Stewart's 1954 Chevy Shop Truck

Thanks man. I'm going to grab a little 500 cfm. It's just a 305 and I want the gas milage.

I'm pretty sure that is what this is.

small chance that a buddy of mine has a set of 17 inch steelies that to me look like a wheel vintiques in a 17x8 for the front and 17x9 out back in a dakota bolt pattern. Has decent lower profile tires, they are currently painted an oddball green (as of last talking.)

I'm awaiting pics from him. He had them on his dakota for awhile until he decided to build a stock floor body drop frame for it and do an IRS out back on some 19x10's or 12's.

I should be seeing him this weekend at Camp n Drag, he's not gotten ahold of me as of yet, but hopefully he will take a brake from the last minute crunch to get the dakota drivable. He likes trading stuff rather than exchange for money, which we all know is awesome for everyone and has a wide variety of interests. Case in point I traded him 2 packs of the Earl's 3/8's line clamps some 4 years ago for 2 quarts of pewter metallic for the sonoma lol (he's a painter at a shop in IL)

I'll let you know what he's thinking

Scottie that would be cool. If he wants to get rid of them see what he'd have to have.

I thought I had the steering figured out but NOPE! The U joint for the steering was shot. The u-joint houses 3/4 D shaft on one side and a funky size spline on the other to slip on the rack. Early Mopar and Mustang wouldn't work. I searched and searched for what I needed. Speedway was no help nor anyone I talked to on the net. I was ready to completely redo everything just for that one part. I got to thinking and went out and ripped the U-joint off the truck. Grabbed a new 3/4 steering U-joint and took it apart so the welding heat would screw up the joint. Cut the old joint in two and welded it to the new U-joint. Now the new joint has the splines and size I need. I welded it and ground it down. Turned up the heat and rewelded it. The part that held the u joint was ground down on the inside so they would slide up the new joint. Giving me more metal to weld to. I'm not done. I have to shape it and smooth it out with a flapper wheel. I don't think I'll have any issues with it. I didn't like welding it like that but I wasn't sure I'd ever find what I needed. I put the U joint back in.

Worked on the exhaust manifolds too. 3 or the 4 studs where stripped or broke. I tried heat and pure force but they wasn't coming out. I spent 3 hours drilling them out

They are ready to bolt on.

Benjamin came through with a loaner carb I can use for a while. Thank bro!

It's bolted on.

Lots a small things going on but nothing really cool to take pics of. This morning it was HOT! I wasn't thinking and pulled my shirt off trying to cool down. My light white skin didn't take to good to welding. My belly and chest looks like I fell a sleep on a FL beach for 8 hours. I'm sun burnt without the sun. Go figure!

you be around in the morning, I will drag those chromie valve covers over.....let me know.....

falconwagon62 wrote:you be around in the morning, I will drag those chromie valve covers over.....let me know.....

Thanks John but I grabbed a couple on my last junkyard run. They are already bolted on.

Great build thread Steve. I'm sure glad to see this truck come back to life.

fuel10922 wrote:Great build thread Steve. I'm sure glad to see this truck come back to life.

Thanks Stan. It's getting there little by little/

I ran the front brake lines today. Back ones coming soon. Also did a little more welding on my radiator mounts I'm making. Hit a few stores trying to get a donut gasket for the exhaust. I have never seen a such a group of guys working the counters as there are now. If it's not a 1990 or above car that they can use the computer on they are lost. I think I got the right one today though so all is good.

Things were looking good on $ to get the rest of the parts I needed but ended up having to buy some computer stuff where mine took a dump. Oh well, it's always something.

I'll be in the garage tonight if anyone is bored and wants to hang out. I should be in there around 6:30 to late.

Nice c ing u guys tonight sorry the boys were tired or we would have stayed a little longer. Got the truck looking good

It was nice seeing everyone. It's been a long time since I had that many people show up.

I got the radiator in but had a huge space above it from where the factory radiator was bigger.


I don't have anything to bend metal other than this little bender I have had for years. The metal just barely fit.
Scrap metal pile was dug through to find this.

Couple cuts and bends and it's done. Nothing fancy, just form and function.

looks good.....

Gettin closer!

See she said fire just like I said it that day at papaws. Maybe we are just used to it

hotrodaaron77 wrote:See she said fire just like I said it that day at papaws. Maybe we are just used to it

Yea, it's nothing new for me to catch stuff on fire. I've said it for years. My stuff is baptized in flames.

We only have a little over a month left for the Rumble. She is so close...

I had to cut out the rear cross member and the spare tire holder and weld in a piece of metal to hold the gas tank. It's in there. Fits pretty good and I won't have to stop every few miles for gas. it's over a 20 Gal. tank.