The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1950 Chevy 3600

I have completed the initial installaion of the newer model year Chevy fuel filler into the passenger side rear fender. I still need to work on finishing the hole that the filler passes through the fender, and the pieces required to connect the filler to the tank but I like how it is working out so far. The current set up uses the original screws to mount the fuel filler to the fender but they are 7m hex heads that will be exposed so I am considering changing them for some torx pan head bolts I have (that will require modification to the fuel filler part but nothing significant).

Assembly sequence will be a bit tricky as the rear fender brace that connects to the top of the frame is directly under the filler hose path from the tank. My current thought is when I eventually get to the point of assembling the painted fender onto the painted box side I will need to complete the fender installation including the rear brace, then install the fuel filler connection to the fuel tank, before installing the fuel filler to the fender. The fuel filler will consist of a hose from the tank, a stainelss steel tube connecting that hose to a 90 dgree formed hose that passes through a hole in the bed side (below the bed), connected to another pirce of stainless tube that is connected to a hose connected to the fender mounted fuel filler. I think I can assembly all of the fuel filler parts prior to installing it into the truck just mounting the fuel filler and connecting the hose to the tank but I will confirm that before I take everything apart for the painting process.

Working on multiple fronts (nothing new for this project). I am cleaning up and painting the underside of the driver's side rear fender after installing (temporarily) my fuel tank vent/roll over valve. The center fender brace is removed so that I can clean and paint the fender completely and the brace on all surfaces.

Also working on plumbing the fuel line to the carburetor, PCV valve from the rocker cover to the intake manifold, and initial installation of the air cleaner. In theory I could work through the check list of getting fuel and power to the engine to start it for the first time but I am resisting as it would be a short run time followed by a long storage period as I continue to work on the rest of the truck.

Plan to move on to the front fenders next to check repairs made do not impact the headlight installation, clean and paint the underside and related braces/brackets.

Underside of the front fenders have been cleaned and painted with Rustoleum. Getting the front fenders mounted is a challenge given that the front goes under the radiator support but over the inner fender making the transition to getting the flange over the inner fender tough. Then getting all of the inner fender mounting bolts aligned with the fender support and in-line to thread into the radiator support was another challenge. Trying to scope out the correct sequence so that when the parts are painted I am not scratching them all up in the installation process.

I installed the valance parts to the running boards and set the running boards in place to see how everything lines up. Driver's side is okay, passenger side is going to require some work as the rear of the running board is low relative to the rear fender and the valance to the box.

Tried to measure from the cab - hood hinge mounting bolts to the radiator support on each side as a prelude to hood alignment. It is not looking good (3/8" difference is the best I could do) but I am not going to panick until I can fit check the hood.

I was going to work on cleaning and painting the underside of the running boards next but I think I am going to tackle the hood next so I can determine if I need to move things around to get the hood to align correctly. It is a little intimidating as the hood is so big to handle. Also trying to decide if I want to source and install name/number identification parts on the hood sides or clean and fill those areas.

When I did my 47 3600, I put the inner and outer fenders together, then put them on the truck. I had help and we did not scratch anything. Get your welting glued on and that will protect your cowling from scratching, the inner fender will bolt to the radiator support without much trouble.

Thanks, I guess that answers another question about welting or no-welting.

I am working on the hood and while I still have some repairs to make I wanted to fit check the hood for alignment with the cab and fenders. I need to make some adjustments and have posted a plea for help in the Body and Paint forum. Once I get the alignment sorted out I will finish the repairs (primarily the passenger side insigna area) and complete the refurbishment of the latch area. I apparently will need to fabricate one hood brace as I have not been successful in locating one (see parts wanted listing in the swap area).

Still working on the hood alignment but waiting on mounting bolts before I do any more on that. It sounds like I may have a source for the hood brace but that is still pending.

I did pick up the parts for a different grille that was painted, not chrome but I will still need to make some repairs to my grille end plates as they were not part of the deal.

I moved on to installing the doors to fit check and install the striker portion of the Altman latch kit. Apparently my cab is not a '50 but rather a '52 or later as the striker plates in the kit do not fit and the manufacturer has advised that I need the striker plates from their 52 - ?? model year kit. In the process I realized that I have some adjustment issues with the driver's side door (have not gotten to the passenger side yet) getting the belt line to match between the door and the cab. I also realize that it has been a long time since I took the doors apart and proably will struggle to remember how they go back together, not to mention obtaining the parts that I need to replace.

It is good thing I am not on a schedule or working against a deadline.

I reached a milestone recently with all the body panels stripped of old paint and primed (most with an epoxy primer). I still have a fair amount of skim coat body filler to apply in select areas and need to decide my plan for the bed sides given they have a lot of "history" showing with dents all over but primarily in the top rolled tube area.

I'm in process of installing emergency brake cables (custom) using a J*** handle between the bucket seats. Unfortunately the cable from the handle to the plate that connects it to the axle brake cables is too long so I am waiting to hear back from the supplier about the best fix.

I'm also in process of confirming the electrical system. I have the battery in place and with it connected I have verified power to the starter, alternator, cooling fan, ignition (with switch on), fuel pump (ignition on), and the instrument controller (Dakota Digital). I was able to configure the fuel gauge and it appears to read correctly. I also set the tach configuration but did not confirm operation. I will need to create a cross reference for the fuse locations as I am using the power seat fuse for battery power to the instrument controller and the radio fuse for switch power to the instrument controller.

I am working toward my first engine start and camshaft breakin run but have a few steps still required before I am ready to fire it. It has been about 2 years since I built the engine so fingers crossed that I didn't screw anything up.

For the bed roll on mine that was flattened, I got a ball bearing and welded a nut to it so I could screw it on my slide hammer. Drove that into the bed roll and used the ball as a dolly. Marked the shaft of the slide hammer so I knew where it was to apply the hammer blows.
Here's a couple pics of the tool I built.

Kevin, thanks for the reminder, I recall seeing that on your thread now. That is a pretty large ball bearing where did you source it from?

I’m also interested in the source plus the diameter.

I got a pair of them on Amazon LINK
Diameter is 1-1/2". I also ground a couple of relief spots so that there was kind of a point support so I could lift the metal up. Conveniently, it has buried itself somewhere in my garage or I'd add a pic of that.

Thanks for the size and the link. This forum, and Kevin in particular are a great resource.

Just realized it has been a loooong time since I posted an update.

I have been side tracked by another project but working on the truck a little at a time.

As some have noticed from the Paint and Body forum I am working on front end assembly for fit checking prior to paint. Struggling with the passenger side fender position but that is a discussion best left for othe places.

I was hoping to be ready for paint soon but now realize that I have a lot of work to do before that. When I do get to that point I was originally planning to paint everthing seperately then assemble but my revised plan is too paint the interface areas (door jams, cab rear, edges of fenders and hood, etc. then assembly and paint all together. Still time to change my mind again off course.

Still hoping to fire and break-in the engine this summer/fall but have not decided when to pull that particular trigger. I have fuel to the carburetor, power to the distributor and starter, etc. so in theory once I prime the oil system it should be ready to run.

The final body work is not my greatest passion so I am tending to drag my feet but I need to get my self in gear and get to it.

I agree with your plan. Fit, spot in all the inaccessible areas, assemble, then paint. I couldn’t imagine how a one man show, could assemble the front end without scratching the crap out of it.

To avoid getting overspray into door jams, hood etc, you can apply tape to the back side of the door/hood and let it roll into the jam so there is not a sharp line. A little compound takes away any overspray leaving a nice transition.

Phak1, thank you for the affirmation. Now I just need to execute.

Continuing to work on the "body work" aspect of the project. My fenders that I thought were pretty good have a lot more small dents than I realized. the bed sides show a lot of history as being used as a truck.

I have decided to "paint" the inside of the bed (bed sides, front, and tailgate) with bed liner material. The current plan is to coat up to the bend line on the bed sides but I have not decided where to break it on the front panel or the tailgate yet. This will blend in with the bed liner that I put on the bed strips and angle brackets.

I have tentatively decided on using a Chevy blue mettalic paint color (619D) that one of my son-in-laws has on his 2019 Silverado. This should provide easy access to touch up paint if/when needed.

It has been some time since I updated this journal. Primarily working on body panels trying to get ready for paint but have now decided that at least if I am going to paint it that will not happen until next year due to temperatures dropping.

Given the body work activity I decided that I could not wait any longer to hear the engine run. It is a 383 SBC that was built a couple years ago and just sitting in the chassis waiting. I had previously confirmed that my wiring was providing power to the starter, distributor, etc. and the electric fuel pump pressure seemed correct without the need for a regulator. I found that I have mis wired the starter solenoid but once that was resolved it worked.

Prior to trying to start I installed an old distributor without a cam gear to prime the oil system. Priming went well and showed about 50-60 psi oil pressure when running the oil pump with an electric drill, a fair amount of oil delivered to the rocker arms on both cylinder heads. I needed to play with the timing to get it running and not really sure where it sits now as I was more interested in running at speed for the cam break-in. Once running it seemed okay with oil pressure in the 50-60 psi range, battery voltage at 14 volts, coolant temperature rose to 220 before I shut it down. I ran it for about 20 minutes at 2500 rpm and will probably run it again before I try to let it idle and set timing, idle speed, etc. I am trying to not run it at speeds lower than 2000 rpm until I have sufficient time that I believe the cam will be okay.

I did determine that my clutch is not releasing so I was not able to engage reverse on the transmission. I need to sort that out so that I can determine more information about the drive train as it is a mix of used parts (NV3500 transmission, 14 bolt rear axle w/ 4.10 ratio) and a new customer drive shaft. I am hoping that the problem is air in hydraulic clutch system but it may be the slave cylinder (the master is new so presumably not the problem). It will be a little strange to drive it around the yard with no body panels or doors, just the cab with no glass in place.

Once I get the basics like timing and idle speed set and any other drive train issues resolved I will run engine with the fuel pump disabled to run the carburetor dry for it's winter nap.

Yesterday was a monumental day in the history of this project.

I resolved my clutch release problem and the truck drove up and down the driveway under its own power for the first time. This was the first time I have ever had the truck move under its own power as the "rust bucket" as my wife calls it never was run/driven with the previous drivetrain.

It is a strange looking beast with only the cab, drivetrain (including radiatory support), and bumpers in place but it does move under its own power.

Now to get the brakes working (pedal near the floor) - a good winter project and the sheet metal work and related painting completed so that I can make it look more like a truck.

Congrats, big step towards your goal!

Another long break on this project - grandson's truck transmission took priority.

I need to get myself motivated again to continue the body work and make fixtures to hold all the parts for painting. If anyone has pictures of fixtures that they have used it would be appreciated.

Here's a fixture I used for both rear fenders. I had some light square tubing scrounged from a desk and some locking casters (Harbor Freight or Amazon - can't remember which). The top was made of angle iron with holes to match the top two fender mounting holes. I also used a couple pieces of angle iron bolted to the lower fender mounting holes and then clamped to the upright. If you were closer, I'd give it to you, but shipping would be nuts. If you'd like I could take a couple detail pics. It's in my storage trailer partly dismantled.

Thanks for the pictures. I think details are not really that important as they will be unique/one off stands regardless. Did you paint the front fenders with the inner fenders installed or seperate? I was thinking of painting with the inners in place but it does complicate stand design.

I was thinking of making mine out of wood, probalby with a flat base on each that I could put on a robust rolling dolly I have.

My son (more painting experience than I have) wants me to paint everything basically at the same time which seems impratical given the number and bulk of the parts.

I painted the front fenders separate from the inner fenders. I built a stand similar to the attached (more scrap laying around ) and used it for one front fender. The other one I used a sawhorse (ran out of scrap tubing. ) I also used the sawhorse and it's twin to support the nearly fully assembled bed for painting. The inner fenders and other miscellaneous stuff got painted semi-gloss black (so no need to mask off anything if they were painted attached to the front fenders.) EVERYTHING on my truck was painted separately (It shows in a few places, but not a big distraction.) That commercial paint stand pictured is available for about $40, but would probably cost another $40 to ship to me.

I just finished my fenders and I made a stand using 2 x 2, a harbor freight furniture dolly and all thread. I had to put some weight on the base to keep it steady and so it would not flip when it had only one fender. I was able to use this for the front and rear fenders by moving the supports. I only had room for one set of fenders at a time and used this for the body work, prime and paint. Easy to make and disposable. I sprayed the fender underside on a standard body stand as picture in the previous post.

Thank you for the additional pictures and information about your respective stands. Now I just need to jet myself into gear and actually make something.

Finally getting back to this project after taking most of the winter off.

I am still working on bed side prep prior to paint and hood alignment but hoping to be ready to paint and begin assembly this spring.

I finally got my "paint booth" in my garage done and decent temperatures to start painting some color. Working on parts that need to be assembled like grille cross bars, front splash shield, hood center trim, etc. The tailgate and front box panel are being painted such that they can be taped off for bed liner installation.

Basic plan is to paint parts, assemble, and then paint the areas that need attention due to exposed hardware, scratches, or just poor technique on my part.

Using a single stage urethane paint from Eastwood that seems to go on pretty nice.

I picked up a set of 8 lug 16" x 7" wide wheels. They need some cleaning up and are a little wider than I was hoping for the price was right.

Installed the first body color part on the truck, seems like a milestone but a long way to go.

Was planning to hang the doors to paint them but the system I set up did not deal with the weight well so I ended up laying them down.

That looks like Ol' Roy's original color. Is that Mariner Blue?

Eastwood calls it Mack Blue but I think it is close, or the same as Mariner Blue. It's non mettalic, hoping to hide some of my inexperience and be able to touch up easier. I was originally looking to go darker blue but this color always seemed to be coming up whenever I was looking at options.

Finished assembly of my grille to the best that the parts would allow (one cross bar mangled a bit) and installed (at least most of the way).

The picture angle is not great but not much room in front of the truck at this point to get a better angle.

I think there are some attachment points that need more hardware but will inquire about that in the appropriate technical forum.

That is looking very nice. Great work!

Lookin’ Good! Satisfying when it’s finally coming together!

Thanks for the compliments. Getting everything the desired color is very satisfying but only the next step in the process.

My current plan is to paint everything that needs to be body color, paint the bed liner on the interior bed surfaces, put it together, and then see what needs to be repainted/touched up.

As I am working my way down that path I am realizing how much I need to do after I finish with the paint - glass, wiring, etc. etc.

Hopefully a realistic goal being to get it on the road yet this summer.

I painted bed liner on the interior surfaces of the box (sides, front, and tailgate) and am in process of assembly of the bed. Having a lift available really helps but I still need to determine the best way to install the bolts in the middle of the bed as I can not reach those locations from the outside.

I still need to install the rear cross sill, square the box (again), and tighten all the bolts/nuts that are in the bed strips (its a lot).

Finished assmebly of the bed and installed the tailgate, very tight on the new pivots.

Next up is painting the cab (last major part to be painted) but it will take a lot of masking for all the window and door openings as well as the front/engine area and rear frame area.

Do you cut those bolts down on the side of the fender or does the fender just hide them?

The fender hides all except the 2 between the front stake pocket supports. Those 2 are cut down with acorn nuts to make them look reasonably finished.

I installed the bed on to the frame.

A word to others assembling the bed prior to installation on the frame, pay attention to the frame mounting hole alignment when installing the wood and strips - I needed to loosen and finess my frame mounting bolt holes in the wood to aling with the cross sills.

Next up is installation of the rear fenders, front fenders, and hood. I have had these all installed multiple times but now that they are painted a lot more care will be required.

I also need to check my steering box adjustment before I install the front fender, access will be much easier that way.