Rods 57

[Rods57]

Originally Posted by 55Cameo

Read your entire build thread. Love the clean frame and motor. Great work so far. Coming along real nice.

Thanks for comments its been a long time since I started, hope I get it done soon so i can drive it.

[55Cameo]

Always a great feeling when you can drive your project. I hated taking mine off the road. A lil here a lil there and it'll get done

[Rods57]

So here is where I am at, some stuff primed, some stuff not. also found some donor fenders, thanks to Jay in Kuna, and they are great, the picture makes it look like there is a big dent at the front part but its just the way the sander left a mark. one has a small dent at the headlight area the other is on the wall on top and is all but perfect.

[Kabwe]

Looking good, but it looks like a parts supplier exploded in your garage. Its raining body parts and thats a good thing.

[Rods57]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Looking good, but it looks like a parts supplier exploded in your garage. Its raining body parts and thats a good thing.

Ha Ha, yes the shop is full, my son in-law has his 67 cougar in here as well so its really full....

[ChuckDriver]

Fenders look good! You'll have to modify the 57 grill for it to fit with'em!

[Rods57]

Actually I am going to make it a 55, I have a new grill and the hood is form a 55 as well.

[ChuckDriver]

Sweet!

[Rods57]

I stripped all of the paint off all of the body parts today, messy messy. Pictures are the before shots , got to quit a bit for a break as my 7 year old wanted to build a sweet, tye-dye dinosaur so got to take a good break for that...

[Rods57]

finally filled the big hole in the firewall, and finished the steering wheel mount.

[Rods57]

got a visit from the parts fairy today, I love it when i get home from work and there is a box waiting at the door to see me...

[Rods57]

Ok its been a really long time since i posted, life has been happening to me. so here is where I am at. I screwed up and gave myself to opportunity to re-do the fender that i cut from two. here is how I did it. use 1" tape and start at a certain bolt hole, I start on one side of the hole for the front and the other side for the back of the bolt hole. Made a second and third strip and then remove one from one of the fenders to give myself a clean edge on each side to cut up against. The fender closest to the front in the picture is the back half I used. You can see my massive screw up on the front....



Here they are together for the first time...



and final fitter before welding

[Kim57]

That's looking good. Now get to the welding.
Kim

[Rods57]

put some heat to the fender here is the process I used:



used clamps and this small streight edge to keep the two halves level



started at the top inside where the inner fender bolts on



played connect the dots, i still have to grind and fill pin holes but I am letting it cool between

[Kim57]

Looking good.
It's time consuming but worth it in the end.
Kim

[Rods57]

So while I was waiting for it to cool I decided to put on a few body parts to start fitting them. That got out of hand quickly and the truck is all in one piece.

[Rods57]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Looking good.
It's time consuming but worth it in the end.
Kim

thanks for the comment Kim, it is time consuming and hard to wait but well worth it.

[_Ogre]

nice work on the fender

i'm amazed that you've had your truck in bare steel over a year with no rust...
we have 85% humidity today that would rust anything bare
i think i can hear truk rusting in the barn from here and truk is painted (and 200 ft away)

[Rods57]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

nice work on the fender

i'm amazed that you've had your truck in bare steel over a year with no rust...
we have 85% humidity today that would rust anything bare
i think i can hear truk rusting in the barn from here and truk is painted (and 200 ft away)

It's that thing you call humidity? What is that? We live in the desert, its pretty cool. Thanks for the comments, its been ten years since it was one piece.
Posted via Mobile Device

[ChuckDriver]

Nice work, it's really looking good!

[Kabwe]

You've done a great job buddy.

[Rods57]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

Nice work, it's really looking good!

thanks, now it looks like a 55, now that i have the right fenders on it.

Originally Posted by Kabwe

You've done a great job buddy.

Thanks, kinda looks a bit cool all metal no paint. now i gotta do something about the height its way to tall in front, that's gotta go....

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

nice work on the fender

i'm amazed that you've had your truck in bare steel over a year with no rust...
we have 85% humidity today that would rust anything bare
i think i can hear truk rusting in the barn from here and truk is painted (and 200 ft away)

We are blessed with a very dry climate. I stripped down most of my truck in 2000 and it sat bare steel inside until 2007. When I got ready to etch prime it I just hit the whole thing with combination of 80 grit on a da and 3M Purple shredded wheat pad. Now if it is outside, we do get rain and snow so where it can get into cracks and crannys and not flash off right away it will rust.

[Rods57]

Finished the welds on the fender today. Looking like I am done with it

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Rods57

It's that thing you call humidity? What is that? We live in the desert, its pretty cool. Thanks for the comments, its been ten years since it was one piece.

great. add idaho to the list...
texas, arizona, new mexico and now i-da-ho
i hate you all

all we get here is 55 rust, 56 rust, 57 rust... you get the idea

i guess i should have brought some parts home when i was out there last aug.
bro-in-law in twin, sis in moscow and son in pullman.
maybe my son can get a good 68 elco body while he's out there.