Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Just starting the teardown on my 68 shorty. Bought this truck last fall and the snow started flying early, so until now, due to limited space in my garage i couldn't get going on account of the cold weather. A whole pile of this project is off to the scrapyard and the rest is in the local classifieds, found a donor for a cab that's in repairable condition and for the price of panels, I'll be going to the aftermarket. The cab should be off in a few days and stripped to a rolling chassis for the sandblasters, then it's POR15 and classic performances disc brake conversion, lowering setup, and front end rebuild. Plans are 2/4 drop setup, discs all around, 350/350 combo, whole bunch of aftermarket panels, plan for a resto mod look with a daily driver function. Keep ya posted as the work gets completed.

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Looks like a good project! I'll follow along for all the fun :lol:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

O why not Im up for another build this one looks like its gonna be interesting:uhmk:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

thanks, not much is staying, sold most the original panels already and did some trading for tools etc, these trucks get ravaged up here from the salt so bad I pretty well bought it for the frame and the 4bolt 350. I'm on hold until the 28th as I'm gone on vacation, but there will, with any luck be frequent updates coming over the spring and summer.

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Should have more pics coming, got stalled after not being able to find a cab to give me a starting point but it looks like this weekend that should change and he frame may even be ready for blasting

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

POR15 arrived today, tore the remainder of the front end off, all the wiring, hoses etc, and the cab is ready to come off, now I'm waiting on an engine jack, they're sold out and may be a week or 2 away, no pics yet nothing worth updating, but I'm still going,just slowly, hoping to have the chassis painted and waiting for the CPP grand slam fund ready for the end of aug and in by mid Sept., then it's the race against winter

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Looks like a good project and plans. I'll tag along!

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

If it's not one thing holding me back it's another, my engine jack finally showed up and another board member is lending me his cab removal jig so things were looking good, then I couldn't handle looking at the boxes that were piling up in the corner of the garage and had to snoop, new wiring harness..golden, NOS locks and ignition...golden, supreme markers, tail lights and bezels...golden, I troll eBay and buy when the price is too low to say no ;) that's why the parts are so random, then I open my POR15, the marine clean and metal etch are good, the actual rust paint, the seal is broken, hoping the paint is good inside, but without atleast a quart, this is gonna be another major setback, no help with the lack of oilfield construction going on either, this may be a long ass build, where's the shaking my head smiley

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

found a cab from a board member in prince george, hoping to pick it up this week, ordered my cam and intake, some dress up parts and a gasket set, the price was right, ordered my CPP "c" notch kit and engine transmission crossmember kit, now to get a day off to strip the rest down and POR15 the frame before the snow flies. I will post up some pics of the strip down when I get a chance and paint when it starts

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

cool, looking forward to some pictures when progress is made! :chevy:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

sounds like a nice project to follow:chevy:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

got home early enough it was still light out, and warm enough to accomplish something, CPPJEFF pulled through and I just got my C notch kit and tubular tranny mount today, about a week faster than expected, and the other parts are just clear of customs, may have the whole weekend off so I'll try and take more and better pics

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Nice :metal:
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Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

today I washed and degreased for round 1 to start removing everything, engine is ready to come out tomorrow just need some bolts for my intake plate, picking my cab up monday, frames in better shape than I had expected so may even have the por 15 applied this weekend:metal:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

$500 and 1300km of driving on free diesel from work and I snagged a rot free cab with minor surface rust from a board member who got it with a load of parts he bought. Not the best welds, but this isn't going to be a show truck, unmolested dash, super excited. :metal: He also has a stepside bed, not a huge stepside fan but they are growing on me and for the price he offered I may have to pick that up on my next trip just to get on the road that much faster. Tomorrow the motor and tranny should be out if the weather allows and may even be ready for frame paint

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

doesn't look like much what it was time consuming, pulled the engine, shocks, brake lines,misc wiring and other junk, rust is a pain for sure

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

:metal:Just got off the phone with CPPJEFF, grand slam kit 5.5in, front 7in rear, trailing arm rebuild kit, and poly body mounts are ordered. had to take advantage of the abnormally high dollar, heading out to the garage to continue the teardown, pull the transmission, and hit the frame with a wheel and por15 prep and may even lay the first coat on tonight, pics will be up when i get outta the yard/garage

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Killer truck dude.

ill be keepin an eye on this, and sup? from another albertan Red Deer/Ftmac

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Factory rivets SUCK!!!!!!:lol: well not as much done as planned, but more progress, tomorrow I have my buddy coming back over with the welding rig to do a frame patch where the factory fram stiffener has rotted out one side enough to have me worried and install the c notches, removed some more junk and began oprepping the fram for paint:metal:Attachment 643486

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Attachment 643490 the old dodge and my buddy chuck are a lifesave with this rusty old wagon

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Quite a few of us on here now from AB, you have quite the collection, if all goes well I'm gona try and be done for the big car show in Red Deer next summer, we'll see though, these trucks seem to throw wrenches into plans fast and I have never deal with such stubborn rivets ever:lol: All in the fun of the build, good thing I have buddies that are patient and into helpin out

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

my welder buddies are all busy so somewhat at a stand still, did some frame prep tonight, buffing old paint/rust off hoping for some updates mid next week

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

this thing is going to sandblast if the local guys drop their price to $500 or less, the whole frame prep is way too much work for what it's worth, sandblast would be a "proper" job and not cost me hours of suckin rust and paint only to get frustrated with how time consuming a half ass job is, I want to do this once and correctly, lesson learnt, pics to come soon

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Sandblast was good and super fast, can't complain now how do I go about this POR15 on blasted metal? all the preps still or just marine clean and apply? either way I'm stoked:metal:

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

Looks Good!

Re: Finally starting the 68swb fleet
 

The whole "early winter" we get here really lit a fire under my ass lately, thanks I thought so, $200 in towing flatbed to and from the blasters, workin so I couldn't do it myself and $250 to blast, probably 100x better than anything I could have done myself with the buffing wheels and flap discs, getting real excited, may have my quad sold and another $4500 to go towards the build, this truck has officially consumed me hahaha