Projects Build Thread ~ '58 Chevy Stepside

Much respect.

 

Then it was time to set the cab back in place. After cleaning the dust and cobwebs off the chassis new cab isolators were put in place, some poly pads replaced the rubber and shim setup on the front cab mounts. I thought it would take a lot longer to put the cab on by myself, it went on in a matter of minutes.

 

Then I started wiring things up, built an instrument cluster, added sound deadener and tended to countless other details inside the cab.

 

Then I pushed the cab and chassis into the corner and started on the other body panels. The front fenders needed some patches on the bottom corners behind the wheels, otherwise it was just a lot of filling, block sanding, priming, block sanding, etc. I used a new tailgate from MAR-K without "Chevrolet" embossed in the center so I could add a little custom touch. I also used their rear sill and both bedsides due to major issues discovered when everything was stripped. Their stuff is top notch! The metalwork was uncharted territory for me, but that's how you learn. Lots of mock up and reassembly but it paid off when it was time for final assembly...

View attachment 4166586

 

I got the fenders and door as close as I could but they were still not ready for paint. A local shop finessed them into shape and gave everything a final coat of 2K. With that done my attention turned to the inner fenders, core support and anything else I could get done while waiting for my turn at the paint shop.

 

Last one for tonight, final mock up of the interior so I could fit the carpet and padding. The interior is starting to look like something. I also prepped and painted a bunch of miscellaneous parts. Some areas got a coat of SEM bedliner for long term durability.

 

Nice work Black_Sheep

Sent from my SM-J727T1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I cleaned up the front of the engine and put the core support and radiator back on. The truck would have to be running to load it on the trailer and haul it to paint. I also got the doors hung and adjusted, no way I want to hang doors with fresh paint. I hauled over all of the loose body parts so the painter could get started on them. The rest of the truck couldn't go until the car which was painted before mine was picked up.

Finally the day came and I loaded it up for the short trip to the painter's shop.

 

Over the following month or so the painter would send me progress reports which really freaked me out at first. The shop lighting made the color look much darker than it actually was.

Bryan the painter cut and buffed the loose parts so I could haul them home and get started assembling the box while he finished polishing the cab.

 

I assembled the box and oak bed wood. In case you're wondering, there's 20+ coats of Helmsman's satin spar polyurethane, sanded every 2 coats. Stainless bed strips and hardware hold everything together. SEM Rock-It bedliner was rolled on the bottom of the boards and inside the rear fenders.

 

Then the day came to bring the rest of the truck home. A few friends came over and helped set the box in place and get it lined up. I put 3M strip caulk between all of the sheetmetal panels before bolting them together to avoid paint to paint contact and hopefully prevent squeaks. It's finally starting to look like a truck again.

Once the back end was done it was time to turn around the truck and start on the front.

 

More assembly...

 

While waiting for my good friend Warren to free up a little time on his schedule to help hang the front end sheetmetal, I got the interior all put together. Again, the mock up process sure made final assembly go smoothly...

 

Son, you have done a great job. I would be very proud. Your Brother would be proud.

 

Warren and I spent an evening hanging the front fenders and getting the gaps decent. I was hoping to get the hood on but we ran out of time that night...

 

If you’re mentally ill like me you can turn those hose clamps around so they all face the same way and then you’ll feel normal again.

Love the truck. Really great job that you’ve done.

 

I appreciate that, Chris really loved this truck and I have fallen in love with it as well.

 

Thanks for pointing that out, now I'm going to have to fix it...

 

It only took a few more evenings to fit the hood, lights, bezels, etc... I ended up reworking the bumper brackets to tighten up the bumper to splash pan gap. The end is in sight...

 

I was finally able to roll it outside and look at the truck from more than a few steps away...

 

A shot of the motor for good measure...

 

Tomorrow I'll post a few shots from the maiden voyage v2.0

 

You done did your brother proud! what a beautiful machine. I love these trucks anyway, but dayum!

 

I really like the fact you kept the roof white.. this truck is really nice and the story behind it makes it that much better. Great job!

 

Beautiful. Really well done.

One of the cleanest builds I’ve seen on here in a long time...

 

Very nice. Thanks for taking us to the finish line.

 

Puuuurfection, I'm in LOVE!!!

 

I am humbled by all of the kind remarks, thank you...

 

September 30, 2018 I checked the vitals and took it for a test drive

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1836201136417359

 

The gas tank was pretty low so the first stop was Quik Stop for some non-oxy gas. I drove around the back roads near home just in case there was a problem. On the way back home I stopped in the school parking lot and shot some pictures for posterity...