Projects Building a 57 Chevy Shop Truck

The history is that way back in the 7th century someone in my family took the name for their own, so I've known it for all my life.

 

Well…that makes a ton of sense then! Learn something new everyday.

 

And thank you for your service.

 

I'm thinking I might try this effect I did on this test panel for the Henry J to the inside of the bed (in turquois and maroon) then blow a bunch of dirt into it.



Like I mentioned earlier I've never really tried to match old paint and I'm not a huge fan of fake patina.
The only thing left of the blue will be the cab shell and the hood, the fenders, doors and bedsides will all be an assortment of different colors, so maybe I'm just chasing my tail here to match that bed paint.

Blue and green fenders



Gray rear fenders



A black door



And a gray door



I do like the way this Willys looks with it's fake barn dust look, I wouldn't be opposed to something like this with corner gas station shop truck lettering.

 

I cleaned up the angle strips and wheel tubs then gave them 2 coats of gray primer sealer then 2 coats of red oxide.



Then I taped them up and seam sealed the gap in between wheel tub and bedsides



Picked up some seaside and burgundy paint and wadded up some shrink wrap. The burgundy quit spraying almost immediately, but none the less I wasn't to impressed with it, although I didn't throw any dirt at it yet lol

 

What red oxide is that Phil?

 

Rustoleum's finest, really called rusty metal primer, but red oxide sounds so much cooler

 

Round 2, satin teal followed by some kind of satin red, shrink wrap dabblin, then a little primer dusting followed by some teal sprayed directly on the shrink wrap and more dabblin.
It might tone down a bit once it's completely dry, at any rate there's a few layers of paint on it for protection.

 

I messed with it more today, tomorrow I'll scotchbright it then move onto further adventures

 

I mocked up the new crossmembers that hold the box to frame to get an idea of how much they need trimmed backed do to the new wheel tubs.



I used the wheel tub templates I had made before welding them in. Cut out with an exacto knife it fit over the end of the crossmember and made for a perfect pattern to trace.



Lop it off



And see how good a job you did

 

I spent the afternoon making my bed so I could mark the cuts needed at the wheel tubs and holes drilled in the outer boards.
It was kind of a pain in the ass to be honest with you, I squared the bed to frame, figured the bolts would just drop in the holes, nope.
But in the end I got there



This needs cut out



I'm thinking I'd like a dark brown walnut stain maybe

 

That bed looks beautiful. Clear wood with no knots stained dark, you can't go wrong.

 

I don't know much about wood working, I just know it's supposed to have something on it to seal out moisture and UV rays.

 

I’m partial to black stain and spar varnish.

You’re making great progress.

 

Originally I wanted to do rough cut lumber and used motor oil stain, then I went and bought this fancy oak kit lol

 

Took it back apart this afternoon and cut and drilled the boards



The holes even lined up



Next step will be to recess the board so the wheel tub can sit down into it, leaving the angle strip flush on the surface

 

Not gonna lie, the rough cut lumber and used oil would’ve been sweet. However, your doing a damn nice job, so that fancy floor is looking good in there too.

 

If the Amish wasn't so far away I would've done it, would've fit the theme of the truck better, but ya know these themes change, heck I started out wanting a Project X truck

 

Here is the bed in my 55 . I made the wheel tubs.

 

What color of stain is that ?

 

Here are the products I used. I stained the bottom and edges black so it matched everything under the truck. 7 coats of urethane .

 

I got the two planks recessed using the good ol drill press hole saw mill hack method, worked much better than doing it by hand that's for sure.



All that's left for the boards are sanding and stain, but undecided if I should wait till more of the truck is together to pick a color or not.
I'm not sure how long I can store this wood without it warping.

 

They can be stored for a long time if they are in a humidity controlled environment, warping occurs when the wood either dries out or is exposed to moisture. The easiest way to prevent warping is to stain and finish them with varnish or polyurethane on all sides.

 

I was thinking you were going to use a grinder to recess them..turned out good. You and the hole saw are your own cnc machine

 

This is great, cant believe i've not found it before. Love the engine choice, or choices, now following.

 

I tried that first with a flap disc, then a cutoff wheel, then a regular grinding wheel, a sander, that yellow wood chisel.
Then I smarted up lol

 

Thanks, this isn't going to be a speedy build by no means but we'll get there

 

Added some brown to my ugly fake patina, toned down the new colors a bit and kinda blends in better now