1969 Custom/10 clean up

[FrankieD]

Don't know if you flushed the Radiator yet but yes there is stuff to put in the to get the gunk out here I use Prestone flush you should be able to get something from the parts store.
I think for the Parking light you could find a clip from another auto maker that would work just take the one from the other side and try to match it up.

You could cut a piece of sheet metal and paint it then screw it on to cover the A/C holes.

Good luck

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by FrankieD

Don't know if you flushed the Radiator yet but yes there is stuff to put in the to get the gunk out here I use Prestone flush you should be able to get something from the parts store.
I think for the Parking light you could find a clip from another auto maker that would work just take the one from the other side and try to match it up.

You could cut a piece of sheet metal and paint it then screw it on to cover the A/C holes.

Good luck

Yeah they sell stuff from Justice Brothers over here to flush the cooling system, and covering the hole with a plate is probably what I will be doing

[Steve-W]

With the new cabine I got a rear window with a sticker on it and I’m wondering if there is a way to track down that owner? I thought it might be cool to let him know that his truck..or atleast a major part of it, ended up in Netherlands Europe 

the number on the sticker says 1563

I got some flushing stuff for the cooling system to get the muck and rust out

cooling flush

A friend gave me this old testing machine, it’ll work perfect to set the timing

testing machine

Yesterday I picked up my new exhaust pieces

exhaust plumbing

and this is roughly what it will look like .

mock up


exhaust design

[Steve-W]

Friday I got started with the exhaust pipes, but didn't get far because I found out that my headers or the flanges don't go straight to the back, but have a downward angle.


So I have to hook up the pipe under a angle (aprox 15 degrees)


Here is a close up, so I have a short piece with a flange which hooks up to flange of the header. then I hook up the front pipe to that short piece.


Then I left the pipes for now and got busy with spray painting the grille, it's black now
[/quote]

[Steve-W]

After burning two weekends without being able to work on the truck, I got some work done yesterday and today.

the front was already wired up but I had to wait for some parts being shipped over from the States like the headlight switch pigtail, but it came and now I have working headlights


I also put my cluster bac together and seeing I don't use the Amp meter, I used that needle and put it in the temp gauge.


Here is the box with parts, which my mate from Riverside Ca. send over. Gear linkage, some pigtails and other miscalanious stuff.


I am still looking for the connector for my cargo light, bought a new one, but it came without the pigtail, here a picture of the old one. I have never seen a connector like this.


In a moment of 'walk away and do something else'I had to fit and see


Here's my rebuild front, the hell with chrome.


Also I'm almost done with the cabling, just some small stuff like the reversing lights, brake swith cabling and routing the cables (that's actually pretty difficult, just to get the cable neatly tucked away)

Ok, and this I just had to post. one of my mates is rebuilding his 68 Charger and he is putting in a Nissan 350Z rear-end. remarkable how well it fit's. the front end will be the real challange.

[litew8]

Good progress, things are coming together nicely. Do you plan on welding the exhaust to the short pieces?

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by litew8

Good progress, things are coming together nicely. Do you plan on welding the exhaust to the short pieces?

thankks! the short piece is stainless, the pipes are normal steel, so I was planning on using a clamp. but I'm debating where to make the small corner, because I have to overcome the 15% (approx) downwards angle of the headers.

how likely is it that my engine is slanting backwards to much? could I just put a jack underneath the tranny and see if it will lift an inch or two?

[Steve-W]

I'll revise the question, does the engine lean backwards a bit? just so I know whether to lift te gearbox an inch or so, or modify the exhaust to overcome the downward angle of the headers.

the cargo light issue is solved, a member on the dutch Chevy truck forum came through with a connector he had laying aroung for a Desoto..


I had to modify it a bit, but it works!


Also hooked up the dome light


and is this the spot for the dome switch?

[Steve-W]

OMG..almost 4 months without an update... sorry guys!
well to be honoust, I haven't been doing much during the summer, because we're having a great one. So I mostly spend my evenings outside having a drink and BBQ with family and friends.

I have 2 major issues at this moment: My steering column has so much play that the steering wheel will sway side to side and I can't seem to fix it. I have been looking for replacement units, but I haven't found one here in the Netherlands that is exactly simular to the one I have now.

next is that my old Cab was non-a/c and the new one was with a/c. so my heaterbox will fit, but it leaves a huge gap, and I have to cut into the cab.
Stupid of me that I blindly assumed the cab's would be the same...

But this is where I could really, really! use some help from you guys.
in this below image you see someone who cut out an extra piece to make the non ac heater fit on an ac cab:


now my question is, should that cold air hole be so big?
as you can see from the below picture, the cold air valve is a lot smaller than whe hole in the dash


when I take this into consideration, it seems I only have to cut out a small piece? see below picture:

[Bugeyev8]

awesome work on the truck ! really like the color and the transformation you have given that old truck, looking forward to seeing more progress

[Steve-W]

My god.. I had to read through my own thread, to know where I left it off.
So I finished the exhausts and eventually desided for side pipes, seeing that routing them to the back was just to much trouble 
then I got busy with the doors..well actually I had a mate take care of it while I was busy with the exhaust. As I’m typing this I got my new mirrors in, but I’ll leave that to one of the last things, seeing I haven’t fitted the doors yet.


Finally we got the heatercore problem figured out.
Outlined the heatercore and taped off the area for the plate, then we cut a piece of sheet metal to the right size and debated over how to connect it. I was reluctant to weld it in, seeing that we would have to grind of the paint and make the fit super smooth, so then I thought of using an oversize sheet with rivets, but that would not close everything and moistere could collect behind it. But then we found a tube of industrial glue and that worked like a dream


Piece of sheet metal with the desired hole cut out.


Cutting into the firewall, with result



The sheetmetal, in color..glued onto the firewall


Here’s a shot from the inside, with the heater core attached


Here from the outside, I’m happy with the result.

Here the inside box


Then I started to get the right hand side mounted, and this being my first classic american car I’m putting back together, I was somewhat suprised with how everything lines up. I practicly had to completely unbolt the radiator support to get enough play so the fender would go on. Also getting the innerfender to fit was a struggle, in the first place finding the right size speednuts was somewhat of a quest, and then getting everything lined up took me some time..but eventually I got it.

Inner fender


One thing I forgot is to bolt the right hood hinge, before mounting the fender, becaause reaching the bottom bolt is a b#tch

So I sacreficed a spanner to create a special tool, it lasted just nog enough until it broke 


I found a spray can with some blue paint which is almost the right color, so I desided to paint the heater vent ball thingy


Mounted, color looks the same don’t it?


Then I mounted the sunvisors and rearview mirror, which came in whith a friend coming back from the States.


I then took apart my steering column again because I was still bugged about the position of my indicator stick and I got some new bearings. It was still in the original green color, so I painted the visable parts also blue.


Then it was time to go to bed, so my next update will be about trying to mount the column.

[Steve-W]

This weekend I didn't do much, because on Friday night when I'm usually in the workshop I got hammered with a friend of mine in the local wateringhole..
Saterday a birthday and sunday we got visitors, so that was the weekend. But I just had to finish the steering column so I went over tonight and got it fixed!





I didn't connect the wires up yet because it was close to 11PM and tomorrow as 7AM the damned alarmclock will tell me I have to get back in the ratrace.

I won't be posting before xmas any more, so to all who read this..a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

[Steve-W]

and another small step ahea!

I'm considering starting my own 'alternative upholstery repair shop'

or maybe not..

Cleaned and 'fixed' the bench, then stuck it in the truck


Both fenders are now bolted on as is the grill. I had te make two wooden wedges to get the grill in between, eventhough I loosened all the front bolts.



On the left the alignment of the grill sucks, but thats because it has damage. with special pliers and twoo hammers I got it to a acceptable fit.


wow smokey parkinglight
Front bumper is to far gone, so it's in two pieces waiting to be trashed. I'll have to order a new one, which will cost a fortune in shipping

Also I stuck in the new glove box, didn't fastened it yest, because I actually have no clue how it was before....Help


Idiot I am, I sandblasted the steeringwheel and damaged some plastic thing that was in the center piece held down bij 3 bolts with spring.
I have no idea which make the steeringwheel is, so am I gooing to fix that!
also I don't have a center cap.


this will be the spot for my beautiful Ford window washer reservoir

[Steve-W]

Last night I decided to take out my vacuum connection on the back of the intake manual and replace it by a dual connection. now the brake booster and tranny have a neat connection.



I managed to get the glove box in. I searched this forum and read you just jam it in there and so I did. inmediatly put in the glove box door.



Put in my Dummy(!) gas tank cover..because we forgot to close the hole before painting...idiot
and my truck only runs on propane


pulled off the front wheels and checked the brakes, turns out the disks and pads are brand new... so just put some copper grease on the right places and I'll do the rear brakes next week.

almost ready for MOT!

[Steve-W]

I just had to have a look at the rear brakes, so while my wife thought I was still having dinner with colleagues, I was actually in the garage tinkering


Ofcourse the drum had no intension of coming off easily, so I had to force feed some WD40 in there and gently wack it with a 5 pound hammer..





after some swearing, prodding, poking, a beer, a sigaret and some more prodding, poking and swearing the damn thing finally gave way! now I'm left with a puzzle. luckily I left the left side one, so I'll know how to put it back together


this does leave me with a dilemma..I am doing the brakes and while I'm working on the rear end, I would like to convert the back to 5 lug by replacing the axle shaft from a 5 lug model. (front is already 5 lug because of the '73 cross member)
I guess I have to take the amount of splines, the length of the axle and the thickness at the bearing points into consideration? because I want to make sure this is actually possible before I start ripping things apart.

any info is greatly appreciated!

[PaddyR]

I've read that a machine shop can redrill the axles to 5 lug and turn down the flange centre to accept the 5 lug rim.

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by PaddyR

I've read that a machine shop can redrill the axles to 5 lug and turn down the flange centre to accept the 5 lug rim.

Yeah heard that too, but I've got the 12 bolt diff, so there should be enough shafts around..even here in the Netherlands

[Steve-W]

Friday evening working on My truck and since I put in my steering column I figured to fire it up and flush the cooling system.. But ofcourse the damn thing wouldn't start
I didn't spent to much Time on it, but is seems to Be a fuel problem... Just what I needed.

[RockinKees]

Steve, just read the thing.
Quite a bit of work you've done!!

, you could have repaired the old cab.....

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

, you could have repaired the old cab.....

yeah sure, when pigs fly and hell freezes over on the same day

Hahaha

the new cab was free, so who was I to argue I'm Dutch, free is always good.
and I can't imagin the work we would have had repairing the old cab..you saw the pic's right?

[RockinKees]

Yeah, I saw the pics!!
It doesn't look repairable, at least not easy....

[hgs_notes]

Get it running yet? And BTW, you can weld stainless to non-stainless using the stainless wire in a MIG welder. Its done all the time.

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Get it running yet? And BTW, you can weld stainless to non-stainless using the stainless wire in a MIG welder. Its done all the time.

Yeah got it running...[idiot mode] I ofcourse put in the dual vacuum thingy in the intake manifold for the brake booster and tranny...which left 1 vacuum opening uncovered on the carb...
as soon as I closed that off, it started right away[/idiot mode]

Last Friday I took two friends to the garage and looked at hopefully my last electrical problem: when I turn on the lights, all's good. so front and back are on and brakelight function aswell. When I switch on the turn signal left or right, the brake light on that side doesn't function. the hazard lights work normally as does the horn..so we concluded it must be the turnsignal switch? (your thoughts are welcome here )


than we decided to put the hood on, just to see if it would line out alright.
well, after some fiddling and a couple of gentle pushes from 200 pound weighing yours truly it came to a point where we say in Holland:"leave as is"
[/quote]
can't wait to see what the paint will look like washed and buffed

[RockinKees]

I had the same problem with the brakelights on mine, it was indeed the turnsignal switch.
Solved it with good Ol' WD40

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

I had the same problem with the brakelights on mine, it was indeed the turnsignal switch.
Solved it with good Ol' WD40

yeah I believe WD40 can solve almost anything except bringing peace to the world..
but I'm still going to order a new one