68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA

[no1udknow]

I am using .030 self shielding.... only because I ran out of .035 fluxless. I actually have found the self shielding works a little better (and it allows me to run my swamp cooler in the shop withoit getting bobbles ) and I have learned a few tricks for making a good bead without burning.

[Saclandman]

You're seriously kicking ass on your truck. Wish I had half the motivation and skill as you do. Keep up the good work. Enjoying your progress so far.

[67chevy1series]

The build is coming along great! Truck is going to look pretty good when it's done!

[no1udknow]

Thanks for the encouragement. I dont intend to change the look of the truck too drastically (Imean other than the shorty conversion), but I actually am not from Sacramento originally, I grew up east of Jackson in Calaveras County, I spend time up there often with friends or family, it is a very mountainous area with a lot of twisty roads so I really want to get the suspension dialed in and make it corner. Shortening the chassis will be the first step in that. The next step will be lowering it a littlw and putting in modern springs, then ballancing the weight front and back, and some swaybars. for now I am running the 275/60/15's all around, but eventually I would like to go to a lower profile 17 or 18. nothing drastic where I need to cut the inner fenders, just a little less sidewall. Less sidewall = stiffer sidewall, stiffer sidewall = less roll. I have been reading and watching a lot of videos concerning pro touring cars and I feel like that is the rout I want to go. I want to be able to run a road race if I feel like it, yet still have a comfortable enough ride to take it on a cruising trip.

[no1udknow]

Yesterday I finished welding the front section of the shortened bed. Today I intend on cutting the rear section on my lunch break. My boss saw a gap I had in the bed floor that was about 3/8" wide and tol me that there was no way I would be able to weld the seam shut there, and that I would need to cut the seam wider and weld in a filler piece...I had to prove him wrong

[no1udknow]

ok, so yesterday I got the rear section of the bed cut.

[no1udknow]

At the end of the day I got the bed all lined up and ready to weld.

[no1udknow]

I was going to start welding on it today on my lunch break, but as I was walking around the bed, I tripped and broke my MIG gun. Luckily, it was only the copper nozzle tube, so I figured out what what size threads the tube had, cut it shorter, used a die to cut new threads, extracted the broken piece, and screwed in the repaired tube.

[no1udknow]

After work, I started welding... It;s actually starting to look like a shorty bed now

[no1udknow]

To the local guys, I have some bed side pieces, (2) 12" pieces, and (2) 8" pieces they would be great for patching a rust spot or badly dented spot. I also have two strips of bed floor that have the braces under them. they would be great to patch a rusted out piece of a bed, or maybe to build a flat bed. Anyone who is close to Sacramento is welcome to these pieces for free, come get em'.



the bed pieces are in the right side of the pic, stacked in the bed

[Average Joe]

Serious progress. Looks good!

[no1udknow]

New devopments today!!! So I decided that I wanted to weld the rear section of the bed floor with the bed sitting on the frame. However, in order to do that I needed to finish some other things, and get the truck running again so it was easier to move...so I got this

you get to see my handsome face lol
http://s53.photobucket.com/user/bobs...ry4lo.mp4.html

[jimbosprint]

Sounds healthy!

[no1udknow]

Haha, I took it out on the road by my work, first it got sideways when I took off, then once I got her straightened out, I got back on it and did a nice rolling burnout. Holy crap its liggt with no bed, but the disk brakes were working like a charm and I didnt even have the booster hooked up yet.

[no1udknow]

Ok, wanted to do another quick cost rundown.

$1000 for the truck that I traded for this truck :-)
$ free new front suspension and disc brake system
$ 60 new tires and an extra set of rims
$ 40 cpp 6 lug rotors
$ free drive line
$ 30 u-joints
$ 20 exhaust gaskets
$ free bedside, fender, and cab patch
$ 20 brake line and adapter
$ 35 title transfer
$ 15 coolant
$ 10 brake line
$ 20 jug of dot 3
$ 5 carb adapter nipple for the booster
$ 20 bed hardware
$ 10 new headlight adjusters
_________________________
total $ 1285

and I probably have about 60-70 hrs of labor in to it so far.

[jimbosprint]

I must admit I am jealous of your build cost.

I'll be into mine about $5500 before I get to drive it.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

I must admit I am jealous of your build cost.

I'll be into mine about $5500 before I get to drive it.

Yah, but mine looks like crap right now

NEW UPDATE THOUGH....

TADA!!!!!!.... Short bed

[Average Joe]

Looks great. Now cut a coil off the front and put a 2 inch block in the back. I think Im getting a nose bleed that thing is so tall

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by Average Joe

Looks great. Now cut a coil off the front and put a 2 inch block in the back. I think Im getting a nose bleed that thing is so tall

yeah, I have already been looking at lowering it a bit. I don't want it slammed, but I don't want 6" of wheel well showing either

[67chevy1series]

Trucks coming along good!!

[no1udknow]

Did the last leg of the short bed marathon today! I finisged all the welding on the bed. I must be getting better at it because this seam is a lot cleaner.


Here's me gettin-er done!





heres the done deal! I can finally bring it he and tinker in the driveway.

[no1udknow]

I took it for a spin after I finished welding rhe bed, it is missing pretty bad so when I get her home I'll be tinkering under the hood. Still managed to spinn the rubbers though.

[jimbosprint]

Some body work and paint and you'd never know it was a longbed.

[tack driver]

Is it the way the picture looks or is the rear wheel sitting way forword in the fender?

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by tack driver

Is it the way the picture looks or is the rear wheel sitting way forword in the fender?

It looked that way to me also, to the point where I refferex to the original pictures, and it looks the same in them. Perhapse the axle is shoved forward.