My version of the s10 swap

[RCbowtie69]

I see you have made some progress,looking good,keep the pictures coming

[BlueJeep]

One of these days I'll actually be done with this cab....hopefully...

Finished some things up, which helped my enthusiasm about getting more done. It's now a completed 5 window cab. I had been waiting on installing the inner panels until I had it seam sealed and I also wanted to make sure I had seatbelt provisions in it before I closed it up.









That windlace channel was a little tricky to weld back up, but I got it.

[BlueJeep]

Remember the surprise the sandblaster revealed:



It's gone now:



And so is the battery hole. This one I had to show some restraint on...I had ideas to continue the beads across the panel to make it look like the other side. I fought the urge to do that in an attempt to actually get this thing done, and told myself it's only the floor, and it's only a driver.... There isn't any oil-canning, so I have no regrets.



Next up, the dash.

[BlueJeep]

I'm pretty proud of this one. I don't have a slip roll, so here's what I came up with. I used the slap hammer to be kind to the metal and took my time and got an incredible fit. I even made my wife come out in the garage and see (as if she was interested). This patch I want to be really good because this is the one that'll be right in front of my nose.







I've also switched to the rounded-corners method of fitting my patches. I read on metalmeet that what it does for you is avoids chasing the edge and this made sense to me and seems to work pretty well (like when you weld up to the edge of a panel and get that semi-circle burn hole). It means I have to stop short of the corners with the cutoff wheel and switch to the air saw, but isn't too much more work. I'm still working on learning the art of planishing my welds with the hammer and dolly afterwards, but I'll get there.

I ended the weekend with a little planning, next up will be making this steering column indentation look like it was never there:

[72-c20]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

I'm pretty proud of this one. I don't have a slip roll, so here's what I came up with. I used the slap hammer to be kind to the metal and took my time and got an incredible fit. I even made my wife come out in the garage and see (as if she was interested). This patch I want to be really good because this is the one that'll be right in front of my nose.







I've also switched to the rounded-corners method of fitting my patches. I read on metalmeet that what it does for you is avoids chasing the edge and this made sense to me and seems to work pretty well (like when you weld up to the edge of a panel and get that semi-circle burn hole). It means I have to stop short of the corners with the cutoff wheel and switch to the air saw, but isn't too much more work. I'm still working on learning the art of planishing my welds with the hammer and dolly afterwards, but I'll get there.

I ended the weekend with a little planning, next up will be making this steering column indentation look like it was never there:

I'm betting you get the same reaction I do

looking good....

[panelrodder81]

Originally Posted by 72-c20

I'm betting you get the same reaction I do

looking good....

Nothing quite as much of a buzz kill as when your spouse give you that reaction to your hard work and enthusiasm!

I've started just taking pics of stuff and sending them to my buddies, they actually get excited for me where my wife just says "thats great honey."

Amazing work though, I'm impressed with the level of craftsmanship here.

-Panelrodder

[xpickup]

BlueJeep, I love the 5 window conversion. My buddy wants to do that to his. Keep up the great work.

Shannon

[BlueJeep]

Thanks for the comments guys!

Been working more on the dash this week. Here's how tight I've been trying to make my patch panels:





And managed to get rid of the old steering column indentation, since I'm using an s10 column.

[BlueJeep]

Today started with making a stand for a new tool. I first tried clamping it in a vice just to get me started, but that started to be way more work so I decided to make it easy on myself and just build a stand. This is the harbor freight stretcher/shrinker. Works great!



Now that I was able to get to work, I made this:



Having both the stretcher and shrinker is a must, as I was able to easily fix it during my learning curve when I stretched it too far.



I worked from the inside out, seemed to work pretty good:

[BlueJeep]

The corner was by far the hardest part of this project, both because it had more rot in it and because the bend is too tight to do in the shrinker. I experimented a bit and finally took a piece of 1/2" wide flat sheetmetal and bent it around the edge and then welded a back to it, to form the corner piece. I need to buy a different burr for my die grinder so I can smooth out the welds in these, but other than some finish grinding I did get this side done. The other side is in slightly better shape, and I hope it'll go much quicker.







I've decided to try to use the 88 Chevy seatbelts too to go with the seat, and in order to do so I'm going to have to remove the bulkhead that used to be between the gas tank and the under seat toolbox. Because I feel this is a structural piece due to how it ties both of the B pillars into the floor directly above the body mounts, I've picked up some 1x2 rectangle tubing to build a new brace under the floor to tie in both original supports. Hopefully this will keep the back of the cab from ever sagging....

[BlueJeep]

Today was 95 in the garage, but I hadn't made any progress in a while so I stuck it out.

Windshield channel is now done:



I rebuilt the flange around the column opening here to look more like the original, but large enough to fit the end of the s10 column with the shift lever through. I also made some tapping plates for the mount and welded them on.





Since I had the column in, I wanted to show the new and improved dash without the column indentation.



Next up is are the cab corners, this is the last of the rust repair for this cab.

[62ChevyII]

Nice work BlueJeep!

[BlueJeep]

Thanks for the comments guys!

I'm working on finishing up the last few bits of rust repair on this cab, can't wait to be done!

Inner cab corners, not too much to report here. One was good enough to fix, one needed to be completely replaced:





Since I'd bought the stretcher/shrinker, I figured I should try making my patch for the lower "B" pillar instead of buying it. It was a great opportunity to make a contour gauge and practice some more. I started by making sure I knew what it needed to end up shaped like:



Then I bent up a couple 90 degree angled pieces and proceeded to shrink them to fit the gauge. The double-step lip on this proved to be a little more tricky than I had originally thought because the second lip tapers down to almost nothing from where it starts, but I got it.



Trimming and fitting and trimming and fitting and welding and grinding:



And ended up where I hoped to:


Time to break out the POR 15 and the seam sealer again, then weld on the outer cab corners.

[72-c20]

very nice!

[BlueJeep]

No progress on the truck this weekend.

Since I know I'm not going to hit my goal of this thing back together and in primer by Goodguys Des Moines this year...I need to make sure my dad gets there, so I spent the weekend at his place attempting to set up gears in his Chevelle. I didn't do enough research on it first, so I get to drive 3 hours each way again next weekend to finish it. Who knew there was a carrier split between 2.73's and 3.42's in a 12 bolt....I sure didn't. Oh well, I did get to spend some time around cool autos.

Setting up gears:


Putting some miles on Grandpa's model AA:


My buddy JR is 6'9"....it's a good thing he didn't want to drive because he doesn't fit around the steering wheel in a model AA:


And my wife taking a ride in a buddy's 67 Shelby GT500, he said she could have a ride as long as she wasn't allergic to tire smoke. She wasn't, and that's a good thing because all that was left was smoke long after the car was gone!!!


And I didn't get pics, but I also got to see my future brother-in-laws new 38 Chevy sedan and his brother's 72 Nova. I guess it was OK that I didn't get any welding done on the truck this weekend....

[SSABMUD]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

No progress on the truck this weekend.

Since I know I'm not going to hit my goal of this thing back together and in primer by Goodguys Des Moines this year...I need to make sure my dad gets there, so I spent the weekend at his place attempting to set up gears in his Chevelle. I didn't do enough research on it first, so I get to drive 3 hours each way again next weekend to finish it. Who knew there was a carrier split between 2.73's and 3.42's in a 12 bolt....I sure didn't. Oh well, I did get to spend some time around cool autos.

Setting up gears:


Putting some miles on Grandpa's model AA:


My buddy JR is 6'9"....it's a good thing he didn't want to drive because he doesn't fit around the steering wheel in a model AA:


And my wife taking a ride in a buddy's 67 Shelby GT500, he said she could have a ride as long as she wasn't allergic to tire smoke. She wasn't, and that's a good thing because all that was left was smoke long after the car was gone!!!


And I didn't get pics, but I also got to see my future brother-in-laws new 38 Chevy sedan and his brother's 72 Nova. I guess it was OK that I didn't get any welding done on the truck this weekend....

Some sweet vehicles there*.

[BlueJeep]

Thanks! I did get the gears set up in the Chevelle so we were able to enjoy Goodguys, though it would have been more fun if I had my truck too. The car has got a posi now, so if my dad gets in some wet grass with the car it won't get stuck.





Saw a bunch of other cool things I took pictures of, here's my kind of rat rod:







And here's my latest truck related purchase. Once this baby arrives my productivity will go way up, that's what I'm telling myself!

[72-c20]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

And here's my latest truck related purchase. Once this baby arrives my productivity will go way up, that's what I'm telling myself!

I used the same reasoning behind the heater I put in last year

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by 72-c20

I used the same reasoning behind the heater I put in last year

I hope it worked.

This will be a mini-project in itself, as my garage has no windows. I'm going to cut a walk door in the back of the garage so I can get some cross-ventilation in it, and then I'll cut in the a/c in above the door for days when ventilation isn't enough (so basically every day for the past 2 months).

[SSABMUD]

Originally Posted by 72-c20

I used the same reasoning behind the heater I put in last year

This is not a problem we have to deal with in Alberta on a regular basis thank God. I can take cold but not heat unless I am parked somewhere with no shirt and a Captain Morgan/Pepsi doing nothing.

[SSABMUD]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

Thanks! I did get the gears set up in the Chevelle so we were able to enjoy Goodguys, though it would have been more fun if I had my truck too. The car has got a posi now, so if my dad gets in some wet grass with the car it won't get stuck.





Saw a bunch of other cool things I took pictures of, here's my kind of rat rod:







And here's my latest truck related purchase. Once this baby arrives my productivity will go way up, that's what I'm telling myself!

That rat rod is awesome. I have one down the street from me at work. It is a Model T Roadster tub and deck, with a supercharged 392 hemi in it. He fires it up once and awhile and puts down a couple hundred feet of rubber.

[soultosoul13]

great work! i live in des moines, too, ill keep an eye out for your truck!

[SSABMUD]

Originally Posted by panelrodder81

Nothing quite as much of a buzz kill as when your spouse give you that reaction to your hard work and enthusiasm!

I've started just taking pics of stuff and sending them to my buddies, they actually get excited for me where my wife just says "thats great honey."

Amazing work though, I'm impressed with the level of craftsmanship here.

-Panelrodder

That is too funny. They are all the same. I can go and buy a new set of wheels for my truck and she would not even notice or care, but go and buy a new RC car...well sh-t hits the fan. My wife likes to put stuff by light switches and doors in the house. Such as a pot full of dead twigs tied together with some old twine that she paid $85.00 for!

[72-c20]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

I hope it worked.

This will be a mini-project in itself, as my garage has no windows. I'm going to cut a walk door in the back of the garage so I can get some cross-ventilation in it, and then I'll cut in the a/c in above the door for days when ventilation isn't enough (so basically every day for the past 2 months).

yeah, having the heater in there last winter was great. not that I got a whole lot accomplished but when I did have to go out there is was very comfortable...

it's not a nce a set-up as yor old garage. I have a few more things to seal up this year to help reduce the heating costs a bit though...

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by soultosoul13

great work! i live in des moines, too, ill keep an eye out for your truck!

Thanks! Don't start looking too soon, it probably won't be on the road until next year.

Originally Posted by 72-c20

yeah, having the heater in there last winter was great. not that I got a whole lot accomplished but when I did have to go out there is was very comfortable...

it's not a nce a set-up as yor old garage. I have a few more things to seal up this year to help reduce the heating costs a bit though...

I miss my old garage every day.... I built that thing exactly the way I wanted it. Next one I'll build from scratch too.