my radical 60 build

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by kdrodworks316

Jon, I love this concept, but I have to say I am not feelin the bed, its not flowing with the nose. I just think it needs somthing...but I dont know what. maybe its just my eyes playing tricks. I will be up sunday afternoon and look in person.

I thought the same, but Jon's last PS looks much better. Though I still think it needs something and I hope you don't mind my input here. On this one I shortened the rear overhang and used the front of your front arch in the rear. I also dropped the rear overhang a little.

[YOLO]

sick...sick...sick. I thought I had a lot of work in my 63 custom. I have not seen that much welding on one ride in a long time. All my welds are in the custom frame. Jon, you da man.

[kdrodworks316]

That sounds like a good plan runninlow. I should be up there in the mid afternoon and a BBQ would be great.

[jonzcustomshop]

thanks for the compliment yolo. nice ride BTW.

well I have been working faster than I can take pics.. so I am going to have to go over it with a camera next week and show all the progress.
I should have it out this weekend to our local car clubs annual show.

[kdrodworks316]

OK boyz, we are all very lazy compared to Jon. This truck was a bare cab sitting on the shop floor 30 days ago. I stopped by Jonz last night and this truck is roadworthy and is going to a carshow this weekend! Now that I have looked it over again in person, the bed is flowing very nice with the rest of the truck, and the tail is going to blow your mind! Jon has a great imagination and is very talented in his custom sheetmetal work. Now everyone... its time to leave the computer alone and head for your shop and get to work! me included, I have been bleading the burbans brakes for 30 days (thanks Soba), I only need 2 fittings and a new steering rack and I am roadworthy. I will see you next week Jon and Josh.

[joe231]

i can't wait for pix!!

[jonzcustomshop]

a couple shots from the show-

[joe231]

that rocks!!!!
are you still planning on chopping it?
looks sweet!! NICE WORK!!!

[jonzcustomshop]

yes some time in august I will work on cutting down a windshield, and then I will cut the roof to that. Probably 2-3 inches

[RunninLo]

Man I'm bummed I missed the show. Got held up waiting on somebody else all day trying to deliver that red toy. It's still on my trailer BTW
I recognize mark's flat bed from Kettlehouse and the white stepside behind look's familiar but tough to tell for sure.

60 looks great out and about town.

Josh

[Bazooka]

This is a neat project!! Your def not scared to cut into something!!

[TimE]

Great job!! I still can't believe how much you have accomplished in such a short period. That's just awesome!!

[kdrodworks316]

Well how does she drive Jon? How did the show go? I should see you this week somtime.

[jonzcustomshop]

It drove great! rides like a pontiac
there always seems to be one thing that you forget, we never balanced the wheels/tires, a friend mounted them for free...,so they go to the balancer monday. there was a sweet spot at 45 and 60mph and there was a nice ride.
I was worried about the cooling system, I used an old 60 chev car v8 radiator with no shroud, and the fan is not centered exactly on it, but it ran at 190' all the way.

[YOLO]

sweet. nothing fell off? only in america can we take our trucks to a show like that and it be a show stopper. I am guessing there were not many vehicles at that show that had as many hours as you do in yours.

[jonzcustomshop]

I did get a "sponsors pick " award, at our show club members do not compete for regular awards-we can just get spossors picks, and the hard luck , which I won last year!

[Iron-Butt]

Great job.

[kdrodworks316]

Congrats man! thats got to feel good after all the hard work.

[jonzcustomshop]

here are some shots of how the rear is coming together.
I used part of a bed side across the back to wrap the body line around the truck (had to section that too.).
I had a 60 gmc hood, and I was going to use the front part of it to make a taillight cove,however I turned that thing 10 different ways, and it would not flow with the bedside and the bumper- too many curves and angles up against straight lines...now it is a garage wall hanging , which I don't mind ...

So I just happened to have a pair of 62 buick taillights sitting around, and they turned out perfect. I might buy some more red lenses , and get rid of the reverse lights.

The bumper is 1960 elcamino/wagon.

I will probably get one of those 60-66 rollpans for under the bumper.

And I have alot of fab work to do to bring the corners together, and mold the taillights in.

[1974k5blazer]

you need to chop that top on the rat in the back ground!

[muddpile]

Congrats on the test drive and the award. I am really digging the wrap-around back you're building, and look forward to seeing that all together. I'd definitely go with more red lenses and ditch the reverse lights. Hopefully I'm as successful on my test drive this week as you were on yours.

[jonzcustomshop]

here's another shot of how the bed was cut down:
I took the horizontal sections out of the top and side, then I cut 15" off the back of the top. I cut 15" off the front of the bottom piece, and then slid it forward, and then put the cap back on the upper rear.
The rear cross sill was retained, and I just used 1 cross brace up towards the front on some of the pontiac body mounts. On the back, I got even more use out of the cab mounts that I cut down for the front- I used the angled scraps to create the rear mount.

the gas tank is out of the pontiac wagon, I fabbed up a brace to hold it to on the frame, since on the wagon , it was held to the rear floor. I used a big tubing cutter-no sparks around the tank!-, and cut the filler neck down to fit it inside the bed.

[YOLO]

Nice work. You are moving fast. Do you do this for a living? Are you going to recess the lights in the tailgate or are they going to sit on the surface? The bumper, are you going to section it? I cant wait to see more.

[jonzcustomshop]

no this is just a hobby, the bumper will get extended 2" behind the liscense plate, you can see the 1" gap that is to the right of the liscense plate in one pic.
the taillights will sit where they are, and I will sheetmetal in the holes, when done they will sit flush to the new shape of the rear.

[jonzcustomshop]

I scored a set of jeep coils from a jeep shop in town, free! They dug them out of the scrap bin for me.
It only set the rear down an inch and a half, but the ride is lots better with the softer coils, this bed is no where near the weight of the rear of the stock station wagon.