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

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Looks like you had a great sandblasting session Rian. The parts came out looking great. I hear you on the rattle bombs giving up. I hate it when that happens on a brand new can. The quality of them has gone down hill in the last 10 years! I still own rattle cans from the early 90's that still work!

Interested in how you fit the Mazda parts.

Indeed Bret, what gets me is that we pay for a full can, returning it often costs more than the value of the item.

[Grizz1963]

Well, another good weekend has come to an end.

Today started with a very result filled Bootfair, then it was up to this.........



Nicola and I had planned this day for some time and were not disappointed.

Met up with a few friends, including Ian brown, Del and son Sam from Romford, Adrian from Milton Keynes, all C10 guys.

I also met up with Andy from Norfolk to buy some Dinitrol cavity wax that was left over from his International truck build, another nice guy with a good wife.

I decided to actually enjoy the show a bit myself with Nicola today, so only took a few random photos of 60-66 Chevy/GMC's in C10 format.







Del and son Sam were over I his Stepsise that he is turning into a full Patina looker.







Adrian's truck, he fitted new rubber and wheels yesterday, I really love this look.



Mick, who I did not meet's truck with lovely Extang tonneau cover.



I want one of these Tonneau covers for my truck as well.

Just need to figure out which model and size will fit it correctly.



Beauty of the day. Pretty bloody good I say.

[Grizz1963]

Today at the NSRA I collected four litres of Dinitrol Cavity Wax for the truck that I had bought via Rods n Sods, thanks to Andy for bringing it down from Norfolk.



Walking around the traders stands, Martin with his ever alert eagle eyes clocked a pair of flywheel covers which we both needed.

£15.00 later and I now have a cover in chrome.



Today Martin and I also got to meet up with Ian Brown, owner of the Tennessee Honey C10 Stepside.

Ian had given me a lower A-Arm to replace mine which has been damaged sometime in the past, already cleaned up and painted.

Thanks Ian !!



Secondly, Ian had also brought along both of his trucks old front hubs, all neatly wrapped up.

Thanks again mate.



So again, not a lot of work done, but truck progress.

[uber cool]

looks like I missed a good show, but it was my daughters birthday party this weekend, ones 10 and the other 14, 1 day apart, so big joint party for them on Saturday.

The cream patina C10 with black wings is from up this way, it's what got me into american trucks.

[Ta2Don]

Looks like a fun day mate…

Thanks for sharing...

[clemdaddy]

wow, looks like big fun. i really liked the carryall too with all the custom chrome. thanks for the pics...

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by uber cool

looks like I missed a good show, but it was my daughters birthday party this weekend, ones 10 and the other 14, 1 day apart, so big joint party for them on Saturday.

The cream patina C10 with black wings is from up this way, it's what got me into american trucks.

Family time always comes first.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Looks like a fun day mate…

Thanks for sharing...

I think we have about 140 selected photos, but I have stopped posting as few people seem interested, and it takes time.

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

wow, looks like big fun. i really liked the carryall too with all the custom chrome. thanks for the pics...

Pleasure Clem.

I was pleased to see so many.

[Grizz1963]

This is a tutorial on how to fit a Mazda MX5/Miata heater fan to the Custom Deluxe heater unit in a 60-66 Chevy C10.

The blower motors on these often stop working after 50 years when the radiator core leaks and the water ends up over the motor.

My mate Martin previously investigated and executed a transfer on his '65 Chevy truck as he had owned a few, and broken even more Mazda MX5's in the past, so he knows his way around them quite intimately.

So when I managed to buy an unproven heater unit from friend Del and the motor as expected, had expired we arranged to go to a breakers early one Saturday morning. We even stopped for a McD's Coffee on the way.

Got to Brenzett to the Mazda MX5 breakers where we had been offered a fan and blower unit for sensible money....... If we removed it ourselves. Martin and I have previously used him before and his stock and prices are always good.

So I was the tool boy, and Martin the brains and brawn on the day.

Spending about 30 minutes, mostly upside down.....



RESULT !!!




So I dismantled the heater unit and,sandblasted it all, painted all the parts after pressure testing the core by mouth, and it seemed to be intact.



If you test fit the Mazda fan on the Chevy tinwork, you will find it is too big by a small margin. So the trick is to figure a way to get it inside the hole.



The fan is plastic, and herein lies the secret.

If you put a bit of pressure on opposite sides it becomes oblong and you can slip it into the steel hole, releasing as it goes in means it will be captive on the inside.



Impressed??



Using masking tape, mark out the hole that needs to be cut in the body to fit this little guy.



Drilling a pilot hole in every corner gives you radius end corners and prevents the metal tearing over the long term.



Cut with the grinder and finish off with a hand held hacksaw blade and file all the edges, and touch up the paint on the exposed metal.






I made a gasket from some of the material that was stuck on the inside of my doors..... Remember that stuff?






That makes for the end of part one......

Part two, the controls next.

When we stripped the Mazda, we also took the heater controls, which included a multi speed switch, making it work will be another challenge when the wiring gets done.

So this is what I started with after removing the switch and front facia from the total unit.



It back to this.



View from the front, what may be fitted to the dash.



Lastly, the view from above.



Of course you can also reduce the size a lot more by cutting away the Aircon and Defrost buttons. Just retaining the 3 speed power switch.

So that concludes this conversion, Martin's worked in his truck before he startsd his restoration, so we know it works.

Now go out and find a Mazda to rob of its fan for your own truck.

[Grizz1963]

Of course with all the horse trading going on, on Sunday, this was another perspective.

Ian and Martin.

[mjh1965]

Just a note to add to the post . The MK 1 Mazda heater is the same as the Mk2 and MK2.5 the only difference is the switch on the mk1 is a single unit so easier to hide .i will try and take a picture of the Mk1 switch over the next few days .

[Grizz1963]

Every now and then I see ideas that just blow my mind, they will not be for everyone, but I like them.

On Sunday, Andy who I bought the Dinitrol cavity wax from came in his International, and one of the things I saw were his wheel nuts.

Now as some of you may recall, I will be fitting some Rallye wheels and white walls later.

However, it would need 24 new chrome wheel nuts, as my wheels have been on and off many times before I bought the truck two years ago, and many since, so the nuts look like this......



This has to be one of the simplest, cheapest and most genius ways of dealing with old wheel nuts.

Cut down shotgun shells.

My truck will be wearing them, and I do not care if many people copy what I saw on Andy's truck, but I will be doing it too.

I already have an order in for a load from a friend who is a groundsman on a large estate.



Inspiration, sometimes need not come from your own mind.

Thanks Andy.

[Palf70Step]

Like the heat...thanks for the details. The shotgun shells are brilliant!!

[Ta2Don]

I too like the shotgun shells...

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Of course with all the horse trading going on, on Sunday, this was another perspective.

Ian and Martin.

Carting off the booty.

[Grizz1963]

Stopped in at the yard on the way home to find some sheet metal to repair the one flank of the rocking horse I found a few weeks ago.

Typically started to chat with the guys, walked a loop through the yard and found this massive vice, dragged it out....... Not fully functional. Then Glens son who works there as well said he had another one stashed if I was interested in it.



So both came home, one needs some attention, the other is great.

While looking for the steel, I found this little guy as well.



And remember the wheelbarrow tub soapbox cart mock up? May just have.a rear axle and wheels.



Then Glen came along and asked if I was still looking for a retractable pressure hose, as they had got a street sweeper truck in that was headed for Nigeria, and it had a complete unit they could unbolt for me...... At which point his son mentioned that there was a spare in the big shed, so off we went and this beauty came out after some rummaging. I must mention that I was dressed in a white long sleeve shirt and tie with suit trousers, not ideal, but hey-ho, my wife has a washing machine and is forgiving.
But I now have a 10meter or 30" long retractable pressure hose.



After dinner it was me, the parts, some Gunk cleaner and a hosepipe with pressure nozzle.




Never got to start metal shaping in the end, but that will happen soon.

[Ta2Don]

Nice score mate, and those treasures cleaned up nicely...

[clemdaddy]

agree... nice vises

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Nice score mate, and those treasures cleaned up nicely...

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

agree... nice vises

Thanks guys.

I am always thankful that I have access to the yard.


Nicola came home today with a parcel from Arizona.........

A few weeks ago I saw some cool Chevy T-Shirts at Kohl's in the USA and mentioned it on various forums so that people who were interested could go out and get them.

Then a week later I get a PM from Chandler, AZ from Richard Grassmick who I had been friends with offline for some time....... What was Nicola's and my T-Shirt sizes, because if he could find them, he wanted to send us each one. Refused me paying for them or the postage so as usual I said Pay it Forward is the answer, to which he agreed.

I obviously tried mine on already.

Thanks Ric, you are a hero.



Tonight on the way home I again stopped in at the yard to drop off some bits for the boys, happened to find mate Martin another retractable hose reel and a small mains driven 250kg winch for another buddy.
Funny how you look for an item for a long time, then two in two days.



Chatted to Ta2Don earlier as well, couple of pics of parts that have to come back in the baggage in October.

Firewall pads?



Bigger suitcases??



Yes, it's all our stuff, and there is more coming in the post.

[uber cool]

you both might need to charter your own plan at this rate

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by uber cool

you both might need to charter your own plan at this rate

Hi Andy,

I am surprised at how it's taken on a f
Life of its own.

As Ian said on Martin's thread, extra large baggage may be the solution.

That is about right for me, but Martin....??

More than likely a full set plus steamer trunk Ian.

And we are not done yet........

I have parts coming from Missouri as well as the S/S bed strips and fixing kit from Mar-K as well as a full set of side mouldings going to Clem's as well......

I see my life filled with panic in October.

[Grizz1963]

Remember this....??



[URL=http://s294.photobucket.com/user/niknakpix/media/2015%20Continues/image.jpg3_zpsunna3fhw.jpg.html]

Came home tonight and had 90 minutes.

So grabbed an off cut shelf and dismantled the rocking horse.

Took the one flank off.......



Cut the welds along the seam.



Copied the rough outline with a Sharpie.

And went to the lawn as I was too lazy to make a propped sandbag to shape the steel on.



Kept on bashing.



Then cut out the bent section with the 1mm cutting disc, shaped it on the grinder, followed by more bending etc to make it fit the other side.

At this point Nicola came home from work and I sit shop as we were meeting up with friends for dinner and I needed a shower etc.

So tomorrow hopefully make the rest fit, then grind and tack weld followed by sand blasting and paint.



Got to be an improvement on the rusted away section.

[mjh1965]

So I guess your playing with your little pony tomorrow instead of the truck . I suppose it's practice for doing the front fender repairs .

[uber cool]

that leg you made looks really good considering your tooling of a ball pain hammer and the lawn

[flashed]

Im amazed at your talents ,looking good.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

So I guess your playing with your little pony tomorrow instead of the truck . I suppose it's practice for doing the front fender repairs .

It is indeed.

Originally Posted by uber cool

that leg you made looks really good considering your tooling of a ball pain hammer and the lawn

LOL.

The saving grace of the tooling and result is that the horses panels are "textured and not smooth, so I should be able to camouflage it,somewhat.
This is totally crap workmanship, but I was too lazy to make a sandbag, and thought I would try the lawn when the Gunk killed off the lawn two weeks ago
It may still end up in the bin.

Originally Posted by flashed

Im amazed at your talents ,looking good.

You are way too easily pleased Flashed, but thank you.

As I always say...... Give it a go, if it works, great, if not, try again. Or pay someone.