My 57 Pro Street

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

I posted about that in my build thread. I could not figure out how every 55-59 I saw with the fenders off was beat in that area. My fenders had never been off and one side was hammered a little the other quite a bit. I read somewhere that the inside stamping was drawn and tooled wrong, someone had not taken into consideration interference with the fender brace (or it may have been beefed up during design). Rather than retool they just issued the fender install guys on the line a 2# adjustment tool. So if yours is beat, don't work to hard making it pretty because you will probably just get to pound down your new paint again. Look close at my cab photos and you will see the dents still there on mine.

Now that you mention it mine had those same dents, I just thought it must have be from an accident at some point in it's life. Sorry Kim for jumping in on your thread!

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

Now that you mention it mine had those same dents, I just thought it must have be from an accident at some point in it's life. Sorry Kim for jumping in on your thread!

It's OK. The info is welcome.
Kim

[chevyrestoguy]

Kim-
I'm going throught the same thing right now with aligning my doors. I thought my situation was unique. I had considered cutting my cage nuts loose on my upperhinges and relocating them more outboard so the top of the door could move outward and get the door's front edge and cowl more aligned. But, that would cause issues on everything forward of that gap. The fenders and the hood wouldn't line up, and you'd wind up having to add metal at all of your gaps in order to close them up. I'm an probably going to align the doors as best as possible, and then do bodywork to make everything look right. I did a shop tour at Boyd's years ago when he was in the old shop, and they were working on Cadzilla for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. They got the doors as best they could by aligning and then closing up the gaps with sheet metal and welding rods, then they did a 36" sweep of filler from top to bottom at all of the door gaps and blocked the area until the gaps were consistent and the panel intersections were flat and even. I'm a stickler about panel gaps, and that amount of work that they did gave me a real appreciation of what it takes to make it look right.

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

Kim-
I'm going throught the same thing right now with aligning my doors. I thought my situation was unique. I had considered cutting my cage nuts loose on my upperhinges and relocating them more outboard so the top of the door could move outward and get the door's front edge and cowl more aligned. But, that would cause issues on everything forward of that gap. The fenders and the hood wouldn't line up, and you'd wind up having to add metal at all of your gaps in order to close them up. I'm an probably going to align the doors as best as possible, and then do bodywork to make everything look right. I did a shop tour at Boyd's years ago when he was in the old shop, and they were working on Cadzilla for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. They got the doors as best they could by aligning and then closing up the gaps with sheet metal and welding rods, then they did a 36" sweep of filler from top to bottom at all of the door gaps and blocked the area until the gaps were consistent and the panel intersections were flat and even. I'm a stickler about panel gaps, and that amount of work that they did gave me a real appreciation of what it takes to make it look right.

I was talking to a body guy that took over one of the buildings that Boyd was in after he died (he's doing my brothers truck). He told me that these old vehicles are like that. Some things fit nice and some are way off. My passenger side is way better than the driver side. I took some measurements this weekend and it looks like the cowl was installed almost a 1/4" low on the driver side. I'm thinking about cutting it where it is supposed to line up with the fender and raising it. It's either that or lots of body filler in that area which is what was there when I bought it. The driver door is also wider at the top than the passenger opening. I guess the guy on that side was having a bad day.
Kim

[Fat Mike]

Can you show a picture of the graft of your subframe up close and the rear part of your cab. It looks like you shaved it. My rear cab is alittle beat up and I like the idea.

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by Fat Mike

Can you show a picture of the graft of your subframe up close and the rear part of your cab. It looks like you shaved it. My rear cab is alittle beat up and I like the idea.

Hope these help. If you need any more just ask.
I used 16 gauge on the back of the cab.
Kim

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by Kim57

I guess the guy on that side was having a bad day.
Kim

Monday morning assembly vehicle...

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Here is a little inspiration for your 57 Kim!
Yep... I finally found a video clip of the Beast.

YouTube- RON SMITH INSANE 1956 CHEVY Two 671...

1956 Chevy Truck - Double-Stacked Lightnin'
http://sporttruck.automotive.com/920...uck/index.html

[FRENCHBLUE72]

I have seen this truck at the portland roadster show and it is awesome for sure..

[Kim57]

That's a very cool truck.
Kim

[Kim57]

Made a little progress on getting the brackets for the brakes mounted.
The pics are pretty self explanatory.
I cut the original mount for the pedal off.
I'm using 3/4"x1/2" DOM going through the frame to mount them.
I still have to weld everything in but it's raining and I don't like to weld with bad weather.
Kim

[Kim57]

Here are a few more pics.
Sorry the last one is a bit blurry. You can see the access hole I had to cut in the cab mount to be adle to get the bolt in.
Kim

[Tri5Nerd]

Good job Kim, keep us posted with your progress.

Tri5

[Fat Mike]

Thank you for posting these pictures! You have convinced me to purchase 78 chevy truck with a 350 combo and hydobrake set up on it. Really nice build.

[nickp51chevy]

'78???

[CAL 58 GMC]

Nice job Kim!

[Kim57]

Thanks for the compliments guys.
Kim

Originally Posted by nickp51chevy

'78???

I believe he is using as a doner truck for the running gear and brakes.
It has a hydroboost system on it.
Kim

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by Kim57

I still have to weld everything in but it's raining and I don't like to weld with bad weather.
Kim

Hey Kim, yeah, isn't the weather here just wonderful. I've been having the same problem..... I do all my plasma-ing outside and every time I get ready to cut something it starts pouring! Damn the weather, at least it should clear up for weekend!

[Kabwe]

Great job Kim.

[nuke1]

looks great!

[my67chevytruck]

great progress Kim, keep at it...

[Kim57]

Got a little more done on the brakes.
Welded the DOM in and mounted the power booster to see how it fit.
I still have to figure out the length of the tube that will conect the pedal to the booster.
Kim

[jjjmm56]

Can I ask why you mounted your booster back so far, and is that a power brake booster or just a master cyl?

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by jjjmm56

Can I ask why you mounted your booster back so far, and is that a power brake booster or just a master cyl?

It's a hydroboost unit.
I mounted it there for ease of maintenance. It sits just in back of where the cab ends. My bed is going to tilt so it will be easy to get to.
Kim

[nickp51chevy]

Kim that'a a sweet set up your doing for your brakes, and the tilt bed; awesome!