[mt94ss]

Put the bed on to check tank clearance and to see how low the truck is.

Not really that low in the back so I might run the big bumper - just paint it white.

I have a trailer hitch that I am going to put on and that will protect the tank. It's not as low as it looks. The rear diff is lower.

 

[406Rich]

Ride height looks good Mike. I don`t think you would see the tank with the stock bumper..!

 

[Blue Goose]

Looking good Mike.Looks like it has a slight rake toward the front which I think is cool.Not to low ,but not to high either

 

[mt94ss]

Got some bed strips today. Wow, are they expensive. I got the ones that I will paint and they were still $110. And that didn't include the bolts. I'll get them from Vancouver Bolt.

I also picked up a visor for it. I've always liked the looks of them and it will get the same color as the top.

 

[406Rich]

Got some bed strips today. Wow, are they expensive. I got the ones that I will paint and they were still $110. And that didn't include the bolts. I'll get them from Vancouver Bolt.

I also picked up a visor for it. I've always liked the looks of them and it will get the same color as the top.

It seems as the vendors are bumping up prices last couple of years..

 

[mt94ss]

Repaired the front panel on the bed.

And POR15 on the rear (cab side).

I took apart the bed - completely! This is the bed.

Rear sill repair is in order...

If you look closely you can see where I need to repair the inner panels where the wood bolts up to the sides. Both front and rear sections will be fixed similarly to what I did on the bed front panel.

OK, getting serious now. I am happy that the only rot was a spot on the pass side body mount. Should be easy to make a new piece to fit there.

The rest of the interior is pretty good. Minor surface rust. There is a small spot on the lower rear corner of the pass door that might need to be patched.

I also noticed that the dash is two-toned. Is this right? I got some gray paint from our local independent paint dealer. I was going to get the better $70/Gal enamel but he had a gallon that he mixed up for someone else who didn't pick it up so he tinted it to match and it only cost $40! What a deal. I guess I could add some black to it to darken for the dash top.

Plenty of room for the 700r4. Just need to put in a block-off plate where the shifter used to come through. I am usning the column shift.

The other rust repair on the cab are both lower inner hinge pockets and the pass rear cab corner inner and out. It looks like the pass side must have been uncovered as the rust is mainly in those two spots.

It's interesting what you find in a truck that has been sitting for so long. I found two 22 long bullets (not fired), a 1945 wheat penny, a couple vials of steril solution (?!?!?), a bunch of pixie stix, and a very old welding cap.

I found a guy that specializes in gm bench seats at the swap meet last weekend. $200 exchange for a restored seat, any color as long as it is black. And it has a tasteful pattern of pleats. Good enough for me. I sat in the one he had for sale there and it felt very comfortable.

Coming along nicely... hopefully it will come in on budget (around $1,000 for the stuff remaining) and on time (by the beginning of April).


Looking for some help with the bolt hole locations on the bed sides both in front of and to the rear of the wheel wells. My pieces were so rusted out that I couldn't see the holes. Are they all square? Are they just where the crossmembers go? If that is the case I think I am OK with the locations, just want to verify.

Here is the pocket repair and the new lip for the edge. You can see the piece that I am replacing on the hammer. Not much of the 90* left. Turning out nice. I'm going to sand off the surface rust on the inside of the fenders and POR15 them.

Also fixed the rear sill with just a bit of repair left on the inside brace where it bolts to the fender. Clamped it to a piece of 2x5 to keep it straight while welding.

Mike

 

[cfjfisher]

Great progress thanks for the update and the PICTURES

 

[406Rich]

Super work Mike, its coming along nicely....

 

[ProMetalShop]

Mike, I like the ride height, it looks just right....

 

[mt94ss]

Thanks guys. Hoping to get a bit more of the patching done here this weekend. We just got dumped on today. Almost 10" of snow in 7 hours!!!

Might be a good time to be in the shop.

Mike

 

[cfjfisher]

Yeah this snow has given me more shop time too....When I'm not plowing my drive haha Your body work is looking great

 

[mt94ss]

Moved a lot of snow today. We were supposed to get freezing rain but we only got a trace so it wasn't that bad. Cleared off the carport and walkways.

Also finished up the repairs of the bedsides this weekend. This was the only part other than the bottoms that was bad. It's where the tub bolts on.

Here's the last L bracket.

And the bed bolted together pretty easily. Had to make new tabs for the rear sill but didn't take photos of that. They are the spacers at the frame.

This is the pile of rusted metal that I removed. Some of it is the strips.

It gets to come apart again for welding and paint. I am doing the inner fenders like I said but I think that I will get some yellow paint and redo the inner bedsides along with the wood. That way when (and if) I restore the outside of the truck the inside of the bed will be done. Wheel tubs are next.

Now for the fun part. I haven't put one of these together before. Do you bolt the boards on the side first? Anyone know of a step by step on how to assemble one of these beds?

 

[406Rich]

Mike..set your bed sills in first, install only a few perimeter bolts loose, start laying your boards in and the same loose bolts, then double check measurement diagonally to ensure the bed is square, then start tightening the perimeter bolts, continue with the wood....if your bed is not square it will show up in the tailgate, it will sit out slightly on one side, ask me how I know...

 

[mt94ss]

Started to trim the wood tonight. Got the widths on this cut.

It's ash that is 13/16ths ready to plane. I will cut them to 97" then cut in the reliefs for the strips with my dado blade.

Thinking since I need to build everything anyway I will widen the tubs 4" +/- (to the next board) and trim off the 2 center sills. I am trying to track down a couple 67-72 tubs to see how close they are and I'll modify them to fit.

This is what my tubs look like. Not a great start but if I can't find any others to fit I will have to Frankenstein these...

 

[cfjfisher]

Your moving right along my bed is a wood floor too. I'll be taking notes.

 

[mt94ss]

Your moving right along my bed is a wood floor too. I'll be taking notes.

Thanks. Here's the next installment.

Ran all the boards thru the planer that I borrowed from a bud. It works great - nice even pressure and only taking 1/32" off at a time. The boards are smooth and ready to dado.

Sorry about the quality of the photos - iPhone. Anyway you can see the notches. The deep groove is .250" deep and wide and .470" from the edge. The other is .125" deep. This is what most of the original boards that had good edges measured. A bit different from what is on a couple sites, but the trim pieces fit in there perfect. I will probably have to run a drill bit thru the hole to give a little more room for the bolts, but the original boards looked like that too.

I am not really a wood worker, but I filled the shop vac 3 times with the shavings from the planer and from this dust from the dado. That's a lot of material!

I will post more pics when I mount them to the sills.

 

[cfjfisher]

Are you going to seal the boards before installing?? Both ends , edges and top and bottom? I guess I have to find a bud with a planer

 

[mt94ss]

Are you going to seal the boards before installing?? Both ends , edges and top and bottom? I guess I have to find a bud with a planer

Yes, I am going to use Penefin Verde. It was recommended by the guys at the cood store.

Penefin Verde Home

The color for Ash looks good. I tried their clear stuff and the wood looked yellow. I know the truck is yellow, but that is too much.

I am going to paint the strips and powder coat the bolt heads. Probably the gray that I am doing in the interior with black or argent bolt heads.

All the boards are cut to length. I clearanced the last two sills for the fuel tank. I need to replace the plates on the bottoms of the sill as they are all rusted through. I also need to get the pad kit for the bed and the cab. I think the extra 1/4" will help with the fuel filler.

Mike

 

[406Rich]

Back when I was just turning 13, I helped my grandfather seal up and old I believe it was a international pickup, wood bed, he used kerosene and creosote 50/50 mix, he had me get it out of the drums out by the woodshed ( wisconsin ) he had brushed that on several coats, when we had moved to Cali my uncle took the truck back to Illinois that year and drove til the the eighties the bed wood still good, but needless to say the stuff is bad but good.,,,LOL

 

[mt94ss]

Pulled the cab off to fix the windshield area and the rear cab corners, the lower hinge pockets along with the minor floor issue. 4 bolts hold the cab on... 4!

Also going to clean up the frame and POR15 it and make the trans crossmember and run all the lines while the cab is off. I almost wish I could take it in for the exhaust too...

Mike