todd68chevy

[papajohn51]

If you can clean it up so it doesnt smell like gas,
and pack the tank up in cardboard,
greyhound will ship for around 80$

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by papajohn51

If you can clean it up so it doesnt smell like gas,
and pack the tank up in cardboard,
greyhound will ship for around 80$

Thanks for the information. We actually worked out a deal that I was going to Alabama and met up with him in Nashville, TN. I used to ship using Greyhound but they closed the local terminal and now the closest to me is about 100 miles away. Thanks again, Todd

[Todd68Chevy]

Went and spent the weekend with my buddy in Michigan and fit in some project work time while I was there. With the stretching, where the front half and back half meet are not the same width. The roof part of the door jamp has already been modified and this weekend we worked on the bottom of the door jam. I removed the seat riser and split the rear section so it could be widened. He reangled the front piece and welded them together. That got the door frame right. Then we cut the inner part on the floor and made the rail for the center panel line up straight. I cut filler panels and he started welding them back in. I also removed a rusted section in front of the floor board so it could be replaced with a better panel I had removed from another cab. Not a lot of progress but at least we got some work done on it after not working on it for a while. The next trip up I am going to take the frame and dog house parts so we can get it remounted before cutting the door and making them fit. We want it bolted to the frame incase we are not straight right now. Hope to post more sooner than the time it took to get this done.

[Todd68Chevy]

More pictures.

[Todd68Chevy]

One more

[Todd68Chevy]

Well it has been a while without progress but I am looking for parts again and hope to get this project moving again shortly. I have a question about aftermarket sheet metal. I am looking at buying some parts to make a bed. I would like to know if anybody has anything to say good or bad about the new sheet metal for these trucks.

I am thinking about just buying a new tailgate but concerned if they are weak like the 67-72 tailgates are or maybe the original ones were not strong either. I do not expect them to hold extreme weight but would like to be able to sit or stand on it. Will they hold 300 lbs without bowing? new one or original?

I am also looking for new STEEL rear fenders. Does anybody make them? I have found fiberglass but I want steel.

Thanks for your help and advice

[Todd68Chevy]

I made the trip to my buddy's in Michigan this last weekend and was able to make a little progress on the the truck. We got the stretched cab placed on the frame for the first time since stretching it. Made new rear cab mounts so the cab could be bolted down and the roof can finished. We also spent some time getting the front fender and bed side mocked up to see how things are going to work out. I now have a new list of items I need to get before the next trip north. Here are some pictures.

[Todd68Chevy]

Started gathering more parts for the next trip north to work on the truck. I found a 4wd S10 rear end with limited slip and only 90,000 miles on it, so I gain limit slip and width at the same time. Also bought a S10 bed last night to use for a donor for the floor and inner fenders. Still looking for a tailgate, front bed panel and rear fenders before I make the trip.

[Todd68Chevy]

My Mar-K parts came today. Tailgate, Front bed panel and hardware. Getting closer all the time. Heading to swap meets the next 2 weekends so maybe I will find some fenders.

[Todd68Chevy]

Made a trip to MI last weekend and spent some time working on the truck. I had gotten a S10 bed and cut it apart to use the floor. It is 4" short but looks like it is going to work fine. We also swapped out the 2wd S10 rear end for a 4wd S10 rear end to gain 4" of width. With the inner fenders, I should have 10" to 12" of room for tires when done.

[dingesb]

The bed looks great. You just going to cut a section and patch in to gain the 4" you're short? I'm needing to get a complete bed for my '41 and this looks like a helluva good start! Tons of those S-10's around I could part out lol.

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by dingesb

The bed looks great. You just going to cut a section and patch in to gain the 4" you're short? I'm needing to get a complete bed for my '41 and this looks like a helluva good start! Tons of those S-10's around I could part out lol.

Thanks, I was thinking that way until I talked to my buddy that is doing the body work. He thinks it will be extremely hard to weld and smooth out all the up and downs of the ribs so I think we are just going to use flat metal and leave the ribs short. I am going to go with a spray in bed liner and I do not think it will look that bad in the front. The rear is mainly filled in by the rear bed brace so it will be flat metal also. If I was not using a S10 frame I probably would have went with a different floor that was long enough. A Dodge Dakota would be long enough or even a full size truck but you would either loose the inner fenders or put something else in. Another option would be to shorten the bed sides by 6 inches and leave the floor alone.

[Todd68Chevy]

I have gathered somemore parts over the last few weeks and did some sandblasting this weekend. I now have a better pair of bed sides to use and I found some steel rear fenders. The left one is pretty close to rust free and has a few dents to work out and the right one is also pretty rust free but it is bent up and dented pretty good in a couple areas. My buddy has said before that he would rather work with dents than rust so I guess we will find out if that is true. Here are a few pictures. Well, I would post pictures if it would let me do it. It says they are all to big. My camera is already set on the lowest quality and I have no idea how to change the size on the computer.

[BOXER957]

Great job on the stretch! I've been trying to figure out how to do mine but I know my limitations. My Dad bought me a 46 when I was a baby, I don't think he knew at the time I would be 6'4". Again great job, keep up the good work.

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by BOXER957

Great job on the stretch! I've been trying to figure out how to do mine but I know my limitations. My Dad bought me a 46 when I was a baby, I don't think he knew at the time I would be 6'4". Again great job, keep up the good work.

Thanks, I have more pictures but have not got them posted yet. My buddy is doing the hard work. I am just the helper/ parts buyer. The hardest part is going to be the curves in the roof but he has been working on it and I am sure it will work out fine. He has already cut the top of the door jamps apart and reworked them because he was not happy with how they looked. It is going slow because it is just a side project that he works on when he has time but it is working out for me because that is spacing out the money that I have to spend on it. I think it is going to be great when it is done and I know it will be right but it is deffinately a lot of work and talent involved to get there. It would probably have been easier to add onto the back of the cab and just make the cab bigger but I just do not like that look on the oler cabs. Thanks again

[Todd68Chevy]

It has been a while and I have made a little progress and bought some more parts. I will try to play catch up with the pictures. Starting with some parts that I have picked up. A pair of new bed sides that I got from a guy that owned them 5 years and never used them and a pair of Steel rear fenders, almost rust free but not dent free.

[Todd68Chevy]

I also found a pair of front fenders that are not half ton and they are not 1 1/2 ton big opening. I think they are 1 ton but have been told by others they only made 2 fenders. Some how I own 3 diferent ones. These have been stored inside for over 40 years and in really good shape for the age. I also picked up a lot of extra parts with the front fenders.

[Todd68Chevy]

On the last trip I took up to my buddy's place to work on the truck we made more progress. He had redone the upper door jam area because he was not happy with how it looked and then he started working on the roof line. Then we took the cab outside and sandblaster part of the repaired areas.

[Todd68Chevy]

I removed the used bedsides that were installed last trip and prepped the S10 bed floor for the new bedsides to be attached. I made angle iron pieces to attach the bedsides to the bed floor.

[Todd68Chevy]

After having the door jam area completed, we started trying to figure out the stretched door. Like the cab, he took 2 doors and cut them both and started to put them back together to fill the hole in the cab. With the stretched cab, my door windows are going to be approx. 33" long. It is nice to see things coming together and looking like a truck again.

[papajohn51]

you're a brave man Todd, and I love what you're doin

[Todd68Chevy]

Thanks papajohn51 but if it was not for help and ideas from some great friends, this would not be possible. I have had help from a several great friends but one is the body guy and the one that talked me into stretching the cab. It is taking a while to get there but it is going to be very nice when it gets done.

[swamp rat]

Love this build!

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Love this build!

Thanks!

[Rusbuilt]

Nice work Todd!