Projects Building a 57 Chevy Shop Truck

Next I finished stripping the outside of the bed under the stepside fender areas and gave it a coat of Eastwood's rust encapsulator, followed by 2 coats of satin black.

 

Standing around watching paint dry I decided to get the sheetmetal out of the loft

 

I gave the rear fenders a comet bath and put them on this box for the first time, almost looks like a truck



This one had a guide coat sprayed on it at some point, thought it was tree sap



Then I tried the tailgate off the blue bed, didn't fit, hmmm ....



I thought maybe the bed got knocked out of square somehow but that all checked out. So I grabbed a ratchet strap and sucked it in until I could get the gate over the latch.
Doesn’t look warped, pretty straight across the top where the latch is.



I'll make sure and use the ratchet strap before bolting the floor down to the crossmembers and bed, that's for sure.

 

I wire wheeled the backside of the rear fenders with the angle grinder and wire cup, paying attention to get down in there with other wire brushes too but not necessarily taking all the paint off. I figured if it's still stuck it's still good.



I used Eastwood's rust encapsulator on the double panel parts and down into the corners and crevices. Then I followed that with a coat of Por-15 primer to make sure it's not going to rust, fumes were strong that day.



After a 24 hr wait I gave them 2 coats of satin black, that should take the abuse of anything on the paved roads I'll be driving on.



Next will be deciding on what I'm doing with the exterior of the fenders. They do have some rust bleed through so I know that I'll take those areas down to bare metal, the rest I'll definitely scuff and see what's what.
As far as some type of paint for future rust protection I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet.

 

Impressive work Phil!

 

I sanded out the rust on the outside of the fender and gave it a coat of rust encapsulator



Then I rolled on 2 coats of primer



Scuffed it with 320 then dug out the paint I used on the inside of the bed, I'm not to serious about this paint so I'm just going to have a bit of fun with it.
First coat was that brighter turquois that was to bright.



Then I fogged in that flat teal just like I was doing on the inside of the bed



Next I sprayed the top red and tried to lift it with shrink wrap but I had let the teal dry to much so it didn't work. I grabbed the two cans of the turquois and gave it a cover coat, then sprayed the shrink wrap with the red and dabbed it around to put the distressed red in there.
Then I gave the top and edges some "rust" using a brush, that actually turned out pretty good.

 

Following the having fun theme I decided to try my hand at making water drops, rummaged the rattle can cupboard and found white and a dark metallic blue.
I figured this might work since there was blue on the truck and I had it on hand. I did a test panel to see if I could even pull the effect off.



I think it'll work, just need bigger water drops, I liked the outcome so well that I gave it a coat of flat clear to protect it.



It actually kinda blends in to the bed sides and looks more 3D in person than on film

 

Damn man…you’re like a regular Picasso! Travelling to jersey anytime soon? I don’t feel like doing body work and paint.

 

Neither do I, that's why it's getting this paint treatment, low stress formula

 

Looking good and nice you're having fun too!! Go man go!

 

Started the process on the other fender



same thing with sanding the rust bleed out then using the rust converter on it, then 2 coats of primer with the roller

 

First coat of color is "satin seaside"



2nd coat of color is "satin teal"



Then added the red and dark brown for the "rust" around the edges

 

Fender #2 is done

 

Looks like you are having fun.

-Woog

 

Yes indeed, I might doctor that red up a bit in the future, maybe take a little out, maybe fog in a blue panel, who knows.

 

Nope.. you nailed it.

 

I pulled the rear tires and mocked up some 15x10 cragars with a 4 inch backspace, they're not a great fit, need a 5-5.5 inch backspace to put everything in the center of the hole.
Next I tried some 15x8.5 Ansens and they'd work with a 10 inch wide tire



I did take some red out and darkened some up too



While taking the tires off I realized I never painted the drums, so took care of that



Then I mocked up the swapmeet find steps to make sure they fit before I commence to painting them, they fit pretty good.

 

Messing around with photo editor

 

8 deuces and a 3 speed and a 307

 

I bought some 15x8.5 ET slots as a partner for those 15x8.5 Ansen Top Eliminators, I do have a few different pairs of skinny slots I can use up front to match up with them.
They arrived today and both rims got damaged in shipping by the gorillas at FedEx, bastards.

 

Got the rims welded up, he did a great job on that, more than pleased with the outcome



Sprayed the top of the fenders with satin clear, was flat clear, I think the satin gives it a little more depth.



I also got the steps painted

 

Today was stripping the bed rails and putting a coat of Por-15 primer on them. I really didn't want to mess with them because it introduces more fresh paint but the passenger side was pretty much all surface rust.

 

The truck is looking so sweet. Carry on brother.

 

Got the top rails painted




And mocked it all up together for the first time

 

I'm digging it in all of it's funky glory

 

Big bolognies don't fit



My Hoosier tire dealer friend thought he had some 29x10 or 10.5 takeoffs I could use for a size test fit on the 15x8.5 ET slots. But he had 9 wide or these 29.5x11.5 which have a 13.5 sidewall width, they had 1.75 clearance on the backside but no clearance on the front.



I think I'll try and find some 31x10.5 all season truck tires and see how those fit.

 

I kinda like that look right there. Drove a 56 chevy truck around in high school that had that exact stance. I made my back wheels. Factory centers and cheap white spoke 10 wide from the COOP and cut the centers out. Cleaned em up . Used the front right hub / side to set up and true. Spot weld . Check then welded the snot out of them. No vibration / no issues/and could run a stock hub cap. Ran them till I switched to 5 lug hubs and rear end. But yea I like it. Good memories.

 

I once ran 10.00 AT's and then some 255/70-15's on my '57 using the stock rear and some 8" steelies (I do not know the backspacing although maybe around 2.5"). They landed about like what you're showing here on the outside. I wound up raising the bed 1.5" to clear the tires. The step didn't line up with the cab but I had clearance. In the process of redoing things with a '74 Blazer/truck 12 bolt, 8.5 aluminum slots with 3.5" backspacing and 235/70-15's. It will be close but it will be a little while before I know exactly. Keep up with the good work!

 

I think the 235/75/15 is perfect for the stock wheelwell, just enough room on either side



With my particular rear end that's 4 inches narrower than stock it took a 15x8 wheel with 1.5 inch backspace to put it centered in the hole. Since I plan on hauling stuff and don't want to be married to that rim I added the mini tubs to more center the wheel mounting surface of the rear inside a new wheelwell space.
I like my vintage rims which often don't allow the optimum backspace but I've got a good starting point to figure it out.

 

Between the 2 beds I came up with enough fender braces so I got them stripped and Por-15 primered, followed by satin black



I kinda forgot that the one fender had the brace attachment point ripped out



So I cut it from the old blue fender and welded it into the newly painted fender