Earlier in this thread, I previewed just a few of the parts that I've been able to find over the last several years. In post
#13, I previewed a nice original hood I found locally on FB Marketplace. In post
#20, I previewed some really nice NOS sheet metal I found in Tennessee and Virginia. The hardest part of my journey with this project so far has been searching for the coolest parts I can find. It takes a while to find some of this stuff, but I have learned to be patient. It's out there somewhere! The best part about my journey so far, was travelling to meet some of the coolest people to buy it all. We travelled quite a bit to shows and swap meets and peoples homes all around the eastern half of the US. Sometimes I came up empty handed, but it was always worth the time spent with my wife. I'm proud of what we were able to find and it's a comfort knowing exactly what this build consists of. Let's document some of those cool parts and mock-up the front end of the truck.
First up, was a score I found on Ebay. NOS cab cushions and mounting accessories.
Front cab mount kit x2 - 3957829
Rear upper cushion x2 - 3948408
Rear lower cushion x2 - 3948406
Front cab mount bolts x2 - 3816365 *need to nickel plate
Rear upper cushion washer x2 - 3889870 *need to nickel plate
The rear cab bolts I will be using are originals. I removed the rust from mine a few posts back, but I found a better pair locally. The remaining hardware was bought new and I already had it nickel plated, except for two of the sleeves. I will be plating those and the cab bolts soon.
The next thing to do was jack the cab up one side at a time and swap these loaner cushions for the new ones. Since we want to make sure everything lines up as close as possible during mock-up, it's important for the cab to be sitting at the correct height. The way to ensure this is to use new cushions and torque the cab to proper specs. GM says to start at 70 lb/ft front and 35 lb/ft rear. From there, if you need to make a slight adjustment later, you can increase torque to 55/90 lb/ft respectively.
Now that the cab is secure to the frame, we install the radiator support next. This NOS radiator support was one of my early finds. Dean's Truck Farm in Tennessee came through for me on this one. The mounting cushions I found on a secret underground NOS website that only true enthusiasts know about. I could tell you all about it, but I don't want to be the one to spill the beans.
Radiator support - 3980038
Upper rad support cushions - 3951798
Lower rad support cushions - 3953135
Just like the cab, the rad support has a recommended torque spec. GM says to start at 35 lb/ft and adjust up to 55 lb/ft. I used nickel plated aftermarket hardware to install it.
Next up were the fenders. I found an NOS right side fender at the same time as the radiator support. I was told for years that the left side was a lot harder to find because it wasn't commonly made or replaced. The right side was commonly replaced due to leaking battery acid eating away the front cup. So they were more readily available as replacements. A few years ago, forum member "billsbowtie" had a pair for sale, in boxes. I didn't need another right side but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to get he left one. I'm glad I did because I haven't seen another left one since. Thanks for the deal Billy and I hope your doing well.
RH fender - 3936668
LH fender - 3936667
I used a new front end hardware kit in black oxide from The Truck Shop (Orange) to install.
To be continued...
.