impcon Posted June 1, 2010 Posted June 1, 2010 At last, I have started work on what will be my first complete build in over 15 years. It's an old SMP annual - a '60 Chevy pickup and trailer that I bought off Ebay awhile back for $16.00. The truck was disassembled using the deep freeze method that worked like a champ partly I think because the original builder seems to have painted the truck and then assembled it. There is VERY little glue damage on the little truck - the worst is from what I am thinking was the accessory fender skirts that the truck must have worn at one time. There is also evidence that a couple of things were glued to the bed floor of the box at one time but that should clean up. Probably the worst glue damage is on the tailgate where the builder glued those wretched louvers across the "Chevrolet" lettering. That will be a challenge to try to bring that lettering back. The truck will be built bone stock but I will be sustituting the V8 for a 235 six cylinder and a three speed manual transmission ( column shift )from a newer AMT short box kit just like the real truck has. The real 1:1 truck that this is being built to replicate was my Mom's truck which I now own - although her's is a '61. There are several differences between a '60 and a '61 - a very slight difference in the grilles, the hub caps and the fender scripts that on the '60 say "Chevrolet" and on the '61 they say "Apache". I am not into paying $200.00 for an unbuilt kit and built ups of the '61's are few and far between so I'll live with this I guess. The truck will be painted two tone green and white like my Mom's and it will getting the six cylinder engine as mentioned. I'll be ordering new chrome from the Modelhause just to spruce the old gal up a bit.. I may substitute '61 bumpers and grille for the '60 - I have to decide on that yet. Also, I am not sure what the old annual hub caps were like.. I'd sure appreciate some photos if anyone has any of the '60 hub caps and the '61 caps. These were small dog dish caps - not full wheel covers by the way. If I could find a scrap '61 fender or cab to try to get a casting of the "Apache" script, I'd do it in a heart beat and replace the Chevrolet script with the proper '61 script. My mom's truck had the full chrome package - bumper, grille, hub caps and deluxe side trim - it sure was a pretty little truck. It has been apart for many years since my brother started working on it and then gave up - plans are to refurbish the truck in the next couple of years. it wont get a ground up restoration but i will reassemble it, clean it up, paint it and get it driving again. This will be a lengthy build as I am limited in time but I'll post as I go along.. I welcome constructive criticism and helpful hints. The little truck will be primed and painted with autoimotive paints - probably a urethane enamel.. wish me luck.
charlie8575 Posted June 1, 2010 Posted June 1, 2010 What a great project. I wish you well with it, and look forward to watching updates. Charlie Larkin
impcon Posted June 1, 2010 Author Posted June 1, 2010 I think that I have this phot thing figured out so here are the pictures of the truck before I took it apart and after I got the paint off of it late today. It cleaned up pretty good but as you can see in the photos, the tailgate is somewhat goofed. I'll start off by cleaning up the glue damage and fixing any little things that are wrong over the next day or so. I have to go out to where the real truck is sitting and get the paint codes off of it and take some photos fopr reference - especially the interior. I'll also have to scratch build a rear bumper as her truck has an aftermarket rear bumper on it. More pictures to come...
Eshaver Posted June 1, 2010 Posted June 1, 2010 This is the kit A M T SHOULD have re- done and marketed back to us !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Instead , we got a pitiful excuse for a kit back in 1998 Calling itself a 60 Chevrolet truck ! Ed Shaver
Modlbldr Posted June 1, 2010 Posted June 1, 2010 Wow! For $16 you made a heck of a deal. Sure wish I could find one for that price. I can't wait to see what you do with this one. Later-
impcon Posted June 1, 2010 Author Posted June 1, 2010 Wow! For $16 you made a heck of a deal. Sure wish I could find one for that price. I can't wait to see what you do with this one. Later- Yeah - I'm still smilin'!
Ron Hamilton Posted June 1, 2010 Posted June 1, 2010 Gary, You made a great score with that one. As one who has restored several old builds, you can save that tailgate, but it is going to tave several hours of tedious work, but the results will be well worth it. I am going through the same thing with my '63 Ford F100 restoration. I cannot wait to see the finished model.
impcon Posted June 27, 2010 Author Posted June 27, 2010 Well, I finally got the little truck cleaned up to where I had to put some primer on it so that i could really see what I was working with. I find the gray primer brings out the flaws big time and it shows me most of what will show once I put the paint on it. For the most part, I was pleased with my progress butthere are some glaring issues that need to be dealt with - we've still got a long ways to go. I have been side tracked on the '63 Mercury meteor so the truck has not been getting the attention it needs to make some real headway. No panic though because I am still waiting on the new chrome from The Modelhaus. So here's how everything that is primed so far looks as a whole.. The tailgate actually looks ten times better than I thought it would. As anyone who has tried to salvage an old glue bomb knows, a lot of damage can be done by using too much glue. Once the gate was all in one colour as opposed to the cream coloured plastic and the dark stains from the glue, I could see where there just may be hope for it. It's sure got a lof of pin holes in the plastic from the glue that held the louvers in place across the gate... The box floor has some challenges where stuff was glued onto it at one time - I am assuming the tools and tool box and who knows what all came with the kit originally. Not sure how I'll deal with this damage but we'll give 'er our best lick, as they used to say at the sawmill where I used to work. here's both sides of the cab 0 I am VERY happy with the way that it is turning out, I was worried about the fender script being too faint but it stands out nicely with the primer on it. There's no real damage anywhere that is worth talking about and the main part of the truck is going to clean up nicely I think. Here's the box back on the cab and box floor and I'm delighted! There's some minor work needed around each wheel opening from the fender skirts that the truck once wore and a tiny bit of work along the top of the box rail. All in all, she's a sweetheart.. Next steps are to start working on the glue damage, reprime and sand and reprime and sand. I still have some work to get rid of the mold line on the one side of the hood and there are some mold lines still in the cab but 80% of them are dealt with and gone. The interior will be serviceable - there is some glue damage on the gauge faces - I'lll have to see what I can do. I don't think that I ordered a new dash ( booting myself here - boot, boot, boot ) so I'll live with what I have unless it really doesn't clean up. Fortunately the glass is good aside from a couple of spots of paint. Once the cab and box are cleaned up somemore, I'll reprime the areas that I have worked on and then move onto the engine and chassis. My mm's truck had a 235 and I am thinking on going with one out of one of the newer kits. Or maybe I'll just keep this box stock. What do you guys think? I am not sure what I am going to do with the trailer either. I suppose that it should be redone too and stay with the truck. After all, they have been buddies for over half a century.. Again, what do you guys think? Hopefully the next photos will be in the next week or so.
Jim Gibbons Posted June 27, 2010 Posted June 27, 2010 Good start on it. I think you should build it as close to your mom's as possible as far as the engine, wheels, etc. Yeah, I think you should do the trailer up, too...I wouldn't want to be separated from my best friend after 50 years!
impcon Posted July 9, 2010 Author Posted July 9, 2010 Progress is painful and slow on this because of too much to do around here. I've been taking out imperfections and dealing with some issues with the little truck and I've glaze puttied it three times. My eyes don't work so good any more and once I got it outside in the sunlight with that primer on it - WOW! There were and still are some issues. Maybe I am being too fussy but I just believe that when you take on a project, you gotta give 'er your best lick and do as good as you can with what you have. It'll still be a heck of an improvement over what it was. It probably doesn't look a lot different from what it was but there are lots of little flaws repaired and mold lines gone now. I got rid of some of the issues on the tailgate but it's got a long ways to go yet.. again, it probably doesn't look a lot different in the photos but I know that it is definiotely an improvement..
ARTEMIS1759 Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 I would say do a hopped up 235 with triple carbs and fenton headers.
whale392 Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 Very nice. My dad has a few of these era built-up Pick-ups (one the Chevy and the other the Ford) that I might restore someday. I will be watching even if I do not comment much.
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