LFD's low buck truck build!

[truckminded]

Do you still have the cab wireing harness?

[Idaho Outlaw]

I know it's gonna be a little while before you get back on this project.

But......How long before you think you'll get to installing the hidden reciever hitch? I would love to see pic's. If it's gonna be a while, I'll start a new thread, to see if anyone has this installed and willing to throw pics up.

[Hart_Rod]

Check out this link:

http://www.earlyclassic.com/tech.asp...Go%20Farther-2

Here's mine:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=162641

[Idaho Outlaw]

Rob,

Thank you for the links.

[Rokcrln]

Yes I still have teh dash wiring and I will be doing the hitch soon since I am selling my PS to fund the wife's "Mini Van"

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[truckminded]

Let me know if there is any thing you need If I have it I would be happy to bring it up.At your conveinance No pressure you sound like you got your hands full!

[KAILUAZ]

Nice thread, waiting for the rear drop as I also have leafs.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by truckminded

Let me know if there is any thing you need If I have it I would be happy to bring it up.At your conveinance No pressure you sound like you got your hands full!

Just let me know when you want to head up. PM me with info.



Ok so here is an update I plan on starting with the bed shorting in the next few weeks. I need to find a set of SWB upper and lower trim so I can lay it out and drill the mounting holes so I can do body work and paint it before it goes back on. Then I will shorten the frame, do the rear flip kit, load leveling bags, hidden hitch and the rear burb gas tank. Then I plan on painting the rear of the cab as well while the bed is off. I will also install the front coils, spindles, new rotors and repack the wheel bearings.

So I need a set of upper and lower bed trim for a 70 but if their is a long bed set of uppers available I will trim them down and save a few bucks and re-use my LWB lowers and shorten them as well. I also need a set of stock truck ralleys with caps and rings in the stock grey finish. I would like to run 7's in the front and 8's in the rear. So if anyone has any of this stuff laying around let me know. Also if you have anything that you would like to see done while I am at this let me know as well and I will see how it fits into this project.

Stay tune things should start up soon.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

I will have plenty of pics but shortening the floor should be fairly simple. Take 8" off the rear section and 12" out of the front. You will want to cut the front section so it includes one of the bed mount braces since their is an extra one on LWBs. I plan on doing mine with out pulling the bed apart because it will make for a faster and easier job and it will be getting line-X'd when done.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[CHYNSPR]

Very interested in the bed floor shortening, as well as laying out the trim hole locations. I have new bedsides and will install upper and lower trim, just looking for the best way to lay it out. My longbox metal floor is super straight while my short metal floor is rustfree but dented. Probably easier to shorten the long floor than restore the short?

Looking forward to an expert to show me the best way.

Keep the threads and pics coming!

[Rokcrln]

Here is a teaser for the addits! This is 1hr 20min into the bed chop. I have step by step pics that I will post tonight if I have time.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

Here we are at 3hr 20min With a little push and pull as the sides went on the body line is perfect! Time for lunch and then the front!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[msgross]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Here we are at 3hr 20min With a little push and pull as the sides went on the body line is perfect! Time for lunch and then the front!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

I can't even make a mess in 3 hours, much less cut a bed! nice...

[Hart_Rod]

Why don't you leave it like that, it looks pretty cool.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Why don't you leave it like that, it looks pretty cool. :P

It reminds me of how Ford does their longbed trucks.

[Bob Moore]

One of my buddys did the front cut first and put the bed back together for mock-up purposes without cutting the back and it looked great. It was almost a disappointment when he finally did the back cut.

Somebody else here in town cut well over 12 inches out of the back only. Nothing was done in front of the rear wheels. It looked terrible. Looked like a stubbed nose in reverse. It was ugly. But somebody did it on purpose.

[CHYNSPR]

Unreal

[cheyenne10]

I finally figured out the blue piece. That must be the blue taped piece that you wanted to remove and used as a cut line I assume allowing for cut thickness. Plasma cutter, grinder, saw or ? I can't wait for pics.

[drman929]

Very nice work. Hey Bob, you didn't happen do get any pics of your buddy's truck with the front cut alone did you? I've been considering doing that for a while and would like to see a real example.

[Rokcrln]

LFD's LWB to SWB in one simple cut!
Yea right..

Well I had an idea what I was getting my self into but still had my reservations about it. Once I got into it and figured out how I was going to go about it I found it was fairly easy and went real smooth.

First thing is to remove your bumper and mark the holes that the bolts go thru for a later step. Then remove any trim that you may have on the truck. Pull off the tailgate as well to lighten things up.

You will be taking 8" off teh back end and 12" out of the front of the bed for a total of 20".

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

Next you need to lay out for your cuts. I came 8 3/4" forward of the rear stake pocket and then 8" past that. Then use a square and transfer the marks down to the bed floor. I then used a 6' level for a straite edge and scribed lines accross the bed floor. Now take some scrap metal and put in a brace from side to side and one at an angle from top to bottom to keep the bed side from moving. I set this about 5" past my last cut mark so it will be left on the bed once I cut the tail section and the 8" srip out. The end of the bed will keep its shape and line right back up as long as their is no damage to begine with.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

I use 2" painter tape for laying out large cuts like this. Just put the tape on nice and flat and it will follow the body lines then place the next piece right up to the edge of the first one. Repeat this 2 more times and you will end up with just under 8" ( I guess the tape is a hair under 2"). I used a 4" cut off wheel that is 1/16" thick. Now when you start your cut just keep the blade right along the out side edge of the tape. The more carefull you are here the faster the next few steps will be. I found it was easier to first cut the inside first then the out side. Once you have cut it all apart then remove the bed bolts, unhook the wiring and lift it off.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

Now repeat and remove the next section of bed that can be tossed in the garbage. Next you will need to layout the new marks on the frame for the bumper bolts, bed mount and the new end of the frame. Drill out all these holes to the proper size and then cut off the end of the frame and get it out of your way. I used some pieces of angle and a few clamps to hold the bed end in place while I put the bed bolts back in place. But first I took a small grinder and just removed the paint off the edges with out removing any metal.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

If yours is like mine you will have some spots that are tight. This is good because it will let you cut a nice even gap for welding. Remember when but welding sheet metal you want a gap about the same thickness as the base metal that you are welding. In the case of out trucks that is about 1/16" or the same thinkness as the cut off wheel you will be using. As you see my bed floor is tight in the middle so I ran the cut off wheel right thru the tight spots and made this nice weld gap. You will do the same thing on the out side of the body as needed. Once the bed fits how you want it tack it in place. I first tacked the outer bed rail to make sure it was just were I wanted it. Then I moved to the inside bed floor corners.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

I like to use these panel clips to hold things in place. I found mine at a harbor freight tool store but I know EastWood sells them but they are pricey from them. Find a few sopts that have the gap that you want and install the panel clips and tighten them up. You will do the same gap cutting on the out side of the body that you did on the inside. Once the gap is cut just how you want it then install more panel clips starting at the bottom body line and working your way up. Once I got tward teh top I found the top body line was not as far off as I thought it would be. Before tacking anything on the out side together take a straite edge and make sure the body is flat for atleast 12" over your cut.

Kevin
LFD Inc.