Skeeter's 50. Questions and Build

[SkeeterBilt]

Hello all
names skeeter and im new here, been workin on a '50 3/4 ton chevy for a few months. wanted to get it runnin and driving but one thing led to another and now im tearin into it.
didnt really want the 3/4 ton due to the 8 lug rims and suspension but i liked the long bed. plans are for now to fix rust, dents and such and get it on the road, see what happend then maybe do an s10 frame. i know too much about s10 cause i was a "minitrucker" and have bagged a few s10s.
been kinda tough workin on the 'ol truck due to movin to AZ recently and not havin a garage or shop to work in so i have to work out in the exxxtreme AZ sun and its tough.

ive got a couple questions and sure ill have more as times goes on
question 1. why is there a lock on the pass. side door but not on the drivers side and how to i keep the truck locked?
question 2. is the spare tire on my truck right? its on the drivers side, ive seen some on the pass side, which side "should" it be on?
question 3. there are brackets on the rear fenders that go to the bed sides, were they a factory item?

 

[SkeeterBilt]

heres some picture of my truck. day i got it home to now. im tearin her apart.
in one of the pictures you can see my "shop" its a 13ft enclosed trailer and a beach umbrella. thats what im workin with. hopin to find a garage soon. PLUS the truck is at my parents house 20 miles from my apartment and i only get to work on it a few hours a week due to my job and havin a girlfreind ahaha

 

[vwnate1]

Working Shade

Google " portable garage " or just go to COSTCO , they're nice 40' long canvas covers with good quality steel tubing unlike the sams club & pep boys crap .

Just leave the sides off , I've been using them for years now , every few years the cnvas rots and I replace it .

Your truck looked O.K. when you bought it , there's scads of dead S10's abound , have fun and take lotsa pictures .

 

[MT AZ]

Hey Skeeter.... Looks like you are making good progress on that fender you got from me.

 

[ol' chebby]

You don't need no steenkin S10.........

Mine is a 51 3/4 ton. Still stock frame, Fatman superlow air rine front, 95 Tbird IRS. I'm an old minitrucker myself.

The lock deal......For city drivin' You would park with the passenger side to the curb, let your ladyfriend out, lock your door from the inside, then slide over and exit the passenger side, that way you aren't walking in the street.

 

[ccharr]

Welcome Aboard, enjoy your ride while here.
Great looking truck, glad you made it, there are a lot of us with 8 lug rims.

 

[SinclairChevy]

Welcome to the forums. Great truck you have there, looking forward to following your progress.

Damon

 

[SkeeterBilt]

thanks guys

Google " portable garage " or just go to COSTCO , they're nice 40' long canvas covers with good quality steel tubing unlike the sams club & pep boys crap ..

oo0o0ohh i would do but we get some fierce winds down here in AZ and that thing will end up in mexico

Hey Skeeter.... Looks like you are making good progress on that fender you got from me.

yea buddy, ill be emailin you at some point for more stuff. im savin my lunch money for a visor

ol chevy i found pictures of your truck before i found this forum and have them saved as inspiration. plus you sticky on here is awesome. that truck of yours is madd sexxy
as for the lock, wheres the lock inside the drivers side door?

ol chevy do you know any guys from NJ in the gasket goons car club? i posted a pic of your truck and a buddy of mine asked if you lived in NC and i saw you did

ill keep postin pics and updates.
if you guys need parts talk to deadzonetruckin aka mother trucker aka joe. hes the best

 

[Blueflame236]

Welcome aboard SkeeterB!

Looks hot out there in the AR. dessert ! I have famely in Tuscon where are you located ? I would suggest a swamp cooler is first priorety in that heat or an airco system

Welcome aboard SkeeterB. Martinius.

 

[ol' chebby]

I know people from all over, but not names. I may recognize cars.....

 

[SkeeterBilt]

I know people from all over, but not names. I may recognize cars.....

i hear you on that one, i recognize people by their car/bike, tattoos or whatt they drink.

 

[Flashlight]

Your truck already has a lot of class....work environment looks tough! But very peaceful, My spare is on the drivers side, and the fender is factory so I guess its right. I have a half ton and it did not fit the tire between the the cab and fender. I think the 3/4 is a few inches longer on the bed. But, Nice ride no matter what.

 

[vwnate1]

Canvas Covers

WEll ;

I learned to pot all the legs in buckets of cement , the tarp part has scads of ties so only the tarp part ever blows away (to San Bernardino in my case) after several years when the sun kills it anyways , then I just buy another tarp.......

Once you experiance working out side under a tarp , you'll never go back .

 

[SkeeterBilt]

Your truck already has a lot of class....work environment looks tough! But very peaceful, My spare is on the drivers side, and the fender is factory so I guess its right. I have a half ton and it did not fit the tire between the the cab and fender. I think the 3/4 is a few inches longer on the bed. But, Nice ride no matter what.

yea the 3/4 ton has a longer bed, which i wanted that way i can put motorcycles in the back

WEll ;
I learned to pot all the legs in buckets of cement , the tarp part has scads of ties so only the tarp part ever blows away (to San Bernardino in my case) after several years when the sun kills it anyways , then I just buy another tarp.......
Once you experiance working out side under a tarp , you'll never go back .

yea im using a beach umbrella right now and its nice, you can see im also usin a smaller tent and on the bottom i have large coffee cans with cement in them and tie-down straps holdin it down but right now is monsoon season and we get some super winds.

 

[coilover]

The lock on the drivers door is the inside door handle---just turn it the opposite way from what opens the door and it locks it. All these young folks never drove to a country town on a Saturday night when it had rained or there would be no wondering about the right side door lock. In many country areas the only town in the county with a paved street was the county seat so in all the others with dirt/mud streets you were more than happy to slide across the seat and get out on the sidewalk and not have to slog around in the mud with your "Saturday" shoes. We have put several driver side door locks in and it's not real complicated. Do a search and it should show the steps.

 

[Blueflame236]

Good alternative with a pvc storage hall !

Went to a supplier of pvc storage halls this past week and bought a 15 x10x5 meter hall with a real heavy steel construction. No chinise powder coated soft chewing gum pipe profiles steel here. I am using your advice making the conrete pontons to avoid storms taking it in the sky. Last year the storm Gudrun blowed around 75000 cubic meter forrest around here like they where sticks they blow far away. Are there heavey storms in the dessert area in AR. aswell each year ?

Looking forward to put it up and have my truck inside

WEll ;

I learned to pot all the legs in buckets of cement , the tarp part has scads of ties so only the tarp part ever blows away (to San Bernardino in my case) after several years when the sun kills it anyways , then I just buy another tarp.......

Once you experiance working out side under a tarp , you'll never go back .

 

[SkeeterBilt]

got some work done on the truck today
took the bed off with the help of the back-hoe (and dont worry there are fork on the bucket) so i could get to the cab corners easier. then went to work on the driver side corner. workin in the body shop business and havin the right tools made it easy. usin the spot weld drill bit and a seam buster chisel made easy work on the one cab corner. next week ill move to the pass side and then itll be weld time. i havnt been able to weld as i go due to my "garage". so i need to drive the truck close to my parents house and then use my lil 110 welder even tho i have a nice 220 too. the seat is out of the truck so itll be a fun 25ft drive to the house.
booooy has that silly beach umbrella been nice
enjoy the pictures, i love my smart phone

 

[vwnate1]

Body Repair & Canvas Covers

THANX for the pix ! . seeing how others approach the job , makes it ever so much easier for the next guy , keep them coming please .

Yes . we get 80 + MPH winds every October so potting the tent thing is really important ~ I foolishly thought it wasn't important THREE TIMES before I learned my lesson the hard way.... much damage can be doe by tent and belt up thin steel poles flying around the back yard.... .

I have a Chinese one but I got it at a discount place called COSTCO , they have the better stuff ~ the Pep Boys Chinese Tents , I can bend the poles by my hands , not good atall .

Most Urban junkyards have HUGE piles of the poles & joints they'll sell you uber cheaply then you can work up your own tarp to suit.....

Now I'm old & beat up , I wonder how I used to work 10 hours / day in the direct sun ~ yesterday it was 108* F as I tinkered the Toyletta ready to go for it's head job , no way I could have done anything in the sun .

A little bit of shade goes a long ways .

 

[SkeeterBilt]

worked on the truck yesterday and today. got the pass. side cab corner out and started to do some welding on the pass. side fender. i cant wait to get a garage so i dont have to do all this out in the blistering sun. soon ill be weldin in the cab corners. jsut tryin to get used to my new lil eastwood 110v gas welder. since i dont have 220v hookup for my miller i bought a 110 to start doin stuff on the truck and then when i get a shop ill get 220 hookup.
sooo far, knock on wood, the eastwood welder in nice.
i took some more pictures of how to remove the old cab corners and find the spot welds

 

[Bilbo]

Answer to question #3... Yes the fender braces are factory items. You may wanna' consider getting a 'factory assembly manual' from our host. It has a lot of detail. I'm using mine often. Nice truck BTW.