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- - Dunce's 61 SWB Custom (https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=751306)

Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Just picked this up a month or two ago. The wife had a really nice 66 Nova but has been wanting a pickup since I did my 58 Fleetside. So we sold the Nova and will be making this a street beast. Want to keep some of the Patina but I'm not into the super ratty stuff.. It can look a little ratty but needs to be built really well. We'll see where the project takes me.

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/k...485172%201.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Welcome to the forum :D

Those '60-'61's with all the custom trim intact are hard to find, especially in a shortbed.

Keep us posted with your progress :)

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Nice little truck.
I'm in.

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Picked up a few things before the doing much work. Old school license plate, spear for the trim to replaced a smashed one on the truck. (The rest of it was in pretty good condition really), another tailgate since the original is a bit too far rusted for my taste. Cab roof and another hood to cut patches out of and oh..... just a little LS3 from a wrecked Camaro with less than 20k on it : ).

https://i.imgur.com/vx6LzQB.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Started sheet metal repairs... My goal is to keep as much of the original "patina" as I can and try to fake the areas I've had to repair. I'm not into big rust holes etc so everything needs to be solid. The baby blue color will go and get replaced with an off white I think. Will be interesting trying to fake that but I'll have to play around with that... and it that doesn't work out, I'll strip it and we'll do something else. Its a bit more work fixing things this way but the hoods are rare and the aftermarket fenders are crap so if I can fix the original parts I feel like I'm ahead.

https://i.imgur.com/HdnxOH8.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Blasted the back sides of all the panels and some misc parts then hit them with sealer and tore the rest of the truck down to get the cab/frame blasted and see if there was anything left ; ). Doors aren't terrible. Just minimal rust repair needed on the very bottom and a little of the skins. My grille surround is pretty bad but since I'm looking to keep the patina, it must be fixed.

Floors were pretty bad..rockers are toast, toeboard swiss cheese, lower cowls garbage. Someone had done previous rocker repair by slipping a new one over the old and riveting it in, then slopping on what seems like roofing tar. Complete mess!

https://i.imgur.com/um1Yagr.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Getting close to done on the driver side floor/toeboard/rocker/firewall

https://i.imgur.com/eYNvPOe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/l3WtOmE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dpVyXrU.jpg

Made a little boo boo and cut my replacment rear floor panel much to short... DOH

https://i.imgur.com/HFZgr69.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Thank you so much for detailing and sharing all your work!!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Very nice sheet metal work!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

yes, thank you for detailing your process- like most of us - i have the same rust, and its awesome to see how other people are patching!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Great work man! Bravo! Excellent metal working skill! ��

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

More than I could have ever imagined taken on.
Amazing work!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

I wish I was half as good at body work as you are lol. Great looking work man.

PS- I probably wouldn't reuse the body bolt, looks like one of those new fangled torque to yield bolts. ;)

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Thanks for the feedback. I got my feet with with this stuff on my first build, my bare metal 58 is up on here somewhere.

Updates...

-almost done with the trans tunnel. way more clearance than I'll need I'm sure but me likey. Tried to utilize some of the factory seams so it kinda looks like it belongs.
-Finished the passenger side floor repairs by getting the floor braces in there. Man the rear cab braces I bought are totally off, both of them needed rework to even come close to fitting. Front ones were good though.
-driver side cab corner repaired
-did a little work on the center of the firewall. With an LS I figured no need for such a high center there and I thought it looked better with a thicker section there.
-I'm was going to fill the cowl vents but then decided the patina on that part is just too cool to lose so I think what i may do is make some removable covers for the wiper arm access areas so keep air/rain out. Water can just drain down the sides of the cowl if its ever in the rain.

https://i.imgur.com/J620Puj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AyLTkJw.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Nice job on the trans tunnel!!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

stellar work! Keep the pics coming!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Top Notch Work! Im also replacing lots of sheet medal on a replacement cab thats going on my 60 truck. 2 years later and still burning on it I dont feel too bad now watching all that massive work you have done on your 61. :lol:

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Well done! That was a rusty one, but you are making it look great.

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Update time...

-Finished up the upper windshield channel area
-fixed some rust in the driver door jamb knee knocker area
-deleted the gas filler hole on the cab
-dash center speaker delete
-delete heater control and ashtray from the dash.. will put a small vintage control there above a new custom autosound head unit with bluetooth etc.
-With the vintage air unit, won't need fresh air from the cowl so usually I'd want to delete the grille from the cowl panel but did not want to lose the patina there so I chose to make a removable cover for the wiper arm mechanism intead. Fits under the panel and will seal to keep the air and water out of the cowl : ).
-fixed someone's hack job under the gauge cluster where they added some aftermarket gauges. Won't need those small holes either but its back to a factory look now and I think I'll put the check engine light and bright indicator LEDs in those small holes.
-Replacing door bottoms and small sections of the outter skins, again trying to retain as much of the original stuff as possible. Lots of measurements etc when doing the rockers and door bottoms paid off, everything fits damn nice and gaps won't be hard to dial in at all.
-Front suspension coming soon and I have a column and hydroboost brake system to mock up along with the throttle pedal.

https://i.imgur.com/1afloZm.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Looks great! Your rust repair keeps giving me inspiration to fix my 63

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Fantastic metal work! I agree with Christian, seeing someone else doing as much rust repair as I am inspires me to keep moving along.

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Time for an update : ) Getting to more of the fun stuff now.

CPP Hydroboost brakes
Scotts Hotrods IFS
Fitting the LS3
Slight dash mod/fix for the radio/heater controls etc
Gauge cluster
Step notch out back with Quick performance 9 inch, 3.90 gears and disc brakes
I have the original deluxe out wheel out for restore, just using an old 66 Nova wheel as a standin
core support mockup, 69 camaro radiator, homebuilt shroud with dual 11 inch SPAL fans
Made some 6x9 rear speaker sections and a place to mount the amp and PCM
Test fit the vintage air AC unit
Detroit Steel Del rays in bare steel... have some trim rings and chevy caps coming
315/30/20 rear tires and 255/30/20 up front - have room to go wider though.
Doug Thorley tri Y headers fit this application near perfectly.
Made some kick panels and put 5x7s where the vents used to be.

https://i.imgur.com/b0J5GcK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q9nO62L.jpg

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Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Man, there are several of you guys on here just crushing the rust repair jobs!
Nice group of parts & even nicer fab work!

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Started putting my junk on youtube. Anyone interested can catch updates on this here:

EP1 https://youtu.be/T1fuF1z43xw
EP2 https://youtu.be/4eITRNM5ibE
EP3 https://youtu.be/I8NBo45xoWk
EP4 https://youtu.be/FhpecmUKmpo

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

Watched the 1st one. I'll check the other out when possible.

Re: Dunce's 61 SWB Custom

DAMN your body work is impressive!!!