The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1956 Chevy Truck Restoration *

This is my father in-laws truck that my brother in-law and I are restoring for him. This truck was bought brand new by his brother and used as a farm truck up until the 1970's. Throughout the 1960's it made the long trip up to Prince George British Columbia where my father in-law's brother worked in the logging camps. This truck, while being properly maintained, has always been a work truck. It sat in the bush for 27 years before I pulled it out...and it ran!
If you look closely at the pictures you will notice the absence of rust. Why this truck survived so extremely well has to be because of the undercoating it received when new. There was a 1958 Biscayne, that had also been purchased new, parked in the bush not 25 yards from this truck and there was nothing left of it. Other vehicles in the same yard were also completely rusted out as where similar trucks in neighboring farm yards.

http://s712.photobucket.com/albums/ww126/gustoffur/1956%20Chevy%20Truck/

Farm56: looking good. You've been very busy. Thats gonna be one nice truck you can be proud of. Keep us posted.

I feel your pain when working with body shops. It seems all my projects spend a little time in paint jail. Just recently I found a body shop that backs their word and I have my 59 GMC in there now. Two years into it, it is almost complete! It's the same green as yours I believe. Please keep us updated. You're going to have some real fun on that truck!

Thanks. I am enjoying the restoration and I do update my photobucket account regularly so please follow the progress.

Hi,
My name is Ed and I'm a freind of the owner's son, Warren. His BIL, Trent, started this thread and - after much trouble with bodyshops (normal we know!) and then starting the resto himself -has now passed it on to me to (FINALLY!) get it finished. I have 35 years experience, first gowing up in a bodyshop, then working in them, managing a few, then just as a hobby. After doing several cars for myself, I decided I could do a project for others each winter. This year is Trent and Warren's very worthy 56 Chev Apache. I enjoy posting my progress each evening and hope to have it ready for paint by February. Once painted I'll do the re-assembly and detailing.
NOTE: I can't seem to get images to load here...just links....am I doing something wrong?? Once I find out I'll correct them.

Todays action! Got the cab off the frame - with much help from the "flame wrench" - manI love that tool! Also stripped off some of the frame pieces: exhaust, gas and brake line, wiring along with that massive chunk of cement in the back end! Can anyone tell if it was a factory thing - maybe added from the dealer, or a home-made unit? It's was poured to fit around the frame and the trailer ball...

I also LOVE my cherry picker!!

[image]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlITDocrwI/AAAAAAAADbE/yNXiihk2Y1c/s640/IMG_2564.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIUWgk_ZI/AAAAAAAADbI/ex5BJ5kZBeM/s640/IMG_2565.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIWyOQxVI/AAAAAAAADbQ/5TlnVBizgtE/s640/IMG_2567.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIYLGQiPI/AAAAAAAADbY/yCkg6qAYY1I/s640/IMG_2568.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIZb3iviI/AAAAAAAADbc/-KRGipRlSHI/s640/IMG_2569.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIbOSXBkI/AAAAAAAADbg/blHsWm5zcCc/s640/IMG_2570.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIgku9DJI/AAAAAAAADb0/e0Xb83SReSY/s640/IMG_2574.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIIMhHXCI/AAAAAAAADak/tFCK59Sjrws/s640/IMG_2556-1.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlInras1iI/AAAAAAAADcM/m7SNs1I4C8g/s640/IMG_2580.JPG[/image]

Then I bolted the tow-hitch on so I can pull the frame to the Industrial Sandblasters place. I'll get it and a few of the panels blasted then coat them with POR 15.

[image]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIlIoulocOI/AAAAAAAADcQ/4GnXg8WwUco/s640/IMG_2581.JPG[/image]




a Little by litle....


Today I prepped the frame for transport (tied the steering down, removed exhaust, etc) but - as has happened all summer - it wouldn't stop friggin' RAINING!!!! frustratedx And the industrial outfits (all 3 of them) don"t blast in the rain.... I called an indoor outfit, but they're busy 'til next week. Oh well - lots of metal work to do!

The owner had already (mostly) installed the left step sill and did the hard work of removing the right side. It just required some clean-up and prep. Of course when I got into it, I found more rust - what a surprise (not...):

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgNW757jI/AAAAAAAADcg/0oq6IcxfJgA/s640/IMG_2584.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgQZ5oqHI/AAAAAAAADco/TyRz9L4XcIk/s640/IMG_2586.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgUDPuf5I/AAAAAAAADc0/m0xOsWvZTOQ/s640/IMG_2589.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgWOT-A1I/AAAAAAAADc4/-mS5iUWXm50/s640/IMG_2593.JPG[/image]

As always, there where some fitment issues that I had to address.

[image]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgXVa78DI/AAAAAAAADc8/HfUXIyqkQQk/s640/IMG_2594.JPG[/image]

A grind here and nip there, some hammer and dolley work....

[image]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgYnSuShI/AAAAAAAADdA/GARocbvOfI8/s640/IMG_2595.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgda_t9zI/AAAAAAAADdQ/EMZc-ur-r2g/s640/IMG_2599.JPG[/image]

What looked like a little rust spot... at a critical spot of a cab mount, had to be properly addressed (not that any spot wouldn't be I guess!):

[image]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgelRzwiI/AAAAAAAADdU/dU3y1L_r-EY/s640/IMG_2600.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgh0uz5lI/AAAAAAAADdc/KUEQk6hpDZ0/s640/IMG_2602.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgkze3RxI/AAAAAAAADdo/3iSoPq5dGAs/s640/IMG_2604.JPG[/image]

This is the extent of it. I cut around the bolt seat so I could make a template for a new piece, then I removed and cleaned it all up. Finally, I sprayed Metal Ready (a Phosphoric Acid solution fro POR15) to neutralize the rust.

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgyzafNUI/AAAAAAAADeQ/U-qDvOQaaB8/s640/IMG_2614.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgw_XDzsI/AAAAAAAADeM/Ze02yq1rnn0/s640/IMG_2613.JPG[/image]

While the MetalReady was working, I prepped the new step for weld-in tomorrow. This consisted of drilling holes for spot welds, grinding away the electro-coating, sanding the areas with a scotch-brite pad, then spraying weld-through primer. I'll clean up the cab parts tomorrow and spray them too before final welding.

[image]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqg1HTM3VI/AAAAAAAADeY/q4brAhtd-g4/s640/IMG_2616.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqg2WaC1WI/AAAAAAAADec/0nQtW7HHGeM/s640/IMG_2617.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqg3mOFwhI/AAAAAAAADeg/YuKcpj_MES8/s640/IMG_2618.JPG[/image]

[image]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aqOnCVYCxbQ/TIqgr0ULzgI/AAAAAAAADd8/8aiHPU3_WyA/s640/IMG_2609.JPG[/image]

You can only post links here. They won't let you upload the photos themselves.

Keep us posted on the progress.

Such a great site.....but sad you can't post photo's....the truck has progressed to the primer stage, being blocked for paint now....wish I could show you!!!

all you have to do is get the pics hosted someplace and l1nk to them, easy enough

Bill

Haven't updated this thread for a while, but here's the link to the thread on GarageJournal:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74725

She's coming to the finish line!!

Getting closer every day - check the blog to see all the photo's!!

It's looking real good! Thanks for keeping us posted.