1964 SWB Step Side Chop Top

[l79m20]

Keep at it! Looking Good!

[jimmythompson1964]

Cab back in black

[jimmythompson1964]

I hate moving

[jimmythompson1964]

Barn to soon be my new shop

[jimmythompson1964]

need some concrete

[jimmythompson1964]

New work bench

[jimmythompson1964]

New addition to the family

[jimmythompson1964]

This one is road ready

[jimmythompson1964]

327 4 speed,

[jimmythompson1964]

I have put some miles on Wild Thang the Shades of the Past in Pigeon Forge & the Rod Run the following weekend drove her to several car shows and generally just enjoyed driving that 383 4 speed. Time to do some upgrades...planning on doing the Hot Rod Power Tour in June

[Katrina/10]

I like what you did with the wheels, how did you get those hub caps to fit?

[jimmythompson1964]

I bought the lug nuts from the Charlotte Auto Fair to fit my truck with the screw on caps, the center caps are from a 90’s truck. I think they make those old 4x4 wheels

[Katrina/10]

Originally Posted by jimmythompson1964

I bought the lug nuts from the Charlotte Auto Fair to fit my truck with the screw on caps, the center caps are from a 90’s truck. I think they make those old 4x4 wheels

I wanted to put the later model caps on an old set of 6 lug rally wheels, as you did. But, I could not figure out how to attach them, so I bought a set of repro rally wheels that had the nubs for car-style caps. I do like them, but I wish I could have gotten the truck caps to fit.

[jimmythompson1964]

Started working on the inside of my bed...someone sanded it down and primed it years ago but as you know primer does not seal the metal and rust will show its face if you leave it long enough.

[jimmythompson1964]

Found some tail lights I liked, they are not made for the truck so I had to fab some brackets but they are different than most I've seen on these trucks and got to love the blue dot.

[jimmythompson1964]

I just realized I left out some information on my new truck, I traded my Jeep I have had for 16 years. The truck came with a "rebuilt" 327 and a 4 speed. On my first out of state trip from East TN to SC I ran it through the gears with a friend riding showing off a little, it just shut down. when I tried to start it there was no compression on a few cylinders and would not start. After towing it back to my friends house we discovered the timing chain broke. I tore it down and replaced the timing chain and still had no compression on one cylinder so the motor had to come out. So I had my wife come get me for long silent ride home. The following weekend I drove my Z71 back and put her on the trailer for the long haul back to my house in TN. When I pull the motor down I found a lifter came apart and forced the exhaust valve into the piston and broke the timing chain. I looks as if someone did a cheap rebuilt kit on the 327, and the heads were junk as well, they did not even match. So I had the new 383 stroker wrapped in plastic on the bench that was planned for my truck build, so Game ON! I spent the next several months ordering parts and planting some new power under the hood, and I ran directly into my next hurdle. This motor was a 99 truck block 4 bolt main with a 1 piece seal, so it has a after market 400 crank in it. and so I ordered a billet flywheel and new clutch as the engine was built for my Z28 with an turbo 350. Well...as soon as I drove it I felt a pretty good vibration that got worse the higher the RPM\. Yep you guessed it...I had my hot rod motor balanced so now I needed to balance my flywheel and that presented the next problem, if I didn’t want to tear down my engine I would need to find a machine shop that would match balance my new flywheel with the auto flywheel that was balanced with the motor. So I found a machine shop that could take my auto flywheel and match balance the manual flywheel. The problem was he needed a after market 400 crank like the one in my truck, he said I would have to wait on him to either have a customer bring one in for work or find one to use. Well that took just over a year....talk about a time killer, all together it took my truck out of commission for nearly 2 years, so now I am just enjoying driving it to some shows and weekend duties when I come home on the weekends. I am fixing the small things that I can work on for a day or two and then drive it some more. I am in the process of planning out a new 30x60 shop this coming spring I hope, and then with a good place to work I will get busy with my truck putting the chop top cab on and upgrading the suspension and paint. But for now I am planning on driving to the Pigeon Forge Rod Run in the spring, I hope to make the Hot Rod Power Tour in June and as many other shows as possible. Just enjoying my truck on the road any chance I get.

[jimmythompson1964]

Took a road trip down to SC about 4 1/2 hr. drive the old truck did well. Made into my home town for the family Christmas get together. Last night I was playing around and threw the fan belt off...no big deal...stuck a new one on it...everything seemed ok..thought I had been feeling a slight vibration but couldn’t pin point where it was coming from, Well tonight I found out what the vibration was. I took a my uncle for a ride in “Wild Thang” I ran her through the gears feeling that 383 4 speed pull...when I grabbed 3rd gear she shot way sideways and we were looking at the trees for a minute but I stayed in it and got her slowed down. I was smelling antifreeze so I pulled over and opened the hood to see what the damage was and the fan was through the radiator and the water pump was broke off of the engine...never seen this kind of carnage on a water pump before...so new radiator and water pump tomorrow...

[jimmythompson1964]

Well it took most of the day to chase down all of the parts but with good friends with and a little luck I found an old 79 Camaro with all of the engine pulleys alternator brackets fan blade bolts and all, and my buddy just says Merry Christmas ( my happy dance ) nothing better than good friends. It only took 3 parts stores to find all my other parts Radiator, Alternator, thermostat both hoses and of course paint wire brushes sand paper and all the misc items to re build the front of my motor but we are ready for the road trip back home tomorrow...hope the trip back is uneventful.

[Captainfab]

I have never seen a water pump broken like that. Also I am a little confused. The pic above shows your 383 with an aluminum water pump but the broken one is cast iron.

[jimmythompson1964]

The aluminum pump started leaking so I replaced it, there was a little time laps between those pictures lol. I have never seen that myself. I think the fact that I had a 3” spacer on the seven blade fan and about 6,500 RPMs contributed to the problem. The weight and rpm pulled the presses on peace the fan bolts to off. It broke that one side and Broke the bolts off of the other side...On a side note I need to get with you on your power brake braket to get power brakes on my truck.

[jimmythompson1964]

On my way home today I stopped by one of my friends body shop and found one of the best looking 58 Cameo I’ve seen, he just finished some paint work, this truck is impressive, I really like the gas filler behind the tail light

[jimmythompson1964]

Pictures

[jimmythompson1964]

A few more

[jimmythompson1964]

Oh and the 4 1/2 hour trip home was uneventful no issues this time. I guess I’ll start on my upgrade list to get ready for the Hot Rod Power Tour in June it will be here before you know it.

[Captainfab]

Yes that is a very nice Cameo!