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Got a '59 GMC Fleetside

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by mt94ss, Oct 1, 2012.

  1. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Cool that you are turning your yard art into a driving truck.

    Mine is pretty rust free compared. I will have to get a few more pieces but I did get some for the bedside panels yesterday. 1 1/2" x 1" pieces to fix the board mounts all around. I also had them bend a couple pieces for the rear corner pockets and a really nice piece for the rear sill.

    Probably a wash as if I should have replaced the rear sill wit a new one for about $150. I have less than that into the stock one and I bet it's thicker than the Chinese piece plus I get to fix it.

    Found some unfinished wood that I might pick up this weekend for the floor.

    I will probably blow thru my budget but the wood and metal repairs really need to happen.

    Mike


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  2. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Looking for some help with the bolt hole locations on the bed sides both in front of and to the rear of the wheel wells. My pieces were so rusted out that I couldn't see the holes. Are they all square? Are they just where the crossmembers go? If that is the case I think I am OK with the locations, just want to verify.

    Here is the pocket repair and the new lip for the edge. You can see the piece that I am replacing on the hammer. Not much of the 90* left. Turning out nice. I'm going to sand off the surface rust on the inside of the fenders and POR15 them.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Also fixed the rear sill with just a bit of repair left on the inside brace where it bolts to the fender. Clamped it to a piece of 2x5 to keep it straight while welding.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    pics
     

    Attached Files:

  4. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Thanks for the measurements and thanks for leaving them in hi-res so I can read them.

    Looks like they are lined up with the crossmembers. I still need to get a square file to square out the holes for the carriage bolts. Have to finish the patches this weekend. We just got dumped on! almost 10" of snow in 7 hours! Not much else to do. :D

    Mike
     
  5. swe64
    Joined: Nov 22, 2010
    Posts: 415

    swe64
    Member

    the sqare hole is to hold bolt when you tight it.i use a nut on backside and using a square bolt and hammer on it .you have to figure out what size of drill to use depending on material
    and thickness.
    ex bolt is 5/16 use a 0.25inch larger drill than 5/8 put bult in and tight then hammer on head untill you are all the way down. i will take pic on it and post later today
    i try hole size in bench before i go on truck,
     
  6. joseph.peter.carter@us.ar
    Joined: Sep 27, 2008
    Posts: 83

    [email protected]
    Member
    from USA

    I saw somewhere, a while back, a 58 Chevy 1/2 with 58 Chevy Impala quarter panels and extended trunk lid, fab onto the original bed. You could start a new trend, trucks with car quarter panels.
     
  7. swe64
    Joined: Nov 22, 2010
    Posts: 415

    swe64
    Member

    here is pic on how to make square holes
    some progress with my fleetside allso
     

    Attached Files:

  8. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    I just use a square file to make round holes square, it's not very difficult.
     
  9. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Thanks for the tips. The door wells look nice! I think for my purpose a square file will work better. Because I am flying blind I will drill the holes and file them square when I get the sides bolted together. I don't want to be off an 1/8" of an inch and have to weld up holes.

    Got one side finished today (minus drilling the holes). Too much snow so work was cancelled. I hope to get the other side finished tomorrow since I know how now. Should be pretty fast. Then it's off into the storm to find a square file...





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  10. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Haven't seen that one. I remember seeing a custom truck in one of the little custom books that had fins on the bed. It was a pre-55 series one type. Looked cool.

    I am just wanting this as a cool driver, not a custom.

    Mike


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  11. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Finished up the repairs of the bedsides this weekend. This was the only part other than the bottoms that was bad. It's where the tub bolts on.

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    Here's the last L bracket.

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    And the bed bolted together pretty easily. Had to make new tabs for the rear sill but didn't take photos of that. They are the spacers at the frame.

    [​IMG]

    This is the pile of rusted metal that I removed. Some of it is the strips.

    [​IMG]

    It gets to come apart again for welding and paint. I am doing the inner fenders like I said but I think that I will get some yellow paint and redo the inner bedsides along with the wood. That way when (and if) I restore the outside of the truck the inside of the bed will be done. Wheel tubs are next.

    Now for the fun part. I haven't put one of these together before. Do you bolt the boards on the side first? Anyone know of a step by step on how to assemble one of these beds?
     
  12. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    support the bed up a tiny bit higher than it should be, put the sills on the frame. Put the wood in starting from the outside edges, add the strips as you go. Don't tighten anything until it's all put together, and you have measured the diagonals a few times to make sure it's square.

    Also...did you get the right bolts and washers to hold the bed to the frame? did you figure out how the offset washers work? and how deep to cut the offset recesses for them?
     
  13. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    So the box really isn't bolted directly to the truck except on the rear sill? Every other point seems to have a piece of wood between the box and the sills. I can see where it would be better not to tighten the bolts until it is all together.

    Thanks for the reminder about the offset washers. I saved all the old ones and will probably powder coat them. I also saved the pieces of wood so I can duplicate the recesses on my new boards. The rest of the bolts and washers are in hand.

    Mike
     
  14. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    OK, I haven't heard from my friend with the wheel tubs and I want to keep building. So I have a question. One of the suppliers shows that the wheel tubs they have are for 58-59 or 67- (will fit 58-59 with minor adjustments). Does that mean that the tubs from 67-72-ish will fit in a '59? I am sure the diff is the dimples where the strips go, and if so it should be relatively easy to adapt the later tubs to my truck. The 'reliefs' are different is all that I can really see.

    I could do mine but they are really bad and need repair up into the tub not just the flange. If I had an english wheel I would make my own.

    Mike
     
  15. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Started to trim the wood tonight. Got the widths on this cut.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    It's ash that is 13/16ths ready to plane. I will cut them to 97" then cut in the reliefs for the strips with my dado blade.

    Thinking since I need to build everything anyway I will widen the tubs 4" +/- (to the next board) and trim off the 2 center sills. I am trying to track down a couple 67-72 tubs to see how close they are and I'll modify them to fit.

    [​IMG]

    This is what my tubs look like. Not a great start but if I can't find any others to fit I will have to Frankenstein these...
    [​IMG]
     
  16. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

  17. My tubs are missing- looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

    Squirrel, are the 60-66 all that much different (they look more triangular than the 58-9)?
     
  18. ...you mite try replacement trailer fenders ...
     
  19. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    I think the 60-66 are about the same shape, but they do have an extra ridge near the bottom.
     
  20. The extra ridge won't kill me :D

    Sorry for the thread-theft... but thanks for the info, and hope it helps!
     
  21. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Ran all the boards thru the planer that I borrowed from a bud. It works great - nice even pressure and only taking 1/32" off at a time. The boards are smooth and ready to dado.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Sorry about the quality of the photos - iPhone. Anyway you can see the notches. The deep groove is .250" deep and wide and .470" from the edge. The other is .125" deep. This is what most of the original boards that had good edges measured. A bit different from what is on a couple sites, but the trim pieces fit in there perfect. I will probably have to run a drill bit thru the hole to give a little more room for the bolts, but the original boards looked like that too.

    [​IMG]

    I am not really a wood worker, but I filled the shop vac 3 times with the shavings from the planer and from this dust from the dado. That's a lot of material!

    I will post more pics when I mount them to the sills.

    Mike
     
  22. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Just a quick update. Getting all the rust treated on the bottom of the cab. Needs corners and a couple patches on the driver door well but I think I will wait on those fixes till after I get it running and have some fun with it.

    POR15'd the roof insert on the interior and the underside of the footwells. I also got some of the original color (Chrome Yellow) from our local independent paint store. They still had the paint cards and the mix was in the computer. Had to tint it just a bit for a perfect match. This will be for the firewall and underside along with any spots around the windows and doors that need a touch.

    Coming along nicely.
     
  23. 64LeSabre455
    Joined: Dec 29, 2007
    Posts: 779

    64LeSabre455
    Member
    from Adkins, Tx

    Lookin good, since you already have the bed off the truck, it would probably be a good time to go ahead and do those cab corners! Less work to worry about in the future. The doors are another story, you can take those off after ya get her runnin. I wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of my 58, but needed the cash and the space!

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  24. tjet
    Joined: Mar 16, 2009
    Posts: 1,335

    tjet
    Member
    1. Early Hemi Tech

    Yep. the 2 outer wide planks are what secures the bed to the frame (at least it's that way on a stepside)

    I just did mine last weekend & I was surprised that I almost pushed the bed off the back. BTW - Jim is correct. install all the bolts loosely before you tighten. I need to drill my angle strips before I tighten it all up (& before the main bed bolts) - Im not done yet...

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  25. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    It's taking longer than I wanted so April is out.

    I have finally gotten the 67-72 wheel wells. They are the same as the 58-59 overall.

    [​IMG]

    They bolted right up to the sides, no problem.

    [​IMG]

    The difference is the pattern for the floor. I am going to use both the originals and the new ones to make wide tubs so I don't mind, but that seems to be the main difference.

    [​IMG]

    The original is on the top and the 67-72 is on the bottom. You can see the difference of the holes.
     
  26. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Finally got back on the truck tonight. I had ordered some nuts from McMaster-Carr for the door hinges as the originals were rusted off.

    [​IMG]

    The outer pockets were also rusted out so I cut them away for easier access.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I drilled the extra 2 holes to plug weld the nut cages on.

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    Then I ground them smooth. Can't tell other than the round hole where the nut is.

    Then I built the pockets. Still need to finish the rust treatment spray then seam seal the pockets and ready for POR15.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  27. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    Neat little captive nuts. The only problem I see, is that the originals have a lot of movement, so you can adjust the doors. I hope you put them in just the right place! It's a pain fixing the original captive nuts.
     
  28. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    Yeah, they have about 3/16s" movement instead of 1/4". Close. My doors were right in the middle so I hope I'm ok. Close enough for my truck.


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  29. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    ...and you can also waller out the bolt holes in the hinges, if needed.
     
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  30. mt94ss
    Joined: Jul 25, 2010
    Posts: 310

    mt94ss
    Member

    POR15d the bottom and some of the inside floor. This stuff works great.

    [​IMG]

    Test fitting the aftermarket visor... fits like $#!+. Going to either trim the corners to bring it in so it fits or skip it.

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    Also fixing the hinge mounts on the top now. The driver's side was ripped out and had been repaired before. Got the new piece in on the top, now the lower piece and some reinforcements for the hinges. This is the piece I cut out - the old repair.

    [​IMG]
     

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