Another '64 SWB

[fastfrankie73]

Here is my 64 as I picked it up last year, it was brought up to Pennsylvania from North Carolina last year...Does anyone recognize it? It has a newer roller 302 with a C4 behind it. I just got done typing five paragraphs twice now before having my iPad lock up on me for some reason, so I guess I'll do this in sections

[fastfrankie73]

The first thing I did was dump those God awful wheels (no offense to anyone that runs them, they just don't fit my style or vision) for some super cheap aluminum slots 15x7 and 15x8.5 respectively wrapped in BFG 275/60/15 all the way around...I got them at the swap meet for $60 including lug nuts too...lol. There was a summer left on the tires. I also replaced the kingpins and gave everything a good grease job.

[fastfrankie73]

Then I spent most of the summer playing with it until one late night in September after some spirited hooligan actions with a few of my hot rodder buddies, I over heated it pretty bad. I was really busy with work and building a bike so I just let her cool and replaced all the missing antifreeze and it ran fine into town and then into the garage...now I'm back on top of things for this spring...

[fastfrankie73]

So here we are with the plans for the next month or so. This being a southern truck, it has never really had a serious rust issues. There is a small amateur floor patch over the passenger side cab mount and the cab mount itself is going to need a little attention...the front of the bed floor and the associated front brace might get some attention too. There is an old repair to the left fender bottom and door where it was creased a little, they drilled holes for and old school slide hammer...I will straighten all that out. The front of the hood had a little damage and some old rust repair with some screen and plastic filler, it's also twisted a bit obviously from when it had bad hinges. I would like to replace it, but I think I missed the only clean hood around these parts on Craigslist this winter. I will probably just weld a patch inside and outside of the hood and get it fitting the way it should.

I had a body shop for years and also taught collision repair for quite some time, so this is all well within my skill set. With that being said, I can be fairly critical on bad body work and half assed repairs...but it also know that all of this was probably fixed when this was just somebody's old truck...so it is what it is. I will say this, I'm sure this truck had perfect patina and it's extremely straight. I just wish whomever sprayed all the cheap primer on everything, would have invested an hour and some quality masking tape

I doubt that I will do a real paint job on this, I'm very much over the "wow" factor of seeing something I've painted. It will most likely be satin black with white grille, bumpers and roof...but I may do a faux patina...even though it's very overdone these days...either way it will have my old speed shops logo on it and I plan to use it as a truck and also tow my '55 Chevy to the race track....it's only 4 miles.

[fastfrankie73]

I just got my dropped axle from Sid, I will either remove a couple leaves or reverse the eyes to get the front where I want it. I will also need to pull the steering box out, there is a little too much play that I'm fairly certain is mostly the bushing on the sector shaft from where I can see the play. Everything else in the front is solid and staying as is.

In the rear I'm going to play with the hangers and shackles to bring the attitude to the proper altitude. I'm guessing by the way it sits now and the fact that it has short helper coils on it, that it was already a little saggy. I want to be able to haul stuff and tow my '55 to the track. I might end up with some helper bags back there. I may or may not change the 3.89's out for a 3.25 center section I have here, depending on what tire I end up with...the track is only 4 miles from the house so I'm not exactly worried about needing the deeper gears to tow.

I would really like to run a set of vintage torq thrust wheels I have, but they are 5 on 4.75. I don't know if I want to redrill the hubs, I probably have enough room to run the adapters I have in the rear since the wheels I have are only 15x7's but they would stick out in the front with an adapter...if I do use them I'm thinking 255/70/15's on the rear and a 215/70/15 or 225/70/15 on the front. I will wait to get the suspension where I want it before making those decisions.

The cab is going to get new rubber and some floor covering. I need to hide some tunes somewhere in there and paint the dash and doors. Some vintage gauges and a tach seems necessary too. I would like to ditch the ratchet shifter for something else more to my liking.

[SteveCanup]

Looks like you have a 'keeper' in that '64. I like your thinking and the direction you are taking with the truck. I somewhat am going in the same direction with my '64. I put some reverse-eye mono's on the front and later I want to send my axle off to Sid for some stretching. I was drooling looking at that front axle...(I want one!) I did the same in the rear that you are planning to do, as I too wanted to be able to use the truck to haul stuff from time to time. Keep the pics coming...
Steve-