JustBill

Working on '99 Chevy Custom. Lowering suspension, adding rear air bags. Sectioning body. Chopping roof. Upon doing this I've found that the wheels I chose are extremely big. I like the wheels so I don't want to change them. I wanted to lower the body over the frame but can't do that, so that idea is scraped. I've ran into a problem, {or what I think} with the camber. I've done some research and found that real trucks do have this amount of camber. However, I'm not sure I like it. So the options I have so far are these; -1. Bring the wheels in more, (I have already brought them in a good amount) I'm thinking by bringing them in more the front wheels will be too close together. They look pretty close together now, especially when compared to the rear. -2. Bring the fenders out allowing the wheels to sit flat. In other words I'd have to cut the fenders out and fab new ones and give it a bulge. It would also mean having to do it to the rear. Not sure if I want to do this cause I wanted to try and keep the factory body lines while also performing these mods. -3. Leave it as it is and fly with it hoping it will grow on me and not look ridiculous. Here's the pics and please leave any feedback that you got.even if its another option! Thanks for looking! First mock up OOB with chosen wheels. What I'm going for and the camber issue. Few other progress pics. Cut open the bed and c-notched the frame. Will do away with the frame altogether and make one for air bags. Also going to cut rest of bed floor out to lower it and make some kind of flooring for it. Cut out inner fenders and will fab a whole new engine bay. Half-assed mock up. Still need to section bed body.

Well...GET TO WORK ON SOMETHING!!!!!!!!! We need progress pics!!

Chris, I'm really enjoying the progress and the things your sharing on this build. I have the same kit I will be making a Roll Back out of. Your build will certainly be of help to me. Thanks and keep up the good work!

This is beautiful!! Love the interior work and especially the paint finish!

I use Simple Green. I know there's a bunch of others, but i started with this and its been working and is safe. I buy the big concentrate bottle. Fill my tank about a 1/4 full then fill the rest with hot tap water. Usually takes a couple days to work in the paint. Then I scrub the parts with a tooth brush and hot tap water. This method is only used for enamel paints. I use straight 91% alcohol to strip lacquer paint. When using alcohol to strip lacquer, it only takes a day and the paint just falls off. Hope this helps.

LOL Yea, that's just in case the wife try's to take it out for a ride!!! Thanks to everyone for your comments and interest!

Started a thread under Model Trucks for my community Build. Just to keep from crowding this post. Its already up to 21 pages Here's the link if you care to follow. I know Highway made mention he was interested. I will post the finished product in here of course. My link

This is a build I'm doing for the Tractor Trailer community Build. Taking A 1970 Ford Louisville Short Hauler and converting into a roll back. This was a build I started as a kid so first thing was to strip the paint off and start over. Got the frame reassembled and started on the suspension. Still waiting for the engine and the rest of the suspension parts to strip. The subject... Striped... Reassembled... Yuck!... Much Better ... Not sure how detailed this project will be as of yet cause I'm not real familiar with these trucks but that is an improvement. And where the engine is now... Thanks for looking... more to come!

I'll give you one more option, I used a white GEL pen to do my tires with. Once applied DO NOT touch them for a while. Give the GEL time to dry. I waited an hour. Then take some clear lacquer and spray the tires. Once dry you can do what ever you want with them. I learned this from someone on this board. Just trying to pass some good info on that worked for me.

Finished this a couple nights ago. Wanted to take final pics in the sun light. This is a nice kit. Very little "fit" issues. My only complaint would have to be the amount of tree spur that's holding the parts on. It was a bit much. Basically bow stock with ride stance adjustment, and some minor engine detail. Enjoy

I was watching this video and before I knew it the whole family was standing around me and we were just in all! I guess when your in a situation like that all you can do is laugh. Thanks for sharing, I said it before and I'll say it again, I hate the winter!

This is NUTS! Just nuts! I say around here all the time that if it weren't for my wife I'd move to the desert where it never gets cold and you don't have to worry about the snow. Is there no place safe and warm anymore?!?! Glad you guys can enjoy it I've grown to hate snow!

Thanks again for your comments guys, Finished it up tonight. Will take pics tomorrow in the sun and put it under glass.

Hey man, are you painting outside in this weather? And that clear coat your referring to, Is that from the one coat Testers line? Beautiful job so far!! Good to see you building again.

Well... went to Bare Metal Foil and turned into Bear metal Foiled! Come to find out I didn't have actual BMF, I had Krome Foil by Detail Master. After hours of messing with this thing I got so mad I walked away from it for a week. Then went to my LHS and purchased BMF!!!! If your reading this make a note... Nothing beats BMF!!!!! Stay away from anything else!!!!! As you can see in the pics the krome foil lifted and didn't go dome smooth at all. So I striped it and put on the Ritz!! Ahhhhhh! Much better. These are the last work bench pics before final assembly and moving to under glass. Thanks for looking!

Wow!, that sucks. Thanks for the heads up though. I'll pass this info on to my wife, not that she listens to anything I say anyway

This is absolutely beautiful!!! I couldn't agree more. Someone stated early that we should make a note on our post as to whether or not we want to be critiqued. I disagree. I'm new to the site and only been building about two years on and off. Time and life don't always allow me to build nearly as much as I like. So I built for awhile before joining any forums just to get back in the swing of things from building as a kid. I started posting on forums for feed back, positive or negative cause I want to improve on my building. Not to mention the countless hours of researching how to do things by reading post from other members. Its one thing to gather and have knowledge, its another to apply it! So by posting my work and getting feed back how would I know if a new technique I learned and tried actually worked unless I get feed back? Maybe it looks good to me but everyone else sees something different. By doing this interaction not only are you learning but also making a relationship and are able to make friends to share this hobby with.

Great job cruz!!! I look forward to seeing this next week in person!!

Here goes, maybe not the smallest but defiantly one of the smallest. Room is in basement and is 5x7 feet. Its a little humid in the basement so drying time can be a bear!!! There are two windows in the room they're just above the pic.

Latest update. Got the frame and suspension painted and put together. Set the ride height. Made rear springs for it from wire. Don't remember where these wheels came from but the didn't have centers in them. Made centers for them from tree spur in a cone shape. Still have to figure out what I'm doing with the exhaust. Got the body cleared and polished. Still have to add BMF. Trying to get this done for next Saturday for the model club meet. Thanks for looking. I know there's still some orange peel in the paint. I polished it out the best I could without going through the clear. I'm still learning and already know what I did wrong during the paint process. This is the second time I've painted this car so I'm not going to strip it and redo it. I'll just finish it off like this and look back at it as one of those learning experiences.

Thanks for the link. Where is located so I know what to expect as far as shipping? Are they in the US?

If you want an opinion, Leave the wheels chrome. After seeing the foil and once the rest of the chrome goes on it will tie those wheels in very nicely!! Just my opinion. However this is turning out very nice! Great work so far. Been following this build and love the progress. Good luck on the finish!!

This is going nice!! Keep us posted for sure!

When I first saw the deadline I didn't notice 2011. All I saw was Dec.31. Then when you posted thats plenty of time I thought, dang these guys build fast! Good to know I have some time now. I really want this project to turn out good. I've been wanting to build this for some time now and this community build just lit the fuse under my rear. Good luck with your build and show!!

Awesome! Its in the strip tank now. Will post pics later.