project "summer of 68"

[hotrod preacher]

well this is where i have spent alot of my summer, anyway.....
a friend of mine brought me --in pieces--this 68 chevy shortbed...
in the last year and a half i piddled around on it while trying to finish all of my other on-going projects...
in that time i got the rockers&floorpans welded in the cab, the bed straightened out & primed....and a few other little things...with all other projects out of the way i put my focus on this thing for the whole summer.....here are a few pics if you're interested

the pics show where i'm at now......the cab & doors have been prepped, inside of cab sprayed, and a pile of parts that need attention--even a pile of new parts, too

 

[hotrod preacher]

up until last week i didn't even have the frame at my place....
he took it & had it powdercoated and rebuilt it w/all new ball-joints, and bushings, 4 wheel disc brakes and cleaned up the motor/trans and painted them....
the first set of pics showed 18 mo. worth--these show the last week or so...
and no, i'm not a fan of those wheels...gonna try to talk him out of using them -they don't set right --offset wise-- on this rig

 

[skull]

coooool

yaaaaaaaa, another chevy truck, l am not alone

what color and motor/tranny and lots of pics.

here is mine, 1969 396/400,

Later

 

[LarryH]

I love the '67 through '72 body style. I've owned several. My old '71:

 

[hotrod preacher]

thanks for the looks guys......

skull- this one is a pretty stock sbc (283?) and auto.....
the frame is awesome but the springs need cut or lower it somehow.....

the color is the blue that is on the dash & inside roof --late model GM "arrival blue"
will be using ppg dbc base/clear.......seat, carpet, door panels prob. will be black as is everything underhood

hope to be done with mock up this week on that front end and finish the front cap body work by this fall....

might get to spray it before winter --but not too optimistic about it--why rush it...

good looking trucks in those pics you guys! & thanks for sharing and giving me "inspiration"
,
later HRP

 

[hotrod preacher]

annual update

ok for the record i have not been able to work on this project much this past fall/winter..the fenders & grille were prepped, (not figured out our hood situation yet) and the plan was to paint it in spring, but it will officially see blue tomorrow, if all goes according to plans... and yes i'm planning on taking the camera...

 

[42chevy]

Cool truck! I have a friend who's cousin has one of those with a hot 350 and a Muncie with 4:11's. I keep trying to get him to buy it.

 

[hotrod preacher]

thanks, 42 -it will be almost all new when owner gets done with it...i sprayed the sealer, blue basecoat, and clear...close to 3 gallons of spray went thru the guns this morning...and i feel it...getting to old for this stuff...

and the rest of the story-i remembered to put the card in the camera, i even remembered to take the camera with me this morning... went to take a few pics and the blamed battery was DEAD!

maybe thursday or friday i'll get a few pics...

 

[hotrod preacher]

time for another update....

the first round of paint did not suit me-owner was "ok with it" but told me he'd buy more materials if i wanted to do it over... so i have been working on it trying to get it better... here is a sneak preview of the bed... after round 2...

 

[hotrod preacher]

just for the record, i know the bedside has "swirl marks" from buffing, but i will not finish-polish until all is assembled...

 

[hotrod preacher]

had plans last friday to finish the "redo" on the cab&doors... but after i found a "slight ripple" i stopped...and puttied it, and primed it this morning-at this point now, hoping to spray the cab tomorrow...

all that will leave is a front cap...that is still awaiting its first coat of blue
.... and then....

ASSEMBLY OF IT ALL!!

alot more work than i really wanted to do by myself...

 

[hotrod preacher]

in case you wondered... i am competing for the longest lasting project thread...[ddd

 

[shakey56]

Dedicated

Good lookin' paint, Preacher. Sure is hard to get back on a project after that long of a break, isn't it? If I stop on a project, I just can't get back on it....guess I'm not dedicated enough. I try to do sumthin on Buford (my COE) every day, even it isn't much. That's the only way I can get it done.

Just keep on keepin' on, Preacher.

Lynn

 

[42chevy]

Looking good!

 

[hotrod preacher]

small update n a few pics...[P


blue "round 2" turned out pretty good, sanded n buffed out the clear...

(not regular terminology on rat rod site ...lol)

also hung the new sign on my walk thru door to the shop...[ddd

 

[hotrod preacher]

this week i got a chance to finis up some "lose ends" on the brake system...

owner had purchased a stainless brake line kit and it all worked ok....except for a few needed modifications...front of truck was originally drum, so a bracket had to be cut, switched from left to right and put on the front to hold the line-to-hose connection
for he rear disc kit he had put on it before it came to me...here is what i did...

front disc hoses and a bracket cut from another frame...this gives the caliper "flex" if needed and holds the lines&hoses in a factory type bracket...

none of this was "in the kit" so it took longer to figure out WHAT to do than to actually do it

and a pic of the best thing ive found to help in my shop work...knee pads!

 

[GJunktionMike]

For the love of god, Please tell me you misplaced the rims. That blue is going to make that one nice looking truck.

 

[bob w]

You're gonna make me like shiney blue, HRP. Nice work on the paint.

 

[hotrod preacher]

For the love of god, Please tell me you misplaced the rims. That blue is going to make that one nice looking truck.

someone had those rims n talked him into them--they look ok, but do not fit the truck-type at all...when he saw it with the front cap on in mock up he realized he would do something different on the wheel tire deal... talking about a new set of old school 15" cragars
i want him to go with 8's n 10's ...we shall see if i get my wish...lol


thanks guys on the paint comments! GM code 815k "arrival blue"

i used to love painting shiney.... not so much any more
once you paint flat, it's hard to go back

 

[quandelgarage]

got to love the c10s ! good job