Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Nice work!!

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Thanks guys.

Got the driver side door aligned and gapped for the most part. Started to work on the driver side fender to door gap. The goal is a uniform straight 3/16" gap all around the door and fender to cab. I had to fabricate the upper fender mount to cab because the cage nuts that were originally on there were welded directly to the fender by the previous rebuilder. I welded a 3/8 square nut to the bottom of a sheet metal cage and then welded it onto the cab over the location of the old mount. I was able to get the height of the fender pretty close with some shims.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Spent another day trying to get the body lines on the driver side to line up well and get the door and fender gaps rounded and uniform. I made a little tool out of 3 1/16" body shims to help mark the fender gap line where I want it. One of the shims fit inside the gap and the other two were bolted on 90 degrees out to fit over the panel being marked, and I slid the shims with a marker top to bottom to draw a line exactly 3/16" away from the adjacent panel gap.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

I decided to redo the way I had my bearclaw latches set up. Originally I had the latches in the door and the striker on the door frame. I hadn't figured out my door handle situation yet, but the setup wasn't that clean. I decided to switch the latch and put the latch in the door frame and the striker on the door. I know they make kits for covering up the latch both on the door and in the door frame but I just cut out a template from some 16 ga and made my own. Both sides came out super clean and I will probably end up using poppers under the latches to open them.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

And the other side:

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Robin Hood

Fandamtastic work. I'm thinking of this approach to the bear claw on my build as soon as I complete my shed (with the temp hang between 0 & 15 degrees, it tough to put siding on after you lose feeling in your toes and fingers.

How are you going to open the doors from the inside for you to get out, the bear claw is behind you. what will you put on the inside door panel to use to open the popper?

Thanks ahead of time.

Nut Case

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Thanks Nut Case. Yeah it was 80 degrees and sunny when I worked on those latches yesterday. To open the door from the inside, it will probably have to be controlled by a momentary switch wired in the door connected to the handle. Pull the door handle, hits the switch, opens the door. One for each side. Could have buttons on a switch panel too. I think you would need a safety interlock that locks the doors while driving, or a way to lock the latch. That's really more of a wiring issue, and I'm not there yet.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

I got my stock door handle holes filled in today and started getting the passenger side fender on and lined up. Not where I want it yet, but much better than it was.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Some more work done today. Got my passenger fender aligned better and set the gap, I think it needs a little more tweaking but its pretty good. Put the hood on just to see where it would line up, its gonna need alot of work to get it right. I need to fab the flip kit for the hood still before I get the lines set.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Originally you planned to have the cab 2 inches back to center the front wheels. Later you switched to a stock frame. I am wondering if the front end is still 2 inches forward from stock or did the frame switch make a difference in your measuring. It looks just right.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Hey washington blue,
When I was using the C10 frame initially, I didnt adjust the wheel base any at all from stock because the truck wasnt going to be lowered to the point where the wheels would be set high into the wheel wells. When I set the cab mounts up using the C10 frame, I used the same front wheel center hub to cab mount distance measurement as stock. When I switched back to the original frame, I did move the front wheelbase 2" forward from the cab mount location because I planned to have it significantly lower. I have a feeling it might be 1/2" too far forward, but it also depends on the wheel size I will actually be running and I think that is one of the things that maybe only I will notice. Thanks for checking out my build!

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Thanks, about an inch and a half longer than stock sounds good. I believe I will try that amount on mine, I don't mind shortening as needed but would hate to have to stretch the frame. Thanks again, I will follow along as you go.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Dont know where I missed this one... but great story! - My build kinda started out the same way, bought the "built chassis" first and then tried to fit a truck to it... Wanted to build a pro-touring at first, then this chassis made me go to the wild side.... went DRAG!

My mock up body was 56 cab and front clip and bed that I found nearby, then I found a complete '57 3600 farm truck and purchased it. So the truck became a '57 PRO-Street. Love the 57 more than any, and then I took it one step further because I like the '58 'dish-hood'. We transplanted a '58 hood onto the '57 and the slant look came out perfect....

Your truck is coming along real nice, keep up the good work.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Hey ptc thanks for checking out my build. After learning a lot more about these trucks, I think I like the 57 most. I've been looking at your truck every time I get on here, looks great!

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

With the firewall being smoothed, I didnt want to clutter it up with hood hinges as it already had the brake booster and clutch master cylinder on it and that is more than I wanted on there already. I saw a few people on here setting up a flip style hood and figured that was probably the best way to get the hood open and closing in a smooth manner. I saw there were kits available, but I couldn't see spending that much for a few pieces of metal, some rollers, and some heims. It took a few hours and soms trial and error fitting with the roller wheels and the racks but I got it working pretty much perfect.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Awesome fab work! Amazing what a welder and a plan can do

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Cool build! The rounded door corner at the cowl really looks good. It kind of makes me regret not doing the same on my '58

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Hey thanks! I wasn't sure about the rounded corner on the door initially but I think it fits the flow of the cab better.
I worked a little more on getting the hood flip set up right where I want it and cleaning it up. Cut out and repaired some leaded body repairs on my front cab pillars as well.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Been working hard on the truck but I havent been taking pictures. I got some different wheels because the backspace on the rears was to low and they wouldnt fit under the fenders. Wasnt a huge fan of the looks anyways. I picked up some Corvette C5 wheels, I think they look pretty good. Fronts will need a 1" spacer, rears will probably be able to take a spacer but I dont know yet if I will put one on.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Also been starting some of the bodywork on the panels and getting everything smooth and straight. I started by examining closely the entire body and circling all the dents and depressions I could see and filled those in and sanded them down. Then I skim coated the large flat areas of the sheet metal and any panel height differences I could see. I read that a light skim coat of filler and a smooth, light sanding with low grit fresh paper is the best way to start getting things straight. As long as I keep the filler off of the door edges I think it will come out good.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

a long straight edge and some planning will go a long way for body work. try to get the metalwork as level as possible before adding filler. there is a little book titled "the key to metal bumping" that may help you figure out how to best go about getting the metal flat before adding filler. at the end of the day though, do what you can with what you have and prime. block sand and prime with high build, sand, prime, sand, prime etc till you are satisfied.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Havent been taking many pictures as ive been going nonstop to try to get everything shot with primer. I was able to get the cab done first. I used Eastwood epoxy for the first DTM coat. It was pretty easy to mix and spray and I think it came out decent. I still have some adjustments and some filler to finish sanding on the fenders before they will be ready. Also still need to finish some sanding on the hood. I think on the cab I didnt sand the filler with high enough grit to fully feather out the edges as you can barely see the outline of some of the rougher surfaces of the filler, so I will sand it down after the epoxy is totally cured.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Still havent been taking pictures that often, but I got my front fenders in primer and some of the valance pieces. They came out pretty good, also still have some pinholes and sanding scratches to get smoothed out. I will shoot another coat of epoxy over everything again and then start the high build prime block sand step by step until it looks good.
Started a little bit on the bed as well, my bed sides are pretty smoked but theyre all I got so I will have to repair them. The fender mounting holes are pretty much all rusted out and below the angle strip the side is totally pitted out. I will plan to shoot POR15 over the area under the rear fenders and under the angle strip. I had to cut out the bedsides for the wheels, dont know yet if I will make tubs for it.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Its been about a month or so since ive posted but ive still been working hard on the truck and ive gotten a lot done, even though it doesn't seem like it. I mocked up the entire drivetrain and running gear to dry fit everything and test it before blowing it all apart to finish the bodywork and get painting. I drove the truck around a little on my driveway and it was pretty fun, even though it was only half there. I pulled the engine out and put it back in for what I'm planning to be last of many times here. Just pulled the cab off to finish the bodywork and get ready for paint. I had the engine out just to paint the entire thing and mount a timing tab which I hadnt realized I was missing. Next will be moving on to start painting smaller things and finish up on the cab.

Re: 1957 Chevy 3600 Mild Custom Build
 

Made some simple exhaust hangers for my simple exhaust system. Used an angled weld tab with 2 holes drilled through it, pressed a 3/8" ID bushing through one of the holes and bolted it to the frame. Then bent up some pieces of 3/8" round stock and pushed the stock through the bushing. It sticks out far enough so I wont ever have to worry about it coming out until I need to remove the collector flange from the header.