Winter 2011

Our winter project (after some awesome Christmas presents) was to fabricate and install the exhaust system. A lot of customization was necessary. Here are some of the "in progress" and final photos:

Summer 2010 Progress - Bed, filler cap, etc

The progress this summer included finishing the truck bed - we used a honey color spar varnish. We had to recess the bolts into the bed, and drill for the filler cap, which we also installed. The stainless steel strips and wood all had to be trimmed to fit and the gas filler tubing had to match up perfectly with the filler cap - quite a challange, but not impossible. We also installed the refurbished gauges.

New gauges!

Freshly primed truck bed!

Stained and ready to go...

Filler cap installed (attached to gas tank)

July Update

This month we received our 1951 newly refurbished gauge cluster and speedometer, along with the sending unit, a new oil dip stick and the ignition with keys!!! (pictures for that to follow).

Dad and I fitting the sending unit.

There she is!!!

Sending unit going into gas tank.

The final product.

Water temperature sensor installed!

Tubing for oil pressure installed.

The newly refurbished gauges have arrived!!! Now to install them!

View from the driver seat!

After drilling hole, fitting grommet for
oil pressure tubing and temperature gauge.

Next up: The 51 gets a new set of keys!!!

June 2010 Gas Tank Filler Port

June, 2010: Today we tackled the install of the gas tank filler port. Of course, like anything else, you can't just "install" it, you have to measure twice, cut once (sometimes measure and cut again) until you get it just right. The top of the opening to the tank needed to be shaved down and the bottom of the filler port needed to be cut down as well, along with the rubber tubing and re-drilling the hole for the filler cap safety chain. All in all a good morning's work, with some supervision by Mom.

Dad measuring for the hole to be cut into the wood bed.

Checking for clearance and figuring out
how much needs to be cut off the filler port and tank opening.

Dad drilling the hole into the wood bed using a hole saw.

Hmmm, that looks difficult... You sure you have that hole right Dad?

What you doing Sherm? Are you ready to go yet?

Mom supervising!

Trimming down the gas tank opening.

Installing rubber hose for filler port.

Filler port installed!!!

Safety chain reinstalled on newly trimmed filler port

May and June have been focused on getting the gas tank and fuel lines installed. A little body work was done while waiting for the gas tank to arrive (which took over a month, once it did it was damaged and we had to wait for a new one to ship.) The tank, which SHOULD have fit a 51 GMC had odd angled brackets that prevented it from sitting level on the frame. These brackets had to be cut off and I had to fabricate new ones out of raw stock which I purchased from Lowes.

While waiting for the tank to arrive, some body work was done: At some point the cowl vent had been covered up with bondo. I cut out the old bondo and welded the vent, shaving it into a smoothed out look.




The gas tank finally arrived with one small problem. The brackets that attach the tank to the bed were angled on both sides. I cut the existing brackets off and fabricated new ones, aligning them properly to fit onto the frame. I then welded them onto the tank, making sure everything was level.

Raw Steel cut and fabricated into brackets.

New brackets welded on to gas tank, then drilled holes in the
frame and bolted the tank onto the frame

The following is a picture of the side view of the mounted gas tank.

Next up was installing the fuel lines, using Dad's technique, routing them along the frame rails, avoiding brake lines and emergency brake cables-- straight shot to the fuel pump.