So, it turns out I am very impatient when it comes to adding updates on my build. I wanted to wait until I had the shortbed conversion done before I added another update, but I have enough odds and ends to share that I wanted to document. Most of these are thanks to my dad who has been knocking a few things off the checklist for me while the truck sits at his house.
First up are the boxing plates we made to complete the frame shortening/step up. They look kinda funny but I promise they will make sense once you seem them in the frame.
I was planning on dropping the driveshaft off at a local shop to get it shortened, but then my dad sends me these photos one day. He shortened the shaft for me on the lathe at his work!
Since my dad works in NASCAR, he has a ton of connections for deals on steps relevant to this project. He was able to get my bedsides blasted and epoxy primed for practically nothing. We still have a bit of body work to do before we shoot them with paint, but they are close. As for paint, we got some single stage color matched 505 dark green to lay down. The plan is to do a light amount of artificial aging (aka, fauxtina) to match the original paint on the cab.
In regards to the original paint, I tried my hand at polishing it up a bit and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I am still not entirely convinced I want this thing to be shiny, but haven't found a satisfactory way to restore the paint properly and still leave a dull finish to it short of shooting some matte clear on it (which I don't want to do). I found some 5000 grit sandpaper that I may try to finish it off with just to knock the shine off.
Next up are some original GM parts to add to the build. I went to a home/garden antique show with my wife and much to my surprise, at one booth stuck behind some home decor were a set of Chevrolet script valve covers for dirt cheap! Of course I had to have them. Now I need to figure out how to make the whole PCV/breather setup work with these. I also refinished my hubcaps to the white '67 style since mine were flaking badly and I like the '67 caps better. I added a touch of wear to make them appear more authentic.
And last but not least, wheels! I originally wanted 20" Detroits but these 22" transports were too good of a deal to pass up. I plan on changing the backspace on the rears much like Bagd72Chevy did on
his build. I threw together a quick updated photoshop to illustrate what the truck should look like when completed.
This steady flow of incremental progress has me excited to get this thing finished. At the same time, I'm enjoying the build so much I kind of don't want it to end. What to work on next, hmmm.... That's it for now.