My Friends 76 Silverado in my Paint Shop Jail

[rcsbls2]

Well I'm working away but slow, not a lot of time to keep at it. Been working at trying to get doors to fit the openings. We decided to leave the drip rails off and the gaps looked really wide, so I welded rods to the top side and worked on that before Christmas . But then decided that was too wide so Went and added more welds and rods to the top and then added more metal to the entire back edge of the door against the back wall of cab. Then the shape wasn't right so I drilled spot welds out of rear panel and moved it out to line up with door. Started adding a little filler tonight to fill edge of door to level with back of cab panel similar to what is shown in paint and bodywork section sticky by the astronaut. Way too much work but really starting to look like, what I hoped! Will post some pics tomorrow. Time for some shut eye.

[rcsbls2]

OK not much good without pictures!!!
Here are some of working at fitting doors. I have already welded 1/8" rod to edges, Some areas had to add 2 pieces!

Working at putting first coats of filler over both door and rear of cab on Drivers side

Then a guide coat to see where I'm at.

[rcsbls2]

Then on to passenger side door fitment.

I had already added to door edges from base of windshield , over top of door and still had wide gaps. So I added a second 1/8" rod and also added to back edge of door to rocker.

Then in order to get door flush with back of cab panel I had to drill spot weld at back of door jam.

then move that panel in to get rid of this.

Also bottom of opening and cab corner was out too far at rocker. Moved that section in.

This is about where I'm at ...almost ready to begin applying first coat of filler to door edge and panel behind door. Will get epoxy on and then filler. Maybe tomorrow.

[rcsbls2]

Then today I decided to work on door latch. Went to Detroit Autorama week ago and didn't want this to look like many I noticed. The opening for the latch on these square bodies is terrible!!

So I made a piece to build the sheet metal out around the latch. Got it fit up.

and welded in.

and ground down most of it.

[rcsbls2]

Got most of grinding done. Then I filed down to fit to edges of the latch.



I believe this is a great improvement!

Where I started .... and an investment of some time.


Now some epoxy, a little filler and back to the door fitting. Will post more as I get some more things done. Thanks for looking.

[rcsbls2]

Have been working away some . Have cab and fenders mocked up on frame work dolly. Have to get hood installed and begin tighten of gaps and leveling. Pictures coming this week!!