'66 Longbed 327 w/AC project

[cortcomp]

Does anyone know what these little metal fold over clips are called? I can't seem to find them anywhere, and 2 are pretty badly beat. I'd like to put new ones one since i'm redoing all the seams, etc.

[cortcomp]

Bump in case anyone recognizes what those are.

[cortcomp]

Well, i made some metal L shaped clips where those go, butted them up against the seam. Welding and body work really are 2 of my weakest points when it comes to automotive skills, and this work is really showing it. I think i need to find a way to build up that rail again (it's too low making a very wavy appearance). The front side welding came out OK, i'm sure i'm going to have to do a bit more, then wear it down again, and maybe the skim filler coat will hide most of the work i've done in these front corners. Seam sealer and skim coat and the door will hide what i've done in the side areas. It seems that it will still come out cleaner than stock, with no seams at all there, outside the doorjambs anyway, and less chance of a leaking problem.

[cortcomp]

The BBW panel is waiting at the greyhound station today, but in the last few days i got the eastwood steering wheel restoration kit. Attached to this post is pics of the wheel cleaned off, and i think one of it when using the triangle file on it to prep the cracks for filling.

[cortcomp]

This won't be a concourse wheel restoration, because it's my first time and i just don't quite have the attention to detail and patience that many guys do. Here's the wheel clean after sanding 320 grit. Despite how it looks, you can't feel the cracks at all. I will clean it with rubbing alcohol, then the prep and adhesion promotor that the eastwood kit has. Then primer and paint for plastics (gloss black). We'll see how it looks.

[**grumpy**]

Wow, youre really going to town on your truck. Gonna turn out great.
I remember Koosh and Dennis F. telling me you were buying and driving back from out west. Cool to see the progress.

[cortcomp]

Hey, Thanks! Of course i didn't mean to get this far into it, but these details (seams, insulation, interior looks, under-hood) i want to be just right. It was fun to drive back, but hopefully it's like a whole new different truck when i'm done.

[cortcomp]

Got the bbw panel back from the blasters, taking it and my sbw panel to the shop tomorrow to see if they can make a patch for the small rusted area on the bbw panel from the great condition sbw panel. Meanwhile, did the steering wheel (came out great for my first time, over sanded some areas, but horn ring should hide it.)
Steering wheel pics attached.

[cortcomp]

As far as the drip edge seams, i did some "Creative engineering" that ended up really solid, looks good (i'm happy with it) and got rid of the 4 clips i had, and any seams not covered by weatherstripping. So now, it looks like one big panel going all the way around, and a lot less seams there for water to find it's way in. Pics of how it looked today right before the last (hopefully) skim coat. The one pic looks like it bends way down (passenger) but it's the angle of the shot. Once i get the roof skin on, i'm sure it will let me know where i need to tweak things before welding. This isn't near perfect, and i'm not proud of the work, but at least now it shouldn't jump out that it's been repaired and terribly at that.

Also, dropped drivers door off at the body shop to fix the crease that someone put in when they put the door check in wrong and it let the door open too far.

[duallyjams]

Looks good to me. Excited to see the bbw conversion.

[cortcomp]

Me too! anxious to get on that, seal the cab up, and move on. It looks like we may be able to fix the bbw panel without making a patch this weekend, we'll see how it looks. After that, i can get it installed, and get the roof and back wall insulation in, roof skin, etc. I really need to get the interior back together, to stay motivated, and so i can move on to the exterior.

This is hardly a bbw conversion as much as re-assembling the parts as GM would have done. Taking the skin off and drilling the spot welds pretty much is the hardest but most correct way to change that panel. Hopefully will be done with all this craziness and interior done by end of feb?

[cortcomp]

Did lots of rust repair work on the BBW panel (one soft spot on rounded edge, and one upper corner rotted away, used piece from other panel. Primered and painted the back since i won't be able to get to it later, and started the sound/heat insulation that will go under it since i won't be able to get in there once that piece is up. Also, ground down the remnants of the spot welding for the BBW panel since it's not the same one i cut out, spot welds won't line up and will cause the panel not to sit tight. Hopefully by weekend, BBW panel in, then can POR-15 the inner roof panel's outer side, then heat/sound insulate that, then roof panel back on.

[cortcomp]

Finished the insulation behind the panel today, ground the excess weld material off the panel side, and put it in place with vice grips (not a lot of time today). Everything lined up nicely, and as long as you move the clamps to where you're welding on the top seam, it will be nice and tight. I didn't think about putting insulation on the back and top of the panel itself today before putting it in, but i'll likely take it down and do that too. Have plenty material and easy to do now vs later. Likely won't make a big difference because the outside wall across from it will be insulated but oh well.

Then, por -15 everything up top, and put a layer of insulation above

[clemdaddy]

your truck is really coming along nicely. i like the way you just jump into all the projects and get going on them. you're doing a fine job...

[cortcomp]

Thanks! It's tough because i'm not a patient person, but body work and details all require patience. I almost feel like i HAVE to jump in and get on a project, or if i don't i'll lose motivation and it'll never get done and i'll feel like it was all wasted money and time.

What is it they say about being careful that the things you own don't end up owning you? That's this hobby for sure.

[Bomp]

[cortcomp]

I took the panel back out and put some insulation on the back side of it, and hung it back up with clamps. I lined it up as close as it looks it could be, but i will say that it looks like there isn't a lot of overlap on the metal where the window will be cut, especially on the lower corners. I'll look at it some more before tack welding it in and making my way around. looking down in some of the pics into the empty area of the C pillar, which is usually a sound amplifier and echo area, this setup should quiet that down behind your head quite a bit.

[cortcomp]

Welded all of the panel in today except for cutting out and around the inner window area today. Cleaned up the welds that weren't in the roof, masked off the insulation and parts of the roof where the roof skin will be welded, and por-15'd the roof. Insulation next, insulation on inside of roof skin, and then roof skin back on. Feels like making progress now!

[cortcomp]

Finished insulating the outside of the inner roof panel today, and did the rough cut out, leaving a little in, of the BBW panel....what an immediate difference it made inside the truck! Just letting so much more work light in!

[Blue666]

Wow, You are doing some great stuff to that truck. How wide of an edge do you leave for welding?

Looks Great

[cortcomp]

Thanks! Leaving about an inch, or what the contour shows that makes sense, but in some areas as little as half an inch or quarter. If it looks close when i'm putting pieces together i trim it some before clamping to weld.

I got one edge pretty hot when i was spot welding close together and not moving fast enough....no fire, just smelled and got hot and the tar side melted some and dripped down, no big deal. On the paint of course you know as soon as you get too hot...but again no major flare ups, just smoldering, and i only painted the back of the one panel because i wouldn't be able to get to it later.

You could have even better luck if you spot welded and moved a foot and worked you way around and kept doing that, wouldn't get hot at all. I was kind of doing 4-5 in a row after tacking the corners, getting an area pretty warm (which is bad because you don't want to warp the thin metal.)

[cortcomp]

Started mid welding the opening around the window and immediately knew i was in trouble. I couldn't get a weld to stick and when i did it was built up too much, i'd be grinding them down for 50 hours. I didn't want to turn up the heat because i didn't want to blow through. I'm using a flux core 110v welder, so i was also leaving little spackle balls on the new panel that has to be sanded off and cleaned up. This wasn't going to work. The panel was tweaked on one side slightly so i straightened it a bit and clamped it, took off to harbor freight and got the spot welder below.

What a difference! I'm glad i got it before i put the roof skin back on. I was able to get the panel tweaked back, spot welded in 1000 places (after a few practice welds on metal from the roof panal that was still hooked to the BBW panel when i got it.)

The only down sides to this tool is its weight, it's like a giant starter with two prongs sticking off the end. But, once i got into the swing of things, moved right along. Did that, cleaned out the cab, and did the POR-15 on the floor and back wall. plan on doing more insulation on the floor and back wall next, then painting the dash, kick panels, etc.

Took a apart the 3 steering column sleeves so i could paint them, and i found a column from a floor shift that didn't have the shifter lug on the collar, so i'm cleaning that piece on to replace mine so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb quite as much. I also need to take the bed off as i had one spot weld removal go through the cab and make a nice little hole the size of the spot weld removal bit. I just need to weld it up and smooth it down and fill it before putting the insulation on there. No biggie, these beds seem to come off in about an hour if you have help, and it needs to come off to paint anyways.

Even though it's extra work, i'm going to order a window and test fit it, i left some extra metal in the window hole that will likely need trimmed, but i need to make sure i didn't mess up somehow and cut too much out and need to weld some back in and mess up all the interior paint. Then i'll take the window and gasket out before painting.

Does feel good to be making progress again!

[cortcomp]

another inside shot

[cortcomp]

Got the rear step bumper off today (looks to be dealer installed option)...what a bear! 200 lbs it seemed, and someone added a hitch and receiver to it and some 2x2 square tubing braces and welded the brackets to the frame. What a pita! Bed coming off next to work on the outside rear of the cab.

[cortcomp]

Also, if anyone wants said step bumper near NE Ohio, let me know!