46 pickemup in NJ "the Rebuild"

[TJ's Chevy]

Very clean and Very nicely done. Gave me some ideas for mine.

[solidaxel]

................. The End Is Near !!

Good choice on the gauges

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

................. The End Is Near !!

Good choice on the gauges

I don't know about the end being near, Solidaxel, but maybe just nearer!
I have been pluggin away on the under dash connections. Got most everything buttoned up under the dash except for the column harness. Guages are done, as well as the ignition and headlight switches. Got all my wires as neatly bundled up as I can, and secured under the dash. I am going to leave the wires unloomed for now until I am sure everything works. Here a shot of how everything looks under the dash before the guages went in. I mounted a terminal block to the dash support so I could run all my grounds to one central location. I also mounted my GPS speedo brain to the dash support brace. Not sure where I am going to mount the antenna as of yet but they give you 16ft. of wire so there is alot of options.

[/URL]

[/URL]

You know your getting something accomplished when all the holes in the dash start to disappear! LOL! The 2 wires sticking out of the dash are for the wiper switch and the kill switch from the MSD box.
[/URL]

In other news.............word must have gotten around town that I was starting to loose interest in finishing my truck. The other day a total stranger came pulling up my driveway in this to give me motivation. Super nice guy with alot of advice.
[/URL]
[/URL]

[paintman]

Got everything buttoned up under the dash. That is after i realized I had the wrong guage for the Mustang sending unit, and had to take the cluster back out to change it.
Also got everything buttoned up on the fuse block side. And NO, I didn't use enough tie wraps!
Open...............
[/URL]
Closed.............
[/URL]

[docrock]

I obviously don't use near enough zip ties. Clean work. Love the drawer

[CHIZZLER]

Looking good paintman.

[paintman]

Hey does anybody have any experience with the one piece Vbend windshields? Do they fit? What vendor to use?
I have come to a crossroad and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do.
The window frame I have has some rot at the bottom and I don't really see anyway to fix it. The cross bar covers it but just barely.

I guess I could shot a load of panel adhesive behing the cross bar when I do the re assemble and then try to shape it to look half way decent. I really don't want to pop for $500 bucks for a new frame. Might as well just go the one piece glass rouet at that point.
[/URL]
[/URL]

[CSHADES]

If you are talking about the 1 piece windshields that are actually bent in the middle the problem you are going to have is the bend is more of a curve than a straight bend. I have never seen one that actually lays flat and looks right(and seals good). If you are talking a v butt window, I have always thought they were ugly because of the seam in the middle. There is a reason GM used a chrome piece in the middle. I personally think a frame that is chromed with the center bar looks the best in these trucks but that is my opinion.

[paintman]

I personally think a frame that is chromed with the center bar looks the best in these trucks but that is my opinion.[/QUOTE]

It also sounds like you have no trouble spending $600+ of my money!

[CSHADES]

Originally Posted by paintman

I personally think a frame that is chromed with the center bar looks the best in these trucks but that is my opinion.

It also sounds like you have no trouble spending $600+ of my money![/QUOTE]

It is easier to spend your money than mine.
But seriously your truck has the vibe that I think would look great with a chromed windshield frame. Plus how could you not have the leaky crank out windshield?

[CURSED GEARS]

May be a stupid question since I cant see the whole part of the frame, but can't you weld a piece of metal to each side to replace the rot? Seems a shame to buy a new frame if that's the only bad spot.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by paintman

I personally think a frame that is chromed with the center bar looks the best in these trucks but that is my opinion.

It also sounds like you have no trouble spending $600+ of my money![/QUOTE]

You are correct, very easy too do!
As long as it is not mine I don't have a problem with it
I think we bought a black steel one with a division bar also and had tinted glass cut for it, let me look around and see what happened to that one

[paintman]

Time to put bump the Paintman back to the top with an update. Still plugging along. It's amazing how close things look to being done but then you look around and see 50 different little things unfinished that take up sooooooo much time.

I had to figure out a new way of attaching my front bumper. For those of you that have been following along for the last 4 -5 years, you'll recall I had to extend my front frame rails to accomodate the Scott's front sway bar (see post 11). Looking back, although Justin told me the front end kit he had was for a 46, I don't think they really ever had installed one with a sway bar. My frame rails were about 2" to give me enough room to bolt the bushing housings to the frame. long story short I just made up some extensions to the fram and welded them on. But that caused interferenc issues with the original factory bumpre horns. So I had to nix them. The solution was to just make up new 1/4 flat plates and bolt them to the outside of the frame rails. The two forward most holes will be where the bumper bolts to. I guess on a positive note these plates will help re-inforce the extensions to the frame. I certainly feel like the guinea pig for Scott's Hot Rods as I have seen others like Chizzler and SolidAxel mount there sway bar totaly different.
[/URL]

[/URL

[paintman]

With the new front bumper horns made, I decided to smooth out the front bumper bolts by shaving them off the face and welding and grinding them smooth. That was alot of work for a rank amateur. I also made up a pair of mounting plates for the new turn signals to fasten to the top of the bumper. When I bought the truck the previous owner had the turn signals mounted up inside behind the front grille. Now I not the smartest person in the world but that just made no sense. How the hell do you change the bulbs when one blows?
[/URL]
Speaking og the front grille..............I got that cleaned up and painted. I know, I know, it would have looked alot better chrome but I didn't feel like popping for about $1000 to have it re-finished. Plus then I would of had to of had the bumpers chromed. NOT HAPPENING!!!!! Actually I thing the truck will look good with a white grille when it comes together with the rest of my plan for the truck.
[/URL
Got my front inards painted and hung as well.I am kind of stuck on how I am going to mount the electric fan. I know I can just use those half assed zippy ties through the radiator. But I am trying to figure out a cleaner bracket system. May just give up and use the zippys
[/URL]
Also got my train horns re-installed. It's amazing I am actually starting to be able to walk around my garage without stepping all over parts laying on the floor! And yes I know the plug wires look like hell. I am trying to think of a nicer loom.
[/URL]

[solidaxel]

We used a V butt glass cut locally to fit a chrome WS frame and all is well, I think it came from Bowtie Bits and a bit pricey but it fits along with Steel rubber

[CSHADES]

The problem with welding patches in these frames is that there is a bar that fits very tight down inside the channel. If there is any weld gobs that are in the channel it will not go back together. It is actually a pretty complicated piece for what it does.

[solidaxel]

I don't remember what is different, but I can tell you this that the turning radius is limited as you can tell by how polished the bar is from the tire hitting!
What size tires are you using on the front

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

I don't remember what is different, but I can tell you this that the turning radius is limited as you can tell by how polished the bar is from the tire hitting!
What size tires are you using on the front

Your sway bar looks much wider then mine as my heim joints that connect the sway bar to the A-arm are straight up and down as your are more tilted. I am still trying to figure out how you and chizzler mounted your bushings Is that just a piece of flat plate you bolted to the frame and bumper horns for the bushing housing.?

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by paintman

Your sway bar looks much wider then mine as my heim joints that connect the sway bar to the A-arm are straight up and down as your are more tilted. I am still trying to figure out how you and chizzler mounted your bushings Is that just a piece of flat plate you bolted to the frame and bumper horns for the bushing housing.?

Yes a welded plate and a gussett
Why would Justin have different length bars for the same year chassis?

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Yes a welded plate and a gussett
Why would Justin have different length bars for the same year chassis?

If I had to guess, I don't think they ever had one of their front ends with a sway bar on a 46 until mine. Again It's been so long since the issue I can't remember all that happened. But everything turned out good in the end. Justin was great during the whole process.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by paintman

If I had to guess, I don't think they ever had one of their front ends with a sway bar on a 46 until mine. Again It's been so long since the issue I can't remember all that happened. But everything turned out good in the end. Justin was great during the whole process. He likes you better than us!

He must have forgot how wide these chassis are when he made ours!
We did have a long discussion and he said there would be "enough" turning radius
I know our wheels are 8" and I think 215 or 225 tires
Next time I am under there I will take some measurments

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Yes a welded plate and a gussett
Why would Justin have different length bars for the same year chassis?

Soled, if you go back to my first page and look at post 11, you will see the first sway bar he sent me with no offset. The second pic with the offset is the one he custom bent for me.

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

I don't remember what is different, but I can tell you this that the turning radius is limited as you can tell by how polished the bar is from the tire hitting!
What size tires are you using on the front

Solid, My sway bar measures 34 1/2" from mounting bolt to mounting bolt on my A-arms. With my tires, I can go lock to lock on my stearing without any rubbing on the sway bar. But It looks like my tires are much smaller then yours. Mine are P195/75R15 on 6 inch rims. At least i think there 6". It's been so long since I hung the front end I can't remember all the details and conversations with Justin, but I do recall sending the original sway bar back to him for some reason and he custom bent one to my specs. Excellent customer service from Justin during all the isssue I had He wase vne on the phone with me Christmas Eve working out the problems.

[solidaxel]

Man I have forgotten about all of those steps............. you will be driving in no time!
Is that the grille that came with your truck?
We would have been greatfull for one that was that nice!
What did you do with your hood props?

[paintman]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Man I have forgotten about all of those steps............. you will be driving in no time!
Is that the grille that came with your truck?
We would have been greatfull for one that was that nice!
What did you do with your hood props?

Yes that is the same grille. I just sanded and cleaned the hell out of it. Shot it with epoxy and single stage white.