Project 58 daily driver

[Madd Doc]

A little history about this build thread, started out about a year and a half ago finding a rusty 58 chevy truck for a restoration project. I was plugging along just fine when about 3 months ago I ran into a buddy from work, the usual conversations ensued and he asked what I was working on, I told him about the 58 and he said he had one with a factory v8 that runs and was looking to sell it, long story short I bought the truck and drove it home. This project will be a daily driver so the tasks will be broken down into small jobs that will not take the truck down for long extended periods of time, I actually like working this way since I can loose interest is projects if I cant drive them once in a while.

Since I have two project trucks going two completely different directions I need two build threads so here I go!

This is the truck when I bought it, its a 58 chevy 3100, long bed, V8 4 speed. There are some rust issues but not as severe as my other one.

[Madd Doc]

Started on that rusty cab.

before I started


made some progress, still undecided about the drip rail, I rains a lot here so I may rebuild it or make it curve down and end right behind the door.

[Kim57]

Looks like a decent truck.
Don't you just hate how these things rust in the oddest places.
Kim

[Madd Doc]

Got some more rust removal done, this time above the passenger door also picked up a planishing hammer, made those compound patches much easier.

[Kim57]

The repair came out rel nice.
Kim

[_Ogre]

good looking truck.
4 eyed apache, what's not to like about it?

[Madd Doc]

Little progress here and there, I will remember to take some pic's. I did remove the drivers door today as it was sagging on the hinges and being a pain to close, pulled the hinges apart and bead blasted then painted, spent about 30 minutes on the metal lathe turning some new bushing and now they are good as new. Re installed and the door closed smooth as silk, well as good as these truck get anyway.

[Madd Doc]

Raining today so I decided to tackle a inside project, my truck came with these rusty old chromed valve covers, decided to take a run at cleaning them up and powder coating them with a high gloss black.

here is what I started with


one is primed and sanded the other is just primed


all done
Came out ok, may have to install them when it quits raining.

[Kim57]

They came out nice.
Kim

[Madd Doc]

has anyone done a power steering conversion using the 79 to 85 Toyota 4x4 steering box? I put out a wanted ad here and found 4 of them locally. I like it better than the mid 70 style with the tire clearance issue. Just wondering if I should use a GM pump and have hoses made or just fab up a bracket and use the yota pump and hoses?

[dmack91]

I did a Toy PS conversion on my 50 F*rd F1. I used a saginaw pump and everything works fine. Make sure to get the PS box fittings when you get the box. One of them is an unusual 17mm that is very difficult to find.

[Madd Doc]

Since the sun came out again I went after the last of that rusty back window,

before


after

[Kim57]

Looks pretty good in the pic.
Kim

[Madd Doc]

Now that I have all the rust removed I have been struggling with the finish work, getting the style line straight and consistent with the rest of the cab is stretching my limited body working skills to there limit, after a couple of failures I came up with a different approach, the photos show how I made a mold of the style line from the door frame and then used that mold to shape the filler on the rebuilt section with excellent results.

First I sprayed 3m 77 adhesive on some aluminum foil and pressed it to the section of the door frame making sure to remove all the creases and getting it stuck down.


Then I put down 3 layers of masking tape to simulate the thickness of the sand paper.


Next I applied a layer of plastic filler, the pics don't show but I cut and pressed a piece of metal window screen material into the wet filler then applied more over the top, I put the wood stick in last and taped it in place till the filler dried to have something to hold on to while using it.


Once it was dry enough to remove without distorting its shape I pulled the aluminum foil back and used compressed air to pop the mold off, a little sanding and cleaning up the edges and it ready to use,


In this photo you can see how the mold is contoured


and the final product now well used and the style line is straight and consistent in shape, I'll put up some pics of the style line when I get the primer put on.

[Kim57]

Nice job on the sanding block.
Kim

[Madd Doc]

Finally got a little sunshine and it warmed up enough to shoot some primer on that cab, got the window installed with a new rubber, had to fab a tool from pictures to get that bead lock strip in, once I figured that out it went in fairly easy. I think it looks OK with the drip rail ending at the doors.

[Kim57]

Looks O.K. to me also.
Kim

[Madd Doc]

Thanks Kim, I pondered removing the entire drip rail or replacing the entire thing for quite a while. Still wasn't sure I would be happy with the decision to leave it over the doors, until I had it primed and the window put back in. It does rain a lot here, around 60 inches a year and the drip rail does help to keep the water off the top of the doors.

[Madd Doc]

Here is a question I hope someone has an answer for. When starting the engine will crank and crank but not actually fire up until I release the key. I am sure it has to do with voltage to the ballast resistor but am not sure.

Thanks

[Katrina/10]

xx

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Madd Doc

Here is a question I hope someone has an answer for. When starting the engine will crank and crank but not actually fire up until I release the key. I am sure it has to do with voltage to the ballast resistor but am not sure.

Thanks

There should be a wire from the starter that bypasses the ballast resistor and gives the points full 12v for starting

[Madd Doc]

Thanks Ogre, that wire was missing, once I put a new one on it starts right up. I also changed the lube in the trans, looked like it hadn't been done since 1958. The trans is now significantly quieter.

[Madd Doc]

Weather if finally letting me get some work done, tore apart the fleet side bed in preparation for paint, does any body know what years wheel house will work on the 58, I heard up to 66 is the same?

[made2drag]

i have read that 55-66 rear stepside fenders were the same. 55-87 stepside bed boxes are the same except where the bed mount holes are. not 100% on all this but im pretty sure that's what i read somewhere.

[_Ogre]

fleetside bed? where did that enter the mix?