56chevtrk build thread
- Thread starter 56chevtrk
- Start date
Looks good. This should be interesting. Let us have it.
truck looks great...winter is almost here so we will need lots to read and plenty of pictures...giddy up and get at er....eh.
Looking forward to this...I have an almost stock orange one. It needs some updating, so I am ready to follow along!
Greg
Greg
I can't believe I did not take any pictures of bringing the truck home. It was for the most part in boxes and one big wooden crate that looked like it had travelled overseas! As mentioned I am the second and fourth owner of this truck. I bought it in the early 1970's off of the original owner for $300.00. I was alley cruising for furniture while going to school at the U of L and noticed it sitting in a back yard and an older fellow throwing grass clipping and branches onto the already large pile in the box. I'm sure he was over the height of the cab, still pilling. I popped my head over the fence admiring the truck and asked him if he would consider selling it. He immediately said yes but I had to take all the trash with it. Deal was struck!!! Not sure where I got the money as I was dirt poor thus the alley cruising for furniture. Must have been beer money...
The truck had what I think was the original V8 with a later 3 speed standard transmission installed. The V8 did not live very long and crapped out in front of a 7-11 sore in south Lethbridge. A good friend who had a 57 pickup just pulled a rebuilt 6 cylinder out of it and I grabbed it and installed it. The 6 popped right in the front pin motor mount holes already in the frame. The V8 front pin holes were actually on factory mounts also. Prooved the truck was a V8 truck...actually was a V8 automatic (Hydromatic) truck but more on that later.
A few years later I sold the truck to my then girlfriends brother for $1300.00 as I came across another deal I could not refuse. It was a 1968 3/4 ton Dodge Power Wagon. I was fixing to move to B.C. and figured I needed a big 4x4. That truck was fantastic and served me well in the mountains for almost 10 years. That truck is another story but I had no camera when living in the mountains.
My then girlfriends brother kept the truck for over 35 years and when he was getting ready to retire to the Island - the day before he left - I guess he remembered me saying "...if you ever want to sell it - call me." He called and I bought it back for $2000.00 as said mostly in parts. I had figured the truck gone as he had had a few kids that I had thought would have trashed it. However he never let his kids drive it and he was not very mechanical. He was the first to admit it!!!
So I have attached some frame photos to start this build. This is a 1980 Chev C10 short wheelbase frame that we shortened about 2 1/2 inches behind the cab but before the front rear leaf spring hangars. After cutting the front and rear cab mounts off the bent original frame I took the rear cab mounts - after many measurements - and clamped them onto the frame. After a few more measurements it looked like to me that the rear cab mounting holes would line right up - and sure enough they did! After placing the cab on the frame with the rear cab mounts clamped onto the frame the rear cab mount bolts dropped right into the mounts. That was fortuitous - or so I thought. Knowing what I know now I might have straightened the original frame or found another one as there was then more aftermarket stuff to bolt on the original frame than the 1980 one. Now fortunately they have many suspension upgrades for the square body frames.
The 1980 frame drops down over 3 inches to the engine bay area so you can see the modified front cab mounts had to be lifted. The hardest by far was the front rad support mounts. Luckily I had a few square body frames laying around from my last 4x4 square body build. The little angle brackets used are from one of them. It took lots of measurements and moving things around while installing the inner fenders, outer fenders, rad support, grille and hood to establish exactly where all would have to live! I know now I should have moved it back another 3/8ths of an inch to give me just a bit more room between distributor and firewall but I'm pretty sure we are okay there.
This photo shows the front rad support mount and the modified front bumper mounts.
This photo below is the lifted front cab mount welded on to frame. Note the lift.
The below photo is rear cab mount welded on frame. You can also see here that I lifted the floor of the box an 1 and 1/2 or so to compensate for "kick up" of the 1980 frame.
A shot of the entire frame getting ready for Eastwood 2K epoxy primer and frame paint.
And another of the frame getting ready for paint.
Please note that all welding and frame shortening was done by a certified welder with decades of experience. When checked for square and level this frame when we got done with it was "bang on." probably better than from the factory. He really is a meticulous fabricator/welder and was invaluable. I would spend days measuring, clamping, moving, clamping, measuring...you get the picture... before he came by to "burn some rod."
The truck had what I think was the original V8 with a later 3 speed standard transmission installed. The V8 did not live very long and crapped out in front of a 7-11 sore in south Lethbridge. A good friend who had a 57 pickup just pulled a rebuilt 6 cylinder out of it and I grabbed it and installed it. The 6 popped right in the front pin motor mount holes already in the frame. The V8 front pin holes were actually on factory mounts also. Prooved the truck was a V8 truck...actually was a V8 automatic (Hydromatic) truck but more on that later.
A few years later I sold the truck to my then girlfriends brother for $1300.00 as I came across another deal I could not refuse. It was a 1968 3/4 ton Dodge Power Wagon. I was fixing to move to B.C. and figured I needed a big 4x4. That truck was fantastic and served me well in the mountains for almost 10 years. That truck is another story but I had no camera when living in the mountains.
My then girlfriends brother kept the truck for over 35 years and when he was getting ready to retire to the Island - the day before he left - I guess he remembered me saying "...if you ever want to sell it - call me." He called and I bought it back for $2000.00 as said mostly in parts. I had figured the truck gone as he had had a few kids that I had thought would have trashed it. However he never let his kids drive it and he was not very mechanical. He was the first to admit it!!!
So I have attached some frame photos to start this build. This is a 1980 Chev C10 short wheelbase frame that we shortened about 2 1/2 inches behind the cab but before the front rear leaf spring hangars. After cutting the front and rear cab mounts off the bent original frame I took the rear cab mounts - after many measurements - and clamped them onto the frame. After a few more measurements it looked like to me that the rear cab mounting holes would line right up - and sure enough they did! After placing the cab on the frame with the rear cab mounts clamped onto the frame the rear cab mount bolts dropped right into the mounts. That was fortuitous - or so I thought. Knowing what I know now I might have straightened the original frame or found another one as there was then more aftermarket stuff to bolt on the original frame than the 1980 one. Now fortunately they have many suspension upgrades for the square body frames.
The 1980 frame drops down over 3 inches to the engine bay area so you can see the modified front cab mounts had to be lifted. The hardest by far was the front rad support mounts. Luckily I had a few square body frames laying around from my last 4x4 square body build. The little angle brackets used are from one of them. It took lots of measurements and moving things around while installing the inner fenders, outer fenders, rad support, grille and hood to establish exactly where all would have to live! I know now I should have moved it back another 3/8ths of an inch to give me just a bit more room between distributor and firewall but I'm pretty sure we are okay there.
This photo shows the front rad support mount and the modified front bumper mounts.
This photo below is the lifted front cab mount welded on to frame. Note the lift.
The below photo is rear cab mount welded on frame. You can also see here that I lifted the floor of the box an 1 and 1/2 or so to compensate for "kick up" of the 1980 frame.
A shot of the entire frame getting ready for Eastwood 2K epoxy primer and frame paint.
And another of the frame getting ready for paint.
Please note that all welding and frame shortening was done by a certified welder with decades of experience. When checked for square and level this frame when we got done with it was "bang on." probably better than from the factory. He really is a meticulous fabricator/welder and was invaluable. I would spend days measuring, clamping, moving, clamping, measuring...you get the picture... before he came by to "burn some rod."
Thanks, interesting. Keep it coming
Here is a couple of pictures showing where and how we cut and shortened the frame.
Although I ground down the weld on the outside I did not touch it on the inside so lots of weld remaining on both sides. After this I finished sand blasting and cleaning the frame before spraying Eastwood 2K epoxy primer and paint. I went with Eastwood products here because you can purchase normal 2K paint that you shoot with a air compressor and paint gun plus they have basically a 2K product of the same stuff that comes in spray bombs to get in those hard to reach areas. It went on fairly nice with only a few runs on the first coat but they sanded out and the second coat went on even nicer. I will send more frame photos next.
Although I ground down the weld on the outside I did not touch it on the inside so lots of weld remaining on both sides. After this I finished sand blasting and cleaning the frame before spraying Eastwood 2K epoxy primer and paint. I went with Eastwood products here because you can purchase normal 2K paint that you shoot with a air compressor and paint gun plus they have basically a 2K product of the same stuff that comes in spray bombs to get in those hard to reach areas. It went on fairly nice with only a few runs on the first coat but they sanded out and the second coat went on even nicer. I will send more frame photos next.
One more batch tonight of some of the sheet metal work I did. I can't find any pictures of my putting in the steps or cab corners but here is one of the lower door hinges and some work I had to do on the top of a front fender. I also had to do the hinge pocket which is visible in one of the photos. I thought the retro-parts fit very well. All from Taiwan I am sure! To be truthful I think John had to clean up my fender repair before it went to paint as it did not meet his high standards. The final product is all the better for it! There will be some more pictures of the door bottoms and an interior piece I call the lower dash extension that John and I did also coming later.
The body I had to work with was really in very good shape for its age. No swiss cheese for me!!!
The body I had to work with was really in very good shape for its age. No swiss cheese for me!!!
Last edited:
Good stuff. Well done.
Heres a few more pictures of body pieces after cleaning and some minor repairs and as was often the case a coat of spray bomb etch primer. I'm pretty sure the body shop was hating on my etch primer after a while but I was worried about flash rust after sand and soda blasting and sanding. As it turned out its too dry here to have to worry too much about flash rusting.
I'm sure I filled about 250 holes in the firewall leaving a few open. I made a dolly out of some pallets I had laying around and put some wheels under it which allowed for easy movement outside for blasting. Also one of the few photos of the new steps installed. They were the second pieces I welded in after the cab corners. I'm glad there are no close-up pictures of the cab corners because it was not very pretty. Took way more cleaning up then they should have.The underside or floor of the cab was in pretty good shape except some dummy in the 1970's cut a hole in the floor in order to get the linkage for a 3 speed transmission installed - oh wait that dummy was me! Used another Eastwood product to undercoat the floor and I think it turned out pretty good. Finally lots of sanding and some dent removal on the back of the cab.
Really this truck was in good shape compared to many I've seen restored. I got lucky.
I'm sure I filled about 250 holes in the firewall leaving a few open. I made a dolly out of some pallets I had laying around and put some wheels under it which allowed for easy movement outside for blasting. Also one of the few photos of the new steps installed. They were the second pieces I welded in after the cab corners. I'm glad there are no close-up pictures of the cab corners because it was not very pretty. Took way more cleaning up then they should have.The underside or floor of the cab was in pretty good shape except some dummy in the 1970's cut a hole in the floor in order to get the linkage for a 3 speed transmission installed - oh wait that dummy was me! Used another Eastwood product to undercoat the floor and I think it turned out pretty good. Finally lots of sanding and some dent removal on the back of the cab.
Really this truck was in good shape compared to many I've seen restored. I got lucky.
And some more of bodywork. The first two are the door bottoms that I got John in Lethbridge to do for me. I had tried one and it got away on me real bad. I quickly cut it off and no known pictures are known to exist. I was too scared to remove the door skins by myself but John made the call and we removed them in his shop. By far the best way to do it. His method of using Mig wire to tack the bottoms on and then to Tig weld it produced a very narrow heat-affected-zone. Really a thing of beauty to watch a pro at work.
I should add John did much more work on the doors besides the bottoms. He worked on the gaps as well. One door was original to the cab and the other was from another old cab I purchased for parts. That door was a bit more difficult but I think the gaps worked out really good.
The last 2 photos are what I call the lower dash extensions. I came up with the idea and John figured out how to do it. I am really happy with the final result which you all will see later.
I should add John did much more work on the doors besides the bottoms. He worked on the gaps as well. One door was original to the cab and the other was from another old cab I purchased for parts. That door was a bit more difficult but I think the gaps worked out really good.
The last 2 photos are what I call the lower dash extensions. I came up with the idea and John figured out how to do it. I am really happy with the final result which you all will see later.
Well I'm on a roll tonight. Here's some photos of my first full mockups of the body on the frame. I actually think these are before I shortened the frame. After bolting everything on I saw that the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the box was excessive. It was about 3 inches and that was just not going to fly. Thus we cut about 2 1/2 inches out of the frame.
I can't even remember how many times I put the cab on and took it off again as well many of the other parts. The trickiest part was once the front fenders and hood were on I had to get the front rad support height established.
I was also finally getting a look at where my suspension was going to site after doing a 4/6 drop. I used a lowering spindle so far keeping the original 1980 front coil springs in and got lowering shackles as wells removing a couple of leaf springs. I have no idea what the ride is going to be like but am thinking new tubular A-frames and a four link rear are in my future. We will see how it rides in the spring.
I can't even remember how many times I put the cab on and took it off again as well many of the other parts. The trickiest part was once the front fenders and hood were on I had to get the front rad support height established.
I was also finally getting a look at where my suspension was going to site after doing a 4/6 drop. I used a lowering spindle so far keeping the original 1980 front coil springs in and got lowering shackles as wells removing a couple of leaf springs. I have no idea what the ride is going to be like but am thinking new tubular A-frames and a four link rear are in my future. We will see how it rides in the spring.
If we all admitted how many times we had the body on and off then we’d be here for months.