C30 dually project goes patina

[flatbed67]

Thank you Getter-Done for the comment.
You too, cornerstone.

The interior of the truck is mostly left alone. The truck was bought off a local Craigs list-like site for cars only, truck sold in Texas, container transport included. When I got it home, I was surprised that the bench seat was in such good condition. Turns out it was reupholstered, as the fabrics are pure white seen from the back. Same luck as with the brakes. The bench is no beauty, but it looks like it belongs.
I don't have any better pics of the interior, but it still looks almost like in this pic, except that the rubber mat disintegrated when I took it out fot the welding work, so now it just has a couple small rubber mats. I have some dark gray carpet material, that I've planned to use.



Since this shot was snapped, I've put in a brand new gas pedal, as well as new pedal rubbers for the brake and clutch. Other than that it's just cleaned out with window cleaner and rags&towels. What's not as obvious would be new ignition lock, all new bulbs in the instrument cluster, work with locks and crank mechanisms etc.
As you see, the glove box door is missing. I bought one off ebay, but am still missing the hinge.

[flatbed67]

When I got the ignition lock changed, I suddenly was able to try the electric things. To my surprise the wipers worked, or rather, would have. The wiper arms were missing. Luckily they happened to fit the same as Caprice ones, so I bought a pair off an eighties Wagon.
They just needed to be shortened and angled to fit.



When welded, ground and touched up with a squirt of silver they look almost factory.



Surprisingly, the washers were more work intense.



The cowl cover had to be removed to be able to change the aged and very brittle rubber hoses. A lot of leaves and other debris was cleaned out, so it was a job that really needed to be done anyway.

[flatbed67]

Some time since my last post.
Today's theme is bumper bumping:
As the bumper has had its third degree contacts of sorts, it was removed. The truck looks a lot less dented with the bumper off.
The bumper itself is made from some pretty sturdy material, so it will need some persuation to get back into its original shape.



The truck was MOT tested looking like this, and was passed with flying colors.

As a young couple, me and my wife went to auctions a lot, and at that time we bought this "America trunk". It's been in storage since then (about 25 years), and finally came to use. Evidently it is over a hundred years old, as the label on it says Nikolaistad, which is our towns Russian name, and Finland got independent in 1917.
The trunk was seriously fastened to the bed with big wood screws, and is acting as... well, the trunk.



Then, the bumper. This is what it looked like. I think someone backed and turned, and the bumper snagged something sturdy.



I asked a friend for help, and took the bumper to his bodyshop. He did his magic on it starting with a big sledge hammer, and continuing with smaller hammers and a shrinker. The end result is pretty good looking. Not perfect, but the rough look goes nicely with the over all style of the truck.

[Getter-Done]

Awesome progress.
I love the Trunk idea / yes it is an American (Old School) thing.
That Bumper is /// The look I need .
I think I can dig one of those up?
Maybe?
Good Progress.

[flatbed67]

Thanks again, Getter-Done. I think the bumper is pretty much ok, postage for a good bumper would be pretty steep, I'm afraid. But head light bezels,and some letters for the missing Chevrolet script on the hood, perhaps? And the clove box door hinge.

I really am pleased with how the stance of the truck came out. I was afraid that the short bed would make it look off, but I think it's ok. To get the truck to fit my garage the shorter bed is a must.
The haybales are for sitting on, We usually carry a folding picknick table, it fits nicely in the trunk.



A pic from a cruising. The truck drives, runs and brakes nicely, it's only shorcomings being its awful 5,14 rear ratio and super stiff suspension. It's bouncy like an old farmtractor.



For some reason, not known to mankind, we have to receive modern licence plates when the car or truck is registered, Then you can order other kinds of plates, and pay for them, of course. Since my truck is 1972 oe older (plates havew been made white since 1973), I was allowed to have black plates. I like them, they do make the truck look right... Yes, it's an acquired taste



I recently mounted a pair of 1969-72 head light bezels (no pic of hat yet), They look better than no bezels, but I need to get the 1967-1968 style one's

[Orange67]

Flatbed, i really admire this truck. You are a very resourceful man. The wiper arm fix was cool. Also, stance of that ride is just right. I hesitate to replace the original coil sprins on my 67 C20 because I really like how it sits. Doing great, man. Keep it up!

Oh and the trunk?? Too freaking cool! I love it!

[Getter-Done]

Flatbed
Looking Good.
About your Statement.
( it's only shortcomings being its awful 5,14 rear ratio and super stiff suspension. It's bouncy like an old farm tractor)
You probably are well aware of your options to take care of the Rear end Ratio.

But as far as the Bouncy Tractor ride/ I once had a truck that rode like a Stage coach and I added Weight(100 lbs.) directly to the rear bumper (BAM) smoother ride.

Keep up the good work.

[flatbed67]

Thank you for the kind words, Orange67. To be honest, both the floor boards, and the trunk were my wife's idea. I just provided the elbow grease
Regading the stance, I was thinking that as a T-tub looks good with a "broken back" look, the truck will look nice with the bed a smidgen raked forward.

Getter-Done, I don't know what to do with the rear ratio, please tell me what to do about it. I'll ahve to try and iload it down a bit, silly of me not to think of it myself. I should have, because I am a bus driver be profession, and was driving trucks back before they got air suspension. Well, not that lond ago, but I drove old trucks in the early nineties.
There might be a litle problem with too little clearance at the rear wheels if I load it down too much, though. A hundred pounds or so will probably be no problem.

[flatbed67]

We were attending an American car meet, when a guy from the local rag spotted us setting up for lunch.



The caption says: For hundreds of American cars, the road goes to Pensala (where the happening was held).
The photographer thought our setup looked very "sympathetic"

[Getter-Done]

That is a good looking couple Right there.

Now about you Rear end ratio. You can Try to find a 4:10 ratio Chunk.
The best Ring and Pinion option for H072 is 4:10 which is hard to find even here in in States. Next option is to put a 14 bolt full-floating differential from the Square body style trucks. They are plentiful over here. It requires some fabrication like relocating the spring perches.
Next choice is of course going a little further upstream an swapping the 4 speed for a 5 speed transmission.
Last but not least is
https://www.gearvendors.com/cg2wdt.html

Originally Posted by flatbed67

We were attending an American car meet, when a guy from the local rag spotted us setting up for lunch.



The caption says: For hundreds of American cars, the road goes to Pensala (where the happening was held).
The photographer thought our setup looked very "sympathetic"

T

[flatbed67]

Here's a pic of the truck with head ligt bezels from a '69-72 truck. Hope someone takes enough pity in me to sell a pair that fits my poor truck.



Getter-Done, I didn't know of those possibilities to get better rear ratios. But as I live very far from an American junk yard, it's not easy to get a rear off a suitable donor. A better alternative would probably be to use a five or six speed tranny, that would make more sense anyway, since the SM420 is not a very nice one for cruising around town. Power steering would be a nice upgrade too, I assume that would be a pretty simple thing to do. I have a saginaw 800 steering box, and a pump, so it might not be entirely impossible. The box is off a 1987 TransAm GTA, that I junked a few years ago, so the number of turns lock to lock should go from five to two and a half, as the GTA box is a close ratio box. Or I could take one out of a Caprice or perhaps an Astro.

[flatbed67]

Sound sample



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5oEEj8kYHw

Sliding away in the snow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4OzKr17iTM

[Getter-Done]

Yes I bet those trucks are not that common over there.
About your power steering.
You need too check your frame for an indention.
It being a 67 it probably does not have an indention.
You need that indention or the steering box will not mount flush.
There are several ways to fix this issue.
Just don't do what they done to my truck.
(Cut a hole with Torch and bolted it up)
I will try to find a link on this if you would like.

[flatbed67]

Yes please, I'd like a link to some instructions. It's just plain easier, than to reinvent the wheel

I modified my 1957 Pontiac to power steering a few years ago. Forumtalk, studying and using other's experience made me buy a saginaw 605 steering box, that proved to be very easy to install. The pitman arm fit, and the holes in the frame too. No way I could have done it that easy on my own!

[Getter-Done]

here you go hope these help.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...power+steering

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...power+steering

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...power+steering

[flatbed67]

Thank you Getter-Done, that was very helpful.
The article about how to install a kit was good too, I found it linked in the threads:
http://www.classicperform.com/power6066.htm

The Saginaw 800 steering boxes off cars might not be the same ones, as the pick up boxes. As I already have one of those, I would try to fit it to my truck. I'll be sure to post any info on that if I get to work on the powersteering.

[Getter-Done]

Good Deal.
I hope to get mine in the shop soon.
There is a guy on the forum that sells that bracket for the 60-66.
On our trucks he said we just need spacers in this link below in post #48.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...bracket&page=2

Hope you can get that box you already have to work for you.

[flatbed67]

Long time since I posted anything in this thread.
Anyway I had a photogrepaher take some pics for a Magazine, so my truck will be featured sometime before next summer, which is pretty cool to me



I took this pic over the shoulder of the photographer, so it's still very much an amateur shot.
Sadly I got my cup full of this truck pretty fast. It was loud, bumpy, slow (yes, 5.14:1 rear cogs), and as I am fairly tall, the cab was too short. The idea was cool, but driving wasn't fun at all.
So, I sold it in the fall, and as the cash was burning a hole in my pocket anyway, and because money is round for a reason, I set it rolling and bought a wagon instead.

Here it is in a "Before& After" kind of pic, where I have photoshopped in new wheels ( that I have at this point); and lowered front suspension. It will be reapinted tooin a creme color. But then that's something for another message board.



If anyone's interested, my homepage can be found here at this link, featuring all my latest car builds.

http://www.waasadata.com/karkmotuning

Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you for following my thread!

[Getter-Done]

Good to heard from you.
I like the 68 Station Wagon.
Every-time I see a Station Wagon of any-kind
I always point it out to my Wife.
She is not a big fan of wagons.
You can always post your cars in the Alternate Tinkering in the link below.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=140

My Grandma had a 72 Kingswood like this

I loved that wagon.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas

[flatbed67]

Cool wagon, the huge Kingswood! I was going to buy one of those, I once had a 1971 Pontiac Grand Safari, and all other cars have felt tiny ever since.
I followed your suggestion and started a thread in the Alternate Tinkering part of this forum. Follow me there if you feel like it, it's going to be a pretty fast project, as the wagon is planned to be a driver in April.

Click this!!! Har-har. Merry Christmas to you too, once again. All of you.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=8413123

[AKC]

Sorry to see your truck go, I really like the way it had come out and it had been quite the inspiration for me as well. I don't mind slow, bumpy, loud or cramped. Best of luck with the wagon...

[flatbed67]

Thank you AKC for the nice words.
I do mind the bumpy,slow ride and the silly revs. I like my cars to ride smooth and nice. Makes me not a truck guy, huh?
My truck was a fun head turner, but selling it brouht the possibility for me to get a sixties wagon, and I have been wanting one for some time.

Happy New Year!