Patina56 build aka the never ending story

[Patina56]

Warning! Long post!

This is a build that starts way back in 2005 when I picked up a very nice original paint 56 short bed.
I had wanted a tri 5 truck since I was around 14 back in the 80’s and a neighbor in so cal was the king of Camaro clips. I got to see some of the cool trucks he worked on and it put them in my mental radar.
Fast forward 20 years and I’m cruising Craigslist one day and I see an interesting project truck listed for $3500 and looks like a pretty good deal but, as I was in the middle of a 54 bel air build I wasn’t actively looking.
I keep seeing it sitting there not selling! After several weeks I see it now for just $1500! Can’t pass this up so made the trip out and it was even better in person, 56 big window last on the road in ‘75 must have spent most of its life in a garage as the rust is very minimal. It was an abandoned project with some mid 90’s mods including a Gibbons torsion bar front clip, Lincoln Versailles rear with ladder bars. Also included a low mileage ‘87 z28 tuneport 350 and 700r4.
Deal done I loaded it up and took it home.
1st time around was total junkyard build; early van column eBay headers and a Jegs fuel cell. Got it to run and drive and then basically life happens and it sat for a while.
Next incarnation was a little more money on new stuff and then life happened some more and it sat…this time for more that 10 years.
So now we are up to 2020 and the desire Is back.
I realize that I need to start from the ground up as the torsion bar front was not going to be good enough, I wanted bags and it just made sense to go m2, found a bare chassis and made some plans.
But,
As I do I’m cruising marketplace and come across a full custom air ride chassis for sale. Mind starts turning and math is being done and I convince myself that this is the way to go.
I get the chassis which turns out to be a Rydman ranch ‘65 c10 based chassis that had been modified to just 102’ wheels base. I contact Spencer Rydman and have him fab up some extensions to get me out to 115’ then the fun begin
too be continued…

Attached photos from way back when I first started with the low budget build

[Patina56]

I’ll be posting more photos and more details as soon as I get them organized so they make some kind of sense, well as much sense as this build has been!

[youngrodder]

Looking forward to seeing this one. Look on the bright side with the popularity of Patina trucks you could not even find a like truck these days for less than $5k. You made an investment you just didn't realize it back in 2005.

Marc

[mongocanfly]

Thumbs up...nice truck.!!!

[oldman3]

Ready for more pics and updates...Jim

[dsraven]

115 wheelbase seems long, how low do you plan to go with it?
pics please. do you have pics of the new frame by itself?
I recommend getting a copy of the assembly manual. available online for a free download from the tri5 site, just google 55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual and pick the tri5 site. you maybe wanna put that on a thumb drive for future reference. it has frame drawings with dimensons.

[Patina56]

Originally Posted by dsraven

115 wheelbase seems long, how low do you plan to go with it?
pics please. do you have pics of the new frame by itself?
I recommend getting a copy of the assembly manual. available online for a free download from the tri5 site, just google 55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual and pick the tri5 site. you maybe wanna put that on a thumb drive for future reference. it has frame drawings with dimensons.

It’s going to be all the way down, 114 sets the wheel too far back when it’s low. I have the assembly manual since day 1 and it is well worth it.

[Patina56]

Ok, more of my past progress. As I said in the 1st post the torsion front end was not going to cut it, I wanted it low and airbags were in the plan. There was going to be too much work to get that Gibbons crossmember off so I started looking for a new frame to slap a m2 under and basically build it up and swap over the cab and bed.
Found a good frame for $400 and 2 weeks after I brought it home I found the Rydman chassis and after mulling it over I pulled the trigger and bought it.
There were some challenges with using it as it was originally a 65 frame that was then shortened to 102” wheelbase, no biggie I can stretch it out. Next was I need cab and bed mounts and some other cutting and shuffling.

Pictures of the new chassis

[Patina56]

A few mock up pics showing the front wheel spacing, since I’m going with 22” wheels I wanted to be sure it would not look too far back in the wheel well when down. It’s hard to see from the pictures but I marked the visual centers of the wheel arch where it looked best to me. As of now the frame is only tacked together so once I have all the parts in final mock up I can drag it outside for a final look.
The tape is marked with the up and down positions of the front wheel center.

[G&R's57GMC]

Very interesting . Now if you can keep everything above the bottom of the frame rails, you’ll be able to lay frame and even do a bit of areo clean up along the frame.
Just be sure that the rocker panels are at least 1/2” higher then the frame rails .

BTW be sure to leave the wife plenty of room to get to the laundry without tripping on the frame .

[Patina56]

I did set it up to be just above the frame when all the way down, it’s hard to see but the picture is looking under the drivers side rocker and you can just make out the frame rail.
Ps the picture with the washer was from the guy I got it from I think maybe his wife made him sell it 😆

[youngrodder]

You got a hell of e deal on that Frame. Rydman makes some nice frames. Really liking where this one is going.

Marc

[joedoh]

sheesh another 56! I need to work on mine

great start!

[Patina56]

Thanks everyone, I still have a ton of work ahead but it’s tough finding garage time!
Currently working on getting cab and bed mounts fabbed up. Previously I had bought some stock style from Spencer Rydman but anyone who has put a later chassis under a tf probably knows the problem is that it puts the cab about 4” lower than it should be. Fronts should be done in the next day or so and the rear should be done this weekend.
Then on to engine and transmission mounts.
I’m hoping I can get everything thrown together so I can drag it out to the c10 show next month.

The pictures are of a rusty parts truck I bought for the bed and I cut the cab down to floor and cowl for mocking up the cab mounting. The driveway picture shows how the stock mounts put it way too low, didn’t have enough lift to be drivable.

[Patina56]

These pictures are earlier shots from when it was slumbering at the future mil house for about 4 years.
The bel air is still in hibernation but last year I started to pull parts of the 56 to start fitting up to the donor cowl.
After getting it close I put into a storage unit for the last push of striping the cab and setting it to the new chassis.

[Patina56]

And here it is going onto the new chassis where I soon realized was going to sit too low with the stock style cab mounts. So first thought was to make some spacers out of delrin but after thinking about it I realized that there were a few issues one being that 4” was going to put a lot of strain on the mounts and also it just would not look good. So looking at how some of the pros did it I made up a design out of construction paper and transferred it to 3/16” and got to hacking!

[dsraven]

noce job. will you protect the parts with some weld through zinc primer or something where they are layered before you bolt them or finish weld them to the frame?

[Patina56]

Originally Posted by dsraven

noce job. will you protect the parts with some weld through zinc primer or something where they are layered before you bolt them or finish weld them to the frame?

The cab mounts are going to be bolt on so not there. I use it mostly on sheet metal, I’m not too worried about the frame welds

[Patina56]

Hoping to get some time this weekend for this project, disc brake conversion for the 12 bolt rear and some wilwood calipers for the front. Maybe even get to bend some lines

[Patina56]

A little update; cab mounts finally finished and began front frame modifications.
Needed to redo the frame horns since this is a modified ‘66 frame it was too high and too narrow or fit the radiator support and bumper.
At this point one side just needs some grinding and the other is in place and need to finish boxing in.
Had to test fit the front sheet metal just to see if all my measurements were correct.
This weekend I want to get them totally done and I’ll be adding a crossmember behind the bumper and then to get the bed mounted

[youngrodder]

Very nice..Looking good...

Marc

[Patina56]

Thanks Marc, slowly but surely

[dsraven]

looking great. by the pics th bumper looks lower than the tires but it's prolly the angle.
don't be afraid to fab up new mounts on the rad support, it's only steel. you can always weld it back on, not like that darn wood stuff. on my frame swap I built a whole new rad support from square tube and 16 Ga. I just needed the rad and a/c condensor further forward than stock to allow room for a fan etc.

[Patina56]

The bumper is an illusion due to the angle of the picture, later today I’m putting it on the ground and then I’ll get a clearer shot of how it’s sitting . And yes rad support mounts will be fabbed up out of some tubing, wood is there as a spacer during mock up

[CG]

From the pics you definitely have the skill set to make this and incredible truck.