My build up thread 67 small window short/fleet

[byrd]

OK I'm finally going to get to build a truck I have started on a shorty 67 small window fleetside. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to tell the story of the truck.I started with a truck that was given to me by the old man across the street from me and my wife. Frank lived across the street from me my entire life, he was a good man always help the neighborhood kids with their bikes and as we got a little older lawn movers.I how loads of memories of he and I tinkering with stuff in his driveway. Frank was like a second grandpa to me and I can remember riding in this truck when I was 3 years old.He couldn't read or write, but could fix anything. He was diagnosed with Alzthiemers(sp) 4 years ago at the age of 85 and it quickly progressed and his mind was lost Became very mean and had to be put in a specialized care facility, so they could handle as his wife was in no shape to really be able to help him with the day to day stuff. Then about 2 years ago when he was getting very close to the end his wife signed the truck over to me, now I know it was free, but it wasn't much to look at and was in need of a total frame off restoration to get it up to par again, and the only thing salvageable was the frame,with some work(see pics).None of his kids wanted the truck, and I had always liked it from way back when.
So that is how it got the name of project "Frank"

Now onto the truck itself...

I have started on it and gotten a little done to it. I got it to run after sitting for about 5 years to get it into the garage from the barn in the back of the property for teardown. Couldn't believe it started I have tore it down completely and gotten down to just a bare frame. Ground and wire brushed and cleaned up the frame as best as I could without blasting it and have coated the frame, front crossmember, and rear end with Eastwoods two part rust converter, and will most likely paint the rear end and front crossmember today with the rust encapsulator and then high gloss chassis black. The frame still needs to be flipped back over so I can two part the top of the rails and finish on the inside, getting it ready for rust encapsulator and the high gloss chassis black. While cleaning the frame found some serious rust in the rear spring perches and a small hole in the drivers side of the frame(has been fixed) but still trying to get a good set of perches to finish the rear up. Before I started on the truck I built a tip and flip dolly from LFD and got a replacement small window cab from billsbotie and had it blasted and primered waiting on patch panels to start cutting on it.
The cab will need A LOT of work as there was much hidden under the paint as usual. I ordered all the sheet metal needed for the truck and picked it up yesterday form Bob Hook Cheverolet here in Louisville, Goodmark dealer(No shipping cost ) I got both bedsides, both front 67 fenders, rad support, front bed panel, wheelhouses,hood and every patche they make for the cab except the inner roof(only really clean spot on the cab. I think I got a great deal on the sheetmetal, it was about $2200 for everything.

The truck is going to be a nice driver for me to run around in.I'm thinking I will paint it black(not sure), will have a 350/200r4/3:07 open rear.I am lowering it 3.5" in the front and 5" in the rear, to hopefully level the truck out.I will be doing alot of little stuff to it, like shaving the firewall on the passenger side for vintage air, shaving the gas filler, move the fuel tank to the rear of the truck(ordered and fuel cell form the fuel cell guy ) I will post progress as I move along, and now for some pics,