Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

That was my original thought until I measured when I first has this crazy idea. Unfortunately, the wheel on the trunion is 1.5 inches wide and a 2x4 is actually only 1.5 x 3.5, so no spare room with the trunion being as wide as the 2x4 is thick. :pullinghairout: :)

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

I was considering just wrapping some metal straps around the notches, running up vertically on the front and back for the trunion to fit in.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

I had also considered running a steel pipe between the trunions and strapping the pipe to the tailgate. Might be hard to make that look good though.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Yeah, pipe was my second thought. Liquid nails? :lol:

You could maybe use a pipe end cap with a hole drilled in the top to run a lag bolt through. Kinda like this:



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Little primer and paint and it might blend well too. Or chrome paint. Or red with fire stickers :D

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

That's something I had not thought of...(note to self :thumbsup:). Thanks!

I was also considering something similar using these concealed joist hangers.


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The trunion wheel (removed from the truck) would fit inside the triangular opening as you attached the hanger to the wood. Then remount to the truck...after primer and paint, of course. ;)

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

This one is shaped different but same principal. Ignore noticable errors in wood work. ;)



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I need to find some pipe caps and see how they look/fit.

The tailgate sits in there pretty good, even though it is just propped for another fit check.


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I know...that rear bumper is just plain awkward! :ahhhh:
Evidently the original bumper and probably the tailgate took a good lick at one time. I can only assume this due to the large amounts of bondo under the taillights. I guess the local dealer, whose name is stamped on the bumper, put this one on to replace it...and it's welded to the frame. I'm not sure how I am going to get it off and get a proper bumper back on there. To bad a date is not stamped on there for history sake. :) Hey GMCNUT, this dealer is ...or was...in your neck of the woods. Recognize it...if you can see it? :)
(Joe V. Clayton Chevy, Arab, AL)
With that bumper and the trucks Stockton, Huntsville, AL chrome badge on driver fender (a dealership that is no more), it appears it has never left this area in all it's years.

I think with the right bumper and some paint on the truck body, and a wood bed, this tailgate would look pretty good. :D

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Perhaps you could modify the trunion instead of trying to make it fit your "skinny" tailgate. A smaller diameter trunion?

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Be a lot easier to fiddle with if it was a Fenderside.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Well, among sporadic traveling the last month, I've managed to get the following done.

So, the speedo was looking a bit rough...



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I had installed the LEDs recommend by Fetch a while back. They are nice!:thumbsup:

The instrument cluster bezel was solid black, so I incorporated the steadier hand of my wife to dress it up a bit. Here it was in progress...



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I was able to get the speedo decal thanks to Vernski providing me with the link. :tiphat:
So the final was looking pretty good.



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As for the tailgate project, I decided to give the joist hangers a shot. I ordered some new trunnions jsut to have the smooth wheels for it to turn on since they were cheap.



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Upon first mounting the tailgate, I realized there was a cut I was supposed to make waaaaaayyyyyy back at the begining of the assembly but completely forgot about once I got going. :ahhhh:



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So off it came for some ripping and sanding...



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Now before going back on the truck, I fulfilled a promise to my daughter. Back when I brought the truck home, she promptly named it Rusty. I told her then, at some point she could paint the name on the truck somewhere. So, I let her and my wife tackle the job of making it the logo for the tailgate. :lolsmack2: So with my daughter picking out the font, my wife outlining it on the tailgate and my daughter filling it all in, here is the final...



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Now I know it is not a factory tailgate and all, :ahhhh:, but with all three of us having worked on it, I like it! :D

GMCNUT hooked me up by selling me a pretty good factory rear bumper this weekend. So now I will be moving into getting it cleaned up and repainted white, then figuring out the best way to cut this odd dealer installed bumper off since they welded it to the frame.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

So working on the bumper I was able to get my hands on. I forgot to take a before, but here it is in progress.



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So now I have a couple of questions.

1) after getting the rust and paint off, I am now trying to determine the best way to remove two "bumps" in the bumper. Here is one of them...



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I do not have auto body hammers and dollies, just a 3 lb hammer. With this heavy steel can I make that work without screwing it up?

2) with the paint and rust gone I am left with some pitting. Do I just keep sanding away at it or use a combo of priming and sanding to fill it in, or put a thin coat of filler across it and sand before priming?



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I am going with the white bumpers, not the chrome; if it matters.

Thanks! :thumbsup:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Hi Aphaynes, haven't had time for replies lately got I've a GMC project going too that is taking longer than I wanted but that's for another forum. Anyway I have been wanting to say that I really dig how you are approaching this on a tight budget with the help of your family!

The dash cluster looks great and so does the tailgate. Regular body hammers and dollies won't do on a bumper anyway so the 3 pounder is probably what you want. Since bumpers are a spring type steel a press is normally required to work dents and dings out but the heavier hammer may do the trick. Painted bumpers don't have to be as perfect as chrome so it will be much easier. and you have the luxury of being able to use a little filler if needed. On that rust pitting, you can primer and sand until filled or prime then add a little filler and sand if it is too deep for a couple coats of primer to fill. Make sure you wire brush or wire wheel all the rust out of the pitting first though.

If you were closer I would sure try to deal you out of that dealer bumper. I love those things!

Thanks for the updates!---DAC

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Myself being in the auto body industry for 30 plus years I would heat the surface start out with a heavy hammer and finish with a hammer and dolly.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Thanks for chiming in BBV6, I wasn't sure if I should recommend heat as I didn't know if the bumper would lose strength. We had a "bumper and paint" shop here locally at one time and they would send bumpers to Denver to get "pressed" straight for repairs, so when I needed to do that once the press at work did to a reasonable job for a crude repair. It was a pain setting it up in the positions and finding a few odd shaped pieces of iron to use for "dies" though.

I have about 30 plus DAYS of "seat of the pants" auto body experience!--LOL!!

DAC

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Many years ago I used just a typical propane torch to straighten out a dent on my 68's rear Barden Bumper and it came out great, a little heat won't hurt so I'm not saying get it glowing cherry red.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Thanks DAC and BBV6. So a little heat but not to glowing, 3lb hammer, and possible hammer and dolly to finish....or possibly press.

What is a good way to brace the back side when using the 3lb hammer so that the bump does not become a dent?

What type/style hammer and dolly should I get if I need it?

Is a Benzomatic torch enough heat or is something bigger/hotter needed?

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

BBV6 - I'm trying to stay focused on the bumper, but if you look at the pictures in the beginning of this thread, you will see that the driver's side has several bondo areas. The problem is the larger sections of bondo are cracking and some is popping off. I have two large circles that have popped off now; one on the driver door and one on the rear fender. The metal underneath looks good, just creased on the door and dented on the fender. The spots that popped off were about 1/8 inch thick in bondo. So my question is what is the best way to remove all of the old bondo? Sanding or some other method? I would like to see what all has been covered. :)

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

I will be chroming my bumpers. I took the front to a chrome shop for straightening, time & $ well spent. I will take it back later for actual chrome application. But it is straight and ready for me when the time comes.

If you haven't done so, use a sand blaster to clean or the pitted areas. Since you are painting, use a coarse (36-grit) sander to evenly scuff out the pits-don't gouge with the edge. Then use body filler to restore the shape. Alternatively, you could build the area up with a TIG welder, metal finish, and powder coat. Either way, that will assure a long-lasting repair.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Due to tight budget, if you don't mind me asking, what did the straightening cost you?

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

So, at $140.00 each, why wouldn't either of you simply buy new front bumpers? Even if you wanted White, you could paint a reproduction bumper and be miles ahead on the money....

Its true that the originals are heavier, but they had to be because people rammed them into other cars, stumps, etc - not the way we baby our rides today driving on the weekend or even driving daily - we are MUCH more careful....so I cannot see a value in paying 400 to 700 for replating an original unless you are going 100 point full show

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Oh no! I would not be able to pay that kind of money for replating. I was just curious what they would charge to take out these bumps I did not notice originally...mainly due to lack of having a torch or special hammers and dollies. If it ain't cheap then it won't happen. :lol: I'll do the best I can with the advice given. :D After all, this is a daily driver, not a show truck.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

That was some time ago, and in California... chrome shops are under strict regulation, and generally expensive. I think I spend $50 and waited a week..A good chrome shop will know where to find the correct dies to basically re-drop forge the piece back to OEM spec. I used the same guy the older body shops call on for bumpers. If you decide to go that route, be careful before dropping off that great original steel. I still have to metal finish gouges and scrapes, but that is easy compared to getting it truly straight.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Repro bumpers are crap. Use an original and be glad you did. The repro bumpers bend as you bolt them to the frame horns and, if plated, the chrome doesn't last. My truck has as few reproduction parts as possible and those that remain are being replaced piece by piece. The repro door checks lasted no time at all and nearly allowed for a "smiley" dent on the drivers door as they literally fell apart. There is not too much damage that you can do to an original front bumper that you can't undo - and with an original front bumper you will not need the two outer brackets. The bumper is so hefty you can simply use a dummy bolt to fill the two outboard holes. Try a couple different ways to remove dents, etc. and by the end you will be an expert. Good luck.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Rusty makes it to the drive-in after scrambling to get the Pertronix setup in in time!

Old truck at an old drive-in. Fitting, yes?


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:tiphat: Thanks Barry, for your help which got me done in time for our daughters first drive-in experience. :) I'll have to say it was quite comfy with the three of us lounging in the back of the truck.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

You guys have been bizzaahhhyyyyy!

Tailgate: Looks awesome! Bet you guys have some memories there now!
Gauge cluster: Are you sure you didn't have that done in a shop? :lol: I bet you grin every time you look at it now. nice work!

Bumper: A Bernzo will be fine. It's just a propane torch. In fact any time someone calls for heat you can usually use that. What you dont want to do is use an oxy/acetelene torch. You'll cut it in two!

:goodluck:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Welcome back Fetch!
Yes we do...on the memories. My wife tells the story more than I do! :D. The best was last Monday though. She was so determined that we were going to the drive-in with Rusty and not the car that she was under the hood and dash helping me run the wire for the Pertronix that Barry gave guidance on. :lol:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Love your drive-in pic! Thanks for posting it.

DAC

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Thanks again guys for the suggestions. :signthankspin:
I did use a little heat and the 3lb hammer. To try to keep the bumps from becoming dents, I took a piece of flat steel (maybe 1/8" thick and 3 inches wide) I had that fit behind the bumper nicely length and width wise. Clamped it in for a makeshift brace and went after one bump with the heat and carefully aimed blows with the hammer. :lolsmack: It worked surprisingly well. Rinsed and repeated for the second bump on the other half of the bumper. :ahhhh: It's not perfect, but it is a whhhooolllleeee lot better. :thumbsup:

In the center section, where the bumper is narrower, the bottom edge was flared out pretty bad. Guess the truck it was on tried to pull something improperly that it should not have. :banghead: So, I clamped some square steel tubing to the bottom edge to show me how far back the flare needed to go; basically a straightedge. I added some additional bracing in the narrow section so I would not collapse the bottom edge to far. I started with heat and the three pound hammer, but it really did not want to budge. :poke: So, I took a risk and grabbed the sledge. A few careful blows later, it is a nice and flat bottom edge now.

I will be painting it white, so as I address the remaining pitting that appears to be fairly minor, hopefully I can try my luck at hiding the rest of the minor imperfections. :runforthehills:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 FleetsideObviously, if you arein a hurry
 

So since my last post, I knew I was not going to have much time for a while to devote to Rusty. Though I was continuing to work on the bumper as time permitted, I knew I had rust covered bumper brackets to contend with at a future date. Since I knew I had time before getting to them, I decided to try out a little science experiment I had heard about...treating rust with molasses. :goodluck:

The theory is that soaking the rusted parts in a concoction of molasses and water (9 parts water to 1 part molasses) for two weeks would take care of the rust.

So starting with these parts...



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(the cover plates were very rusted on the back side)
...I scrounged around to find a container they would fit in. I then poured in 1 gallon of water at a time into the container with the parts in it to see how much water I needed to cover the brackets. Once I knew how much water I had, I managed to do some math to figure out how much molasses I would need. In it went and I let it sit. After a few days, it was getting a little bubbly...



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...A few more days and I had to move it out of the garage. The smell was getting a little funky. :ahhhh:

So as it continued to sit, a guy at work asked why I did not use vinegar. Frankly I did not know you could. Once he said it was faster, I did a little research into molasses versus vinegar for rust. What I learned was, yes the vinegar is faster. However, vinegar will eat rust and good metal whereas the molasses only goes after the rusted metal. Good to know! :)

So two weeks later and the concoction was looking oh so yummy...



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I stated pulling out parts and they did not look to impressive at first...



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However, after cleaning them up with a little dawn and scotchbrite pad, I was impressed. Just rinsing them with water and 90% of the rust just sloughed off. In this image you can see flash rust did raise it's ugly head to a minor extent...



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But a few short minutes with a wire wheel and all parts looked quite impressive to me...



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The rusted bolts came out good to. Obviously, if you are in a hurry, this is not the method to use. However, if you have other things to work on, toss your rusted stuff in a batch of molasses and let it sit. It's slow as molasses, :D but you don't lose any good metal during the process.

Bumper is almost ready as well...



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Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Looking good! I used Simple Green to remove a bad paint job on a plastic model kit. It worked great. You never know unless you try.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

As long as what you try does not destroy what your working on :lol:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Well, I am about ready to remove this funky bumper.



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However, I have some questions about mounting the standard bumper. First, I assumed, for no apparent reason, that due to the shape of the brackets that the frame would fit between the two bracket pieces on each side. However, in this image from the 1960-1966 Chevy/GMC Truck Assembly manual, it appears that both bracket pieces sit on the outside of the frame rail. Is this correct?



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Also, since my funky bumper was welded to the frame, I have to figure out how to get it off.



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It is not apparent in these two pics, but they welded a cross piece between the frame rails as well which have more metal brackets welded between it and the bumper. I am hoping it is far enough back to be out of the way with the funky bumper off. Although in the second pick I am thinking the weld and splatter are interfering with what I assume to be one of the bolt holes.

Once I do get the bumper off, I am really not sure what holes to use to mount the brackets to. Does anyone have pics that show their bumper brackets mounted to the frame? ...Thanks.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Before...



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After...



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Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

the outside the framerail illustration you see in the assembly manual is for 60-62 X framed trucks which used flatbar type bumper brackets. In 1963 they went to the C channel type frame, and changed to stamped steel brackets which went on the inside of the C channel frame.

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Yes, I realized it was not correct when I stumbled on a better drawing in the same manual. I should have posted the correct picture. I will try to remember to do so when I get home. It is amazing how hard it is to find what you are looking for in that manual...especially since it really is not a GMC manual. It all mounted nicely. Thanks again for hooking me up with the bumper! :thumbsup:

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

I decided to go with a wheel change. However, I kept it in the family :teehee:...2009 GMC Wheels.



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Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Rusty's first real snow day!




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Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Hey, AP, How about keeping that snow down your way. These people on the beach can't drive in it.
Read your build journal and had to giggle. I ran into most all these problems over the years building my trucks of all makers. Just brought in a 65 GMC 1-1/2 ton that will have the same issues you did. And my 65 chebby stepside, a mirror image of your issues.
Again, thanks for the giggles.

Mike OTH

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

:lol: My wife and daughter would have loved to have kept the snow here!

Glad you enjoyed the read. :thumbsup: I'm just a rookie learning all I can from those like you who have already been through it. This forum has been a tremendous aid in helping me keep Rusty road worthy. It may not look great, but I am having a lot of fun with it as a daily driver truck. Will your 65's have a build thread here? Hope to learn something from ya if they do! :D

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Well, soon as I find a device I can work without a wrench, I'll load up some pictures of the 1502, the stepside needs to go to a different forum.
Don't know how long the GMC has sat, but I changed the points and plugs and battery, dribbled some gas down the carb, and flipped the switch. It runs pretty smooth after changing the fuel pump.
Thought I'd bring it down to ?Barnesville? If a site/date is decided on for a Southeast mini-meet, let ya'll take a look, maybe figure a few things out.

Mike OTH

Re: 1964 GMC 1000 Fleetside
 

Hey Mike, I have been a follower of Aphaynes too and like his affordable fixes.
Hoping to see a thread about yours soon. If your stepside is the "other GM brand" or anything else for that matter, there is a section here for that.



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DAC