Fashionable Fever! - 1969 Chevy C10 Build

[Kronald_70GMC]

Good stuff. Get cracking!

[ryans69chevy]

It's been quite awhile since I've worked on this pickup. I've spent the last few years remodeling my house. Took many evenings, weekends, and money, but it's mostly done. I'll wait until it's cold out to get the final touches done.

Spent last Saturday cleaning out my garage from all the saw dust and putting everything back in there. I finally hooked up my new air compressor so now I can buy a few more tools to help with the pickup.

Last couple days have been spent trying to figure out where I left off on this cab. Tonight I hung my front fender to check my rocker panel gapping. I thought the gap between the door and rocker was too big (measured 5/16") but after hanging the fender it seems everything lined up well. I'll probably ponder it a few more days to see if I can close it up tighter, but after looking at the door and everything else I dont believe I can move anything to make the gap less.

Still have to figure out how I'm going to get my inner rocker panel back in. I cut it out when I was last working on it a few years ago. The only thing I can think of why I cut it out was my outer rocker won't fit with the inner installed. Gotta figure out how to put the inner back in without cutting it up too much more.

[ryans69chevy]

Shoot, forgot all about the pictures being rotated. My apologies. I'll have to remember to turn my phone sideways when snapping them. I believe the home button needs to be to the right?

[Kronald_70GMC]

Ive been wondering what happened with your build. Glad to see your back at it. Mine is also taking a long time but I'm getting to some more interesting and fun fabrication. Good luck with your inner rocker fitment. And yes home button on the right for pictures.

[LT7A]

This is my first time seeing your thread, and reading it through, it was easy to see your skills and resourcefulness develop as time went on. It's going to be a great truck. Good work getting so much done on your house. That value will always be there.

[ryans69chevy]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Ive been wondering what happened with your build. Glad to see your back at it. Mine is also taking a long time but I'm getting to some more interesting and fun fabrication. Good luck with your inner rocker fitment. And yes home button on the right for pictures.

Thanks man! I've just been lurking the last few years. Had to stay focused on getting my house projects done. I checked your build periodically to see when you were going to get that cab primered. It looks great!

Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get back in the swing of things on this pickup. Just trying to figure out where I left off. I'd love to get my cab to the same point you are at. I also would like to get my frame set on a set of wheels so its a little safer (its sitting on jack stands, set on tire dollies).

[ryans69chevy]

Originally Posted by LT7A

This is my first time seeing your thread, and reading it through, it was easy to see your skills and resourcefulness develop as time went on. It's going to be a great truck. Good work getting so much done on your house. That value will always be there.

Appreciate the words. It feels great to get my house to this point. It also is nice to be walking on carpet. Most of the house was plank flooring. Grew up with carpet. Also the lack of sheetrock dust is a nice change.

[ryans69chevy]

Been working on the windshield wiper/washer pump motor mount for a few days. After removing the mount found it was alot worse than I thought.

[ryans69chevy]

Had to cut out the whole back of the mount and a little bit of the side that was very pitted/rusted. Just waiting for the primer to dry so I can weld it back in the cab.

[ryans69chevy]

Bit the bullet and bought one of these. Thing works wonders in tight spaces. It also does a nice job on cleaning up the welds.

[ryans69chevy]

1st pic shows all the rust/pitted metal from the motor mount that I had to remove.

2nd pic shows the passenger kick panel vent cut out and filled. Still have to finish welding it in. Lots of light coming in from the top through all those rust holes...

[ryans69chevy]

While I was waiting on the welds to cool on the passenger kick panel vent, I was looking at where the cowl/cab meets the firewall. The metal has a 90* bend and meets the firewall and is spot welded together. There is multiple spots along this joint that is pretty rusted out.

The only thing I can think of is to cut this metal out and put new in after cleaning the rust out.

Anyone ever done this? I have a feeling once I cut out the 90* bend, the firewall metal will be so bad, I'll have to cut all that out as well. I see a couple holes all the way through the firewall into the cab on the drivers side roughly above the fuse block.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Those little 90° grinders are awesome. That's a good purchase you won't regret any time soon! As for your rust problems, what you could do is take some sheet metal and put the 90° brake in it, then if you have access to one, a metal shrinker/stretcher on the bent lip will be able to produce the same rounded shape. That is what I did with mine where I cut out and reshaped the fan blower area. Good luck on the repairs! I know you will get them right

[ryans69chevy]

Kyle, didn't even know that tool existed. That is cool! Thanks, now I'll have to start saving my pennies for that. That would have came in handy a few times already. Should make the repair way easier instead of making many slices to be able to bend by hand.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by ryans69chevy

Kyle, didn't even know that tool existed. That is cool! Thanks, now I'll have to start saving my pennies for that. That would have came in handy a few times already. Should make the repair way easier instead of making many slices to be able to bend by hand.

Glad I could help you spend your money.

[ryans69chevy]

Got the passenger kick panel vent cleaned up

[ryans69chevy]

Made some progress over the holiday. Took awhile to make the metal fit when it had so many awkward bends. Wanted to get them as tight as possible. Got it all welded up. Just need to grind the welds down.

[ryans69chevy]

I picked up a shrinker/stretcher from harbor freight this weekend and tried to make my first piece where the cab/cowl meets the firewall. I couldn't get it to stretch/bend more than what you see in the photo. Not sure if this tool can make these extreme bends or if I'm just using the tool wrong.

Anyone else have this issue? I'm trying to brainstorm on what else I could do to repair this whole area along my firewall. The metal is pretty much shot the whole way across or else I would probably just reuse it.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Did you make multiple passes with the stretcher or just one?

[ryans69chevy]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Did you make multiple passes with the stretcher or just one?

I did about 10 passes. Its kind of a bugger. I'm using 19 gauge, so its not maxed out. The handle feels like it should go more than what I'm doing. Maybe I need to find a new way to mount it and crank on it. A bit annoying how they tapped the holes for M10x1.5. I guess I'm use to SAE stuff. I only had 3/8" bolts in my garage, so I didn't go too hard on the handle.

I saw a video on YouTube with a guy using harbor freight combo only he had a foot pedal hooked up to it, but he got a 90* out of the metal. It had a larger radius than what I need. Still not sure if I will be able to get that tight of a 90*.

[OneOffStroker]

I have the HF shrinker/stretcher, and I can assure you it can get that piece bent to the shape you need. You will need to mount it, or at the very least, clamp it in a vise so that you can work it a bit harder.

you will need to continue going a little past the marks you made to really bring out the right shape.

Finally, do a search on youtube about 'tuning up' a shrinker/stretcher. This involves some light sanding to the sides of the little jaws as well as oiling so that they glide on each other better. Make a difference for sure. I use my HF shrinker/stretcher all the time and it works quite good. I did make a mount and foot pedal for mine, so it's even easier to use now.

[ryans69chevy]

Originally Posted by OneOffStroker

I have the HF shrinker/stretcher, and I can assure you it can get that piece bent to the shape you need. You will need to mount it, or at the very least, clamp it in a vise so that you can work it a bit harder.

you will need to continue going a little past the marks you made to really bring out the right shape.

Finally, do a search on youtube about 'tuning up' a shrinker/stretcher. This involves some light sanding to the sides of the little jaws as well as oiling so that they glide on each other better. Make a difference for sure. I use my HF shrinker/stretcher all the time and it works quite good. I did make a mount and foot pedal for mine, so it's even easier to use now.

Appreciate the help. If you get a chance, you should post a picture of your foot pedal setup. I could see building that being worthwhile. I will figure out something to mount these to and give it another try.

[ryans69chevy]

Finally started cutting out where the cab cowl meets the firewall. Started on the passenger side. Its taking me awhile. Trying to cut out enough to make it worth mixing up some epoxy while not cutting too much out that the panel shifts. Looking at what I cut out, looks like I'm going to have to weld in new metal for a good majority of the firewall seam.

I bought some Nason "Ful-Poxy". Just going to brush it on in these areas since it won't be seen.

[OneOffStroker]

Originally Posted by ryans69chevy

Appreciate the help. If you get a chance, you should post a picture of your foot pedal setup. I could see building that being worthwhile. I will figure out something to mount these to and give it another try.

Sorry it took me so long to respond. Been out of town.

I had some old 3" angle iron out back, so I cut it into a pretty simple little contraption that stands on the floor and has an arm that mounts into my bench vise. This was the best mix of portable/stowable as well as using the least amount of raw material to make. Foot pedal is pretty simple, and goes to a small bar with a little 'flag' mounted to it. pedal to arm is just a piece of 1/2" EMT conduit smashed on either end. Like I said, it's all made from whatever scrap worked out best. It takes about 1 minute to swap from shrinker to stretcher using the two bolts underneath and the allen screw that holds in the arm rod.

[Palf70Step]

Good to see you getting back to the ole dude again. Work is coming out very nice.