1967 GMC - SWB, great patina

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

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[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Almost done and ready to tip the cab back down to hang the doors and finish the rocker panels. I have REALLY taken a lot of care to try and save as much metal as possible, and make the seams look seamless (for my taste and lack of autobody skill). As this has progressed, I’ve realized it’s a driver truck, the floor will be covered with sound deadening, and the underside will be done with some bed liner or undercoat, then driven daily. So…not perfect is good by me. It’s all solid, clean, (will be) seam-sealed and will outlast me for sure.

I’m using AGS Rust Solutions paint, which seems very nice and durable. I’ve had to grind down a painted area, and could barely get sparks to come off the flap wheel - it really gets in deep.

https://rustsolutions.com/

Next on the list is to tack weld some 1/4-20 nuts to the underside of the transmission hump so it can be bolted in / out easily.

[raggedjim]

Keep it up, you've already lost the worlds crappiest truck title!

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Still plugging away - floor is 99% put back together and in various states of Eastwood Rust Encapsulator Platinum, seam sealer, and black paint. After a lot of hemming & hawing, it’ll just stay black paint. No Raptor or bed liner or undercoat.

I’ve decided to go with the Autometer InVision dash, and am working with Recision Raceworks to send a 3D printed lower section of the dash, so I can fab up how to mount the lowered column.

https://reversionraceworks.com/67-72...ch_query=67-72

The bezel for a 12.3” dash requires the column be lowered about 1.5” so while it’s stripped, it’s the time to fab what’s needed.

The dash will add a nice modern look to an otherwise old clapped out looking truck.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Done, and when started.

Time to flip her back over, hang the doors and finish the rockers & cab corners.

[clay68c10]

What a difference! Before/after shots are so dramatic and fulfilling after all that hard work.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Thanks Clay - it does feel good to be wrapped and I’m fairly pleased with it.

Not perfect but solid, sealed and will outlast me for sure.

——-

It’s back rightside -down and ready for rockers & cab corners. I received a small 3D printed sample of a bezel from Reversion Raceworks, to size up how the column would need to mount in order to hold an LCD gauge screen. Will see….

Column placement, pedals, seats etc all sorta need to come together at once for ergonomics and I’m not to that point yet.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Pulling away from the thin metal a bit, for some thicker metal stuff - building a C-notch. I did the same on my ‘68 using 6” ID, 1/4” thick pipe.

I cut it 4.5” wide, enough to span the frame as it jogs outward where the cut needs to be. I’ll mark the location, cut the frame, grind away until I have a perfect fit, chamfer everything then weld in solid.

It get 3” of clearance - about the same as a purchased / bolted in C-notch but without the awful fitment issues I’ve seen folks struggle with.

Finished shot is from my ‘68. It’ll look the same on this truck when done.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Some goodies arrived today - new tailight and backup light housings, and a set of used Civic door seals. On my ‘68 I bought new seals and they were real firm as I set the doors / rockers / cab corners in place. Figured I’d try a set of broken-in seals this time.

Also spent time on the homemade C-notch. I will finish the C-notch tomorrow and start on the fuel system before going back to rockers and cab corners

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

C-notch is complete on both sides. On to the fuel tank install after covering things with some Eastwood Rust Encapsulator Platinum.

[raggedjim]

C-notch looks great, did a few that way back in the 80's.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

C-notch looks great, did a few that way back in the 80's.

Thanks Roger. I didn’t trust that any kit readily available would fit properly without rework, and I figured I might as well just make my own again and weld it in -vs- bolt in.

——

Got my fuel tank in today - first decent. The rubber spacers / isolators / levelers between the frame rails and tank are a little janky…but I did this on my ‘68 and it holds the tank snug. I’d love to find a nice triangular shaped thick rubber piece to properly fill the gap, but this works. It’s a 4x6’ hard rubber stall mat from Tractor Supply, 3/4” thick. I cut 2 spacers and sandwiched them in. The bolts are 3/8” threaded rod that I welded a nut on one end. The other end will get a lock-nut eventually - not certain it won’t need to move a smidge so leaving it mocked up for the meantime.

A 2” hole saw cut the filler notch, then I made aluminum tubing standoffs to cover the threaded rod and give something to cinch down against.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Hung the hangers, mounted the tank and cinched up everything. Ran some fuel line through the hangers I referenced back in post 92. One slot for fuel line, one slot for wiring to the back (lights and fuel pump / fuel level)

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Rocker panels are off, where I unearthed the drivers side B-pillar -> inner rocker mounting point holding by a thread. Will have to get a panel, brace things so nothing moves while replace it….then can proceed with rockers.

The other 3 corners and mounting areas all all super clean and tight.

Will get rockers on, then get to cab corners.

[raggedjim]

Looking great!

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

As I lay on the concrete in the garage while it’s -3* out, cutting welding and grinding something nobody will ever see or notice or question…..but only I will know what lurks beneath, I thought of the Baby Billy song in The Righteous Gemstones.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w6W9qo...YXlkYXmgBwE%3D

Removing the rocker uncovered a rotted out b-pillar mount. Removing that revealed the rearward section of the inner rocker panel was also toast. Removing that showed the most rearward flange on the rear cab mount was done….but hallelujah the support itself was good.

I first tacked the b-pillar in place to the floor pan to hold everything in place, then started hacking; first the remnants of the b-pillar, then the rusted rearward flange of the cab support. I cut out, then welded on a new one, then fabbed up a new inner rocker panel to extend to the rear, welded it all up, drilled holes for the soon-to-be-replaced B-pillar mount…and called it a day.

A fella doing this work has to get real comfortable with phrases like “well, I’ve come this far…” or “while I’m in here I might as well…”

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

On the plus side…acquired some new goodies.

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Man does stuff take forever. The small B-pillar piece that needed replacement needed a lot of work (not surprising, but it would have been super simple to just bury it behind the rocker and cab corner as is). The small flange where the welded-in-nuts hold everything was far too narrow to properly hold the nuts in place…..so weld on a piece to widen it.

Fit things sorta in place and see either the door seal flange or cab corner flange needed to come out about 3/16” - opted to clamp the door seal flange in place, cut a notch to pull the cab corner flange outward, and fill with a patch sliver.

Once it all was the right shape, I welded on a couple nuts and cut the extended-flange to a width I was happy with…..and painted things with Rust Encapsulator Platinum.

Will tack it all back in place once the paint dries. 3hrs down the tubes massaging a small dumb hidden panel to fit….

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Finished piece

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

After long last….I'm adding material and (naively perhaps) think I’ve hit the bottom of the hole. All nasty stuff has been cut away and replaced, things patched, cleaned, painted, aligned.

The bottom of the B-pillar was welded in, bolted in, and the new rocker set in place for fitment.

As we all know, they are far from a drop-in piece and need a lot of tweaking, especially in all the bend radiuses. Factory stuff has fairly square corners. Aftermarket edges and corners are really rounded which means cut down the center of the corner, bend each section flatter, weld in to make a sharper corner.

Feels good to be at this stage though.

[Shifty One]

Nice work!

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

After hours and hours of thinking, cutting slits, welding them back shut, grinding, hacking etc I have a drivers side rocker panel in which really fits nicely.

The original rockers are spot-welded on the flat areas to the A and B pillars, then seam sealed at the joints. I wanted to keep it the same way.

The quick way is just butt-welds the seam and calls it a day.


The Civic door seals fit nicely, and the lip rides nicely onto the floor pan.


Onto the passengers side.

[raggedjim]

Great job, rockers oughta be easy, but they usually aren't!

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

The overseers of mechanic’n giveth, and they taketh.

After burning far too long trying to get the drivers rocker where I was happy with it, I slammed on the passengers door, test fit the rocker and it was damn-near perfect (at least to my liking). The front contours around the weatherstrip lip, A-pillar and door jamb needed to be cut / flared / straightened and welded up to create a more square inside edge, but aside from that….it went right in.

I’ll take the unexpected win.



Also got the opportunity to empty out the passengers door of debris - fallen off insulation mat, and a ton of red Colorado sand. No clue how this much dirt got down inside the door. Flap wheel for reference

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Received giblets in the mail and started on engine-side work.

- ICT Billet 551669-2 Mount for low alternator and F-body power steering pump.
- Standard GM truck alternator
- 89-02 F-body power steering pump with GM pulley
- F-body crank pulley
- F-body water pump.

The kit required drilling and tapping a hole on the block.

I cooked up some clean motor oil in the wok to 325 or so until it just started smoking and let things marinate. Lubed up the snout of the crank a bit then tossed it all together with the bolt-style crank install tool. Smooth as puddin’.

After bottomed out I did the 37ftlb torque on the new bolt, then 140* of rotation. 90+50.

After success….moved to the ‘68 and lifted off the bed so I can clean. Blew a tranny line this summer and undercoated everything thoroughly. With the bed off things will be accessible, inspectable etc.