SkinnyG's '61 Chevy Apache 10

Took a breather for most of the summer, and did a wack of house renovations that have been nagging me for years.  Also did some home ethernet networking and such, relocating the router, adding a switch, connecting my shop, and 'net to the tv and game console.  Yay!

When I finally got back into the shop, I did a bunch of tidying and organizing just to be around the '61 and remember where I left off, and wrap my head around where I was months ago.

I crimped together the AC hoses from the condenser to the drier, and from the drier to the bulkhead fitting, and from the bulkhead fitting to the under-dash unit.  Then crimped the hoses from the under-dash unit to the bulkhead fitting, but I am going to need a longer hose to connect to the compressor.  I will likely need to modify the fittings at the compressor, but to fit the compressor, I need to cut a notch out of the frame.  Good times.

Drier is not connected until final assembly and filling.

I am very pleased that the factory heater is very compact.  Or at least - in the engine bay.

Compressor fittings are really designed for a top-mount compressor. They will be modified.

Didn't do anything in the shop today due to a comedy of scheduling.

But I did spend a wack of time trying to figure out what to do for fuel line.

I'd like to run hardline, but not aluminum.

I cannot find 1/2" steel fuel line.

I could go stainless, but I imagine it's going to be a bear to flare and bend.

I could go PTFE stainless braided front to back, but part of me (ignorance and inexperience) is not convinced that it's a good idea.  It's probably fine.  And it's not going to be -that- much more expensive than trying to fabricate anything else.

Truthfully, though, I don't need to decide -right-now-.

Why half inch? Isn't 3/8 good to something like 700hp?

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

If you've got a good tubing bender, stainless isn't really that hard to work with. Flaring it is a bit more difficult, but not enough to deter one from using it, IMO. 

3/8" is -probably- good enough.

But if I'm going to do it..... why not do it big, eh?

I do not have E85 in my area, but if i build it for big fuel volume, then I don't have to do it twice.

Though I imagine 550hp in a half-ton is going to be sketchy enough as it is.

I’m with you, I prefer hard lines wherever possible too. Have you considered Nicopp (nickel/copper) tubing? I have used it for brake lines and transmission cooling lines up to 3/8” with good success. I see it comes in half inch too.

Summit Racing® Copper/Nickel Alloy Tubing 1/2” OD

It bends as easily as steel tubing but has a thicker wall it’s not as prone to kinking. The alloy also does not rust so it has the permanence of stainless, just much easier to work with and half the cost or less.

The only downside is not really a downside to me, and that’s the appearance. As you’d imagine the color is somewhere between nickel an copper, so probably not for the show car circuit, but personally I like how it weathers over time. 

Here’s my brake lines after 4 years of oxidation.  To me they have a nice low key OEM-ish old timey appearance that suits my build.

Hmmmm....

The comments indicate it is E85 friendly (but they do mention PTFE would be better).

I already have -8AN ends and would just need to get the hose, which is the same price as this CuNi tubing....

Hmmmmmmmm.....................

I patched the leading edge of the passenger inner fender, patched a hole from battery corrosion, and took a 1" slive from the frame to successfully fit the AC compressor.

Shoot.  I don't have the sd card with the picture on it.

AC bulkhead fittings:

Fabricated a slightly domed patch to cover where I cut the inner fender to clear 4" exhaust:

Patched the leading edge of the passenger inner fender and part of battery mount:

Sliced the frame to clear the AC compressor (will box the hole once the engine is out):

The last patch panel finally arrived (front cab support).  After ordering three months ago.

I'm about half-way through patching the leading edge of the driver's inner fender. It basically looks the same as above.

And now, really digging into the nasty:

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

If anyone can easily deal with the little bit of rot you can! 

Cab mount fitted, but not welded yet. Years of collected muck rusted out the cab floor support. Also added a crush tube for the cab mount, as you're -supposed- to do that when you run a bolt through tubing.

At this point, I significantly less inclined to strip it all down and do a thorough paint job.  I'm not enjoying this as much as I thought I would.  There is something to be said about just keeping it "good enough."

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

Not enjoying the panel repair or the whole project?

The panel repair.  It's dirty and dusty and rusty and gross, and a whole lot of unpleasant.

I love the project.  Despite the magnitude of it.

Ok, cool.  So just bang out the tin work and get back to the fun stuff.

No need for perfect at all.  It's just the floor.

I take it all back.  I thoroughly enjoyed blasting the cab today.

For the best repair, the inside should be epoxy primed.  For the best application of primer, that meant blasting.

Since I -bought- a pressure-pot sand blaster, I figured I would blast and prime in convenient piece-meal portions.  Today I dealt with the area I am dealing with.  Once the front cab support is in, I'll likely drag it outside again to blast the rear cab support area, then put the floor in. I'm dealing with each cab support individually to (in my mind) minimize any movement of the cab as metal is cut out.

Why not farm out the blasting? I was quoted $1000 to $1800 to blast everything in the truck. And I'd still need to get parts blasted again as I open them up.  My labour is free.

Pictures in no particular order:

Hey! I used to sell those sandblasters.

Glad yours is one that works!

It's worked awesome so far!  Out of the box bammo - worked sweet, zero adjustments.  Mind you, I've only run 3 bags through.  Well, one bag three times.  Less each time, of course.

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

I'm glad you had a better day - it sure can be like that.

There was that thread a couple weeks ago about cheap-tool regrets, and one of mine is definitely sandblasters.  I've tried to make cheap stuff work, and it almost always doesn't.  I even tried converting a big air tank to a pressure blaster once and it was a total fail - I swear I got about five grains of sand out of that mess!

So that's great that yours has worked so well.  Money well-spent.

You know when you're having one of those days where every door breaks its cutter, snags its hose or power cord, falls on the floor, or you set it down and if magically vanishes right before your eyes? Drill bits breaking, cut off discs exploding, aviation snips folding instead of cutting, welder is either too hot and blows holes or too cold and no penetration with nothing in between? Or where every socket rolls just out of reach? Or where you smack your head on every dangly piece of the car above you? Or where every spark from your welder finds its way into your shoe?

Yep, one of those days.

Also,

I changed my tactic a bit.  I think I was over-thinking things a bit, and trying to do things to 1/1000" of perfection that the machinist side of my head wants, and over-looking the 3/16" perfection that Chevy had back in 1961.  And that might be pretty generous on the 3/16".

I ended up cutting out the rear cab support, trimmed the rest of the floor to fit the patch panel, and then spent probably three hours making the rear cab support fit. And the inner-rocker/floor-section needed some love at the firewall. No aftermarket panels fit correctly, you just have to accept that going in.

Should be ready for some blasting at the rear cab support tomorrow, some epoxy primer, and then weld it all together.

Finally produced the video on coolers and whatnot:

This just in:

A heat gun and an oscillating saw with a scraper peel undercoating off just like the dubious meat stick at the Donair shop.

Passenger outer rocker is off. Working on removing the cab supports. Taking longer than expected, but I changed my tool arrangement and work organization and am purposing to work "slower" so I don't lose my temper so often.  Or at least, not all the time, every time.