Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[kieth]

Kohl's is a local department (discount clothing store) there is one around the corner from my house................Kieth

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by kieth

Kohl's is a local department (discount clothing store) there is one around the corner from my house................Kieth

Thanks a lot Kieth.

Grrrrrrrr...!!!

Managed to delete my whole entry as I was about to post it.

Received my 210 cm ski bag in the post today. Perfect for transporting my side trims home after our trip to the USA in October.

Funny how such a simple tool, costing £20.00 plus the extra baggage item at £60.00 can put the finishing touch to a project. People forget that it is a lot more than just the purchase price of the item to consider.



After work I sneaked down to the garage for 4 hrs to take on the drivers side cleaning up, scraping 50 years worth of sand, grease and who knows what else off the suspension etc.



Really hard to believe I spent 4 hrs there, but as Ta2Don said, the evidence is on the floor.

Next up I will lift the front end high enough to get in underneath and clean up,the underside, then petrol and a brush to remove more oil, grease, followed by GUNK degreaser and a brush n bucket, finally followed by the pressure cleaner and grease gun to refill all the zillions of grease points before paint.



While I was under and about the engine, I noticed it needs new engine mount rubbers as these are shot.





As are the rubber bump stops, which I will source from LMC or others.



As I go along I find more and more evidence that this truck really is 50 years old.

[Grizz1963]

Mock up time again.

I always wanted to fit or make a gun rack for the rear window of the truck.

And carry some replica rifles for shows.

Got a stock delivered to Nicola's work from someone on the GS site.



Add in a snooker cue.



And an off cut from an old crutch as well as a 22mm socket. Plus a bit of pine, painted black.



Not at all complete, but opinions ?

[flashed]

I like it ,looks good .

[Palf70Step]

I like it!

[clemdaddy]

what caliber was that cue?

you come up with the zaniest ideas. too fricken' much...

[Ta2Don]

Kool Idea!!!

[Ta2Don]

I know you are in the garage this evening…
Looking forward to any updates...

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

I like it ,looks good .

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

I like it!

Thanks

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

what caliber was that cue?

you come up with the zaniest ideas. too fricken' much...

Adult size, but will get cut down a bit more.

I have a constant stream of poop ideas flooding my brain Clem, but hey, it keeps me busy.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Kool Idea!!!

Thanks Donald.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

I know you are in the garage this evening…
Looking forward to any updates...

LOL, never made it out there Don, but have been and am still surfing web to find best compromise between cost and value for money, based n other people's experience tonight.
Only finished admin, car washing, and other tasks at 6.30 followed by beans on toast for dinner, then decided the web surfing was more important.

Hopefully Friday night some garage time, as well as Saturday.

Bee looking at these guys for a new radiator, waiting for a reply.

http://www.championradiators.com/Che...radiator-63-66

Hopefully they have UK representation.

And that the price fits.

[flashed]

I used a Champion aluminum radiator in my 72 truck ,good looking and very nice but it was pricy .Good luck with whatever you find and will patiently await more updates.

[mjh1965]

Well Rian your adjustable Panhard bar has been ordered and on its way to Dons



He's going to need a bigger shed soon

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Well Rian your adjustable Panhard bar has been ordered and on its way to Dons

He's going to need a bigger shed soon

[disasterbus]

I sold my '64 C-10 a few weeks ago as I've decided I need an American Muscle Car in my life so I'm on the lookout for a Mustang / Camaro / Challenger but here in the UK good ones at sensible prices are not so easy to find.

I needed a runaround while I'm looking and this little MX5 belonging to Grizz ticked all the boxes - fun, convertible, retro, cheap and easy to sell on when I find and buy that Yank muscle car.




A quick meet up in an M25 service station with Grizz and Martin and the deal was done........






Typically, since I bought it yesterday it hasn't stopped bloody raining!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by disasterbus

I sold my '64 C-10 a few weeks ago as I've decided I need an American Muscle Car in my life so I'm on the lookout for a Mustang / Camaro / Challenger but here in the UK good ones at sensible prices are not so easy to find.

I needed a runaround while I'm looking and this little MX5 belonging to Mrs Grizz (Nicola) ticked all the boxes - fun, convertible, retro, cheap and easy to sell on when I find and buy that Yank muscle car.


A quick meet up in an M25 service station with Grizz and Martin and the deal was done........


Typically, since I bought it yesterday it hasn't stopped bloody raining!

Not worry mate, I had plans for the truck as well, and ended up clearing the garage bench so I can get other stuff done on there, and building that replica "Vermin Hunter" with the snooker stick and bits of fire wood.

Good to see you as always Kerry. And meeting Mrs Disasterbus at last has set our minds to rest about you and the little car (saying that, it was the first time I ever drove it any distance, other than a mile down the road to fill it occasionally for Nicola on a Sunday as she is a bit "lazy" and it really is a nice little car. I can see why people do get addicted to them.

Thanks also to Martin for going along in his car (his choice) at stupid-o-clock to give me a ride back.

He did think it was funny that you are going to fold all 6'7" of yourself into the MX5





I trust it will give you great service till you find your next car.

[Ta2Don]

When's the Engine and box coming out of your truck mate?

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

When's the Engine and box coming out of your truck mate?

When I next go over to give him a hand . I have the hoist and all the tools Don, it's coming out with or without his knowledge, even if I have to go over there myself when he's out, and leave a note saying the truck fairies did it .

[ibrown50]

Oooooo! Engine out ............. It's a slippery slope

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Oooooo! Engine out ............. It's a slippery slope

Indeed Ian.

But..... Logic dictates that the oil loss has to be found, the gearbox can do with a service and while it is out, the engine bay and engine can get a decent splash of paint.

[Grizz1963]

Bootfairs were rubbish today.

Came home to work on the truck.......

Errrrrmmm....?



So I had to keep busy.

Started by moving tools and stuff about in the garage and shed, tried out the very nice, like new router I bought at a Bootfairs a few months ago.

Once done, I started on the "Vermin Hunter" my replica rifle for the back window of the truck.

Scraping off all the old varnish etc, then sanding and sanding.









Got all the bits together, got perspective, trimmed it a bit more......



Then disassembled it all, painted the "barrel and magazine" and waxed and polished the stock before assembling the lot.

Yes, I am pleased. Should look good on display at shows etc.



After this I tried to find my engine numbers as the ones on the front of the block have been machined away, and I needed to find out exactly what I am dealing with, as my mate (not sure he really is a friend anymore) Martin convinced me that I will be better off removing the engine and gearbox, replacing the valley gasket as well as the valve cover gaskets as the engine does lose some oil when driven.
So while it is out, I will clean up the fire wall, engine and also service the gearbox oil etc.

Another thing getting done is to replace all the steering components like ball joints, bushes etc......... What did I get myself into?

Numbers as discovered.





Symbols on passenger side front of block.



These show the engine possibly being from 1968-1979 and probably a 350.

And chassis and cab numbers match, unlike some, which would not bother me at all.





After all this I started on this heater unit I which proved to be dead, so I will be finding a blower unit from a Mazda MX5 and grafting it in there.

The core also seemed to have a leak, and will get replaced.

Wiring could have been a clue





That brought my weekend to an uneventful end, and it is still raining.

[Ta2Don]

I may have a spare heater core...

You had rain, we continue with the oppressive heat…
…so today, the only thing accomplished was enjoying the day with my lovely wife and JoJo in the pool, grilled a roast and veggies for supper and that's it for today…

Glad you are well-equipped for the slippery slope as well as that tiny snowball in the distance...

All joking aside mate, you got this, and you will be thrilled once it's all sorted and tearing up the road again… Oh yeah, Camel Hump Heads!

[ibrown50]

Rian you don't want to be driving around with those "guns" in your cab you'll have the old bill round your house

I had a 3970010 block in my model A it came from a '71 Chevelle 350. It was a four bolt mains too, not all 3970010 engines are four bolt, but they all can be, they are a really good strong casting, a nice discovery

[uber cool]

fake gun looks good, but as Ian says maybe a bit too good for UK law !!

yep bloody rain here too, its been a crap summer so far

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

I may have a spare heater core...

You had rain, we continue with the oppressive heat…
…so today, the only thing accomplished was enjoying the day with my lovely wife and JoJo in the pool, grilled a roast and veggies for supper and that's it for today…

Glad you are well-equipped for the slippery slope as well as that tiny snowball in the distance...

All joking aside mate, you got this, and you will be thrilled once it's all sorted and tearing up the road again… Oh yeah, Camel Hump Heads!

Thanks Don, I am sure I will be pleased in the end.

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Rian you don't want to be driving around with those "guns" in your cab you'll have the old bill round your house

I had a 3970010 block in my model A it came from a '71 Chevelle 350. It was a four bolt mains too, not all 3970010 engines are four bolt, but they all can be, they are a really good strong casting, a nice discovery

I would use the replica only at shows Ian.

Originally Posted by uber cool

fake gun looks good, but as Ian says maybe a bit too good for UK law !!

yep bloody rain here too, its been a crap summer so far

Rain......l agh yes.

[Grizz1963]

Seeing as the engine and gearbox are now coming out, I had to pop into my favourite local treasure scrap yard to see if I could find an old trolley or something to rob and buy the wheels from.

Usually these cost me a 300g bottle of Nescafè and two pounds of sugar or a mega pack of teabags.

When I got there, I was pulled around the side and shown this little treasure that came in yesterday and was for sale.

Mechanism still works, one of the flanks which I purposefully did not show is badly rusted away.

Not sure if Nicola wants it on the property but will see what happens.



Then we went scavenging around the yard looking for a wheel donor and some steel to build a trolley to put the engine and gearbox onto.

Some bits came into view, but suddenly the magic words "Would a pallet truck not work?"

Of course, but do you have one to sell?

We went around to one of the hangars and found and dragged this out.......



Along with a heavy duty pallet, modified to suit, it should be perfect to wheel around the engine and gearbox when doing other tasks.



Total cost for this little treasure??

£3.00 and getting Mate Martin over here to pressure check the engine, picking it up along the way and bringing it in the back of his Ford Mondeo.

Thanks Martin, good to have a good mate about.

[flashed]

That is quite a good score there ,many uses too.