47-55.1 The 48 chevy truck Ironworks is building.

[Ironworks]

Hay Guys I get on here from time to time and thought I would share this project we have been working on for about 10-11 months. It is for a local guy here in Bako that wanted to build something for his wife. We have nicknamed the truck "LIL BIT", because we cut it just a little bit.

Here is what we started with.


Here is pic after we sectioned and lengthened the cab 3". I don;t think it was chopped quite yet.


Here is where we started laying out where else to cut it.


After got things where we wanted.


After a "FEW" hours of metal work.


A few more


Parked next to a stock on at Pleasanton in August.

[Ironworks]

Some Detail shots







There are quite a few pics on our shop website. www.ironworksspeedandkustom.com. I'm working to update my site to handle more pics. I would like to Thank Frank for letting us build such an insanely detailed truck. We should have it in paint by the new year with a late spring early summer debut.

Can anybody guess what the front bumper came from?

[Fat Mike]

Looks like a karma gia?

[Ironworks]

Originally Posted by Fat Mike

Looks like a karma gia?

WOW, That didn't last long. Good eye.

[Fat Mike]

I have had 2 or 3 in my lifetime. What are the specs on that truck? Looks like a channel, chop, lenghten, widen? Anything else. The hood also looks like it might be piecut. ALL I CAN SAW IS WOW!

[Ironworks]

Hmm specs
Chopped 1.5"
Sectioned through cab and hood - 1.75
Cab lengthened 3"
Running boards moved up - a bit
Stock wheelbase -
The bed was shortened alot and bobbed in the rear.
The rear bumper is a cut up 70 chevy stepside bumper
The front turn signals are from a 57 truck
The door handles are 54
We moved the reshaped stake pockets out to the edge of the bed
The doors are made from like 16 pieces or some crazy number
The grille was narrowed 1" per side
the customer says he has counted 80 body mods. That's just mods not things we did to improve the fit.
It has an LS1 engine with a Magnuson super charger.

We started with 2 cabs, 3 hoods and 8 doors. We had NOS long bed running boards and bed sides. We got a repo tail gate, and rear fender.

We are keeping the stainless trim around the windows and around the roll up glass. We intend to chrome both pieces.

[Fat Mike]

Very nice and glad you posted picture and specs! Thank you.

[ratty 46]

Looks like a 7/8 scale vehicle .... nice job so far.

Ratty 46

[BigJock]

Nicely proportioned truck,stunning amount of metalwork!
If it looks right,it usually is......
Love the KG bumper treatment too.

[Ironworks]

Thanks Guys, This truck has been alot of work, but the customer has let us work on it at full speed, so considering we started Feb 2010, it has gone by real fast.

Thanks again guys

[OYMC]

The truck looks great!

On a personal note, I'm not really feeling the camaro style front bumper. After all the sectioning work that was done to make the truck flow as well as it does, the bumper just looks awkward.

Very impressed otherwise!

[blitz'd]

Those tailgate latches are cool.

[OKGMC4]

Loved the 57 and love this too. I'll never be able to afford to farm out work like this but it gives me something to aim for in my own garage. Thanks for sharing.

[72Mountaineer]

This is the 2nd build that I have seen that has the recessed brake booster....can you post some pics of how it works under the dash? I would think that the pedal would have to set out from the firewall too far. It looks like a great setup.

[Ironworks]

Well here is what I have to explain the recess booster mod. We use an 8" dual chamber booster and years ago I bought like 10ft of Material from the steel yard that give a nice .25" gap all around the booster. Then we cut it to length or the depth we want to or can recess. usually to the first fold in the booster. Then I laser cut a pile of plates that bolt to the booster. I take one of those plates a weld it to the ring, then I cut the hole in the firewall and mock up the whole booster and master bolted to the ring to get level. We than tack it in place for level and the SLOWLY weld it in place. It will warp a firewall way to fast if you not careful due to the thickness of the steel the ring is made from.



You can see the booster ring to left under that dash. This pic was taken to show the LS1 engine ECU brackets we sell, but will give you another persepctive.




We then use the Kugel Komponents brake pedal assembly. It gives a better ratio then most stock pedals not intended for booster and gives you a place to attach other things under then dash if you like.

Hopefully this helps. If your going to run a booster this seems to have worked well for us.

[Deabt54]

Oh wow, I saw this truck at Goodguy's in Pleasanton. Really like what you guys are doing. My friends and I stood there staring at it checking out the work. I have a 54 5 window project on here (54c-4 build0 that I'm putting corvette IFS and IRS on a stock frame. Having a ball doing it. Awesome build you guys, I'll keep checking it out.

[xpickup]

Ironworks, awesome looking truck. I can't wait for the updated website because I have being looking at it for months and there have been no changes. I talked to you Columbus 2 years ago and saw the great job you have done with the 57. Your shop does awesome work.

[nebdrummer]

UGGHH. im in love. perfect demensions all around. He didnt want to shave the drip rails after all that?

got any renderings for interior/paint yet?

hows that 67 nova you have going? i havent seen any updates on that thing for a while!

[Ironworks]

We are trying after all these mods to leave it stock. It has the hood trim, the trim around the door glass will be cut to fit all the mods and chromed. The tail gate latches we made to look like the old chains.

The 66 nova is on hold, His business fell off 80% due to the Economy.

[Ironworks]

Originally Posted by xpickup

Ironworks, awesome looking truck. I can't wait for the updated website because I have being looking at it for months and there have been no changes. I talked to you Columbus 2 years ago and saw the great job you have done with the 57. Your shop does awesome work.

I reached the max pics I could host. That is being tripled and I will have separate galleries and our product line will be added to the site. Lots of new cool stuff coming. Plus a major update.

[nebdrummer]

Originally Posted by Ironworks

The 66 nova is on hold, His business fell off 80% due to the Economy.

that sucks bad! were doing a 67 on pro-touring. bandecustoms is my deal on there.

business still going strong for you guys out there?

[Ironworks]

Originally Posted by nebdrummer

that sucks bad! were doing a 67 on pro-touring. bandecustoms is my deal on there.

business still going strong for you guys out there?

Things are going well, I have a great group of customers that pay their bills and are happy with the work we do.

I will have to check that nova out.

[mrchevy1950]

Great truck. I spoke with you at the Pleasanton show in August. Really like the tappered grille.

[chevyrestoguy]

WOW! You guys do some amazing work. I love the proportion on the truck. Oftentimes, when guys do that many body mods, something in the proportion always goes wrong. It's either too sectioned, too chopped, etc. You guys flat nailed it!

I'm glad you're posting on the site, and hope that you continue to keep posting those awesome pictures!

[Spackle100]

Really, really nice build man. The grille and bumper looks good, but that hood brace is killer.
I like how you kept the windows the same size and how you added the 55.5-57 blinker lights on the front. I would like to see the hood latches in detail or a closer shot at some point if possible
What does the owner want to do for paint? If it were up to me, i'd keep it bare metal and clear coat it