Greg's 50 Build

[99 to Life]

you'll get there. You will have more fun with the truck I can almost bet you. Can fit all 3 in there, put stuff int he back, go camping whatever. This forum is great for sure. I haven't been on stovebolt or the hamb but once a year or two. I'm on this everyday. money sux, if you have a lot or little you still have problems and we all leave this world dead. I get caught up in the money blues like everyone else but deep down I know, I rather have time than money.

[joedoh]

60 year old men with attitudes are why I dont go to many car shows any more. nothing better than a guy walking up and saying "what I would have done is..." and then describes the most expensive, most common and boring, most "drop it off and have it done" modifications.

cheaper beaters are where its at. I drive a 00 saturn I bought from my neighbor for $160

[rusty76]

Chin up. We all go through bumps in the road to an old truck life. Take my old rusty bolts. I've never regretted something more than pulling the motor and not being able to enjoy it. Life got in the way but I'm working slowly back to it. I must say I don't know I'll ever want to buy another car unless I find a super good deal. Cars get stuck in garages. Trucks can be enjoyed and used. There's little fear in owning a truck. Plus you can make extra money with a truck to. Good luck and keep on keeping.

[JSavoie]

About your photos, you have 2 choices:

1- Use the EDIT button to see the link you had with photobucket and upload the same photos on another hosting place (more on that later)

2- IF you don't have your photos on a back-up drive etc, then I COULD upload them (I have them for reference) and send you the link so YOU could download them and place them on another hosting website. Once you'd be done, I could erase them from my hosting website (and still keep them on a back-up drive)

alternatives to photobucket:
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/02/ph...r-third-party/ pick your choice!

[Root2812]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I am motivated to get back on my project after I finish cleaning up my situation. You will all be the first to know when something gets done. I am going to do one of those photobucket alternates and go back and fix my thread at some point.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by iowaboynca

I hear you about other forums...

That's the great thing about this one, I'd like to think we're pretty good about policing ourselves. We all understand that we're trying to put 50+ year old vehicle on the road, so we don't have the time or energy for drama.

Don't beat yourself up too much about the roadrunner or vette. we all gotta have those bucket list vehicles...heck this truck is one of mine! In the meantime follow Martinsr's philosophy and go out to the garage/shop and find something you can tinker on the truck for 5 minutes. I do that a lot and find it quite therapeutic!

You are exactly right. That 5 minutes here and there fees good. I like the sense of accomplishments I get from finishing even a simple task. A good example is my dad is restoring a 67 GTO. He wants nothing to do with wiring or the dash cluster. So I am doing it. I took and hour just to sit on my deck and detail the heater controls. They look pretty good if I do say so myself

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

you'll get there. You will have more fun with the truck I can almost bet you. Can fit all 3 in there, put stuff int he back, go camping whatever. .

That's what I am hoping for. All of us piling in and having a good time.

Originally Posted by joedoh

60 year old men with attitudes are why I dont go to many car shows any more. nothing better than a guy walking up and saying "what I would have done is..." and then describes the most expensive, most common and boring, most "drop it off and have it done" modifications.

cheaper beaters are where its at. I drive a 00 saturn I bought from my neighbor for $160

Yeah I am not a fan of that type. If I have something negative to say about someone else's project I keep it to myself until I am far away. My dad and I will go to shows and I wait until we are a few rows away before I say something like "that color just doesn't look right on that car" or "did you see the hack job on the body". Its conversation to have with my old man but there is no need to say it near the owner. Hurting someone feeling by insulting their hard work is just a dick move. I like to go to shows to look at cars and I take mine for the prime parking of parking in the show. I don't sit by my car at all so no one really gets to talk to me about it. Its more fun getting stopped at the gas pumps anyway.

Originally Posted by rusty76

I've never regretted something more than pulling the motor and not being able to enjoy it.

My sentiment exactly. I often curse myself for ripping my truck apart. I should have just swapped in a 235 and did a break upgrade. I really miss driving the old girl. What I am afraid of is that I won't like it as much when its done. It had so much charm being a 60+ year old beater.

Originally Posted by JSavoie

About your photos, you have 2 choices:

1- Use the EDIT button to see the link you had with photobucket and upload the same photos on another hosting place (more on that later)

2- IF you don't have your photos on a back-up drive etc, then I COULD upload them (I have them for reference) and send you the link so YOU could download them and place them on another hosting website. Once you'd be done, I could erase them from my hosting website (and still keep them on a back-up drive)

alternatives to photobucket:
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/02/ph...r-third-party/ pick your choice!

I do have all my pictures saved. I will read your link and try one of those alternates out.

[Root2812]

So the truck project is back on. Nothing photo worthy yet. I listed the Corvette for sale and within a few hours my phone was blowing up and it sold in 3 days. I paid off stuff and was finally able to bring the truck from the barn into the garage again.

I pressure washed the truck and found a lot of surface rust on my chassis. That's what I get for only doing one coat of coating. Now I need to pull a lot back apart to repaint. So while I am just cleaning and getting the truck back to where I left off I am going to keep gathering what I need to move forward.

I bought the last of the sheet metal I needed for the cab and I bought myself my first welder. I ended up springing the extra bucks for a Miller. The Millermatic 211 seemed like the right welder for me. I'm excited to use it but I need to practice on some scrap first.

Updates to follow.

[OutlawDrifter]

Glad the sale went quickly for you. The 211 is a great welder, I've been trying to justify the purchase for a long time, but my Eastwood 135 keeps getting the job done. And I can pull out the old Lincoln "Tombstone" for the heavy stuff.

[Root2812]

Still chipping along here. I've found I have some clearance issues with my manifolds and the frame so the motor needs to come back out so I can modify the frame. I can pull it and put it back in dressed up so I am continuing assembly so I can check all clearances.

So far here is what I have going on. 5.3L engine rebuilt by me, f body oil pan, LS6 intake, 2008 corvette waterpump (no bell pulley for clearance), C5 corvette coils, fuel rail covers, power steering pump, Holley accessory drive bracket, and Hooker manifolds. I have a painted intake to use and some custom fuel rail covers for the final thing but those will be finished and put on later.

[Advanced Design]

Good to see the update. Looks good! Will the alternator clear the inner fender?

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Good to see the update. Looks good! Will the alternator clear the inner fender?

No it won't. This angle makes it look like it will stick out farther than it does but I will have to modify the inner fender. The Holley brackets put everything in the same location as the corvette accessorys. I know it will clear my mock up wheels when at full turn with room to put the modified inner fender. The only problem I might run into is if I go with a much bigger wheel and tire combo.

I swapped form the truck accessory spacing to the corvette spacing so I wouldn't have to modify my firewall. Its kind of a trade off firewall vs inner fender.

[Root2812]

I have been thinking about door locks lately. I hear Altman is the way to go but then I read you can't lock the drivers door from the inside with them? That seems wierd since the is no exterior lock on these trucks drivers doors.

Any of you guys used them or similar?

If I do that instead of stock I want the weld in kind not the bolt in kind.

[99 to Life]

are you upgrading bc of the locking system or the latch system? I haven't used altman but I have made my own door latches that use bearclaw. See pic. I did bolt on bc I already painted my doors. I would honestly just build my own weld them in next time, and you could do the same and save some money. I bought the bearclaw from rockyhinge I think, but they are the usa made ones. However, I didn't utilize my outside handles, I used an actuator to pop the doors open from the outside, kinda like shaved doors.

If you just want the doors to lock you could build a deadbolt system, see pic. Something I made for one of my trucks. Works really well. You can get a keyfob and sender from AVS for like $75 and there you go, both doors will lock with a little time making the deadbolt. I mounted it on the door pillar.

Bearclaws have an L shaped bracket that slides up and down that allows the claw to lock. Reason the DS door wouldn't lock is bc there is no lock cylinder for that side. You could then again build an actuator and a pushrod to run the door locks on one or both of your bearclaws, its same concept as shaved doors. But I was able to get my inside door handles to work and use the acuators, most shaved doors don't allow the use of both.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

are you upgrading bc of the locking system or the latch system?

I have just heard that they are safer and keep the doors from popping open. I was trying to decide if they were worth buying but I didn't like that they can't lock. I am spending too much time and money on this think to not be able to lock the doors. I like how the stock set up works by just turning the interior door handle.

[99 to Life]

I'f your stock latches seem ok I'd do the deadbolt method. There is no ONE perfect way with these doors.

[Atommik]

Hey Greg,
I used the Altman latches on mine. It was a last minute decision so I bolted them on because the door frames and door jams were already painted. Looking back I wish I would have welded them in. I also purchased the power lock brackets from Altman and then bought a power lock actuator set (4 lock actuators, relays, and 2 remotes) from JC Whitney. About $75. I installed everything and they worked well. When you get in the truck just lock it with the remote. The lock brackets are a tight fit with the window. My passenger side was a little off and the window would hit the bracket. I was impatient and didn't feel like re-adjusting it, so I just removed the bracket for now. Someday Ill get around to getting it set up again. But the power lock feature does work well. I think you can still use the key to unlock the pass side door in case of a dead battery or some other electrical failure.
Will you be coming down for any car shows this summer? Maybe I'll see you...

[Root2812]

Atommik,
Thanks for the idea on the door locks. I'll have to look into that idea.

I will most likely be at back to the 50's but I am not sure about any of the other shows this year.

[Root2812]

Well crap.... So I continue to chip away at my project and 2 weeks ago everything was fine. Yesterday I went to the garage and saw something chewed through a bag of bird seed and made a mess on the floor. I hadn't been in the garage much the last 2 weeks so no telling exactly when it happened. I walked by my truck and saw something chewed through the bag I had on my intake for dust protection.

Well I looked in and my intake had a mouse nest in it. I pulled my intake off and the drivers head is full of seed and 4 baby mice and a mama mouse came out of the intake.

This engine is freshly rebuilt. I haven't even put oil in it yet. I vacuumed the seed out of the intake ports of the heads as best I could but the heads have to come off now and I will pull the pan just in case. I am hoping it didn't go to far and I can just clean things out with carb cleaner. At this point I will be happy is if just costs me the money for new head blots and new head gaskets..

Sigh........

[OutlawDrifter]

Bummer on the setback! Mice are destructive creatures.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Bummer on the setback! Mice are destructive creatures.

Thanks. I am pretty disappointing about it but atleast I can clean it out easy. I have to buy new head bolts and head gaskets so cost wise it could be worse. I'm going to go with ARP bolts this time so I never have to replace them again.

[Root2812]

I'm finally back on the truck project. This pandemic sure slowed things down for me and I'm finding time to work on the truck again. In the last few weeks I have had the engine out twice and finished making my transmission cross member. Like always its been one step forward and one step back though. I decided to start making an exhaust system and I bought the tightest exhaust manifolds I could find. It must just be the way I put my motor in because I put it in low but my passenger manifold flange was just touching the top of the frame rail where it met the boxing plates I put in. Engine comes back out now. I cut a notch in the top of the rail and into my boxing plate and now need to weld it back up. I think the stock frame is 10 guage and all I could find right now is 1/8 inch plate to do my notch boxing. The 1/8 inch is only .0095 inches thinner so for just a notch in the corner there I think it will be fine. After all most of the steel that came out was the boxing plate I put in.

I am totally new at metal fab, in fact that tranny cross member was my first welding job with my own welder. Once this notch is welded up and repainted I'll reinstall the motor and get you guys some photos. I fixed the mouse issue so after I finish this fab work and exhaust I should be ready to move toward hearing my truck run for the first time since I blew the 216 in the summer of 2014!

My exhaust is going to have a fixed exhaust tip coming out of the running board. I credit the idea to youngrodder. I saw it on his truck a long time ago and love the look. I am going to put braided flex pipes after my down pipes and before my x pipe. For now I will use a standard hanger for the back but I will probably need to ridged mount the whole exhaust from the flex joints back.

I am sure I am missing something but after the exhaust I should only be fuel lines and wiring away from making it run.

[oldman3]

Glad it's coming together...Jim

[Root2812]

Success!

So welding the ends on the cut to fit crossmember may have been my first welding project but today was my first fabrication project. The clearancing the frame went great. My welding my not be pretty but with a grinder it turned out good. I avoided taking the motor out by just pulling the starter. I learned welding at that funny angle was hard. My welds on the top where I could see were a lot better. In the end I’m very happy.
I’ll attach a good picture later

[Root2812]

Ok so my pictures were fuzzy. I went out to take some more and just wasn’t happy with my grinding. So I pulled the motor and did a better job. Then I painted the frame and reinstalled the motor. No more process pics but here is what I ended with.

[Root2812]

Originally Posted by Root2812

Thanks guys. Hard times do come and go. My grandma almost died a year ago and it didn't look good so this whole last year was like grandma bonus time which we were all thankful for. She was almost 90 so it was a good run, she lived a good life.

Oh and that old convertable. Yeah its a Pontiac. Its a 1967 GTO. Its just been sitting in a corner of the garage taking up space for over 30 years. My dad bought it in 1984 for $100. It was time to haul it off to the scrap yard to make room.

Originally Posted by 918733

holly crap i would have doubled his money 67 is my favorite

Originally Posted by ptc

'67 GTO CONVERTIBLE... ???? yea I'd say he had a little gold mine there in any condition.... Im sure he made the scrappers day!

Originally Posted by Root2812

Ok Ok... I'm mean I know. I told my dad that someone asked about his car on my forum and he put me up to saying we scrapped it. I was just joking about hauling the GTO to the scrap heap. It has sat since the engine fire it had around 1979 and my dad bought it in 1984. We stripped it down to the shell and started the body work that weekend my engine work fell through due to the missing main cap bolt. As you see it is after the car was stripped down and we were about to haul it to my dad's shop. We had to roll my truck out to get to it and thats why it was outside and prime for a picture. The GTO is missing the motor and transmission so the current plan is to as a 6.0 LS. Otherwise the car will stay stock so it looks 1967. The only reason for the LS is that my dad wants to drive it and the newer motor with fuel injection will get better fuel economy compared to an old big block and it will have good power. The car is really far from perfect and it will never be numbers matching so its just going to be a summer cruiser and not a show car. He has dreamed about this car since he bought it but something always came up. This time its happening.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Whew...glad the Goat is safe.

So this little exchange was a while back (2015) but I figured I would let you guys see the finished product since you seemed interested in the GTO as a bare rusty shell. My dad was slowly working on the car since that photo was taken but then he had two heart attacks and was diagnosed with cancer right after he retired. Once he had energy again we put our energy into getting the GTO done for him to enjoy. I should have shut the door for the picture but the car is done.