rookie 48 restoration

[BILL48]

Well the delivery truck came and dropped of some pieces, i got my front and rear cross braces for the box and the front bed panel and side rails. I'm going to order the steel for the box sides and i have a friend with a sheet metal brake so he's going to bend the sides up for me. This weekend i'm going to strip down another set of sides that i have so i can get the right pattern and get the stake pockets cleaned up. I WILL POST SOME PICS LATER ....BILL

[BILL48]

well here are the pics of the new parts

[BILL48]

And finally after almost 2 years of looking and trying to find a good solid 5 window cab I scored a 49 5 window body I found on KIJIJI (similar to craigs list) almost rust free from out in western Canada just a couple small holes at the front of the cab by the front fenders but the floors, rockers, cab corners, door bottoms all the usual areas are solid it does have quite a few dents to work out but i couldn't pass it up. Plus it came with alot of parts that my old cab was missing like window regulators that aren't siezed all the glass with the exception of one 1/2 of the front windshield are all good stainless window trim. my only dilema right at the moment is getting it unloaded off my trailer lol, but i'm sure that that will not be too much of an issue. It still needs lots of work the guy i got it from started stripping the old paint off with paint stripper so i do have to get a coat of primer on it soon as it has already started to get surface rust on the bare metal but man am I happy ....Bill

[CHIZZLER]

looks like a great score on the cab.

[oldman3]

Way to go, nice find....Jim

[FarmerSid]

Awesome Bill! I've been searching Kijiji for parts and not much comes up. Did you find the cab out of province? Would you happen to have any extra parts you would sell? I want the grill! LOL!

[BILL48]

THANKS CHIZZLER IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING FOR SURE, YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB ON THE SUBURBAN AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 40 BUILD .
THANKS JIM-- I JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE FIRST CALLER TO THE AD .

THANKS FARMERSID YEA FOR SURE IT IS HARD TO FIND STUFF UP HERE ON KIJIJI IT DOES GET SNAGGED UP QUICK. I JUST HAPPENED TO CHECK ( LIKE I DO EVERY DAY) AND FOUND THE AD AND I WAS THE FIRST CALLER SO I HAD TO ACT QUICKLY, I GOT IT FROM A GUY NEAR ELMIRA ONT, HE GOT IT FOR A PROJECT AND DECIDED HE HAD TOO MANY SO HE DECIDED TO SELL. AS FOR PARTS SORRY I'M KEEPING THE GRILLE LOL BUT I DO HAVE SOME STUFF JUST GIVE ME AN IDEA WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR AND MAYBE I CAN HELP. IF YOU WHANT THE JIG FOR THE FRAME LET ME KNOW ALSO ...bILL

[FarmerSid]

Hey Bill! Forgot about the frame jig. Would be handy! Kinda looking for a passenger front and rear fender and box side as well as the front box panel. I just took off the running boards and the middle drivers bracket is bent all up so I need a new one. I need front and rear bumper brackets as well. If you are every going up 41 to Renfrew, let me know and you could stop by my place and check out my 51. I'm about 5 min off of 41.

[xpickup]

BILL48, good score on the cab and front sheet metal. It is great if it only has a couple little holes.


Shannon

[tobins 52 gmc]

Bills Truck shop in Curtis ont.He will have what you need

[99 to Life]

that 5 window is awesome. Luv the patina too, sad to see it go. I haven't come across many 5 window split windshields, I'd like to have one. I got a 5 window 1piece, but I'm just not as into the one pieces. anyway good score on the parts.

[BILL48]

thanks FarmerSid.. i do have a rt front fender it is solid but unfortunately it is bent up a bit i can check with a friend of mine he might have a running board bracket, I will check and let you know.

thanks Tobins52 gmc .. i do deal with Bill's truck shop and have got quite a few things from him , there is also a guy i get stuff from in Michigan,, Bill Wales truck parts he is a bit cheaper and ships to Canada pretty cheap.

thanks Xpickup i did score pretty good, I have been following your builds and love the headlight eyebrows you do, can i drop off a pair of fenders to you to install a pair for me haha..

thanks 99tolife yea i like the split windows too with the 5 window they do look alot nicer, as for patina theres not much there the guy i got it from used paint stripper on the whole thing so most of it is bare metal...Bill

[BILL48]

Well I got the cab off my trailer, I winched it up with chain falls from the ceiling in the garage and set it down on my frame so I can start lining things up, it was a little tight because I don't have a very high ceiling haha but it worked out. got the inner fenders trimmed around the frame rails and will line up the rear mounts and get them drilled out then I can start disassembling the front end and set an engine in place to see how that lines up ....Bill

[FarmerSid]

Looks good Bill. Working out in the shop on the old truck is like "defreaking" for me. It's funny how a small accomplishment makes you feel so much better. It's good therapy for me. I got the box off of mine the other day and yesterday I cleaned up the mess. The boys wanted to ride the 4 wheelers as it was such a nice day so I got them out for them. They rode them for 5 hrs straight!

My right front fender is rusted out where it meets the cab down to the running board. Right at the mounting flange. Let me know what you want to do with the fender you got. Maybe I can make one out of two.

Do you plan on getting the cab blasted?

[99 to Life]

48' nice progress, looks great.

farmer sid, that fender should be an easy fix with some bare metal. You should experiment on it, and if don't work out grab another one to use on your truck. Its a great feeling fixing something that most people would consider not worth fixing. When I get my new posts up you'll see some stuff that was in really bad shape.

[FarmerSid]

Thanks 99! Easy fix eh.......? Easy for you to say.....! LOL! If you take a close look at the spot I need to replace, the curvature is like 360 degrees! I know I can get a new patch welded in but it may need more mud than I want to be straight. The sad part is the rest of the fender is solid. The headlight area has zero rust. It's just the 16" or so at the flange that is rusted out.

Bill must be out sitting in his new cab having a cold one pretending........... I know I was a few beers ago.

[BILL48]

thanks guys I appretiate the compliments...
Sid its probably hard to see in the picture but the right fender does have a bit of a rusty hole at the bottom by the cab but it is dented pretty bad at the front bottom and above the wheel area i will be taking it off tomorrow or tuesday night and i will post a pic of it. I did spend the day today stripping the inside of the cab and checking things out , I have a couple spots on the floor to fix right at the seam of the toe board but not too bad . And yea I did sit in it and have a few beer today while i watched the race on the tv in the garage haha
Posted via Mobile Device

[FarmerSid]

Sounds like a good day in the garage. Who did get your box parts from?

[BILL48]

Posted via Mobile Device

[BILL48]

I got the box parts from Bill's truck shop it only cost me $35 to have it shipped here I couldn't drive up there 1 way for that price plus its probably cheaper that way LOL i would be like a kid in a candy store
Posted via Mobile Device

[BILL48]

there is a guy I get some parts from and he's a bit cheaper even to ship to Canada, Bill Wales antique truck parts in Carleton Michigan (734)-654-8836. What I have been doing is making a list of stuff I need then I call him, we go to Michigan for the nascar race in June so we swing through Carleton on the way back and pick up my parts then ...Bill
Posted via Mobile Device

[jed971959]

Hi
Nice find on the cab
now I know who is getting all the good stiff off kijiji before me lol
You said you get some stiff from bill wales does he have a web site
thanks jim

[FarmerSid]

Any updates Bill? Freezing rain storm here.

[CHIZZLER]

great progress.

[BILL48]

Thanks guys,
Farmer Sid I think you guys got the freezing rain and crap we got more rain than anything else, I tried to hide in the garage as much as I could lol
I did get the front fenders off and made mounts for my rad support ,cut the rad support and fitted it back on,installed the inner fenders and trimmed them then put the fenders back on to make sure everything still lines up. I still have to drill my frame rails at the back for the rear cab mounts but I;m not sure on the right measurement when i look at the factory assembly manual it says rear cab space of 3/4 from floor to frame but is that right on the floor or the mount bracket to the frame if anyone has that measurement or what it should be that would be appretiated thank you.....Bill
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device