Customs finishing off my 38 chevee project

ive been working on this for too long.this is the closing stages of the build.cab was painted last year

 

[ my main focus in the build was keep the rust at bay.there was little rust to speak of,i intended to keep it that way.also to keep peroid features intact like like gauges ,upright handbrake,bench seat filler neck on side of cab.,cowl vent and wind out windscreen.recently ive been restoring the steering wheel.it had some cracks,i repaired them and painted it today.cab and chassis are very solid.floor was cracked about the rear mounts.got them welded and plated.solid job.doors are very good,solid and straight.passenger door handle was knackered but i got a complete one missing a key off ebay.got a key cut for it by my friend in alabama.

 

Looks good, what about photos of the rest of the Chevy. Any before shots, would be a rare beast over there.

 

Painting always takes more time than you would think or plan for. Keep it up, you will get it looking more like a real truck soon.

 

got a good few pics will post some more.its rare allright dont know of another over here.

 

painting took forever allright.still have fenders and hood to do.

 

looks good.

 

today collect the wheel and fitted it .fixed the compressor .wheel is cream flash makes it look whiter

 

recent progress .home made air filter cover,made shroud and mounted spal fan

 

recently got reinforced headlight stands cast.thickened the walls and reduced the size of the opening.this time they are cast in aluminum.originals were cracking.used them to cast new moulds.used locknuts this time.nuts are tricky to tighten up now but how often do you adjust the aim of the lights.when we made the moulds we radiused every angle inside .to make it less likley to crack

 

going for stealth effecthad to make a panel to close out the top of the grill.made a curved strip for the top of the grill.stuck it up with adhesive ,drilled and tapped threads in it.no messing about with small nuts now.straightened the grill and powdercoated it black.

 

picture of a picture before i started
picture doesnt show gearbox in the bed,or seized motor,doors full of walnut shells bought it anyway

 

i opted for a kugel 90 degree under dash brake set up.a tight fit but it fits.installation would have been straightforward if it wasnt for the recess in the firewall limiting how far right i could go.the servo hit the recess. solution is to alter the bracketry to move the pedal ass in the bracket..there was room to spare .asked my friend for a new pivot and tab top quality as usual thanx mick.work in progress at the moment.plan is to cut pedal from original linkage and attach to new pivot.then link the new pedal to the old linkage.this will get the brake pedal on the right of the steering column,nearer the trottle pedal.

 

little progress this week.got some brackets laser cut and drilled the pedal.assembled it.no welds so i can adjust pedal on the pedal still

 

heated th e pedal and gave it a small tweak.sits comfortable now ,it feelsin the correct place.paint is next on the agenda the trottle pedal is adjustable mount to help locate the optimum position

 

with 205 /65 on the front ive 1 3/4 inch clearance between edge of tyre and edge of fender.
3mm rubber strip.think ill cut a s/s strip to support the rubber instead of current stainless washers
when I offered up the running boards for the first time I loved them.they need a little massage but they will be great real solid with surface rust underneath.POR 15 should preserve them
considering its 78 years old this year its in great condition.had it spent its working life here its unlikely to have survived the damp winter weather.
slan

 

Way to go bro - looking great my friend - you're way ahead of me - I put mine on the back burner - been piddlin in my wood shop - going to get back on it next month - keep up the good work and post them pics !
bubba / mike

 

well mike good to hear from you.i hope to get stuck in again,ill be taking lots of pictures and asking questions, there is no instructions with this build.hope to see your build progressing,you have the makings of a nice truck.dont forget this build has being going on a few years,rome wasn't built in a day.
later nunattax

 

a few pics showing construction of the panel above the grill.

 

Just a suggestion, but have you considered spraying bedliner on the running boards?
I used it on my 41 and love how it turned out. One kit did my bed, tail gate, and runningboards. Granted, the bottom of my bed is wood. But there was just enough to do all the sheetmetal. It is a very durable surface and protects the runn8ng boards very well.

 

hi brian was thinking of POR15 on the underside of the running boards with more two pack satin black on the top side same as the cab.I like what you did with the gloss on the fenders though.your 41 truck is a beaut.i nearly ended up buying one before I came across this 38.what size /tyres /rims /backspacing have you on the front.
nunattax

 

Thank you,
Don't know the backspacing. But the front wheels are 15" × 5". Wheels Vintiques. The tires are 165 r 15
Enjoying your build thread buddy!

 

ive 7 inch rims coming,4 in back space 205/65 tires on loan can exchange for narrower tyres if needs be

 

You should be ok with that tire/wheel combo nunattax. I used that size tire when I mocked up my 37 with a 3.5 backspace on the wheel and it did not hit anything. I could not get that tire size when I got new treads and had to go with 215/70's and do not have problems with them.
Good luck with build, I am glad to see you are still working on it.

 

this morning I started straightening out the drivers side running board its getting there.i had enough of that after a few hours. so collect the fender supports from blasting.SODABLAST did a nice job.should be painting them tomorrow

I have had a pair of original style repro taillights for 2 years.latley I took them from the box for a good look,only to discover they have no brake lights.thats not safe for modern traffic so im going to modify them.remove the old fitting and replace with a stop tail bulb fitting

 

hi leakie how are you doing,205/65x15 firestones were what my guy could offer,i asked him for a traditional thread mostly straight lines to look trad on the front,i picked two different tires one on each side to weigh things up a van tyre looked best but had less wet weather grip so I went for the grippy tyre.

 

my good friend mick modified the lights this evening,did a great job.some stainless screws and a lick of a file and the jobs wrapped up

 

Looks good man,
I went with LED bulbs for extra brightness. Let me tell you, they are really bright!
Also put bed rail corner lights in. Wired up for brakes and turn signals. Feel better about having secondary brake and turn signal lights up higher since the primaries sit so low in the roll pan.
As I get older, I become more aware of issues regarding safety. So have installed things that make me feel a little bit safer. Like 3 point retractable seatbelts. Won't be having airbags. But if I could and have it still look traditional. You bet I would.
See too many distracted drivers texting and not watching where they are going. It is a different world we live in now. But I am stuck between the old having to deal with the new.

 

good thinkingI could substitute LED bulbs when I come across them.i like bed roll indicators only thing is the bed rolls in the 38 are a unusual size so will have to make them.will def go for some seat belts.was also thinking of fog lights tucked in under the bed wont be noticed when they are not running.i think im heading down a similar path to you.
later nunattax

 

One more thing, I got a license plate frame with LED lights on the sides of the frame for reverse lights. You hardly notice there are lights and the additional light really helps when backing into a parking space.