Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

I am using .030 self shielding.... only because I ran out of .035 fluxless. I actually have found the self shielding works a little better (and it allows me to run my swamp cooler in the shop withoit getting bobbles :lol: ) and I have learned a few tricks for making a good bead without burning.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

You're seriously kicking ass on your truck. Wish I had half the motivation and skill as you do. Keep up the good work. Enjoying your progress so far.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

The build is coming along great! Truck is going to look pretty good when it's done!

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Thanks for the encouragement. I dont intend to change the look of the truck too drastically (Imean other than the shorty conversion), but I actually am not from Sacramento originally, I grew up east of Jackson in Calaveras County, I spend time up there often with friends or family, it is a very mountainous area with a lot of twisty roads so I really want to get the suspension dialed in and make it corner. Shortening the chassis will be the first step in that. The next step will be lowering it a littlw and putting in modern springs, then ballancing the weight front and back, and some swaybars. for now I am running the 275/60/15's all around, but eventually I would like to go to a lower profile 17 or 18. nothing drastic where I need to cut the inner fenders, just a little less sidewall. Less sidewall = stiffer sidewall, stiffer sidewall = less roll. I have been reading and watching a lot of videos concerning pro touring cars and I feel like that is the rout I want to go. I want to be able to run a road race if I feel like it, yet still have a comfortable enough ride to take it on a cruising trip.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Yesterday I finished welding the front section of the shortened bed. Today I intend on cutting the rear section on my lunch break. My boss saw a gap I had in the bed floor that was about 3/8" wide and tol me that there was no way I would be able to weld the seam shut there, and that I would need to cut the seam wider and weld in a filler piece...I had to prove him wrong :lol:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psewqlierk.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pslkxrtslw.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psrak4w4l8.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psphq7izda.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psz0xipnzm.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psd6jst8p1.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psxrxrprj0.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

ok, so yesterday I got the rear section of the bed cut.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psmggrn0nv.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...ps48gjcae3.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

At the end of the day I got the bed all lined up and ready to weld.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psrwuvrhn1.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pso1q45xem.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pspqcgnobs.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

I was going to start welding on it today on my lunch break, but as I was walking around the bed, I tripped and broke my MIG gun. Luckily, it was only the copper nozzle tube, so I figured out what what size threads the tube had, cut it shorter, used a die to cut new threads, extracted the broken piece, and screwed in the repaired tube.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

After work, I started welding... It;s actually starting to look like a shorty bed now :chevy::metal:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pswnes2zwe.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psiycwdspo.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pstho9oij3.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pspp9mmfup.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psjofqs7uc.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

To the local guys, I have some bed side pieces, (2) 12" pieces, and (2) 8" pieces they would be great for patching a rust spot or badly dented spot. I also have two strips of bed floor that have the braces under them. they would be great to patch a rusted out piece of a bed, or maybe to build a flat bed. Anyone who is close to Sacramento is welcome to these pieces for free, come get em'.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psiz8u364m.jpg

the bed pieces are in the right side of the pic, stacked in the bed

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psjofqs7uc.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Serious progress. Looks good!

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

New devopments today!!! So I decided that I wanted to weld the rear section of the bed floor with the bed sitting on the frame. However, in order to do that I needed to finish some other things, and get the truck running again so it was easier to move...so I got this

you get to see my handsome face lol
http://s53.photobucket.com/user/bobs...ry4lo.mp4.html

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Sounds healthy!

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Haha, I took it out on the road by my work, first it got sideways when I took off, then once I got her straightened out, I got back on it and did a nice rolling burnout. Holy crap its liggt with no bed, but the disk brakes were working like a charm and I didnt even have the booster hooked up yet.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Ok, wanted to do another quick cost rundown.

$1000 for the truck that I traded for this truck :-)
$ free new front suspension and disc brake system
$ 60 new tires and an extra set of rims
$ 40 cpp 6 lug rotors
$ free drive line
$ 30 u-joints
$ 20 exhaust gaskets
$ free bedside, fender, and cab patch
$ 20 brake line and adapter
$ 35 title transfer
$ 15 coolant
$ 10 brake line
$ 20 jug of dot 3
$ 5 carb adapter nipple for the booster
$ 20 bed hardware
$ 10 new headlight adjusters
_________________________
total $ 1285

and I probably have about 60-70 hrs of labor in to it so far.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

I must admit I am jealous of your build cost.

I'll be into mine about $5500 before I get to drive it.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Yah, but mine looks like crap right now :lol:

NEW UPDATE THOUGH....

TADA!!!!!!.... Short bed :devil::chevy:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...ps7rz8xrfp.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psxoylea7m.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psji3c7ija.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psptdfhexv.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Looks great. Now cut a coil off the front and put a 2 inch block in the back. I think Im getting a nose bleed that thing is so tall :lol:

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

yeah, I have already been looking at lowering it a bit. I don't want it slammed, but I don't want 6" of wheel well showing either

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Trucks coming along good!!

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Did the last leg of the short bed marathon today! I finisged all the welding on the bed. I must be getting better at it because this seam is a lot cleaner.


Here's me gettin-er done!
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pswourigtb.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psyuztklqd.jpg


heres the done deal! I can finally bring it he and tinker in the driveway.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pshoc7tedc.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psh0vvxtiv.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pss9y4wsrj.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psmffuojtd.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psjxpk5wpv.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...pshzvkmeb3.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psfswzg2rp.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g7...psiww8nyqy.jpg

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

I took it for a spin after I finished welding rhe bed, it is missing pretty bad so when I get her home I'll be tinkering under the hood. Still managed to spinn the rubbers though.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Some body work and paint and you'd never know it was a longbed.

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

Is it the way the picture looks or is the rear wheel sitting way forword in the fender?

Re: 68 c10 2wd in Sacramento, CA
 

It looked that way to me also, to the point where I refferex to the original pictures, and it looks the same in them. Perhapse the axle is shoved forward.