Creative Fab
Well-known member
You sir have patience! Nice work!!
Stooge's longer term car projects
- Thread starter Stooge
- Start date
Move along, nothing to see here...
After an extended hiatus from my projects and replacing the engine and transmission in my daily driver, i finally found some time to play yesterday, all of about 45 minutes before getting a frantic"my car wont start " call from a buddy which prompted a new starter in his 4runner and an absolutely miserable time of it. Truly a component that was overlooked in the realm of having to eventually replace it in the design of the truck.
Nothing very interesting, i had to cut a sectoon of my floor above the speedometer gear since i am using an adjustable torque converter lock up that goes in line of the speedometer cable. This wouldnt be a problem normally but with the drivetrain closer to the floor of the cab, some trimming was in order.
Its hard to see in my awful pictures, but from the trans hump, it has a slight downgrade but sits higher up than the stock floor to allow for the protrusion created by the speedometer indiciator and theres a small lip on the edge to keep my from cutting out more of the floor. This will be covered by sound deadening and carpet so im not too worried about the small lip being in the way. All hand hammered and dollied
You can sort of see the small round piece that caused this problem through the nearest hole in the floor
After an extended hiatus from my projects and replacing the engine and transmission in my daily driver, i finally found some time to play yesterday, all of about 45 minutes before getting a frantic"my car wont start " call from a buddy which prompted a new starter in his 4runner and an absolutely miserable time of it. Truly a component that was overlooked in the realm of having to eventually replace it in the design of the truck.
Nothing very interesting, i had to cut a sectoon of my floor above the speedometer gear since i am using an adjustable torque converter lock up that goes in line of the speedometer cable. This wouldnt be a problem normally but with the drivetrain closer to the floor of the cab, some trimming was in order.
Its hard to see in my awful pictures, but from the trans hump, it has a slight downgrade but sits higher up than the stock floor to allow for the protrusion created by the speedometer indiciator and theres a small lip on the edge to keep my from cutting out more of the floor. This will be covered by sound deadening and carpet so im not too worried about the small lip being in the way. All hand hammered and dollied
You can sort of see the small round piece that caused this problem through the nearest hole in the floor
Morio
Well-known member
WOW!!! Stunning work!
not alot of progress lately, mostly recovering some money from the unplanned several grand my tahoe cost me over july and august, had an unexpected eye surgery, then got a surprise when my checking account was "hacked" by someone for online gambling to the tune of $1300 ....if only they deposited the winnings too
mostly have been working on some of the wiring, (im on the verge of just ordering a new wiring kit and re-do the whole thing), and routing so i can finish welding in my trans hump and cut a little access door in the forward console so i can get to the shift indicator and aux buttons.
i also decided i wasnt happy with front driver's side fender so i sanded it all back to bare metal, reworked a few spots and put a thin layer of rage gold to give me an idea. still needs some work but i dont have a great eye for bodywork so it needs to get primered so i can see the flaws. also plastidipped one of the wheels,(they will get painted of powdercoated when i get to that stage) and drilled/tapped some holes for the hubcaps to give me some motivation. someone made me an offer on the wheels, but not enough to get what i want and i dont have the spare cash to cover the rest of the cost of new wheels at the moment so i guess they will have to do for a bit.
mostly have been working on some of the wiring, (im on the verge of just ordering a new wiring kit and re-do the whole thing), and routing so i can finish welding in my trans hump and cut a little access door in the forward console so i can get to the shift indicator and aux buttons.
i also decided i wasnt happy with front driver's side fender so i sanded it all back to bare metal, reworked a few spots and put a thin layer of rage gold to give me an idea. still needs some work but i dont have a great eye for bodywork so it needs to get primered so i can see the flaws. also plastidipped one of the wheels,(they will get painted of powdercoated when i get to that stage) and drilled/tapped some holes for the hubcaps to give me some motivation. someone made me an offer on the wheels, but not enough to get what i want and i dont have the spare cash to cover the rest of the cost of new wheels at the moment so i guess they will have to do for a bit.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Stooge....I don't see where you have done it, or if you even thought about it, but I am guessing you have by adding the '66 portion of hood in, but have you thought about adding the Chevrolet embossed logo into the bed of the truck?
And if the '66 is your favorite, what about swapping the dash out for an older Chevy dash?
As far as the truck so far....I love it. Always looking forward to any updates you have. The hood modifications and the fender modifications, just take things to a whole new level.
And if the '66 is your favorite, what about swapping the dash out for an older Chevy dash?
As far as the truck so far....I love it. Always looking forward to any updates you have. The hood modifications and the fender modifications, just take things to a whole new level.
not sure i can picture what you mean by the chevy logo in the bed, as in the whole bed floor being smooth sheet metal with the bowtie placed in there somewhere? or retain the ribbed floor and..? i have thought about doing a sheet metal floor and bead rolling some symetrical pattern but theres a minute possiblity i might sometime have to use it to put things in, and the flush mount sheet metal gas door in the bed already has me a little worried if that theoretical day ever comes.
as far as the dash, have you been looking at my recent craigslist searches for "chevy part out"?? yes the thought has crossed my mind, many many times, especially recently when i've been close to ordering a new wiring harness and need to think about gauges or keeping the stock one. so far the coin sits like this, a new complete harness for an 84 c10, is right around $650; all plug and play, more circuits than i will ever use but spendy. the other side of the coin is, get a simple 18 circuit harness for like $250-$300ish, but have to redo the gauges for a few hundred and price becomes a moot point. the 60-66's are my favorite trucks, but the 49-54's are on the short list for cars and i would love to happen accross one of these dashes with the big single gauge. unfortunately, i dont see many around here and i dont think i will find one that someone will let me cut the dash out off for cheap
....i have semi planned out a scratch built one though
just need to convince myself to cut out my dash and take a bunch of backwards progress steps and cobble together something that doesnt look awful. As far as the truck so far....I love it. Always looking forward to any updates you have. The hood modifications and the fender modifications, just take things to a whole new level.
Kevin ,your going to make me blush
i really appreciate the compliment coming from you, always enjoy seeing your work and reading your threads. hopefully in the coming months i'll stop being a lazy *******, invest some money in the remaining parts and tools i need and things will really start coming together.Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
I don't know why I said bed, I meant to say tailgate. I'll be alright....maybe :tard:
So this started this morning, ive been pricing out stock replacement wiring harnesses and they are damn expensive. It was hard to swallow the idea of paying $600+ just to have a stock dash and gauges so im making a scratch built one. Im modelling it after a 1949 chevy car dash and using the same oversized single 5 in 1 gauge and also plan on adding a similar era styled analog clock in the center of the dash. Im also thinking of incorporating a straight trim stainless or polished aluminum piece where the upper and lower pieces meet and there is a slight point.
i also need to get rid of that steering wheel sometime, it wont match with the rest. i also have to scrap the second forward console i made and will have to make a 3rd i think.
Obligatory cereal box templates, and even upgraded to a chair as the little plastic step stool i had been using for the past few years shattered somehow. I had grand dreams of breaking out the compass and pattern stencils but instead just scribbled a shape with a sharpie and cut it out with an old razor blade
Cut around the vin tag, im not sure but massachusetts could be strict about this so im just going to bend that plate down and make a little cutout in the skin so i can say it hasnt really been tampered with.
Made 6 of those cutouts to act as bucks for the dash frame, its much to wide to try and shape it by hand with any consistency with what i have on hand. Hopefully i will start skinning this tomorrow if i can
A quick rendering of what im going for, the gauge will be recessed into the skin and will have a sweeping coverpiece over it, holding off on building that until i have the gauge in hand though as it will probably be a pain to make and i dont want to do it twice.
The stock 49 dash im modeling after
i also need to get rid of that steering wheel sometime, it wont match with the rest. i also have to scrap the second forward console i made and will have to make a 3rd i think.
Obligatory cereal box templates, and even upgraded to a chair as the little plastic step stool i had been using for the past few years shattered somehow. I had grand dreams of breaking out the compass and pattern stencils but instead just scribbled a shape with a sharpie and cut it out with an old razor blade
Cut around the vin tag, im not sure but massachusetts could be strict about this so im just going to bend that plate down and make a little cutout in the skin so i can say it hasnt really been tampered with.
Made 6 of those cutouts to act as bucks for the dash frame, its much to wide to try and shape it by hand with any consistency with what i have on hand. Hopefully i will start skinning this tomorrow if i can
A quick rendering of what im going for, the gauge will be recessed into the skin and will have a sweeping coverpiece over it, holding off on building that until i have the gauge in hand though as it will probably be a pain to make and i dont want to do it twice.
The stock 49 dash im modeling after
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Upper portion tacked in, and this was definitely one project i shouldve just bought some sheet metal. the big pieces i had sitting in the corner were a little too thick for this curve, atleast 18ga, and i still have to do the lower skin which has alot more curve to it. Im hopeful that with the extra stiffness the frame now has with the upper skin, the lower will be a little easier to massage in,
The mounting spots will be moved up a bit and angled up slightly and make a filler piece to close the gap to the firewall. Im also considering dropping the steering column a little or go with a flaming river column.
The mounting spots will be moved up a bit and angled up slightly and make a filler piece to close the gap to the firewall. Im also considering dropping the steering column a little or go with a flaming river column.
Well the new dash is vaguely starting to look like something. Still have some hammer and dolly work to get the curves nice, wait for a few ebay auctions to end so i can get the gauge cluster and a similar style clock, and start on a glovebox. Also need to fiddle with the dash mounts to get the angle and tilt of it how i want it.
Not much update, been in a sheetmetal mood the last few days. did some work on a door for the 37 panel truck, had to reshape some of the patch i made and alot more work to the inner sill/ frame. And did some hammer work on the dash to even out some low points and need to redo the firewall mounts for it. Also found out i can still use the under dash cubby i made awhile back and i think i might pull the door poppers and stuff out and just go with the standard old door handles and latches. They work fine, just not feeling them anymore i guess.
Dont pay attention to the drivers side being out of wack , i pulled the mount and its just resting on the windshield sill
[/QUOTE]
Dont pay attention to the drivers side being out of wack , i pulled the mount and its just resting on the windshield sill
[/QUOTE]MP&C
Well-known member
.....drilled/tapped some holes for the hubcaps to give me some motivation. someone made me an offer on the wheels, but not enough to get what i want and i dont have the spare cash to cover the rest of the cost of new wheels at the moment so i guess they will have to do for a bit.
Did you make the clips or did they come from a donor wheel?
neither, found them for sale on classicparts where i purchased the hubcaps. only $1.75 which is cheap enough until you buy 20+ of them.
http://www.classicparts.com/1936-63-Wheel-Clips/productinfo/64-905/
http://www.classicparts.com/1936-63-Wheel-Clips/productinfo/64-905/
a little more consistant work on the ol' truck lately. finally bit the bullet and bought the new wiring harness, American Autowire Builder 19 circuit kit, probably a little more than i needed but i'd rather have more than not enough.
Also had a chance to shoot some primer on the hood that i've been neglecting. im very new to using paint guns but i was happy enough with the results, it was atleast enough to show the areas that needed some more work.
also bought my new gauge off of ebay that should be showing up any day now, ended up going with a 1951 ford shoebox 5 in 1 for a couple reasons, 1) it seemed alot easier to find a similar style analog clock for the dash center, 2)ford uses electric temp gauges and i didnt want to futz with the capillary temperature sender that the chevy gauges use and 3) there seems to be a plethora of new old stock sending units and aftermarket restoration bits for the shoebox gauges where as the chevy ones seemed a little harder to find. i also got the gauge for a steal.
pulled the steering column, the new wiring harness comes with a new ignition switch that will be mounted in the dash, and i wanted a tilt column, so i will be ordering probably a flaming river unit soon enough, just had to do a little measuring so i get it right the first time.
i also fixed the dash mounts and trimmed some of the driver side corner to firwall piece since this picture was taken so it fits alot nicer and doesnt get hung up on the firewall
Also had a chance to shoot some primer on the hood that i've been neglecting. im very new to using paint guns but i was happy enough with the results, it was atleast enough to show the areas that needed some more work.
also bought my new gauge off of ebay that should be showing up any day now, ended up going with a 1951 ford shoebox 5 in 1 for a couple reasons, 1) it seemed alot easier to find a similar style analog clock for the dash center, 2)ford uses electric temp gauges and i didnt want to futz with the capillary temperature sender that the chevy gauges use and 3) there seems to be a plethora of new old stock sending units and aftermarket restoration bits for the shoebox gauges where as the chevy ones seemed a little harder to find. i also got the gauge for a steal.
pulled the steering column, the new wiring harness comes with a new ignition switch that will be mounted in the dash, and i wanted a tilt column, so i will be ordering probably a flaming river unit soon enough, just had to do a little measuring so i get it right the first time.
i also fixed the dash mounts and trimmed some of the driver side corner to firwall piece since this picture was taken so it fits alot nicer and doesnt get hung up on the firewall
shocwav3
Well-known member
Bodywork looks amazing, looking forward to keeping an eye on progress of any any all the projects.
MBfreak
MEMBER EMERITUS
Stooge.
Outstanding work, and you have a sharp eye for details , love it.
Keep it up.
A point that comes from the school of very hard knocks, please do not get upset.
The dash seems dangerous to me.
I would recommend a nicely rounded ( radius > 6 ") aluminium panel. It should be thin enough to crumble on impact to reduce the risk of injury.
Best regards
Ola
Outstanding work, and you have a sharp eye for details , love it.
Keep it up.
A point that comes from the school of very hard knocks, please do not get upset.
The dash seems dangerous to me.
I would recommend a nicely rounded ( radius > 6 ") aluminium panel. It should be thin enough to crumble on impact to reduce the risk of injury.
Best regards
Ola
thanks Ola and shocwav! not upset at all, thats actually something i've been thinking about, as i was planning on adding some polished trim to that edge for aesthetics, ( it isnt as pointed in person as it looks in the pictures but does come out to a point nonetheless). i may soften and round the edge a little more, and also something i forgot i did, was i cut out most of the side "ribbing" that the skins were formed over. although that was mostly for a weight reduction and also to make it a little easier to fit things under the dash, but i suppose it may also help reduce the rigidity of it a fair amount, or atleast lessen the chance of hitting one of the ribs if there ever was an accident. this new dash is also a fair bit shorter and doe not protrude as far as the stock dash, so again, if there ever was an accident with a passenger, they may be less likely to contact the dash.
xtremek
Well-known member
I'm subscribing to this. I haven't gone through it in the detail I want, but during the quick roll through I see a ton of awesome work. Looking forward to more.
Gauge was delivered today! Got it for a steal, looks to be in great shape, needs a little cleaning but all in all, im pretty happy with it. From a 51 ford shoebox, found locally on ebay. The small polished switch plate i bought from speedway is due in tomorrow, so hopefully i'll have something to show after this weekend!
And small colored lenses on either side that will be used for turn signal indicators
And small colored lenses on either side that will be used for turn signal indicators
BBChevro
Well-known member
I just read through this thread, nice work Stooge.
dlcwent
Member Emeritus
Very cool stooge. More pics after the weekend please.
thanks fellas! yeah im pretty excited about it! i've been in shoebox fords before, never at night so i didnt know how the gauge illuminated, but i stuck a couple pen lights in the bulb socket holes and it had me grinning ear to ear, i tried to get a picture but i ran out of hands so you'll have to take my word for it. now i need to source some sockets that will fit the holes in the back, any suggestions anyone?
also received the polished aluminum switch plate from speedway for the ignition and headlight switches, might also out the choke cable in the extra hole, or a wiper switch, not sure yet. should have something to actually show this weekend
not a bad little piece for $30
also received the polished aluminum switch plate from speedway for the ignition and headlight switches, might also out the choke cable in the extra hole, or a wiper switch, not sure yet. should have something to actually show this weekend
not a bad little piece for $30
Pictures! let me say, i still have ALOT of fitting and shaping left to do. i also changed plans half way through so i need to make a few little filler pieces for the holes i made for the first way about.
needed to make a filler piece for the steering column cutout, im going with a flaming river 1 3/4" column so the first cutout for the stock column will get filled in when i get the new one. still needed that extra inch to mount the gauge though.
obligatory cardboard template, had to dig out a shoebox since i needed more exacting measurements and was all out of cereal boxes
Multipurpose welding tank sheetmetal template
and giving it a little more curve with an old piece of tubing and some fingers
trimming back some of the gauge bezel, some more exacting measurements with tape
and starting to taper the ends out to go flush into the upper portion of the dash, still alot of work to do on this. i ended up pie cutting the end of it to try and get the look im going for but called it a day since i was hungry and have some errands to do today.
somehow, out of all the misc nuts and bolts i have, the only nut that would fit the mounting screws on the gauge, were the ones that came with the polished switch plate, so i couldnt get any pictures of both mounted.
needed to make a filler piece for the steering column cutout, im going with a flaming river 1 3/4" column so the first cutout for the stock column will get filled in when i get the new one. still needed that extra inch to mount the gauge though.
obligatory cardboard template, had to dig out a shoebox since i needed more exacting measurements and was all out of cereal boxes
Multipurpose welding tank sheetmetal template
and giving it a little more curve with an old piece of tubing and some fingers
trimming back some of the gauge bezel, some more exacting measurements with tape
and starting to taper the ends out to go flush into the upper portion of the dash, still alot of work to do on this. i ended up pie cutting the end of it to try and get the look im going for but called it a day since i was hungry and have some errands to do today.
somehow, out of all the misc nuts and bolts i have, the only nut that would fit the mounting screws on the gauge, were the ones that came with the polished switch plate, so i couldnt get any pictures of both mounted.
BBChevro
Well-known member
You make it look so easy Stooge (but I know it's not), that guage and dash look great.
Thanks! So far the dash hasnt been too bad, some fiddling getting the overall shape down with the thicker sheet metal i used, ( it was free, i wouldve bought the thinner stuff otherwise). Getting the gauge "bubble" is going to be a big obstacle, then having to recreate the same thing when i find a clock for the center of the dash.
dlcwent
Member Emeritus
Nice job Stooge. That dash is looking great.
It almost looks like you know what you're doing.
It almost looks like you know what you're doing.it almost does! this wouldve been a great excuse to find an english wheel or plannishing hammer, even an hf one would've beat doing the hammering by hand and over my knee. my orginal idea of how to make the bubble was shot down by how far the back of the gauge sticks out and needing the clearances for wiring and speedometer cable. so instead of being able to just have one diagonal shot from the back of the gauge bezel to the dash skin, it needed to stay basically flat for about 4.5+" after the bezel before it can taper down to the dash and makes it alot more time consuming and questionable if it will come out how i want it.
dlcwent
Member Emeritus
Ha Ha I like the "using the knee" method. I was told along time ago that my hand was not a hammer. And a knee probably shouldn't be used as an English wheel. I got that you were using a hammer on the metal over your knee. Just saying the body shouldn't take the place of tools.
I'll bet if you don't like it, you'll tweek it until you do.
I'll bet if you don't like it, you'll tweek it until you do.
dr_obson
Well-known member
Maybe if you angle the gauge back like tilt it /. Then you can start the taper sooner?
hah, i like that saying! i wasnt going directly onto my knee, just had the dolly sitting on my leg while i was working the piece, leg was just the tool platform
. i have been more actively checking CL for an old english wheel that wont break the bank too much, for what i do, i might be able to get away with one of the bench mount ones and save some. if i dont get it to where i like it, i'll start over or keep messing with this one until i have to start over.
i've had it set up in a few different angles to see what looks right with the sitting position and the angle the dash will be hanging, and im going for having it as close to 0* vertical as i can. i may be able to tilt it a bit without having it look off, but tilting it back and not being completely happy with it just for the sake of having an easier time making the cover piece for it, isnt what im aiming for.
this is a shot of the gauge just sitting without the cover to see how far back it goes, and there still needs to be the wiring and speedometer threaded piece and cable coming out of the back. for some perspective, the gauge face is about 7" in diameter.
fotoflojoe
Well-known member
That some amazing work, Stooge!
It's a lot of fun following along!
It's a lot of fun following along!
fotoflojoe
Well-known member
Ha! Never noticed that!
I'm in South Weymouth - the other end of my street is in Abington.
Small world!
dlcwent
Member Emeritus
hah, i like that saying! i wasnt going directly onto my knee, just had the dolly sitting on my leg while i was working the piece, leg was just the tool platform
if i dont get it to where i like it, i'll start over or keep messing with this one until i have to start over.
i've had it set up in a few different angles to see what looks right with the sitting position and the angle the dash will be hanging, and im going for having it as close to 0* vertical as i can. i may be able to tilt it a bit without having it look off, but tilting it back and not being completely happy with it just for the sake of having an easier time making the cover piece for it, isnt what im aiming for.
this is a shot of the gauge just sitting without the cover to see how far back it goes, and there still needs to be the wiring and speedometer threaded piece and cable coming out of the back. for some perspective, the gauge face is about 7" in diameter.
Have you had a chance to do anymore work on it? Maybe this weekend will be a good one to get something done as they're calling for a cold blast.
not much work on the dash, still looking for a decent and budget friendly analog clock for the center, getting ready to buy a new flaming river steering column and trying to find a radio to put in that won't look awful and what i've been seeing that i've liked, have been pretty spendy compared to the regular single din radios that everyone else can use. also need to start collecting the ford gauge to sbc bits and pieces like the temp sender, correct speedometer cable and fuel sending unit..which is going to result in making a secondary hole in my gas tank since the sending unit and pickup tube are 2 different setups.
i've gutted all of the stock wiring in the truck, filled in some firewall holes leftover from said stock wiring and started running the new stuff to get it fired up sometime soon hopefully. Also have been working on swapping the current 350 in the 37 coupe for another built up 350 that the owner has and was planned to go into a 50 ford f100, but ended up putting a 460 in instead.
some pics he has also mentioned a few times about putting in a parallel 4link and some coilovers in for him and getting rid of the current air ride set up he has in there now, ride tech shockwaves.
the radio that im thinking of using, retro sound Model 2 i believe it's called, $330'ish if i remember correctly.
i've gutted all of the stock wiring in the truck, filled in some firewall holes leftover from said stock wiring and started running the new stuff to get it fired up sometime soon hopefully. Also have been working on swapping the current 350 in the 37 coupe for another built up 350 that the owner has and was planned to go into a 50 ford f100, but ended up putting a 460 in instead.
some pics
he has also mentioned a few times about putting in a parallel 4link and some coilovers in for him and getting rid of the current air ride set up he has in there now, ride tech shockwaves.
the radio that im thinking of using, retro sound Model 2 i believe it's called, $330'ish if i remember correctly.
PCO6
Well-known member
I'm enjoying this thread. Nice work!
xtremek
Well-known member
Why are you going with the Retro Sound instead of a Custom Autosound unit? Just curious why. It looks like you're having too much fun.
no reason at all,im still looking at options. i dont have any experience with either company, i had emailed custom auto sound about the hideaway stereos they offer but they didnt really have what i was looking for and didnt really look into the stock units too much.
their prices do seem slightly more friendly, but i was wanting to have bluetooth hands free, and adding in their $110 bluetooth module to the custom auto unit puts it at or a little pricier than the retro sound unit that has bluetooth built in. really just wanting something clean and simple that i can play an ipod through and have hands free calling, dont care about a radio or cd player, my hearing is terrible so it doesnt even need to be a very good stereo
they do have some nice pieces though, im kind of liking these two
http://www.casmfg.com/Chevy Truck 1955-59 USA-630.htm
http://www.casmfg.com/IMPALA 65 USA-630.htm
It doesnt look like much, but getting the shape to my liking and adjusting for the filler pieces and making the hidden mounts to set the gauge at the angle i wanted, sure seemed to take awhile. Need buy some new, smaller die grinder bits before i can go much further, and still need to buy a clock and a new steering column to close up the big notch from the stock column and the radio $$$$$
