Building a 46 chevy pickup for a friend.

I have a friend that knows I have hotrods and always bugs me to build one for him. I told him I do it for fun and not a job. Well he finally broke me when he said he had his grandpas 46 Chevy. I told him if he leaves it a patina truck I would build it. So here’s the progress so far.
the truck is getting a mustang 2 and we cut the frame and backhalfed it with a 70 c-10 frame.

 

When I was but a wee lad, my dad had a 46-early 47 Chevy like that. Used it as fuel wagon on the farm. My parents, being political satirists, nicknamed him Adlai, for Adlai Stevenson. He ran and ran, but didn’t go anywhere.

 

Today I modified the middle crossmember by cutting the top off and making it flat so it doesn’t interfere with the cab floor. I also got the rear suspension off. Have to do some welding on the bottom of the frame after we flip it over and then off to the sand blaster.

 

Did that truck have a Carrier bearing for the driveshaft?

 

Yes it did

 

Cool

 

Chassis is final welded. Brooks my son has been helping me, he’s a welder by trade so he laid down all the welds(not with the Lincoln 110 welder). This morning we put the cab back on the frame took off the windshield, garnish moldings and dash. After that we took a rough measurement on the box and cut it to short bed length.

 

Been messing around with the project. Got a few things done.

 

Any of you interested in an Okie Bushing? I think I have one, plus the removal tool for the old one. I also have an OEM bronze bushing as well. I"m replacing my torque tube with an open drive shaft from a '55 3600.

 

Lost of stuff happened since May

 

Whoa, not so fast, Greenie! Beautiful engine and trans, is that a 350? Or did you go all out with a 327?

Nice looking power plant there...let me crawl back under my rock...

 

What’s the story on this machine ? Looks like a lot of good clean fun .

 

Was wondering what happened with this project. Glad I found the thread!

@Okie Pete that cool single seater has its own build thread on the main forum if you want to hunt for it. It’s pretty neat!

 

I still have the single seater. I drive the shit outa it but haven’t had it out this summer because I had my knee replaced in March. Getting into and out of the car could be a change at this point. I miss driving it.

 

This has been a fun project especially since I almost have an unlimited budget. At this point I have it roughed in and it’s ready to blow apart for a frame final weld, sandblast and paint. Three months from being a totally stock truck to being a fun hotrod truck.

 

Man that’s gonna look tough sitting on the ground!

 

They sell rolled rear pans for these trucks but 1.they are to much money 2. They give too much of a street rod vibe and 3. They are bare metal. So I made one from the scraps of the bed when we cut it from a long box to a short box. The sides are left over stake pockets and the back is the old bed side plus it’s all patina.

 

Most of the fab work is done now it’s time to disassemble. Going to do final welding on the frame, sandblast and paint and the start putting it back together.

 

It was a truck yesterday. tear down, final welding and sanding. I’ll have the frame sandblasted and then paint and reassemble.

 

You are a machine . Put parts together, fit everything, take apart , paint and go back together. Awesome work

 

Thanks, getting paid to do this is a bit of incentive!

 

It's been fun helping you out with this truck project.
Here's a picture I took during disassembly

 

Looks like I need to do a shop clean out

 

Frame paint work

 

Got 1 photo to work

 

Chassis is all put together.. time for sheetmetal to go on for good.

 

Dad got the gauge cluster assembled.

 

Been doing a bunch a little stuff. Cab and box are mounted for good, fuel lines are all built, battery cables are done and on the truck, brake lines are all plumbed and I finally got wood for the bed. Using red zebra wood.