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

Nice score

 

NICE! Did you get the cables and switch as well?

 

I wish, no one ever thinks of saving those. The guy I bought it from got it for a project he is working on, but changed his mind. I think he bought it from the person who took it out of the car (‘67 Nova supposedly). He had it listed as a 5 spd and hooked to a 250 6 cyl., always pays to ask if they'll sell parts separate.

 

There is a set on the bay for 68/69 Camaro. Don’t know if it will work.

Would a set of linkages work from an original truck 3 speed?

 

No, both the shift arms and the shift rods are different. On my '64 I modified the shift arms to fit the shift rods. The arms on this trans look the same as the ones I started with on the Saginaw I had in the '64. I modified these in 2005, I think I might be able to do better now .

 

I also bought another steering column to rebuild today....when it gets cooler an less humid......I hate summer.

 

They came out nicer that I would have been able to do

 

Thanks, I'm going to look for some long rods (off of anything with the same diameter) and maybe modify those this time. Then make some Derlin bushings for the rods into the arms, instead of those cheap rubber repo bushings.

 

I got the visors back from the interior shop. Reading all the posts about doing your own upholstery has me wanting to try......but time is short and I have other cars to work on.

The panel/suburban visors are longer then the pickup and with both down it covers the rear view mirror. Pics to come.

 

Finally have something to keep the sun out of my eyes. Painted the brackets hammer aluminum.

 

Road trip a couple of weeks ago. I noticed it getting warmer on the freeway, stopped to get gas then back onto the freeway. was up to 210 and stayed there. I just garden hosed the radiator when I bought it, so now the radiator is getting cleaned out, new t stat and a water pump. The water pump was leaking a little anyhow, this will be the 3rd replacement from Napa.....If they can find another one. I did order another one (says new casting Airtex) from Rockauto, so we'll see.

 

Thanks a beautiful truck, I just have to say that again. I really like how you approach every single task, one after another. Good work

 

Great job on the panel love that your making repairs and enjoying driving it.
Rather it being stuck in a garage for years.
The research on the speedometer shop from the repair tag was great. I recently purchased a 57 Chevy truck south of Seattle it had been in storage for over twenty years. Originally came out of S California your dash looked real familiar to mine. I found this inside the glove compartment door. Looked like at one time there were a couple more.

 

Thanks, it's nothing like your total reconstruction of the Suburban....that was amazing.

Thanks. City of Monterey Park (L.A area), I thinking mid late 60's. My grandmother had one like it from the City of Downey in her kitchen when I was a small kid. That's awesome. I like that yours still has all the stock plugs (I wish my dash wasn't hacked up for the tach)

 

Thanks another little fact my truck only ever had a sun visor on drivers side.
Also had turn signal installed at some point on top of front and rear fenders.
Has a asset tag attached to door jamb and matching tag on original key chain. PO said it was owned by one of the schools in that area.

 

An asset tag, it had to be a municipality of some sort.

 

Well, mine is back on the road and running at regular temps again. So far the Airtex pump is staying dry (the Napa ones would be seeping by now). The "cast blast" series from PlastiKote is spot on color wise, both have a little flake in it and dry to a very semi gloss sheen (cast iron and cast aluminum). The cast aluminum looks like a new cast intake or a cleaned old one and they're both higher heat engine paint.

I know they've been around awhile, but I assumed they would look like crap so I never tried them (I haven't tried Eastwood cast paints either). The aluminum cast looks better in person, my camera and led lights don't do them justice.

 

Been working on the '41 p/u so this one is waiting again. I took a week off from work starting this Friday, plans are to knock out the '41 (if the bed floor comes off nicely) and I'm going to try to replace the fresh air vent seals. I want to replace the vent window seals also but I can't find some donor assemblies fairly priced (or at all)........seems like part sales online (local) have slowed down during Covid times . Hope to have some progress pics soon.

 

Jumped back onto the panel tonight right as it was getting dark. I took out the pass door lock as it stopped working and took the fresh air vent out, it was leaking when closed. Took the lock apart and found the spring cover wasn't totally staying put when the key was inserted into the lock. I flipped the cover around and tapped it into place, seems to be holding now and the lock works. I bought the fresh air door seal kit awhile ago because there was towels shoved into the vents to block the air leaking by when I bought the panel.

True to form the repo parts didn't fit, they're too small. I ordered some foam sheet from Mcmaster Carr along with S.S. screws (instead of rivets). I also bought a roll of 1" wide, 1/8" thick adhesive backed grey foam from Amazon. I wanted to use the roll to make a gasket for the door panel and kick panels. Man what a difference in squeaking on that side (almost nothing now). Of course I didn't take pics, I'll try to document the drivers side when I make my own vent seal and door panel seals.

 

Anyone have a picture of a known factory drivers side floor vent?. I don't want to buy repo. Mine is spot welded together on the drivers side but riveted on the passenger side.

 

I busted out all the wayward spot welds on the drivers side vent......man they went crazy with the spot welder. I had 6 regular spot welds then some next to those and even through one bracket. Welded up all the extra holes (left the 6) and now waiting for paint to dry. Drivers inner door got some POR 15 and top coat (same with the rain gutter above the rear doors), lined with a seal and re installed. Just have to finish the floor vent seal/door, I also removed the cable, cleaned and lubed it.

 

Hey Dan, What kind of sealer did you use? I need to seal the gutters on my 56 F100.....They are not leaking but there are some cracks in the OG sealer and it could promote rusting...

 

Hey Mike, I just used por 15 rust paint and then a top coat. This panel doesn't have anything over the rain gutter seam other then paint....not sure if that's factory or not. I've used sealers in the past on other cars, this 3M product is a little thick and might need to use a tool to get it into small cracks but works good.

3M™ Heavy Drip-Chek™ Sealer
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...1+8711413+3293194150&preselect=8716717&rt=rud

 

Well I tried using the repo seal on the drivers side floor vent........nope. I stretched it to fit and it doesn't touch all sides in the housing, so I have to cut out my own seal. That's going to be one night this week and back together for this weekend.

 

Done and drove it last night on the freeway. Sealed TIGHT, we'll see how long the EPDM foam lasts. Also took out the pass cable, cleaned it, lubed it and both sides work like almost new. Next is the door glass and vent seals, but I still need to find a cheap set to put in place while the originals are out. I'm going to re seal and paint the originals since I know they fit great and all the glass matches.

 

I see you have it taken care of now, but if you need a pic I could take one. Or I may have a spare vent as well...assuming you mean the louvered cover piece?

 

Thank you for posting. I was looking for the vent door itself, inside behind the cover. It's a 2 piece door with a seal sandwiched inside. Mine look like the originals but I wasn't sure, I did take mine apart and replace the seals.

I just thought it was odd that one side was riveted and the other side was spot welded. All the repo doors I've seen use a 1 piece rod that covers the bottom locating pin and the pull arm for the cable (plus they're riveted). Mine have separate rods, which I think is original.

 

Since the panel sits on the street I put on a paranoid type anti theft device........a chain and locks . Found a cut resistant chain with a cover on it and bought 2 Master padlocks. Cut the cover in 2 spots, wrap the brake/clutch pedals, then lock that. Then up to the steering wheel, wrap the chain around it and lock it. Hopefully IF anyone has any ideas to take it, they might think it's too much of a pain (never had a problem here but like I said....paranoid).

 

Gotta be safe...

 

Found some extra side glass to use while I install new rubber and paint mine. Now to make time, it's hot and I'm slowing down.