Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[JR25]

I really like the POR15. I bought a quart, and still have about half of it left! It brushes on but dries smooth. If you get the metal clean, and then use the POR Metal Ready first, you cant hardly beat the paint off, and it completely seals/kills the rust!

Just a thought!
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[Dan in Pasadena]

I've got a quart of KBS Rust Bullet I bought a year ago. IF it's not rock hard when I open it I'll use it but I didn't buy their "prep" - whatever it is. I assume it is a hard degreaser or maybe a light acid to etch the metal(?)

I wonder if the KBS and POR15 are the same thing?

[JR25]

Not sure? The prep does seem to smell like naval jelly though (acid etcher).
Maybe someone else can chime in. After using it though, I POUNDED the kingpins back on with the axle sitting on the frame as you see it, and actually made a few small dings where the two were slamming into each other, but just a couple of small places lost the paint!
That is why I was so impressed with it!
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[JR25]

Not sure? The prep does seem to smell like naval jelly though (acid etcher).
Maybe someone else can chime in. After using it though, I POUNDED the kingpins back on with the axle sitting on the frame as you see it, and actually made a few small dings where the two were slamming into each other, but just a couple of small places lost the paint!
That is why I was so impressed with it!
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[Dan in Pasadena]

Sounds great. I hope my KBS is still useable and works that well.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Had chores to do today so only very minor stuff got done. I guess every little bit helps, huh?

The mountain bike inner tube I'd put over my tailgate chains a couple weeks ago were bugging me - too loosely fitting. I thought it looked half-assed so I stopped off at the bike shop Friday an picked up a roadie bike tube from their trash. Fits nice and snug now. I put tire dressing on it to get rid of the talcum gray looks it came with:


I also made an attempt at restoring my side emblems. They came out only ok. They're "10 footers" but they'll have to do as the repops cost over $200! I'll wait to buy them until I get a wild hair one of these days.

Somewhere along the line someone had painted them black - correct for '56 but white is correct for '55 and I kinda like it. I think I WILL buy the V8 emblems for below these though. Hopefully their new chrome won't make these look worse!

[G&R's57GMC]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Had chores to do today so only very minor stuff got done. I guess every little bit helps, huh?

The mountain bike inner tube I'd put over my tailgate chains a couple weeks ago were bugging me - too loosely fitting. I thought it looked half-assed so I stopped off at the bike shop Friday an picked up a roadie bike tube from their trash. Fits nice and snug now. I put tire dressing on it to get rid of the talcum gray looks it came with:

Dan, Be sure to punch a hole at the bottom of the tube so water can drain out.

Looks good.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks.

I don't know about "good" but it certainly looks better than the loose one did. (For some reason the old ones reminded me of those kids that wear their pants UNDER their ass cheeks,)

Yup, there's a rain hole. It's square made with scissors cause I don't own an old fashioned paper punch. Not sure how I'd only punch a hole through only ONE side anyway! lol.

[Kim57]

Looking good. Every little bit helps.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

I guess.

Feels like Chinese water torture sometimes though.

[JR25]

I think it is great that you get to drive your truck while working on it! I dont think Im ever gonna get the cab back on mine, with 3 young boys (4,6,8) it is nice having the "helpers", but then there is ball games, throwing the ball in the yard, helping them with whatever they think is cool at the time, and oh yeah did I mention I have a wife too!!

The small details on the truck are getting discouraging!

Keep up the work on yours, it looks great!
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[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the compliments JR.

There's NOTHING more important than playing with those boys. My son will be 32 this summer (eek!) and I spent every day, all the time with him when I wasn't at work. He was my co-pilot at all times and we talked about ANYthing that came to his mind. He and I are incredibly close to this day as a result.

As for your truck? I worried "life" would get in the way if I took mine all the way down to the frame immediately....and I don't have small kids anymore. I think you'll get there IF you can find a way to source some funds for it. Just little-by-little. Maybe your water bottles/soda can recycling dollars? Maybe X% from your yearly tax return? Maybe you set aside $20 a paycheck? (yes, hard to do when kids are little). But something; however small so you don't feel like you'll NEVER have a spare dollar to use on your truck.

Personally, I'd figure out THE most economical way to get it back running. Rebuild the 235 or find a used one on Craigslist. Wire wheel, Ospho & roll that frame and get on with it. Maybe start a thread just to keep you motivated?

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Thanks for the compliments JR.


As for your truck? I worried "life" would get in the way if I took mine all the way down to the frame immediately....and I don't have small kids anymore. I think you'll get there IF you can find a way to source some funds for it. Just little-by-little. Maybe your water bottles/soda can recycling dollars? Maybe X% from your yearly tax return? Maybe you set aside $20 a paycheck? (yes, hard to do when kids are little). But something; however small so you don't feel like you'll NEVER have a spare dollar to use on your truck.

Personally, I'd figure out THE most economical way to get it back running. Rebuild the 235 or find a used one on Craigslist. Wire wheel, Ospho & roll that frame and get on with it. Maybe start a thread just to keep you motivated?

Dan is absolutely right JR.
15 yrs ago when I 1st pulled mine down I used to spend between 50 - 100 dollars on parts whenever pomona swap meet was going and I was there. Over that time I had collected most of the parts I needed to finish mine like door handles, headlight bezels, tail lights, power brake booster, mirrors and arms, door relays, window & door seals etc. I used to save my change (coins) and use that for parts as we have 4 kids (aged 10-23 yrs old).
It sat for a long time while i worked in my shop and pushed it out of the way. Recently I have spent alot of $ but only because we had alot of change and aluminum cans
little by little is the best way, as for time to work on it I have spent alot of time on it recently mainly because my 10 yr old daughter has been pushing me hard at the fact that she wants too go cruizing to car shows in it and she helps me work on it sometimes. She personally wants a 55 chevy Belair for her 1st car.
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[JR25]

That gives me a GREAT idea! I need to load the family up and take them to a classic's show of some sort..........then maybe they would want me to spend more time trying to get 'er dun!
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[JR25]

I am using the L6, my machinest is waiting on all of the components I have ordered so he can check them over before he gives it back for me to re-assemble.

The kids do come first, but I like it more when they want to work on the truck!!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by JR25

I am using the L6....

Very cool. If mine hadn't come with the 283 and camel hump heads I'd have left the 235 in it and dressed it out nicely. Something like this 250:



If anything ever happens to my 283 I intend to rebuild it or replace it because I like the "retro" aspect the older, smaller engines give trucks.

[G&R's57GMC]

Here's a theme that you might consider, OR not ...

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oh, you mean military themed cause my truck is sorta/kinda Army drab? Hadn't thought of that but I wouldn't do it because I was never in the military. I'd feel like a phony.

Side note? I went to high school from '68-'72. For my Frosh thru Junior year I just assumed I'd get drafted and be going to Viet Nam. My lottery number was #49 so I KNEW I was screwed. I was classified 1A. Then Nixon put a hold on new draftees and I was reassigned 1H - for "Holding". I lucked out, but I was on edge for awhile there.

[Dan in Pasadena]

A bunch of errands took up the morning but managed to do a little. I've got four of these uglies to repair.

Tossed my first attempt as I'm trying to get a tighter fit. I finally just pulled the latch actuator so I could get my arm down inside the door to hold the blank directly against the hole. Since door has "waves" from the factory so you've gotta make sure the patch is "clocked" right or these waves will not look right afterward. Using a piece of cardboard you never know. Putting the patch directly on the inside ensures it's clocked right.

Ground paint off all around & on small screw holes.


Close up #1. So far, so good!


Close up #2, NOT as good but it's gonna have to do:

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[SCHRUMGMC]

What is with the Hole ?

[Dan in Pasadena]

It's a speaker hole the original owner cut into the door. Problem is there are two of them in EACH door! They're like 5" diameter too. Short of replacing the doors ($$$) there's no other way to address them. Unless I put speakers back in them - NOT. They looked amateurish....cause they are!

[rgunlock]

Hi Dan. As I mentioned in your other welding thread, I'm not that far ahead of you on this patch panel welding, but I do have a suggestion that has worked for me. On panels you can't really get behind for tracing. Cut out a patch that is a shape you desire, and large enough to cover both the speaker hole and why not, the screw holes as well. Lay it on the face of the door over the hole. Your wavy profile should lay right in. Trace around the edge of the patch itself onto the door. Then cut the door to fit your patch. I think you'll get a lot closer on the first cut and have less fitting to worry about.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Rick. That approach would make my patch bigger though, wouldn't it?
After thinking it over, I can try it and see how it works.
A square patch with straight sides WOULD be much easier than trying to make a custom, squiggly edged patch. I'll give it a shot and post the results!
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[rgunlock]

You wouldn't have to cut out much more of your door if your patch only slightly overlaps the existing hole. But I do think it would make matching the patch to the hole much easier. Besides, you already have a pretty large gaping hole anyway, right