Harold's '48 S10 LS1 Build

[av8tr33337]

Originally Posted by Tikal48

Starting to hack up a perfectly good pair of fenders. Off on another crazy tangent. After months of looking, I finally found the tail lights that I wanted to go with. These are actually beehive marker lights.

I'm starting to rough in the holes to partially embed them into the fenders. I've seen several trucks on the internet where this was done. I think that it will compliment the look of the hood vents and exhaust tips.

I like them They remind me of the tail lights on a 54 Buick I had Years ago like this. http://coloradoguy.com/1953-buick-ri...tail-light.jpg

[Flysocal]

I like where this is going. I too put a lot of thought into the tail lights. I wanted something with reverse lights and settled on 65 Impala grafted in roll pan. It's gonna work for me but wish there was a quality USA made billet unit with reverse lights. I wish I had half your skill as a fabricator

[Tikal48]

Here is a shot of the front bed bracket in place. It was looking like rain, so I didn't break out the welder today.

[Tikal48]

I finished roughing in the fenders for the tail lights. I used some short pieces of 3" pipe, and welded three tabs where I could attach a plate on the end. I made the plates from some pieces of stainless that I had. I machined the ID of the pipe to reduce the wall thickness, and for clearance for the light base.

[Tikal48]

Machine work is complete on the fender mounts. Just a bit more cleanup on the mounts and backing plates and I can start welding these in.

I figured that this way, if I wanted to change the lights later on, the backing plates would make it easier.

[Tikal48]

I dressed up the ears on the inserts and backing plates, and started fitting them to the fenders. I left a little too much extra length on the inserts in the first fender. It took a while to profile them to the fender. I rough ground them close and will finish later. The goal this weekend was to get the fitted and tacked in.

[Tikal48]

Here are a few shots of the lights installed. I embedded these to the minimum depth that I could. These lights have about 1/2" rubber rim that holds the light together. The inserts are inset just slightly deeper.

[Advanced Design]

That is some great fabrication work. The lights look really good!

[Tikal48]

I decided to hang the gas tank. I'm planning on the exiting the exhaust in front of the rear running board brackets and I wanted to see if I had clearance to route the exhaust pipe. I am also planning on mounting a gas tank fill housing in the driver side rear fender. I believe that I can modify the S10 gas door easy enough. This is going to take a bit of fabrication to form the recess, but I believe that it will be worth the efforts.

With the cab at 3" above the frame, the original S10 gas tank just barely clears the bottom of the cab. Thank God it fit. Honestly, I did not check before making the cab brackets.

[99 to Life]

have you thought about exiting the bed? or you just prefer the fender fill? nice job on the tail lights.

[Tikal48]

I've definitely thought about the side of the bed. That would definitely be easier, but I will be loosing 1 1/2" to 2" of drop to the gas tank neck. That puts me at, or just below the top of the tank.

[99 to Life]

yeah true, if the body is about 3" off frame, you'd have that problem. I opted for a tanks inc tank and I fill in the bed right up by the headboard. I don't prefer that method, but for me I didn't want to use the s10 tank (1. I didn't want a side bed fill, 2. I wanted to use the stock fuel gauge so I got a 30ohm sending unit for the tank.) My last build I used a blazer tank and aftermarket gauge, and my current build I'm doing the same. I never liked the idea of a rear tank, incase you get rear ended, but it just works alot better. I usually beef up the frame back there.

[Tikal48]

I cut off the front bed brackets and welded them to the top of the frame. I did not realize before that the driver side bracket was mounting where the gas tank bracket bolts go thru the frame. I will finish welding then out when I pull all of the sheet metal back off of the frame.

[Tikal48]

A bit more welding and grinding on the tail light brackets. I have a little work on the lower front section of the passenger side fender, and then I can sand and prime.

[99 to Life]

great idea on the bed, jeesh dunno why I never thought to do that. bushings bushings bushings! FYI, you can find cheap kits on ebay. ones for jeeps or whatever that have all kinds of random bushings.

[Tikal48]

After careful consideration of going through the fender or the bed side, I decided to take the easy route and go though the bed side. My wife was the deciding vote on that. . . LOL

I cut the fuel door hole out of the S10 and trimmed it close to the radius. After a bit of fitting, welding and grinding, I got the fuel door installed. I will do some additional grinding and cleanup when I pull the bed side off for prep and priming.

[99 to Life]

nice job. If you have fill problems, just put a shim above the tank to lower it a touch.

[Tikal48]

I did a bit of blacksmithing today. I formed the two pieces to match the front bed scrolls. I got one bed side welded up and ground smooth before it started to rain on me. I put everything up and then the sun comes out.

[rollenhard]

Way cool nice job Tikal48

[99 to Life]

very nice custom touch. I'm sure alot of folks will borrow this one!

[Tikal48]

I finally got to take a few days of vacation. This should give me a chance to get the bed parts primed and finish up some of the various projects on the truck. I got the driver side front bed side scroll capped. A little sanding in the morning on the scroll and around the gas door, and I can paint.

[99 to Life]

nice job. Im in a huge scramble to get stuff painted bf it gets too cold.

[Advanced Design]

That was some very nice work on the bedside modifications!

[Flysocal]

I really like the fuel door. I wonder if there is enough curve in it to work on the fender?

[Tikal48]

Originally Posted by Flysocal

I really like the fuel door. I wonder if there is enough curve in it to work on the fender?

I was seriously looking at putting the gas door on the front side of the fender. But it definitely looking like it was going to take quite a bit of work. It would have given me a little bit more elevation of the gas neck above the gas tank. The S10 door has a slight radius in a single direction, which I was able to straighten out very easily. The radius on the '48 is going in two directions. I was planning on saving the hinge and replacing the skin and fabricate a new recess.

I'm happy with the way it came out and it was not that difficult to do. But in the fender would have definitely looked awesome.