The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1941 GMC COE on a modern frame

Well, today started my working time again. Just got back home last Sunday, was gone for a month. Visitedmymom for 2 weeks, she will be 102 in January then went on a river cruise from st Paul to New Orleans. The work begins. Pictures will start tomorrow.

Yesterday I realized I was getting the cart before the horse, I started sanding in preparation for body filler skim coating then realized I better make darn sure everything fits correctly before painting. I think I am doing the correct thing.

Wise choice on pre-fitting/checking everything before you start. Just a suggestion, but as you pre-fit/check things, take pictures and save for future checks as the work progresses. It should help during reassembly to put things back the same way you did the first time so fit stays the same.

Today I finished fabrication on the 2 steps on both sides. They were a real pain with all the bends and curves.

They look great!

Fantastic job.

The exhaust system went in for fitting.

This is a good reminder of how we cruise around the site and see what extensions can be made. Homer has done a great job. Good call Phil.

Today I got the bed sides ( 12 FEET LONG) BENT and the running boards ( 8 feet long). The bed sides are 14 guage and the running boards are 10 guage. I have a tendency to build real heavy but this is a 1 ton truck. Photos will start again tomorrow.

Holy cow, Dave. Where did you find a 12 foot long brake?

Heavy!! I thought 16 gauge bed sides were heavy but 14 guage, wow. And 10 gauge running boards, are they flat rather than shaped line the AD trucks?

My friend Allen the boat builder. Today I was positioning the 4x4 cross members and installing the brackets for the running boards.

The running boards are not shaped, i had no way of doing that so i went a little heavier.

Makes sense that a boat builder would have a long brake. Did you make them out of aluminum?
I once had the opportunity to take advantage of Dowland-Bach's huge press brake here in Anchorage. I think that thing would handle 12' long metal, but I only needed some tiny stake pocket stops bent up. They did a nice job on them.

Today I got all four horizontal cross members secured and the driver side running board brackets finished and the running board just sitting in place. Tomorrow I will be moving the truck under the overhead crane so I can place the bed sides. Dave

Looking good! Great job!

Today I put the side pieces in place and welded them up. Today I had a 5x10 sheet of 12 guage steel sent to metal magic who has a die to bend it like the beds of modern trucks.

I just looked at Metal Magic's facebook page. Aptly named.
They should do you well. I assume that steel will be the floor of the bed.

Coming along nicely.

Made the trip to metal magic today, the steel looks great. I lined things up and got it prepared for welding tomorrow. In the pictures that's my running boards on the bed just to add weight to close up any gaps for welding.

Looks great! Love all your toys!

All tacked in place. Not the running boards.

Dave, Did you plug weld the floor to the intermediate cross-members? You should do that so they don't start rattling.

Phil, you should see what's under the covers in Dave's hangar. He's got some PURRTY vehicles there. I'm sure this COE project will be a show stopper as well.

Judging by the quality of work Dave is showing us, I agree!

It won't rattle, it is welded to the cross members from underneath. After I get mostly done welding I'm putting it on the rotisserie and finish all the welds. Lying on the floor welding up underneath kills my back. Then it will go to be blasted and acid etched.

I hear you about lying on the floor and welding overhead. Besides killing your back, you have to contend with hot metal falling down your collar. Then you get to do a modified "flaming moccasin" dance.

Today I finished up a few minor things and then I decided to put the bed side up in place just for grins, then the running boards.

ByI put the drivers side bed side in place for a test. Just layed the fender on the wheel for a quick look.

Today went good, I marked the fenders and cut one of them 8 1/2" narrower. Then I cut and welded flanges onto it, it fit great. Pictures tomorrow. Dave

Is the yellow tape on the fender the cut lines?

The yellow tape was an approximate line that i just stuck on and realized it was no where near straight. I did some rough measurements and applied wide masking tape so my pen would hit it. I layed the fender on its side with the fender flange flat on the floor. Found about a 10 inch 4x4 and drilled it at 8 1/2" to hold my felt tip marker, it worked great by just sliding it on the floor with the marker touching the fender. I welded a brace from front to rear for support while cutting. Took my right angle grinder with thin wheel and cut on the mark. Then I made a new inside flange..

The passenger side has the old wheel on it and it sticks outside the fender, driver side is more representative of the final look. Dave

Yesterday friends stopped by and wanted to see what the truck looked like with the visor.

Last few hours I spent on the junction between the cab and the bed. I first had the rounded portion going down closer to the running board and things didn't look right so cut 4-5 inches off of it then bent up the lower piece, much better, at least I think so.

A little hard at first to tell the difference, but picture #2 looks best IMO. The fact that they're different sides makes it a little hard to compare.

Looks like you're making great progress.

I agree with Kevin. It’s hard to tell the difference looking at two different sides, but if it was mine, I would straighten out the top of the fender that you bent to follow the cab corner, so it follows the same plane as the bed.

Sorry guys, these are both after pictures just both sides of the truck and yes they are slightly different. What I did was cut the bottom off the rounded vertical piece attached to the upper part of the bed. Then I added that piece below it to finish things off.

Finished the mounting brackets installation for the visor. I need to do the center mounting braces, the existing ones are to short, I will be replacing the lower one with a stainless steel turnbuckle.

Just curious, but is your windshield going to stay in the closed position? Affixing the center visor support bracket to the windshield frame center divider strip means you won't be able to open the crank out windshield without disconnecting/moving the visor center support, unless your visor pivots too?

You have that correct, the windshield will be glued in place with no frame like original. Will never open again or leak again. I got a rubber divider frozen m the glass shop to connect the 2 halves together and I have a 1 inch wide piece of stainless that will be bolted to the dividder to hold the visor connectors.

Glad you've already thought of this potential issue! I'll leave you to your creating and will keep watching for updates!

Installed and fitted the engine cover today. I thought it turned out good.