Project: Stella Mae

[n2billet]

This project belongs to my son, I thought I better get him a 67-72 because he was getting real interested in my 67 and that could be bad news.

I was surfing Craigs List one night while I was working in DC and came across this 71 step side in Phoenix that sounded really clean. I thought about calling but headed to a local bar instead to get a drink or two, can you guess what I was drinking that night? Stella.....so it was meant to be......at least that's what I told the wife. Anyway, after a few rounds I whip out the phone and called about the truck and the guy tells me he has a detailed video of the truck and before my meal hit the table I had bought it. It turns out it's a one-owner type truck, starting to lose it's paint, 6 cylinder, 3 speed and ZERO rust. This truck is by far the cleanest one I have ever owned. Now as luck would have it I have a friend that lives in the area and said he would hold the truck until I could come and get it or send a transport for it. Now, normally I wouldn't worry about leaving one of my trucks with a buddy but this guys scares me because he is none other than Nathan Porter of Porterbuilt Street Rods.

The plan: Since it was at Nate's and he had to move it out of the way everyday he came up with a new "Mild Kit" that would allow my son to drive the truck without worrying about plowing the road and still have the option to go with the dropmembers later after he gets out of school.....So here's what the little 71 is getting from the Porterbuilt crew: Front upper and lower control arms, custom sway bar, front bag kit and 3" drop spindles. On the rear Nate made a new bolt in "C" notch, tubular trailing arms, tubular trailing arm cross member, shock brackets and all the hardware and front and rear shocks. I will be taking the 20/22's Coys off my 67 and putting them on the step side. I also have a new complete Ride Tech E2 air management that will be going on the project as well. I have a new 350 crate motor on the stand but I'm going to leave the 6 cylinder in for a year or so because it runs too good to replace right now.

The truck has a nice size dent in the drivers rear fender that I have already pulled out a little but I'm going to try and get all of it out now that I have the bed off and I can get around it easier. I buffed it about a month ago to get some house paint over spray off of it so that's why it's so shiny.....it will dye back down once it's out in the sun a few days.

I have already had some good buddies help me out with parts and labor so I owe them big time.......porterbuilt,lolife99,stp67-72 and my buddy Roger @ RPL Customs.

This is about as far as I'm going until September......got word today that my work schedule is changing and it looks like I will be traveling again. I had planned to take it to Kansas but it looks like the Rambler will making the trip again.

Sorry for writing a book, hope you enjoy the pictures......and I do plan on painting the frame before I put the bed back on.

This is what it looked like after replacing the bumpers, mirrors and all the lenses.