1965 GMC build

[BORING HOP YARD]

Looking great! Turn signals and high beam?
Thank you for sharing.

 

[Robert Haas]

Looking great! Turn signals and high beam?
Thank you for sharing.

Center upper instrument is a multi-display. It has gear position indicator, high beam, left and right indicator as well as a check engine light.

 

[Robert Haas]

well that is done,

 

[jbmatth]

Wow that is incredible, well done, what are the plans for coating it?

JB

 

[Robert Haas]

Wow that is incredible, well done, what are the plans for coating it?

JB

It will be painted the same color as the dash. Thank You for asking

 

[stinkity stoink]

That is a very impressive job on that dash piece. I have very limited machining experience, but can see that was no easy task.

 

[Robert Haas]

Using the rotary table to allow me to cut the correct radius was challenging as all get out.

I won't do another and I have been asked at least 20 times by folks that have seen this on Facebook.

It's cool that it is the only one on earth too.

 

[xtremek]

Looks great, and tough to do the old fashioned way. Your DRO isn't programmable?

 

[Robert Haas]

Looks great, and tough to do the old fashioned way. Your DRO isn't programmable?

Yes it has a radius function. I attempted to use it on a sample piece and failed miserably. Operator error for sure. moving x and y axis incrementally was doable, choosing the correct terminators was my fail point.

Couple guys on you tube have it figured out but neglect to show establishment of way points. At 60 years old I am just learning this stuff. I have never been the sharpest knife in the drawer.


Anyway here is the mock up. with the rolled pan that we built to house the AC ducts and hide from sight all the **** that lives under the dash and on the firewall.









for comparison. This is my actual current truck with the dash I built over 20 years ago.

 

[Offcenter12]

Incredible work there Robert and a shame (to me) to cover it with paint. Obviously not my truck and it might be overdone, but that's a prime candidate for an engine turned finish IMHO. Thanks for showing the process!

John

 

[Robert Haas]

Incredible work there Robert and a shame (to me) to cover it with paint. Obviously not my truck and it might be overdone, but that's a prime candidate for an engine turned finish IMHO. Thanks for showing the process!

John

I do love me some engine turned surfaces and have done it on my bench for example

 

[zmotorsports]

Great job Robert. Dash is turning out great and I really like the gauge cluster and dash in your current truck.

 

[Offcenter12]

I do love me some engine turned surfaces and have done it on my bench for example

That is magnificent!

John

 

[xtremek]

The mockup looks good. Why make it out of aluminum if you're going to paint it? With your skills, why not fab it out of sheetmetal?

 

[Robert Haas]

The mockup looks good. Why make it out of aluminum if you're going to paint it? With your skills, why not fab it out of sheetmetal?

I actually did begin going that route. However the accuracy and rigidity needed killed that approach.

Milling billet materials then painting or hiding them inside parts comes with the territory. The overall finish is my primary goal. Form over function is not in my vocabulary. This part for example needs to be removable after final build to access the entire electrical harness that will terminate on the top of the firewall above the column. So I need this panel to be an access point that can be pulled intact with all instruments mounted and wired. A piece of sheet-metal even with bead work and some welding would distort to the point the paint would probably flake off.

 

[ncfireman1918]

Robert - Not sure how I missed this thread, but I just read through the whole thing, and WOW! Your work is amazing. I bought a 1964 C-10 the other year for my son (he was 9, now he's 11), which we are working on turning into his high school ride. Seeing your work is inspiration to get moving on it! Subscribed so I don't miss the updates.

 

[Robert Haas]

Robert - Not sure how I missed this thread, but I just read through the whole thing, and WOW! Your work is amazing. I bought a 1964 C-10 the other year for my son (he was 9, now he's 11), which we are working on turning into his high school ride. Seeing your work is inspiration to get moving on it! Subscribed so I don't miss the updates.

Greg (the owner of this truck and the guy spending all of his money) is a ex fireman. By your handle I take it that is your vocation too.

If so, thank you for your service

 

[ncfireman1918]

Greg (the owner of this truck and the guy spending all of his money) is a ex fireman. By your handle I take it that is your vocation too.

If so, thank you for your service

Tell Greg thank you for his service as well. I'm a former fireman, I did it in a part-time and/or volunteer capacity for about 14 years. Unfortunately my travel obligations for my regular job became too much to continue in the fire service, so I hung it up in 2016. I'm over on the 67-72 Chevy Trucks forum as well, and have seen your shop truck and Greg's build there as well. Keep up the good work, and the updates. It motivates me on my son's truck.

 

[Robert Haas]

Another big day today:metal:

Finished blocking and filling the dash. Will be priming it tomorrow.

We built panels to cover the heater control panel the ash tray and the radio. we also cut out the speaker grill and welded a panel in there. Keeping the glove box door but it will not be a glove box any longer. It is going to house the stereo controls as well as a couple other items I will tell you about later.

So here is what it looks like right now, tomorrow you won't recognize it.

 

[Robert Haas]

I had posted a bit of this stuff but when the site crashed and was reset my posts and pictures did not survive.

So I have been working everyday on the 65. finished the dash fabrications and got it into primer, was very happy to have that work off my table and that let me dive head first into finishing the firewall. so 3 full days of work and it too is now in primer.
















Tomorrow I will start the body work on the top of the cab. (Lots of dents and lousy attempts to fix them in the lid,) should be a chore. I'll post some before and during pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

The cab is looking real good Robert.
I'm very sure were going to want to see some pictures of the progress.
Thank you for sharing!

 

[xtremek]

Blue primer? And yes to the pics please.

 

[Robert Haas]

Blue primer? And yes to the pics please.

painting this truck blue so tinting the primer the same color as the finished paint. means that $1,200.00 a gallon paint will cover.

 

[Robert Haas]

So the owner of the truck agreed with me to change the color of the engine and transmission. I suggested it would look better if we went with the frame color. That is what I did.

We are now in final assembly. The engine is bolted in, and torqued down, the transmission is plumbed and the exhaust is finished.











It feels pretty good to see this going together.

 

[xtremek]

Looks great. Looking forward to seeing the end of this.

 

[danski0224]

Pretty cool.

Is the accessory drive belt system a one-off?

 

[Robert Haas]

Pretty cool.

Is the accessory drive belt system a one-off?

No sir, that is made by CVF here is a link


https://www.cvfracing.com/beast-serpentine-conversion-kits/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1qL6BRCmARIsADV9JtZ1nkrvpefX77CBwiFt5zuki1AnVUcEXB4jgA0q_sQTMlky7LAljp8aAh2tEALw_wcB

 

[danski0224]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Mr.N]

I scrapped the Stainless steel fuel tank. I built an aluminum one, that is now fully plumbed too.,

I am curious why you chose to do re work and build it again. What are the advantages that out wayed the existing SS tank?

 

[Robert Haas]

I am curious why you chose to do re work and build it again. What are the advantages that out wayed the existing SS tank?

Was just not happy with my overall build. I did not fill the tank with inert gas during the welding and the welds had a lot of slag on the inside of the tank. I could have had the tank coated to correct this mistake but just decided on writing it off to being a dumb *** and changed the design.

The shame is the SS tank holds about 4 more gallons then the Aluminum one.

 

[Robert Haas]

a few shots and details of the chassis now in final assembly.

Hoping to be on display at next years SEMA

 

[jbmatth]

Awesome build, thanks for the updates, I also like the heat shield idea under the trans, I may have to borrow that one.

JB

 

[stinkity stoink]

Great job on all the small details.

 

[zmotorsports]

The chassis is looking fantastic Robert.

 

[MP&C]

Sharp looking frame!!!

 

[Robert Haas]

Great job on all the small details.

The details on this build are like an Easter egg hunt, thanks for noticing

The chassis is looking fantastic Robert.

Thank you

Sharp looking frame!!!

Hard to believe it is actually the original chassis I started with huh?

Thank you

 

[FJ 432]

Two things come to mind when I see your progress pictures:

1. Unbelievable attention to detail.
2. There's no way in hell I could afford you!

Can't wait to see it complete.

 

[Robert Haas]

here is what we started with, (Yes this is the same frame)

 

[xtremek]

It was a nice frame to begin with, but now it's awesome.

 

[Monza Harry]

I'll throw my Kudos in as well, +1 on the integrated heat shield function and form melding beautifully! The tube work is real nice on your frame job, I fully appreciate the time and planning to make it look as integrated as you did, that is my prefered M.O. as well. [boxed and blended in] Harry