Kabwe's aka Bam's build

[Kabwe]

Hey Kim57,

Nope you need to post pics now, not when its all metal finished.lol I had some complaints in PM that is what I do and they want to see the fix. How I went about doing it. If I have to do it you have to also.lol

I think its going to be like I invested in round stock after I fix all these ugly gaps on this thing.lol The round stock is working about great, because it comes in so many different sizes and it is easily bent to the contour.

Yeah the driver side door huh? the same here, my passenger is not like this at all. Glad to know its not just me, I thought it was because I'm using parts from some many different trucks.lol

[R.A.D]

alot of times it can be from multiple parts from other vehicles. you don't have any body sag going on in any of the corners do you? are your bodymount bushings in good shape? this can all atribute to sloppy gaps. and of course tolorances weren't something to critical back then either

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by R.A.D

alot of times it can be from multiple parts from other vehicles. you don't have any body sag going on in any of the corners do you? are your bodymount bushings in good shape? this can all atribute to sloppy gaps. and of course tolorances weren't something to critical back then either

You are 100% right about tolerances on these old trucks were not critical that's for sure. At car shows I look at body gaps all the time and on these trucks they are horrible. Everything on this truck such as cab mounts and such are brand new. As you can see in the pic the fender lines up fine with the rocker panel and can actually rest on it. There was a gap between the lower door and lower fender that needed to be addressed. Yes it could be that body parts from multiple vehicles, but the mostly like problem was me.lol It could have been due to my door repair. That's why I made the statement to kim57 that I thought it was just me, I thought I was off on my door repair. The passenger side is much better and I repaired that door also. I'm a nut about measuring everything so I measure the doors in the exact same spot and they are the same, so out came the round stock. This is what mockup is for so thats why I'm taking so long BCToyChest.lol

[OKGMC4]

Don't feel bad there are several places on BOTH of my doors and BOTH of my fenders that are way off and I'm either adding bar stock and grinding or taking metal out and welding closed those gaps. The back of my hood was off on one side as well...more bar stock and grinding. I also had to cut the bottom of both fenders off, take out 3/16 and weld them back together to get the rocker and fender lip at the same height. These trucks fit together something terrible and I'm about sick of body work! I still hope mine looks half as good as yours when it's done, though.

[Kabwe]

Yeah man you got to do what ever you got to do, to make it look right and thanks for the compliments.

A friend came by and saw me adding metal and he told me I was cheating, because his doors fit awful on the driver side and that's just the way it is, how ever they came leave it.lol Then he went on to tell me that every time he sees me drive the truck he is just going to start yelling cheater.lol I told him he was nuts if he thought I was leaving it like that and if he likes I will get "Cheater" as my personalize license plate so he doesn't have to waste his breathe.lol

[Kim57]

Making it right isn't cheating.
Kim

[Fat Mike]

Kawbe did you thread the 3/16" metal and weld that to the floor from the underneath. Or did you weld a nut to the back? What is stronger? Need to do this to my frame before I finish boxing it in and want to know the strongest method?

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by Fat Mike

Attachment 689135
Kawbe did you thread the 3/16" metal and weld that to the floor from the underneath. Or did you weld a nut to the back? What is stronger? Need to do this to my frame before I finish boxing it in and want to know the strongest method?

Fatmike,

I welded this to the 3/16 metal strips first and then I welded the strips to the floor so that the load would be spread across the strip instead of just that bolt.

I got them from http://www.mcmaster.com/#

[Fat Mike]

I use those at my work and have several. Thank you!

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Yeah you have been a stranger around these parts lately, but I understand to busy driving that beautiful truck and starting a new project. Please post a few pics when you can of "Project Chevelle" I would like to see how its going.

I’m going to start a build thread on the General Discussion "Alternate Tinkerings" pages. I never knew there was such a page here until yesterday. It's cool because there are build of other non-truck projects. I tried getting into the "Chevelle" form but it's just not the same as it is here. This is the BEST form on the web for sure! I'll send a link once I get started, this week I hope.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

I’m going to start a build thread on the General Discussion "Alternate Tinkerings" pages. I never knew there was such a page here until yesterday. It's cool because there are build of other non-truck projects. I tried getting into the "Chevelle" form but it's just not the same as it is here. This is the BEST form on the web for sure! I'll send a link once I get started, this week I hope.

That's cool and I can't wait to see what you have done so far. Yes this is the best and most active carnut site on the net. Plus its fairly peaceful unlike some other site.lol

[Tri5Nerd]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

That's cool and I can't wait to see what you have done so far. Yes this is the best and most active carnut site on the net. Plus its fairly peaceful unlike some other site.lol

Peaceful! How can it be peaceful when you post all these progress pics to get folks all riled up! lol.

Tri5

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by Tri5Nerd

Peaceful! How can it be peaceful when you post all these progress pics to get folks all riled up! lol.

Tri5

What do you mean progress, don't you mean setbacks.lol Plus you have not posted anything in a while your truck is probably finished and you just don't want to share your happiness.

[R.A.D]

well now that everyones blood is flowing. lol

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by R.A.D

well now that everyones blood is flowing. lol

Okay and what is that suppose to mean? Are you starting trouble again? Okay I said it was peaceful here remember.lol

[BC Toy chest]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Here is the boring stuff I've been working on but you guys love pics so I thought I'd post. I had to add some round tubing to the front the door to get it right. I think it will look decent once I grind down the welds and make it flow on the edge. Man the door fitment on these things leaves much to be desired.

The pictures are important we need those to help us. If you try to explain in words only it's like listening to our wives and our eyes glaze over and we find ourselves struggling to understand the words that are coming out of their mouth... yes , draw a picture or take a picture you can't lose doing that. See I explained that to the wife but she got up set for no reason

[Tri5Nerd]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

What do you mean progress, don't you mean setbacks.lol Plus you have not posted anything in a while your truck is probably finished and you just don't want to share your happiness.

See what you did now, I just took all the junk that I was storing in the bed out. Time to get busy.

Tri5

[R.A.D]

that's right now breathe

[chevyrestoguy]

It's the fine details (like door gaps, rounded corners, etc) that separate a good truck from a NICE truck. One day, you'll be at a show and be parked next to another 55-59, and your subtle mods will stand out in leaps and bounds. I've always been of the mind-set that I want the viewer to be almost puzzled when they look at my vehicles. I want very subtle, factory-appearing body mods that don't look like you've customized it. I have always appreciated cars that have the "the more you look the more you see" theme. Some vehicles are so obvious that you can see almost every mod from 100ft away. I like the ones that make you spend a solid 30 minutes up close trying to figure it out. I remember at SEMA a few years ago, I spent over 30 minutes looking at a Troy Trepanier car that just flat took my breath away. The guys I was with left me there and I didn't see them again until the end of the day.

The detail items take the most time, but to me, they are the most important. The trick is to try to match the detail on the big-dollar cars by using very simple tricks and inexpensive parts. Sometimes a good "recon" trip to the wrecking yard with an idea and an open mind can be very worthwhile.

I really like the way we bounce ideas off of each other on this site. I think that it would be cool to have a section dedicated to low-buck ideas that we could post our stuff on, too. It could apply to all years of trucks on this site, and could save us all a bunch of headaches.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

It's the fine details (like door gaps, rounded corners, etc) that separate a good truck from a NICE truck. One day, you'll be at a show and be parked next to another 55-59, and your subtle mods will stand out in leaps and bounds. I've always been of the mind-set that I want the viewer to be almost puzzled when they look at my vehicles. I want very subtle, factory-appearing body mods that don't look like you've customized it. I have always appreciated cars that have the "the more you look the more you see" theme. Some vehicles are so obvious that you can see almost every mod from 100ft away. I like the ones that make you spend a solid 30 minutes up close trying to figure it out. I remember at SEMA a few years ago, I spent over 30 minutes looking at a Troy Trepanier car that just flat took my breath away. The guys I was with left me there and I didn't see them again until the end of the day.

The detail items take the most time, but to me, they are the most important. The trick is to try to match the detail on the big-dollar cars by using very simple tricks and inexpensive parts. Sometimes a good "recon" trip to the wrecking yard with an idea and an open mind can be very worthwhile.

I really like the way we bounce ideas off of each other on this site. I think that it would be cool to have a section dedicated to low-buck ideas that we could post our stuff on, too. It could apply to all years of trucks on this site, and could save us all a bunch of headaches.

I could not agree more. I also go to shows and have friends leave me when I look at a particular car for too long.lol I guess they don't see or care about what I see. I love a car or truck that looks like all the mods are factory. I'm really not into wild stuff but I do appreciate the talent and skill if its done well. People think because I like to fab things, that I like wild fab work and that simply is not true. I think you have to have a theme for your truck and stick to it. I go to shows and some cars are just all over the place its a display of talent and skill but that's all.

I saw a 48 Chevy truck done really nice, but man he forgot to stick to the theme (or bought it and tried to change it). It had an old school two tone paint job (fenders and running boards green and the body cream really nice) and heck of a nice stance on it. He had a white wall spare tire (okay fit the theme) but then he put billet wheels and a billet steering wheel with old school interior. The truck really needed the wide whites walls (like the spare) and it would have been killer. I know its his ride and that's cool, and I would never say anything to anybody about their rides (unless its a friend, my friends and I are rough on each other its bad I mean really bad.lol) but I just did not get it. Just my opinion it does not count for much.
__________________

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by BC Toy chest

The pictures are important we need those to help us. If you try to explain in words only it's like listening to our wives and our eyes glaze over and we find ourselves struggling to understand the words that are coming out of their mouth... yes , draw a picture or take a picture you can't lose doing that. See I explained that to the wife but she got up set for no reason

BC Toy Chest just shut up and come and get those items I gave you or they are going to end up on ebay.lol

[chevyrestoguy]

I saw a 48 Chevy truck done really nice, but man he forgot to stick to the theme (or bought it and tried to change it). It had an old school two tone paint job (fenders and running boards green and the body cream really nice) and heck of a nice stance on it. He had a white wall spare tire (okay fit the theme) but then he put billet wheels and a billet steering wheel with old school interior. The truck really needed the wide whites walls (like the spare) and it would have been killer. I know its his ride and that's cool, and I would never say anything to anybody about their rides (unless its a friend, my friends and I are rough on each other its bad I mean really bad.lol) but I just did not get it. Just my opinion it does not count for much.

Amen to that. Some guys get derailed when they get to a certain point in their build. Maybe it's the fact that they get in a hurry, hit a mental block and take the easy way out, or like the rest of us, take 15+ years to finish their truck and it goes through about 50 theme changes along the way.

I used to be vocal about what I liked and didn't like until a buddy stopped me dead in my tracks one day. We were at a show and we were looking at a car that had some real questionable work done to it, and as we were walking away, I unloaded to my buddy about how big of a POS it was. He turned to me and said, "at least he's driving his truck and having fun with it". He was 100% right, and I've never done that since. I keep my opinion to myself and respect other people's stuff no matter if I like it or not.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

Amen to that. Some guys get derailed when they get to a certain point in their build. Maybe it's the fact that they get in a hurry, hit a mental block and take the easy way out, or like the rest of us, take 15+ years to finish their truck and it goes through about 50 theme changes along the way.

I used to be vocal about what I liked and didn't like until a buddy stopped me dead in my tracks one day. We were at a show and we were looking at a car that had some real questionable work done to it, and as we were walking away, I unloaded to my buddy about how big of a POS it was. He turned to me and said, "at least he's driving his truck and having fun with it". He was 100% right, and I've never done that since. I keep my opinion to myself and respect other people's stuff no matter if I like it or not.

Good for your buddy.lol I just know how much work goes into building something so I keep my mouth shut. Plus I know that not everyone likes the same things. I am a true fan of the home builder and I love to see a home builder build something really nice. I don't get too impressed by the big shops, they should build nice things they have the tools, money, and hire talented people. But every now and then a shop blows me away when they do something different like that Iron Works black truck. I saw it at GoodGuys along with other projects they displayed. The plus was they were really nice people and spent the time to talk about the projects. All of them were killer rides and the guy did not brag and use the word "we" instead of "I" which I respect because you know its a crew that worked on those rides.

[Kabwe]

I'm basically done with this panel alignment I will be doing a little filing with a body file to make it a little bit straighter but you can see the alignment looks much better.



Well on to the next panel.

[JML55]

Looking good,