Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Thanks Dan! It's fine metallic and I think it will give really nice highlights and shadows to complement the beautiful contours on a TF truck. The white metal flake roof will give it a little flair, the look I'm going for is my concept of what a sport / muscle truck might look like if Chevrolet built one back in the day...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Put some heat wrap on the head pipes this morning, will be block sanding after lunch...
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...12&oe=5A41CE2B

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I'm thinking of doing Jet Hot coat on my exhaust manifolds then switch to wrap after that on the mufflers. Will you be wrapping your H pipe? I ask because it crosses under the transmission tailstock.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

My main concern was that the drivers side pipe which passes beneath the master cylinder and booster, I need to get more wrap for the crossover and the tailpipes. It's probably overkill but the tailpipes are close to the sides of the fuel tank and having heat wrap on them will make me feel better.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Another productive weekend, blocking the cab with 180 is almost done. Just a little left on the driver's door jamb and rocker. Next up, some 2K primer and another round of sanding, this time with 400. It should be easier to block out because the bodywork is now very straight and smooth...

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d4&oe=5A84E4A7

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...21&oe=5A599240

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looking good...Jim

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d1&oe=5A5128C7

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...c4&oe=5A48EDDC

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...41&oe=5A802333

I got what should be the final round of primer on the cab and the first round of 2K on the hood. There's a lot more work left but things are moving in the right direction...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looks really good!

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looks sweet...Jim

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

The stainless tail light housings showed up so I got them all put together, the studs still need to be trimmed so I can use stainless acorn nuts to attach them to the brackets.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...c3&oe=5A85EF77

The plan for tomorrow is to paint my lower dash, steering column and column drop pieces Ford HP White, followed up with white micro flake and a couple coats of clear.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...41&oe=5A838430

The remainder of the interior will be painted '63 Chevy Laurel Green...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Got the lower dash, column and column drop painted white, then followed with 2 additional coats of white micro flake. Also applied the first round of straight clear. A couple of suicidal gnats landed in the clear so I'm going to let it dry so the bugs can hopefully get picked out...

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...d0&oe=5A80D4FD

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I had to let the clear dry and sand the bugs out. I reshot the lower dash today with straight white and a few coats of clear. No metal flake this time around, no bugs either...

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...90&oe=5A7D843B

Planning to get the green laid down tomorrow.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Dash is looking good. Gotta watch the suicide gnats!

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Finally got some color on the jambs and inside the cab. After spraying the green I unmasked the lower dash and gave everything a few rounds of clear.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...4e&oe=5A6734B1

The color does not photograph well under fluorescent lights, I can't wait to see it in natural light.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...f0&oe=5A69CEF7

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looking nice

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looks great!

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Thanks guys. My wife got home from California last night and she really liked the color. What a relief, she's normally not a fan of green.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Gave the dash a quick cut and buff to clean up some dust nibs. The smoothed dash was a little too plain so I added a '63 Impala fender emblem to give it a little bling...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Nice touch!!

:uhmk:

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Getting ready to set the cab back on the frame so I cleaned a summers worth of dust, dirt and cobwebs off the chassis.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

This weekend’s garage goal is to set the cab back on the frame. There were several small jobs completed in preparation. The brake system was filled with DOT 5 brake fluid and bled. I also made a set of battery cables with 1 gauge fine strand copper cable, crimped copper lugs and mil-spec terminal ends. The cables are covered with a protective spiral wrap So they should be darn near bulletproof. Both of these tasks were far easier to perform before the cab goes back on.


https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...13&oe=5A7DE5EC

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Cab went on so easy it was scary...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

In addition to setting the cab back on the frame today, I finished putting FatMat Rattletrap on the floor and firewall. Tomorrow I plan to fit the inner fenders which will need some minor trimming to work with the smoothed firewall and possibly get the column mocked up so I can make a new floor plate for it.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Looking great...Jim

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Thanks Jim

I slid the instrument cluster in just to see how it looked with the smooth dash

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

That Dash Turned out Super Nice, Outstanding color combo

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I got the column assembled without any chips or scratches and mocked it up so I can make a new floor plate...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Your truck is looking great.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Very clean and looks great...Jim

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I fabbed a floor plate for the column to support where it passes through the floor. With that done, I could get the trans linkage all dialed in.

Due to the smooth firewall a little fitting on the inner fender panels was necessary. I'm pretty happy with the outcome, inner fenders will receive a coat of matte white to match the firewall...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

After a lot of measuring and a little tweaking to get the cab square on the frame I torqued the cab mount bolts down. Same deal with the core support, it's now straight and square with the cab too.

I still had a couple hours of free time before my granddaughter's birthday party so I bolted the freshly painted grille brackets onto the grille with some 1/4" stainless flange bolts and made up a 6AWG cable to feed power to the cab. The insulated stud will provide a handy place to connect a timing light...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I got the throttle pedal and cable installed the other night and figured out the brake pedal placement. I stopped by a local fab/welding shop to ask about having the pedal reworked and the owner turned out to be the president of the state Chevrolet and GMC Truck Club. Nice guy and he totally understood what I was trying to accomplish...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Nice work , gr8 looking ryde, keep the pictures coming.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I got the fuse panel installed and started to run some wiring. The trans kick down, neutral safety switch and brake light switch circuits still need to be added, then the engine compartment will be done...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

What steering column are you using? Looks like you are using the stock column support.
Also noticed that you had a smooth cowl vent cover. Is that one that you fabricated or is that the fiberglass one?
Any plans to add side plates where you extended the cab floor?

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Column is an early 70's Gm, most likely a Cadillac because the turn signal switch was wired for cornering lights.

The smoothed cowl panel is steel, I purchased it from Brothers.

Step mod will remain open underneath.

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

Not a lot to show for this week but I did manage to get the dash wired up, oil and water temp gauges installed and a few other odd jobs wrapped up...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

This week I installed the water temp and oil pressure gauges, wired up the dash and installed a modern, high output heater. In the meantime I had the front fenders blasted and the front bed panel blasted and epoxied. Both fenders have the usual rust perforation in the bottom corners and a few minor dings, the bed panel came out perfect...

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

sheetmetal

Re: Brother's keeper - '58 Stepside build
 

I like your gauges are they stewart warner green lines?