Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Rude Dude]

Dan
Here is the pics I PM you about

[ChuckDriver]

Nice, I like that!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Rudy,
What am I misunderstanding? What is the purpose of this cross member? Is this reinforcement prior to removing the factory crossmember? Maybe you explained it in the PM and I misunderstood.

[Rude Dude]

Dan after you weld the Fatman Cross-member, and bolted this across into place you can then cut the stock cross-member out so the front frame rails stay in place (Pictured not welded together yet). The square tubing I am using is 1/8 inch thick wall tubing for hanging trans cooler or other stuff, or you can use round stock thick wall tubing your choice.

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Rudy,
What am I misunderstanding? What is the purpose of this cross member? Is this reinforcement prior to removing the factory crossmember? Maybe you explained it in the PM and I misunderstood.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

Dan after you weld the Fatman Cross-member, and bolted this across into place you can then cut the stock cross-member out so the front frame rails stay in place (Pictured not welded together yet). The square tubing I am using is 1/8 inch thick wall tubing for hanging trans cooler or other stuff, or you can use round stock thick wall tubing your choice.

Ah! Got it. It's so the frame ends don't twist. I think I'd use the same square tube because not only will it prevent movement but it COULD also be used for other things.

My first thought is maybe to conceal otherwise exposed wiring or some such. Besides, if I ever need to mount something on it, it's easier to mount on a flat surface than a round one. On the subject of mounting things, I want to mount my wiring and AC lines high in the wheel wells so there is nothing visible in the engine compartment. I plan to weld some elevator bolts (apologies to whoever posted about those, I forget).

[Rude Dude]

Dan maybe use longer bolts that hold fender to inner fenders and use electrical clamps with an added nut to secure the clamp. The bolts are at top of fender.

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Ah! Got it. It's so the frame ends don't twist. I think I'd use the same square tube because not only will it prevent movement but it COULD also be used for other things.

My first thought is maybe to conceal otherwise exposed wiring or some such. Besides, if I ever need to mount something on it, it's easier to mount on a flat surface than a round one. On the subject of mounting things, I want to mount my wiring and AC lines high in the wheel wells so there is nothing visible in the engine compartment. I plan to weld some elevator bolts (apologies to whoever posted about those, I forget).

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

Dan maybe use longer bolts that hold fender to inner fenders and use electrical clamps with an added nut to secure the clamp. The bolts are at top of fender.

Ah, excellent idea! Better than mine, thanks.

[Coupeguy2001]

You know WHITE is not a color, but guess what? These trucks look GREAT with the proper white. Just a teeny tiny hint of blue in the paint.
Just saying.....



Hmmm Letseee,
This is the biggest I can make it without driving up to your front door LOL

[Dan in Pasadena]

Coupeguy, Your truck looks great. I really like the Impala SS wheels on it too.

My truck isn't one of a series of projects for me. It's a result of waiting all my life to have what I want so it'll be red even though there are a number of other colors I really really like.

[Coupeguy2001]

Thankx Dan,
I bought my truck in 1972 for $150.
It has been a lackadaisical fixup for me. I have driven it all my adult life. It has 342,000 miles on it, and I love it and hate it at the same time.
I love how it looks, and hate that GM took the cheap way out on so many things.
I hate that Harley Earl almost divorced himself from the truck group and focused so much on the "show car" ideal.
I hear you that you waited all your life. I have had this all my life, and there have been hundreds of people my whole life that have told me to get rid of it while it still had some value, and here we are, 40 years later, it still looks ok, and there are so many things I wanted to do to it, but in 1977, where I worked, the aircraft painter had 2 gallons of white left over, and I didn't get to do any body work to it, I just showed up that Saturday with all the chrome removed, and the truck sanded.
He put the paint on a mixer, and stirred in some thinner, and put it in the gun, and voila! I had the same truck, just white.
Luckily the truck wasn't too bad, so when he painted it, all I had to do was get everything rechromed. I didn't finish the chrome stuff until 1989 because my wife thought I should junk it and go buy a newer truck.
Over the years, she has tolerated it, and kept the grumbling to a minimum.
Since I redid the front end, she is more tolerant, but to her it is still just an old truck.
I drive it 3 or 4 days a week still, and it is part of me.
I know what you mean when you say you waited. I have waited patiently through out the years to get the truck I wanted because my wife hasn't been on my side with it, and I have had to do everything quietly and slowly so as not to spend, spend, spend.
I never wanted a red anything (except taillights) so we are different there, but I have spent very little time cleaning my truck inbetween washings because the white hides the dirt and dust so much.

I am glad that your truck has so little rust, and that you are doing it right.
I was going to do it right myself after I retired, but my boss let me go 3 years ago, and there isn't the larger paychecks any more, so it's been tough getting the funds.
Then I had some physical problems that are still lingering, and some days it is just a fight to get out of bed.
Most days, though, I'm ok. I still work as an aircraft mechanic, and sometimes that is a struggle to keep up, but God willing, I can keep working for 2 more years.
What ever you do, just finish it. I want to see your truck take first place in a show somewhere.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for writing. I like reading other guy's stories about themselves and their trucks.

My experience with older trucks is my dad had a series of AD trucks from very rough to one that was way too clean - according to him; he was a brick mason - it was dark factory green with all fresh chrome. This wold have been the early 60's and I was still a little kid.

He replaced that one with a '59 longbed Fleetisde and I "helped" him swap out the 235 for a rebuilt 283 and later a strong running 348. I say I helped meaning I went and got the wrench he yelled at me about. Dad was a VERY impatient man and I learned to work on cars not so much by instruction as by self preservation!

I remember riding in my Dad's truck a lot as a kid. Dad passed away in 1990 when I was 35 and in part this truck is an homage to him and a reminder of my childhood.

[Coupeguy2001]

Great story!
I used to live in Burbank.
When I was 5, my dad's employer bought a brand new 55 Chevy small window shortbed in dark green. I have a black and white photo of it that my mother gave me, taken in 1955 when it was brand new.
In the summers, my dad used to come home and get me and we would go to a local hamburger joint a couple days a week in that truck for lunch.
I remember that truck very well.
when I went to camp, He and I took all the kid's suitcases and sleeping bags to the campground and back with that truck every year till they traded it in on a blue 65.
His employer's best friend had a blue and white 57 cameo with a V8 and hydromatic. My dad borrowed it a few times, and always said if we get some money ahead, this is what we would buy. We had a 1937 Ford pickup which became my first car in high school.
Probably no coincidence that I have a 57.

[Dan in Pasadena]

A LOT of parallels in your "truck life" and mine. My dad bought a brand new black '55 Chevy two door hardtop Belair with orange/red and cream interior right after I was born in December '54. The only new car he ever bought. He replaced his '59 Fleetside with a '66 C20 in butternut yellow, used of course. We both grew up with these trucks all around us.

Before my '55 I had a '46 short bed with 350/350 and Jag IFS & IRS. I liked that truck a lot but sold it cause I knew I wanted a '55 big window as my ONE truck. Still miss the '46 though.

[Coupeguy2001]

This is too funny, My dad bought a new 55 turquoise and white bel air in 55. I still remember the night we got it. We took the neighbors across the street for a ride when we got home...
They traded it for a Buick in 63, and my dad kept saying that he should have kept it.
They got $350 for it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Yeah, our pasts are SO parallel. My dad kept the car until I got it at 16. Of course I was a dumbass and didn't really want it. I wanted a van (WTF?!).

I got a '66 Chevy van for $750 that had been rolled but not too badly hurt and my dad and I did the body work, got it looking nice and I had it painted for $150, upholstered it, I fixed it up inside. He ultimately sold the '55 on the Pennnysaver - that's a freebie mailer for you younger guys - for $450. UGH, that kills me to think of it. I've tried to find the car, filled out a form with the CA DMV but they couldn't find it. If I ever find that car I WILL buy it - somehow - no matter the price.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I wanted a van

I'm sorry I almost died on that one....

Was it at least a shag carpet/disco van?

EDIT: sweet build by the way been silently following for awhile

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

I'm sorry I almost died on that one....

Was it at least a shag carpet/disco van?

EDIT: sweet build by the way been silently following for awhile

Ha! I die a little bit more EVERY time I think of passing up a pristine black '55 Chevy two door hardtop Belair for a van.

It was Chevy butternut yellow with huge Goodyear Bluestreak slicks on 12x15's in the rear and Tiger Paw raised white letter tires on 8x15 Ansen slot mags in front. A whip antenna, brown paneling, "Oxblood" colored naughahyde seats & engine cover with yellow fog lights and of course the requisite Elton John, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" cassette blaring from the Pep Boys speakers!

I thought I was badass, and I WAS...for those days. I even got it in HotRod magazine one month. Not a feature, just captured in a group shot with a lot of others but it looked good.

PS: Thanks for having enough interest to watch my thread. You must also enjoy paint drying!! lol

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

PS: Thanks for having enough interest to watch my thread. You must also enjoy paint drying!! lol

Well watching paint dry has been my profession for awhile know so you can say that its my favorite activity!

You should look for that feature get a little nostalgia for that old van haha awesome

[Coupeguy2001]

Just don't buy it baaack..........

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Coupeguy2001

Just don't buy it baaack..........

Funny you mention that but I have a soft spot for all the old cars/trucks I've had. Probably wouldn't actually pull the trigger on the van but I HAVE given consideration to another '41-46 Chevy. But my one true love of that era is '39-40 Fords. Yes, I'm NOT a "Ford guy" but I love the trucks and the two door sedans.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Stopped by the bodyshop this morning. My rear fenders are done except for final blocking before colored primer. They looked perfect to me. Since I'll write the check I guess that's good enough!





I'll break down the bed into its four sides next week and detailed photos because I think my 60 year old bed is amazingly straight. There are a couple minor dents on the bed front and the only rust through is the bed front panel in the bed roll. Appears to be only about an inch long - but we'll see after blasting. I'm planning NOT to weld shut the bed rolls because everybody does it and I'm considering installing those lights in them. Not that I like those all that much but the stock lights are low and I don't want my b!tchin new paint rear ended! I've also considered a third brake light in the rear window but I assume they're not as bright as the roll lights. Not totally sold on this idea, open to suggestions

[Coupeguy2001]

maybe you could make the bed roll lights the third brake lights?
Is that what you were alluding to?

On Ebay, you can buy extremely bright LED lights individually, and If you hooked the brake light wire on each side to the roll LED. the roll would flash with the turn signals, and come on with the brake lights.
You would have to use a 470 ohm resistor to use them with 12 volts, since they are only good for 1.5 volts just hooked to a D cell battery.
I have aluminum plugs in my bed rolls, and was thinking of adding LED lights in the plugs using a counterbore, and running the wires from the tail lights up the rear stake pockets into the rolls to the plugs.
I would have to use phenolic or some other insulating material to mount the LED and resistor. Then I will have to figure out a way to make the LED sturdy enough to withstand the wires pulling at it over bumps.

Hmmm, I do have some yellow ones that are way too bright. Wonder if I would get pulled over if the roll lights were "amber"

[Dan in Pasadena]

I had fully intended to use the polished bed roll
plugs Mar-K sells and still might if I don't put lights there. I hadn't thought abou using them as both stop lights and as signals but that's not a bad idea. Why not get multiple functions if you can?!

Thanks Chris!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Not sure I posted these before now or not But in the interest of keeping my "log" complete I will post now. These are the Trique/Altman latch kit I bought probably a year ago. I didn't know then there is a kit option to buy the sheet metal portion shown here in a larger size that extends the full length of the door panel, or I'd probably have considered it.

As is the door panel doesn't fit properly so I've directed the bodyman to cut the factory door panel at the corner and trim it to appear as though it came that way from the factory. I THINK kit sheet metal is stainless. If it is I will polish it rather than paint it.

Anyway, here are the two pic's I took:

[Kim57]

Looking real good.
Kim