Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[ChuckDriver]

Originally Posted by Daze57

i agree ^ You will be much happier in the long run if you tear it apart and get it done .

I second that!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

I second that!

I agree and have decided I will complete the total tear down. How can I not with all the other work being done?

Saturday, August 29, 2015 Update

I'm VERY happy with the progress on my cab so far. It's happening fast and more importantly he's doing it right, at least to my inexperienced eye.

It's mega hot in L.A. This weekend but he was still working. Cab body work is nearly done and he's asking me to have the doors blasted and to drop them off so he can fit them and address door gaps. I didn't even bring the gaps up, he did. I feel this is a good omen.

There was a torn hole THROUGH the rear wall of the cab over one of the interior reinforcements. It was pulled, welded shut, ground and filler applied.


The firewall is done and it is extremely smooth to the touch. He brought up a small wave in the center; frankly below where it will be visible with the engine installed and told me he hadn't noticed it before he primed but would pick it up when he primed the rest - excellent.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks again to whoever it was that sent me the dash replacement metal like 3-4 years ago. It has finally been welded in and finishing is taking place now. The original owner had drill two additional holes inside the factory holes


I also like very much the kick panel repair patches he made by hand that match exactly and his welds looks very neat and good to me. Apologies for the poor photo. He had the lights off in the shop to keep the heat down. I took the photo with my iPad so no flash.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Cab corners are in. He said the fit wasn't all that but he made them work. Passenger side interior corner was well rotted so that came out. Driver's side wasn't as bad, a small patch on the interior that I could not see.


When I got there the cab was totally covered in lactic and a ginormous rubber band was holding it down from picking up overspray off the other cars in the shop.

[ChuckDriver]

Dan my man, those pieces came from me!!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ah, JJ I should have remembered. THANK YOU AGAIN!

How goes your frame build? Did I misunderstand or are you selling your entire rolling frame? Engine & trans too or frame & suspension only? If selling your power train what are your plans?

Man, I wish you were closer I'd SERIOUSLY consider buying your stuff!

Thanks again! - Dan

PS: I will be honored that tiny pieces of the original "Chuck Truck" will be part of mine! Lol

[Advanced Design]

Dan your cab is looking really good. Coming along fast!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Dan your cab is looking really good. Coming along fast!

Thanks! Compared to the painter that did my OT Porsche 911 restore a few years ago this guy is moving FAAST.

He had a near new 370Z in his shop in Nissan's deep blood red. It was parked right next to my truck so I could imagine my truck in that color and was really liking it.

IF I go that way the question is whether I'll paint the lower dash and door panels (if I leave them exposed) in a rich cream or light tan, or keep it all one color? Really thinking hard on that option.

[oldman3]

Dan, Looking good, also happy about you finding a good body and paint guy...Jim

[Kim57]

Looking real nice.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Looking real nice.
Kim

Thank you guys.

Here's kinda/sorta the color combo I'm thinking about right now. There's something not quite right about it, it's an older Impala and I haven't figured out what's not right about it for me, maybe it's too brown and I want more of a heavy cream:

[Dan in Pasadena]

There's also this look. I think the white is too white for me, ha ha. Never satisfied I guess.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Another:

[Kim57]

Those are all nice color combos.
Kim

[ChuckDriver]

You're welcome Dan, glad you were able to use them finally!

No work on the frame yet, still getting settled in the new garage.

Not sure if I'm going to part it out or sell the old frame, would like to put another body on it and sell it as a driver.

If you were closer I'd over turning wrenches with you for sure!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

...If you were closer I'd over turning wrenches with you for sure!

That's a nice sentiment JJ, thank you.

I consider some of the guys (and Denee) on this site, "friends I haven't met yet" thinking if we lived down the block from one another I think we'd drop in and get to know one another. It's a pleasant fiction. We have similar interests and help each other out here.

[ChuckDriver]

Dan, Here's the info on the column you requested, it's a cut down one from a mid 70's van. It was the perfect length with the original truck dash, but it's a little close to the Impala dash. I have another that I plan to shorten someday!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for this post, JJ.

Wow, it's only 27" total length to the wheel mounting flange and you think it was about perfect with the stock dash?
I hope you're like 6'-7" or something, ha ha. The ididit column I bought is either 30" or 32". Maybe 30" will be useable as I'm only 5'-10" and '55's have the flat early steering wheels where yours had the later dished wheel. I suppose I could let more of the column extend past the firewall to reduce the in-cab length a bit but even so, it sounds like my column may be too long! Drat!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Question for the "Illuminated"

As I posted in the, "What Did You Do Today" thread, I'm dropping off my doors, door panels & hinges at the sandblaster's tomorrow and I'm wondering if there's any reason I SHOULDNT have them blast my window winding mechanisms too?

Someone (Roger?) posted a source for replacement plastic rollers above (thanks! Mine are shot) but other than that is there any other reason not to blast them? I'll probably just rattle can them with anti rust primer and a dull aluminum color. I may be installing power windows later but if not, my stockers will be good as new. Opinions appreciated.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Question for the "Illuminated"

.... I'm wondering if there's any reason I SHOULDNT have them blast my window winding mechanisms too?....

Ok, well no one responded and I dropped them off too this morning.

Hopefully, there are no regrets. Worst that could happen is it forces me to buy power windows before I reassemble! Not a hardship (I hope!)

[ChuckDriver]

I don't think it will be a problem Dan.

[Dan in Pasadena]

September 21, 2015 Update

No pictures today, sorry.
Picked up my doors, door panels, hinges, upper door trim, window cranks, etc from the sandblaster and dropped them off at the bodyshop.

Painter asked me to take the hinges and a few other things I'd previously dropped off with him - emergency brake handle, glove box door, ashtray & heat control as well as the hinges - BACK to the sandblaster and have them powder coated in a color as close as possible to the final paint color.

Why? He uses the powder as a primer coat and then sands and final coats with my color. Kinda makes sense. He says otherwise they're a lot more susceptible to chipping.

Took the parts in questions all back and picked a dark red, plus had the emergency brake handle done in semi gloss black. I'm not positive I'm reinstalling the stock handle but if I do I don't want to call attention to it by having it red.

We also decided to get repop door bottoms. I've got a series of pinholes all along the door bottoms as well as the passenger side being damaged a bit. So I'll be visiting The Car and Truck Shop soon - which is local (+/-) to me.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Bought replacement door bottoms and dropped them off at the shop today. Body man thinks he can get by without having to replace the outer skin but the passenger door is a questions mark as there's about a 4" square area that has holed-through. I'll check in next week and get photos of (hopefully) progress.

[Coupeguy2001]

Dan,
My column is 30 inches long, and it sticks out into the engine bay 3 1/2 inches. I used the factory wheel over again. I have been gripping that wheel for over 40 years.
Why would I let it be replaced?
It adds a little nostalgia to the truck with the actual paint worn to the plastic. It looks cool. I have had several people tell me it's what they expect to see when they look in my truck.
If you look in the cab, it all looks original. Mine is a daily driver. It has dust in it.
Likewise, I used the beat-up faded red on the hood emblem, and had the bow tie powdercoated at a specialty shop near here.
It's like yea, I'm an old dog, but I bite.
LoL
That's why everyone's truck is different.

[Dan in Pasadena]

October 1, 2015

Stopped by bodyshop to check progress. Both door bottoms have been repaired/partially replaced. Passenger side is fully done and primered. Below is a picture of the driver's door partially completed. Not fully welded out and ground flush but in process. The exterior only required partial replacing on the passenger side.