62 shortbed project

[marcfridge]

[marcfridge]

I started this project in 1987, while in high school. It was my father's work truck. It sat in his yard for 20+ years, until I decided it was time to get it going. I learned how to build an engine, weld, do bodywork, and paint, all on this project. I have no formal training. I picked up tips along the way from magazines and tv shows. Mods: shaved drip rails, smoothed fuel door, tank relocated to rail frame section (Mustang tank), lowered, 4 wheel disc conversion, 460 eng with Edelbrock Performer carb, cam, timing, and manifold set, heads have valves done, block is bored .30 over, Sanderson shorty headers, billet ready to run distributor.

[MadMaxetc]

she turned out great you did a fantastic job! thanks for sharing the pictures with all of us.

[Macon ACE]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[ThinLizzy13]

That's an awesome truck!

[totten]

Nice work. I like black and red paint

[61blacklowrider]

Very nice work. It's a keeper!!!!!!!!

[thenephilm]

Looks good, gotta love rust lol.

[F100forever]

What seat do you have in that truck.

Great work, the truck looks great and is solid. Is that a cleveland 2V motor? Anything special in it?

[marcfridge]

the seat is from a mid nineties full size GMC pickup. I had to fab a frame to mount it. The engine is a 460 with Edelbrock Performer carb, cam, timing, and manifold set, heads have valves done, block is bored .30 over, Sanderson shorty headers, billet ready to run distributor.

[marcfridge]

did a little surgery on the rear frame this past month. The axel was pretty much riding on the frame. This weekend the TCI front end is getting started.

[64LL]

So you left the cab on the frame but supported it w/ jacks, cut the floors out, welded the front cab mounts to the floor patches and then welded that all back in as one piece?

[marcfridge]

No. I left the cab on the frame, but I put each replacement piece on its own and tweaked them to fit. I started with the cab mount, so I had a solid foundation. Followed by the floor pan. Then I put in the front lower door pillar. They don't make a rear, so I had to fabricate them. After that, I put in the rockers and step plates. I did one side at a time so I could see how it was supposed to look. I spent many hours drilling out spot welds and trying to separate rusty pieces without damaging them too much. What I did not do, that I will do if I ever get another project going is weld in some supports in the door opening to keep the cab from moving and warping the metal.

[marcfridge]

A little surgery started this week













A little re-paint while the engine is out.
Trying to get the motor mounts figured out.
Having a real hard time getting the coil springs installed. They seem to be around six inches longer than the space they're supposed to fit in. I have a spring compressor, but its just not getting the job done.

Any insight out there?

[Shadow]

Looks Great! You Have made A Lot Of Progress For Such A Short Amount Of Time..

[JOSHF100]

Really nice job. And to know that this is your first build is even more impressive!

[marcfridge]

Thanks for the support. I hope to make some progress on the front end this weekend.

[marcfridge]

Finally making some progress. TCI crossmember is in. Shackle brackets shaved.
Dress rehearsal is over. Several coats of Eastwood Ceramic Chassis Black Satin.
Time to start putting it back together for the last time. Hopefully.

[therealjoeshmoe]

for the love of...... teach me how to weld like that!!! lol dang that is perty!!

[marcfridge]

Ha!! The pretty welds are from TCI. I can't take credit. The lumpy welds are mine where the crossmember attaches to the frame with the boxing plates, and the motor mounts too.