|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Thanks Alan. I still have years more stuff to post, but it's somewhat tedious since I'm doing everything in reverse order and trying to keep it somewhat chronological.
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Again, some of this information may be out of sequence or seen previously in a different thread, but I’m working to get everything posted in one place.
One of the joys of driving a vintage vehicle is the risk of damage. The original windshield survived 38 years with nothing more than a few chips. The replacement windshield installed during the paint job lasted only six years when it got whacked with a huge rock. Broken windshields are very common with winter driving in North Idaho. This one wasn’t getting fixed with a good polishing or chip repair. http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9558/ws000.jpg Quite a few additional changes occurred in 2007. After several modifications over the years, what was left of the exhaust system installed in 1991 was getting pretty tired. About this time I also realized the original rear torsion bar crossmember was completely unnecessary. Here’s a before picture with the crossmember in place as viewed from the rear: http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/9927/beforeaa.jpg And here's the same area viewed from the front after the crossmember was removed. This allowed for much cleaner routing of the new pipes. http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3161/afteran.jpg As can be seen, the old pipes looked pathetic: http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9404/004jda.jpg http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3128/003go.jpg So the truck made a trip over to Discount Muffler in Spokane for a new custom exhaust. They do a great deal of high end custom work (well beyond my budget), but the workmanship on my new system was beautiful. A great deal of effort was invested making sure everything came out square, level, and parallel. It’s the nicest custom exhaust system I’ve ever owned: http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/2155/000un.jpg http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5361/002erf.jpg http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5407/003qzsd.jpg http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9113/001hra.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
I like the H-Pipe Mark!
:metal: |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
I debated for a long time whether to include one or not. Every piece of advice I found indicated they improve low end torque and quiet the system, but I wasn't sure I wanted it quieter. At first I was marginally disappointed with the sound level, until my wife drove the truck and I heard it from the outside. To me, with the H pipe it sounds exactly like a 60's era Corvette, and is much more impressive than when it was louder. It only took a few days to appreciate the addition.
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
You can definitely tell the difference in sound when you add a H-Pipe or X-Pipe.
I can vouch for that being around Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and owning Mustang GT's and having friends with late model mustangs, camaros, Firebirds. Yep..... X-pipe and H-pipes synchronize the balance of the exhaust pulses from each bank of cylinders based on firing order which increases velocity and scavenging from each cylinder. Most people agree that X-pipes are better at improving performance than H-pipes, especially at the top end. However, H-pipes tend to have a deeper sound than x-pipe equipped vehicles and generally build power down low. That's why I like H-Pipes better due to the deeper sound & low end torque. An X-pipe's greatest advantage is due to the bends are smoother at the convergence, the flow and scavenging are both better, and hence the X-pipe is worth more power. All H-Pipes and X-Pipes are not all made the same as you can see on Jegs and Summit website. And the sound is different with different headers, mufflers and the way it's cammed. Most H-Pipes to me sound better with a chambered muffler. I can't remember if I ever heard an X-Pipe with a canister style muffler. I want to add an H-Pipe on my truck later. Right now the exhaust system is temporary. Although I have been getting way too many compliments on Dad's Homemade Drive Shaft Mufflers.:lol: There made out of what? Dang....:metal: Old School Cool |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
About this time I got the bug to improve the instrument panel. To recap dash changes up to this point, I’d changed the instrument panel twice since eliminating the original gauge cluster.
Here’s the original: http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/1750/001xhe.jpg And here’s the first replacement panel. http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/3720/002lnr.jpg Being an old school guy I wanted to install a full set of Stewart Warner gauges, with a Sun Tach on the dashboard. None of my local suppliers carried S&W any longer due to terrible customer service to the dealers, and genuine Sun tachs were essentially unavailable until Ebay came along many years later. So I ended up buying a package deal of VDO gauges. Most of them worked okay, but I quickly became disappointed with the design because the rims were very undersized and I soured on the look. In fact the rims are so tiny the gauge will fall through the dash hole if cut even slightly oversize. The panel layout being a plain linear design I quickly found it boring to look at: Since the panel was easy to create, I whipped up another version which spaced the gauges out so I had a clear view of all the gauge faces through the steering wheel arc. It was very functional, but it didn’t take long to find it ugly as well: http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8759/003yucl.jpg Eventually I found an NOS Sun tach long cup on Ebay and was inspired to mount the tach on top of the dash. Unable to afford a real Sun tach, I settled on a Moon tach. At the time they were being produced for Moon by Autometer. http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/462/moontach.jpg (This turned out to be a perfect match for the Autometer gauges I would install later). Current full sweep Moon tachs are manufactured by Classic Instruments, and don’t look nearly as impressive in my opinion. A bit of simple adapting was required to fit the Autometer head into the Sun cup. In order to give the instrument panel a more vintage look, I also sourced an NOS Sun vacuum gauge. Being 50+ years old it read about 3 pounds low and was eventually replaced with different gauges and adapters. http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/4347/004ycv.jpg I moved the speedometer to the left end of the cluster and mounted the vacuum gauge on the right end, with the tach up top. Unfortunately, the mechanical speedometer cable could not be connected on the left end due to interference with the firewall. This required the expense of an electric speedo to resolve the problem. http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5237/005nfb.jpg Some time later I again grew tired of the dash layout, so another panel was created which eliminated the second 3 3/8” hole. Here’s a shot of panel #4: http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/6953/006inz.jpg http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6886/007vm.jpg Here’s a comparison between panels 3 & 4. With the new panel came a complete set of Autometer gauges: http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8630/3and4.jpg Shortly after installation the brand new Autometer clock failed. Warranty expense and delays made repair impractical, and since I used the clock daily I wanted something that would consistently tell time. I decided it was time for an aircraft clock. So the new panel was modified to accommodate the new clock, which keeps “perfect” time. Other than periods when the battery is disconnected, this clock maintains exact time continuously. http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/6739/clockw.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
I also had my son machine up new switch panels for the dash, replacing the ashtray, heater and radio block off plates. Although the radio plate looks factory, it’s actually solid milled aluminum. The plates can be seen in the third picture above.
The new had barely worn off panel #4 before I started thinking about redesign #5. I discovered panel #4 looked very similar to the standard Ford dashboard of the same period, and it just didn’t look very striking. This time I wanted something that actually looked like it had some thought put into it, and would also be reminiscent of the original cluster. So a two piece design was dreamed up and fabricated by my machinist son. http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2606/dash01.jpg http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7063/dashpanel.jpg I wanted to minimize the amount of wrinkle finish, so the center panel was painted satin black and fit over the wrinkle back panel. Another feature of both panels 4 & 5 is they attach by perimeter screws to the factory rim. This allows removal of the cluster panel without scratching the paint on the dash. Being an old guy with a bad back, I can’t work up under the dash. With the current configuration, I can pull the steering wheel and have the instrument panel pulled and laying on a towel within 15 minutes. This allows all gauge wiring issues to be handled from the comfort of the driver’s seat. Here’s a shot of the assembled dash. In addition to the gauges on the instrument panel, I also moved the vacuum gauge to the steering column, and the clock to the old heater panel. Fog lamp and heater switches which had previously been on the heater panel were moved to the radio plate, after more modifications by my son: http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/843/010ojh.jpg At first I thought having the gauge on the steering column would be an interesting feature, but the chrome cup glared so bad in the windshield I had to put a cut off sock over the cup to see where I was going. http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8759/repostme.jpg I tried mounting the vacuum gauge under the dash lip, which looked ridiculous: http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7458/012laz.jpg This gave me an excuse to create one of the few missing accessories that were so popular in my youth – an under dash gauge panel. Not being able to find a suitable accessory panel, I once again called on my son. He whipped one up out of aluminum, and a 2 1/16” vacuum gauge was mounted down below: http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8659/tuft04.jpg Lingering on this topic a bit into the future, this configuration lasted for several years until I got the bug for a triple gauge panel with external lights. These were very popular in 1962 and were gone almost as soon as they appeared (panels with external lights). After years of searching, I finally came up with a suitable example at a price I could afford. Upon arrival it was discovered to not be in the tip top shape I had hoped for. Starting with 100 grit on an air file, final polish came 3 ½ hours later. Unfortunately my son recently borrowed his buffer back so all the finish work had to be done by hand. Rather than fabricating a new cluster panel to eliminate the empty gauge holes, I decided to cover the holes with two chrome bullets I had hanging around. I actually like the way they look, appearing more as design features than an afterthought to cover up missing gauges. http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9113/005txx.jpg Here’s the before shot with the VDO gauge in the center http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4889/beforewn.jpg And here’s the after shot with the Autometer matched set, clearly illustrating how much more important the Autometer rim looks: http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5999/afteryj.jpg Having every interior accessory I ever dreamed of owning in my youth, no additional dash changes are scheduled or anticipated. Swapping from VDO to Autometer gauges also meant the gas gauge sending unit had to go. Since my bed is already ugly (and covered), I simply cut another hole over the sending unit to allow removal and replacement of the sender. The cover plate was reattached with epoxy. It was certainly easier than dropping the tank. http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8631/016lh.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
When the truck was at the body shop mentioned above in post # 28, they were suppose to weld up door jamb cracks on both sides of the truck. They did perform some very poor welding in the area, which cracked out within weeks. Having no interest in further outside help, I repaired the damage by my old tried and true method – JB Weld.
After grinding away the poorly attempted repair, the bare metal was cleaned up inside and out. A pair of inexpensive hardware store angle brackets were formed to exactly match the contour of the body. Duct tape was placed over the outside, and the reinforcement plates were installed from the inside with a generous quantity of JB Weld. http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7158/fix01.jpg http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6210/fix02.jpg After curing, a coat of primer and some block sanding left an invisible repair. Four years later and the repair remains undetectable. http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3516/fix99.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
In 2008 the local gas station where we normally filled up converted to smog nozzles on their pumps, which complicated filling the bed floor tank fill.
When converting from side fill to floor fill I simply cut a hole through the aluminum diamond plate in the bed floor. The hole in the plywood underneath was cut about an inch smaller, so the aluminum bed plate would rest in the resulting ledge. The aircraft cap on the tank itself was about 3” below the floor level. With an unrestricted nozzle, it was easy to watch the amount of fuel entering the tank. With the smog nozzle it was difficult to get a full tank, since pressing down on the accordion hose placed the nozzle deep in the tank. So once again my son came to the rescue and fabricated a 3” tall neck which bolted onto the tank. Next a flange was fabricated which screwed to the wooden bed floor and retained the original cut down piece of diamond plate. I don’t have any before pictures, but here’s what the finished job looked like: http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4008/gas001.jpg http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5459/gas002.jpg At the time I was working as many as 20 hours a day both in the office and from home, which really put a crimp in hobby progress. Much of the available time was spent cleaning up the engine compartment. After 100,000+hard commuter miles it no longer resembled a street rod. Everything was cluttered and filthy. Here’s what it looked like earlier when the truck still ran an automatic transmission: http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3185/001oxps.jpg http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/9643/002hdba.jpg http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5135/droppedphoto.jpg http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1655/004yzr.jpg As mentioned previously the air conditioning system was removed and trashed. The cruise control box was relocated inside of the firewall next to the heater. The 1956 Dodge horns were relocated from the driver side fender panel to behind the front bumper. Wiring that ran down the top of the passenger side fender panel was rerouted, and wires the came through various holes in the firewall were consolidated to the upper left fender panel. Here another shot part way through the clean up: http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/878/012dm.jpg It took another year to completely realize, but I also started thinking about cosmetically converting the engine to look like a 283/327. Here’s a link to a thread that details the project, and includes photos of the finished result: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=366853 Over time (and living with perpetual back pain) I got tired of dealing with the shank style mag wheel nuts on the vintage 1960's front wheels. It just took too much effort to line everything up for mounting, so I bought a pair of 15x5 American Racing TTO’s for the front. These have tapered seats making it a breeze to toss them on and bolt up. http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/4047/tto01.jpg http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1622/tto02.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
After years of admiring genuine diamond tufted upholstery, I finally found a how to book online explaining the process. I decided to start on the door panels, and depending on how they turned out either keep going or quit.
The first step was to remove the ridges from the lower section of the door so there would be a flat surface to apply the panel. The embossed area was trimmed away and replaced with a sheet of heavy steel. This was sealed with urethane and attached with pop rivets to keep it as flat as possible: http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/921/001agk.jpg http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4578/002pms.jpg A template was then laid out establishing where the buttons and folds would end up: http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8522/001obc.jpg The pattern was transferred to 3/16” ABS plastic sheet, and all the button and mounting holes drilled. http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/3150/002rqp.jpg 2” foam was marked for button holes and cut with a hollow punch. I don’t have a photo of the door panel foam, but this photo shows the same operation being performed: http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9207/003ngfx.jpg After much experimentation finding the correct fabric allowance (the difference between the spacing of the holes in the backing and the holes in fabric) – holes were punched in the fabric and prong buttons were inserted from the front. The fabric allowance determines the depth and shape of the tufting. http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1645/004fz.jpg Before applying the fabric to the foam and backing, “Christmas Tree” mounting studs were inserted through the ABS backing, providing a means to attach the panels to the doors. The item I used is Auveco 12759 http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3...o12759clip.jpg Then it’s a simple (?) matter of wrestling the cover into position and folding the prongs over once the diamond folds are neatly tucked in place. It’s actually not all that simple. It’s tedious, very hard on the hands, and exhausting. It takes many hours for just one panel and explains why diamond tufted upholstery is so excessively expensive. And the design I chose increased the difficulty level because I wanted small diamonds popular in the late 1960’s. Larger diamonds would have required much less work. Completing the panel involves folding over the edges are stapling the cover on the back side. Then it’s time for a test fit. On my first attempt the diamond tufting turned out beautifully. Unfortunately I didn't realize the dull finish ultra-leather fabric I selected would not provide the appearance I was after. http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8453/0001le.jpg http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6447/0002qn.jpg I had no choice but to tear it all out and start over. Here’s how it turned out after the panel was recreated with shiny marine vinyl upholstery: http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/244/099hw.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
By the way, the name of the book I purchased was The Art of Hand Tufting, by Don Zitur, Sr.
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3789/handtufting.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Great job on those panels Mark! Very inspiring.
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
At this point I’m reasonably caught up on most the early stuff that’s been completed. Some of what follows may have been seen before in a daily update thread, but I’m striving to get the whole build on one thread and in sequence as much as possible so here goes with some additional stuff:
Back to the engine compartment clean up that started on post #50, I consolidated wires into fewer looms, rerouted heater hoses to clear the valve covers, and formed new hard lines for the clutch and brake cylinders. The brake lines in this photo looked great when originally installed, but that was before the booster was added. To fit the booster the lines were just bent forward to fit and looked crappy. I also replaced the plug wires and moved them to under the manifolds, again to keep the clutter off the valve covers. http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7440/overviewg.jpg The old stainless street rod overflow tank never worked well, and looked terrible with a twisted steel bracket and tubing spacer holding it in place. Here’s an earlier shot showing the upper mounting details: http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7...ssoverflow.jpg For my birthday present my wife ordered a new black powder coated tank from Jegs. The part number is 555-51137: http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6056/555511374.jpg It’s both more compact and actually works. With the old tank the radiator always had air in it and the tank was frequently empty. With the new bottle, the radiator is always kept full right to the bottom of the cap. These shots show both the new overflow bottle and the newly formed hard lines for the master cylinder. There are no coils in the brake lines, just numerous right angle bends for flexibility. The proportioning valve was mounted on the rear of the front crossmember to make it easier to access the valve covers: http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1903/0003im.jpg http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8686/009dvn.jpg About this time I was required to accept medical retirement and left the work force. To keep my mind off bigger issues I decided it was time for a new paint job, but without money it needed to be cheap, and I just wasn’t up to another complete tear down to remove all the lacquer paint. After a bunch of research I decided John Deere Blitz Black would be just the ticket, and after some extensive research I was pleased to discover I could actually buy it locally. The first order of business was removing the steps, and eliminating the holes which had been drilled by the original owner for the camper supports: http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/5639/step01c.jpg The waves in the ridge tops were hammer and dollied back into alignment. Next, typical of all my sheet metal repairs the back of the holes were ground to bare metal, coins were formed to match each ridge and epoxied in place with JB Weld. http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8121/step02l.jpg While those were curing initial sanding commenced: http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/2266/step03.jpg Almost ¼” of body filler was ground off the poorly repaired lower rear door corners, returning them to a decent appearance. http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/3638/corners.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
After grinding the roof gutter cavity to bare metal and coating with epoxy primer, the lower portion of the rain gutters were filled up with Evercoat Maxim self leveling seam sealer. One huge advantage to this product is that it uses a standard caulking gun. Now instead of water sitting in a trough with no drain, it just flows over the edge preventing future rust damage:
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/5387/002wji.jpg http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7892/001iznz.jpg Most of the paint was in good condition, but the front of the hood was covered in chips while the top of both rear fenders had numerous star chips from living on a broken rock railroad grade for nine years. After featheredging or grinding to bare metal as needed UPol 2K primer was applied with foam rollers and brushes. Since it was going to be sanded anyway, this eliminated the mess and clean up of spraying the primer. http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/3243/primer01.jpg http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3349/primer02.jpg The rear fenders took a couple of coats with blocking in between to get the surface perfectly flat again: http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6246/primer03.jpg http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/3700/primer04.jpg And here’s the truck just about ready for paint. Also note the chain temporarily bolted to the frame and dragging on the floor. A tip I learned for reducing the build up of static electricity on the body surface. It really does help in reducing the attraction of dust during the painting process: http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/9017/ready02.jpg http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1079/ready03.jpg http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3186/ready01.jpg Here’s a shot right after unmasking. I looks pretty good – at first: http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/6779/spill01.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Closer inspection reveals what happens when you’re going for the last coat, stop to refill the gun, and before the lid goes back on - step on the air hose which was stupidly left connected to the gun. I’ve tried to adjust the contrast to show how ghastly it looked in real life, but the photo doesn’t do it justice. And entire quart of paint was thrown all over the back fender and bed side.
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/1739/spill02.jpg All I could do was clean up, and walk away for a few days until the paint set. It took an entire day to resand the mess at which point the entire truck had to be remasked and the paint adjusted to come out with the same matching low gloss finish. More to follow. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Wow...
Ok, first off the retirement. How are you coping with that? I ask because unless something monumental happens in my career status I will be retired from the Army the summer of 2014. I already know I dont want to show up every day to some place of business, put my brain on auto pilot, and draw a 9-5 pay check. We are working on being self sufficient so I wont have to do that. Secondly, the work you do to this rig is amazing enough as it is... I am ever in awe of your truck and hope to see it in person this summer !! Third, Your garage is like heaven to me. I showed the profile pic of your truck above to the wife and she keyed in on the same thing I did, the neat and orderly collection of tools you have !! Your garage looks like it would be a joy to work in !! |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Mark
I really like reading your posts about your truck keep it going. It does help that it's a stepside. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
In answer to your first question, it took at least a year to get used to being out of the work force. When I was working, I had a very active and involved daily routine. and planned to work for 10 more years. For the last 14 years of my career my official title was Non-Inventory Buyer for a multi-million dollar international corporation. I bought everything that didn’t go out the door as a company product – like production equipment, computers, software, office supplies, buildings, vehicles, etc. I spent millions of dollars, and placed thousands of orders and had no shortage of work. But my real job was a Mr. Fixit help desk for corporate headquarters. If anybody local or remote needed anything and didn’t know where to go, they called me whether it had to do with purchasing or not. I either had the answer or knew how to find it, and I could navigate corporate politics and get things done when there was no other solution. Duplicate technology at home provided me the privilege of a very flexible schedule. For the first 12 years, I absolutely loved what I did. To reduce the long story to a short synopsis the last two years saw one too many mergers which toppled the management, ruined the corporate culture, and my health. Working 20 hours a day wasn’t enough, and an event with my left eye revealed a bunch of other more serious medical problems. I was provided a very generous benefit package to get rid of me cleanly, and felt fortunate the stress didn’t kill me like it had several other employees. But going from that type of vital daily routine to nothing at all was rather daunting for quite a while. While recovering, I sought work for a while until it became obvious I wouldn’t have the stamina for it any longer. So after decades of having purpose bringing in money and making a difference at the workplace, I had to find something else to do. I joined several forums to see if I could contribute, which turned out to offer a measure of therapy. I also initiated a bunch of truck and home projects that didn’t cost much, which has also proven beneficial. Sadly my wife had to go back to work to afford health insurance, so we switched roles and I now wait on her hand and foot like she did for me the previous two decades. After adjusting to a limited income, I only kick myself for not retiring earlier. I can’t imagine returning to the stress of answering to anyone. I really like being able to get up whenever I want and do anything I please whenever the mood strikes. I hope you can develop a plan that allows you to retire as you envision. It can certainly be an enjoyable time of life if you have developed the means to support it. It’s tougher today, but so far we’ve been managing okay. Thanks for the positive comments on the truck. I look forward to meeting another forum member. Try not to be too disappointed when you see it in real life. It’s certainly not a show truck, just the best street rod truck I could build on a budget. When you’re planning to be in the area just let me know and I’ll make sure she’s all cleaned up and ready for inspection! As for the garage, it’s amazing what little investment it takes to make everything really convenient. A few sheets of pegboard, some paint, and a little creative thinking can make it so much more pleasurable to work in. Mine is just a typical attached two car garage (not a shop) but everything has a place and a purpose. My wife can also find almost anything she wants which keeps her happy as well. Having many of the hand tools hanging on the wall offers a couple of advantages. When you’re done with a project and everything is put back, you know if something got left under the hood because it’s obviously not where it belongs. Also when you’re in a big project and you realize all the ½” wrenches are missing, it’s time to take a break and put everything back. A few minutes later you can start over fresh and avoid frustration. And when you’re done and everything is hung up, visitors have a hard time believing any work goes on at all, because everything looks just like the last time they saw it. It’s been evolutionary for me. As a kid in the 1950’s I grew up the garages of men that were old school mechanics and racers that grew up in the 30’s and 40’s. They had very little in the way of tools or supplies, and most of those were dirty and greasy dumped in bench drawers. By the 1960’s the only significant garage improvement I remember was the concept of screwing baby food lids to the bottom of shelves, and filling the jars with old greasy nuts and bolts. From the perspective of a kid it seemed much harder to get anything done when everything was slippery and greasy. It also caused many baby food jars to fall off the lid, smashing the jar and scattering the contents. I found it much easier to take a rag and wipe everything off first. And regarding contents - back in the 70’s I had boxes full of “really cool stuff” that took up a lot of needed space. Rare parts for cars it turns out I never did own. I came to two conclusions. 1. Unless it’s just a rare collectible item I want to keep, if I have no planned use for it in the next 5 years I get rid of it. 2. If I do want it and can’t find it when I need it, I might have well have thrown it away because I’ll end up buying a new one anyway. As a result everything I own is in totes with accurate descriptions on the end. If I know I have something, I can almost always find it by checking in one or two places. It saves a lot of money and irritation. The last big step I took was to mount two benches, the dirty bench and the clean bench. The dirty bench has the vise, and all sawing, grinding, cutting, etc happens there. The clean bench is reserved for small projects, carb rebuilding, or model car painting. There’s much less chance of contaminating a delicate project this way. Quote:
There are many beautiful fleetside trucks on this site alone, and I do take the time to look them over thoroughly at rod runs. But short stepsides are my passion. If mine hadn't been a stepside I wouldn’t have bought it. Thanks to you both for looking and commenting. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
So a few days later I sanded down the left rear fender/bed side and reshot the goof up:
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1488/a0prep02.jpg A couple of days later the truck was back together. The repair came out a perfect match for the rest of the truck. Then I discovered how strange it is to photograph this finish, because to the camera it changes colors depending on the light: http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4679/a03md.jpg http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3968/a02ow.jpg http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5951/a00ss.jpg http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5939/a01wl.jpg And just for fun I took a shot with the 1963 black plate and original dealer frame it was wearing when purchased: http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/2240/a05pb.jpg And then for fun I thought it would be interesting to see how it would look with a chopped top, which I think actually looks very cool: http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/7230/dsc0018qz.jpg http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2743/dsc0018chop.jpg And after having the glove box door in wrinkle black for many years, I decided it was time to paint it gloss black to match the rest of the dash. I used Tamiya Lacquer model car paint and it came out an exact color match to the PPG Lacquer on the dashboard: http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/214/dsc0031eb.jpg Somewhere in there I also installed NOS door regulators, window winders, and door latches acquired through Ebay. And I fabricated a 5/16” steel plate to both lower and reinforce the front license plate. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Thanks for the feedback and PN for the over flow tank. I was wondering what I was gonna use.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6056/555511374.jpg |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
I really like it because it's inconspicuous compared to the street rod style, easy to mount, and actually works correctly.
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Man, I love so many things about your truck. Top notch work all the way around and it doesn't say "budget" anywhere I look.
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Here you go. It's also offered polished under 555-51136:
black powder coated tank from Jegs. The part number is 555-51137 http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performan...51137/10002/-1 http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performan...51136/10002/-1 |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Mark I been watching your posts for a few years even before I became a member , I was wondering why does this guy love these trucks so much .I mean I love my truck but not like you. This is amazing thread it ranks up there with Demo's or Drtyrat's build . I liked your truck before but now I love it.
I bow down to you my friend , I am clearly not worthy , crazy Bastard ! |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Also if I may speak for myself if not for all the others , I'd like to thank you for all the help you have given us through out the years. Thanks man !
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
Posted via Mobile Device |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Thanks for the positive comments guys, they are much appreciated. When I was young I benefitted from a couple of old guys that took the time to teach me a great deal of mechanical stuff they learned the hard way. I’m trying to repay those favors by sharing whatever I’ve learned that might have value, so all of it won’t be lost when I’m no longer around.
While studying the photos of the new paint job, it occurred to me it might look too plain. I thought about adding big Clay Smith woodpecker decals to the lower front fenders. They were very popular when I was a sophomore in high school (1964). Two years later when I was a senior they had virtually disappeared from the high school parking lot. I also thought they might be a bit too much. That’s when I started considering the old Moon Equipped decals. They weren’t much of a high school favorite where I lived, but I thought they looked cool since the first time I saw them in a magazine, and many of the real race cars had them which seemed to validate their authenticity (at least to my sense of logic). So I slapped a pair on, and quickly realized they were too far forward. Studying the newest photos I also discovered an interesting optical anomaly. Depending on the viewing angle, the slant of the eyes changes slope from leaning forward to leaning backward, or appearing straight up and down. Viewed directly from the side they obviously slant forward. Viewed from a forward position they appear to slant to the rear. I can only assume it’s because of the inward slope of the fender at the bottom. It has no significance, I just found it interesting. Here’s a comparison photo showing what I’m describing: http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5207/moon00.jpg http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/7686/moon01w.jpg Picking up another pair at a local car show, the first pair were peeled of and replaced in what I considered a more aesthetically appealing location, farther back on the fender. http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/4135/moondecal02.jpg That gave me some other ideas about side trim. I thought the “speed lines” introduced in the art deco period of the late 1930’s provided a lot of visual interest. So I played around with some 1948 Chevy Fleetline trim concepts. If I ever do the Fleetline style trim, it will be made of aluminum or chrome plated brass, but with my pitiful photoshop skills they are shown in white. I asked for feedback which led to these suggestions: http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9318/02stripes02.jpg http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3428/03markflm1.jpg http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1...ernskiflm1.jpg http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/286/04markeb1.jpg I liked all the suggestions, but so far they haven't made it any farther than rattlng around in my head. Maybe someday. More to follow. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
#1 - I might like the strips more if they were a faint gray like #4
Quote:
#2 - Not my taste Quote:
#3 - Wow factor is high. I'd like to see the flames in progressive faint gray like number 4 Quote:
My favorite Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
#3 ... BIG FLAMES ,love it ..........
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
Quote:
There used to be a joke in the Army. Q: what is the leading cause of death for Soldiers? A: Retirement Just to put it in a nutshell, you come in the Military you usually dont have a plan or a care. Then you get some rank, responsibility, and reenlist a couple of times and you start to plan and care. Sometimes too much. You learn to wrestle responsiblity and drink coffee by the gallon, then later you learn to chew on stress and wash that down with copious amounts of beer. Then after 20 or 30 years, one day you walk across a stage, and all that stress gets hung on a hanger and put in the closet in the suit bag you toted around most of your career. I generally get up in the morning 2 hours before I have to walk out the door, which in context is usually about 0400. Just because I have to feed that routine you talked about. One thing throws off my routine and stuff happens like driving off and forgetting to take out the trash with me or bring my lunch to work. My last job as a civilian before I came back in the Army was cooking at an Army golf course club house. After I had worked there a few months, I started to realize there was a core group of 15 guys that would golf ~every~ day, weekends too! It occured to me that not all of them could be independantly wealthy, or have sugar mommas keeping them in greens fees and golf balls. So I asked how they were able to golf all the time and not have to have jobs. common denominators between all them were: Retired Military Real Estate Investments, though only one or two of them managed their stocks and bonds personally. Most had an agency that did that for them. As we are now, I should not have to ask someone for a job, or set my brain on auto pilot to draw a paycheck ever again. I hope with what we are getting set up there in Chattaroy, I will have the time investments to keep my routine, and keep the sudden lack of stress from killing me !! :lol: Thanks for your replies, the insight is awesome. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
With a full military career dealing with stress and responsibility, it shouldn’t be too hard to make your retirement plans happen. Transitioning to that life style before your health goes will provide a great deal more enjoyment than waiting too long. Good luck!
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Although random pictures have shown them before, right after I painted the glovebox door black was about the time the decal idea was formed. (Apologies for the photos that are out of sequence, but if I waited to make everything perfect I would never have started this thread). I've seen a lot of glove box doors chrome plated or pinstriped, but I haven't seen any application of racing decals since the 60's when it was popular. So I gave it a shot. This is the first batch.
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/449/glovebox01.jpg The Fremont sticker has memories for me as I used to live about a mile from the strip. It was great being out in the pool during the summer listening to the fuelers run. From the start I thought the Autometer sticker was too new so I started looking for something more vintage and interesting. It didn’t take too long to find a 62-68 style Hurst sticker. It’s more in keeping with the time period I'm after. Here are a couple of snaps after the change: http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2748/001cxtq.jpg http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4343/glovebox02.jpg Since they’re all on a separate panel, if I ever get tired of the whole idea I can always strip them off and repaint the door. Although mentioned earlier here are a few clock photos starting with the Autometer that failed within a few weeks of purchase. http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3853/...rclock2858.jpg The shipping charges and hassle to get it fixed caused me to change course. Since I depended on the clock, I wanted something accurate and reliable so I started shopping for an airplane clock. I really wanted a vintage wind up clock with a 24 hour face like this one: http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/7...kmanna1124.jpg I never could find one at an affordable price, so I had to settle for a current production electric clock. The beauty of this thing is it keeps perfect time. If the battery isn’t disconnected, it’s never off even by a minute over months of time. It’s as accurate as my cell phone. So while it wasn’t my first choice, I certainly can’t complain about functionality: http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7279/myclock.jpg If a 24 hour Wakmann ever does turn up at a price I can afford I’ll probably swap out the electric clock. One of my other hobbies/passions happens to be wind up time pieces. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
you know, i always love reading about your build...not only does it keep my interest, but it's pretty easy to read/follow with proper grammar & spelling....and some build threads just don't captivate me quite as much as others...however your insight and perspective of things always keeps me longing for more...to me it's not always just a truck build, but it's somewhat like a bio offering a little glimpse of someones life story...those are the kinda build threads i enjoy most...i appreciate your contributions to the forum, and i'm glad we have folks like you around here :chevy:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Mark, you know those refigerator magnets you get from just about everyone? The ones the bank sends you with a calendar, or the local parts store with their hours and phone number on them.... If I had stickers like you do, I would apply them over those frig magnets (I actually do this alot with photos). I do it with car show stickers and do-dads too.
They are long lasting, and moveable. |
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
Quote:
One of my other foibles is that I grew up watching too many episodes of Perry Mason. As a kid I came to appreciate that the correct selection of words could make a statement bullet proof. Something that could not be reverse engineered to produce a different, alternate, or more favorable result other than what was intended by the author. I started practicing this philosophy in the Marines when drafting official bulletins and procedures, and throughout the rest of my career. In the service there were consequences for improperly worded communications and I preferred to avoid those consequences. It became part of who I am. But I’m also not a fanatic. The only time I have an issue with poor use of language is when it’s so bad I have a hard time understanding what is being said or asked. Quote:
Quote:
|
Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
A little diversion from progress for some random stuff – The last time anything I owned made it into print was the January 1976 issue of Street Rodder when my flamed 54 Chevy made it into the Early Iron segment:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5158/82918297.jpg http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1802/01954.jpg So it was a real treat when my truck was selected for entry in the 2009 Stovebolt calendar: http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3...ltcalendar.jpg The following year it appeared in the February issue of Classic Cruisers segment of Classic Trucks magazine, which was also fun: http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/5...ctrucks002.jpg I was surprised when it showed up, as I had just sent in the information a few weeks earlier. Even more of a surprise was being notified by one of our forum members living in Germany! He received the magazine before it was available here. I’ve always wished I hadn’t photographed the truck with those stupid tie downs installed in the stake pockets. I never even used them. They were removed shortly after the photos were taken. It showed up again with a different photo in the 2010 Stovebolt calendar: http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9...ltcalendar.jpg I’m hoping to get it considered one last time if I can capture a really fantastic photograph presented against a better background location (which I haven’t found yet). I’ll only make the attempt if the stainless windshield trim gets installed, this likely being the last exterior cosmetic upgrade the truck will receive. And while I’m already slightly off track from the truck progress, I’ll throw in some models of the truck I’ve built over the years: The first was built to replicate the original concept. Gloss black with steel rims and small hubcaps. This was assembled (with great difficulty) over the course of a year, and almost went in the garbage multiple times. http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/1583/1960gmc001.jpg The cab is made of Modelhaus resin replica 1960 GMC doors, front fenders, cowl windshield frame, hood, grille and grille support. The roof, back of the cab, and chassis are from the 1964 Revell short fleetside kit. Although both kits were 1/25th scale, they weren’t close to being the same so nothing fit without serious effort. The original bed came from the AMT 1955 Chevy kit, it was slightly too small and didn’t look right. About the time this was coming to completion Revell released the stepside/boat kit, so that bed ended up being used instead. It was painted with acrylic enamel car paint, and other than wheels looks the same today. The front bumper guards came from the 55 kit. This was taken a short time later after a set of 5 spoke mags were added. http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6...picture002.jpg Hanging on the wall it fooled a lot of casual observers into thinking it was real, but closer examination reveals the left front tire is floating above the snow. In fact it was taken on top of a 4 foot berm of snow right outside our front door. This one came along much later and is a stock Revell kit with a GMC grille. http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5521/02ashiny.jpg This is what I envisioned as the final build level of the real truck with complete chrome trim. I even obtained a mint condition grille for the real truck to have chrome plated, but costs are too high for retirement pay, and I’ve grown to like the white front end. If I win the lottery however I may still chrome the front end. Compared to the original/resin model which was more accurate, the AMT version actually has a desirable 1-2” chop to the top. It’s clearly shorter than the real thing, but it makes for a nice improvement. The last version represents my truck as it sits today, complete with windshield trim: http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/2579/dsc0013oix.jpg I believe I still have photo reduced copies of the original California black license plates to add, which I’ll get around to eventually. Studying the photo, I finally realized the front bumper is incorrect on each of these models. The ends slope up to the rear on the rear truck. The models are backwards sloping rearward from the top and they’re also too rounded. Maybe I’ll fix that too eventually. |
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:26 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com