Another PITA restoration

[cosmic12]

Been away from here to long started and finished a couple projects and still haven't gotten to play with my 52, just making a paycheck and can only fit one at a time in my shop.
Anyway, started this 51 Chevy short box step side about a month ago. It came to us from N.H. all the way to Syr N.Y. It will be a complete resto sorta, I am sneaking in a few changes to update it a bit. I know restos aren't the thing round here but I will try to post progress if you guys want.

This is how it showed up at the shop a supposedly straight solid nice truck for a paint job. Ya just gotta wonder what goes through some peoples minds as to whats good and bad.

 

[cosmic12]

I am doing this one with my buddie, he is doing all the mechanical stuff in his shop and that's where the final assembly will happen, just like we did the 37 Plymouth and that Malibu. Seems to work out great and I don't have to have the chassis hanging around taking up room at my place.

 

[bob w]

That's a BIG project. I haven't seen the newspaper and Bondo trick for quite a while.The truck couldn't be in better hands..

 

[bruno]

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. Wonder what the date on the newspaper is

 

[cosmic12]

LMAO!! the news paper was 1972 and it was packed in there hard! The funny thing is they had used the paper to mask off something they painted red and then stuffed it in the truck in a bunch of places. That's recycling!
Ya you have no idea what I found on this straight solid good running truck I truly believe the guy really thought he had a nice truck....NOT!

Heres the doors and just one corner of the cab I had to cut out.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Ohhhhh....not good

Wow....heard of chicken wire, duct tape, masking tape, insulation and recently....spray foam....but newspaper?....might have just as well make paper mache ....wow....

 

[GJunktionMike]

Feel your pain and this is the good side

 

[Torchie]

Looks like a typical AD to me.[ddd
My favorite bondo retainer is paper plates. Found one in a car once that still had some ketchup on it. At least I think it was ketchup.
[P
Torchie.

 

[christcrusader13]

This brings back memories

 

[cosmic12]

It has been a adventure sofar that's for sure. At some point someone had rebuilt the box with 3/8 diamond plate on the floor and front panel. When they did this they welded 3 large I-beams that looked more like rail road rails onto the frame then welded the box to them. We had to use the tow truck stinger to lift it off after I finally got it cut off the frame. The bottoms of the rear fenders were 4"s thick with bondo all around the bottoms and about 8"s up from the roll lip.One had perforated metal brazed w/brass on it to hold the bondo in. The truck sat under a walnut tree for 12yrs so the roof/hood/fenders tops looked like it spent its life in a nasty Texas hail storm. The owner said all the people that lived around him would complain about the artillery fire going off every year in the fall. Anyway I press on trying to make the silk purse out of ,,,well you know what.

I have already rebuilt all 4 corners of the cab and should be close to paint soon I hope.

 

[cosmic12]

More cab rebuild. Trying to get all the dimensions correct so that the E-break that was completely inop working again was a lot of fun

 

[Old Iron]

Man, you never know what one's gonna look like until you start uncovering someone else's goobering

 

[cosmic12]

The chassis, or what was left of it.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Man.....

You certainly have taken on a huge amount of work on that....you seem to have a pretty good perspective on it...some guys might have bailed by now....drive on....

 

[soltz]

I'm so glad i live in california, not rust free but not that bad.
Good luck, it should keep you busy all winter.

 

[cosmic12]

Well maybe not all winter.
we have been working on this since the last week of October so a lot of progress has been made. The chassis is about done with all new and I mean ALL new brakes, everything! fuel line all sys parts. clutch/pressure plate ect ect. Rear was opened and got new bearings and seals.The engine was torn down and freshened. Its all painted and waiting for the cab.

 

[cosmic12]

I just got in from a 12hr day of finish sanding and shoveling snow
The cab is getting very close to paint actually but I will show you a months worth of work first.

 

[cosmic12]

so the floors and corners are all done and its time to make it straight.
The roof and back of the cab was peppered with dents so a lot of hammer and dolly work went into it but ya still gotta use the bondo to get it right. Found another odd hole in the cowl and filled and bunch of unnecessary ones on the fire wall.

 

[cosmic12]

Without going into a lot of boring BS about blocking and filing here is where the cab is now. I hope to be shooting it this weekend. It will be White/red fendered. There is still a lot of work to do on the rest of the body but the owner of the truck will be in town visiting family during X-mas and we wanted to have the painted cab on the new chassis for him at that time.

 

[christcrusader13]

wow.. you have some mad skills.... that looks great, thank you for all the detailed photos... that helps me a lot with all the metal work I have to do on my 2 projects...