The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1957 Cameo 4x4 - Frame-off Resto: "Learning as I go"

My truck started life as a 3100 auto glass shop truck. When I got it back in 1979, it was already a rust bucket and in need of a lot of help.

All of my friends at the time had 4x4's. So I converted this one using 1965 Jeep Wagoneer running gear. It was the proper width so as not to hang out beyond the fenders.

I drove it and used it as a 4x4 for a few years before I completely took it apart -- where it sat for many years. It took years to get my skill levels to the point where I could handle the repairs that the body needed without messing it up more.

I performed a frame off restoration and did all of the body work and paint work myself in a 2-car garage. I learned by making mistakes on other vehicles before tackling this one.

Along the way, I was able to do some horse trading to acquire a very rough 1955 Suburban box that also needed a lot of work to bring back to usable condition. I kept the stovebolt engine, but rebuilt it including forged pistons, a shaved head, hardened seats and valves, a hydraulic cam, twin Rochester carbs, a dual point distributor, hand made split exhaust, Wayne polished aluminum valve and side covers, power steering, 100 amp alternator, and A/C.

The truck has power windows with hand-made window crank switches, 6-way power split bench leather seats, a modified telescoping tilt steering column, and a decent stereo. I modified a CJ7 T5 into a Chevrolet case which is bolted to a Dana 20 transfer case. I was able to mount K5 Blazer disc brakes to the front axle and I want to install an 8.8 posi with disc brakes under the rear.

I guess that until your happy with everything, they are never really done.

Welcome! Looks like a really nice truck. You did a nice job.

Am I correct in understanding that it still has the 4 x 4 Jeep running gear? I'd love to see more pictures if you have them.

Welcome to the ‘bolt! And of course we Bolters love pictures so please include a few more.

Nice truck and yes more pictures.

Thanks to all. Try to be patient with me, I am trying to figure out how to post, reply, etc.

Looks great and you got the pic posting going just fine! (You can post up to 10 pics per post.) Welcome to Stovebolt!

My Grandpa had a 1953 GMC that I learned to drive on. He turned me loose in an open field on Whidbey Island. It was a great truck!

I got my 1957 from my Dad when he no longer was using it at the glass shop. I will have to look deep to see if I can find the pics of what it looked like when I got it.

When you can attach memories to a vehicle, they just seem to mean more. I have a complete step-to-step history of its transformation.

Dan, your truck looks nice -- a solid. Good luck on your journey with it.

Yup - trucks handed down and kept in the family are awesome and thanks so much for the kind words on my Grandpa's truck! Very interested in hearing more history of the truck. Also want to see and hear how your Dad's truck progressed from those early pics to the modern day ones.

Your truck looks amazing.👍 Incredible that a shop truck had the big rear window option. Utlilizing Jeep running gear and retaining the Stovebolt 6 was very resourceful. Welcome to the ‘Bolt.

John

This will be some DITY as you relate the history of this truck and the step-by-step posts cover this major restoration. Really enjoying what you've posted so far.

"I performed a frame off restoration and did all of the body work and paint work myself in a 2-car garage. I learned by making mistakes on other vehicles before tackling this one."

That's incredible to be able to learn that way. We hope we, as a group, can help with preventing some further mistakes. And we can learn a LOT from you to help US not make similar mistakes. ''Tis the nature of this business and the Stovebolt aim for sharing.

I have been searching for pictures that are years old, and many computers ago. I can't find the ones of all of the cab repairs, both lower door hinge pockets.

I brazed up the radio control holes and gas filler hole. This was before mig welders were even around. I finished the hole plug for the gas tank by learning how to use lead and filing it off.

My passenger’s door well was rotted out, but I had to stop because the heat from brazing was really messing it up. When mig welders became available, and I learned how to weld sheet metal, I was able to replace the door well and rear cab corners. Without a mig welder, I would not have been able to do the rust damage repairs.

I have included a picture of the donor vehicle that I took the running gear from, at the time it wasn't worth anything. The next pic is right after I put the running gear under my truck.

Every part that I have added to my truck was modified if needed to fit the truck. It sits on the stock frame, and stock suspension. All original parts could still be bolted back in place.

The next faze was tear down after a few years as a daily driver.

The cab was lifted off the frame using camper jacks. It worked surprisingly well without any issues. Because I was a mechanic first and foremost, I tackled the mechanical first. I stripped it down to the frame, cleaned it and painted it, rebuilt the brake lines, brakes, engine, etc. and put it back together. I wrapped it in plastic to keep all of the dust that was yet to come off of it.

Next was the bottom of the cab. My floor boards were in good shape so I tipped the cab on its back, cleaned and used rubberized undercoating which could be painted using a flexible additive. At the same time, I painted the firewall so that I could place the cab back on the frame. This is when I made the repairs to the cab.

Next came the doors. The doors were relatively dent free, but the bottom and lower part of the door were rusted out, "a typical Washington old vehicle." At the time, no door bottoms were available as repair panels. These had to be hand made. I was granted access to a metal brake which was really helpful. The lower door skin panels were available, as well as the back lower cab corners, and the door well outer edge for the passenger’s side. More pics to come.

As you can see from some of these photos, this project was put on hold for a very long time. Life with two kids, work, and of course learning the needed skills to do it by myself, all got in the way. I really wanted to do as much as possible by myself.

The front fenders had all of the common problem areas: above the headlights, and the lower area right behind the wheel well. I used patch panels that I cut down for the lower fenders. I used good sheet metal from the RH rear fender for above the headlights. The fender was too dented to use, but was a great source for small patches.

Once I actually put a solid effort on the body, it only took about 1 1/2 years to complete. Of course, along the way while the project was sitting there, I was collecting everything needed to put it back together. This way the cost was spread out over many years. I was surprised how much paint and supplies added up to. The primers, sand paper, paint colors, stain, polyurethane really adds up.

The truck is on its 4th transmission, the original 3spd on with a column shift, a T-90 3spd from the Wagoneer in which a cane shifter was added. This trans worked, but not very well because of the tall tires that I wanted to use.

First gear was too tall to get the truck off the line. Next was a T-18 4spd with a compound low. It's the one in the picture all torn down. It came from a CJ5 and needed to be modified with an adapter plate, and a Ford 10 spline input shaft. So a Ford clutch disc needed to be used. And yes it is on the kitchen floor because it was too cold in the garage.

That worked OK, but it was a pain in the a__ with a non-syncro first gear, plus a very long shift throw.

Years later as technology improved and the parts became abundant, I bought (2) T-5 5spd transmissions: one from an S-10 Blazer, and one from a CJ7. The CJ7 had a lower first gear and a decent gear split which would work well with the Stovebolt. The Blazer had the Chevrolet case that I needed to bolt up to the trucks bell housing.

I used parts from both to make a good solid unit. I purchased an adapter kit so that I could mount the Dana 20 transfer case to it. This combination works really well but I rarely ever get into 5th gear.

The 1st picture is the power steering gear installation. I used an Astro van unit because it could be mounted to have front to rear motion just like the original. It is mounted into the same hole through the frame as the original. I made all of the mounting brackets which bolted in without cutting the frame. The coupler was custom ordered with the proper splines for the box, and the Toranado column. I used an angle finder to set the angle for the bracket to match the installed column. The power steering pump and bracket came from a 74 Nova with a 250 ci which was modified to fit the 235. The harmonic balancer and all of its pulleys as well as water pump pulley were also used. I drilled the crankshaft to accept a 7/16 fine threaded bolt to keep the pully on. The bracket also made it very easy to mount a 100 amp large case alternator. I used a Vintage Air kit for the A/C with a Sanden 508 compressor to use with R134a. I found a bracket from a Ford Ranger with A/C and a 2.3L that I was able to modify to mount to the back of the timing cover using extended bolts, and making a block off plate for the fuel pump and using one of the holes to mount a dog leg bracket back to the A/C bracket to keep it from flexing. This meant using an electric pump which I wanted to do anyway.

Both the step side and the Cameo box were in poor shape. The metal on the Cameo box was so rotten that it could not be used. So, all of the pictures here are from the step side. I cut out and replaced all of the rusted areas. I had to cut out and replace a 3-inch section out where the sides met the floor. I welded up all of the fender mounting holes, and used the Cameo as a pattern to drill new holes for the retractors, the retractor boxes, and new fender mounts for the Cameo fenders. If I was going to do it now, I would have also welded up the stake holes, because they are not necessary because I don’t haul any loads in this truck anymore. The fiberglass fenders were cracked. Broken, and missing parts of them. Fiberglass is a whole different animal then working with metal. I found that Bondo hair was the best product for rebuilding the damaged areas. I used flashing metal because it was easy to form and screwed it to the fender as a backer and put wax paper on it so that it would be easy to get it to release from the fiberglass. After the flashing was removed the screw holes were filled and the excess material was trimmed to the proper shape. All bodywork that you do with especially fiberglass you want to do by hand using a longboard sander. All of the work on my truck was done this way because using power tools you tend to over sand and can’t get a feel for if before its too late. Bodywork is all about practice makes perfect. Everybody learns this way, its more of an art. When you think it’s ready, it will take at least 4 more trips around each panel to make it ready for paint. I would go around with a fluorescent light to see any imperfections and mark them with small pieces of tape, fix them, and then do it again and again until you couldn’t find anymore. I just felt that with the expense and time spent, I might as well do the best that I could.

more pics

The Cameo tailgate was a rotted mess. The step side tailgate had Chevrolet pressed into it so it also could not be used. I purchase a new blank tailgate and started making it into what I needed. The latches on the Cameo were in pretty rough shape, a spring was broken on one, and the pot metal release handles could not be restored. No aftermarket parts were available. I went to the Junk yard to find something that I could use for a latching mechanism. While shopping around I found a S-10 tailgate that seemed to have a good start to what I needed. When I got it home, I took it all apart and removed the latches and linkage. I cut the end caps put of the Cameo tailgate and welded them into the new blank. Then I modified the latches to bolt into the caps. I made a bell crank and decided to use a solenoid to pull the latches open. I purchased a remote control that could control a relay and wired it in. I didn’t have the chrome bow tie that mounted in the center of the Cameo tailgate outer skin so I decided to fill the holes and cut a bow tie into the lower center for a 3rd brake light. I did this because the Cameo tail lights were mounted so high because of it being a 4x4 that I wanted a brake light to be at a normal height so it would be seen from a normal point of view. I used a very bright led light for this purpose.