevy 3100 build

[55 Chevy Dave]

Since I now had the rear end of the frame set to riding height, I was able to set the frame rake and establish the ride height of the frame at the front end and proceed to install the front crossmember. I tacked in the boxing plates on either side of the x-member.

[55 Chevy Dave]

After getting the frame rake set properly front to back and getting the frame perfectly level from side to side, I was able to position the front crossmember squarely in the frame and level to the ground. Just when I was ready to finally tack it in place, I realized I was out of welding gas! On a Sunday afternoon, there is no one open waiting to refill my tank. That's how it goes, isn't it? I decided to have a beer and contemplate my next steps.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Monday after work, the store was open and ready to trade my empty tank of welding gas and cash for a nice, full bottle of welding gas. I headed home, changed and rechecked everything for level and square and welded the front crossmember into place.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Time for the hats... If all goes as planned, the next pictures I post will show the frame sitting on two more wheels!

[Advanced Design]

Good progress Dave. Getting a lot done!

[oldman3]

Dave, doing some nice work. Question, I've never seen top hats that step down like that before, who's front suspension do you have?...Jim

[55 Chevy Dave]

Thank you for the kind words! The front suspension is a Mustang II IFS kit from Classic Performance Products. So far it seems to be going together fairly easily.

I hope to have the front wheels on the ground tomorrow night. I thought I had a coil spring compressor somewhere in the garage, but must have used a loaner last time. I picked one up tonight on the way home from work.

Ready to get to it tomorrow night after work!

[Kim57]

Looking real good.
Kim

[Number98]

Good looking fab work!

[ChuckDriver]

Don't know how I missed this one! Wow, frame work looks awesome and I love the narrowed rear. You should easily get a 10 or 11 rim under the fender!

[55 Chevy Dave]

Big day today! The frame rolled out of the garage and soaked in the sun on 4 wheels!

[55 Chevy Dave]

I rolled her back into the garage and installed the drop battery box from Speedway. I welded in the nuts on the back side of the frame.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Now that the new IFS crossmember is welded into place, it was safe to remove the original trans cross member. I was able to knock it out without cutting it up. I think I will put that in the "for sale" pile! I filled in the holes from the rivets and smoothed everything out.

I decided to take one more pic of the new receiving nuts for the battery box.

[Advanced Design]

Great progress! Looking really good Dave.

[Kim57]

Looking very nice.
Kim

[ptc]

Dave you have a really nice build going on here. Your frame is really done up nice. Gave me some incentive to go through some of my (already done) frame and make some adjustments.... thanks!

Got some serious fab capabilities too! nice!

[RockinKees]

Just came across your build.
Looks very promising

You've done alot to get your frame where it is now, very nice fabwork!!
I will follow....

Thanks!

[oldman3]

Dave, thanks again for the compliments on my build...Jim

[II_Slow]

If you have more rivets to remove - I've done best drilling the heads out and popping the head off with an air hammer. Did the grinder thing, cross-cut them with a cut-off wheel, etc. Drilling them out and knocking the head off was by far the best/easiest/fastest/cleanest method.

[Hawkerdriver]

I will follow, kinda wish I would have did the weld in Front end too. keep up the good work..

[55 Chevy Dave]

I decided to run some conduit for the wiring inside the frame prior to installing all of the boxing plates. I ran one conduit to the front of the truck and one to the rear. I terminated both conduit runs toward the front of the cab.

The ends of the 90 degree elbows are rotated downward to keep the conduits from holding water. I will seal the ends after I have the wiring run through them but figured it couldn't hurt.

The work doesn't look too great in these pics. The conduit and mounting tabs didn't seem to weld very well, but everything is secured tightly and won't be rattling around later. After all of the conduit was installed I hit everything with a couple of heavy coats of cold galvanizing compound.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Time to install the boxing plates I cut out of a sheet of 10 gauge sheet metal. After some grinding, I am pretty happy with the results so far.

[55 Chevy Dave]

I removed all of the suspension components and flipped the frame over so I could finish weld all of the boxing plates on the bottom. There are a couple of areas on the bottom side of the frame I will need to straighten out before completing all of the boxing plate welding.

Of course, I ran out of welding gas again. I think I may need a larger capacity tank! Guess where I'm headed tomorrow after work! I'm sure they won't mind seeing me again at my favorite welding supply store for another tank refill.

[55 Chevy Dave]

Before running out of welding gas, I managed to get my X-member from Progressive Automotive assembled. Don't worry crossmember, you will be welded in place very soon!

[Kim57]

Looking good.
Nice idea on the conduit. If they are galvanized that could cause the welding problem.
Kim