47-55.1 Long Time Coming......

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Got one from Classic. Still sorry

Fairly vague reply. Can you share why?

Was it a Golden Star or another brand?


For what its worth, here is my take on aftermarket parts. While I would love it if they all fit the way we want in our mind, I also know for a fact that even the OE sheet metal didn't fit to the standards of what we have come to expect on new cars today. I feel this new fender fits fairly well overall, but yes I see some tweaking in my future. But even the two OE fenders I had didn't fit well and both needed tweaking to make right. In this situation, this new GS fender fits my truck far better then the oe fender it is replacing.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by gsinon

Fairly vague reply. Can you share why?

Was it a Golden Star or another brand?

.

One from classic was poor fit and has a extra seam in it Shop said would be less expensive to use than repair old one. I should have paid the extra time on the original as it will always bother me. Think its also why hood will never fit right. Will say it was less than half what yours cost both item and shipping. On that note i see original parts are getting cheaper as folks continue to bail out of projects they can never afford to finish due to outrageous inflated prices and shipping costs.

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by vintovka

One from classic was poor fit and has a extra seam in it Shop said would be less expensive to use than repair old one. I should have paid the extra time on the original as it will always bother me. Think its also why hood will never fir right. Will say it was less than half what yours cost both item and shipping. On that note i see original parts are getting cheaper as folks continue to bail out of projects they can never afford to finish due to outrageous inflated prices and shipping costs.

I hear ya on all points. This is why I did some research and everyone I talked with said to spend the extra for the GS fender. I looked for a decent fender and only founf one in all of New England. It was in northern VT about six miles from Canada, thst's about a 7 hour drive for me. Just wasn't worth it.

[vintovka]

Ironically in regards to my comments on failing projects i was just offered one today over in Idaho. Near metal complete basket case 53 GMC long bed. Won't say what he wanted here but wouda been an unheard of steal even 3-4 years ago but way outside any cost/benefit effectiveness now Advised him to put in on CL and will share if seen. He blamed prices and shipping for the dream kill.

[gsinon]

So am I the only one that now has a huge ad on the bottom third of my screen when on this forum?? How do I get rid of it?! Seriously annoying.

Been a couple busy weeks since I've been able to spend any time in the shop. This long weekend gave me a chance to get some garage time in. I spent a few hours Saturday transforming two engine stands I had into what will be a rotisserie for the bed once I remove it.




Also the new right side fender showed up. This one again was purchased through Jegs as they had the best price for the fender and shipping. Today I got it installed and fitted with the grill and adjusted as best as I can do for now.





And lastly, while at a rockabilly style hot rod/custom show sunday I found this aftermarket shark fin hood ornament. I love the look and style of it and thought for the $20 purchase price it was worth a shot not knowing if the arc would fit the hood line. All in I love it. Now to see what that $20 is going to co$t me in chrome plating.

I like that it is different than what the factory used or anything I've ever seen.







Shop time: 6.94hrs
New total: 526.77hrs

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by gsinon

Been a couple busy weeks since I've been able to spend any time in the shop. This long weekend gave me a chance to get some garage time in. I spent a few hours Saturday transforming two engine stands I had into what will be a rotisserie for the bed once I remove it.

I will suggest the balance of your bed Floor rotisserie be above the bed about three inches .
Also make a Locking plate with holes drilled in the back side of the other engine stand.

I am sure you have already thought of this though.

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

The ad has been there for a while. Liz has had a death in the family, so I'm sure it isn't high on her list to get done. That's not intended to be snarky, just truth.

I think those body panels look great!

Thnaks, sorry to hear she is dealing with personal issues. No snark taken, those things are far more impoartant then these ads. And thanks!!

Originally Posted by -Dan-

That thing looks terrific as is. Looking forward to see what you do to the rest of it!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

I will suggest the balance of your bed Floor rotisserie be above the bed about three inches .
Also make a Locking plate with holes drilled in the back side of the other engine stand.

I am sure you have already thought of this though.
Attachment 2306893

I had thought of those things. This is still a work in progress. But I do appreciate your thoughts. You never know when you you might be overlooking something.

[Rickysnickers]

The ad has been there for a while. Liz has had a death in the family, so I'm sure it isn't high on her list to get done. That's not intended to be snarky, just truth.

I think those body panels look great!

[-Dan-]

That thing looks terrific as is. Looking forward to see what you do to the rest of it!

[gsinon]

I just realized its been a few weeks since I've updated the thread.

A few weeks ago I started playing with the front bumper fitment. Here are a few pics of the bumper in the stock location...







I took it back off and cut 2" off of the bumper brackets and tack welded them back together. I know this is spring steel and can't be welded properly but this is just to see how it will work. I have already gotten some new flat stock and plan to make my own new brackets now that I have a template to make them from.

Here is everything back together with the to see if the 2" sectioning worked.






Shop time: 12.2 hours
New total: 538.97


.

[8man]

It looks better like that.

[gsinon]

A few friends helped me get the bed off and set it sideways on my scissor lift. Now I will have good access to do all the final welding.






At this point I started on the using the tear drop filler pieces that came with the bed normally designed to use on the rear end of the rails, but since I used the Apicella rounded corners I had them left over. I figured this was a good place to use them to finish off the front ends of the rails.





After some grinding here is the finshed look...







I then moved to the tailgate and started fitting and then tack welded the panels that will frame the center of the Chevrolet script for a real nice finished look.






Shop time:4.3 hours
New total: 543.3



.

[gsinon]

Still plugging away on the bed. I took the gate off and did the final wleding of the framing panels and then ground the welds.

I then moved to the rolled pan. I reinstalled it and once again verified that I hate the fit where it meets the bottom of the tailgate. For one the gap is far too big for my liking, and for two you can see the gap isn't even as there appeares to be some warpage or something going on with the rolled pan.

So I cut just below the bend on the pan from side to side separating it. I then reattched the upper flange piece where I thought it should be, which is about a half inch higher then before. I then installed the rolled pan and now it is time to make a filler panel to fill the exposed gap.

More to come this weekend.

[lv2tri2]

I just found your truck and will follow along the rest of the way.

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by lv2tri2

I just found your truck and will follow along the rest of the way.

Welcome to my madness! Thanks for following!

[LT7A]

Read through your thread today. First off, I have much respect for your relationship/friendship with your dad. You guys were so smart to build those projects and build that connection with each other. I'm very sorry for you that he is now gone. I'm glad for us that you are carrying on with this project. I'm enjoying your creativity and I like watching your attention to detail.

[-Dan-]

Merry Christmas! I hope that you continue your thread. Very much looking forward to seeing it thru to the end.

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Read through your thread today. First off, I have much respect for your relationship/friendship with your dad. You guys were so smart to build those projects and build that connection with each other. I'm very sorry for you that he is now gone. I'm glad for us that you are carrying on with this project. I'm enjoying your creativity and I like watching your attention to detail.

Originally Posted by -Dan-

Merry Christmas! I hope that you continue your thread. Very much looking forward to seeing it thru to the end.

Thank you both for the comments. I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. In truth I have had to put the truck on a backburner while helping my wife deal with her parents. Both in their mid 80's and having health issues we are working hard at getting them settled into an assisted living facility, and a few hospital stays for my mother in law. Its been a tough couple months for me, but more so my bride. Dealing with one parent would be tough, two at once with different issues has become her full time job.



There have been some changes and things going on though. I made a rotisserie out of two engine stands and some rectangular steel tubing. Now I can finish welding, body work and paint the bed with ease. Yes, I welded the bed parts into one piece. Minus the still removable tailgate.







The next step for the bed is to bring it to school. There I will have my students sand it all down and spray a couple coats of epoxy on it.

I also notice it looks like a bomb went off in the shop. I have a major clean up to do soon.



This may be off topic, I hope admins don't mind me sharing......


I also purchased a commercial condominium. I don't know if you have something like this in your area, but here in CT they are somewhat common. There are three long buildings with individual garage units. Each unit has a walk in door as well as a tall commercial height overhead door. Some units are bigger, some smaller. This one is 20'x55' with 20' ceilings. It has heat and full power. There is also a common area for meetings, a bathroom and such.

I now have things moved in, my 55 Belair, my squarebody and for now my father in laws 37 Ford. This shop will be for "clean" work. Unlike my backyard show which is for fabrication/bodywork. This new place is for storage, cleaning, wiring, and assembly of any project vehicles. It has a commercial grade Rotory 4 post lift rated for 14k pounds.







And while decorating I hung some awards that I've won and a door for a 66 Chevelle that I did up as a tribute to my dads old drag car from when I was little. The pictures are all of cars I've painted. Some mine or dads and others of friends. Still need to hang about 15 more pictures.

[Rickysnickers]

Moderator approved

[dsraven]

pretty clean place you have there. nice.
be careful with the engine stand rotisserie as it has a narrower footprint than the box does so if the students are like most students and get goofing around the box could end up tipping over. maybe the welding class could extend the bases a little or slip some tubing inside the current legs to extend them as a safety measure.

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by dsraven

pretty clean place you have there. nice.
be careful with the engine stand rotisserie as it has a narrower footprint than the box does so if the students are like most students and get goofing around the box could end up tipping over. maybe the welding class could extend the bases a little or slip some tubing inside the current legs to extend them as a safety measure.

Appreciate the comment and looking out. I had already made some outriggers for stability. Just didn't take pics with them in place.

[gsinon]

Once again been far too long. Some family issues going on that has been getting in the way. Besides the rotisserie, I have not touched the truck since November 4th. That is so out of character for me it's crazy.

But things look to have settled down now. It's time to get back at it. This past Saturday, I walked into a mess and couldn't do anything until a good cleaning process took place. Four hours later almost all of the tools are put away and I can now walk around without walking down paths. Boy, does this feel good. While at it, I repositioned the truck so it is now sideways in the shop, and I have complete 360* access around it. With the addition of my new shop I no longer need to be able to put another vehicle in here too. This space can be dedicated to just the one project.


Oh, and my new license plates showed up. People who follow me on social media know I call the truck Area51. I found out the plate was available through Connecticut DMV so I ordered them.

[Modsqaud69]

Glen I see you haven't posted in a while, hope things are going well for you. Rob

[gsinon]

Originally Posted by Modsqaud69

Glen I see you haven't posted in a while, hope things are going well for you. Rob

I appreciate you asking, Thanks.

Life has gotten crazy lately, and the 51 has been put on the back burner for a few months now.

In October, my mother in law (MIL) fell and broke her hip at 85 years old. This led to surgery and rehab. My FIL (87) has been having some cognitive issues and we have been helping him navigate while MIL was in and out of the hospital. She got home and situated, only to fall again right after the first of the year and broke 7 ribs! More hospitals and skilled nursing care. In the meantime, we moved them into an assisted living facility in town as they decided they could no longer live at their home and needed more assistance. I have been helping, but my wife has been almost single-handedly emptying their house to put it on the market. Hopefully, that will happen in the next few weeks.

Also, I have a friend who retired to Port Orange, Florida, who now has dementia. His daughter, who is nearly my age and lives near me, moved him back to CT. So, during my spring break vacation, I flew down to his house and spent two days getting his three hot rods back together and running. I had painted his 1929 Model A pick up and his 1932 Ford hiboy roadster, plus he also has a 1935 Ford sedan. Once all were drivable, a few other hot rod friends and I loaded everything into two trucks and trailers, and drove it all back to CT.

The last several months have been exhausting, and I hope the dust will settle soon so I can resume the previously scheduled programming.

I miss my shop time working on the truck and really expected to be a lot further along then I am now. I'll be back on it soon I hope!

[Modsqaud69]

I understand all of to well about the in law situation. Mine lived with us for about 5 years. With her issues it was like have a full grown 3 year old and it finally got to be too much for us and we had to move her to a facility. Good luck to you and your family. Will be looking forward to your return to your project. Rob