Projects Building a 57 Chevy Shop Truck

Sleeper

 

The "X" brace hits the scoop before closing, 9 billion degrees in the garage and I decided it was a great time to put a dummy blower on to see how a blower would look, like a soupy sauna.

 

I had to do some fiddling around to get the hood to close on my shop truck project as well. This setup will give me about an inch of clearance between the air cleaner and hood underside.

 

Years back I was called to be a helper on my friends ‘56, he’d put a tunnel ram on it, and the x brace was hitting the air cleaners.
He had some round stock set up and bent , I held it in place while he gas welded it. Then he cut the center of the X out and the hood closed fine.
It turned out real nice and kept the factory tension on the hood.

 

Just found this fine shop truck thread. So look if ya need a driver,,,, Lemme know

 

I do have a complete spare sbc blower setup



No engine built to support it, but I have toyed with the idea of plopping it on that 307 that came with the truck, if it turns out to run well. Of course it would be all for show, way under driven and hardly any boost, if it blows it'd be no big deal.

I'm sticking with that 11-1 355 short block with that crossram, I really like the look alot



But it's always good to have a backup plan

.

 

I ordered a few more parts from POL today so theyll be here when I get to them, should've ordered them way earlier before all the big price increases, kicking my self in the rear for that.

 

I’m excited for you
POL is really good they really stand behind their stuff.

 

Trosley knew what it was about, piecing it together from a bunch of parts

 

I got my Dan Carpenter 2 3/4 wheel tubs yesterday this should allow for an L-60 size tire, still gathering parts but the vision in my head looks pretty good.

 

I found out my 307 is .....

 

Cool; I imagine it's pretty rare then?

 

That’s hilarious!

 

And out of a Corvette no doubt.

 

Yes an 83 model, it runs so good it's almost unbelievable

 

Waiting on parts for the Henry J so I decided to pull the intake on the 307, it revealed it's just a used motor that someone threw new gaskets on and gave it a paint job.



With the intake off I decided to mockup the parts that will eventually be under the hood, I dig it.



Then since I'm gluten for punishment I dragged out a few more intakes and valve covers to see what all the "backup plans" could look like

 

And finally put the intake on that I'll fire the 307 up on eventually, decent dual plane Holley Dominator II and that Edelbrock carb



Also picked up a couple new steps and inner cab corner at a swap meet for $60 bucks, figured it was a good deal



Even went to DMV this week and got it registered/titled in my name, pretty uneventful for having a 40 yr old out of state title and cheap bill of sell.

 

I did this old school corded drop light photo, I liked how it turned out



The garage visitors must of liked it too, they got active about 15 minutes later after I came in the house.



Kinda weird that it looks like a square box inside the orbs when you freeze and inlarge

 

If you're as big of a glutton for punishment as you say you are, You'll run that stack injection!!! LOL!!!

 

My father and I built a 57 with a 59 fleetside bed a few years ago with a 427 big block. It's a fun cruiser

 

Yea what 427 sleeper said. I dare you.

 

Nice looking truck, I was really on the fence about buying a new fleetside bed when they first came out, I had a 59 short fleet and really liked the look, but decided to keep this one stepside.

 

That would be a feat to get that to run on a stock used 307 lol
I've got enough headaches with things around here, I'll take a hard pass

 

Just found this build thread today since I got asked to help a friend out on his '57 pickup. Been years since I worked on one of these. Hope to find a video posted by someone on eliminating the spare tire well on the fender. Surely someone must have done this.

 

Another fender without?

 

Yup, no such animal, nobody sells a patch panel so either find a bad fender to use as a patch panel or buy a good fender and just replace it.
When you think of the man hours involved in finding a sacrificial fender, cutting both pieces out, welding back together and then bodywork, you'll be way ahead to just find a good used fender.

 

Another thing on the fenders, weren’t they the same till like ‘65 or so? If so, opens up the search criteria.

 

Yes the same to 65, in 66 they had a mandated backup light, so technically for that section of fender a 66 would work too.

 

The good thing about those fenders is that the piece you need is generally in an area that doesn't rust out.

 

Getting it ready, almost time to get busy on this project.



Unloaded part of it in the overhead until it was full



Put some on the floor for now


Me and the kid loaded the beds onto the car trailer for now