Projects They call me Panelman.....1956 Chevy Panel Truck

Okay, I don't need anymore wheels. I found 4 good ones. Thanks everyone.

 

Here's the new wheels, really close to stock. The tire makes full contact with the pavement now and doesn't wonder anymore.

 

Found a pic for when I first saw it BEFORE it was for sale. He cut off the bumper guard before I bought it.

 

The fuel gauge stopped working right after I put a clutch in. Tested it and the gauge is ok, so the tank has to come out. I wanted to pull the tank anyhow because there's an old rats nest above it. Holy rat shit batman.........there was enough of it on the tank and in the frame channel to fill 1/2 of a 5 gal bucket . Looks like the tank was replaced sometime in the past as it had junkyard pen writing on it. A baffle broke free and had a back alley fight with the sending unit.......the sending unit lost. The one company that makes a repo sending unit is off, the unit looks good but the ohm reading are waaaay off (stock is 0-30, their sending unit is 2-120) and the others on the self are the same. The rheostat is loose and the wiper is totally gone on mine (not just the contact, the whole wiper). So I sent it to Williamson instruments to get rebuilt and I've been looking for someone to open up the tank and repair the baffle. I'm still looking for a used tank but no luck so far and I still looking for a repair place.....not sure I wanna test my tig skills on a gas tank.

Side note, I always heard a clunking noise coming from the pass rear around corner. I thought it might be the spring front bushing, but it sounded closer to the driver then that. The sound was right about where the gas tank is.......we'll see if the broken baffle was that noise.

 

Got everything back. A big thanks to Brady fabrication in Orange for fixing the baffle, Williamson instruments for repairing the sending unit and Gary's Radiator in Fullerton (if anyone local needs gas tank/radiator repair work) for cleaning and coating the tank.

 

Now I think I'll replace brake lines and the master before the tank goes back in (as they're behind the tank on the frame rail)..........all before LARS......I hope. Damn driveway is very sloped and the garage is too low. I'm working in the street and want to officially apologize to all my neighbors .

 

Well, I got screwed the last weekend without parts, called the place I was getting fittings from and got the run around. I canceled the order and ran around trying to get all the fittings to make the banjo idea work. I have all the fittings now but no time for working out the banjo bolt length and sealing properly. So plan B was to use a tee fitting and bend up a hard line.......so here's what I came up with. Have to make sure the line isn't too low, one port to left front and the other port to right front.

Kinda goofy looking but will work fine.

 

Hey Dan, Where did you get the spring clad tubing?

 

See you at LARS

 

You can buy just the spring at a lot of places now. I was getting mine from Classic Industries, but I think you can even get it through Amazon now (and eBay). Most places will have it for 3/16" and 1/4" line and I think it's stainless.

 

See you there Scott, you have my number and I'll bring the ashtray.

 

I never know how much detail is too much in these semi build threads. Let me know if this is too much detail and it's better if it's just an overview.

Ok, long post time.
I almost finished the brakes (had to work all last weekend and LARS was the weekend before). I replaced the wheel cylinders (believe it or not the fronts where Delco branded), ALL the hard lines (thanks to inline tube for shorting me 1 line )......I tried to make it quicker by buying pre bent lines (1st AND last time doing so). I bent up 3 new lines (2 new because of the dual master and 1 because it was missing...again thanks Inline Tube ), repaired the clutch linkage while I was at it, I installed a dual port master and made a new hole in the floor to access the new master. I also re installed the fuel tank.

Cutting the hole in the floor, off the side of the master a little so I won't cut into the floor rib. I was going to use a stock cover but it wouldn't be big enough to get to the longer master, so I went with one from a '53-'56 F100 and used a little plastic beading around the edge.

 

New lines (I have to use unions for the two new lines):

 

It's hard to get good pics so close to the truck and everything in the way. The dual exhaust is between the trans and frame rail...right under the master.

The new master set-up with weird line leg:

 

The clutch linkage was bad (worn out and hard to get to). I found some NOS parts on the Bay and a good used arm, but I couldn't get the old arm off with the trans and exhaust in the way (maybe when the engine/trans is out). So plan B was to modify the old linkage. Cut off the end of the rod, weld on a union, use a heim type joint and make a steel bushing for the arm.

NOS parts


Modified rod


Machined bushings and rod ends (old rod here before modification, note filler weld on 90 deg end). Bushings are for clutch pedal arm and shoulder bolt into joint (3/8" joint and a 5/16" shoulder bolt)


Bushing pressed into clutch pedal arm (notice the worn slot behind the bushing)



Linkage together, hope it works ok

 

The wheel cylinders are pretty straight forward and I don't need to document those. But I can tell you that now I need to replace the axle seals......it doesn't end, does it.

Oh yea, the fuel tank is back in (the easy part)

 

All that's left is to bleed the system, drive to a friends shop, replace the axle seals and rear brakes (in his parking lot which is a regular place to work unlike the street here). I miss the panel.....I need a lift and a bigger garage so I can work faster.


Getting up and down from under the panel so much one would think I would have a 4 pack by now or at least a 2 pack....but the 1 pack is here to stay .

 

Hahaha, you have a nice panel truck and you are doing a top job improving it! Have fun!

 

I like the long versions of the posts.

 

Thanks. It's just regular work, not like the full on pro builds on here. Just making an old vehicle driveable again.

 

Picked up a better grille and a spare o/d trans yesterday. Helping Mom out this weekend so next weekend will be more work.

 

The used grille is STRAIGHT but the wrong color (almond), I don't want to paint it as the slight rust fits the truck. I 1/2 assed the paint/prep with the hopes of it aging to match the rest of the truck. I know it's petty but it looks like store bought parts if they're super clean on an old truck (and I'm going to try to keep the old paint as long as I can). I scuffed up the core support, painted it semi black, scuffed up the grille, painted it off white and put on some good used parking light bezels I had. The only thing new is the parking light lenses....looks better. When and if I restore this truck then all panels will be sanded down and good proper paint applied.





Before:

 

I think the biggest difference is painting the core support black, it was white because they painted the grille with it in place. Second biggest was the grille as 3 uprights were bent on the old one (it was worse in person). I also found a better used hood emblem and that went on too.

 

The whole truck looks great! I’m very envious.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I'm back home and getting back to work. I noticed through some research that the panel truck uses the front bumper on the rear. I did some quick measuring and it looks to be the same. So now to find a good used front bumper in white that matches the truck. Weird, my old '64 Chevy panel and the '54 Ford panel both used a different rear bumper.

 

Never heard that before but good info, hmm, looks the same.

 

Caught me by surprise too, I was looking for a panel or suburban rear bumper as those are always different and hard to find. I looked online, found a GM parts manual, looked up the bumper (as a joke, like someone is going to have an NOS bumper with the part number on it) and it was the SAME part number as the front!!!!. I already passed on some good front bumpers because I was looking for a rear .

 

Good intel.

 

Well, the brakes are bled....but not without a fight!. I'm going to do the axle seals this weekend and the truck will be back on the road.....finally. I also need to get a new battery as the used Autozone battery won't hold a charge.....I didn't know you can get used batteries from Autozone.

Looks like it's either the super cheap low end Walmart battery ($43.99) with a pro rate warranty or the Costco Interstate with a 36 month free replacement warranty ($88.99). I'm cheap but the Costco battery sounds like a good deal.

 

Both rear axle seals done (had the wrong seals and looks like if you don't have an older paper catalog you'll get the wrong ones also. You need to know the type of axle to get the right seal). I also had to make a new battery hold down as the Costco Interstate sides wont let the stock hold down work. If I cut off the side plastic for the handle I bet Costco won't warranty it if there was ever a problem. I used some 5/16" bar stock, flat stock, round stock and a big piece of pipe to bend the bar stock. Here it is as I'm painting it.