69 Custom 30 wrecker restoration

[bobs409]

A few days later, it was time to get my hands wet with lots of sanding and buffing. I will wet sand all panels out to 2000 grit, then polish with Mequiars products. Depending on the amount of orange peel, it can go from 1200 to 1500 and then to 2000. On smoother surfaces I start with the 1500. Photo #1 & #2 show one of the doors and fenders all done with the emblems and marker light installed. Takes a lot of time but worth it wouldn’t you say?

After polishing out the back of cab area, I installed the box back on the frame. Now it’s starting to look like something. (photo #3)

Check out those “fly swatter” mirrors! Not many people like these but I think they make the truck look just right! This is just how the general built it. The way these swing way out there make them perfect for a tow truck.

[bobs409]

At this time, I was able to put a lot of the truck back together which is the fun part. Front bumper pads installed, front grill assembly, hood hinges, door mirrors and tail lights.

Special note: this paint color is not very photogenic! In bright sun or if the flash goes off, it makes the paint in the pictures look kind of pink. In reality, everything is a deep orange color like the fender shot above. Oh yeah, about that paint color…

I’m quite convinced that GM was color blind in ’69. They call this paint color red and the interior red as well. In my opinion, this is a darker shade of hugger orange and the interior is maroon! (Unless it’s my eyes that have gone bad and not GM)


So this catches up to about where I am today. I have installed many smaller parts and I am working on the upright, boom and winch. Once those are painted, it’s just a matter of reassembling the rest. The end is very close now…

[firedog]

Have to say you have done a wonderful job bring this truck back to life that most would have sent to the junk yard and stole parts off of off.

[mjensen]

That is freaking sweet!

[tow guys]

Fantastic job Bob! Hopefully there will be some forward progress on mine soon. Your project continues to give me inspiration!
We should start a wrecker club if only on line for us all to compare notes, pics and leads on parts. If you organize it I'll help any way I can.

~Tony~

[Gmtruckguy92]

Wow that thing is sick! i love the color and the unique look it has!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

She is looking good...

[bobs409]

Thanks guys. It's been fun. Can't wait to go cruising!

[coops714x4]

Bob, as usual GREAT work!!!! I think the first cruise should be to see ole Vic. keep it up. Coop

[sameyeam]

Lookin great bob, seeing all the progress makes me wanna just start taking mine apart. How was it rebuilding the box? Mine is going to need alot of new steel in the box unfortunatly. Keep up the good work cant wait to see that wrecker unit back on.

[keh27]

follow

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by sameyeam

Lookin great bob, seeing all the progress makes me wanna just start taking mine apart. How was it rebuilding the box? Mine is going to need alot of new steel in the box unfortunatly. Keep up the good work cant wait to see that wrecker unit back on.

My box needed ALOT too. I found it fun to do but I'm weird like that.

One of the nice things is most of it is made of 1/8 inch thick sheet steel or thicker so welding it is a dream. You can really lay into it and put down some serious beads with no burn through.

The downside is it's hard to cut so I bought a plasma cutter and the goes right through.

What I did was just cut out and remove a few pieces at a time and weld in the new metal so everything stayed intact. (mentioned earlier in this thread)

It's a job for sure.

I'm working on another update reply for this thread. Basically done, just waiting on the antique plate to arrive now.

[sduckworth13]

You did a super nice job on your truck Bob.

[dfwright]

Bob,
I've enjoyed your thread, it's amazing what you have done!

If you mentioned it, I must have missed it. What product are you using to get such nice results with the vinyl painting?


Also, I don't know if you've found additional details on your wreck-master or not, but I found the following on another forum... I thought you might be interested.

Wreck-Master Decendant can help
11/28/2012 2:06 PM

Greetings all,

My name is Thure E. Wegener, I am the grandson of Edward F. Wegener, owner and founder of Wreck-Master Power Wreckers, Cranbury, New Jersey.

If anyone has any questions regarding the former company, equipment, etc... please feel free to contact me at:

tech2461@gmail.com

I will try to provide answers to your questions as best I can.

Thank you...

[dhaymaker]

Originally Posted by dfwright

Bob,
I've enjoyed your thread, it's amazing what you have done!

If you mentioned it, I must have missed it. What product are you using to get such nice results with the vinyl painting?


Also, I don't know if you've found additional details on your wreck-master or not, but I found the following on another forum... I thought you might be interested.

Wreck-Master Decendant can help
11/28/2012 2:06 PM

Greetings all,

My name is Thure E. Wegener, I am the grandson of Edward F. Wegener, owner and founder of Wreck-Master Power Wreckers, Cranbury, New Jersey.

If anyone has any questions regarding the former company, equipment, etc... please feel free to contact me at:

tech2461@gmail.com

I will try to provide answers to your questions as best I can.

Thank you...

Amazing!! This is the kind of help/information you always wish for when doing projects like many of the members of this site are doing!!

Good of you, dfwright, to provide this input!

don

[bobs409]

df,

That is great! I gave up a long time ago hoping to find anything out about that company after repeated google searches. I'll have to send that guy an email. Thanks alot!

The vinyl spray I used was SEM brand. So far it's holding up good. I used it on alot of interior parts including the seat and that's still looking good.

Originally Posted by dfwright

Bob,
I've enjoyed your thread, it's amazing what you have done!

If you mentioned it, I must have missed it. What product are you using to get such nice results with the vinyl painting?


Also, I don't know if you've found additional details on your wreck-master or not, but I found the following on another forum... I thought you might be interested.

Wreck-Master Decendant can help
11/28/2012 2:06 PM

Greetings all,

My name is Thure E. Wegener, I am the grandson of Edward F. Wegener, owner and founder of Wreck-Master Power Wreckers, Cranbury, New Jersey.

If anyone has any questions regarding the former company, equipment, etc... please feel free to contact me at:

tech2461@gmail.com

I will try to provide answers to your questions as best I can.

Thank you...

[Low Elco]

Looks great, Bob! Beautiful work!

[Mickeymotormount]

Bob, I just found this thread. Fantastic build. Awesome job on the wrecker.

[rustaddict]

That is one good looking wrecker! I enjoyed looking thru your build. I have had trouble with the 514 red also. It was the orange-red you speak of until 1971. In 1972 the 514 red looked more like fire engine red. My paint supplier had just sold some 514 red to a guy restoring a 1972 Chevy truck at the time I bought paint for my 71. I finally had to buy paint somewhere else because he kept trying to give me the wrong color. My grand dad recently sent a 1969 GMC 2 ton truck to the scrap yard that was 514 red with a maroon interior like your wrecker.

[dfwright]

Originally Posted by dhaymaker

Amazing!! This is the kind of help/information you always wish for when doing projects like many of the members of this site are doing!!

It's cool, right? I thought the same thing when I stumbled across that post quite by accident. It also sounds like the grandson is very interested in his grandfather's wrecking business. He may be as fascinated by Bob's restoration as Bob would be to get more info on the wrecker.

Hopefully he's still available at that email address.

[65 wonton]

Bob, you have done an outstanding job here.

Now that I've sucked up, just kidding you are really doing a beautiful job, I have a question.

The twin horns on the roof. Are they electric? Do they work? If so do you have the numbers off the relay and how they wire into the system? I'd like to put mine on my '66 C-30. Thanks either way.

Dave.

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by rustaddict

My grand dad recently sent a 1969 GMC 2 ton truck to the scrap yard that was 514 red with a maroon interior like your wrecker.

If any of the maroon interior pieces were in good shape, you should go buy them back. That color isn't being repro'd and is fairly rare so they sell really good. (at least on ebay)

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by 65 wonton

The twin horns on the roof. Are they electric? Do they work? If so do you have the numbers off the relay and how they wire into the system? I'd like to put mine on my '66 C-30. Thanks either way.

Dave.

Dave, those were electric and in very bad condition. I didn't even test them, just tossed them onto the scrap pile!

Since they were just some 70's add on, I welded the hole shut on the roof and "deleted" them. lol

[65 wonton]

Thanks,

Dave.

[bobs409]

So in addition to working on those last pieces for the boom, I’ve been putting the truck back together almost daily with all the little do dads. While some things fall into place, others can be a real PITA! Take the door seals for example. I spent about 2 full days on just those!

I spent a lot of time getting the doors and fender aligned perfectly during the body work stage but after installing the new seals, the doors would barely shut. !@#$!

I’m not new to this as I have 2 other Chevy trucks and I know it’s common with these seals but the time it ate up is just a good example of why it’s taking so long to complete this project. How anyone in the body/mechanical field can give an estimate to customers and stay on schedule is beyond me. It just seems like something that should take 10 minutes ends up taking a full day! Ok, venting done.

Now back to the doors. First I tried adjusting the front of the doors outward which certainly helped but then I had to move the fenders out to match and I realized the cowl panel had too much gap between it and the fender tops so I moved all back in. I took the seals out to visually check the gap between door and jam and it looked real good and was even all around.

I got the idea of swapping seals from side to side and that really helped. Is there a left and right? I guess there is. ?? Doing that with a slight adjustment to the striker plate got them to close fully. You have to be firm with them but they do shut. I suspect time will ease this.

So with those in and a pair of shiny stainless steel sill plates completing the job, it’s another item crossed off the list.

Because this is a Custom/30, it originally came with the chrome wing windows. Unfortunately, they were shot and new ones are over $200 a piece! Quite a few years ago while on one of my junkyard ventures, I came across a low mileage panel truck that had beautiful chrome wings in it. I scored those for $8 bucks each (lol) at the pick n pull and put them in my 69 step side. I decided these would be better suited for this project so I raided them from the step side. All I had to do was to switch out the clear glass for the original tinted pieces and install them.

Because this is a 1 ton truck, it came with the roof clearance lights. The original lenses were toast and unfortunately those orange lenses are not available except in NOS form but I wasn’t interested in spending a C note to get them. I learned that step side back up light lenses fit so 5 new ones were installed. The only downside is they are clear but with orange bulbs will work just fine for now. Sometimes you have to improvise. (see pic #1)

For the past few weeks, I’ve been getting the last remaining parts done to complete this project. For some reason, it seems like everything is taking FOREVER! Luckily, the weather has been fantastic which as been a big help.

First up was the upright piece for lack of better words. This piece is important not only for eye appeal but everything attaches to it. This piece was taken to bare metal, then POR 15 applied, an etch prime followed by some smoothing with icing and then a coat of high build primer. Once all done, it was wet-sanded out until nice and smooth! (see pic #2)

The same process for the toolbox and some smaller parts. (see pic #3 & #4)

The parts are in the painting stage in the last pic. Note the home made hanging rack. That engine crane (under the brown tarp) has many uses!