52 Project

[pgf545]

Originally Posted by Detroit3100

great build. Thanks for the tip on the drivers side ebrake support, I am going to add that to my list of metal.

I have toyed around the idea of leading some of my body work...cool beans.

Thank you for the comments. The leading started butt ugly and then went to kinda ugly and finally to acceptable. I am learn as you go guy and am mostly not afraid to try stuff. My theory is what's the worst that can happen????

Thanks Kabwe, getting closer every day!

Bernie
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[Kabwe]

Everything is looking great Bernie

[pgf545]

So I am getting a little better at the leading thing....I did the blend between the cowl and the outer cowl piece by the door. I also did a couple of other places too but didn't take any pictures. Kinda looks rough in the pictures because I had just rough filed before doing the sanding. Most of the stuff lately has been paint prep so not many cool pictures unless you guys like sanding dust pictures....lol. Hopefully we will start running the brake and fuel lines pretty soon, dad was going to try to run some of that stuff and also do some more sanding this week.

Bernie

[bensimmons_05]

Don't see much leading anywhere, looks like your doing good at it!

[pgf545]

I started filling the seam in the hood today. I know this is probably not the way the professional body guys do it but this is how its going to get done...lol. Here are a couple of pictures, I will finish welding it in the next couple of weekends.

Bernie

[MARTINSR]

That is actually a perfectly fine way to do that. Now, take literally a week to weld it. I am not kidding make a couple of welds a quarter inch long or less, make them a few feet apart and then walk away and leave it. DO NOT cool the welds with air or water, this WILL warp it as this is the very thing you want to do to shrink something, so just make short little welds then let them cool on their own.

Brian

[pgf545]

Thanks Brian, That is my plan, will probably take me a couple of Sundays to finish the welding. What I was doing yesterday was make a few tacks and let it cool and then do a few more and let it cool etc. I talked to a guy at a local car show and that is how he did his and it turned out great. I have plenty of other stuff to do while it cools also, so not to worried about the time.

Bernie

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by pgf545

I have plenty of other stuff to do while it cools also, so not to worried about the time.

Bernie

That is exactly right Bernie! Just take your time, you can't take too long doing this, the longer the better. Nice quick, hot welds too. What I mean by hot is do some tests, turn up the heat and the wire speed as much as you can where you can dive in, do a weld in a second and back off. If you have it too cool thinking this is the way to do it, it takes too long to get the weld started and you are creating more heat. But either way, think about that and try it a few different ways and see what works best for you. I personally like a nice fast hot weld.

Brian

[72ArizonaBurb]

I am considering doing the exact same thing. I was wondering about welding the two halves together and then filling above that with bondo. This would reduce my welding requirements by 1/2. I was curious as to how other members did theirs.

[MARTINSR]

One of these days I need to borrow my brothers infra red thermometer and do a little testing.

Brian

[pgf545]

Thanks Brian, I am using the Tig for welding this so I can control it pretty good. Plus I can lay a much smaller bead/spot weld with it than the mig. I was having pretty good success yesterday with it. Thanks again for the information and I will let you know how it turns out soon....lol.

Bernie

[pgf545]

We got a kit from TCI I think. It came with the springs, hangers and brackets. I will have to double check the next time I am down there to see exactly who we got it from.

Bernie

[altereddezignz]

Did you just order that kit and all the hardware worked with using the aftermarket rearend? looking at using a s-10 maybe a fullsize rear but more than likely an s-10. Not much power will be made.

[pgf545]

Originally Posted by altereddezignz

Did you just order that kit and all the hardware worked with using the aftermarket rearend? looking at using a s-10 maybe a fullsize rear but more than likely an s-10. Not much power will be made.

Yes it worked no problem with the 9" rear end that we put in the truck. I still have to set the pinion angle once the weight gets on the truck but other than that it was pretty much bolt in. If I remember right you will have to cut the rivets out and remove the existing brackets but that isn't that hard to do. If you have any questions let me know.

Bernie

[pgf545]

I was thinking back and looking at some pictures and maybe this is the kit we got? I can't remember exactly what kit it was since it have been a while. This one seems to ring a bell and looks like the parts that I remember installing.

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...ks/4754RLK.htm

Bernie

[altereddezignz]

Thank you so much. This may be the best rout to go rather than trying to install the s-10 leafs and hangers since more than likely i will have to cut the hangers and make them git. Then find center of axle and all that..

[pgf545]

Originally Posted by altereddezignz

Thank you so much. This may be the best rout to go rather than trying to install the s-10 leafs and hangers since more than likely i will have to cut the hangers and make them git. Then find center of axle and all that..

Yeah this kit centers the axle and also lowers the ride height from the stock rear end. Pretty straight forward install.

Bernie

[pgf545]

Well I finally got a few things done that were picture worthy. Ran the fuel lines and the brake lines on the rear end. Also dad got all the Lizard skin put on the bottom and the inside. We have been mostly sanding and doing boring body work so not very many pictures of that. Here are a couple that I took today of the lines and the Lizard Skin.

Bernie

[pgf545]

Dad has been playing around looking at colors. He found this one from a 50th anniversary Vette that he really likes. He shot a small test on an old fender and we sanded and buffed it out yesterday. I took a couple of shots in the sun light this afternoon. Really sparkles in the sun but in the shade it almost looks maroon. Hopefully by the end of the year we will have the cab and doors shot. Here are a couple of pictures from today. Enjoy

Bernie

[pgf545]

Wow 100000 page views. Thanks everyone for looking at my poor little build thread, maybe soon I will be able to show some painted progress. It has been a real slow build but we are doing everything ourselves and I have been learning the trial by fire method!!!!

Bernie

[Kabwe]

Slow build? Man you are moving faster than me.lol Once again nice work.

[mknittle]

lookin really nice!

[pgf545]

Ha Kabwe, It feels like an eternity! This body work stuff blows, I would rather build 5 motors and transmissions than do body work. The good thing is that the body and doors are in fill primer so once we are happy with that then the color can go on. I am heading to dads in the morning so hopefully he got the primer sprayed this week so I can do some block sanding tomorrow. I think we are pretty close.....or at least I hope!!!!! Thanks again for all the kind works.


Bernie

[Coach529]

Looks great!!

[CAL 58 GMC]

My neighbor a few houses down has 2003 50th anniversary Vette. It's a really sweet color, kinda looks like a burgundy blood red. Nice choice on the color!