For those that missed season one of "Learn how to pimp your own ride, MFer," it can be found here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=287130 So for the past 3 months I have been hard at work trying to get this whole body fabrication thing down, and here is the progress so far. As before a full on build log of the work done is provided here: http://www.marketingmembers.<wbr>com/upload/files/Body_<wbr>Fabrication.ppt For those of you with out the illustrious, yet devious microsoft office software necessary for viewing said build log, on to more of the Rat-Killin'!!!! As before all work was performed by myself and one other dude. While getting some hammer and dolly time in, it seemed like the metal was just way too hard. It turns out, the previous owner had done another switcheroo and decided it would be an awesome idea to just paint over the rust...... so off to sandblasting it went. Upon its return, we pulled the rear panel as it was trash and then we cut out the floor bracing the previous owner put in, cut out the front body mount supports, and raised them 5 inches and raised the rear body brace 2 inches, effectively channeling the body 6 inches. 1) From there we went to work on the floor frame out, all 3/4 inch tubing. 2) The floor tubing was incorporated into 1x2 frames along the door edges and wrapped around the rear for full support of the cab. 3) We fabbed up some body mounts into the floor tubing and then (after installation pic) 4) welded in some nut zirks into the frame. The bottom of all of the panels around the cab were pretty rotted out. It became apparent we needed to replace them. A rocker panel brace was fabbed up, 5) and then the rear bottom 6) and front cowl transition of the cab. 7) From there the rocker panel pieces were constructedand set in place.
Continued...... Once the panels were replaced, it was on to the chop.Just about everyone here knows how to use a sawsall, so I will leave the details out on that one. We got everything cut and sized it down to a 4 inch chop all the way around. This kept the roof rake as it was, which looks killer anyways, and allowed me to lose the top hinges on the doors. After getting it all sized up, work began and the window frame, as it is a safari window. 1) I ended up using 2x 3/4 inch tubing to frame out the windshield and mounted a piano hinge through that framing with 10/24 machine screws threaded into zirks. 2) Sheetmetal to provide the sealing point along the sides. 3) All of this was incorporated into a new dash frame. 4) The visor was then reworked to seal the cab from the outside, still providing room for the windshield to easily mount and unmount, as well as enough space for windshield wipers. The roof is then fit back on and tacked in. 5) I welded the rear sails back in to be worked in as a body line, instead of leaving the previous existing seam. I am still working at my sheetmetal welding..... 6) We then cut a new rear panel and roll the horizontal body lines into it. We cut out the vertical body lines along the rear of the cab as they were originally used as seams bolted together through the wooden frame on the inside. 7) The original rear window was cut out and grafted into the new panel, along with a frameout, as it will be a rolldown. It is still shorter in height than the tallest part of the side windows, and with the huge blind spots created from the massive sail panels, I wanted all of the room I could get to see around and behind me.
Still Continuing......... 1) The tops of the doors were trued up and welded back in place. 2) The rear panel was then tacked in place but....... 3) Rolling that big ass panel through the bead roller a few times didnt turn out perfectly straight. The left hand side had pulled up a little bit on the body lines. I cut out a small section of the adjoining panel with the body lines, and shimmied it diagonally and tacked it back into place. This helped make the line look a bit more natural and once finished, should make the body line flow quite well...... 4) I plug welded the rear panel to the rear body frame, and from their we fabbed up some covers that will be welded to the bottom of the body brace and cap over the plug welds - providing a "factory" - like seam that will be sealed....... That was all of the work accomplished during the body fabrication course. I still have a bed to fab, and and I need to figure out how I will mount my grill shell, but the last few pictures give you a pretty good idea how the beast will look...... So that's it ladies and gents..... gimme a little feedback and let me know what you think.......
Oh no worries with that...... there will definitely be an updated full on, bad ass, 90-mile an hour build log as I go..... The build log tends to look better than my work
How far is yours chopped? and what are the windshield measurements in regards to viewable area height in the middle and driver/passenger sides???
i believe it is 5 to 6 inches when i got it off of ratster. view im not for sure yet windshield isnt cut yet. if you could add a picture of the inside post where the door would latch that would be great dont know yet how i am going to latch the door shut.
I dont have the latches installed yet. It will be a while before I worry about them, as I have so much other stuff to accomplish first. With the 1x2 frame-out around the doors on the cab, I am just going to use bear claw latches. The ones that were already on are good, I am just going to figure out a better placement, incorporating them into the posts as opposed to just welded to the outside of them, as the previous owner had done.
Thants cool man just didnt know what you had in mind for it. That back panel is killer mine has some bad but dont have a wheel or know of anyone that does that could make me one so i'm just going to repair mine the best i can. Is yours stillthe originial front axle ?
No, I am running a spring over kit from speedway that I had to do some modifying to.... I ended up losing the vertical body lines in the rear for the seam.... cleaned it up pretty nice.... but I dig not having access, work with what ya got.....
I'm thinking about buying a 33 Chevy. A stocker. Don't suppose they make a dropped axle and other good stuff for these do they? Later, Bill
Very nice Job! Got to see your Truck in person when my son Ryan enrolled in HRI in Sept.All you guys are really lucky to go to such a great school!!
HOLY OLD THREAD RESURRECTION......I know. A good friend has a complete, (minus drivetrain) 33 Chevrolet 1/2 ton truck. It's a total disassembled basketcase with small parts in boxes, stripped frame with a nice even coat of stable surface oxidation. Over beverages last evening we committed to building it. It's too nice to leave alone and the first decision is frame, likely go with a S10 or Blazer front clip and use as much of the donor vehicle's components as possible since the goal is a dependable driver. This post is to see if anyone has a link to the rest of the build discussed above. Yep, I'll start a proper thread on our project. Thanks, RR