The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Re: What did you get done on your 'Bolt today?

Neverdone,

We don't have many panels here on Stovebolt. I know a bunch of us here would sure like to see more of your project. Could you add a bunch more pics on your Photobucket? But don't take 8 years to do it. lol

I've been high for days now...Sunday (7 Feb) I got three (3) coats of Behr Premium Latex Enamel on the bottom of the 55.2's bed wood. Since technically the bottom & sides do not need UV protection, I decided to roll these coats on for brevity. It coated very well & dried to a very hard & textured finish.

Last night, I skinned the Behr on the top of the boards with a good brush. They are definitely not kidding about the "hi-gloss" on the label; it was hard to photograph, but here are pictures.

Brad (sarcasm still abundant, edit- meaning I'm kidding about the fumes & being high... my pea-brain needs all its cells & this painting is being done with safety in mind )

Got my 235 pulled and dropped in a rebuilt 283. Just the tid-bit hookups left on the 283. Then the tranny and driveshaft. Have about 5 single barrel carbs that I have soaking that I am going to rebuild. Have four 2 barrel Rochesters done.

Builder, you make it sound so easy.

I got the second coat of paint on the 55.2 bed wood's topside last night. Hand-sanded with 400 (or 600?) grit this morning & hope to get a third coat on tonight.

Brad

Finally started the strip down on my damaged truck,got the mangled front fender removed only to find the top suspension arm on my Mustang II IFS is in fact twisted!

I wet-sanded & put the 3rd (or 4th?) coat of paint on the 55.2's bed wood.

Letting it cure a little in the sun today.

Brad

Fuel pump, fuel lines, filter, cleaned some carbs, some bead-blasting, gave dog a bath.

Not to much.waiting on parts.I did take the engine head to the machine shop to have some head work done.

I need to update (swap to larger) speakers. I'll have to wait until my son can come over and help me take the seat out.
I also need to fix the windshield wipers. The control arm came off. Probably a cotter key but it's going to be a contortionist's nightmare. I'll have to work my arm up through the air conditioning ducts, past the radio and mucho wiring. I'll for sure eat my Wheaties first.

Lubed all the chassis / suspension points.

Today I put the crank and cam timing gears on.Put the cam in the engine and got the timing cover on and front plate on engine.It will be aver a week before I get the head back from the machine shop.I won't be able to do much until I get that back.

Re-set the rivets in the hood hinges and spring arms. I'm hoping this will cure the raised rear of the hood.

Washed it and cleaned out the bed which was full of leaves. Polished all the windows with Windex too. Looks like a new one!!

Disassembled the frontend with me 16 year old son. Getting ready for a suspension replacement and disc brake conversion.

Installed a 2 5/8" home made body lift to a 63' 1/2 ton swb stepside. Bed yesterday,cab and core support today.
Cavebull

I got the 55.2's bed platform installed.

A loaned creeper ( ) and a helpful wife & son made it happen. Nothing like having help when you're supine trying to catch a 1/4" anti-sieze-lubed thread with your arm stretched out & contorted.

I'm taking a break.

Brad

Looks Great Brad! I like the look of black wood in the bed, I did mine that way as well.

Mike B

Looks real nice, Brad

How did you attach the side angle-strips to the bedsides?

What was your "technique" for the black finish?

Thanks,

removed the bad left motor mount and rear transmission mount.
https://goo.gl/photos/yGgWz6hJvhfk6NYv5
https://goo.gl/photos/5ApQ3vk8L4qJ7wXb8

I installed my new tag topper on the Suburban.

Close up.

took Mater to votech with me and started on the body work, with your's truly doing all the work

hopefully picking up the heads for my 59 Suburban so I can get it back on the road tomorrow or Thursday!

rebuilt the rear transmission mount this evening

Cletus, what kind of hood ornament is that?

Nice, cletis/Charlie,

Mine did not arrive before this trip to NC (this week). I'll put my OldGMC topper on my COE in April - my next long trip to NC.

I hope Stovebolt.com makes one available. I raised the topic here, when the GMC topper was being discussed over there.

If a Stovebolt one is not on the horizon this year, I'll do one myself with "Stove Bolt Six" and/or "Cast Iron Wonder" and/or "Advance-Design" (when I have time).

Thanks for the compliments on the truck bed; the technique for coating was three brushed coats POR-15 on the bottom & sides of the boards - let them sit & cure 24 hrs; then three brushed coats POR-15 on the top of the boards - let them sit & cure 24 hrs. Each coat of POR-15 on a short wheelbase step side 55.2's bed wood requires about 8 ounces of POR-15. (In the context of the wood being "top-side & bottom-side"). This calculates very close to their "96 sq/ft per quart" claim on the can.

I rolled three coats of Behr Exterior latex enamel on the bottom & sides of the boards and let it sit for 24 hrs, even though it dried within an hour (40% humidity all week was a HUGE blessing & a HUGE departure from the normal in Alabama). For the top of the boards, I used a good brush & worked in sections painting the board's strip groove a couple of feet, then the bottom groove a couple of feet (from my perspective), finishing by painting the face of the board for this same length. I let them dry over night & lightly sanded them the next morning. I painted the boards a single coat each night, and light sanded the following morning with 400 grit for the first coat, 800 grit for the second coat, and wet sanded 800 grit prior to the third coat & the fourth coat. At this point, I was just tired of fooling with it & quit after the fourth coat of paint. Not much of a technique, really, but it worked for the times of the day I had available (0500-0600 & late at night).

Mr. Tim, the angle strips are attached by willpower in the pictures; they are bolted/capscrewed on now, and awaiting dome head cap nuts for the finishing touch.

Brad

That is a 1954 GMC hood ornament.

I've been looking for one for months.

Pulled the drive shafts out of my 1948 two ton. I managed to get 2 out 3 U-joints out. Letting the penetrating oil work on the last one. Picked up 3 new U-joints to replace the old ones. I think at least 2 of them are originals. They still had red paint on them, the original color of the truck.

this week: replacing both window regulators and replacing all the window weather stripping.The worst part of the job is getting the door and window handles back on

Got the 55.2's bed angle strips cap-nutted.

Brad

I reinstalled the tailgate, and then installed the rear bumper brackets & rear bumper.

I am really glad I have not painted the tailgate letters; it looks good as-is.

Brad

started really tearing into Mater today, got a few classmates to start stripping the truck to bare metal (some of them have never got to work on a vehicle so old OR big )while I repaired the inner cab corners. Monday starts outer cab corners and floorpans......

Indy

We just re-did all of the brakes on my '52 Carryall Carrie - new wheel cylinders, master cylinders, shoes, brake hoses, and drums. We bought all of the parts at our local Auto parts store (Winchester, in Campbell CA) for about $100 less than we could have from the specialty chevy suppliers. But we did buy our master cylinder from The Filling Station.

Boy, does that thing stop! Also, the emergency brake works now - turns out the shoes were so worn that they did not engage.'

A happy day - on track to be a drivable, original vehicle.

Removed the fubar tyre to access the damaged wheel rim,I filed the damage down and re-polished the alloy rim and then spun the wheel up to check for run-out.
Thankfully none,so I had a new tyre fitted that required minimal balance weights so all good on that front.

Removed the remains of the damaged grill,I just need my new parts now.
The new upper suspension arm should be here this week,and the rest,the body panels,grill etc in the next fortnight.

When you order items like grill parts how long does it take to reach you?

Couple of weeks back I used my Autozone gift card that I got for Christmas, and bought some new motor bling for the '48 Burb. Spent an hour or so this morning putting on the nice shiny billet aluminum valve covers. Nice pretty Chevy bow tie on the covers and the crankcase vent caps. Now I gotta go drive it.

It pays to have friends at Christmas.

got my driver's side cab corner installed today, and it looks very good if I do say so myself, I am taking pictures so one day I can put them all up on here

Finished assembling the emblems to the hood and got the hood set on. Adjusted and readjusted and still no happy dance. Reread Tech Tip and will try again tomorrow.