Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[markeb01]

Thanks for posting up the details. When/if I move forward on my custom fiberglass hood I'll be looking seriously at what you've done here. The way I'm designing the hood with the drop in the center, I'll no longer be able to have a manual release opening in the front. Unfortunately the new hood project is on hold for now, since the porthole project set me back more $ than I budgeted.

I'm also debating where I'd get the biggest bang for the buck in the months ahead - would it be the new hood, or perhaps chroming the grille, etc, or maybe upgrading to chrome vent windows and chroming the side glass frames. Man this hobby can be expensive!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by T.J. MCCAULEY

Very nice work McMurphy! Just gave me some ideas! If I may use your idea. Looking good! Keep it up!

Sir, I am all about idea sharing and improving!!
If there is anything in my build that inspires another person to do ANYTHING, then all this documentation ends up being well worth it
FYI on a personal note, I socked away photos of your step mounted tool box for future consideration too, so dont think you are not adding to the flow of ideas around here !!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Filed in my "Stolen Ideas" folder…

Great work, as usual, from the Frozen Garage...

How close is the retirement date?

My sad, last day in the Army will be 31 August 2014, at the stroke of midnight on that day, as the calendar flips to September it will end an era that has lasted the majority of my life.
It is going to be a meloncholy day for me, but I am going to try and not be too maudlin about it.....especially around here with you guys !!

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

looks cool ..stay on top of it spring is here and the temp will be going up

Thanks for keeping up with me Pirate!! Yeah I think Spring has finally sprung here, it has been in the low 40s all week so far and the snow/ice are melting like mad !!
For us up here it is seriously shorts and t-shirt weather

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

great work on the mods...coming along nicely

Thank you for looking !!

Originally Posted by markeb01

Thanks for posting up the details. When/if I move forward on my custom fiberglass hood I'll be looking seriously at what you've done here. The way I'm designing the hood with the drop in the center, I'll no longer be able to have a manual release opening in the front. Unfortunately the new hood project is on hold for now, since the porthole project set me back more $ than I budgeted.

I'm also debating where I'd get the biggest bang for the buck in the months ahead - would it be the new hood, or perhaps chroming the grille, etc, or maybe upgrading to chrome vent windows and chroming the side glass frames. Man this hobby can be expensive!

Mark if you want detailed photos and dimensions, let me know. This entire assembly is easy to take apart and put back up again. One point of merit with this particular release mechanism, is that I stuck a lenght of coat hanger on the release arm, and it has functioned as a "on the spot" activator for the mechanism. So I dont HAVE to go pull the cable if I dont want to. In fact this has worked so smoothly that I am seriously thinking about making it a permanent part of the set up. Nice thing is that it is tucked up in there and unless you know it is there, it is almost impossible to see even if you are looking for such a thing.

Thanks for all the comments guys.... I was over at Jays yesterday and we are cooking up a new mod that we are excited to share with you all in the weeks to come !!
I think today I am feeling well enough to get out there and putz around with this thing, so if you will excuse me.....

[Ta2Don]

When I retired in 95 I was super excited, but at the same time bummed after so many years being in the zone!!! Looking forward to what the Frozen Garage has in store for us when you have more time to spend there...

[Modges'66]

Hey Murph!
Just an observation as an armchair quarterback, but shown back in post #1537 couldn't you mount the hood bumper plates from the sierra on the inside surface of the hood (flipped over), and cut a clearance hole in the hood for the bumper itself, allowing you to shut the hood even further?...Thus eliminating most of the gap?...Or maybe grind the face of the bumper to allow the hood to close even more?
great ideas, but maybe a few adjustments could make it perfected!
...I don't know, as I am not near my truck to look at it, and get a true picture in my head.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

When I retired in 95 I was super excited, but at the same time bummed after so many years being in the zone!!! Looking forward to what the Frozen Garage has in store for us when you have more time to spend there...

I am approaching it with mixed emotions as you may guess. As I get closer I try to warm up to the idea that I will have the time and freedom to explore all the dreams I had when I was a younger man.
Sadly I am now saddled with the intolerance of an old man, and can see clearly the gripes of the elderly when I was young in their dissatisfaction with the next generation....

Thanks for the vote of future prizes to be had, I hope to not disappoint in the years to come !!

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Hey Murph!
Just an observation as an armchair quarterback, but shown back in post #1537 couldn't you mount the hood bumper plates from the sierra on the inside surface of the hood (flipped over), and cut a clearance hole in the hood for the bumper itself, allowing you to shut the hood even further?...Thus eliminating most of the gap?...Or maybe grind the face of the bumper to allow the hood to close even more?
great ideas, but maybe a few adjustments could make it perfected!
...I don't know, as I am not near my truck to look at it, and get a true picture in my head.

Well buddy.... there was a clearance issue with doing that, the way the inner hood cowl support runs along the front of the hood. I could have counter sunk them into the grill shroud too, but ...... and it is a big but this time..... I hung my p-side fender today, and realize that due to body line issues I now have a laundry list of things to un-do and re-do.

That 1/2" gap that runs along the bottom of the hood will not do, no sir, not at all !!
That means I have to start with pulling the nice padded Sierra hood gasket, and installing the stock 1966 replacement I got. (that gasket alone was lifting the back of the hood up half an inch) I have to pull out those adjustable hood bumpers and re-install the stock ones (of which I mistakenly ordered twice so have two sets of....) and I have to re-engineer my upper hood release assembly so that the plunger rod IS adjustable because that is what is holding me up high in the front of the hood.

I had my suspicisions that this was going to be an issue all along, but was willing to hold off until I knew for certain, and that meant waiting until the fenders we hung and stuff.....

Thanks Modges, I was wondering if someone was going to spot the iceberg before I rammed into it.....

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On a positive note, I got the mesh screen done for the hood intake.
I still have to find a way of retaining it in there but for now it is made, and installed. What I want is to find some sort of clam-shell clips that will snap on there, but we are having difficulty finding the paper clip types that I have in mind up here in Fairbanks....




I also started on my inner fender headlight splash panels. Got the p-side done today just need to finish the fab work and install the d-side.

While I was in there, I saw that I had installed my upper ball joints with the bolts down. I read some advice on another thread in the past couple days saying the bolts should be installed up, with the nuts on top, otherwise the added lenght underneath will wear on the ball joint seal. So I flipped those today too, and just hope I remember to do the same on the d-side in the next couple days as I bring that side up to par....

[chad64chevy]

I think I might have seen the same thread or something, cause when I did my frontend, I swear I seen something about the bolt should be facing up on here somewhere too! an that's what I did, made sense after thinking about it for a lil bit!

[McMurphy]

Ok so while the hood is still on the page for discussion, let me start there.

I removed the updated hood gasket from the firewall, and installed the stock one, this did indeed allow the trailing end of the hood to settle lower. Then it was also back to the stock bumpers up front (I now have holes to fill in the lip of the hood, but that is a project for another day).
Once both of those were done, the hood latch plunger/bar was too long.
Since I never was happy that it was not adjustable, I bit the bullet and dove on into making one that was.

Here is my story.....

I took a piece of pizza box, and started making measurements on it:


Then I taped it to a piece of sheet metal and started cutting and drilling:


Then I grabbed a 12" section of that old radiator X rod, and threaded both ends ( later cut this down to 10" ) :


A little bit of bending, dremmel and file work, and this was what I ended up with:


So now, in comparison, the new one is adjustable forward and backward, side to side, and the length/depth of the plunger-rod:


I am more satisfied with this assembly than I was with the first, though there are a couple things I would like to do differently still. Such is Neccessity being the Mother of Invention because in the end she is still a ....... never mind, there are kids here.....

More tomorrow, unless the world ends tonight of course

[Modges'66]

Very Nice Murph!!!

[Grizz1963]

Got to do a Ta2Don for this one.

Pizza box engineering. Making so many projects come out right.

Well done.

[Bomp]

Like this one way better Murph.
May take a time or two (me its usually 3-7 times) but in the end its something to be proud of.

Diggin it

[piratexpress1369a]

dam that pizza place must love you lol

[Ta2Don]

Pizza Box Engineering...

Full Belly = Better Brain Power...

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Very Nice Murph!!!

Thanks Modges, I was thinking of you today as I flipped that rear ANTI-sway bar. Thanks again for pointing that out.

Originally Posted by Bomp

Like this one way better Murph.
May take a time or two (me its usually 3-7 times) but in the end its something to be proud of.

Diggin it

I try to keep the re-dos under 3.... by then I should know what I am doing...

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Got to do a Ta2Don for this one.

Pizza box engineering. Making so many projects come out right.

Well done.

"Pizza Box Engineering" I can see this becoming board community vocabulary !!

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

dam that pizza place must love you lol

It is a mutual love triangle... they love me, I love them, and I love pizza !!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Pizza Box Engineering...

Full Belly = Better Brain Power...

Probably something to that Don.....

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Just a quick update on the hood latch pattern/template.
In my fiddling with it I noticed it tended to rub a bit on the base plate, so today I modified it with a 1/4" cut which you will see in the photo below. It angles in from the mounting bases and on the pizza box cuts out the numbering for the overall lenght of the template.

I also welded in a MUCH thicker plate on the plunger-latch rod end in an attempt to keep this from warping. I wish I had made it of some thicker sheet metal, but I did the best with what I had around.



Anyways today was a good day, chased down a turn signal ghost, flipped the rear ANTI-sway bar, mocked up my front bumper for consideration, and started laying bed frame cross members, taking note of what I need to get from the hardware store tomorrow.

Hope you all had a great mid week as well

[McMurphy]

As you guys may have guessed I have been busy plugging away on my build, just not a lot of things to really share.
Chased down that turn signal gremlin that turned out to be the brass contacts in the actuator switch in the column.
Fixed a fuel supply issue that was keeping me from running the engine for more than a few seconds.
Figured out, and wired up my tail light needs for when I get to that point so it will be all done. With my intended use of the Caddilac lights, I determined that I would need a relay wired in for the back up lights to work since they do not activate off the ground switch off the transmission.
Front fenders are hung now too, with the splash guards in to protect the head light assemblies.
I also got my fuel fill and fuel door figured out to the point where I can do final assembly on it when I get all the surrounding bed concepts worked through.

After all that it was time to address the bed.
The nice thing about having multiple items to work on to get a section done, is that there is a part or panel to work on as paint or bondo are setting up on another piece. I like this as it exersizes my multi-tasking skills and I dont hit any brick walls because I absolutely need the part I am working on in order to progress.

On the list is to shave my stake pockets, cap the bed rail ends, minor side board patching, and shave the rear signal mounts in the fenders.
On the custom end, I am going to add an extension to the steps, totally customize my tail gate (teaser on that one), and fab up a roll pan to mount my tail lights into.

So far:



I made a Dolly for this, and wish I had made it sooner for other places, but this is my hole after a little hammer and dolly work:


Now the patch:


I will have more pics later, I left the camera down in the garage last night, so more to follow guys !!

[Ta2Don]

Updates...

[clemdaddy]

wow... you're making some great headway. dreaming up ideas and solving problems as you go. thataboy murph!

[piratexpress1369a]

ah that is a teaser on the tailgate lol..where are the caddy lights going to mount

[McMurphy]

Thanks guys, but I have to re-do those fender patches; I really goofed them up. I was trying to cut conservatively, but now realize I need to whack out a much larger space for them to look right.... more to follow on that mess.

Pirate this is how I have them mocked up at this time:


I am contemplating some pretty special plans for them. When it is all said and done, they should be fairly slick.

[McMurphy]

At my fave junk yard there is a 60-64 GMC long step, big back window that had the cab trim. Not sure if I am going to use it, but I pulled the trim pieces anyways, even though of the 4 pieces, one of them was pretty munched.

I brought them home, and in a fit of indulgence, I worked with the munched drivers side piece. Although it is far from perfect, I dont think I would be too ashamed to mount it up and run with it until I could find a replacement!

Here it is BEFORE:


And AFTER:


For these photo purposes, I did not do anything to the p-side trim. If I had just a tad more patience, and better polishing equipment, I think I could make that mangled one look even better.

[1963c-10]

Nice job....waiting to watch the taillight mods.

[markeb01]

Nice improvement. It's tedious working with straightening and polishing stainless, but the results can be a great reward.

[Low Elco]

Good Progress!

[jlsanborn]

Glad to see you busy on the truck Murph! Trim is always cool

[Ta2Don]

Taillight Mock-up...

The trim is looking good, patience Grasshopper!!!

Great Work Murph!!!

[Grizz1963]

Looking at the price of a full set of trim pieces for my Short Fleetside landed here in the UK vs your results so far, I am wondering if repairing or having mine repaired, as every piece is damaged, does not make some sense, especially if I could find an old skool craftsman to involve.

I have been looking to find you a set of old London Taxi Cab rear lights like I have on the teardrop trailer for months now, just to mess with your head but have not been successful ( yet )