Intro and Some Photos of my '63 Project

[tinydb84]

Damn that looks good!!! I'm not usually a fan of dark green (I like mint green) but that looks great.

Can you tell me a bit about the front bars you added from the frame to the body?

I saw your post on it originally on another thread about stiffening up a frame. I have been reading "Chassis Engineering" by Herb Adams and saw something similar in his book. I wouldnt mind adding them to my truck but I dont want to do it incorrectly and just add unnecessary weight and junk.

[vin63]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Damn that looks good!!! I'm not usually a fan of dark green (I like mint green) but that looks great.

Can you tell me a bit about the front bars you added from the frame to the body?

I saw your post on it originally on another thread about stiffening up a frame. I have been reading "Chassis Engineering" by Herb Adams and saw something similar in his book. I wouldnt mind adding them to my truck but I dont want to do it incorrectly and just add unnecessary weight and junk.

Thanks. I mainly did it to help manage the torque my Pontiac was/is producing (I had cracked a bellhousing before), and I couldn't think of a workable way to box the frame all the way up front without eliminating access to the fasteners for the crossmember and upper control arms, etc. In my case, the forward bars provide a front motor plate mount, as well as a little additional chassis stiffness.

[greg65]

Great job and beautiful color choice.

[vin63]

Thanks! Got the doors and front fenders hung along front sheet metal mocked up, and the boys started color sanding...

[66-PMD-GMC]

Looks great

[vin63]

After a little hiatus spending a lot of time fitting an outlaw Fuel Altered '32 Bantam body and wings to my funny car chassis, so I can run FC and FA, here's an update on the C10...



...I finally got back onto the C10:

[HAULIN' IT]

That is going to be one AWESOME lookin' truck! Keep us updated on the progress. Lorne

[66-PMD-GMC]

Freaking sweet dude..
Hopefully I'll get a chance to meet you at Steve's Pontiac event.

[vin63]

Thanks, guys! Cutting and buffing in progress...

[chad64chevy]

great to see that your getting to work on your truck again! color is just perfect, I'm going to copy that color when I build a suburban next!!

[vin63]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

great to see that your getting to work on your truck again! color is just perfect, I'm going to copy that color when I build a suburban next!!

Thanks! It's a PPG shade of the 1998 and up GM dark metallic green (Chevy/GMC trucks). There are about 7 or 8 different factory shades that were used...be sure to look at the paint chips in direct sunlight - the differences appear subtle, but in direct sunlight they are significant.

[66-PMD-GMC]

I'm very anxious to hear that truck run..

[vin63]

Thanks...me, too! Since the paint job is almost done, I put in a call to a fellow drag racing family business. This is what they delivered:

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by vin63

Thanks...me, too! Since the paint job is almost done, I put in a call to a fellow drag racing family business. This is what they delivered:

Nice

[vin63]

I guess it's been awhile, but I had a couple of questions about my front fender modification since my rear wheel opening modification has been posted in other threads a few times. Here is what I did to remove the area over the front tire to help balance the wheel opening proportions between the front and rear.
After lowering the front suspension as much as I felt was practical, I measured the space between the lower lip of the fender and the top of the tire. I felt that if I lowered the wheel opening lip by 2.5 inches, it would create a nice balance while being very subtle. So, I sectioned a couple of reproduction fenders (I had to massage them quite a bit anyway to get them to fit and line up). I used another repo fender that had a lot of shipping damage and got for free, and a couple of patch panels:




Comparison of front and rear wheel openings:



Final welding and hammer/dolly work...first skim coat of filler:




After final body work and primer:

[Palf70Step]

Very nice work!

[66-PMD-GMC]

That looks good.

[60chevyjim]

that's a great , it makes the truck look lower .
and you get to still have hood hinges with springs.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Ohhhhh...
You dropped the top of the wheel opening down....
Not shortening the wheel openings. .
Right?

[vin63]

Yes, I lowered the top of the wheel opening to make it more proportional to the rear wheel opening of the bedside. With the truck lowered, the rear wheel opening covers all of the top portion of the rear tire and part of the wheel. This makes the height of the front fender opening and the space over the front tire even more obvious. Sectioning the front fender helps take up that dead space above the front tire.

[66-PMD-GMC]

I have 2 R.O.C fenders I didn't know what to do with. ..
Now I'll cut them up and use the asian tin to do the same.
Looks good. . Just took a couple double takes to realize what you did.
GREAT idea... thanks..

[Johnny_Lamebridge]

Nice job! The wheel opening mods look great.

[62stepside longbox]

The front wheel openings look sweet. I've always thought there was a little too much room on the front openings

[vin63]

Thanks, guys! Here's a shot after paint:

[tinydb84]

I know I have said it before but I love your truck. First time I have seen the sectioned fender on this body style. Might have to try it with my 66. Looks great!