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Projects Flat-N-Low's '64 C-10 thread

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Flat-N-Low, Jul 3, 2013.

  1. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal

    Awesome build. You really nailed the stance on it, which is difficult with a longbed. All the subtle changes are outstanding.

    Devin
     
  2. MUNDSTER
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 292

    MUNDSTER
    Member

    I'm still following along, and still lovin it too. Lots of cool ideas. Thanks for sharing.


    Posted using the Full Custom MUNDSTER app!
     
  3. I have been working hard on the '64, so I figured that I should start posting up some progress. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I removed the factory fuel tank in order to gain more cab room. I also didn't want to lose the capability of storing the spare tire, so a rear mounted tank was out of the question. My truck was originally equipped with a pair of aftermarket saddle tanks, and from the beginning, I was adamant about getting rid of them. After some thought, I decided that the saddle tanks could come in quite useful if I upgraded them and made them the primary fuel tanks for the truck. The tanks were essentially gas cans with no floats, sending units, or proper vent system. In order to make them work, I would need to upgrade them to a proper sending unit/float and put a safe, effective vent system in them.

    I used to have pictures of what the tanks looked like when I pulled them out, but because I wasn't planning on using them, I deleted them from my camera. They were disgusting! The exteriors were rusty, the interiors were rusty, and the driver's side tanks had a HUGE beehive inside of it. Before I cleaned the inside of the tanks, I decided to drill the hole for the sending unit. Once I determined where the bed support braces were going to be, I marked the tanks for the hole pattern using the plate that came with the sender (Classic Instruments is the manufacturer of the senders).
    [​IMG]
    After I drilled the holes. The plate that came with the kit is threaded, and will get welded to the tank, and the sender with bolt to the plate. In this picture, you can see how nasty the inside of the tank was.
    [​IMG]
    I also drilled the tanks for the filler. I am going to have access doors in the bed floor, and the fillers are the push through type from Tanks, Inc. I have an idea for the access doors, but I'm not ready to that yet.
    [​IMG]
    In my typical fashion, I got in a hurry and stopped taking pictures. I also welding in threaded bungs for the roll-over vent valves, which I also got from Tanks, Inc. I showed the tank vent mod that I did a few posts ago, so I won't go into detail about that.

    After the drilling and grinding, it was time to clean the tanks. The beehive was a real challenge, and it took me a few hours to get it all out. After that, I poured 2 gallons of undiluted muriatic acid in each one and let it sit for an hour. After that, I sloshed the solution around for about 30 minutes. I then filled the tanks to the top with water and let them sit overnight. In the morning, I drained the tanks and then put two boxes of baking soda and refilled the tanks to neutralize the acid. What a difference! The interior of the tanks turned out nice and clean. I then poured some WD-40 inside and sloshed the insides to ensure that it wouldn't flash rust. I plan to paint the exterior of the tanks when I'm finished with the fab work, so right now, they're in metal etch primer to prevent them from rusting.

    Next step: Fuel lines, filter, and tank solenoid.
     
  4. The tanks were temporarily re-installed, and I went to work bending fuel lines. Because I am using a factory GM fuel tank selector solenoid, I decided to mount it on the passenger side framerail and bring the right and left fuel lines to it. I installed new 1/4 NPT/3/8 inverted flare fittings in the tanks. Here is a shot of the driver's side fuel line, which follows the trailing arm crossmember over to the passenger's side. The line is clamped with Adel clamps and has air-gap clearance for the entire run. The lines do not touch adjacent metal at any point during their entire run. That's something I learned from all of my years in aerospace. A rubbing line WILL eventually rub a hole.
    [​IMG]
    And a shot showing the route out of the passenger tank
    [​IMG]
    Here is a shot of the solenoid and the filter. I built a filter bracket out of 1"x3" square tubing using a 1.5" hole saw. The filter locks in and gets secured with a hose clamp. I'm still in the mock-up stage so none of the lines are clamped. All of the rubber lines shown in the picture will be replaced with 3'8" fuel injection hose and F.I. line clamps.
    [​IMG]
    The fuel line to the fuel pump eventually met up with the trans cooler lines, so I routed them together. I was going to make my own billet clamps to secure them, but I had a brainstorm to utilize spark plug wire separators instead. I found a set on ebay for $18 that were for a 9.5mm wire, and if you do the conversion, 9.5mm is almost exactly 3/8", so they worked perfectly. In order to make them work, I had to drill out the hole that secures the halves together to .250", and now, the bolt that holds the halves together is also the mount bolt. I made a couple of standoffs from some steel tubing to space the lines away from the frame. Here's a shot of the fuel and tranny cooler lines as they come up the frame rail and go over the front suspension crossmember. The trans lines are on the top, and the fuel line is on the bottom.
    [​IMG]
    When the lines got to where the fuel pump is, I stopped the fuel line and continued the cooler lines to the front radiator crossmember.
    [​IMG]
    I built a fuel line from the pump to the carb last night, but it was getting dark, and after looking at it this morning, I have a better route planned. That line is tricky to make because the serpentine brackets give you no access holes to sneak a line through.

    On another note, I am always checking Craigslist for C10 stuff, and I found a guy selling a brand new Early Classic hidden hitch for $75! I am running a '67-'72 fleetside rear bumper, and that's what this hitch is designed for. The receiver section sits behind the license plate, and you use a flip bracket and slide the hitch into it. I was going to buy a universal hitch and modify it, but this save me a TON of fab work. It's a really nice piece, and seriously heavy duty (heavy). The build quality is nice, like all of ECE's stuff.
    [​IMG]
    I'm getting a lot of little things done, so that's a good thing. My helpers, on the other hand, are less than enthused. This little guy will stay with me under the truck for hours, even when I'm throwing sparks and using loud tools. A great shop dog. The other Pug is sneaky, and likes to sniff around places he's not supposed to be, knowing that I'm busy and can't watch him.
    [​IMG]
     
  5. MUNDSTER
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 292

    MUNDSTER
    Member

    Awesome. I have been driving the poop out of my 64, when I should be working on everything. I have a fuel cell in the bed behind the cab for all the reasons you stated. I don't think saddle tanks are an option for me, but I want my whole bed back. I found that chevy astro van spare tires are for me. I like the way you will mount yours. Thank you for the update, Kurt.
     
  6. n847
    Joined: Apr 22, 2010
    Posts: 2,724

    n847
    Member

    Wow...love your style!

    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
  7. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,903

    need louvers ?
    Member

    Dude! The triple line clamps came out awesome! Everything is lookin' cool at this point. How far away are ya from fire up and drive?
     
  8. KJSR
    Joined: Mar 7, 2008
    Posts: 2,494

    KJSR
    Member
    from Utah
    1. Utah HAMBers

    Looking good man! I have been driving mine to work lately....through a mountain pass.....what a workout!
     
    nunattax likes this.
  9. I've still got a bunch of things to do, but at the rate I'm going, I expect to be ready to fire the engine in about two months. I still need to plumb the brakes, finish the bed wood, rebuild the rear driveshaft, and completely rewire the truck. Then.....the majority of the truck gets disassembled for final paint touch-up on the chassis. After the fire-up, there's a big job to do on the exterior that'll take a couple of weeks to complete. I was hoping to have it finished before the Hot Rod Reunion in October, but that's doubtful. I WILL make the GNRS, though!
     
  10. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal

    Whatever happened to the big block from the 'Burb? I thought that was the plan but then a 350 landed there!
     
  11. hotrod 49
    Joined: Mar 5, 2007
    Posts: 366

    hotrod 49
    Member

    I was at the house yesterday and FINALLY got to see all the cool stuff he's done lately and man, he nailed it! It looks pretty freakin' cool and his attention to detail is a nice contrast to most of the crap I see around this desert! Awesome job dude!
     
  12. The 454 out of the Suburban was originally going to go into the '64, but a buddy of mine was hounding me for the engine so he could put it in his '70 Nova, so we did some trading. The 350 that wound up in the '64 was slated for my '55 truck, but I had a change of heart and wanted to use a dependable (no trick parts) engine and trans for the '64 because it was going to be used as a parts hauler and road-trip machine. Even still, with some of the parts I went with, the 350 should make between 375-400 horsepower. That'll work!
     

  13. Thanks! I'm glad you got to see it. Sometimes, my attention to detail is also my downfall. It makes me take way too long to finish anything, and when I hit a snag, it drives me crazy. I have a huge respect for any builder who maintains a high level of detail from start to finish. Usually, when I'm looking at a finished car, I can always see where the builder got in a hurry or "lost the bubble", so to speak. It's easy to do, especially when you're dying to drive the thing.
     
  14. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,903

    need louvers ?
    Member


    Our brains work so much alike it's positively scary! If I hit a snag on something, I might lay awake for a couple days trying to figure it out if I'm on a tight timeline. I just refuse to do something less than the best I can manage to do it. I had a wiring customer watch me for a bit on Sunday, and he got out of the car shaking his head and smiling and laughing a bit and said "you only have one mode - perfect! I would have just left six extra inches and wadded it up somewhere you couldn't see it...".
     
  15. RichtersRodz
    Joined: Feb 12, 2008
    Posts: 228

    RichtersRodz
    Member

    Sweet build man... I was skipping through it, but now I have to go back and read the whole thing!! LOL.. It makes me want to drag my 64 up to the house and start working on her.. :)
     
  16. It's funny that you mention wiring! My aerospace background is primarily wiring, and I've wired a bunch of different aircraft, from fighters to Stealth Bombers. It's kind of a Black Magic art to some people, and most folks are extremely intimidated by it, but I love it. It's one of the few elements of a vehicle's build where the installer has the "artistic license" to do what they want. Sad to say, it's also something where you work so hard to make it nice AND invisible at the same time! I find it odd that some installers don't spend the time to comb out the harness and eliminate twisted wires, or trim all of the wires to equal length, and they use crappy AutoZone splices and crimp them with regular pliers. I always laugh when I'm fixing someone else's hacked wiring job and I find the huge hairball wad of excess wiring stuffed up under the dash. These are the same cars where the owner bitches about it constantly blowing fuses, losing the headlights, or the ignition cutting out. Duh....

    Bad quality electrical wiring jobs WILL strand you on the side of the road, guaranteed!
     
  17. Get that Six-Four up to the house and start wrenchin! The 60-66 Chevy and GMC trucks are super hot right now. They're a great platform to work with, easy to work on, and offer tons of part interchangeability options with other generations of GM trucks and cars.
     
  18. 3wLarry
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 12,804

    3wLarry
    Member Emeritus
    from Owasso, Ok

    Just found this thread and have spent the last 2 hours reading it all. Killer truck Alex...I'm actually looking for a 63-66 truck myself right now.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  19. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    did you hear the "ugly" guy in your avatar just died at 98 years old?

    cool truck, nice stance.
     
  20. Thanks, Larry! I always appreciate your insight and advice, and I appreciate your compliment. Have you found a '63-'66 yet? You've obviously done your homework, because the '63-'66 trucks are the best of that generation ('60-'66). The '63 is kind of a unique year, the last of the wrap-around windshield cabs and the 1-yr only grille. The '64 thru '66 trucks are pretty similar, with the exception of the emblem placement on the front fenders, and the fact that the '66 had a lot more available options. Are you looking at a long or short wheelbase? I have always hot-rodded my shortbeds and used the longbeds for work trucks, so my '64 is the first longbed I have ever done. I wasn't planning on building a longbed, but the price ($200) was too good to pass up. If you want a really good website dedicated to all years of Chevy/GMC trucks, check out www.67-72chevytrucks.com . They have forum sections dedicated to all of the generations (i.e: 55-59, 60-66, 67-72, 73-87, etc), and the '60-'66 section has got some really cool stuff going on. A lot of guys on there are from your neck of the woods, too.

    Thanks! Yeah, I was bummed out when I heard that Eli Wallach (Tuco) died. He was a great actor, especially as the outlaw Tuco in my favorite movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. He was 98 years old, so he lived a long life. I plan to keep his likeness as my avatar for a long, long time.
     
  21. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,903

    need louvers ?
    Member

    Funny, the first thing I though of on hearing of Wallach's death on TCM was your avatar...

    Yup, loud and clear on wiring! That's why this guy paid me the big bucks to do his!
     
  22. hotrod 49
    Joined: Mar 5, 2007
    Posts: 366

    hotrod 49
    Member

    I did everything in my power to make Alex proud of the wiring in my truck being that's HIS gig! We've both seen so many bad wiring jobs that it's almost what we expect to see anymore! It wasn't near as hard as I thought it would be, but to do it right is very time consuming!
     
  23. philly the greek
    Joined: Feb 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,863

    philly the greek
    Member
    from so . cal.

    Hey Alex , enjoy your time doing the build up . When you finish , all that's left is to drive the shit out of it !! Good luck .
     
  24. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal


    People think I'm nuts but I like wiring. So many are afraid of it or flat make a mess out of it! I will never claim mine to be perfect, but it's neat and functional and has yet to leave me or any work I've done on the side of the road!


    You can have the later trucks! I like the earlier ones with the wrap around windshields and the huge nostrils for the turn signals. Take me a 60-62 any day. I know where some are, but they're all rusty and overpriced. I've had 55-59s and 67-72s, but never the lost generation 60-66 trucks. Maybe that's why I'm digging this thread so much.

    Nah, it's the attention to detail. Very clean work Mr Flat-N-Low.

    Devin
     
  25. Thanks, Phill! I am so ready to drive this heap because I'm getting sick of working on it.

    Speaking of driving.....I saw a small cel phone picture of your '32 with NO flames and with the Halibrands back on it. It looked great!! I couldn't tell if it was striped, but I assumed it was.
     
  26. philly the greek
    Joined: Feb 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,863

    philly the greek
    Member
    from so . cal.

    No striping yet , maybe I can get Brad to do it .
     
  27. This might not be HAMB friendly, but I live in the damn desert, and all of my vehicles must have A/C. The days of sweating my nuts off in my hot rods were over a long time ago. Fortunately, this truck was equipped with factory A/C, and I'm retro-fitting the old R-12 system to R-134, and upgrading some of the older components to more efficient ones. Inside the interior, it'll all look 100% factory. Underneath the hood will utilize all factory GM stuff, but with some hose routing changes for aesthetic purposes only.

    I have been mocking up AC lines for the past few days, and I was having a tough time deciding where to locate the low and high pressure service fittings where they wouldn't look like an afterthought. I came up with an idea where the low and high pressure ports would be in the same area, and still maintain a nice, clean hose route. I wound up using the battery tray as a foundation, and make a bracket that hold both service ports. I had some 1/8" plate that I cut on my bandsaw, and bent it to shape. I mounted the service ports with 3/8" clamps on the high pressure port and 5/8" clamps on the low pressure port. I drilled the bottom of the bracket and match-drilled it to the tray. All of the clamps and attach bolts are 1" 1/4-20 bolts with nylocks. I even cut the -6 and -10 hose to length, and all I need to do is take them over to a friend's shop to crimp the ends.
    I'm trying to make the hoses route cleanly and not look like an add-on, as most AC systems do. AC is not an attractive accessory.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I still need to make the -6 hose from the high pressure side of the port to the evaporator, weld new -10 and -12 fittings to the compressor manifold, and build the -12 line from the compressor to the evaporator.
     
  28. MUNDSTER
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 292

    MUNDSTER
    Member

    Wow, very nicely done, and well though out. Makes me want A/C.


    Posted using the Full Custom MUNDSTER app!
     
  29. I live in the desert, so A/C is almost mandatory. Trying to make it look presentable is the biggest challenge. I'm doing my best to try to make the stuff you can't hide look presentable, and to make the rest of it disappear.
     
    need louvers ? likes this.
  30. After a lot of searching, I finally found 9/16-18 and a 7/16-20 line nuts for a 3/16ths line, so I started on bending brake lines. I figured that the trickiest lines to make will be the ones coming out of the master cylinder, because I want them to tuck under the brake booster and then hit the firewall and go down to the frame rail. Because of the tight area and the complicated route, I have to rely completely on my tube jig, which happens to be a piece of welding wire. Once you make the first bend, you have to do the rest of the route on the bench and hope you got it right. So far, I have done the route all the way to the firewall, and right now, I'm trying to figure out how I want to clamp the lines down to the frame. I kind of hosed myself when I started bending the second line. I made the lines 1/2" apart, only to find out that nobody makes a double line clamp with that spacing. So, I grabbed some aluminum I had in my stash and made three billet line separators. I cut them .9" long and .4" tall, then drilled the holes for the lines and the attach fastener, and then cut them on the bandsaw. I filed the surfaces smooth and then dressed the edges on the belt sander.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I plan on bending the lines to match the firewall and then continue to the frame tomorrow. I'm going to have to do some very careful measuring because if I make a mistake, the lines are junk and will have to be re-bent.
     

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