Anyone just skip the the bodywork and rebuild everything mechanical.

[57Suburb]

Originally Posted by 71gmcC15

I don't know of you know this but there are olnly 3 lugs holding your frount wheel on.

Hehehehe.

[maverickmk]

I am doing this very thing. I just bought a '69 GMC and want to keep the rough look but make it mechanically sound and reliable.

[volksworld]

yes, everyone for the last 50 years that needed a reliable daily driver but couldnt afford body and paint work...thats why most hot rods were in primer and what spawned the rat rod and patina truck movement

[Metaldoc]

I did everything but the outside and love it this way.

[Baime]

Originally Posted by Metaldoc

I did everything but the outside and love it this way.

MetalDoc,
It is awesome. I would prefer your truck over a fully restored one.
Nice color combination too.

Take care, JP

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by volksworld

yes, everyone for the last 50 years that needed a reliable daily driver but couldnt afford body and paint work...thats why most hot rods were in primer and what spawned the rat rod and patina truck movement

Yes, I agree, with a slightly different perspective. This is an interesting concept. I think there are plenty of those folks that can't afford but wish they could paint their trucks and make them shiny and new.

The truck with just the right amount of rust-eaten original paint and a few dents is what I like. If somebody stole my truck and painted it with a supreme paint job and then it was recovered and given back to me, I don't think I would like it any more and I would be searching for another truck with a 50 year finish by Chevrolet and God. So for me the "movement" is the Earth rotating and moving around the sun for quite some time, and what a thing of beauty comes from it. I guess I don't care too much for patina, I prefer plain old rust with the trim barely hanging on.



Perhaps if the sight of my truck makes somebody wince and shake their head, it achieves the objective. It does that to me every time I walk out to the garage. :-)

[Andy4639]

All I have done is fix mechanical & wiring to make it safe to drive.
At some point I will need to put rockers and corners in it.

[saxart]

That's the great thing about owning one of these trucks. You can just get them running and leave the bodywork as is. If it were a Camaro or a Chevelle, you wouldn't dare let it leave the garage without a 5-star paint job, but these trucks just keep chugging along with the paint Chevy gave them 50 years ago.

[89AKurt]

I would like to ditch the 307 when it poops out, with modern V8. Disk brakes would be nice, but the drums seem to work good enough. I know I'll never do a resto paint job, am happy with this.
I live in Arizona, don't get people asking to buy at all!

[lil hoodlum]

Originally Posted by 89AKurt

I would like to ditch the 307 when it poops out, with modern V8. Disk brakes would be nice, but the drums seem to work good enough. I know I'll never do a resto paint job, am happy with this.
I live in Arizona, don't get people asking to buy at all!

I just love looking at photos of your truck 89AKurt.

My 68 C10 has been my daily driver for the past 22 years. I've done body work and some painting on it but I rely on it too much to get me around so I allways focus on the mechanical aspect of it.

[Razorbacker]

Absolutely!

[Baime]

I really like all of the non restored trucks shown on this post.

I rebuilt the rear end and rear brakes this fall. I plan on keeping it running good, and continue using it as a truck.

Original ranch truck from Montana. No plans for paint.

The previous owner had the rockers and cab corners replaced. I might spray some paint on those primed body pieces.

Can you tell I like it.?
Take care, JP

[Metaldoc]

Originally Posted by Razorbacker

Absolutely!

Nice job I love mine this way as well, I get way more use then a painted ride. I play darts with buddies every Fri. with my truck in the shop and there's not much room, no worries about scratches. I have too much stuff

[sstock]

Nothing wrong with doing all the mechanicals and leaving the paint till last. It is a mistake to primer a vehicle then drive it in the elements though, most primers will absorb moisture and start to rusting again. If you prime it, then paint it too, even if it is one panel at a time, otherwise dont waste your time or money IMHO.

[Already Gone]

I agree mechanicals and elecrical & wiring first for practicality and safety reasons if you want to drive your truck. Once that is done and you go price out proper body work you'll probably say to yourself. Looks pretty good the way it is. Another fact is if you spend mega thousands on paint and body work there is good chance it'll become a garage/trailer fair weather Queen and if you take it to a Car Show you probably won't want to leave your truck alone to go around the show for fear some knuckleheads belt buckle scratching your paint when he/she is looking into your interior or some scrumpy kid that his/her parents let run loose so the little darling can express themselves runs his Hot Wheels or ice cream along the length of your truck. Was this a rant, as I really didn't intend it to be that.. I've done all the mechanicals, no not all there is always something to do, on the truck and would not be afraid to drive it anywhere and yes it looks good but its the proverbial 20 footer when you get up close.

[Boog]

^^^^^^
All true.

[dmjlambert]

Already Gone you have a beautiful proverbial 20 footer, and I have a 5280 footer, looks just fine from a long way off...

[davischevy]

This one will never get paint if I have to do it. I will probably get a buff and polish someday. It runs and drives like a dream, and that's enough for me.

[smokehouse]

In the vw circle they use to call the patina and lowered look hoodride. why i like the look so much is that you can't hide bad body work. what you see is what you get. i've seen good looking restored cars and after a couple years the bad body work pops out. i'd rather just leave the outside og then you know what you got unless you really need some body work done then you can't help it. i've seen guys easyoff a car to get the old og paint to come back through. your only og one time.

[B Myers]

Rebuilt my '71 on what I call a mechanical restoration. Everything mechanical is new or restored, rebuilt engine with performance upgrades, rebuilt trans, replaced all wear parts in suspension and brakes, replaced all the rubber seals, replaced the floor pan, corners, painted to match and buffed the body. All original trim which is rough but cool, wheels are sandblasted and powder coated. Took 7 hubcaps to make 4 good ones, upgraded the tech with a old looking new stereo, HEI, Holley Sniper EFI, added front and rear stabilizers, posi rear dif, drives perfect looks old.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by B Myers

Rebuilt my '71 on what I call a mechanical restoration. Everything mechanical is new or restored, rebuilt engine with performance upgrades, rebuilt trans, replaced all wear parts in suspension and brakes, replaced all the rubber seals, replaced the floor pan, corners, painted to match and buffed the body. All original trim which is rough but cool, wheels are sandblasted and powder coated. Took 7 hubcaps to make 4 good ones, upgraded the tech with a old looking new stereo, HEI, Holley Sniper EFI, added front and rear stabilizers, posi rear dif, drives perfect looks old.

Attachment 1966921

Nice truck.. You mention front rear stabiizers and I would like to know which rear stabilizer you used.

[Metaldoc]

Originally Posted by B Myers

Rebuilt my '71 on what I call a mechanical restoration. Everything mechanical is new or restored, rebuilt engine with performance upgrades, rebuilt trans, replaced all wear parts in suspension and brakes, replaced all the rubber seals, replaced the floor pan, corners, painted to match and buffed the body. All original trim which is rough but cool, wheels are sandblasted and powder coated. Took 7 hubcaps to make 4 good ones, upgraded the tech with a old looking new stereo, HEI, Holley Sniper EFI, added front and rear stabilizers, posi rear dif, drives perfect looks old.

Attachment 1966921

I did the same, it started with just enough to pass a safety to complete bolt off resto. Everything needed upgrading like you did. I had just enough rust repair that it needed complete disassemble, wiring was cracking along with all the rubbers. And so on, I don't have EFI yet but soon but I do run a rear sway bar and it handles great.

[FleetsidePaul]

My old beast runs like a champ. All the mechanicals have been gone through. I can drive it anywhere. No plans on painting it. I think about it once in a while. Nah, I'll just keep it as is and enjoy it for now.

It does look a little on the rough side so I got these license plates for it. Says it all.

[B Myers]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Nice truck.. You mention front rear stabiizers and I would like to know which rear stabilizer you used.

Here is what I used, and it worked out great and truck drives a lot better, like a normal vehicle I like to say.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-1972-C...72.m2749.l2649

[B Myers]

Originally Posted by Metaldoc

I did the same, it started with just enough to pass a safety to complete bolt off resto. Everything needed upgrading like you did. I had just enough rust repair that it needed complete disassemble, wiring was cracking along with all the rubbers. And so on, I don't have EFI yet but soon but I do run a rear sway bar and it handles great.

I like what you did, I had it down to a bare frame which like you I didn't plan on but glad I did. I tell people that if you roll around under the truck it's brand new, just old on top. Nice thing is the grandkids crawl all over it and I haul firewood and never worry about scratches or dings. It's just a truck.