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

[62stepside longbox]

Just read your friends build thread on his rx2, his workmanship is incredible! He builds everything from his electrical systems to his own coil overs!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by 62stepside longbox

Just read your friends build thread on his rx2, his workmanship is incredible! He builds everything from his electrical systems to his own coil overs!

Hey Nik, yes, he is certainly very good and motivated.

[flashed]

Looking good ,still tuned in .

[realvc]

Hey Rian, I also read the RX2 thread and joined that forum to keep up with the progress.

Johnnybrovo is scratch building his own engine parts and pressing his own panels too.

I've seen people build bucks and make replacement panels but he is the first I've seen machine the tools and dies to press them out like the factory would.

Looks like you're getting the GM a frames figured out. Way to go.

[65sub]

Good looking front suspension Rian All the little details will make an awesome ride when you're done

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

Looking good ,still tuned in .

Thank you mate.

Originally Posted by realvc

Hey Rian, I also read the RX2 thread and joined that forum to keep up with the progress.

Johnnybrovo is scratch building his own engine parts and pressing his own panels too.

I've seen people build bucks and make replacement panels but he is the first I've seen machine the tools and dies to press them out like the factory would.

Looks like you're getting the GM a frames figured out. Way to go.

Hey Vince, yes, he is rather good.

Originally Posted by 65sub

Good looking front suspension Rian All the little details will make an awesome ride when you're done

I hope so....

Otherwise I will be a bit disappointed.

[ibrown50]

Looking good Rian pleased you got the bushes sorted, it will be back on its wheels in no time.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Looking good Rian pleased you got the bushes sorted, it will be back on its wheels in no time.

Thanks Ian, with the help, encouragement and knowledge shared on here, I have little option but to get it finished.


Progress is Progress as my good friend Ta2Don always says.

Today was primarily filled with family commitments, but tonight when we got in, I went down to the garage for a bit of Truck Time. I really needed a bit of clear headspace.

So a bit of rear end action was in order.

I have wanted to do this for some time, but of course there is always a sequence, and we all have different sequences, this is mine.

I bought a new, adjustable Panhard Rod from Performance On Line for the truck as the various geometries change when you lower the truck.





Tried to undo the previously lubricated nuts keeping ithe Panhard Rod captive.... Fail.

Out came my faithfull rattle gun and in moments we were in business. This really is a great tool when doing a resto or trying to get 50 year old nuts undone.



Wear and tear and rotten bushes.



Once that was done, I could at last do the rust converter on the prop shaft, diff and rear axle and trailing arms. These will all get painted black, like the rest of the underside of the truck.

I am in two minds about the lowered springs, the red Iput on them is looking worse for wear, being rattle can red, so do I paint them red Hammerite or black??



While I had the rust converter on the go, I did the under bed toolbox as well, next stop is paint and making a simple flat bar frame for it.



In the mean time the weather got worse, wind and rain pumping away, so I called it a night, but thoroughly pleased I had got a couple of hours in the garage with the truck.

[Palf70Step]

Glad you got some time for the truck Rian. I would say considering your climate, to go ahead and repaint the springs before they get buried more.
The purple, red and black make an interesting combination so far on that chassis.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Glad you got some time for the truck Rian. I would say considering your climate, to go ahead and repaint the springs before they get buried more.
The purple, red and black make an interesting combination so far on that chassis.

Thanks for the reply Bill,

The purple is just the Vactan, rust converter still being wet, along with the lights above that looks interesting, almost like an ultraviolet light.

It will be only black and red for the details.

[Palf70Step]

It is interesting as it dries though

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

It is interesting as it dries though

When it eventually dries in winter you mean Bill.


Not much done today. House and family time with Nicola.

Martin called this morning early to tell me I had the Panhard rod wrong and needed to get my nuts wrenched again.

Aaaarrgghhh...!!

Rather now than later.

So, what did I do wrong? When I fitted it, I looked at some pics on other build threads and did what I saw. So the adjustment end was fitted to the stud on the pumpkin. And the fixed end into the chassis end bracket. Of course to adjust it all, you need to be able to drop the adjustment end and twist it in or out to make longer or shorter, so if it were fixed to the pumpkin you could not do that, but as a drop down, easy.

This is what I did yesterday and corrected today.




The rust converter I painted last night on the chassis etc had not completely dried, so I could not paint the chassis and axle today, which meant little done.

I did manage to get the toolbox its first coat of enamel paint, and broke the one hinge on the lid. Hopefully that will not be a problem in the long run, but I may still find a small hinge to fit to it with some small nuts n bolts before fitting it under the truck.

Final color will be white inside and black outside.



Not a a lot done this weekend, but rain and cold tends to slow stuff down a bit.

Snow forecast for Thursday and Friday.

[Grizz1963]

Thought I had to post this up.

I love a lot of random stuff, from classics to RatRods

A mate in South Africa posted this in my trucks build thread and I loved what I saw.

In the style it is built, the builder IMHO has struck the balance just right.

Why go Willys when you can go Land Cruiser?

We know how badly they rust away.

Anyway........







And on the road.......



He also builds Teardrop trailers.

Here is his Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/AllersRodsAndCustoms

More of what comes out of his creative pen.



These may not be to everyone's taste, but it is great to see some good solid creativity come from South African builders.

The Internet has again helped in my education.

[Grizz1963]

Well, today was my birthday, and thank you to all who commented, called, texted and did Facebook entries.

You all made my day even more special.

Nicola cut me loose to spend most of the day in the garage with mate Martin who came over to visit and play in the garage.

After Martin left we went out for dinner and to watch the new Quentin Tarantino movie "The Hatefull Eight"

So, back to the garage.

Plan was to reassemble as much of the front end as possible between the two of us.

Notice trolley out...... Axle stands in and chassis pulled forward in garage.



Of course I do not feature in the pics I take......

The drums are on, and there are new brake cylinders fitted. I have new hoses and will be fitting new brake pipes everywhere. But currently the inner drums are empty.

New parts are good.



Waiting for the brake drum rebuild kits to get here from the USA.

Ta2Don bought and posted them for us three weeks ago, then a week later the U.S. Postal Service returned the parcel as undeliverable to him........ So now we have a delay.





Good pic for Front End Friday submission.



While Martin was tightening drop link bolts I made him a 12mm thick copy of the spacer that came with my idler arm..... Thank goodness I saw some nice thick steel at the yard last week. So now he can hopefully get his set up right too.



We actually ran into a problem at this point, after we fitted the wheels to the hubs. Nice feeling though. But a long way to go.

I will do a separate entry on the issue.

[flashed]

Those are just plain COOL .

[ibrown50]

That Land Cruiser is just awesome it's like Mad Max meets hotrod

[[JP]]

looking good!!! just a thought on those bolts being a certain way round.. does it have anything to do with once the whole truck is put together and you want to take that part out the bolts have to be a certain way to it doesnt catch on some other part and wont come off?

I recall on my old land rover 90, I was taking something apart and had to cut the bolts off because the previous owner had put it the wrong way. the nuts should have come off and then slid the bolt the way there was space to do so....

[Palf70Step]

Those look great!

[65sub]

I really like the Land Cruiser. He's very creative

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

Those are just plain COOL .

Agreed

Originally Posted by ibrown50

That Land Cruiser is just awesome it's like Mad Max meets hotrod

Land Cruiser is my choice too.

Originally Posted by [JP]

looking good!!! just a thought on those bolts being a certain way round.. does it have anything to do with once the whole truck is put together and you want to take that part out the bolts have to be a certain way to it doesnt catch on some other part and wont come off?

I recall on my old land rover 90, I was taking something apart and had to cut the bolts off because the previous owner had put it the wrong way. the nuts should have come off and then slid the bolt the way there was space to do so....

I guess it can be either way, but I prefer to put is back as it was.

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Those look great!

I like different stuff.

Originally Posted by 65sub

I really like the Land Cruiser. He's very creative

So a bit like you then

That's why I like his work.

[Grizz1963]

Got a PM on Garage Journal from a member with zero posts but registered in 2009 last week.

This week he messaged again, I had forgotten about the PM as I am a bit preoccupied with finding a new job.

Still, I called him to discuss the offer he had put.

He had a bunch of duplicate and unneeded plates in his collection to offer me, and was looking for some South African plates.

So I found him some nice varied plates from my vintage pile. And sent them off.

He has will be sending me these........



Yup, very happy and feel privileged.

It seems winter is here....

Saw gritters everywhere on the road today. Got home, planned to go work in the garage but the wind was pumping, and the temperature had dropped to a level where paint would not dry well.



So on to "Plan B"

Nicola was going out with friends for dinner.

And when the cat is away....... This mouse will play. As Paul NevEno says, the house is hers and the shop is mine.

So I brought in some bits to paint.



Job done, first coat on.



Little by little.

[flashed]

I dont see anything being painted in the house ,just being stored so it will stay warm. When I was restoring my truck it had quite a bit of inhouse storage .

[Ta2Don]

Niclola will understand mate!!!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Niclola will understand mate!!!

She came in a few minutes ago and a friend had just popped in to drop off some tyres he owed me, on his way to work, he starts at 00.50 on the underground.

So a pair of tyres on the floor plus the painted parts,,,,,,

Not word said.

[clemdaddy]

good to see the activity at your shop… like the red tool box and springs. the additions to your plate collection are fantastic, pretty soon you will have enough they will become siding for the interior of your shop though not very good insulation for this time of year at least very interesting.

good luck with the job search…

yesterday, we had a powerball lottery that reached 1 1/2 billion dollars and i bought 5 tickets… had i WON both you and Martin would be in the USA and both would be building trucks and enjoying the good life. Oh Well, will keep trying...