Projects My Apache...

if anything i may have made the notch taller, but im trying to keep as much bed space as possible. theres almost no way i can run the exhaust out the back like this.

 

Got shock studs from speedway, i welded them on the front and back of the plate. Got the uppers almost done. Ill do the lowers tomorrow. Also, im super anal about this, My frame is a tad over an 1/8" lower on one side in the rear. Its been like that since i bought it. Obviously these old frames flex some. Should i just stop worrying about fixing that ? Lol

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Where are you attaching them below?

 

I would...stop worrying about it, I mean.

Man, you are kicking some serious ass on this project! Looks like it's going together nicely.

 

Thanks saxman, i may get in touch with you about a custom shift knob, and im building a mount off the axle buzz. They will be out on about a 20 ish degree angle. i have the brake parts on order as well, and flat top bob sent me a pm and hooked me up with a good battery door from a 47-54. I sold one of my chevy gauge clusters so i have some extra cash to knock shit out

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The axle is upside down in this pic but you get the point. 3/16 plate, the stud is welded front and back of the plate and the plates that mount to the axle are welded inside and out. Ill cap them off tomorrow. Seems wicked strong. They wrap around a good chunk of the tube, and they also straddle the axle tube and the center housing section. Also my battery door and floor piece came from flat top bob. Looks like stink but its actually nice

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Looks stout. Do your shocks end up straight up and down or at an angle?

 

I guarantee.... that if that truck falls apart going down the road... the shocks will still be mounted holding the frame to the rearend!!

 

Haha thanks chad. And buzz, From the rear they are at about a 20 ish degree angle.

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more music to work to........

 

Great job man, you just reminded me that I really need to get back under mine and fix my hack job of crossmember notches! I admit it I hacked em in! Not proud just honest lol

 

Thanks dude! The frame is pretty much buttoned up for the most part. Did you have to notch your bed mount crossmembers?

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Today was good. Got outta work early, knocked out the lower mounts. Layed down a few welds.... Finally gettin a grasp on it

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I actually made a subframe from 1 1/4 sqaure tube and raised it up a bit. I didnt have any crossmembers. I totally forgot I did that! The frame sits right on the outer bed frame slats. I hate it by the way, as soon as the car is road worthy all of it is gettin cut out!!!

 

Cant wait to see it. Your car is bitchin btw

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Hey guys, is it necessary to strip the entire truck to bare metal for paint? Ive read guys say yes and some no. I want a good lookin paint job, but nothing insane. Just a nice durable finish to stay looking for a driver. Whats your opinions ? Ive painted over old paint before but it was just a small section, never sprayed an entire vehicle.

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I don't know...I'm a bit confused about this too, or maybe I should say "conflicted". The deal is if the old paint isn't flaking off, there isn't rust under it, no bubbling or other kind of de-lamination, then you can lightly sand it, prime over it and then paint. The hardest part of course is to get a nice even surface at the transition between bare metal and paint, because you WILL have spots where you do some body work and have no choice but to strip the paint. The part where I'm conflicted is that I know it's a cleaner, more predictable job if you strip the paint and start with bare metal. I want a nice paint job too, but the reason I wouldn't go to bare metal (if given the choice) is sheer laziness, which IMO isn't a good excuse. If you're deciding to go over old paint out of practicality, I don't see why it would be a problem. Just make sure the old paint qualifies as a good candidate for a base.

 

i figure the same buzz, all my sheetmetal is from az or tx and is original paint. ive sanded the fenders down and thrown a coat of rattle can primer just to cover the bare metal. no paint is chipping and is all still rock solid. obviously dents and all body work need to came down to bare metal. but i agree, i wouldnt wanna take it down to bare metal if its not necessary. 1. if its not necessary, it seems like a waste of time, labor, and money. 2. i dont really have the right tools to strip it by hand right now 3. i dont wanna drop serious cash to have it blasted if i dont have to, and risk someone warping the tins, 4. even if i did strip it by hand, id have to prime almost immediately and wouldnt be able to prime the entire vehicle at once. stripping the whole truck would most likely take a week plus and sheetmetal can flash rust overnight here.......also like i said, i want a good looking job for a driver. its gonnaget dinged dented and scratched, its a truck and it will be used like one. if i can get away with shooting a nice tough enamel and not go to bare metal id be very happy

 

Christmas is badass ! Bunch of family members went all out for my truck !!! Visors, glovebox, door handles, mirrors, tail lights, window regulators..... Etc its awesome!!!! have a great holiday fellas!!!!

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My dad got some bitchin parts for his 300 ford 6. Offy dual port and hedman headers

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nice loot. my wife was trying to order those exact sun visors for me, looks like you got the last set ever made!!! lol

 

In the case of lacquer paint finishes, I can't really say because I've never painted over it before. With today's typical base/clear paint all you're doing is scuffing the clear coat with 320 to 400 grit sand paper to give the clear coat some toot for the new paint to latch onto. If you're building a daily driver hat you expect to weather and not look like a show queen. It's entire life, then just sand the entire truck smooth, apply a couple light coats of self etching primer and shoot the paint of your choice.

 

Marry Christmas to you! Got to love family who hook you up with parts...Oh and it looks like socks...you can never have too many pairs of socks! I got some parts for my disc brake conversion, and some new springs (thanks mom). Now get back to work!

 

Thanks guys, christmas was awesome this year. N yeah socks are a mainstay here. Beef jerky in the stocking too ! Haha. Thanks dubie. Ill probably go that route. I want it to look good for a daily but at the same time, its a truck...

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that's why I'm eliminating all the rust and dents on my truck to make a straight body but will be shooting it with hot rod flatz. It's cheap paint and it looks good. I'm going to spray it with an epoxy primer first just to seal the body and then shoot the base colors over top. This truck will be driven daily from spring until fall as much as humanly possible so it's bound to pick up some dings and bruises along the way. The body has some old filler in it so I'll use a fiberglass based filler for some added bridging strength and then some poly filler over that to smooth it all out.

 

I was looking at a few colors from hotrod flatz. Everyone says it lays nice and sprays well. I think i just want a nice tough enamel though. Something thatll last but have a gloss finish at the same time

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I've heard that HotRod Flatz is problematic, that it sprays inconsistent, and that it doesn't hold up well. Some have been pleased with it, but I've heard of just as many who aren't.

Just to throw an idea into the mix, a friend of mine is a rep for Valspar told me about a product they offer call LIC. It's an industrial epoxy paint that is fairly inexpensive and tough as nails. I've personally shot it myself with great results. I spent $92 on a gallon plus $29 for the activator and $24 for reducer. It comes in flat, satin and hi gloss. I've shot all three types...easy to mix and shoot, has a VERY long shelf life when unmxed and has a fairly long window of use after mixed. It dries to the touch in about an hour, and continues to cure over the next 72hrs, after which is is really tough. It can be dyed to just about any color but won't suspend pearl or metallics. Food for thought...

 

Thanks for that buzz, ill definately keep that in mind. the main reason im not going with hotrod flatz is because the metallics are very very hard to lay down without streaking. It seems the basic colors are very solid but the "fancier" colors and finishes are a pain in the ass and have a lot of issues. So i dont wana take the chance. That said, ive heard tons of great things as well

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I've heard the same about hot rod flatz, some find it great while others struggle to get it to lay properly. But it wasn't until after I ordered it that I found all the negative press about it. The main reasons I went with it was price and the color is damn near the same as the factory blue only with a metallic in it. I'm going to do a fake patina paint job on mine so some of the paint is going to get sanded off anyways.

Oh and a question about your bitchin welds. Did you just move in circles to get it so smooth? And what was your wire speed if you don't mind me asking. I am using a Lincoln gas mig but can't get my welds to look that purdy