Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Kim57]

Looks like they're making good progress.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Yup, I'm very pleased that he keeps moving along and I'm only checking in every couple of weeks. I don't have to press him and I don't have to be critical of his work because m fairly well pleased by it.

[Daze57]

hey dan
truck is turnin out v nice !
do you plan on replacing the door hinge pins? i mean if the doors are gonna be reset ya might as well do the pins with new ..........just sayin is all
lookin good !

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Daze57

hey dan
truck is turnin out v nice !
do you plan on replacing the door hinge pins? i mean if the doors are gonna be reset ya might as well do the pins with new ..........just sayin is all
lookin good !

Hi Daze. I had assumed I'd need to but I've checked the "play" in the hinges and there doesn't seem to be any! I think someone must have already done it, though they looks entirely original. The original owner owned it from 1955 til 2010 but it sat, not registered and not running from 1992 til 2010 so maybe it just doesn't have that much wear? I don't know.

[Coupeguy2001]

Do we know what engine is going back in this thing?
I have a rebuilt 4 bolt 350 with Iron TPI fuel Inj. heads on it I need to get rid of.
has 1935 miles on it.
hillenger512@cox.net

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Coupeguy2001

Do we know what engine is going back in this thing?
I have a rebuilt 4 bolt 350 with Iron TPI fuel Inj. heads on it I need to get rid of.
has 1935 miles on it.
hillenger512@cox.net

Right along I've been planning on putting the existing 283 it had right back in it - with a cosmetic improvement. It runs good though I know it has a weak cylinder that will eventually have to be addressed. In my dreams I put a 5.3 LS engine in it someday.

But I'll drop you a line to inquire if you have documentation on this rebuild and of course a price discussion after understand what all would be included, how it would get from Phoenix to LA, etc. Thanks for thinking of me! - Dan

[Dan in Pasadena]

Just an update to record when I did certain things.

The cab has been fully repaired and doors are now fitted with good, though not perfect gaps. This looks good, maybe excellent (to me at least) The body lines match up fine. The gap is pretty consistent. I'm pleased.


Here the gap is wider at the bottom of the "J" than further up. I could have him make it perfect...but perfect costs and this isn't a show truck. Just a (hopefully) very nice driver. I can live with this...but I hope I don't regret it. Opinions welcome.


I stopped by the body shop today to let them know I'd dropped off the front outer fenders to be blasted. It was a total BIYATCH getting the front clip all apart single handed. I broke a few bolts but the total P.I.T.A. bolts were the ones that held the body piece that goes across the top of the grill - whatever it's called. The passenger side had a welded on nut. The driver's side had broken off at some point and someone put an inch too long bolt in there and of course it was rusted solid to the nut. I tried getting it off a long time with the clip fuLly assembled then realized I had to break the whole thing down. All in all a total pain in the nuts!

[Kim57]

Rear gap looks real good.
Only way to fix the "J" gap is to weld and grind.
Kim

[Baldeagle SR]

Dan your gaps look good. Mine were really bad too. Rich


My build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=576185

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Rear gap looks real good.
Only way to fix the "J" gap is to weld and grind.
Kim

Yeah, I know. Weld a piece of weld rod or similar on the edge and grind contour to be consistent, right? Man, I hope it doesn't bug me if I don't have it done.

Yes, I like the rear gap too. I'm hoping my eye tracks that more than jumping immediately to the J after its painted and done.

PS: Thanks Baldeagle!

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Yeah, I know. Weld a piece of weld rod or similar on the edge and grind contour to be consistent, right? Man, I hope it doesn't bug me if I don't have it done.

Yes, I like the rear gap too. I'm hoping my eye tracks that more than jumping immediately to the J after its painted and done.

PS: Thanks Baldeagle!

You know it's there and will see it every time you go to get in your truck.
Other people may never notice it the way you will.
The fix shouldn't take too long for a good body man (I would think an hour at most).
Kim

[bowt1ed]

I preferred to slice, set gap, and weld. Photos don't do justice - turned out great. Cheers, Jim

[Kim57]

Looks great.
Kim

[ChuckDriver]

Kim is right, you will see the gap every time you walk up to the truck. You might want to reconsider having it done.

[bowt1ed]

Thanks. Also welded vertical seam between cowl and pillar/post.

[Advanced Design]

Everyone is different and I probably wouldn't notice that gap on my truck. And at the same time, the other gaps look really good so.....like Kim said wouldn't take too long.

No wonder these trucks take so long to build....

[ptc]

Coming along real nice there Dan.... good to see the progress again.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Picked up the front fenders from the blaster today and dropped them off with the body shop.

I thought the truck had never been in an accident but it's clear the passenger side front fender is not the original. It is a '56 fender with the above-body-line emblem holes gas welded shut. I suppose the fender may have been swapped out due to rust but if so, why didn't the driver side rust too. Instead there's a VERY slight amount of rust through; especially for those trucks. Anyway, here's the photos I took:


Passenger side fender. You can clearly see the original emblem holes and that the side metal was dimpled so fill would cover the welds.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oops, forgot to post the next photo:


Finally, closeto no rust on my front fenders. I think it's exceptional there is so little. Since I know I'm owner #3 and #2 only had it a year, I have to assume the passenger side got damaged/hit and the original owner simply got one from a wrecking yard sometime back in the 50's, 60's or 70's when these trucks were still plentiful. I've truly never seen a TF truck with so little, almost no rust-through on the front fenders!

[Kim57]

Those look pretty clean.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Kim.

I told the bodyman to go ahead and fix the J gap on leading edge of the doors. He admitted it was bugging him too, ha ha! So you guys were right, natch.

[bowt1ed]

You won't be sorry. Hey, it's only money Dan!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by bowt1ed

...Hey, it's only money Dan!

Yeah, that's exactly what I say too.....when it's someone ELSE'S money!

[Coupeguy2001]

Hey Dan, you know what i noticed the other day?
After having my truck for over 40 years, i was jusot looking at it, and noticed that the front door pillar goes in more on the right side than the left.
I went over to a friend's house, he has a 58, and we compared the two cabs. Sure enough, his did it too.
Look at the A pillar, and then close the door. you will see that somewhere along the fit and jigging procedure, Chevrolet made a minor error, and the right doors tuck in farther than the left.
So just remember, they weren't perfect from the factory because they were trucks, and were work horses, not cars. so yea, they had to be adequate, not perfect.
Kudos on fixing the J gaps, and making sure the rest of the gaps look good.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Coupeguy2001

Hey Dan, you know what i noticed the other day?
After having my truck for over 40 years, i was jusot looking at it, and noticed that the front door pillar goes in more on the right side than the left.
I went over to a friend's house, he has a 58, and we compared the two cabs. Sure enough, his did it too.
Look at the A pillar, and then close the door. you will see that somewhere along the fit and jigging procedure, Chevrolet made a minor error, and the right doors tuck in farther than the left.
So just remember, they weren't perfect from the factory because they were trucks, and were work horses, not cars. so yea, they had to be adequate, not perfect.
Kudos on fixing the J gaps, and making sure the rest of the gaps look good.

You, you're right - they were never "all that" on fit & finish in the first place so most of what the average guy does is a big improvement over factory.

I noticed I didn't upload pictures of my front fender "before" condition and I'm using this thread as my "Log" of the build so that years from now I will remember what it looked like and what had to be done to get it into the condition I hope it's come out.

Inner Front Fender BEFORE:

Note gas welded holes for '56 emblems!