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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
truck has been put on hold for a few weeks because we have a new crew member I need to attend to:
http://myalbum.com/photo/flwGbAGrYyiq/360.jpg Emily Marie Westerkamp 7 pounds, 20" and a healthy set of lungs! |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Steve, congratulaions with that little cutie!!!!!
She's a model, already looking straight into the camera :metal::lol: Take your time with Emily and your wife, that's important! Enjoy while you can;) |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Congrats!!
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
I hijacked a couple of hours from work to get to work on the truck again. took it for a 40mi test drive and nothing fell off or caught fire, so I guess it's a success. it runs good, the brakes feel reliable..I'm a happy camper.
I drove it to my office building which has an underground parking garage :metal: but a problem occurred that I hadn't notices before. the passenger side door will lock from the inside and with the key, the driver side does neither. when I open the door it will lock, but when closed it kinda gets stuck. easy job I thought, just adjust the door latch plate..or whatever it's called. I have had it in every possible position, but either the door won't shut anymore, or I cant get the lock to work.. any ideas? |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Interesting read, your perseverance is to be commended.
Congrats on the new little one, put a wrench in her hand... |
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got the door lock problem solved by using the 'shoulder in the door' method. so when closed I push a good deal of my weight into the door and then the key will turn to lock. problem solved. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
last weekend the weather suddenly improved (in Holland that means no rain) so I took out the truck for a real shakedown, after some tinkering on Friday night.
this is what my carb setup looked like before: http://myalbum.com/photo/XDHVxg6Z0WYR/360.jpg a dried up Holley 4 barrel with on top some weird (red) spacer which held the IMPCO 300A mixer for the propane. I took that of, because a while back I bought an IMPCO 425 mixer, which made the Holley dispensable..seeing I don't run on petrol, only propane. the 425 came with a throttle plate, and I only had to buy a new spacer at the bottom, because the old one had cracked. But as always you get that little surprise, the 425 doesn't have any vacuum connectors for my ignition advance, so I had to drill a hole in the bottom spacer and 'McGuyver' a vacuum connection. (yes to mcguyver is actually a verb in Holland) here's the Holley with spacer http://myalbum.com/photo/3UsDiWqPCwy2/360.jpg this is the IMPCO 300A mixer http://myalbum.com/photo/TLJkTmYOy0sR/360.jpg this is what a carb looks like after running years and years only on propane http://myalbum.com/photo/gTacTdwgdCMk_SbySk7/360.jpg this is my new spacer in which I had to drill a hole and use a threading tap set..or whatever it's called in English. then drilled a hole through a bolt, put in there and sawed off the head... it works like a charm! http://myalbum.com/photo/4pBRxYyITqe9/360.jpg http://myalbum.com/photo/1Wy78hGzx9jg_Fv61Dl/360.jpg and this is what the 425 mixer looks like..much cleaner look. http://myalbum.com/photo/Vcs6O1jLG4Dc/360.jpg I then hooked everything up and it started inmediatly! the set came of a running car, so I had to adjust absolutely nothing! here's a movie of me and my son Dawid on our way to the north of Holland during the shakedown. https://youtu.be/tY0x6cXCUaY oh and before I forget..what was the result of the shakedown? the oil pressure line toward the gauge leaks a bit.. so I had some oil in the cab. the right header is rubbing against the chassis, this probably happened when I raised the tail of the transmission to get the left header not to rub against the lower control arm. I have no temperature gauge..so no clue what the operating temp is of the engine. and I hate the 2 separated exhaust sounds.. I'll have to redesign it including a crossmember or and X. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
That looks very nice! I am pretty sure "McGuivering" is verb here too, lol!
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Time flies when you have kids..close to a year since my last update!
Well where to start? I had fixed the oil pressure gauge from leaking and made sure the exhaust stopped rubbing against the frame. But on my next outing a new problem occurd; while picking up my son from a friend, the engine would hardly crank over, so we put some jumper cables on it and barely got it to fire. Your first thought is the battery, even though my battery has an indicator which was bright green, telling me the battery is 100%.. So I put the battery on a charger overnight and as suspected, the engine wouldn’t crank over in the morning. The next suspect if the battery is ok, is the starter motor and at that moment I had an epiphany and realized why there was a piece of 2x4 wedged between my oil pan and starter..yes you’re reading it correctly, there was a piece of wood holding my starter in place. I never felt indulged to investigate why it was there and figured that as long as it worked, it needed no attention. this must make some of you cringe or at least shake your head in disbelief, but I’m a true fan of the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Stupid. https://myalbum.com/photo/ws9xF1MODqZz/360.jpg Anyway I pulled the starter and found that the engine blok has been mutilated by the PO. Hence the wooden blok. As you can see on the next picture there is a piece missing and the thread had been raped, so they just put a wire end (if that’s what it’s called in English) through it, with 2 nuts on top. https://myalbum.com/photo/Wm6GwEspPadG/360.jpg I pulled out the wire end and it looks like there’s some kind of tube inside the whole? I don’t know these engines well enough so now clue if it’s supposed to be there? https://myalbum.com/photo/pBtt7VVBrspT/360.jpg Looking from the top, I had to go against my belief and grind off some part of the engine, so I would be able to have the bolt from the bottom up fastened with a nut that sits straight. https://myalbum.com/photo/pMnf70U6Ra6b_hsDSJV/360.jpg Here’s the new high torque starter mounted. The old one isn’t broken, but I had already bought the new one, so why not use it. It’s lighter, stronger and less prone to failure..unless my mounting construction fails. https://myalbum.com/photo/3PihGNA2Uw19/360.jpg Thinking that would be the last of my engine troubles for a while, I decided to change my oil and filter. When unscrewing the filter I noticed that not the filter came loose, but the filter bolt? https://myalbum.com/photo/ZQ9W7DAi1R8J/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/B5yy8yEkp0O1/360.jpg That was an easy fix, I just put a tiny weld on the thread so It would fasten at a certain depth, after which you can screw on the filter. The PO left me a box of goodies including 2 oil filters, guess my surprise when both filters weren’t the correct ones. The PO had told me the engine is a 350 and seeing that’s a common engine, I had no reason not to believe him. (There’s no engine nr on the Dutch title as it wasn’t required at the time that they imported it) So I trotted off to the Dutch version of Pepboys and got an oil filter for a GM 350…. Which of course was the same as the other 2 I had laying around. Time to have a look at the engine number https://myalbum.com/photo/3ehUEKrads3V/360.jpg OMG.. I have a 283, a 1967 Chevelle engine to be precise. So guess my truck ain’t matching number then At least I was able to get the right filter and everything is hunky-dory. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
There were 2 more things that I wanted to take care of now, which was the exhaust and the bad shape of the bedsides. But with lifting the bed came another problem and that’s that my propane tanks were bolted to the underside of the bedfloor, so that meant I had to fix that as well.
https://myalbum.com/photo/HvfHFk55435t/360.jpg Of course every bolt was rusted so badly that I had to grind of every single one of them! And now for some advice, when your local supermarket has grinding and cutting discs on discount offer, stay far from it! https://myalbum.com/photo/2cOIsS0GMC18/360.jpg Luckily I was wearing protective gear, so no harm done except a bruised ego. Eventually all the bolts were gone and it was time for lift-off. Always handy to have a winch, to save you from heavy lifting. https://myalbum.com/photo/hP2csmqu705R/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/2u87aysYUGUK/360.jpg Here are some pictures of a rusty tailgate https://myalbum.com/photo/KXjjqZDNj5wb/360.jpg More rust https://myalbum.com/photo/Az7Wfg8LLjDg/360.jpg Apparently I am inside the circle of rust https://myalbum.com/photo/FSJsn1gpUPSe/360.jpg Here’s my new RH Bedside panel, got one for the left as wel https://myalbum.com/photo/xFZ3eS6Q3wXa/360.jpg I then started mocking up a new frame to hold my propane tanks and the more I thought about it, the simpler I wanted it to be. Seeing that the bed sits 3” above the frame, I took a square 2” tube and made it to sit on top of the frame. They sit between the cross sills, so if I measured correctly, the bed should go on without any hassle (famous last words…) https://myalbum.com/photo/c3PrCFSrHEEY/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/BRvB38inUnSZ/360.jpg With the bed off, I also tackeled another hurdle and that was the exhausts. I had to side pipes without a cross exiting just in front of the back wheels. In a tunnel it sounded great, but on a normal road the 4 cilinder thump on my left annoyed me and I didn’t like the noice it made, plus I thought it was to loud. Knowing I only have a 283 engine, I made an executive descision and concluded that a single 2,5” exhaust would be sufficient. So with some stock bends and pipes I went to work. The front part (I need to make some more pictures) is stainless, but seeing it’s all a mock-up it will all be cleaned up https://myalbum.com/photo/VSIlmkOhItFq/360.jpg Temperary bracket, I’ll see what I make of it, with the bed on. https://myalbum.com/photo/HtoINj7qt44A/360.jpg Years ago I had gotten a box with 6 metal dice in it. I never used them until I suddenly had a moment of clarity. Look at my new light and windscreen wiper knob https://myalbum.com/photo/KMlds1hwgJqs/360.jpg |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Good to see you're back at it!!
Sometimes life gets in the way.... But every step forward is one. Did you bought the truck here in Holland? |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Kids are never in the way Kees ;) but they are time consuming. My son wants to play soccer, so suddenly there is practice and matches we have to attend to. But I'll manage. I bought the truck in Holland near you actually.
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
I didn't meant kids in general ;-) I have a couple :lol:
My boy played tennis, I'm glad, I hate soccer.... Nowadays there's no room for sports, college you know, for both of my kids :metal: And that takes a lot of time from them (and me, reading all their stuff before they send it in) I hope your truck isn't sold by some one I know, I think I would be a bit off, or you must have bought it cheap or as a basket case? I mean, you came across so many things that aren't correct or good or Well made, well, I think you know what I mean?? I bought mine of off Six pictures of craigslist, and a few phonecalls. It was a gamble and a risk, but it turned out very good! I was lucky!! But keep at it, you do good work!! |
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Having new side panels for the bed, I took another look at the bed floor and decided that it’s not too bad. Actually there is only 1 cross sill that is in really bad shape, another has some rot, but both can be fixed up and it’ll give me good welding practice. I know I said that before, because my plan was to repair my side panels..but I failed and gave up, yes just like that and went over budget to buy new panels. The repair that has to be done to the bed floor though, is not quite visible and I’ll be hauling stuff around anyway, so dents and bruises in the floor aren’t my concern.
Here’s a pic of the most corroded cross-sill https://myalbum.com/photo/ZDVp4RPybgVw/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/6xNvXNTUCQhb/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/kctvza9sXDVI/360.jpg And here’s the second one which is in slightly better shape https://myalbum.com/photo/5q3Ci0dQDgTB/360.jpg There is some rot on the floor itself, because somebody had already welded in a repair panel, butcher-style.. I’ll have to see how I’m going to fix that. https://myalbum.com/photo/dstP1T5CCscB/360.jpg Ok..and here’s my repair plan; 6ft long metal strips, 3”wide and 5/64” thick https://myalbum.com/photo/IKpmhCUCvCdY/360.jpg Curious to hear whether this is the right way to go. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Cross sills can be formed fairly easy and won't require welding. Just find a shop with a sheetmetal brake and have new ones formed. The labor saved on the repair should be well worth it. The other option is to just use rectangular tubing the same height. It's overkill but simple. You just need to drill holes for the bed bolts and on the ends to bolt to the floor and sides.
Also, I know this is a bit late coming, but it's a fairly common practice to tighten those bed bolts until they snap, rather than cut them. They are not that big or strong and with the rust they usually snap off pretty quick. I've got a 283 in my 71. Pretty good engine. I'm going to replace it with a 350 I'm building now. Should be swapped this spring. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Personally, I wouldn't do the repair this way.
Cut out the bad pieces and weld in new parts. Or as hgs notes said, make new ones. Luckily I know someone here in Purmerend who, most likely, can make these for you. If you will, I can ask for an invoice? But you have to give me some measurements then... Did you check Prins Trucks? Maybe they sell new ones? |
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I did have a quick look at LMC to see what a new cross-sill would cost, but is it me, or is there something weird in the picture? Is seems that the cross-sill is mounted the other way around compared to my bed? It seems on the LMC picture, the open end is facing down, as with my bed it’s facing up. (remember my bed is laying upside down) https://myalbum.com/photo/1sfLaI0HpeKC/1k0.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/kctvza9sXDVI/360.jpg |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
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They are on your bed floor correctly...
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
They do that to make you confused 🤣🤣😂
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Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
So.. HGS and Kees, I know what you told me and I’m normally not going against good advice.
Friday night when I arrived in the garage I saw my mate Ferry had brought the metal strips which I had already ordered. Don’t be haters guys, but I just had to see what it would look like with the strips next to the cross sill. https://myalbum.com/photo/GL7Q7l70cR9x/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/qww4q0sCTOkn/360.jpg Then I thought, well I can just tack it in a couple of spots to see what it looks like, and against better judgement I proceeded. I did treat the metal underneath and I’m going to put some kit on the seams, but this should be adding some structural integrity, or are you again slapping your foreheads and mumbling profanities towards me? https://myalbum.com/photo/UPYc4bmuT7QY/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/9C3YFHd8sJns/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/TLtIcyHSc2yF/360.jpg We then turned it over and put on the back of the truck, because we needed to space on the lift, but this gave me a good opportunity to see if my tank frame caused any trouble.. and it doesn’t! As you can see by the shiny square, it sits perfectly. https://myalbum.com/photo/R9zsMR8Z88UG/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/zjcHztv1Xg2H/360.jpg With the bed sitting right way up, I turned my attention to the rough corner patches , which have already been repaired once, probable a couple of owners ago.. This is the left side, but the one on the right is just as bad https://myalbum.com/photo/XRdnUEDi06io/360.jpg When I starter cleaning it up, I could see the material underneath from the tail pan was gone as well. So now I have to figure out how fix that. https://myalbum.com/photo/KdMHuo8egNwt_Uk3aWG/360.jpg If I lived in the States I’d just order it all new, but the shipping cost and then the tax authorities triple the price, which in my opinion is not worth it. What I did do, is buy a complete bed floor of an 74 model, for less than buying 2 repair panels from LMC. It’s very rough, but it has enough good material to cut out repair panels. Whatever stays leftm will get scrapped. https://myalbum.com/photo/BrAH4yp4YmT3/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/mJH47iyGvupO/360.jpg the bed will have to come off, because I still want to treat the underside fully and the loose wiring and exhaust bracket are easier to fix when removed. |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Well, you have to do what you have to do ;)
Who are we to tell YOU what to do?? I only told you what I Personally should do, nothing more. You asked :lol: If you can hold the water out of between the two pieces, no problems! You can almost make all the patches with a hammer, a vice and a piece of wood. I think you're creative, so I don't see a problem for you to make all those patches yourself!! |
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here we go; got some more repairs done to the bed. Not my cleanest job ever, but its only the bed, so I'm not to fussy about it. When I removed the old repair patch a big hole underneath showed up, so I first wanted to ad some structural strength to it. So I welded a 0.08" plate in there https://myalbum.com/photo/NPbOaWhuOzvy/360.jpg Then I cut out a piece from the '74 Bed and came to the conclusion that the shape of the humps are not the same as my '69 bed, there not as high and they're slightly closer together..bummer, but I had to make do. So I ligned them up as good as I could and welded them in. https://myalbum.com/photo/gpI9iXmyRNqx_UQ4avf/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/bGFMU59LlWfz/360.jpg Here is the left side open https://myalbum.com/photo/WUANQ6MjyOx0/360.jpg And repaired https://myalbum.com/photo/js7EU7aPKDZY_7z9eOh/360.jpg Then I turned my attention to the front mounting bolt holes, which were al rotten. I took two fat body rings and welded those in. again not the most esthetic looking, but its solid an gets the job done. https://myalbum.com/photo/4VC23Cx2amGf/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/DgI9T9l3r1yq_j6NyyK/360.jpg More holes to close, but gotta pick up a new MIG bottle as I have depleted the current one |
Re: 1969 Custom/10 clean up
Seeing my bed was laying back on the truck for the time being, I figured we might fit the side panels.
Just to see how it lines up etc., so here’s the right side fitted https://myalbum.com/photo/bIa3DBbQEWYm/360.jpg Left side https://myalbum.com/photo/0Igr8jlj2DEJ/360.jpg Pretty stoked about the alignment, even though it says “made in Taiwan” on the box Only the right panel had a ding in it, right at the bottom end below the tail light. This caused the tailgate hinge not to fit correctly and I had to remove some material to get it in. Strangely enough the left side hinge also wouldn’t go in without a fight. https://myalbum.com/photo/tWNS6YA0tXba_svm45Q/360.jpg On that right side I even had to cut away more because even the bolt got caught behind the edge. https://myalbum.com/photo/nYQEFdzPM2cG/360.jpg Still needs some alignment, but it’s in https://myalbum.com/photo/hml0fUi1tXQU/360.jpg https://myalbum.com/photo/CegzFVTwSeRr/360.jpg Now I’m going to make my own bumper, have some ideas so I’ll put something together and see if it turns out as good as it looks in my mind . those propane tanks sticking out at the bottom are really ugly |
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