1954 Chevy Pickup | Getting Ready For Paint

May 4th, 2007 : Getting Ready For Paint - Part 3 of 3

Since I won't have my truck for 4 months, I'll be riding my bicycle and getting some good excercise in during the Spring and Summer months. I was thinking about how I would go shopping with the bike and decided a pair of saddlebags would be the answer ... so I bought some water-proof canvas and sat down with my Tacsew sewing machine and knocked the idea out in a total of about 12 hours.

Saddlebags For My Bicycle

I went around the truck today and removed some more stuff ... like the windshield wipers, the mirrors and the antenna.

Removing the Mirrors and Antenna

Here are some shots of things that are aligned poorly ... I can't wait to see how these look when the truck comes back!

Things That Need Alignment

Those blisters in the paint (see below) are the very thing that caused me to get the truck painted this year -- they're appearing all over the truck -- if I waited one more year to do this, I'd be in serious trouble with rust! Plus, there's bondo cracks appearing all over the place and the gas filler cap area is about to totally break away! Once rust starts, it moves fast!

Rust and Bondo Cracks

Here are two things that have disturbed me ever since I got the truck ... both previous owner issues. The driver's door which had a cracked hinge, causing the door to hang and (obviously) bind up -- I fixed the hinge a few years back but the damage you see below had already been done. And, most of all, a serious dent in the rear fender.

Body Dents

The rear bumper has some stress crack in it ... and, of course, rust issues. The cracks will be fixed and the bumper will be rechromed.

Rear Bumper Rust & Cracks

The front bumber has a major rust spot under one of the buttons (bumper bolts). These things are great traps for water and, as you can see below, rust! These bolt-heads will all be shaved smooth and the bumper will be rechromed.

Front Bumper Rust & Bolt Heads

May 16th Update: Tonight the truck left for paint. I was surprised at my reaction to watching it being towed away on the trailer ... fading off and out of my sight as it went down the road ... I felt like a loved one was leaving me! Sigh ... "parting is such sweet sorrow!"

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