Topics

Hi all,

Has anyone here bought one of the one-piece hood offerings for 1947-53 Chevy pickups?

I'm wondering about fitment. I've fitted the stock hood but want to get rid of the seam in the middle of the hood.

Any info would be appreciated

My52Chebby

Hi all,

As I said, I'm looking into buying a one-piece bent windshield for my 1952 Chevy pickup.

I'm wondering if anyone on here has ever installed one using the rubber/stainless trim that came with Deluxe cabs? I realize it would entail fabricating stainless transition pieces for the center top and bottom (where the center windshield bar would have been).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

I've tried to email the NEW Hop Up magazine website at 3 different email addies and they all bounced back.

I want to order back issues for the new Vol 11 and the first issue of Vol 12 but can't seem to get a reply.

Are they still in business??? Anyone have a phone number?

My52Chebby

What month/year was the last issue of Custom Classic Trucks?

My52Chebby

I remember reading somewhere that a braking problem arose (sponginess) from one of these thru-frame fittings. The problem was that the "through hole" was too big, it should be the same inside diameter as the brake line it's attached to.

Now here's my dilemma, there are basically three companies that manufacture these thru-frame brake fittings; Russell, SSBC and Billet Specialties (I think there are also some made by Jegs). NONE of these companies actually tell you what the inside diameter (ID) of the fitting is.

Has anyone on here used these? I'm looking for 03-AN at one end and 1/8" pipe thread at the other end but I'd like the ID to match a 1/4" brake line's ID. I'd like first hand info from someone who has installed them or at least where to find info on the ID of the fittings.

My52Chebby

I met a guy at a car show this weekend and we started discussing adding a remote start to my 350 carbureted small block. He was saying that I won't have any problem seeing as I already have an electric fuel pump (mechanical pump location holds bracket for A/C)

The fuel pump is wired on the accessory side same as the remote start so once I press the remote start, the fuel pump starts, the carb gets the fuel it needs... No need for pumping the carb to start...

Is this making any sense???

Comments, hints, any help welcome...

My52Chebby

I'm sure the subject has been discussed before but I couldn't find reference anywhere doing a search.

X-Pipes...? vs H-Pipes...?

Size of pipe vs exhaust system pipe size...? Same or smaller...?

No Crossover vs Crossover...?

Pro? vs Cons?

What say you?

Hi all,

Got a bit more done on the truck project. I upholstered the underdash unit, raised door panels and cab surround. Recovered the steering wheel to match the color of my seat. That swatch hanging behind the raised door panel shows the contrast.

Test fitted the A/C switches and vents, the tranny position indicator and steering column. Finished up the wire loom ends too.



Also fabricated door corners to straighten the door panel instead of the curved inner panel, these also allowed me to countersink the plastic panel fasteners.



Next I'm finalizing the upholstery design on the door panels. Kick panels and rear wall storage panels will be easy in comparision.

My52Chebby

I'm very pleased with myself, considering that a month ago I had never even touched a sewing machine...

Here are a couple of pics of the finished seat for my '52 Chevy pickup project :









Shaping the foam and making the patterns took forever, the sewing and upholstering... Not so much. Most of the work is in the design and patterning.

Still have to install the seat back release levers, the heated seat pad buttons and the armrest.

My52Chebby

Hi guys,

I glued blocks of foam, shaped them with an electric carving knife and bodywork sanding disks to shape. Then marked where I thought the seams should go and made patterns to match those seam lines. Then cut out the vinyl with an added 3/8" of an inch for seam allowance all around. The next step was to be my wife's work but she got the jitters, she's a quilter and seamstress but it was the vinyl that scared her off. She offered to pay for someone else to sew the pieces together for me (This is MY truck project and I haven't farmed anything out yet).

These are the foam blocks glued up.



After a bit of shaping.



Thursday morning I sat down by the old Singer sewing machine I bought just for this project (paid $150. plus shipping on eBay for a machine from the '50's, it's built like a Mack truck) and did a few tests. As it turned out, I'm a natural. My dad was a fireman and he learned to knit, cook and sew to pass the time at the fire hall. So here's what I've done so far...



That wire hanging from the bottom is for the heated seat pad... After 12 years in the shop, I plan to DRIVE this thing...

Here's the seat back.




I've sewn up the second seat back and will upholster it next...  After that it's on to the bench seat... It's a bit more complex but I'm pumped now.

It started from foam blocks too...





Seeing as I'm planning to do EVERYTHING myself it could be another 2 years before the truck is finished. Idealy, I would have liked a shake-down run in the late fall of this year. Don't think that's going to happen.

After upholstery, I'll be back into the electrical system and final fitting everything in the cab. There's about 20% bodywork left to do, the electrical system is quite complex (of my own doing). Then a final dismantling before painting. I've fabricated racks to hold fenders, front and back, box sides and doors for painting. It will be painted a solid color so painting the parts separately is not a problem.

Here's a link to my truck build's Fotki album:
http://public.fotki.com/skylark/1952-chevy-pickup/

Later guys...

My52Chebby

I think that those punched holes for the speakers on the rear window shelf are done with punch plates instead of punching them one hole at a time.

Any idea who would sell those?

Thanks all.

My52Chebby

I would like to be able to lock and unlock my power locks with ONE momentary switch.

For example:

Push momentary switch once = Doors lock

Push same momentary switch a second time = Doors unlock.

I've seen push button switches that are "latching", in other words, push the switch once = open, push switch again = closed. I need a momentary switch that "toggles" from Open to Open. Or maybe I need a latching relay that does that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My52Chebby

Been getting scads of emails from these two. American Shifter looks like Lokar...

Just curious.

A while back I asked for suggestions for a personalized license plate for my 1952 Chevy pickup... Well, I finally got my plate. It's going to read:



Not Anno Domini (Instead of BC) but rather Advance Design, my truck's designation.

I thought I was very lucky to get that plate.

My52Chebby

When I started this installation, I thought it would be a lot more difficult than it actually was. I think the first side took about an hour to do and the other side even less.

Here is the original door jamb.



Placed the installation kit plate over the jamb in the location I wanted the pin to hit the latch. Trace the location and cut the hole. Had to cut the hole a bit bigger than the plate to remove the old hinge recess.


Fitted the installation kit plate and tacked it in place with the mig.


Fabricated a filler piece to fit above the plate I welded in and tacked IT in place.


Decided where the hinge bolt should be located on the door and marked it. Then I cut out the old hinge area on the door.



Welded a plate for the new bolt.



The whole job was a breeze.

My52Chebby

p.s.: The reason for the bolt being in the door instead of the cab is twofold. Firstly, there was not enough room in the door between the back edge of the door and the window track for the large bear claw units. Secondly, with the bolt on the cab I was told that it sometimes gets caught on your belt as your getting out of the truck.

A while back I posted how I made escutcheon plates in stainless steel to clean up the hinges in my door jams (see quote below).

Some of you might be wondering how I found the locations where to drill the bolt holes for the hinge bolts. Well this is how I went about doing it:

Firstly, once the doors were adjusted, I pinned the hinges to the doors :

    - One 1/8" drill bit through the door inner structure at each hinge leg.



    - Then I pinned the hinges to the cab with 3/16" pins



         - I welded the pins to the hinge itself from the front of the hinge
           letting the pins protrude about an 1/8th on the mating surface side of
           the hinge.

[/img]

         - Using the pins meant that I didn't even have to bolt the hinges in
           place for them to be in the proper (registered) location and it left the
           front of the hinge flush.



         - Then I placed clear packing tape over the bolt holes

         - I could then clearly see the bolt locations through the clear tape that
           and marked the bolt locations on the clear tape with a black marker.

         - I then placed white plastic tape on the back of the stainless
           escutcheons followed by clear double sided tape.

         - Then I pushed the escutcheons/white tape/double side tape
           sandwich in location around the hinge leg.



         - It was then a simple matter of pulling the hinge assembly off the
           cab, placing the whole assembly upside down in an open vice (that I
           had previously taped up so as not to damage the escutcheon
           surface). Looking from the back, I could clearly see the 'X' markings
           the bolt locations.

         - Using an automatic punch I marked all the bolt locations then used a
           step drill to drill the bolt holes. A step drill is less apt to catch and ruin
           the thin escutcheon.

This is what the finished fit looks like... I'm pretty stoked.



What do you think?

My52Chebby
p.s.: Still need to sandblast the hinges, change the hinge pins and finish paint them.

http://images58.fotki.com/v85/photos/8/20008/9260696/P1090829-vi.jpg[/img]

I machined two bucks, one for the upper hinges and another for the lower. They're reversible so I could produce four plates with two bucks...



The plates still need final buffing but I'm really pleased with the progress so far...

My52Chebby

p.s.: Click on the link to check out my project albums : http://public.fotki.com/skylark/1952-chevy-pickup/

Started working on the 1952 Chevy pickup truck project again... Before Christmas, we were averaging 2 days a week on it. We got the door gaps adjusted at 1/8"-3/16" all around. Got the bear claws installed (pictures on request) and the power windows are in too.

What follows is the work I've been doing in the shop the last couple of days.

First series of pictures are the steps I took to fit these VW Passat seat back release handles on my truck seat (WiseGuys seat, MUCH modified, some modifications to fix glaring manufacturing errors, some mods to please my taste).



These are the parts I fabricated...



Here is what the looked like during a preliminary assembly (square shafting needs to be cut still)



Next I welded the 1" square tubing to the seat frame, assembled the parts so that I could then measure and fabricate the link rod...





Another thing that I just had to do was to replace the awful looking escutcheon plates that fit around the door hinge coming out of the door jamb on the cab. In this picture, you'll see the mangled existing plate, a cardboard template, a thick aluminum plate buck and the finished stainless steel plate I formed over the buck.



I machined two bucks, one for the upper hinges and another for the lower. They're reversible so I could produce four plates with two bucks...



The plates still need final buffing but I'm really pleased with the progress so far...

My52Chebby

p.s.: Click on the link to check out my project albums : http://public.fotki.com/skylark/1952-chevy-pickup/

[Here is the set I had purchased a few years ago.A while back I showed you I spun a pair of adapters out of stainless to fit the TPI-Tech gauges to my dash... I had ordered a set of TPI-Tech gauges a few years ago and they were state of the art back then but I recently came across a new set by Dakota Digital that just blows them out of the water. With the TPI set, I made special adapters to fit the gauges in the stock holes in the dash, the gauges are smaller than the stock gauge openings in the dash (1st compromise), adapters are shown above, they're stainless and I spun them on my lathe. The TPI gauges had the speedometer in one gauge and water temp, oil pressure, fuel level and voltmeter in the other gauge. Rumpums could be viewed in the small "information center" where the mileage usually appears, but no tachometer needle (2nd compromise). What follows may seem like disjointed information but the reason will become apparent soon enough. I also had to find a place to locate the left and right flasher and high beam indicators. To do that, I bought this cute little unit with a block containing three LEDs (green-blue-green) and three fiber-optic strands coming out of the block to locate in 1/16" holes somewhere on the dash around the gauges (3rd compromise). I had also bought a Lokar shifter boot that showed the PRNDO in a small LED window framed in the boot base (4th compromise).Now for a short description of the new Dakota Digital gauges. They are digital/analog, but that I mean, they are completely digital but using stepper motors for the needles, for all intents and purposes, they LOOK analog. The speedometer gauge also incorporates the smaller fuel level and voltmeter gauges. The full face tachometer gauge incorporates the smaller water temp gauge and oil pressure gauges. The left and right flasher and high beam indicators are somewhere on the speedometer gauge face. BOTH gauges have an "information center", one can display miles whereas the other can display some other info like the clock, trip odometer, resettable service messages, hour meter, 0-60 mph (or 0-100 kph), 1/4 mile timer, etc... The gauges can also tell you when you're in cruise mode, parking brake is on, check engine. The instructions state that for the gauges to display the transmission position info, a special adapter is required. I checked before ordering and the Lokar unit that I had already purchased is produced by Dakota Digital and is the same unit used for these gauges. I will eventually be selling the TPI gauge on eBay...Here's what the new gauges look like mocked-up in my truck's dash.I love this technology... All connections are with phone-like jacks between the gauges and to the modules... LOVE it...My52Chebby]

Here is the set I had purchased a few years ago.



A while back I showed you I spun a pair of adapters out of stainless to fit the TPI-Tech gauges to my dash...



I had ordered a set of TPI-Tech gauges a few years ago and they were state of the art back then but I recently came across a new set by Dakota Digital that just blows them out of the water. With the TPI set, I made special adapters to fit the gauges in the stock holes in the dash, the gauges are smaller than the stock gauge openings in the dash (1st compromise), adapters are shown above, they're stainless and I spun them on my lathe. The TPI gauges had the speedometer in one gauge and water temp, oil pressure, fuel level and voltmeter in the other gauge. Rumpums could be viewed in the small "information center" where the mileage usually appears, but no tachometer needle (2nd compromise). What follows may seem like disjointed information but the reason will become apparent soon enough. I also had to find a place to locate the left and right flasher and high beam indicators. To do that, I bought this cute little unit with a block containing three LEDs (green-blue-green) and three fiber-optic strands coming out of the block to locate in 1/16" holes somewhere on the dash around the gauges (3rd compromise). I had also bought a Lokar shifter boot that showed the PRNDO in a small LED window framed in the boot base (4th compromise).

Now for a short description of the new Dakota Digital gauges. They are digital/analog, but that I mean, they are completely digital but using stepper motors for the needles, for all intents and purposes, they LOOK analog. The speedometer gauge also incorporates the smaller fuel level and voltmeter gauges. The full face tachometer gauge incorporates the smaller water temp gauge and oil pressure gauges. The left and right flasher and high beam indicators are somewhere on the speedometer gauge face. BOTH gauges have an "information center", one can display miles whereas the other can display some other info like the clock, trip odometer, resettable service messages, hour meter, 0-60 mph (or 0-100 kph), 1/4 mile timer, etc... The gauges can also tell you when you're in cruise mode, parking brake is on, check engine. The instructions state that for the gauges to display the transmission position info, a special adapter is required. I checked before ordering and the Lokar unit that I had already purchased is produced by Dakota Digital and is the same unit used for these gauges. I will eventually be selling the TPI gauge on eBay...

Here's what the new gauges look like mocked-up in my truck's dash.



I love this technology... All connections are with phone-like jacks between the gauges and to the modules... LOVE it...

My52Chebby

I have some questions about paint sequencing...

First question:

Right now, we have the firewall and underfloor painted final base coat/clear coat.



I know... It sits way too high right now but that will be adjusted...



In the near future, I will be working at fitting the doors (striving for 1/8" gap all around) removing/adding metal, adjusting hinges, installing bear claw power door locks, electrical wire looms in door jams, etc.

What I am thinking of doing (considering the interior will be shot a different color, except the dash, from the exterior) is to final paint the door jambs, window surround, etc. When we come to final cab paint, we would install the rubber (even if I have to replace the rubber afterwards) and glass (or glass substitute, hardboard), lift the rubber edges with a length of cord under the rubber. Mask the rubber and paint the cab final base coat/clear coat. I would even temporarilly install some rubber door seals...

Am I right in thinking that not much over-spray would get onto the jambs with the doors closed? I am using an HVLP gravity fed gun.

Second question:

The color I have chosen is a solid blue. No flakes, pearls or anything in the base coat or clear.

Can we paint the box, fenders, hood, running boards as separate units? Someone even told us that the parts have to be painted as they will sit on the truck. That is. don't lay the fenders on a table to spray them but mount them vertically as they would be on the truck!?!

Third question :

Do you have any other suggestions concerning paint sequencing?

Thank you all.

My52Chebby

I want to reserve/buy a personalized plate.

Here in New Brunswick, Canada, we are only allowed 7 letters (including spaces). That's three (3) letters short for "My52Chebby" and one (1) letter short for "52Chebby"...

Any suggestions??? Plates you've seen???

Here are some I've come up with but haven't checked with DMV to see if they were available :

FINALLY (it will be over 10 years before my truck is finished)
MyRRSP (similar to "My401K" in the US)
Or BUST (that's a reflection of the cost of the project)

Thanks

My52Chebby

BEFORE PICTURE...


... AFTER PICTURE (4 hours later... temporary wiring)



Now, I should get back to work on my truck...

My52Chebby

A friend was over tonight and he said they were out of business, just when he wanted to order a radiator support from them for his 1948 Ford.

Any help would be appreciated.

My52Chebby

Hi gang,

When I worked at Canadair (Canadian Aircraft Co.) the mating of the wing assembly to the fuselage was a VERY BIG DEAL... This morning I recreated that sensation in my mind with the mating of my truck's cab to its frame.

Here is the view that blew me away when I came down the stairs (from my upper shop storage area) for the first time after "The Mating"...



Here it is at floor level...



My all consuming concern before the installation was borne of a decision I took to move the engine back one whole inch to clear the air conditioning compressor at the front cross-member. Even after taking a multitude of measurements and mocking up a cardboard floor, I wasn't sure whether I had enough clearance between the RHS valve cover and the floor (lower firewall)... Once the cab was bolted in place my fears dissolved instantly...



The side view tells a better story...



Luckily, when an engine torques, it wants to raise the LHS valve cover, so I seem to have dodged the bullet with this problem. I may still have a hard time taking the valve cover off to adjust the valves but at least I won't have to do bodywork on the lower firewall that already has its final base coat / clear coat (along with the under floor).

Phew!!!

My52Chebby
p.s.: The blue on the cab itself is tinted high build, not base coat.

Hi all,

Haven't been on for a while, my summer job started and life got in the way.

Recently, I had to move the belts on the front of my small block. This is the setup I had: LONG water pump, 3-groove crank pulley, 2-groove water pump pulley and single grooves on the alternator and power steering pump, air conditioning compressor had 2-groove pulley but my setup only used the rear one but it's on the lower right side and you hardly see the pulley. All brackets are by Alan Grove.

Problem with that setup is that the a/c belt would interfere/rub at the water pump outlet hose.

I solved the problem by moving the a/c belt to the middle groove of the 3-groove crank pulley and the front groove of the a/c compressor (belt only revolves around 2 pulleys). That put the alternator belt in the front groove of the 3-groove crank pulley and front groove a the 2-groove long water pump pulley.  (you still with me???)

To run the power steering pump off the rear groove of the crank pulley, I now needed a 2-groove power steering pump pulley but that left the front groove of the p/s pump pulley empty. I solved that problem with the purchase of Summit Racing custom p/s pulley for a kit they make. It is a single groove p/s pulley that used the rear position (of a 2 groove pulley).

Well now, all the belts clear everything but I have an empty groove at the water pump pulley (the most visible pulley). Buying a single groove pulley for the water pump won't solve my problem because I need the belt to line up with the front groove of a 2-groove water pump pulley and the only single groove pulleys I've been able to find put the groove in the rear position of the 2-groove long water pump pulley.

NOW HERE'S MY QUESTION:

Does anyone make a custom (billet or otherwise) pulley for a long water pump that utilizes the front position of a 2-groove water pump pulley?

Thanks guys...

My52Chebby

p.s.: So far, only solution I've found is machining of the rear groove of the water pump pulley (in the picture below) and having the pulley re-chromed.

Picture below shows old setup...

Hi all,

This week, my buddy was telling me about a product he saw on newer cars. A clear self-adhesive film used as rock-guard.

Have any of you heard of this product? How thick is it? I'm thinking of using it to mount my truck fenders to the box, box sides to the front panel, etc..

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

My52Chebby

I googled but can't find one.

Thanks

My52Chebby

Hi all,

When they mix paint for me at the paint shop they do it by weight.

I would like to mix small quantities and figure it would be best to do it by weight. The mix instructions only show the mixture by volume. Is there a conversion chart that would allow me to do it by weight?

I have a very accurate scale...

My52Chebby

Hi all,

I've been hammering, fabricating, welding, painting, upholstering, doing electrical systems... etc. since the late sixties. Here is my list of the products that have REALLY helped over the years:

Mig welders, plasma cutters, good ol' oxy-acetelene torches, high-build primer, base coat/clear coat, pre-assembled electrical harnesses that are vehicle specific, mini-angle grinders... and many more.

What are your favored tools?

Below is a shot of the progress on my '52 Chevy p.u. cab. It now has base coat/clear coat on the underside of the cab's flooring, inside the rocker panels and the lower portion of the firewall. I'm amazed at how straight the firewall came out. We filled 58 holes in that firewall, that's a lot of welding and metal warping.

All overlapping metal has been seam sealed with seam sealer that we cleaned up with final wash. It does a great job, we even did the joint at the rear of the cab (over the epoxy primer and under the high-build). We pushed seam sealer in the joint as far as we could and removed the excess with a cloth dipped in final wash. It looked like a fine beige pinstripe against the greenish epoxy primer. Wish I had taken a picture.



The next step is to mount the cab back on the frame after we bundle up the frame in plastic sheet (We decided finally to mount the cab on the frame to adjust the doors but once adjusted the cab will come off again and will be painted off the truck).

Today, because we wanted to let the cab "cure" a bit longer we tackled the box sides and front panel. We welded the stake pockets closed and put two-part putty on all panel spot welds and blemishes on the stake pockets themselves. We plan to high-build and base/clear Monday or Tuesday.

Stay tuned...

My52Chebby

Hi all,

I haven't posted in a while but I have been busy.

Here's what I've been up to...

The first photo shows the cab after a bit of finessing with putty, two-part finishing putty and seam sealer.



The second shows the first couple of coats of tinted high build. The high build is close to the final base coat/clear coat color which should make stone chips more bearable.



Now for my question, we are about to take the cab off the rotisserie to fit the doors to the cab. Do we have to bolt the cab to the frame to fit the doors? I don't think the cab has any flex in it, it's not a four door. Even if I bolt the cab on the frame, the way the mounting is set up on this truck the rear is held by shackles so it can flex (if it is to do so...) even if bolted to the frame.

The reason I ask is that it really would be easier to fit the doors if I put the cab back on the wheeled dolly I have made for it.

Thank you for your input.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

What is the width from backing plate flange to backing plate flange on a 1981 Camaro 10-bolt rearend?

I know I used to have a link to a list of differential measurements but I've lost it.

Thanks all.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

I wasn't as busy as usual, life got in the way but I did get some stuff done.

I made a set of billet hinges to attach between my seat structure and seat base. I figured if I hinged my seat, I could get quite a bit of storage room in my pickup.

Here a close-up of one of the hinges and the seat structure and base.




I made the seat base myself, I had the sheet metal bent and then I formed it to match the contour of the seat structure. The seat is a bench seat with bucket backs that I had custom widened for my truck. Originally it was to fit a '28 Ford. There's a 3/4" space between the seat structure and the base for 3/4" plywood. That's why I needed a set of special hinges. I'm not going to use hog rings to attach the upholstery, it's all going to be stapled to the plywood.

I also figure out the latch mechanism I'm going to use to get access to that under seat storage. I used an aftermarket trunk latch. It's the thing that looks like an Alien in the first picture.




Did a bit more finishing work on the tranny floor cover and hump and fitted the battery access door. I still have to cut the shifter hole but I think I'll wait until the cab's back on the frame. I cut bolts to a flush fit and ordered some countersunk stainless oval head bolts to replace some of the button heads. The round-over on the aluminum plate was all done by hand with a variety of files, that was a job and a half to do.




This week, if the weather holds out, I hope to do a bit of sandblasting outside and an epoxy primer coat. That will be a MAJOR step forward.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

Last time I showed you this picture, I was trying to identify which car it came out of. I knew it was around 1948 but I didn't have a clue as to its origins.



I think you guys settled on 1948 Mopar product.

Here is the bracket I made for it to adapt the Lokar emergency brake cable to this handle.





After pounding with a sledge hammer to make the first bend, I figured there HAD TO BE a better way to bend this stuff. What I did was I used 3 lengths of solid rod. Used two 5/16" diam. rods equally distanced under the bend I wanted to make and a 1/2" rod above the plate right on the bend line and centered it under the ram of my 20 ton press. What a pleasure it was to see that metal being bend like butter instead of using the sledge hammer. Much more civilized. LOL

Actually, the worst part of the job was drilling the two little holes in the old bracket for the steel pop-rivets. That handle was case-hardened so that the ratchet teeth wouldn't wear prematurely. Well after a while at the drill press, it felt as though I was trying to drill through glass. I took out the acetelene torches and made two small red hot dots where the drill had just made dents... I didn't want to overheat the bracket to remove all the case-hardening. I then put the bracket in a bucket of sand to let the bracket cool slowly. That removed enough temper to do the trick because when I tried again at the drill press, there was a slight resistance followed by success. In the last view you can also see the new clevis I made to shorten it about a 1/4".

Now all that's left to do is route the cable to the frame where the cable divides into two cables to go to each rear Camaro brake drum.

Did a bit more fitting work on the under dash unit. I cut away clearances for the a/c hose to attach to the new billet vents. I also reinforced the attachment point for where the shortened column drop I showed you last week will attach to the dash. I tied it into the hefty brake bracket.

This is looking straight up at the at the cowl (you can see the filled in cowl vent) to show you the column drop attachment.



A buddy also finish welded my tranny hump in exchange for me sand blasting some interior trim for him.

I hope to be as busy next week.

Later guys...

My52Chebby

Hi guys,

Been busy this week, I machined (rabbeted the edges about 3/16" x 1 1/8" wide) of a 3/8" aluminum plate so it would fit flush with the floor. Also did a battery access cover (now redundant because of the drop-down battery box) out of the same aluminum but only had to rabbet it about 1/16th to fit flush.

As you can see in the pic, I also formed some 18 ga. sheetmetal for the hump. It incorporates the Lokar Stealth Accelerator Pedal.



I devoted a bit of time on the lathe to finish up my LeCarra MK 10 steering wheel. It fits on a 32" Flaming River tilt column. I liked the horn button that Billet Specialties made but they didn't offer a surround piece to match the LeCarra MK 10 steering, so I made my own.



You don't see it in the picture but I machined a small rabbet on the back of the surround and a groove to accept an 'O' ring. I used the same principal used on the Billet Specialties horn button, I copied the groove dimensions and clearances and it worked beautifully.

I then shortened a 4 1/2" column drop (I had it in my stash and couldn't be bothered ordering a 2" one from the 'Bay) down to 2". That's what I figured out I needed with my dummy cardboard steering tool.






I also worked on the other end of the column. I had purchased this column support to go through the floor but I didn't like seeing 4 bolts, lock washers and nuts showing...



so I made an aluminum ring with threaded holes... Voila!




Those aren't the final bolts I'll be using, they'll be shorter so they won't protrude through the ring. From the engine compartment, you'll only see the edge of the ring.

Well that's it for this week. I hope next week is as productive...

My52Chebby

I just bought some 1157 equivalent LED bayonet style bulbs to use as third brake lights in the truck bed rolls.

Can I test these by just connecting them to a battery?

Sounds like a simple question but these are totally foreign to me.

Thanks.

My52Chebby

Hi again,

Can anyone ID this handbrake handle for me. I bought it on eBay a while back and the seller didn't know what it came out of.

I suspect it's out of a 40's Mopar... Can anyone confirm?



Thanks

My52Chebby

hi all,

Here is what I did to solve an installation dilemma for my new TPI Tech gauge set. They look great in my '52 pickup dash but they're a bit smaller than the original gauge openings.

I could have gone "billet" but it wasn't the look I was after. I decided to try my hand at metal spinning. After reading up on it, I realized that using stainless was the hardest metal to metal spin. It involved annealing the stainless to white red and slowly cooling. I had to do this twice during the process but luckily for me, my wife has a few copper enameling kilns. I forget how many degrees it puts out but it's hot enough in there to melt a pop bottle into a glass blob. 'Nuf said...

To metal spin, you have to machine a buck that you will be forming the metal onto. Here is what the buck looked like on the lathe. I made mine out of aluminum.



At this stage you need to first anneal the stainless disc you want to metal spin. I drilled a hole in the middle of the disk to fit that bolt on the buck. The disc was then put in the kiln for about 15 minutes then cooled slowly in a bucket of sand, about half an hour. Once cooled it was bolted to the buck and then the lathe was started and a brass or bronze tool used to push against the spinning disc to mold it to the buck. I got half way and the disc had to be removed and put in the kiln for another round of annealing (heat and bucket). Twice did it and this is what the disc looked like against the buck (I had already cut it off at this point).



The back looks a bit grungy because you have to use soap as a lubricant when spinning. They call for some special soap but I just used "Irish Spring"... It smells good heated up... LOL

Before cutting the hole in the disc to fit the gauges I remounted the disc "pie plate shape" out to polish the edge on the lathe with white rouge... (white rouge, red white hot... this is getting confusing). Here is what the polished side of the disc looked like.



Here's the backside again:



And here are the spun adapters in the box:



... and mocked up in the dash (not a great picture)



My wife is gallivanting somewhere across the pond (either in Brighton, England where her sister lives or in Spain on a side trip they had planned) so the lad's been busy in the shop...

So far, I have made up the rotisserie to rotate the cab (a really handy tool. previously shown on here), I have installed the stealth Lokar accelerator pedal in the floor...



I have figured out the hanging brake pedal. It was a kit designed for my truck but I wanted to adapt a GM pedal to it.



I have also poked a hole in the floor for my Flaming River tilt column.



Now I have to figure out the column drop. The rotisserie doesn't give good access to the inside of the cab so I made this tool to help decide how much drop.




At this rate, I may start seeing some real progress on the truck for a change.

Later guys...

My52Chebby

It's a long standing debate around here...

Should I sandblast, epoxy prime THEN do body fill?

The norm seems to be sandblast, body fill then epoxy prime.

Although the first method will require a lot of epoxy primer retouching, it does assure that every piece of bare steel is epoxy primed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

My52Chebby

Here is a rotisserie I cobbled up to work on my cab...







Here is how I figured where to put the pivot point. I used a side view (a picture of the truck when I brought it home). Used a compass to find a circle that cleared all corners of the cab. I extrapolated the dimensions to be 25" from top of door jamb and 19 1/4" from front door jamb.



Here is the solution I found to give my firewall some clearance for my distributor. (I moved the engine back an inch to clear the A/C compressor and it created the clearance problem at the firewall).

I used a firewall piece from another identical truck and patched it in... See the results. It added a full 2" of clearance.





This project is taking way too long, I'm now in my 8th year (some years I had time but no money, other years I had money but no time)...

Now back to your regular programming...

Raymond Gallant

Hi all,

I would like to bring fresh air into the cab of my 1952 Chevy pickup. I have welded the cowl vent closed as well as the louvers on the right side of the cab for a cleaner look. Now I realize that the A/C will have to be on nearly all the time and at best, all it will do is recirculate stale air.

I want to add fresh air vents in the kick panels with ducting to the front grille opening (inside the front fenders).

Can you suggest some small kick panel fresh air vents that I could use?

I've looked on the 'Bay but the pictures don't give any reference to size.

Thanks all...

Hi all,

Can anyone scan the instruction sheet(s) that came with their New Port wiper system.

Preferably for a '47-'55 Chevy pickup but I'll take anything you've got.

Thanks

Do they fit as well or better than factory front fenders?

I'm thinking of ordering a set for my '52 Chevy pickup...

Thanks

My52Chebby

What happens at a rod run in the case of my 1952 Chevy pickup which once rodded is the same as any 1947 or 1948 Chevy pickup?

My52Chebby

Hi all,

A few years ago (might have been a decade or so) a sewing machine company used to advertise their upholstery sewing machine in street rod magazines.

I can't for the life of me remember the name of the company.

I'm wondering if any of you could steer me in the right direction.

Thanks all.

My52Chebby

... for 1947 to 1953 Chevy/GMC trucks?

I'm having a really hard time finding a decent set around here.

Thanks

I started with two 24" and one 18" lengths of bent 16 gauge mild steel. Notice the radius on the lower edge.



To replace this piece that came with the Vintage Air, air conditioning kit that was to fit under my truck dash. The kit part is made of textured plastic.



This is the fruit of my metalworking efforts... I think it came out pretty good if I do say so myself.





This picture will show the trick I used to bend the s-shape.



The blue piece is a filler piece that I welded in after bending the outer pieces to conform to the dash.

The trickiest part was welding the saw cuts I had to make in the bottom radius.

What do you think?

Has anyone purchased these? Are they an easy fit?

Are they an exact reproduction of the stock hinges?

Any problems adjusting the doors?

Thanks

Hi all,

Does anyone produce LED parking lights for a 1941 Chevy car? Preferably, flush mount.

I want to use a set as backup lights on the rolled pan of my 1952 Chevy pickup.

Any comments welcome.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

Is there a list online that compares the different configurations of oil pans available for small block Chevies since '55?

This is the second finned aluminum oil pan I've bought and none fit my new 350 crate engine... Aarghhhh!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My52Chebby

Hi all,

I have some vintage finned aluminum valve covers I want to have powder coated in a simili chrome finish (looks like Edelbrock's Endura Shine finish).

My question is, will powder coating withstand engine compartment heat.

Thanks

Raymond Gallant (aka My52Chebby)

Hi all,  

Does anyone on here know what the roller bearing numbers (Timken, etc) for roller bearings that would replace the ball bearings in the front spindles of 1949 to 1954 Chevies (car) and/or 1953 to 1962 Corvettes? Inner and outer bearing numbers please, seal number if you have it too.

I know they're available, I'm just looking for the numbers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My52Chebby