Old School Hot Rod Truck (1964)

[likaroc13]

Looks like ya'll been busy lately! Truck is looking great, & that engine sounds mean!

[Arekusu]

For some reason the cab and the doors don't want to be friends. Between them and the front outer fenders I can't seem to get them aligned correctly so that they a. close, and b. not hit anything. If people have any ideas on / experience on how they have done this before I wouldn't mind hearing about it. I'm already going to have to touch up a few spots where the paint chipped or got rubbed off.

I'm thinking maybe I should pull off the fender and "stab the door on".. like get the latch in there and maybe another person.. put the door where it wants to go and then tighten the hinges accordingly. Thoughts?

Alex

[Arekusu]

Originally Posted by markeb01

Wow you are really flying on the progress. Beautiful paint work, and those cylinder heads look like artwork! That engine should be fun.

Good luck on your military opportunities. Are you going to be flying helicopters or is that determined later?

Thanks for the kind words. I should be flying helicopters, maybe later I'll do a fixed wing transition. But before all that I have to conquer Warrant Officer Candidate School. I hear they give you 6 hours sleep on purpose the whole time.. I'll need lots of coffee.

Alex

[66redw/white]

i dont have any advice for the doors unfortunately. other than go slow. the obvious fix will come out and smack ya. are you a machinist or is that a buddy thats a machinist? i used to do alot of work on submarines and all they ever give us is 5 hrs max! youll be fine potential sir
that motor sounds awesome. what trans you runnin behind it?

[earl84]

Wow, great looking truck! Love the color choices, that's what I want.
Congrats on WOCS and flight school. I retired from the Army, was a commissioned guy, not a Warrant, but flew Hueys and Blackhawks. Now flying in the civilian world. Still love it. Make sure you get all the time you can so you are employable out here in the civilian world.

[earl84]

Wow, great looking truck! Love the color choices, that's what I want.
Congrats on WOCS and flight school. I retired from the Army, was a commissioned guy, not a Warrant, but flew Hueys and Blackhawks. Now flying in the civilian world. Still love it. Make sure you get all the time you can so you are employable out here in the civilian world.

[Arekusu]

Originally Posted by 66redw/white

i dont have any advice for the doors unfortunately. other than go slow. the obvious fix will come out and smack ya. are you a machinist or is that a buddy thats a machinist? i used to do alot of work on submarines and all they ever give us is 5 hrs max! youll be fine potential sir
that motor sounds awesome. what trans you runnin behind it?

No I'm not the machinist .. the guy messing with the carburetor in the movie is the machinist. I have a TKO-500 for now behind the 454.. We'll see how long it lasts.. I think I'll be giving Jerico a call here in a year or so.

[Arekusu]

Originally Posted by earl84

Wow, great looking truck! Love the color choices, that's what I want.
Congrats on WOCS and flight school. I retired from the Army, was a commissioned guy, not a Warrant, but flew Hueys and Blackhawks. Now flying in the civilian world. Still love it. Make sure you get all the time you can so you are employable out here in the civilian world.

Ha! Nice to meet you Sir. I was a Flight Engineer on the UH-1N before I became a CV-22B "F.E." Now we'll see where the Army wants me to be. Right now I'll take any airframe they give me. All sound interesting. I'll send you a PM if you don't mind.

Alex

[Arekusu]

Well my friend Keith B. saved my bacon again..

I messed with the doors all day.. and got quite mad at how they didn't want to line up anywhere... I actually took the metal file to the top of the passengers door to create more gap.. yup.. going to have to touch that one up..

For all you readers out there that haven't restored your truck yet and are considering using panels / parts off of another truck or reproduction.. Put everything on as you would for final assembly, check gaps, file / grind down as necessary, weld if required, then paint. Don't think because it came off of another '64 and you have a '64 that it's going to fit.. they were made in different plants.. sooo the holes aren't always the same. Just a warning.

I had the cab off the frame and hung the doors to check the fit before the final paint and clear.. I thought I was good as I had already run the fenders before I took it all apart. I thought I just needed to check the doors. WRONG!



Anyway, how Keith B. saved my bacon.. After hanging the fuel pressure regulator and trying to decide what -AN fittings to use where and what degree bend they needed to be.. he Proclaims "I know how to fix your fender / door gap"... then like the sage he is, he tells me to remove the top two bolts on the inner fender attached to the firewall on the cab.. and then it happened.. BAM! 1/8" gap. SO I need to space the inner fenders forward with a washer or two, per bolt, per side.. which also means I need longer bolts. Everything is connected to the front support (minus the outer fenders lower support / shim where the rubber biscuit goes) The front core support has at least an 1/8" .. maybe even a 1/4" of adjustment on it. And it still lines up with the last two rear bigger sized bolts that mount the outer fender to the cab. So I'm ecstatic! I rubbed some door and fender but it's not going to look like crap anymore with crazy body alignment. I hope someone reads this and is enlightened on 64-66 panel / body alignment.

[earl84]

Originally Posted by Arekusu

Ha! Nice to meet you Sir. I was a Flight Engineer on the UH-1N before I became a CV-22B "F.E." Now we'll see where the Army wants me to be. Right now I'll take any airframe they give me. All sound interesting. I'll send you a PM if you don't mind.

Alex

I don't respond to Sir anymore, so when you PM me, drop that immediately, haha. Please do PM with any questions you might have, happy to answer.
Again, love what you are doing here, nice work.

[earl84]

Originally Posted by Arekusu

Ha! Nice to meet you Sir. I was a Flight Engineer on the UH-1N before I became a CV-22B "F.E." Now we'll see where the Army wants me to be. Right now I'll take any airframe they give me. All sound interesting. I'll send you a PM if you don't mind.

Alex

I don't respond to Sir anymore, so when you PM me, drop that immediately, haha. Please do PM with any questions you might have, happy to answer.
Again, love what you are doing here, nice work.

[Arekusu]

Another update.. (hey I might be getting good at these..) This may turn into a proper build thread here at the last minute.. lol

Today my day was wasted at the Army recruiting office.. they needed things like middle names for references.. which I've had on file for 9 years now.. sigh.. anyway.. soo less truck work got done today.

Got home late and decided it was time to do some wiring.


The American autowire harness is just amazing. It's labeled and great. It's made this process a lot easier, and I know I have good wiring instead of old wires from the 60's that got sun baked in New Mexico.

They made me build my own light sockets .. this was a bit of a pain, trying to crimp the nip on the wire was next to impossible.. so I half assed crimped it and then soldered it firmly so I knew it wasn't going anywhere.. This pic shows me using my vice grips as a holder for the wire so I can solder it all pretty.

[Arekusu]

After I got all the light sockets built I completed the dash / bezel lights wiring harness, separated the wires and covered them. This way they are protected and cleaner.

[Arekusu]

The red lenses on the gauge cluster were rebuilt using 3M lens repair plastic stuff. I'm looking for a blue or green plastic to do the rest. Any ideas?

[Arekusu]

Here I'm showing how I routed the wires. Yes I know it's not stock but it's out of the way and further away from that heater called a big block. I think it looks clean. The kit had about 4 feet of extra wire on the end of just those wires. Some I can use in other spots or was meant for other uses (like if you had a quad headlight setup).. but it really allows you to route the wire how ever you want.

Got the headers on yesterday fuel pressure regulator mounted and the vent windows sorta in place. One reproduction door had the two hols for the lower screws to support the vent channel, one didn't.. (damn Taiwan). So more fitting.

Hopefully in the next couple days my aluminum fuel tank comes back with it's newly welded sump properly attached and I can finish running the fuel lines..

Which would mean I can run this thing!!!! Ha! ha! ha! I really would like to take a proper video of this motor running in the truck.. I don't have a drive shaft long enough yet but damn.. I'd like to annoy the neighbors just a little.. I've been far to nice to them for a hot rod neighbor. lol

Check back tomorrow for more silly banter and pics of my '64 "Gettin' closer" to being finished.

Alex

[Arekusu]

Well, I graduated W.O.C.S. and am waiting on the next school to start. In the mean time I have a little bit of time now and then to work on the truck. I still have to paint the hood and grill and get the rear end narrowed and rear tubs built. After all that, I may be done lol.. Here is a video of it running, almost up to temp., with open headers. This thing is crazy fast.. I seriously shake for a few minutes after I get out from just driving it around the block. Anyway, here is Z video for your enjoyment.

I'm thinking of putting classic chambered "powersticks" back on it for a muffler, but am entertaining other ideas as long as it's not a flowmaster. I'm looking for more of a classic sound.

Alex

1964 C10 Big Block Chevy Idling - YouTube

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Arekusu

Well, I graduated W.O.C.S. and am waiting on the next school to start. In the mean time I have a little bit of time now and then to work on the truck. I still have to paint the hood and grill and get the rear end narrowed and rear tubs built. After all that, I may be done lol.. Here is a video of it running, almost up to temp., with open headers. This thing is crazy fast.. I seriously shake for a few minutes after I get out from just driving it around the block. Anyway, here is Z video for your enjoyment.

I'm thinking of putting classic chambered "powersticks" back on it for a muffler, but am entertaining other ideas as long as it's not a flowmaster. I'm looking for more of a classic sound.

Alex

Congrats on the graduation, & the truck sounds really tough! Have you ever heard of these mufflers? The first truck used to belong to a fellow forum member, & I've been considering a set since hearing his way back then. Not sure if the second truck belongs to a member here or not:

The 63 farm truck with new exhaust - YouTube

Brockman Mellowtone glasspacks Chevy C10 sbc 283...

[Arekusu]

I like the sound of the mufflers.. but I think they would better suit the feel of my 57 Cadillac rather than my hot rod truck.

Alex

[earl84]

Congratulations on graduating WOCS, very exciting milestone. Good luck on the next phase, when do you start?

[Low Elco]

How did I miss this? Great work, and congrats on the advancement!

[TJ's Chevy]

WOWZA! Nice sounding big block....you know there is the option of going withOUT the mufflers..........

[Mack B]

That thing sounds nasty!

[Arekusu]

Thanks guys!

Ya no mufflers is an option.. if I put electronic cutouts on it .

Alex

[NEWFISHER]

Great build! Looking nice, sounding nice.

[gulfcoast66]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

How did I miss this? Great work, and congrats on the advancement!

X2 Great work indeed!!!!!!