What did you do to your truck today?

[JBX66]

So this wasn't necessarily today... but it's been a while.
This is what I asked for for Christmas- Duct tape and a muffler. I got a Thrush Glasspack, and I really want to know what it sounds like. To quote a certain song (brownies and a hug to whoever gets the reference), "Straightpipe roar, primer and rust all over the door"

Radio I mounted under the dash- I couldn't bear to tear up the dash. I'm just waiting to get a radio that fits in, like the USA 230 or something. Also note the LED switch on the left. My truck was originally a 3 speed on the tree, so the switch for the reverse lights were automatic. After the previous owner converted it to a floor shift, it no longer had that capability, so my dad rigged up the little switch to flick on whenever I put it into reverse (Side not: The reverse lights are really bright! Are they supposed to be?)

all the lights work! A few grounding issues we had to figure out, but they all work now Got a new tailgate that was bent just enough to make us annoyed for a while until we figured out how to put it on. Rattlecanned the entire back (not the tailgate, though) to look passable. It won't be winning any awards.

Bad picture, I know, but the rail was my first ever rattlecan attempt. Dad did the other side, although I sanded it. Slowly hand sanding the area below the bend and above the chrome bed piece.

And where we hung the spare hood. Kind of intimidating, isn't it? The spot was already open from my previous Miata's hard top.

[JBX66]

I found a few interesting places for my custom built speakers (the way to do it- take any speakers you have lying around the house, take the biggest ones, make boxes. Really, really, really crappy boxes. Then solder everything together), 2 'bass' speakers under the seat, left and right, a small speaker about the size of an original AM radio speaker about where it should have been, and of course the hidden one in the glovebox.

Here's a bass speaker.

Excellent handiwork on the upholstry- done by me of course. I need a sign that says "WARNING- UNDER DECONSTRUCTION"

Another crappy picture, but it's the front passenger fender, finally lined up with the cab using a duct tape shim. Planning on painting whenever it warms up.

[Trsmotrhed]

Welded in the new passenger patch panel and inner brace. I have to say I did an excellent job. next I'm tackling the floors and rocker panels.
Before,

After,


After,


Trial fit fender and fit great.



Epoxy primed the both fenders, cowl extensions and bed front.

[vin63]

I went through a bunch of silicon bronze rod yesterday and finished welding up my passenger side front fender, and got the first coat of body filler on it. I'll be tackling the driver side fender today in between periods of sanding...


...my subtle front fender modification:

[ChrisDollins]

That is awesome vin63. Always thought the front wheel opening was too high on these trucks. How much did you lower it?

Chris

[Dean'smeanmachine]

Originally Posted by vin63

I went through a bunch of silicon bronze rod yesterday and finished welding up my passenger side front fender, and got the first coat of body filler on it. I'll be tackling the driver side fender today in between periods of sanding...


...my subtle front fender modification:

good job!!

[vin63]

Originally Posted by ChrisDollins

That is awesome vin63. Always thought the front wheel opening was too high on these trucks. How much did you lower it?

Chris

Thanks! It ended up being 2 1/4 inches lower...that was about the most I could squeeze with it being somewhat in proportion to the rest of the opening dimensions.

[mud.man.rj]

That is some nice work on the front fender, great idea.

[steveb64]

Removed the bed in preparation for the install of a Porterbuilt stage 2 rear kit and to repair the cab corners. Wanted to get this done today before we hit the double digit below zero weather that's coming.
Why do I live here?

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by steveb64

Removed the bed in preparation for the install of a Porterbuilt stage 2 rear kit and to repair the cab corners. Wanted to get this done today before we hit the double digit below zero weather that's coming.
Why do I live here?

Nice truck Steve....hmmm....why do you liver there! LOL!

[dougf]

Before the game I was able to tack in a floorboard patch just above the right cab support. made a patch for the s channel and put that in with the cab support last week, measured and cut a hole for the cab mount bolt and bolt housing also. The right side as seen from the pic (really the inside closest to trans tunnel) was oil canned so I had to make a relief cut, will need to fill that in with tack welds also. My little 110v craftsman flux core wire feed welder I got off bookoo for $60 is working out great!

[64shortbox]

Well, Not today but over the last several months (off & on) I finished the installation of my Disc Brake set up & rebuilt front suspension. To make it easier I pulled the motor & trans so I could clean up and paint the firewall and engine compartment, replace the front and rear main seals and stop those leaks, clean & paint the motor, fix the leaks on the turbo 350 transmission and that was a big pain in the a$$. The dip stick tube was leaking at the "O" ring, the 1-2 servo cover "O" ring had a nick and was leaking, the rear seal was leaking so I replaced it too, the vacuum modulator was leaking - I bought a new one. I changed the filter while I had the trans out and replaced the trans pan gasket with a nice thick one that was mounted on a card and NOT folded up in a little box like the ones from Auto Zone & O'Reames. For those of you in the Fresno CA area the best transmission place to go is Transmission Supply in Fresno on M street. Great prices and helpful people. Well worth the hour drive for me. I also installed a Lincoln Mark VIII electric fan it fits the radiator like it was made for it. I HAD to paint the calipers Red s everyone would know I had Disc Brakes. (yes, lame I know) Check out the fit of the Mark VIII fan& shroud. Almost like it was made for our trucks. I got a little carried away with the stainless but the same could be accomplished with some 1/8" X 2" angle iron some 1/4 - 20 bolts and some 3/8" PVC for stand offs. I work at a food processing plant and have access to all kinds of stainless, a shear, break and tig welder so I made use of it. Notice the Ford Radiator Overflow/Windshield tank? A $13.00 junk yard find with some CLR cleaning & now I have window washers - the washer nozzles also came from Ford truck too. It took a "LITTLE" tweaking to get them to squirt between the ribs in the cowl and hit the center of the windshield but all works great now.

[64shortbox]

Forgot to add in my previous post While I was at it I installed a one wire 120 Amp alternator, installed a suspended throttle cable, replaced the trans kick down cable the PO cut at some point in time and I added HID projector headlights. I also installed a new Flame Steering Wheel my wife bought for my birthday in 2012 - hey you can't rush into this stuff. If you check the pictures you can see my A/C vents form a 64 Chrysler New Yorker, the modified brake pedal and the suspended gas pedal. A LOT of my modifications were STOLEN from other members on this board. That's what I love about this board everyone is so helpful & willing to share their knowledge. Now my truck sits nose high - I installed CPP 2 1/2" drop spindles. The PO had 3" lowering springs in the front but it's definitely sitting more than just a 1/2" higher in the front than before. Hopefully after driving (beating) the truck for a while the front will settle. If not drop springs are in order and definitely bags for the rear. I took the truck out for a test drive - the radiator cap dies and spewed antifreeze all over my clean engine and engine compartment and now I see the shift shaft seal on the trans is leaking ever so slightly. It didn't even occur to me to change it while I had the trans out of the truck. Sometimes I can be a real IDIOT!

[dougf]

You have an awesome truck! Its hard to tell how much the trucks going to settle up front, so good luck on that. Dont beat yourself up about the trans seal, we all overlook stuff

[dwcardfan]

Cut out my rocker panels. Waiting on new ones to arrive.

[Fatherof3]

Straightening the bottom of the door with out loosing the old paint. Want it to still look old, just not so beat up. That's not rust bubbles at the bottom, there is only surface rust on the inside. It's just a cheap old repaint coming off

[speedy_steve]

I used my tailgate as a workbench to polish the scooter. Oh...and pulled an "extra" electrical wire off of the carburetor and put some empty beer cans in the bed.

More planned for tonight.

[Grizz1963]

Well, since buying the truck, I have wanted to replace the wheels on the Teardrop trailer with smoothies.



Of course this would mean finding just two, getting tyres, then having new adapter plates made up to get the trailer from 4 stud hubs to Chevy bolt pattern.

Yesterday I was at a loose end and getting bored as one does, ended up buying a pair of Wheel Vinteques Chrome Smoothies for reasonable money (that I should not have spent) off a nice member on a forum who drives a rather lush car that did not get on with the smoothies.

No chrome caps unfortunately, but hopefully I will find some somewhere.

Now I need to get my mate Julian to make up a pair of adapters and get two tyres from the existing rims as I cannot justify fitting a pair of thin whitewalls as well.

[aclay17]

Originally Posted by speedy_steve

I used my tailgate as a workbench to polish the scooter. Oh...and pulled an "extra" electrical wire off of the carburetor and put some empty beer cans in the bed.

More planned for tonight.

I saw this truck in the building the other day. Looks pretty good when I'm driving by to park.

[speedy_steve]

Originally Posted by aclay17

I saw this truck in the building the other day. Looks pretty good when I'm driving by to park.

Dang, small world. Stop on by and say "Hi". I'll be out there working on it tonight.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by JBX66

. . After the previous owner converted it to a floor shift, it no longer had that capability, so my dad rigged up the little switch to flick on whenever I put it into reverse (Side not: The reverse lights are really bright! Are they supposed to be?)
Attachment 1194423
.

Just a note in case you haven't seen them, Hurst makes a reverse switch kit that fits on the manual 3 speed and 4 speed shifters. I have one on my Super T10 4 speed. The bracket positions the switch plunger so the shift arm depresses the plunger in reverse.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hu...Fax_QgodCCcAkA

FYI mine are incredibly bright as well.

[Dean'smeanmachine]

today i rolled the truck out to sweep out the garage. then put it back in

[wayno]

So I'm kicking myself in the arse - primered my step side fenders - blocking them down now - but left a couple of my powdered coated hood pieces in an open card board box - you guessed it over spray - I'm an idiot

[Rich 5150 69]

Originally Posted by 64shortbox

Forgot to add in my previous post While I was at it I installed a one wire 120 Amp alternator, installed a suspended throttle cable, replaced the trans kick down cable the PO cut at some point in time and I added HID projector headlights. I also installed a new Flame Steering Wheel my wife bought for my birthday in 2012 - hey you can't rush into this stuff. If you check the pictures you can see my A/C vents form a 64 Chrysler New Yorker, the modified brake pedal and the suspended gas pedal. A LOT of my modifications were STOLEN from other members on this board. That's what I love about this board everyone is so helpful & willing to share their knowledge. Now my truck sits nose high - I installed CPP 2 1/2" drop spindles. The PO had 3" lowering springs in the front but it's definitely sitting more than just a 1/2" higher in the front than before. Hopefully after driving (beating) the truck for a while the front will settle. If not drop springs are in order and definitely bags for the rear. I took the truck out for a test drive - the radiator cap dies and spewed antifreeze all over my clean engine and engine compartment and now I see the shift shaft seal on the trans is leaking ever so slightly. It didn't even occur to me to change it while I had the trans out of the truck. Sometimes I can be a real IDIOT!

Shortbox my th 350 is leaking just about everywhere there is a seal,( some got replaced ) so right now I`m on the fence as whether to go back to a crashbox or build a 200r4, I as well am adapting a lot of little mods from our site thanks to a lot of ingenious members here and their willing to share the they`re ideas.....

[endlessearth]

Odds and ends. Hopefully my truck will be back on the road again soon.