Scott's '51 Build

[Scott2]

Solid - definitely will ask them to keep the sand out! It already has or could have some metal debris inside from the narrowing cuts so I'll have to do a thorough cleaning anyway.

Also made a mounting plate for my brake. I found a standard push-on/push-off pedal but needed a more solid mount than just screws into the kick panel sheetmetal. I copied other work I've seen on the board and welded a few nuts onto a 16 ga plate and will weld that to the kick panel.

[Scott2]

Worked some on the gas pedal too. The 2006 truck dbw pedal I have fit poorly against the floor so I made up another mounting plate and then boxed it into the floor. Seems solid and in the right place.

Brake pedal is high - as others have reported the POL firewall bracket, pedal and booster kit installs pretty high. The pedal is ~ 8" above the floor and as you push it forward it pivots up so ends up even higher. I will need to modify this to bring it down a bit.

Making progress - just slow progress!

[solidaxel]

Good idea on the Ebrake

How much will you need to trim from each axle?
I wonder how the machine shop alinges the flanges on the axle tube when welding?

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Good idea on the Ebrake

How much will you need to trim from each axle?
I wonder how the machine shop alinges the flanges on the axle tube when welding?

This shop does a lot of narrowing and rear end setups so he has a big jig to set it up on. There's a good rear end shop here (Western Drivetrain in Aurora, CO) and this guy apparently does all their cutting and welding. The best I could do was to sight down the rear end and everything looks great.

He also trimmed the axles - 1" each side, same as the rear end narrowing.

[Scott2]

New question - I got the engine wire harness back for my LQ4 6.0 motor. I am looking at mounting the PCM in the area of the left inner fender but there's obviously not much room there. Has anyone mounted the PCM inside the front wheel well on the inside of the inner fender? Or maybe better - made a recess in the inner fender for it to sit in? I think that may be the best way but would like to see how others have done it.

I've been searching all over and most PCMs seem to end up either crammed under the dash or under the seat. I'm not excited about either and don't have enough harness length to do that but I also don't see how to get the harness and those giant PCM connectors through the firewall or floor without fabbing a screw on access plate to make a big hole.

My harness is set up to ideally mount the PCM in the left inner fender/firewall area, but again there's no firewall real estate with the column and booster over there and inner fender space is scarce too. Thoughts?

[solidaxel]

Sounds like a good choice.................that was easy !!!!

What does that operation run in Colorado?

[steve aleve]

I mounted mine in the drivers side kickpanel. I made a removable panel to the interior as well. I'll try to get some pics for you

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by steve aleve

I mounted mine in the drivers side kickpanel. I made a removable panel to the interior as well. I'll try to get some pics for you

Thanks Steve!

[Scott2]

A little catch-up - late in June I picked up the rear housing from the machine shop, dropped it at the powder coat shop and left to vacation/camp a few weeks. Had a blast in western Montana, I could stay there until winter shows up! Idaho was great as well. Finally got back home, cleaned and reassembled everything and the fit is great! I have a good inch clearance now inside each fender lip.

I barely finished the rear end and then took a break for total knee replacement (left) surgery. Damn thing was just worn out and always giving me issues. It's been 2-1/2 weeks now and I'm walking circles around the cul-de-sac, enduring the torturors at PT, and can't wait to get back to projects and real activities.

One of my next steps is assembling everything under the dash before inside-cab paint. I have the wiper motor in now and need to assemble the a/c and do a mock install. I decided I also should fit the radio in so I ordered a RetroSound Long Beach radio and a couple of USB ports. Now I just need to get healed up enough that the wife will let me back in the garage.

Scott

[Scott2]

I do have a bodywork question: I have the original '51 doors for the truck but wanted one piece glass so I picked up a set of '49 doors in good shape. The originals are all rusty to match the truck, the '49's are well aged white for the drivers side and a painted brown for the pass.

I keep looking at them and thinking about transplanting the '51 door skins to get both one piece glass and my matching finish.

However, I don't see any info in my searches about installing door skins - just replacement doors or partial patches here and there.

Any thoughts?

[Kodiaks53]

Scott2,
I had both my knees done back in April, best thing I ever did ! When I got back in the shop before my short term disability ran out I was able to get my 53 in road worthy condition. That PT can be rough but its worth it in the long run. Truck's looking good and you'll be back at it soon...... carry on !

[Scott2]

I do have a bodywork question: I have the original '51 doors for the truck but wanted one piece glass so I picked up a set of '49-signs doors in good shape. The originals are all rusty to match the truck, the others are pretty well aged white for the drivers side and a painted brown for the pass.

I keep looking at them and thinking about transplanting the '51 door skins to get both one piece glass and my matching finish.

However, I don't see any info in my searches about installing door skins - just replacement doors or partial patches here and there.

Any thoughts?

[OutlawDrifter]

Glad the knee is healing up! Both my knees and my right shoulder need repaired. Turns out, when my dad told me to take care of my body all those years ago, he knew what he was talking about.

I would look into matching the replacement doors before you go through the trouble of switching anything over. You may not get a perfect match, but what is perfect about patina?

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Glad the knee is healing up! Both my knees and my right shoulder need repaired. Turns out, when my dad told me to take care of my body all those years ago, he knew what he was talking about.

I would look into matching the replacement doors before you go through the trouble of switching anything over. You may not get a perfect match, but what is perfect about patina?

It was great fun being active and doing all those years of sports, mountain climbing, weightlifting, karate, etc. but there is a price for it. I've had arthroscopic surgeries on both shoulders, both knees, one twice, and finally had that knee replaced. Hopefully this will be it for a while.

There are several options on the doors -I just have to work thru them.

[Scott2]

Working on the cab now, doing the weld, grind, etc. routine. Trying to sort out some of the parts and have a question about the Inner Fender To Firewall Filler Panels. Mine have several staple holes each. I assume these were to hold on some kind of seal or sealing flap? Anyone know where to get those? I've searched but have not yet found them.

[solidaxel]

Yes there are seals on those fillers
Try Steel Rubber for the rubber seals

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Yes there are seals on those fillers
Try Steel Rubber for the rubber seals

Thanks! I see a u-channel (http://www.steelerubber.com/splash-apron-60-0288-45) that is for fender splash panels?

My problem locating these parts was not knowing what they're called. I don't see them at all in the lmc catalog and tried all kinds of search terms until I blundered on them. They're probably in my Assembly Manual somewhere but my wife "organized" my desk and it's currently MIA. My fault apparently for leaving it out while I was using it! .

Any guidance on how the seal goes on - mine were rotted and gone?

[NorCalGal]

They stick down like that. The best I can figure it's kind of a mud flap to keep stuff out from under the running board.

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

They stick down like that. The best I can figure it's kind of a mud flap to keep stuff out from under the running board.

OK - I guess that makes sense. I wasn't thinking about the fit against the running board - thanks!

[Scott2]

My truck was covered with a lot of scaly rust. I decided to clean some of it off and try to expose the original paint. As the hood shows, somewhere along the way someone apparently stripped the paint off. I can only find little scraps left behind except for under the emblems. The firewall still had some paint on it and the back of the cab protected by the bed but thats about it.

I'm going to paint the inside of the cab and the engine bay with a similar paint. It's really close to a late '80's Chevy truck red/burgundy but has a little metallic in it. If the weather holds I should get that done this week.

Question - working on the hood I found a set of four holes toward the front where it curves down (circled in the pics). I have searched a bunch of catalogs and looked for anything that might have mounted there but no luck so far. Anyone have any idea what these may have been for? Maybe the old farmer wired a skull on there?

[maxdog51]

Originally Posted by Scott2

My truck was covered with a lot of scaly rust. I decided to clean some of it off and try to expose the original paint. As the hood shows, somewhere along the way someone apparently stripped the paint off. I can only find little scraps left behind except for under the emblems. The firewall still had some paint on it and the back of the cab protected by the bed but thats about it.

I'm going to paint the inside of the cab and the engine bay with a similar paint. It's really close to a late '80's Chevy truck red/burgundy but has a little metallic in it. If the weather holds I should get that done this week.

Question - working on the hood I found a set of four holes toward the front where it curves down (circled in the pics). I have searched a bunch of catalogs and looked for anything that might have mounted there but no luck so far. Anyone have any idea what these may have been for? Maybe the old farmer wired a skull on there?

Perhaps a large hood ornament? Great looking truck BTW.

[NorCalGal]

Those are not factory holes. I can't imagine what someone would need hole there for.

[Scott2]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

Those are not factory holes. I can't imagine what someone would need hole there for.

Thanks! I was pretty sure they weren't original. I suppose I should weld them closed but after the firewall Im getting tired of the weld and grind thing. Besides, it's not like it'll make the hood look any better!

[oldman3]

I've seen lots of stuff mounted on the hoods, that shouldn't have been. Weld and grind...Jim

[Scott2]

I've been working on all kinds of stuff. I guess I'm at the phase of a million little things to do. Also need to catch up a bit as I worked a little here and there while the knee replacement was healing and I'm pretty much back to normal now.

First - replaced both cab corners - one twice! (I had to get it figured out) Oddly, the right one was a piece of cake and I went slow with the welding and planished along the way - no shrinkage. The left I did the same way but tried to go even slower and it shrank a bit.

Also welded up random holes in the cab, patched a lower cowl section, filled the gas filler hole, and replaced the righty cowl and vent.