56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Okay heres hoping this works.

I have been working on this truck since joining this forum in about 2007 but have been away for a while.

I am the 2nd and 4th owner of this truck buying it back from a friend who I sold it to almost 40 years ago. I bought it back in 2007.

As you will see it is a mostly unmolested truck and originally came with a V8 engine and an automatic transmission. In addition it is a Canadian made 1/2 ton or as we call it up here a 1300. It is also a short wheel base with the big back window.

I am not sure I would do the frame swap again knowing what I know now so please no flaming. I am however happy with the progress and the way the truck sits on the frame. I spent very little money on the actual frame swap and mostly used parts from other chevy trucks I had sitting around here. I spent the time mocking it up and then had a friend who is a certified welder come and burn some rod!!!

This included shortening the frame by 2 1/2 inches, welding the new lower radiator supports, front and back cab mounts and raising the box a couple of inches off of the rear of the frame.

The two picture I have tried to attach are from last month when I last had it all together! It is now busted back down to the frame recently sand blasted and now almost ready for primer and paint.

If this experiment works, meaning the pictures will post, I will try to start a build thread.

56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

So here is the frame with some final figuring going on for body mounts and leaf spring bushings thus the Energy Suspension stuff laying around!

You can see the newly fabricated front radiator supports, front and rear cab mounts and how I raised the box. Most of the parts are from other trucks I have around here.

I still have to clean up the welds for the cab mounts but then I am about ready for spraying Eastwood epoxy primer and chassis paint.

I am also currently blasting and rebuilding the rear lead springs and taking the chevy truck 12 bolt differential in for a complete post rebuild next week.

56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame select photos
 

So here are a few selected random photos of some problem areas that I have fixed up.

The headlight eyebrow repair was time consuming and I got the pieces from other old fenders I had collected. The repop pieces looked terrible so I cut three pieces out of another fender and made it work.

The dash was unmolested but after buying the new Ididit column I modified the floor.

The radiator is from US Radiator and is a cross flow and fits in nice I think.

I had some repair inside the cowl vent from when I pulled out some pieces to make room for my new master brake pedal and reservoir set up and I also welded up the 100 or so holes in the firewall. I am not sure if I am going to leave any holes but still have some smoothing and a little bondo to do on the firewall before paint. The green is just Napa etch primer. I just had to cover up the areas I had finished to make me feel like I was actually getting somewhere.

I am planning on painting the firewall and inner fenders myself with Eastwood Underhood paint to keep the final paint process a little simpler and more importantly cheaper.

I also had to replace the rear cab corners and the steps but that was the worst of the damage that required repair.

This week if it stays warm I will be sand blasting the rear differential and starting to prime and paint the frame.

Then the build actually starts I hope.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

56hotrodred, I merged your three threads into one.
How 'bout for new updates, just add them here instead of starting a completely new thread. That way it has a complete "flow" for everyone to see.
Thanks

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Cool build, I'm sure a lot of folks will want to see how the TF fits on the later frame!

:uhmk:

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Hey thanks for that. I was unsure how to get it going!

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Ya so far it has not been too bad and I have been able to keep costs down although the 7 or 800 dollar kits are probably worth it!!! With that said there sure are a lot of aftermarket upgraded parts for the stock frames but that route can get spendy.

I am not worried about dropping it real low and with the right wheel offsets, sizes and tires I think it looks alright. The early 80s 1/2 tons had good front end geometry. I have stiffened the frame and added front and rear sway bars with lots of red Energy Suspension bushings. The suspension now has a Belltech 4/6 lowering kit with i believe a leaf or two removed to get it where I wanted.

Being able to buy off the counter GM parts is a plus also.

I am going with a 350 ramjet, 700r4 and either a 3.42 or 3.73 rear posi track.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Cool build

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

ogre agrees with your choice of motor as i have the same motor in truk :D

interesting that it is an canadian 1300 model with the fender mounted spare on the drivers side
typically the fender mounted spare is on the pass fender on 1300 series trucks
possibly a dealer option or bought in usa?

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Very nice build looks good.
Kim

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

I bought the truck off the original owner in Lethbridge, Alberta in the 1970s. As far as I know it was originally purchased in Lethbridge.

I often wondered about why some step sides have the spare on the drivers and some on the other! I am keeping it and prefer it on the drivers side.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Thanks Kim.

I have been watching your build for a long time.

You do good work and are very helpful to others.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Look at what just showed up!!!

Rebuilt Chevy 12 bolt truck differential that came with the frame.

The shop was not able to install the 3:42 Tru Trac in this housing so we went with an Eaton 3:42 limited slip. Still not a bad option!

Makes me want to get my frame primed/painted quickly as the parts are building up... Let the build begin...

I am not real happy with the paint job on the housing so I have been lightly sanding and will be touching it up with some stuff I already have. Too many runs with thin coverage in a few spots. Easy touch up prior to final install.

I also have the leaf springs cleaned with new centre bolts and u bolts/nuts. I did a fair bit of research about painting the leaf springs and have decided to bolt them together and then paint. Lots of [mis] information out there with people doing all sorts of things but an "old spring guy" said just grind edges so they don't rub adjacent spring, put back together and then paint "if I have to". So thats what I am going to do. They are most of the old leaf spring set with 2 or 3 leaves removed from each side so I don't know how they are going to act. I got it to sit at good level with box, fuel tank and similar weight so we will see. I also put lowering shackles and drop spindles on front!

Anyway it is warming up tomorrow so I should be able to start painting frame and other parts with doors open a bit and fans.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Nice looking rear end.
Kim

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Looks great.

Is that I 283 or 327 I see in the mock up picks? I see it has an oil fill on the intake.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Your build is looking good.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

That was sold to the previous owner, after I sold him the truck, as a 327!

When I bought it back I checked out the serial numbers and it is a 283.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Shot several smaller pieces and then the frame with epoxy primer today. Started off real good but then almost all went to hell real quick.

Started getting lots of runs because of all the small areas I was trying to get primer into. Amounted to too much primer on some areas then it would run. I let it start to set up a bit and managed to get most of the large runs off.

Doesn't look too bad now but we will see in the morning.

I ran out of the epoxy primer I got from Eastwood and was wondering if I can finish it up with another brand of epoxy primer? Would probably just mean shooting those areas I missed but there would be some overlap.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Hey thanks Kim - I think!!!

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Weather stayed warm so I was able to spray 2nd coat of epoxy primer after a bit of sanding out the runs. Came out pretty nice.

I have now also had the chance to spray Eastwood ceramic chassis paint and it is not easy for a novice, this novice anyway, to spray. Some areas and pieces came out real nice while others not so much. I think it was a combination of using too small a tip in my spray gun, not stirring enough to keep ceramic particles suspended and not cleaning out nozzle between filling. If I would have used a bigger nozzle it may not have plugged.

It ended up leaving some areas rough feeling. I am going to let it sit for a week sand some of the rough areas and lay another coat on. I still have some of the 2k aerosol spray bombs for touching up. After some rewards it does appear to be a bit of an issue with the ceramic chassis paint but for the most part I think it looks pretty good.

Will try to get some good pictures tomorrow when I organize shop getting ready for another big chill that's a coming next week.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

So here goes a few more pictures. I just came in after getting ready for a snow storm thats suppose to hit us about mid-day and managed to take out a half decent camera to get these!!!

As I said I am fairly happy with the frame paint results as it was my first time and the paint I used was not straightforward. Frames are hard to paint and if I ever do it again I will make a rotating frame stand out of a couple of engine stands like I see on here.

I liked the primer and it laid down nice except for the runs, now mostly sanded out, but the suspended, ceramic-nano particles, or whatever they are, in the paint do complicate things. Lots of stirring, mixing smaller amounts of paint at a time and constant cleaning of the gun required I think. I am going to let the paint sit for a week and cure then sand a few of the areas I don't like and cover with 2k aerosol paint. I have a quart of epoxy primer and a quart of ceramic paint left and I might try and shoot it under the cab. Then we will see if I have learned anything.

Pictures show overall shot of frame, a-arms which turned out great and like I think the paint should look, bottom of cab work (welding, grinding, etc...) underway and rear leafs and new differential ready for spray bomb glossy black paint and installation.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Frame looks good in the pic.
Kim

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

So sorry i posted my build pictures in the general forum and not here. I will try to keep the build pictures here and other general questions elsewhere. So here are my build pictures.

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Nice looking project you have going on here - keep it up ! ;)

Re: 56 task force on 80 1/2 ton frame pictures
 

Frame looks good.
Kim