69 Custom 30 wrecker restoration

[sameyeam]

Bob, wow awesome to see how this build is coming, I am a new subscriber and i just picked up a 72 k20 wrecker myself. I hope to travel along a similar path and bring mine back to her former glory. Keep the updates coming they are really going to help me.

[bobs409]

You got a cool looking wrecker there. I bet not many were 4X4's.

I said it before but here I go again, we need to start a wrecker club.

[68GMCburban]

You guys make me jealous! I wish I was able to find a wrecker like this around here.

[bobs409]

Time to play catch up with this build thread.

(The following happened many weeks, probably months ago. I’ll start catching up on this build thread from here)

“Little tow truck that couldn’t”

I normally don’t name my vehicles but if I did, I guess I should call this one the “Little tow truck that couldn’t.”

After talking with some people and thinking things over again, I’ve decided that I will NOT be towing anything with this truck. The laws are just too strict. I really wanted to occasionally be able to use it to drag a parts car home or rescue one of my own but it’s just not worth the risk. This truck is going to command attention driving down the road as it is but put a car on the back and fire up the revolving beacon light and I’d just be begging to get pulled over! I guess old Vic the tow truck is officially retired from hauling cars but that doesn’t mean we won’t be hitting the streets when the urge strikes.

I didn’t actually buy this to tow cars, it was more to restore it and keep a bit of our 60’s American history alive and well. The occasional towing would have been a bonus though.

Plans are to get a PA antique tag and classic car insurance. The idea is to keep the operating cost low but have full coverage to protect my investment. The antique tag in PA is a once and done payment. NO more yearly registration fee’s of $81.00 and NO more annoying state inspections at $30.00 a year.

So now that plans have changed, I see no need to install the rubber sling on the back that I busted my hump refurbishing. Guess that will get sold off since I’m sure this will be my last wrecker. I might as well put the original big metal block that it came with (for lack of better words)

On other news, things are progressing nicely on the build. I’m doing panel alignment and final bodywork on the cab portion and still rebuilding the box which feels never ending. The body work sometimes feels like it’s taking forever too but the end result is the most important thing so it will take as long as it takes to make it laser straight! You cannot rush this part.

Here are a few shots of the box side panels getting installed as well as the C channel frame and the last of the diamond plate. The come along was used to hold the box straight and square before welding it all together.

[bobs409]

This is a good time to show the finished bottom. 2 coats of POR 15 and then seam seal all joints. Here is a top view of all the diamond plate welded in.

Every time I think I have all the parts I need, something else comes up. I just bought 6 new tail lights the other day to match what this truck had when new. I was hoping to find some nice used ones in the junkyard but was unable to. (Especially to find 6 matching ones as most trucks only have 4) I also bought about 8 rolls of electrical wire in various gauges and colors so I can wire up the lights in a professional manner. No rats nest wiring for this truck anymore! Each wire will be color coded correctly and neatly run in wire loom. (all of the original wiring will remain as it was originally installed) I even found new bases for my NOS side marker light lenses and picked up the stainless steel fasteners for the side lights and reflectors. It’s getting down to the little details now.

Ok, back the box. To make work easier on the inside of the tool area, I opted to just remove the front panel and work on it on saw horses. About 8 welds were cut to remove it. I then cut the lower few inches off which were rotted & rusted and welded in a new piece of 1/8 inch angle iron did the job perfectly. A new floor will set into this later.

[bobs409]

I also started on the rear tail panel. I cut the old one off with the plasma cutter and made up a new blank panel from two pieces of 11 gauge sheet and used a piece of angle for the bottom. Once all welded up, I got to use my handy dandy Eastwood circle cutter guide for the plasma cutter to cut out the 6 holes for the tail light housings. It worked quite well and I can’t even imagine how I would have tackled this without the plasma cutter.

[bobs409]

After getting the front bed panel and the inside of the left right panels of the box stripped, POR coated and some filler applied, I welded the front panel back in. Shown in last pic, the outside of the panel has been etch primed.

[bobs409]

I decided to put the box back on the truck to complete the rest of the work. It gives me the chance to mock up the new brackets underneath so there are no surprises later and will make doing the rest of the body work easier. Once everything is all done, it will be removed just prior to painting. While I’m not looking forward to it, taking the box off again is necessary so I can paint the back of the cab and front bed panel.

As there are a lot of parts to paint, I will break the paint job down into 2 days, possibly even 3. The box and all the boom parts one day and the cab with fenders, doors and hood another day. I can’t wait to see it in paint!

The box is extremely heavy but I was able to use my engine crane for the job. I just lifted it up high and backed the truck under it. Sounds easy but it ate up many hours getting it set up and back on. It’s starting to look like a wrecker again anyway! Here are some shots of the truck with the box back on.

[bobs409]

I was lucky in that the original inner grill was in undamaged condition! That’s a rarity on these trucks. Some of the original silvering color was worn however so a good cleaning and a coat of stainless steel paint makes it look like new again.

And here it is installed into the new repro outer grill shell. I restored the original headlight bezels and turn signal housings. A new pair of lenses completes the assembly.

A while back I tackled the hood. I sanded it to bare metal, fixed a few dings and then etch primed it. This will receive a few coats of high build primer and a guide coat before sanding it out to check it for straightness. The front hood is a prominent piece so I want it nice and straight!

[bobs409]

I also started working the passenger side panels to straighten them. A great deal of time was spent tapping, hammering and prying to get the panels aligned to each other so the least amount of filler would be used.

Shown here the fender and door are being sanded to bare metal and some filler applied. Then, using a long sanding board, I sand across 2 adjacent panels to flatten them. Every panel will receive this treatment and when they feel right by hand, 2-3 coats of high build primer followed by a good block sanding using a black guide coat so visually check for defects.

[bobs409]

I’ve been fabricating the new top rail that goes around the box. Here in the first photo, you can see the one side is just about done. It is sitting upside down but you get the idea. It’s made of a piece of 1-1/2 X 1-1/2 angle welded to a piece of 2 X 2 inch angle that has had ½ inch removed from one side. This gives me a finished rail that measures 3-1/2 across the top with 1-1/2 inch sides.

I’ve looked into many ways to make this part but this way worked out the best and most economical. Although it’s time consuming as you have to cut off some metal lengthwise on the 2 X 2 and then weld the entire length, it gives me the exact dimensions the original piece was. I imagine the original might have been made in a large press or similar but that’s not an option I have. When all installed, you’ll never know the difference.

Shown in photo #2, I have the new rear panel clamped in place for a test fit. Looks pretty good, just a little smoothing of the edges and it will be ready to weld in. Behind it I made new brackets shown in pic #3 that bolts the C channel of the box to the truck frame. These brackets are installed with grade 8 ½ inch bolts. Even though it won’t be towing any cars, it will be built strong so it could do so at anytime!

So finally, one pair of top rails are done! (last pic) You better like welding if you’re going to make these!

[bobs409]

The rear panel is now all fully welded in and a coat of POR 15 applied for good measure. I’ve coated the inside of the top rails and a few inches of the diamond plate floor. It’s easier to do that now than try wire wheeling that area later as the rails overhang on the inside. I’ve also applied a coat to the side panels inside and out although they are new metal. I did put the cart before the horse when I applied some filler above the wheel wells but at the time, I wasn’t going to use POR there. Plans sometimes change so I opted to just coat up to the filler rather than sand it all back off. Either way, it will work out fine.

In a few days I’ll be welding in the top rails and begin the body work to smooth out the rear side panels. I want laser straight body panels so this part will take some time.

More to come…

[Draggin A$$]

I'm diggin your wrecker! Keep it up!

[54belair]

One hell of a resto!!!!!! Lots of work,,, good looking results-----Bravo!!

[RCbowtie69]

Just checking up your progress,the wrecker bed looking good,keep the pictures coming & keep on truckin''

[bobs409]

Thanks guys.

For the past few weeks, I've been eating body filler dust! I just love getting covered in filler dust when it's in the 90's and humid!

Working steadily on it but getting a bit nervous about time. It's the middle of July already!!!

Should be spraying paint in a few weeks...

[mjensen]

Wow...what an undertaking! You're doing a great job! Can't wait to see paint on this beast!

[bobs409]

I’m still playing catch up with this build. All of this happened quite some time ago…

Ok, its test fit of the top rails now in photo #1 & #2. Looking pretty good! I decided to plug weld these on from the outside rather than trying to weld up behind the back sides as they were originally. A few holes drilled in the outer edge will accomplish that.

Shown in photo #3 are the original aluminum I.D. tags from the wrecker upright and controls. As you can see, they are in terrible condition so until I come up with a way to restore them, I’ll leave them off. Ideas gladly accepted!

Photo #4 & #5 shows the new top rails welded on and the body work started. Here I’m skim coating the panels to remove any defects. I use Rage Gold for any known low areas and then Icing for the final skim coat on the full panel. It may look bad but this is the ONLY way to get laser straight panels. This is how the pro’s do the high end builds so if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

Once the panels are skimmed and blocked out using 80 grit sand paper, then I go up to 180 grit. Two to three coats of a 2K urethane high build primer will be applied next and then a black guide coat fogged on. (actually I use cheap Walmart flat black paint, it works exactly the same and A LOT cheaper!) It will then be blocked out with 320 and any “lows” fixed with Icing. Another hit of high build after that and then blocked out from 320 to 400 and up to 600 just prior to paint. It’s a process but the end result will make it all worth it.

[bobs409]

The first photo shows the back outer box all skimmed and blocked out. The second photo shows 2-3 coats of the high build primer applied.

In photo #3 & #4 the high build has now been “leveled” using 320 grit sand paper on a long sanding block. The panels are now completely flat and ultra smooth! I will go over all panels with 600 grit wet sand a day or two prior to painting. Now I just have to get the rest of the truck to this point!

[bobs409]

The first photo shows the second coat of high build primer (gray this time) as well as a fog of black cheap Walmart paint. This will get block sanded out with 320, 400 then 600 grit. If I’m able to sand all the black off and not hit metal, we’re almost ready for paint!

Second photo shows the fenders getting the same treatment only up on modified saw horses. All panels go through the same process.

Third photo shows I was able to sand all the black off and not hit metal. This panel is done, on to the rest…

[bobs409]

First photo shows the box floor all cleaned up and ready for POR. I never thought this box would get done! Many hours and a few wire brushes get the floor to this stage. Second photo shows the POR paint just put on. Later, I top coated with their Tie coat primer. (last photo)

[bobs409]

The box is ready for some paint! It’s time to remove it one last time so I can paint the front & back of cab.

[bobs409]

I decided to break the painting down into smaller jobs so the inside of the box area was sprayed on the first day as seen in the first photo. A sealer was sprayed on, then 3 coats of acrylic enamel. This will be done to all panels. The next day, a seal coat and paint for the outside of the box shown in the 2nd & 3rd photos. I also did some smaller parts as seen in photos #4 & #5. I’m really glad I did this in 2 steps as it was a lot more work than it looks.

[bobs409]

A few days later after getting the cab prepped, it’s back to more painting…

[bobs409]

The day after the cab was done it was time to spray the hood, fenders, cowl panel and doors. And here are the parts just painted in the first photo.

I had to move the truck out of the way to spray those parts so here it is in the second photo parked out front with a freshly painted cab. I left it bake in the sun for a while.