Projects My Apache...

thanks sqrlnts. hey guys, does anyone know if the 58/59 gmc grilles are pot metal or stamped steel ?

 

Didnt have time to get wire today. Started the blocks, for the top spring nipple that sticks up, im gonna drill and tap a hole for a grade 8 bolt. Weld the bolt inside the block and cut the bolt head off leaving the unthreaded part as the spring nipple, and then cap off the ends of the block. Heres a pic of driveshaft clearance, the shaft will actually have more clearance than in the pic

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They're stamped steel.

 

Thanks saxman, and i dig your shift knobs

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Thanks man!

 

Knocked out the blocks. Welded the bolt inside the block and capped off the ends. Cut the bolt head off and cleaned everything up nice. Notches r done as well. This is the final ride height for the ass end. U can see the axle tube almost rides right where the old framerail was. Heres a few shots off the finished ass end

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Diggin it homie!!!!!

 

Damn...shit looks stout!

 

Sweet man!

 

Here's what I did on my 57. I used the ends of the crossmember where they were riveted in , cleaned them up and welded them to my notched crossmember. Just tapped it in and bolted it up to the sides and flange area.
I mounted the rear leaf spring brackets on top of the frame and swapped sides. Step notch with 3 seperate boxing plates and a few leafs out and I'll make my lowering blocks/spring perch to final ride height after final mock up. I used stock upper shock mount and I'm using the front shocks they are 2 inches shorter.

 

I read this from the beginning good stuff man. I might be close to your age also? Anyways love the ass draggin' stance, mine will be opposite and be scraping in the front haha.

 

Thanks fellas, and im 20 y/o brog.....

I threw a fender and bedside on for a quick look. Have about 4 1/2 inches under the rears of the fenders. Its only a half inch lower than my vw that i drive now and i neverrr scrape so thats cool. Also the rake right now isnt bad at all. I may drop the front an inch or so

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Looks good. I would add some gussets if you got enough room. Prob not needed, but I like to overkill things

 

Daaaaammmn dude, looks good. Love the block idea, going to have to steal that one as I want to lower mine a couple more inches and have 1 3/4" springs. Nice job!!

 

thanks fellas, and tjet i was thinking about it but decided not to. the crossmembers in the back are 1/4 wall box and the notch is strong as shit too. if i bag it in the future i may box the rails and fish plate where the notches meet the framerail. we will see.... the problem with a gusset right there is the bed wood. minus the notch, im gonna be running the stock height bed floor which would hit those gussets

also, on a side note i have to notch the front bridge bar on the notch. it will have clearance issues on the rear. just barely tho, only about 1/8" is needed

 

Good work Green! What are your plans for the bed area, as far as covering the step notch? Keep it up.

 

The floor will be stock style wood with a bump to cover the notch. My dads a pretty badass woodworker so we will figure something out when we get there

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Are you gonna use a mustang gas tank? Or did I miss that already? My buddy had an apache and the tank cap set low enough that he made a piece of removeable trim at the end of the bed and 12" of the center strip of wood slid right out to access the gas cap. It was pretty slick.

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it would be cool to see an old wooden keg split in half and used as a tub to cover up a C notch

 

Im keepin the stock in cab tank, and dubie...... That is an awesome idea

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Hell, anything period correct for that matter would look cool sitting there as a permanent fixture. Stick and old beat up Snap On tool chest or foot locker over the left C-notch, weld it into place and make the lid functional. Find something else for the other side....

 

I like that idea too, got the bridge bars in the way tho

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Can you relocate the cross bars down slightly? Maybe put them midway down on the notch (just below the floor level) and then gusset the ends, with the gussets running up toward the top of the notch. I honestly don't think they have to be exactly where you put them to be effective.

 

Well the rear bar is the upper shock mount. The front i need to notch, or i may cut the middle out and angle it back to the rear bar

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And if i moved the bars down the front would hit the 3rd member

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so i went to the shop and just sat and looked at the bridge bars..... they just flat arent gonna work. i have a new design in my head that i think will work great. it sucks, i had the notch done by my buddy before i learned how to weld and i didnt really have everything ready to mock up and check for issues at the time. but what are you gonna do....

how the bridge is now......



my new design highlighted in white. this will eliminate the front bar from having clearance issues with the 3rd member and also kick the rear bar back about an inch and a half to give it tons of room. this will make the "hump" in the bed floor about an inch and a half longer front to back, but i can live with that....



heres a pic of how high the notch will interfere with the floor. should only be about 5 inches of a hump in the floor. itll keep the bed very useful

 

Pardon the OT truck but I think you could do something along these lines but with a 50 gallon drum, then line-X it. Or use an old air compressor, or something along those lines.
Or just let it be what it be! Come up through the floor and dissapear back into it! It is a machine let it look like one...LOL

 

Its not a bad look at all but my notch is so small and only comes up through the floor like 5 inchez so i think a small hump in the wood floor will look best and also keep the most bed space

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Do this....


BTW... that column done yet?

 

That tag say... After Meth?