have i lost my mind????

[BB70c10]

I inherited this 70 c10 from my grandad.he bought it new in 1970.i decided to to do a complete tear down and a make a few minor mods along the way.i started with the engine,trans,and front clip but after reading and watching some of the builds here,i decided to take it to the extreme(for a newb).this is my first build so its either gonna be a complete disaster or beginners luck(with alot of great info from the build threads i've been reading on here).either way it'll be fun.here's some pics of the progress from this weekend and for you pros and veterans on here,dont hesitate to tell me if you think im in over my head-its possible you guys make things look too easy but it just looks like too much fun not to try..

[NONHOG]

I admire any sawzall mods ! keep the pics coming !

[rss396]

Looks like the sawzall is doing an awesome job. I have a 1961 bed I would like to shorten.

[BP68]

I say go for it. I wish I had more space and time to do stuff myself. It is usually more expensive and frustrating waiting on someone else to do stuff for you. Take your time, do your research, and measure twice and cut once.

Best way to learn is jump in.

[faribran]

looks like ur sawzall blade was long enuff to cut the inner wall as well.... was the inner wall cut straight.. sure looks like it..

[BigDaddyDave]

Your doing a great job! I always cut mine 2 or 3 times and the dang things were still to short!

[72BlckButy]

Looks good so far... I'm definitely signing up to watch this build.

[BB70c10]

as you can see im far from a pro or even sorta familiar with this type of work.other than the mechanical side(i've been a honda tech for about 13 years) everything im planning on doing to the truck will be my first time ever.i've never done any body work,paint,or fabrication .so as i go i will post pics of the progress not to show anybody how to do something,but to show what went right and what went wrong when some "idiot" decided to do research on the computer and actually attempt it for the first time.i dont expect to teach anybody anything or give any great tips on how to build a truck(theres plenty of way more knowleable people on here for that)but maybe someone can learn from my mistakes.i'm planning on doing the bed chop,body work,paint work-including two tone and laying flames on the side flowing from the pinstripe that seperates the top and bottom colors,all the interior work,and all the mechanical work .THIS IS GOING TO BE A COMPLETE DISASTER, but fun as hell!!!!!.my wife is going to be pissed.

[BB70c10]

oh yeah,as far as the sawzaw blade cutting all the way through to the other side it did.but that was my first learning experience.i didnt mark the other side so my first cut was not straight on the inside panel.so on the second panel i marked the inside and had my buddy watch it for me as i went.after the second i was pretty happy with the result and the rest of the cuts look more like they should i guess.the truth will be told when i try to line the panels back up for welding.the right way to do it from what i've read is to use a 1/16" cutting wheel but i started that way and it was obvious that i didnt have the ability to cut a straight line that way.but like i said, i cant teach you the right way to do this stuff-just what happens when you dont always listen to someone who can, or just plain dont have the experience to pull it off.

[BB70c10]

after reading my last 3 posts i realized i've done alot of talking about what i was doing and planning on doing and not about how i did it.so for anybody like me who needs things spelled out for em i'll tell how i went about it.once i researced the measurments on where to cut, i made my marks on the top of the bed sides using a square even with the inside edge (on the top of the bedside) to make my lines.that was only about 10 minutes in and i realized i had no idea how to mark the outside of the bedside straight to run my tape.after about 20 min. of trying find somewhere on the side of the bed to measure from,me and my buddy decided to use a two dollar level i'd bought from lowes to run the tape with.we used the level on the top of both bed sides to make sure the truck was level(the level tells you if your level side to side and frt to back at the same time,at least i hope it did).then we started running the tape on the marks on the top of the bedsides and used the edge of the level to run the tape down the outside of the bed where we wanted to cut hoping that if we held the level straight the tape should be straight too.it looked straight, but in case it wasnt,we used a tape measure to measure from that tape line (12" over in frt and 8" in back)& ran the tape a little at a time,moving the tape measure down a couple of " at a time until we got to the bottom.i did it that way thinking that if our first tape line wasn't exactly straight,that the other line should be off at the same angle and hopefully line up when brought together after cutting regardless.i did the same thing on the frt and back of both sides of the bed,broke out the sawzaw and went to cutting.then i made my next mistake(go figure).i knew the sawzaw blade was long enough to the the inside and the outside at the same time,but i didnt think about us not holding the sawzaw straight and ended up cutting the inside panel at a different angle on both cuts(actually, i think the sawzaw was defective).luckily the cuts on the inside were too long and and we just have to trim em.so we went back and marked the inside panels and 2 hours later we finally started cutting the other 3 out.when it was done i was actually impressed with how straight they looked,so me and my buddy decided to qiut work and start building trucks for a living.and as long as our customers dont mind looking at their cars from about 10 feet away with one eye closed,i think we'll make it.not really,but i thought it was going to turn out worse than it did,but then again we still have to get them to line up and welded together(which im sure is a helluva lot harder than cutting).hopefully we'll start welding them together in a couple of weekends from now and i'll be able to tell you of more mistakes to try to avoid,but so far im glad i decided to try it.as far as the bed floor,we just torched it because im planning on making a steel floor and using aftermarket fabricated wheel tubs-im trying to build a pro steet truck.hopefully with the wider wheel tubs i can swap out my 20's for the street for a wider rim and slicks at the track?not sure what mods would have to be done other than a rim with more backspacing.heres a picture of the level i used to run the tape and level the truck b/c i dont think i did a good job of explaining it:

[BB70c10]

i found some pictures of the truck before i started tearing it down.my wife actually asked me if it ran and told me to pull it out so she could take pictures.then she started asking me all kinds of questions about it.a few months later she told me that she tried to get it on overhaulin' for me,but by the time she got the pics and info it was too late.that floored me,but thats ok, cause i really wanted to try to build it myself.it would've been pretty sweet to have foose build my truck but everybody knows if you want something done right,you gotta do it yourself(just kidding ).the only rust i've found so far are on the cab corners,rocker panels,and the tailgate.the bed floor and head board? are pretty beat up and rusty from the paint being scrathed off,and the left rear part of the fender is dented.im gong to replace all that.any other rust just looks like surface rust from wear and tear and hopefully can be fixed when i sand for paint?im not sure where else to look for any hidden rust.my uncle painted it about 15 years ago and when it wasnt on a job sight,my grandaddy kept it in the shop pretty much everynight since the shop was built.the weather hasnt got to it too bad,but the years of tools and farm dust have made up for it.i know it originally came with a 350 motor,350 turbo,and twelve bolt rear end which i guess was pretty standard.i have a 454 bb with 781 heads to go back in.im planning on stroking it and porting and polishing the heads myself.im hoping for 550-600 hp on motor and a 250 shot of nitrous.im just not sure yet if those heads will support those numbers.i also have a th400 trans out of a 72 chevelle ss my buddy gave me.i bought 3/4 drop springs from cpp and plan on using beltec nitro active drop shocks.i bought a set of of 20's from my boss that came off his denali with good tires-not my first choice but for $400 i couldnt pass em up.hopefully this weekend i can work on putting the bed back together and post more pictures

heres some pics of the truck before tear down and the rims

[BB70c10]

no real proggress lately.did get the tank out of the cab and unbolted it.cab is ready to come off so body work can begin.also finished cutting bed floor and clamped the sides together (not welded yet) so it actually looks like a short bed finally(the gaps need to be cleaned up for welding).also cut 8 in. from rear of frame.sunday im planning on removing cab and starting 12 in. cuts in frame and relocating rear cab mount.anybody have any tips on making new bed floor out of sheet metal and have any pictures of one done?not sure how to go about it.my idea was to use the old floor as a template, remove braces,and weld them to the new floor.would that work or do i need to bolt the new floor to the old one for support?

heres a few pics of the bed clamped together

[Richard8971]

Wow... all I can say is wow.

Looks like eveything is lining up good, just watch those welds. Not trying to tell you what to do, but you can warp a bedside mucho quickly if you get it too hot. Stitch and tack, no beads! Take your time and go sllllooowwwwwww. Good luck and I'll keep a watch, I look forward to some more pics.

D

[BB70c10]

thanks man.as far as welding,i can use all the advise i can get.im planning on actually have a a guy at works son do the welding for me.i've never even tacked before.i practiced welding for the first time since tech school(about 13 years ago) this past weekend so hopefully i can at least tach everything together for transport.as i was welding i started thinking about how bad it sucked that i couldnt do it myself,so im gonna practice every chance i get until its ready to be welded in hopes that maybe i'll have the nerve to try it myself.i've heard that welding sheet metal is basically 1" tack welds spaced apart to prevent warping.maybe if i can learn to tach good enough i'll give it a shot,more rewarding that way imo.im definitly going to let him weld the frame for me,dont want that sucker coming apart.


heres some pics of the welds.i've heard of people laying welds that look like a roll of dimes.mine look more like a row of wadded up dollar bills.need way more practice

[Richard8971]

Originally Posted by BB70c10

so im gonna practice every chance i get until its ready to be welded in hopes that maybe i'll have the nerve to try it myself.i've heard that welding sheet metal is basically 1" tack welds spaced apart to prevent warping.maybe if i can learn to tach good enough i'll give it a shot,more rewarding that way imo.im definitly going to let him weld the frame for me,dont want that sucker coming apart.

Yes it does suck when you can't do something yourself, I agree. So practice, practice, practice. 1" welds are way too much, you will turn your bedside into a serving dish.

Someone who is a certified welder doesn't automatacly make them a good automotive body sheet metal person. (no offience to your friend) Let me explain why...

When someone welds HVAC or other sheet metal projects, yes they can lay good welds and not bust through, but IF the metal warps some, who cares??? Welding automotive sheetmetal is like plastic surgery. Delicate is the key word.

I included a couple of pics of some welding I did on my '67 to give you an idea of how it should look. Spot weld and cool. Spot weld and cool. When you go to your next weld, go to a different area no where near your previous weld. (use a wet rag on the weld IMEDIATELY after the weld, if needed, or a cold air blast if you have compressed air handy) Trust me, it will take forever to weld your bedside, and you will still warp it some. A piece of sheetmetal that big, there is no getting around it. BUT, you can avoid as much warpage as possible if you take your time. Also, trust your welder. If you set it up correctly, they will hold. Don't let anyone tell you that you need 1" beads to hold your bedside together.

I hope you understand that I am not trying to preach, I just want your project get finished with the minimalist of problems. Hope this helps.

D

[BB70c10]

so basically,if i work on getting my penetration right,i dont have to worry about laying beads right now.i just need to know how to make little tacks spead WAYYYY apart so that i keep warping to a minimum.i guess when its all said and done they are going to be ground down,filled,primed,and painted anyway?and as far as you preaching to me,preach on,i need all the guidance i can get.its advise like that thats making this build happen.i apprecciate the help

[Rokcrln]

Yep in over your head, stop now, go back, don't make that first cut! Who ever gave you the idea to cut down a long bed should be shot
That is look great so far. Like everyone has said take your time and go slow with the bed welding, it will save you time in the long run.
Keep the pics comming!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[BigSky71]

Originally Posted by BB70c10

heres some pics of the welds.i've heard of people laying welds that look like a roll of dimes.mine look more like a row of wadded up dollar bills.need way more practice

That cracks me up man! I did my project truck like you have, I just dug in and started doing it. I had little welding experience but just took the cab off and cut all the rust out and started welding stuff back on. My welding improved as I went and the ugly ones are hidden on the bottom of the floor, lol.

Like people have said do weld slow. I mildly warped a brand new bedside when I was shaving my side marker off and I thought I was going slow enough. So from that I had to learn how to use a hammer and dolly too, sort of anyway...

Excited to watch your build, so keep us updated!

[Richard8971]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Yep in over your head, stop now, go back, don't make that first cut! Who ever gave you the idea to cut down a long bed should be shot
Kevin
LFD Inc.

Long beds are cool too. Kevin is just being partial. Ignore him. (J/K)

Take your time and you should be fine.

D

[BB70c10]

rokcrln, im glad somebody finally decided to talk some sense into me.appreciate the comment and i guess you can tell i followed your build thread to shorten the bed(reading yours inspired me).i actually printed it out and have it in a notebook so i can follow it(as you can probably tell) so if it turns out bad its your fault(kidding).but you do make it look alot easier than it really is for sure.you definately have talent and youve gotten me this far.i couldnt believe you took that much time to help people you dont even know build their trucks step by step.i thought that was unheard of until i found this site.i appreciate it man

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by BB70c10

rokcrln, i couldnt believe you took that much time to help people you dont even know build their trucks step by step.i thought that was unheard of until i found this site.i appreciate it man

Thanks but that is just how this site is! Yours will also help others as they look at old posts. Also seeing people like you try somthing new because of the extra time that I and other took just helps give us the extra boost to keep doing it!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Pl4yboy]

Looking good man. Can't wait to see some progress.

[BB70c10]

bigsky71,nice truck.if mine turns out half as nice as yours id be happy.if thats your first build you should be proud man.hell, if thats your 100th build you should be proud,that truck is sweet!!!

[BB70c10]

well keep it up.theres going to be one more "old" truck on the road because of people like you and others on this site.my wife stays at home with our son and niece that we have custody of,so without this site i couldnt afford to do this truck the way i want it.not trying to get all sentimental,just want the people that take all the extra time to know how valuable it can be to others.its worth its weight in "old chevy trucks"

[PA-IndianRider]

I have seen the "clamps" you are using in the Eastwood catalog.... they appear to work pretty good????? Worth the money???? Chopping a top as soon as the winter weather is over with in PA.