Longbike 57 chevy truck build.

[Green 1959]

What's up with the build? Haven't seen any pictures in awhile

[longbike]

I been sand blasting and welding up parts, have allot of the smaller pieces done and premiered up.
I realized my little sand blaster is to small for the big stuff like cab, fenders and hood so I have been looking for a professional blaster and there are none in my area that can get to it now.

Thanks for asking I need to post some more repair post!

[longbike]

Here is some repair work being done these are from a few months back!

[longbike]

Some more.

[Kim57]

Looking good longbike.
Kim

[longbike]

Thanks Kim!

[Green 1959]

Nice!

[Kabwe]

Looking good man, and keep the pics coming.

[longbike]

Thanks guys! sorry for being so slow on pics but the heat was just to bad to get out there this summer.

[Kabwe]

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

But really you are doing a good job.

[longbike]

Ya I know kabwe, thats what I keep telling myself to, but thanks!

Man is this sand blasting ever going to end? been blasting for weeks now and got sand coming out of my ears nose and other places "you all know where".

[longbike]

I got the doors done, had to replace lower inside right with a patch panel.
I now have the hood, doors,rear fenders,steps and all of the smaller pieces like grill mounts cowl grill bed supports and many more sand blasted and epoxy primed up.

[Kim57]

The repair came out nice.
Kim

[longbike]

Thanks Kim! yours is really coming along great to! watching it!!

[Green 1959]

When are you going to start a little painting? Or are you waiting to put it all together first? Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[longbike]

I'm ready to start painting at any time, waiting for the paint shop to get going on it, but I haven't been pushing it because I don't have all the panels blasted and ready yet! Going out today to blast some more, Yuk tired of blasting!!

[longbike]

Finaly got some more rust repaired on the front fenders.

[longbike]

More.

[longbike]

Now after replacing this lower fender extension when I hold it up to the door the new patch panel bows out like the patch panel was not formed correctly,
Now what do you do?

Anybody else run into this?

[Green 1959]

Cool can't wait to see the paint, are you painting it the original color?

[longbike]

The original color is a dark green, But I want to go with a dark blue from that era.

[OrrieG]

have you compared the profile to the door profile? I had to massage my rear corner patch to match the door.
Posted via Mobile Device

[longbike]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

have you compared the profile to the door profile? I had to massage my rear corner patch to match the door.
Posted via Mobile Device

Ya thats when I realized I had the problem, Im going to have to reset the cab and assemble the doors and front fenders now to make sure all is in line and I guess now massage it all to fit better. "Dang patch panels"

[OrrieG]

Good plan, make sure you have the hood in the equation too. You might have to pie cut the brace to pull the panel in more to match the door. Could be the brace was damaged at some time.

I have heard two explanations for poor matching patch panels. One is that they are pulled from the original tooling which is way past it useful life and not the same profile. The second is that the parts used to make the current dies were from later run trucks that used the older dies instead of lower serial number ones that were in better shape. I know I've had about 50% luck with mine, some were dead on, others needed work. All were from reputable suppliers.

[longbike]

Thanks Orrieg, I will have to check that out tomorrow I already quit for tonight got to aggravated and came inside. but that is a good ideal Thanks!!