ddaxe
If it don't go... chrome it..!!
Hello All... Tks for the add into the forum.. Let me introduce my self.. my name is Darin, I have been in the car building hobby many many years.. having rebuilt everything from Vettes & Camaros.. to mid 50's & Square body Chevy p/u's... though I work on trains for living... this is my 1st GMT400 build.. but my years of experience have lent well to this build... so far.. I always like to research whatever I'm doing.. so as to have a plan.. and not butcher it together... which leads me to starting this thread...
I'm currently building a 90's single cab short box stepside 2500 4x4 with a 454.. now many will say GM never build one.. and while this is true... I managed to gather all the parts to make it so.. after extensive mod's... I have the front suspension tucked in nicely.. 6' lift n all... it wasn't easy.. but the chassis is complete.. (basically what I did was meld 2 chassis' together.. a 2500 front section & a stepside rear)
Now since I'm well into the body work... I have searched the web in vain to see if any one has replaced the top bed rails.. to no avail... what I have done is salvaged some rails off a fleetside.. with the intention of grafting them in... I have replace the front bed top rail.. quite successfully.. using a repurposed piece off a fleetside bed as well... I will document the progress in this thread.. so as to aid anyone else who has the dreaded top rail rot that was common with the stepside... with very limited parts availability... the task can be daunting... I'm sure I'll run into some snags along the way.. as I've noticed some challenges after poking through the rust to see just how they were built...
I apologize if there is a thread here discussing the same... though it doesn't hurt to have another.. as I tell apprentices who work with me...there's always more than one way to add up to 7...
Cheers....
I'm currently building a 90's single cab short box stepside 2500 4x4 with a 454.. now many will say GM never build one.. and while this is true... I managed to gather all the parts to make it so.. after extensive mod's... I have the front suspension tucked in nicely.. 6' lift n all... it wasn't easy.. but the chassis is complete.. (basically what I did was meld 2 chassis' together.. a 2500 front section & a stepside rear)
Now since I'm well into the body work... I have searched the web in vain to see if any one has replaced the top bed rails.. to no avail... what I have done is salvaged some rails off a fleetside.. with the intention of grafting them in... I have replace the front bed top rail.. quite successfully.. using a repurposed piece off a fleetside bed as well... I will document the progress in this thread.. so as to aid anyone else who has the dreaded top rail rot that was common with the stepside... with very limited parts availability... the task can be daunting... I'm sure I'll run into some snags along the way.. as I've noticed some challenges after poking through the rust to see just how they were built...
I apologize if there is a thread here discussing the same... though it doesn't hurt to have another.. as I tell apprentices who work with me...there's always more than one way to add up to 7...
Cheers....
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