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

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

the way i do the backup light is to use a tractor headlight and mount it on a rear crossmember. i then wire it to a single pole light switch that is mounted in the choke hole of the dash. if you have an electric choke on your engine then you have the empty hole in the dash to fill anyway.

this makes the backup light operate manually which can serve as a work light behind the truck and gives plenty of light for backing up.

tractor headlights are available from most parts stores and still look period correct for our trucks. black metal case with 4 or 5 inch round seal beam lamp.

just a thought… but it is kind of a hillbilly solution.

Hillbilly, but great idea Clem.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by DakotaKid

i used that Cunifer stuff on my truck when i just redid all of the brake lines. Awesome stuff to work with. much easier than the steel.

That is what I got.

However........ Check out the update when I get to it.

Not a progress update either.

[[JP]]

I've been checking my wiring diagrams, dont seem to find one wire that indicates to be reversing light.
i guess mine didnt have reverse light

[Grizz1963]

So I came home with the fittings, all excited.

Then, as I am neurotic and not too clever, I thought I would check if they fitted the hoses and fittings on the truck.

Nope........



Drove back down to the shop to collect one fitting that was out of stock when I got the rest.

Gaz, his usual helpful friendly self saw the problem, grabbed them and disappeared for about 10 minutes. Came back smiling and sent me On my way. Now they were cut back and ready for action.



Cut some pipe off my roll to use as a practice sample, once I figured out how to read the instructions.

Using Paul's lovely tool to make the should be a doddle.






My first practice flare....... PERFECT even if I have to say that.

First step........



Then the second punch and out she came.....



Thought I would do a few more practice runs.

OOOOOOOOOPPPPPPSSSS....... !!!

I ended up doing at least 12 more practice runs, all failing to achieve the "perfection"of number one.






Back to the drawing board. Or is it workbench today.

[Grizz1963]

Just been down to Aghabridge, they have the same tool that I am using.

Two of the guys took me and gave me a tutorial on how they do the pipes for customers.

Not much different to what I was doing, except advice to centre each punch before pulling and to ensure pipe is square to front of grip dies.

[Ta2Don]

The joys of building old trucks!!!

Cheers Mate! You will nail it!!!

[dwcardfan]

Don't just buy it. Build it!!! Nice work.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

The joys of building old trucks!!!

Cheers Mate! You will nail it!!!

You know it then Don !!!

And yet we keep going back.

Originally Posted by dwcardfan

Don't just buy it. Build it!!! Nice work.

Indeed Donny, indeed.

Even making up the brake lines, I could take the samples down to Aghabridge and they would reproduce the lot in under an hour at a reasonable rate.

But it feels so much better learning the tricks of the tools and this pipe.

[Grizz1963]

Well, after much faffing about and trying all sorts of ways (about 20 samples) to get this to work, Paul the owner suggested I do the two punches fast, rather than the cautious slow way I had been doing it all along.
That seems to have worked as the flares came together.

So the culprit was this lovely soft Kunifer pipe. Easy to work with.



Lovely bendy pipe.

Keep in mind that you need to thread the nuts on facing the right way or else you have to cut off the flare and start again.



The result left me happy for sure.

This nut fits the master cylinder serving the rear brake line and was the only one I could not find a replacement for, fortunately it was in really good condition and could get reused.



Next up was threading the original through the chassis as a sample of the bends.

The original pipe had a join around about at the rear of the cab. I chose to delete it, as Martin and I worked out that it must have been the option of the long and short Chevy bodies where the factory could screw on the rear half depending on what they built.

I had to put a bend in it where it joins the flexi hose at the chassis to feed over the rear axle, at which point for some reason the pipes change to a 3/16" size from the 1/4" the rest of the system employs.

No idea why the difference.



Just finger tightened, this allowed me to bend the line to the various contours coming to the front.



Up front I used a straight joiner and a bend to join to the pipe that runs over the cross member or under the sump.



The other thing I did was to keep an extra 500mm to create a spiral once I do the front brake lines as well.




Tomorrow I will spend the day out with Nicola.

Hope to finish the pipes over the weekend.

[ibrown50]

Nice neat job, I knew you'd get there

[flashed]

I love watching you work ,you actually get things done .Seems like all I do anymore is cut firewood and make messes .

[Palf70Step]

Very, very nice my friend. Looks like you been doing it for years!

[60chevyjim]

your doing a great job making the brake lines .
I never seen a tool like the one your using.
and I didn't know you can buy the line in a roll .
I have a old fashion double flaring tool but it works great .

[65sub]

Nice job Rian. Another skill mastered.

[clemdaddy]

right out of the box… another skill mastered. looks good sir...

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

right out of the box… another skill mastered. looks good sir...

X2!

Great work mate!!!

[DakotaKid]

I used a Regular flaring too not that nice one from eastwood for mine, I never really had any issues with the flares. Always wanted to try that flaring tool though, with the dies. Maybe that kind works better with Steel.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

I love watching you work ,you actually get things done .Seems like all I do anymore is cut firewood and make messes .

Thank you buddy, I think most people just do the work, and don't talk a lot about it, for me this is a record to refer to in future.

Originally Posted by ibrown50

Nice neat job, I knew you'd get there

Thanks Ian, this truck certainly is a team effort, with everyone helping.

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Very, very nice my friend. Looks like you been doing it for years!

I had to laugh at your comment..... After about 20 practice flares, I am glad I got it right. Headed out to the garage in a bit to do the fronts and then the skinny rear pipes.

Originally Posted by 60chevyjim

your doing a great job making the brake lines .
I never seen a tool like the one your using.
and I didn't know you can buy the line in a roll .
I have a old fashion double flaring tool but it works great .

Sent you a link to the eBay item. They are expensive, but seem to be worth it.

Originally Posted by 65sub

Nice job Rian. Another skill mastered.

I did grin a bit at your comment.

This truck is certainly teaching me a lot of new stuff.

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

right out of the box… another skill mastered. looks good sir...

Thanks Clem. Replied to your PM.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

X2!

Great work mate!!!

Thank you Don.

Originally Posted by DakotaKid

I used a Regular flaring too not that nice one from eastwood for mine, I never really had any issues with the flares. Always wanted to try that flaring tool though, with the dies. Maybe that kind works better with Steel.

The pipe I sue is real soft. Never worked with steel, but guess it is not easy.

[Grizz1963]

Copied and pasted from a thread I started in the general section as I know we all read differently.


I have searched under Two Tone, but cannot isolate pics of dashboards done in two tone.

I did manage to find two in the Two Tone truck tread.

Right........


I plan on painting my truck Two Tone in red and white when the paint gets done.

A lot like this gorgeous truck below.



With my Red Rallye wheels and either a whitewall or black wall tyre, not written on.

These are my actual wheels, waiting for new tyres when I am ready to fit them.



I saw these inbetween size white walls on an Australian trucks build thread today and have maybe seen them once or twice on cars and trucks in the past.

So unlike the skinny whitewall tyres I had on the truck before, or full wall whites, these are different, which I like.



BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION..........

Does anyone have photos of a two tone dash with BLACK on the top where these have white?





Mate Martin did his yellow dash in satin black and it looked awesome, but I would like to see more examples of possible.

Thank you as always.

[Hammered 77]

Rian you can take this photo over to the Photoshop section and they can work their magic and make it any color you like.

Rick

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Hammered 77

Rian you can take this photo over to the Photoshop section and they can work their magic and make it any color you like.

Rick

Aaaaaahhhh. Thank you Rick !!

I was not aware of it.

Great idea.

[flashed]

I like that truck pictured above and I like your plans for yours .

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by flashed

I like that truck pictured above and I like your plans for yours .

Me. Too mate, but it could change at any time.

Great day out in Royal Tunbridge Wells with Nicola yesterday.

Today I took the most leisurely approach to the day. I had a very good old friend who suddenly found himself redundant after 11 years with a company this week, pop around to drop off some stainless steel braces from a building he had demolished, possibly to be used in the load bed as supports. He also brought me some cans of cavity foam and most importantly a load of these brackets. He stayed for quite a few hours which was great.
Usually used as corners to build temporary frameworks when doing asbestos removals, he thought I could use a bunch of them to build an outside spray booth framework.

They have been stashed away for future use.



At this point Nicola came home with the shopping and it had become the afternoon, she brought home fresh jam donuts, and fresh Tiger bread, so my friend and I climbed into that before he left around 2pm.

So I went back down to the garage to make up the 1/4" front brake pipes and then the 3/16" rear pieces.

The more you do, the easier it gets.



After this I went back indoors to write up a photoshop thread on various forums and then back to the garage.

Then had to start the bending, and copying the old brake pipes.

I am very pleased with the way it has come out.





Looking down from the top, so much better than the units removed.




Outside the cold and darkness around the garage door side chased me indoors, so I will finish off the front lines in the morning.

[Palf70Step]

Again, good job Rian. Looks like your ready to start your own bendy business.

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Again, good job Rian. Looks like your ready to start your own bendy business.

X2!!! I only hope I do nearly that good when I get around to plumbing mine...

[flashed]

Looks good ,now tell me what Tiger Bread is ,never heard of it .