My rusty/ratty 1948 Chevrolet truck

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Really nice!

Flipper,
Love u're truck! I had a '48 & a '51... both 5-windows. Another case of... wish I'd never sold that one!!! Love the dash treatment... u did an awesome job!

BoB
 
Real nice job on the dash, Flipper. I used the EZ on the wife's truck, tho I mounted the panel on the firewall. Still a real fun job.
 
Flipper, i've never been a big fan of the flat beds ... but you definately have changed my mind. that is the nicest i have ever seen. keep up the good work.


Thanks. I really had never paid much attention to them either until I stumbled across this truck.
 
I really love your truck! I've read and reread this thread numerous times and I can't get enough. Do you have any updates for us? I'm like a crack addict! Please please post some more!
I really like the flat bed. Do you have any pics and details on how you built it. I like the rounded corners.
 
I really love your truck! I've read and reread this thread numerous times and I can't get enough. Do you have any updates for us? I'm like a crack addict! Please please post some more!
I really like the flat bed. Do you have any pics and details on how you built it. I like the rounded corners.


The truck was a flatbed when I got it. It looks like a factory job. I re-used the original outer steel section (shortened it about 11" if I remember correctly) and some 1.5" steel tubing to get it where it is now.

This weekend, I swapped out the power steering box for a S-10 manual steering box......no squeeling belts for me!

....and added dual filament light sockets to the original running light housings. I now have running lights AND turn signals up front without disturbing the farm fresh look.

Neither mod was all that exciting, so I didn't document it with pictures.
 
Man! I love your truck! I`ve been considering going the s-10 route on my `41 GMC. I`ve found one I`m going to check on tommorow. Hope I can get this cool of a final result!
 
Man! I love your truck! I`ve been considering going the s-10 route on my `41 GMC. I`ve found one I`m going to check on tommorow. Hope I can get this cool of a final result!


On a 41, the clearance between the steering box and the front fender might be kinda tight.....and also at the front of the cab, the frame might be too wide to use the S-10 as is.

That is not to say that it could not be tweaked to work, but I don't think it will be as easy.

If you do decide to do it, take lots of pictures......I have a 40 chevy in the barn.
 
Slowly making more progress on little stuff. Gas tank now has a sending unit for the gas gauge. .....and the pedal assembly has a brake light switch (the stock S-10 switch location got trimmed away).

One more good weekend and the wiring should be done.
 
Good the hear some more progress on the 48, flipper. Wiring's fun isn't it :rolleyes: . Let's see how she's coming along. Pics if you would. :D
 
Good the hear some more progress on the 48, flipper. Wiring's fun isn't it :rolleyes: . Let's see how she's coming along. Pics if you would. :D


I didn't take any pics this past weekend. Next time I head over to dad's place, I'll take my camera.

I really don't hate wiring....i'm doing a pretty good job of hiding the wires and making it look good....but it does take some extra effort to get into the right frame of mind to actually get in there and do the work. ...too bad I live 250 miles away from the truck.
 
i like the clean look of your dash, esp putting the second under your seat, but it just seems that it'll be a real pain in the rain reaching down and what not. maybe its just me having to deal with hurricane weather and watching out for careless so fla drivers while trying to drive myself. gotta love retirement birds down here with 30yrs of expired license under their belt.

other than that im quite impressed, not a real big fan of the flats but definitely a real nice build, especially jealous that you fabbed up your own seats! im just stuck with my buckets for now :[
 
other than that im quite impressed, not a real big fan of the flats but definitely a real nice build, especially jealous that you fabbed up your own seats! im just stuck with my buckets for now :[


Every once in a while, I'm kinda impressed with the seat myself. It feels REALLY NICE and made a huge difference in the overall style of the truck (kinda hard to believe a seat has that much impact, but it does for me).

I blew most of saturday working on the damned tail lights.

I am using the old add-on turn signal swith that came with the truck...it was designed to use add-on turn signals instead of interupting the brake lights.

...my tail lights only have two filaments, but I need 3 circuits. I am happy with the look of the rear and didn't want to add seperate lights for the blinkers.

I am not 100% happy with my solution, but I added a couple of strips of LEDs inside each tail light housing....in the shape of a "< " on the driver side and a " > " on the passenger side.

....but the lenses distort the pattern and it kinda looks like a starburst semi-circle when they light up instead of an arrow.

I tried moving the LEDs closer to the lense....and I do get a better pattern on the turn signals, but also get an ugly shadow when I light up the filament for the brake lights (only about 2/3 of the tail light looks lit up).

My dad's idea for a fix is to glue little pieces of hose over each LED to tunnel the light up to the lense (so it just makes a dot instead of a startburst).

I haven't tried that yet....I was too ****ed off.

Maybe next weekend.

...and I forgot to take pictures too.




Oh yeah, dad ordered new glass and weatherstrip for the truck. :)
 
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You'll get the lights figured out. I'm still having issues with the tails on Mommas truck. Will probably go with LEDs in the stock housings.

You really need to remember that camera, Flip. :D:D
I know I'd really like to see how it's coming along.
 

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