1958 SWB C4 Fleetside - NZ Build

[QBRacing]

Why is it that the small things take longer to fix than the big things.

So my steering is completely finished (bar the mount for the bottle). I made this quick YOUTUBE VIDEO showing all the components from start to finish incase it can help someone else in the future.

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Ive also been working on the column selector setup to work with the 4L60E. Why is it non of the aftermarket guys support this .... they all seem to say evverything but the 4L60e.
Regardless I bought the Lokar ACA-1804 cause I figured I could mod it to work and well..... I did and it doesnt take much.

Here is a LINK TO MY HELP TREAD on this forum

Here is a YOUTUBE VIDEO showing the mods and how I did it. If Im no professional and can figure it out Im sure some of you smart cookies can as well. (KEEP IN MIND) ... that the angle of the column support bracket will effect the length of the cable throw between park and low.

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I have also come up with ingenious ways for the factory VT Commodore (SS CHEVY) accellerator pedal and cable to work with the Holley 4150 throttle body I am using and for the factory VT Commodore handbrake (e-brake) to work with the old clutch hole which I am not using ..... pretty trick if I dont say so..... more to follow as I find the time to finish those bits and relocated the remote brake resevoir to make it all work and look purdy.

Q

[QBRacing]

So i have finally got back into it just before I move and put the truck into storage for a few months.

The accelerator cable and pedal are installed and while working I think I need another bracket to assist with some flex I am getting through the pedal near full throttle. I made this Video which kind of shows it,

No major picks other than the one below.

Ive also made some custom alloy breather and expansion tanks for the engine bay ( which you can also see in the bow pic)

Q

[QBRacing]

Well I guess i have done something right .....

IT MOVES UNDER ITS OWN POWER.

YOUTUBE Video can be found here ...

Now I can get it to storage next week .... woohoo ....

[QBRacing]

With Corona Virus locking NZ down since mid March 2020 I was unable to move at then end of March but managed to get the truck back from storage on the last day before lock down. Over the last few days Ive managed to get some work done on it.

I've hung the hood and doors on the 58 Apache Fleetside and while there is some alignment work to do Im pretty happy so far.
The RF guard has a threaded lower nut at the bottom of the guard so i will need to do something there to allow it to fit correctly and the hood hinges are shot so I will need to get some billet replacements i guess :P

All of this can be explained in my latest Youtube Video.

Ive almost fully installed the one piece Specialty Power Window electric window kit however cant do any more as the lockdown means I cant get the door glass made to allow completion.

Ive also final mounted the Vintage Air fan controls and glovebox panel as well as modifying the 1/4 kick panels so I dont need to keep removing the vents to access anything behind.

[QBRacing]

And we have moved into our new place, sorted out a few small issues with it, nand now I have tools and truck all in 1 place so can start working on it again....

I just received the custom 1 piece glasses so can start installing them into the doors too.

[QBRacing]

Well, after I got the 1 piece glasses made I coudn't find the channels they sit in to attach to the auto motor system. On top of that the truck would not start after moving twice so ive ben doing a lot of fault finding....

Glass & Gremlins before fault finding began ...

And then, out of the blue the other day I figured it out after ruling out no bad earths, good PCM wiring but no running.

No Gremlins + More Parts

In short , I decapped the injectors planning on a twin turbo build but then changed my mind and went NA with a super victor setup. In short with a stock tune I was dumping up to 2.5 tmes the required fuel and within 4 starts (maybe 5 minutes runnning total) I had fouled the plugs so bad I had no spark. I mean.... the plugs looked like they had done 100,000kms on a car with bad seals and rings. (the pic is after the first soak in some brakeclean)

In light of that, Ive just got some new injectors from an 02 (which flow slighty more), cleaned the plugs, and sent the PCM off for a base tune with someone 3 different people recommended.

That should allow me to get it running more consistently and then I can start on finishing the cab.

Q

[daveshilling]

Yeah that will definitely do it!! Those decapped injectors DUMP fuel big time.

[jwhotrod]

when you get tired of sending the ecm off for programming you can changed to Holley efi and self learn/do your own programming.

[GreasyLikeaBurger]

If your injectors were running that rich, I would suggest doing an oil change. The manufacturer I work for had issues with some of our high end cars running rich at start up. What was happening was, the cars were sitting at the port waiting on delivery and they kept starting them and moving them a really short distance. Only a few minutes at a time. So over a few weeks of that, the oil became thinned out. We actually had issues doing the PDI, with the oil gauge showing really low pressure. Had to do several oil changes to clear them out.

[QBRacing]

ITS ALIVE AGAIN

1 dodgy spark plug lead, 1 dud spark plug, 1 Corvette filter/regulator supplying only 30psi is just the start of why it didn't work.

New Leads, New Plug, New VT Commodore fuel filter, New Deatschwerks Pressure Regulator, Mafless basetune installed, wiring re routed and now it cranks on the key and is ready for the exhaust shop on Monday the 30th November.

Oh and I have had the 1 piece windows glued into the window rails.

As always, I have another VIDEO for you

[FarmerSid]

Nice to have it figured out. Been watching your video's. I've got C4 stuff in my build too

[QBRacing]

Exhausting Stuff

You guessed it. I have finally fitted the exhaust. Listen to it here

The driver side goes up between the gbox and break booster, over the x-member and down again to a joiner. There are also 3, yes 3 heat sheilds, 1 for he g-box wiring, 1 for the booster, 1 for the master. The joins will allow me to remove the front section for some heat treating after x-mas.

The passenger side is similar but doesnt have to clear anything so was way easier.

Both sides are 3" and have a h-pipe join before a pair of 3" Flowmaster delta 55's.

On the output side of things it is a simple 3" down turn just inside the rear guard atm but I plan to go out through the guard shortly.

[QBRacing]

Oh .... and I am test fitting some mags over the weekend. If they fit I will be getting them asap.

USMag Hustlers - 20x9.5 (3" lip) and 22x11 (4" Lip)

Think they will look sweeeeeet even though I am not a fan of the staggered look. But the rear tyre has to have some meat to it and I will quite possibly be the only set in that size and stud as we need to order them in special.

Q

[QBRacing]

Omg. They fit..... just.

With new pads fitted the backface of the mag clears the Corvette caliper lettering by 1mm (max 2mm) and I have 7.5 turns on the bolts. Full lock clears everything front and back

I think ild run a 5mm spacer to be safe and I will need a centric ring also for our certification process here in NZ but all of that will depend on if I can get a 5mm longer C5 Corvette wheel stud, if not, I'm shagged

That 3" front dish is amazing to look at....

[jwhotrod]

if those wheels use shank type stud nuts you shouldnt have to increase the stud length 5mm (.196") thats not enough to change the thread engagement. if you have at least 1.5 x thread diameter engagement. thats the advantage of using shank type nuts.

[QBRacing]

We need 6.5 turns to lock here in NZ when certing a modified vehicle. The factory C5 studs give me 7.5 turns.

I haven't checked yet but assuming it's a 1.5 thread pitch if use a 5mm spacer I will loose just over 3 turns, leaving me 4.5 turns to lock.

I therefore need to find at least 2 turns to get back to our cert levels meaning the studs will need to be at least 3mm , yes just 3mm, longer to do this.

Its the rules we live by here in NZ when we modify cars but what can you do?

[QBRacing]

I might even just do the 20x9.5 in the too after test fitting.

I would need to widen the rear wheelarch 2" to get the 22×11" to fit and I think the tyre will be very close to the rear a arm mounts at that width too. Will miss that 4" lip but 3" is enough..... lol

[dsraven]

Exhaust is looking nicely put together. Have you thought about some heat shielding for stuff around the pipes?
Wheels look nice. Not sure it would be worth it for me personally to do all that work to fit the truck to the wheel. It's your dream though, so to each their own. Maybe try a rendering of what a fleetside box would look like if the wheel openings were flared that 2" you're talking about. Before you cut.
Love the pics.keep em coming.

[dsraven]

Sorry, didn't see the post about the heat shielding.
Carry on.....

[QBRacing]

Here is a photo of the super HPC coated front pipes and the 3 brackets that protect the trans selector, booster and master cylinder.

Also have tyres fitted now.

After much to-ing and fro-ing I have settled on 245/40/20 fronts and 275/35/20 rears. This is the best setup to allow max clearance to the swaybar and the outer lips of the guards.

Im thinking I might change the 400lb 9" springs to 8" springs as that is the lowest setting I can get them too. I could then level the rear and still lower the front just a little more

[dsraven]

Looks like it was fun getting all those bends to fit. Looks good completed.
Um, your bumper is crookid.

[QBRacing]

Here's a video as to
1) went with four 20x9.5s
2) why I'm still going to tub the rear
3) how I'm relocating the original battery box
4) paint

Enjoy

[QBRacing]

Sorry in advance for the up coming photo bomb but over the last week I have been buzy stripping and prepping for paint and just wanted to share.

As always I havemade a quick video if you follow my build blog on Youtube - YouTube Video 55

All I can say is 60 years of paint and paint and paint and paint and bog is fun to remove.....

So starting with the cab - I removed the primer I put on over 2 years ago after I stripped the cab. I thought it was etch but after removing it found it as epoxy so I could have just skotched it and relaid a second coat... oh well. Ive also done the filler work on the roof join and where one of the old owners used a cutoff wheel to remove some paint....

[QBRacing]

Then I moved onto the hood which had 4 layers of paint, 3 on top of the original green colour..... red white and black....

Needless to say the wire wheel and paint stripper won out and after close to 5 hours it was back to bare steel and ready for some primer too...

[QBRacing]

At this stage the thought did cross my mind to leave it bare steel but from what I have heard and the people I talked to said dont do it in our seaside , humid island conditions.

That didnt stop me from ripping into the guards and doors though (i still have 1 door to finish yet)