Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Dan in Pasadena]

I think you guys might like to see these photos. It's a GMC with a Chevy clip. Mike says the owner (someone here?) has had it many years and Mike's shop has done lots of work to it. It's a small block. I don't know what trans. It has some kind of wide 10 bolt rearend because those rear wheels are 275/35/18's and you can see they have rubbed even though the bed is mildly tubbed. Anyway, enjoy. Gold metallic isn't my taste but it really is a very pretty truck. Big kudos to the owner, whoever he is.

[lowdownstar]

good looking ride...

[oldman3]

Very nice ride...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Wow, bright and beautiful!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks guys. The gold is growing on me!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Friday, April 14, 2017

Picked up parts from sandblasting/powdercoating today. I delivered the inner fenders and hood latch panel to the body shop. I didn't unwrap them so sorry, no photos. But they looked GREAT considering how crusty the wheel well side of the inner fenders looked before. The original owner had put some kind of undercoat on them, it partially fell off over the years and rusted heavily below. I thought there might be some cancer holes after blasting but no, they came out clean as a whistle. Old heavy gauge metal made the difference.

I also had the seat tracks, window regulators, hood hinges, fender strut rods and hood latch done. The regulators and seat tracks were only blasted. I worried the coating might interfere with them sliding so I painted them silver. I had some ancient silver VHT but it worked fine. Has a lot of metallic but dried nearly flat. I'm still not sure the seat sliders should stay stock silver or if i should paint them black? Depends on whether I use light or dark carpet I suppose.

Pic's:







I assume the flat marks you see below are the factory clinching of the rivet that I THINK holds the plastic rollers on. Does anyone know if you can just pull them out with pliers or are more intense measures required - torch? I hope not!


FYI: Found a DIY window roller replacement video online: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xF1rok1yN9s

[G&R's57GMC]

Coming along nicely

Good tip on roller replacement .

Just wondering , had you thought of going with power window regulators ?

[bobinbc]

If the cranks shafts aren't wobbly in your regulators then roller replacement is the way to go = cheap. Great video from Danchuk!

[Russell Ashley]

Are the rollers still available? Surprisingly, I didn't need the rollers but I had to replace my regulators because the teeth on the shafts were worn on the ends from PO's trying to keep using worn out handles. I said surprisingly because everything else inside of the doors was worn or damaged.

Good video. I wouldn't have thought about using the ball peen hammer to set the end of the shaft like that.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Definitely not going power windows. I've read too many threads saying the conversion kits are not reliable and of poor quality. Besides, I like the old-timey-ness of crank up windows and i will have vent windows and modern AC!

No, my window cranks are not wobbly at all. But I don't know how I should best lube them? I'm tempted to use dry graphite in enclosed part surrounding the shaft of the crank because it wouldnt be too hard to get in there. But I think something like white molybdenum grease would do a better job, I just can't think how to get it into that little housing!

Anyway, my inner fenders are already being massaged where Mike welded some small holes shut. Marcos said he'll paint them this week and I SHOULD be able to deliver the chassis to him by Thursday or Friday this week. That means the cab and front clip should be mounted on the chassis by about 4/26 or 27. If that happens then the truck can be returned to Mike for finalizing the build while the bed parts are final painted.





I took a quick shot of the painted hood but it is out of focus - sorry.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Stopped by the bodyshop today to verify what date they can receive my chassis? Monday the 24th is the date. The marriage of cab, front clip and chassis will then happen and I'm hoping it'll be ready to go to the shop for wiring, start-up, etc by the end of the week or the 28th (fingers crossed).

Marcos; the painter, didn't know I was stopping by today but was still color sanding & polishing the cowl, dash top and back wall of the cab. I'm REALLY pleased he does the right thing even if no one will see.




Different subject entirely: Rims. I've been looking at every dark colored Task Force I can find online to narrow down which I want. I decided on 17's (though Mike was kinda pressing for 18's) I'd given up on 5 spoke Budniks or Boyds because they are just too expensive. It would be easy to spend $1500-$2000 just for rims, no tires- no way! I'd decided I'll be happy with Coy C5's or possibly Torq Thrust II's

BUT THEN..... my nephew found an ad on OfferUp for a set of Boyd's 17's that are filthy and neglected for $350 obo. Seller claimed they were on a parts car Camaro he bought, didn't know how wide or the backspace on them. Plus, they were 6 hours+ from me but only 1 hr away from him. Nephew bought them for $300 for me yesterday. Said he took his life in his hands because 3 bearded, heavily tattooed (even on their faces and necks) 20-something bikers living in the middle of nowhere greeted him. Says he nearly just scrammed outta there, but it went ok. He says they're not bent but one has some repairable damage on the inside bead - but they still hold air. At only this price I feel like I stole them and I can afford to have them professionally repaired and re-polished. I'm REALLY pleased about this.

"Before" condition:


What they'll look like "After":


...and if i decide i don't like/want them i can flip them without losing money

[bowt1ed]

Hey Dan, are those Junk Yard Dogs? What width? Nice

Cheers, Jim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Jim,
They're Coddington's Smoothies. But I know there are the original design Smoothies, Smoothie II's and III's too. I havent seen them enough to know but I assume they're the original design. My nephew says all four are 8" wide.

[bowt1ed]

Thanks

[Flysocal]

Nice score on the wheels. I like the deep dish I really hope they fit nicely. I had to order specific custom back spacing etc to get a good fit so if they do fit right I will be surprised and happy for you. I must say this is a big dollar build and everything looks outstanding. Wheels are like the cherry on your sundae or the spray of cologne before you go on a hot date. Get the ones you like best, don't try and be cheap on wheels at this point.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Flysocal

Nice score on the wheels. I like the deep dish I really hope they fit nicely. I had to order specific custom back spacing etc to get a good fit so if they do fit right I will be surprised and happy for you. I must say this is a big dollar build and everything looks outstanding. Wheels are like the cherry on your sundae or the spray of cologne before you go on a hot date. Get the ones you like best, don't try and be cheap on wheels at this point.

UGH, yeah I know you're right. The Smoothies aren't a compromise for me. I like the design. I'd just decided I couldn't afford billets like Billet Specialties Legacys.
The only compromise MAY be their width in back. I'd planned on trying to fit 9's or 9.5's. I didn't think I could get 10's back there without rubbing and I don't want tubs anyway.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Friday, April 21, 2017

Inner fenders final painted. Front fenders getting bedliner inside tomorrow. Chassis to bodyshop Monday.

I need a front sheet metal bolt kit asap. The Car & Truck Shop has one and its stainless but they're hex head bolts and i want polished button head bolts for the inner-to-outer fender connection you see when the hood is open. Anyone know if someone sells a kit with those already included?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, so I've been doing some searching. I don't know the sizes, lengths, or quantities of all the bolts I'll need so I'm debating buying the Truck Shop kit and using that as a sort of bill of materials before returning it, OR I could keep it and use it except for the top hex bolts that will show with the hood open. Of course I'd prefer using all stainless so i won't have rusty bolts anywhere again.

http://www.truckandcarshop.com/trucks47_59/t47_072.html

I'd have to buy:
"Front Fender Bolt Kit" p/n 55-06504 (stainless)
"Front Sheet Metal Fastener Kit" p/n 55-06506 (says "basic" so I assume NOT stainless) and
"Hood Latch Catch and Brace Kit" p/n 55-067025 (doesn't say stainless so I assume it's not.

This comes to $69 but it's not the cost so much as the waste and also that even though I bought the Assembly Manual I don't find it all that instructive for which exact bolt goes where. Any/all advice from those that have done this is appreciated.

[ChuckDriver]

Dan, you should be able to buy just the ones you need at Lowe's or Ace Hardware, etc...

I cant tell you exactly how many you need or what lengths but if you have all of the original ones you can just match them.

[Techie79]

Dan, I was just looking at bolt kits last night myself and came across this. It looks like their kits have everything for the cab and front sheet metal including interior. Their prices are about the best I have found and it just makes things easier and replaces everything so no more rusty bolts

http://www.trucksusa.net/products.ph...&submit=Search

[Roadkill58]

https://www.boltdepot.com/Default.aspx


.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

Dan, you should be able to buy just the ones you need at Lowe's or Ace Hardware, etc...

I cant tell you exactly how many you need or what lengths but if you have all of the original ones you can just match them.

No, I don't have the originals. So many of them broke I couldn't have kept track of which piece went with which piece - so that eliminates using BoltDepot. There's a pretty decent specialty fastener place not too far from me called Bolt King which will have anything I need.

If I buy the Car & Truck Shop kits and opt to use them as a sort of Bill of Materials, I'll go to Bolt King and buy (hopefully) just the polished button head stainless bolts I need. I don't really have the time to wait for TrucksUSA to ship them to me- but thanks for the link. Their site doesn't indicate how long shipment takes and the chassis/cab will be mated Monday.

Thanks everyone for your advice/help. You guys are such a resource!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Sunday April 23, 2017

Good News: The front fenders have been sprayed with bedliner/undercoating. Came out very nice:







Bad news: Shipping the chassis to the bodyshop has to slip another week. No room in the shop til next "Friday or Saturday". Oh well.

[lowdownstar]

Looking great Dan!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks!
I've gotta pick up all those bolts kits this week, head to my local specialty bolt supplier for the polished button head inner/outer fender & latch panel replacements, and order the door weatherstrip from Steele Rubber - I keep reading theirs is THE best fitting.

Note:

Just posted a separate thread about Steele Rubber if anyone has experience, thanks!

Trying to chill out about getting done fast and focus on getting it done "right" - or at least right for me.