67 SWB Small Window Build

[Vic1947]

I've been watching your build and I'm impressed by the attention to detail. It will pay off in the end, I'm sure. Keep it up!

I noticed your frame is missing the crossmember that fits approximately under the torque converter. My '67 had one originally, but a PO torched it out. Was yours removed or just never there? I've wondered in the past how critical that particular frame component is. You see them both ways.

Anyway, I'm subscribed so I'll be watching to see the path you take. Good luck!

[67basketcase]

I'm sure someone else knows better, but I think that was for original manual trans trucks. The parts frame I used had the remnants of one too. (torched off also)

[67basketcase]

Managed to get a little done over the weekend. Got my tank mounted, after a trip to the hardware store for some more stainless hardware. (the "hook" bolts that came with straps were too long to use) worse case scenario. I'll have to pull the bed if I ever have to remove the tank... big deal. Found out my fancy new return line I added to the sending unit wouldn't fit. It wouldn't fit through the hole, but with a couple bends and a beer or two it fits now. I also made a bracket to mount my fuel pump and filter on the rear cross member. I'm not entirely sold on it yet. I'm going to run with it for now, who knows I may end up changing it later on.

[67basketcase]

Here's some pictures of the fuel pump location I settled on. The bracket is 1/8" aluminum plate mounted on rubber isolators. After testing the pump for a brief second, I don't think noise or vibration will ever be an issue. I think I'll even be able to get away with running hard line right to the pump.

[Low Elco]

Man, great looking bones! Nice work! Valve covers= Me want! They'd look great on my 87!

[67basketcase]

Here are some pics of the tank and straps. I was a bit disappointed to discover my "anti-squeak kit" was nothing more than a couple strips of roofing tar paper. Oh well, I guess I didn't have to go dig the old left-over roll out of the back of the garage to make some.

[fastcam1]

Nice project!
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[67basketcase]

Trying to polish an old alternator I had laying around. What a PITA! This may get put on a shelf. The outside is going ok, but the front and back are just way too rough for sanding and polishing. Maybe a tumbler would be able to get at it better, but I don't have one. Oh well, so much for trying to save a little $ for some Beginning to think it would look better black with a polished fan, pulley, and brackets anyway.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 67basketcase

Beginning to think it would look better black with a polished fan, pulley, and brackets anyway.

Can you say "scope creep"? I know it well. It's a sneaky little dickens.

[67basketcase]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Can you say "scope creep"? I know it well. It's a sneaky little dickens.

That it is. Get a couple of new buff wheels and all of a sudden everything within reach has to be polished. Seems to happen on everything I do. Should have seen my 8 year old sons 4 wheeler after I tore it apart. Had about $3000 into a $800 Polaris 50cc quad.

[67basketcase]

Had a relatively productive weekend. Ran all of my hard fuel lines as far as I could go. Of course I didn't have all of the parts I needed, but by now that is to be expected. I'm happy with how it's coming out so far. I would have never thought I could sink so much money into a fuel system, but I think it will at least be done right. Not sold on the regulator placement. Everything about it will work just as I want it to and look good getting there. Just not thrilled about having to run a 2" carb spacer to get it done.

[67basketcase]

Spent Saturday cleaning my garage. It was getting a little hard to move around. I have this bad habit of trashing my work area until I run out of places to push stuff to work.

[67basketcase]

With a cleaner place to work, a little bit of time to work, and no more parts to finish the fuel system. I think it's time to bring the cab up to work on it. Spent a little bit of time to throw together a table to move the cab around. I was going to make it frame width but it didn't look stable enough. Thought I made it short enough to be at a comfortable work height, but I think it's still a little too tall.

[67basketcase]

Time for the cab. I took it off of the frame with a crane and a couple straps, and it worked perfect. Taking off of the trailer with a cherry picker....not so perfect. Big pucker factor! Only way I could see to do it was threw the back window. No big deal pop the window out. After lots of sweat, several choice words it's off and on the table.

[67basketcase]

Bet you forgot how ugly this was since the first page. So did I.

[67basketcase]

Just starting to assess the damage, rust, and cobbled mess of P.O. "repairs". I knew it was in rough shape from the start. Now that it's sitting all by itself in good lighting. Oh my! The only casualty of the lift from the trailer was knocking off the passenger rocker panel "repair". It was held in place with self tapping screws and painted this lovely Barney purple. Which in turn was attached to a floor repair that was made from aluminum siding. Oh yeah it just gets better from there.

[67basketcase]

Rust.....

[67basketcase]

More Rust......

[67basketcase]

Floor "repair" yup, more aluminum siding and screws.

[67basketcase]

Didn't notice this one before. Sometime in it's life it looks like a u-joint let go behind the transmission. The floor took the abuse.

[67basketcase]

I'm think I'm starting to get inside the last guys head. "Put enough speed part stickers on it and nobody will question the rest of the sh%*#* repairs"

[67basketcase]

Feel free to laugh at my misery. Hopefully I will too some day soon.

[67basketcase]

Now let's start to count all the stuff that won't get a chance to bounce off of the floor on the way to the trash can.
mid 70's steering wheel
junk tach
side mirrors
seat cover
aluminum siding

[67basketcase]

Sorry, if I got off on a little tangent there. Still trying to wrap my head around what I got myself into. I'm going to spend the next few days taking this all apart so I can blast it and see just how bad it really is. Hopefully by then I'll have made up my mind on whether to piece the floor back together with replacement panels or just jump in and try to replace the whole thing. For some reason that scares the hell out of me cutting out the whole floor.

[RWB-713]

Originally Posted by 67basketcase

Bet you forgot how ugly this was since the first page. So did I.

Indeed! I had to retrace the thread to figure out what build I was looking at. You'll have it lookin as pretty as that frame before long tho!

Originally Posted by 67basketcase

I'm think I'm starting to get inside the last guys head. "Put enough speed part stickers on it and nobody will question the rest of the sh%*#* repairs"

You know that guy too? Small world, lol.

Originally Posted by 67basketcase

Sorry, if I got off on a little tangent there. Still trying to wrap my head around what I got myself into. I'm going to spend the next few days taking this all apart so I can blast it and see just how bad it really is. Hopefully by then I'll have made up my mind on whether to piece the floor back together with replacement panels or just jump in and try to replace the whole thing. For some reason that scares the hell out of me cutting out the whole floor.

It's a long tedious process man, and as I sit about 90% done with it, It wasn't a whole lot of fun along the way at all. I feel Rust replacement is the proverbial "disappointment" you have to deal with to appreciate "victory" in the end. Just keep chipping away at it and don't get in a hurry and it'll turn out great in the end. I did panel by panel with my floor, and a buddy of mine did the whole floor on his ( Portmod7 ), and I think we've both concluded that the whole floor is the way to go if you have any sort of halfway serious rust on both sides of the truck. It may seem like a huge task, but by the time you cut and weld in all the individual pieces, you're quite a bit of time ahead by doing the whole floor.