A different approach to a LWB to SWB conversion

[motorcritter]

I saw the HAMB build thread on the COE custom. You, sir, are a bonafide badass, of the highest order. Which reminds me, I need to get over to HAMB more often. Lotsa ideas, lotsa cool stuff.
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[Lou Boffa]

subbed. I'm always impressed at folks that can do this kind of work. Very cool.

[seth7843]

You da real MVP. Thanks for posting this and showing your process.

[65standard]

Back to the side marker lights.

I made a form at work to stamp the side marker light into the bedside. Then I tested it on a piece of painted scrap to see how it worked and what happens to the paint.

Here are the test results.



So then I did it on my truck. First marking the location and then cutting out most if the metal inside of the form to ease the operation. Then I bolted the form in position on the bed side.



Then slowly tighten each bolt little by little.



Until I bottomed out the form.



Then I removed the form, cleaned up the cut hole and installed the mounting clips.



Then installed the side marker light.



Looks completely factory to me.

[WarMonger]

You come up with some pretty cool ideas. Looks great.

[snj8198]

you know everyone here is going to want to borrow that form now to do their own.

that form will have it's own thread on who has it next just like the old "where's the chicken?" thread that lasted forever.

nice work

[flashed]

That is absolutely amazing ,you need to manufacture molds for repop parts .

[jocko]

that's some very nice work - very glad you decided to document it for us - thanks!

[9teen69]

Awesome technique, looks perfect

[BrianG]

I get excited when I'm able to weld two pieces of metal together without huge globs of weld to grind back off. I feel so rookie compared to your skills. Great amazing skills. If there were an award given for the innovation of the month/year, you would get my vote... or for fab skills, for original ideas, for.... you get the picture.

Moderator's we have a truck of the month vote contest... why not start one for best (current) fab work, or better yet, best (maybe most helpful) innovative idea of the month?

[tommys72]

Simply amazing! Looks like it was always there!! You sir, need a tv show...would get better ratings then any of the rest of them

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by tommys72

Simply amazing! Looks like it was always there!! You sir, need a tv show...would get better ratings then any of the rest of them

+1 this is A very cool thread. Glad to see the level of detail your going to. Awesome work!

[Ozzy2013]

Hats off to you Sir bar none the best ive seen .

[shawno72]

Holy moly. Nice work dude!!

[motorcritter]

Just when I think you've reached peak bad-ass-ism, you raise the bar! I've had a rather extensive educational experience, and I learned about brain-hemisphere integration and its influence on creativity. Your skills demonstrate a very high degree of that property. I'm not bad at that sort of thing, but I am a rank amateur in comparison. 'Outside the box'?- how about 'building a whole new box, and then thinking outside of that!'
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[bh86]

awesome

[Sqznby]

Amazing work.
Everything looks factory fresh.


Can I have it? Pleeease

[65standard]

Originally Posted by k5warwagon

65standard - Great work man. How did you line up the falling body lines at the back of the bed? Did I miss something?

The falling body line is not an issue since I removed the 12" at the very front and the 8" as close as I could at the rear. There is less than an inch to make the transition of the falling line. It faded away as the two parts were aligned back up.

Taking the cut out of the middle of the bedside like others you can see an interruption in the flow of that falling body line. Not in my case. I'll take a close up side rear shot to show you the flowing body line.

It is easy to work that last inch of body line the perfectly match the whole bed side.

I also finished up the left side marker light.

[mooseknuckles]

awesome work!

[1969_CM2590D]

Something I'd wish they'd made- a short bed 3/4 ton! A nice idea for pulling.

[67c10rustbuket]

Originally Posted by 65standard

Back to the side marker lights.

I made a form at work to stamp the side marker light into the bedside. Then I tested it on a piece of painted scrap to see how it worked and what happens to the paint.

Awesome... Can we get a few more shots of the forming dies? Take the halves apart and show the edges and what the bolts are threaded into please. Must have a smooth radius on the edges?

[Spray-Bomb]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

We know you're not, but there is one glaring detail you might not even be aware of...

The front edge of all 1967-72 shortbeds is "square." All 1968-72 longbeds have a radiused curve (1967 longbeds are square like the shortbeds).

Just thought I'd point that out, a lot of people don't know about that detail.

Amazing work. Great job!

Never knew this, good info

[jamie72]

very nice.. great work.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

Awesome... Can we get a few more shots of the forming dies? Take the halves apart and show the edges and what the bolts are threaded into please. Must have a smooth radius on the edges?

Yes. Please.

Great work, I have been following with interest.

[65standard]

I've been asked for more details on the side markers.

First I marked out the location.



Then I cut out a hole with a cut off wheel like this.



Then used a die grinder to open up the corners to prevent tearing.



Then reached behind the bedside with the back half of the form, aligned one bolt for starters.



Then aligned all the bolts. Stood back and carefully checked to make sure the form was straight and I wasn't going to press it in crooked.



Then slowly tighten the bolts evenly.



Until it is bottomed out.



Then remove the form and clean up the hole like it originally was.



Install the light to complete the process.



Here are some pictures of the form I quickly made at work.







Im more than willing to lend to form out to any member than needs to use it...