Started this project in October - coming along nicley...... Truck was complete and running, but in need of a little rat rod work.... Uncle Bob bought it we have that much more into it now with chrome parts, wheels/tires and body/paint materials..... Wife has a new iPhone she's playing wirh - takes these old looking pics.....
left the roof metallic green along with the hood spears and the dash. The bed side steps and insides of the bed and tailgate are matte black acrylic enamel.
Thanks. Yea really not a bad buy, could of parted it out and got more than that. Brothers had a sale in October that was perfect timing to get the bling bling and the engine crossmember it needed. The engine mounts were kinda interesting - pics here.
that's funny....I got a 57 last year, it was primer, and this year I painted it white. Yours is looking good, just need to loose the visor and it'll be perfect!
Well after having to do some hammer and dolly work on that made in China visor right out of the box - might agree with you. Going for the bomb rat rod look, added that, a chrome radio speaker box inside, the chrome grill, headlight bezels, bumpers, bumper guards, mirrors, tail lights. Really I didn't think the repro grill fit all that great either. The bumper came drilled in the center for '58-59 license plate brackets so I went with that location. The right side '57 bracket sits back a good 3/4" from the face of the grill and the plate would rub on the grill. GM didn't think that one out much. If you look at the front pics - the previous owner had the front bumper brackets flipped side to side so the bumper was too low. I removed 3 out of 7 of the front leaf springs lowering it about 2" - that and the same size tires all the way around still netted 1" more rake and filled the wheel openings better.
Actually got the new wheels/caps and used tires for $500 out the door at a used tire shop. 235/75R15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain. Not exactly the tires I would pick new, but a good temp improvement none the less.
Probably has a 55-56 bracket, the 57 is offset to clear the grille. I just learned that last week....
It's offset alright - back into the grill face. Got the bracket repro from Brothers which shows the same bracket for 55-57 here. Checking out pics online looked like a lot of '57's had the plate rubbing on the grille, and the 58-59 center bracket was high and held the plate at a wierd angle. So I made my own bracket. I see LMC specifies their bumbers come without holes for the 58-59 - that would be even better.
send it back, tell them it's for a 55-56 and you ordered one for a 57, and that is not the right part.
Your bumper is a bit low and forward - with the brackets switched mine looked like that or worse. Try switching your frame-to-bumber brackets side to side. They even had the outer brackets switched on mine. Brothers says fits 55-57..... I am sure they have sold plenty to 57 owners.... At anyrate, not running it.
3rd brakelight / running light - Free upgrade - Received one tail light assembled upside down - they must not have a fool proof drill jig in China - the lense screw tabs riveted in wrong location. I made it work by making little tabs inside to relocated the screws and flip the lense. Brothers sent another light. This is park light brightness:
My bumper brackets are on the right way, if I flip them the bumper will drop about an inch. They may not know that the part they sell doesn't work, won't hurt to tell them.
Just in my engine mount thread. It does have the tallest darrn pleated paper air cleaner though.... I may have to post a pick of that goofy looking thing. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=647355&highlight=half+ass+engine Edit - Here ya go - a feast for the eyes...
I think the painted bumper was even upside down. Once I put the left side brackets on the right and visa versa - everything fit like factory. The wife said the day Uncle Bob dropped it off, the bumper looked in the wrong position - she's usually right - and she was.
Tonight's project - removed, sanded, primed and shot the door panels with some left over NAPA Martin Senour acrylic enamel that came with the truck. They had a lot of paint missing from unmasking green in the center... even a rat rod deserves a few good panels.
That first pic the bumper is upside down. If you take the stock brackets, leave them on the bumper, remove the whole assy, flip the bumper, that's what you get - it will bolt back onto the frame. The bumper brackets are not symmetrical (due to the different angles on the 2 faces on the bumper) on the bumper mounting so you cannot leave the bumper brackets on the frame, take the bumper off and flip as it will not bolt up right. I prefer the upside down look but there's a bit involved to make it happen and look right. Looks like you have it figured out stock wise now. My original license bracket didn't have the extra whoop-de-do in it and just came up straight after bending back from behind the bumper. Lookin good!
a couple yrs ago lmctruck.com mailed me a catalog with a 58 on the cover my first thought was ''cool'' then it was ''wtf?'' they had their catalog cover truck's bumper upside down. it was mounted an inch below the apron, sometimes they just don't understand the 55-59 bumper is all the same. i don't know about the 55-57 fit, but on the 58-59 the end of the bumper is less than 3/16'' from sheet metal. a ity bity bump and i'd be doing body work, again...
The 58-59 bumper has the license tag mounting holes, the 55-57 does not, other than that they're the same. The 59 truck we got for my kid several years ago had the front bumper mounted upside down. There was a reason for it...the frame had been knocked sideways at the front about an inch, and that was their solution for putting the bumper back on, instead of straightening the frame. We straightened it and put the bumper on right. I saw a GMC truck a few weeks ago in town with the bumper upside down. sure looks weird.
just a couple of hints for you 55-59 truck builder: i painted my step wells and used a double layer of 3M paint protection film on the steps. it keeps the scratches off your paint. mine's been there for 3 yrs. ironically, my 3M film guy is in my phone as 'uncle bob' for an alternative to bed wood. try trex plastic decking. easy to cut for the bed strips. only available in 5.25'' wide, you will have one extra board and bed strip
Couple good ideas Ogre - your bed "wood" will never rot! The last '40 GMC I had the smooth after market running boards sprayed with Line-X bed coating. Tough and you can use the running boards as they should be no worries. The wife's cousin gave me this shoebox full of rusty old wrenches before I got that truck, had no clue what to do with them. It clicked and I turned 4 of them in bumper guards up front, and nurf bars out back.
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