Thread: New guy with 57 3100

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Figured I'd post my build thread but with a twist. This is all the work I've already done to the truck to get it to where it's at in my 'welcome aboard' thread. This will be a cool way of documenting what's been done and my future mods as well.

1957 Chevy 3100 with a 283, TH350 and 3.90 geared original rear end. The truck is an original V8 truck and the sheet metal on it is in excellent shape (Arizona truck).

Here we go...

Doing all my bed wood by hand...

BED WOOD:

Sanding, staining, sanding repeat!!! I've got about 12 hours on each board. Here's what I started off with...


Wood Mocked up.


Stain



My reward...




INTERIOR:

Cab floor sanded and treated all metal. Then sound deadner and carpet.

Before:




After:











Original Recovered Seat.


Dakota Digital Dash.


Stainless 19 gal fuel cell mounted under bed. Yeah, I know, I need to polish the thing!


Hidden (sort of) Tailgate Latches (these were a little tricky!)


Rewired and Detailed Engine Bay.


New Rear Bumper and Tail Lights.


New Front Bumper, Signal and Headlights.


Ok, lots more to do and lots more to post but this is it for now. Gonna drive the truck for a while and enjoy it before the crappy (for Florida) weather comes. Then I'll be doing some drivetrain and suspension work....

Oh, I've also got another 283 getting some machine work done. It will have -601 heads off a 305 and a stock 350 cam. I really want to install a tri power setup but I'm trying to learn about them first.

Future:
-Either 700R4 trans or a different rearend unit with a better gear.
-Redo my leaf springs and add some dropped springs up front.

To Be Continued.......

That's cool! Some nice work there! Good Job!

Very cool! Looks like you started with a really clean '57 which is a great starting point, and you're doing great work. Thanks for posting the build history. Are your bed boards yellow pine? The finish turned out great!

Originally Posted by rspears

Very cool! Looks like you started with a really clean '57 which is a great starting point, and you're doing great work. Thanks for posting the build history. Are your bed boards yellow pine? The finish turned out great!

It is a pine board kit from classic parts that I sanded and stained then poly'd. I also routered the edges of the end boards a little deeper so they'd fit under the angle pieces a little better.

good job as I said before love that color and nice work on the bed

Awesome job! Thanks for the pics...brings back memories of our '48!

Sounds like a good idea to hit it with the router again.

Nice truck and looking good on the interior! I'm envious of the pickup bed, mine needs lots of parts and some TLC to get anywhere near that!

Just Beautiful! I've always had a soft spot for late '50's Chevy trucks and this is certainly one of the nicest I've seen. Your attention to detail and craftsmanship is commendable!

Welcome to CHR
Glenn

Great job - now just keep us up to date on your progress

Thanks to everyone for the positive comments.

Here's some other stuff I've been up to.

New bumpers get a shot of rubberized undercoat in the underneath. One thing I do is spread some chrome polish or wax on shiny side of the bumper. Any overspray comes right off and you shine up the chrome at the same time!


Here's the inside of my door that I sprayed some metal prep rust inhibitor on, followed by a coat of rubberized undercoat and finally some strips of dyna mat. I feel it made a difference.






Here's the initial mock up of my electric cooling fan. Didn't have room to make it a 'puller' so it's now a 'pusher' on the front of the radiator. The shroud was removed as it blocked too much air. The electric fan is controlled by a switch in the cab and should help with the Florida heat if it gets too bad in the summer. I still need to install a shroud around my belt driven fan.



Above and below, you can see where i mounted my B&M trans oil cooler using parts from my daughter's bed frame.


Sorry about the blurry pic but it still shows how I routed my tail light wiring.


That's it for now. Got some more pics to download off the camera so stay tuned!

Nice job. We used to call this kind of improvement of a vehicle detailing, before that term got to be the default description for a thorough cleaning. Each step just makes the rig "feel" better and better doesn't it?

Very nice work. I love the color! This truck is on a rather short list of builds I'd like to do. I have a few generic questions though. What did you use to treat the floor? I have a pint of POR 15 left, but I need to check what that will cover and I might be looking for something else. What did you use for the sound deadener? I see some "AT's" on there and mention of Dynamat, but it looks like you used something else for the bulk of it. Lastly, you put strips of deadener with the rubberized coating..are you satisfied with the sound of the door or do you think it needs a full sheet of deadener on the inside of the door? My next biggest project when it gets warm before cruisin' time is to get the insulation and carpet in there.

Originally Posted by 35fordcoupe

Very nice work. I love the color! This truck is on a rather short list of builds I'd like to do. I have a few generic questions though. What did you use to treat the floor? I have a pint of POR 15 left, but I need to check what that will cover and I might be looking for something else. What did you use for the sound deadener? I see some "AT's" on there and mention of Dynamat, but it looks like you used something else for the bulk of it. Lastly, you put strips of deadener with the rubberized coating..are you satisfied with the sound of the door or do you think it needs a full sheet of deadener on the inside of the door? My next biggest project when it gets warm before cruisin' time is to get the insulation and carpet in there.

35,
Thanks!
I used some of that "turns rust into paintable primer" stuff on some of the bare metal areas and some areas that had a little surface rust on them (after some wire brush treatment of course). Then I sprayed rubberized undercoating on the floor and inside the doors. After that, I used a combination of strips of HUSHMAT (dynamat is too pricey) in certain areas. For the large areas, I used peel & stick roof stuff from Lowes. Sticks good, works just as good, cheaper and I've experienced zero fumes/smell issues. What I found out is that you really don't need 100% coverage to affect the sound of certain panels. The back wall of the cab and the doors did not get complete coverage but were improved, so yes, I'm happy with the amount of coverage. Besides, unless you cut an access panel into the door, you won't be able to completely cover the inside. I only covered the entire floor because it's easy to access. I also picked up one of those plastic rollers to help smooth out the material and get rid of any air bubbles.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Nice job. We used to call this kind of improvement of a vehicle detailing, before that term got to be the default description for a thorough cleaning. Each step just makes the rig "feel" better and better doesn't it?

Yes it does Bob. I'm just trying to do as much as I can without tearing the truck down to 'parade rest'. I want to enjoy it on the weekend. Besides, my funds wouldn't allow it..
One day I would love to take the truck completely apart and really detail the frame and suspenion.

Well, the dakota digital comes with two little ground (push button) switches that are used to change menu displays, reset trip meter, etc. And I also have a lighted rocker to control my electric fan so I modified this little project box I got from radio snak and got it to fit nice and snug inside my ash tray.

Sorry for the blurry pic but I think you guys get the idea.