Thanks guys! I appreciate the kind words.

Snook, I'm hoping to have it back together in time for the Park-in-the-Park show. I might have to put off painting the interior right now and just get this thing back on the road. I'm getting anxious to drive it again.

Bobby

 

Awesome work Bobby!! Congrats on your progress!!

 

keeps getting better and better!

 

Bobby,

Your prototype reminds me of these little guys from "Batteries not included" movie.

 

OK, here's another installment in my never ending upgrade.

The dash panel is really coming together. I was able to get the switch pods mounted and the area behind them cut out so I could have room for the switches. Cutting out the hole for the heater control panel was difficult. Its an asymmetric hole. I made a cardboard template, checked and double checked then did some cutting. Naturally the 2 holes for the mounting bolts were not quite in the right place.
Just once I'd like to be able to poke holes and have them be where I want them....LOL

I had some weird mounting issues with the headlight switch. The mounting hole in the pod is recessed almost an inch. The headlight switch and mounting bezel are made for a flat dash. The threads for the mounting bezel are 7/16" fine thread. I needed some sort of hollow threaded rod to make and extension for the bezel. I figured a lamp nipple would work so off to the hardware store I went.
Nope. Lamp nipples are either 3/8" or 1/2"...dang.

Well, after scouring around the parts bin I found that a brass 1/4 compression fitting had almost the right threads. I also found a inverted flare fitting that was similar also.
So, I took the flare fitting and cut the hex part of it off. I also took one of the nuts from the compression fitting and cut the end of it off so I had a short threaded bushing.




I had to hit the threads a bit with a thread file but they are close enough to work.


Now I had to extend the headlight **** shaft about an inch. I couldn't think of anything that had a triangular profile like the original shaft. I finally settled on a sacrificial allen wrench. I gut a chunk out of the allen wrench, beveled the ends, cut the shaft, beveled the edges, and then welded the whole mess together.




Its all going to work out nicely. Here it is with the headlight switch and the ignition switch mounted (this is still the old ignition switch that doesn't have the lock cylinder in it)


Ross is going to give me a hand tomorrow with some spotwelds. After that I guess I better start tackling the wiring. Hopefully a few more weeks and I can be on the road.

Thanks for following along
Bobby

 

Welcome to my world. The simplest tasks turn into a project that takes a whole weekend.....
Keep after it, you are doing great!

 

Thanks Scott

Yea, every little thing seems to take me forever.

I did manage some more progress. I went over to Ross's house on Friday and he was kind enough to make some spotwelds on my panel. That spotwelding stuff is pretty cool! Heck, he had me welded up in just a few minutes. Of course it took us another hour or so of talking trucks. Thanks again Ross, I own you one.


I made a pull-a-part run this morning and picked up a emergency flasher switch and indicator light from a mid 60's Ford. It will work out great and fill some of the holes in the dash. I'll mount the indicator light where the starter button used to be, and the switch in the next hole inboard.



Finally, I trimmed up the extra bits from the panel. Cleaned up the heater control panel and guts, and mounted everything to the panel. Here it is under the dash. I need to drill some holes and mount still. Its almost done.



I lost steam after that. I grabbed a cold beer and sat in the truck making vroom vroom noises for awhile.

Tomorrow my plan is to get it bolted to the dash and then start tackling wiring....maybe

Thanks all
Bobby

 

More progress has been made.

I started tackling the wiring the other night. I didn't have to modify the headlight switch wiring at all, my harness was long enough to stretch over to its new location without any problems. I think I have the ignition switch wiring sorted out. I had started on the turn signal wiring.
I cut the turn signal switch connector off of the 72 Caddy column that I had. My plan is to make a short pigtail that will connect between the 64 Riviera turn signal switch and my harness which is set up for the late model GM turn signals wiring. I also need to separate the emergency flasher wiring out of the turn signal harness.
I made a good start to it and I think I have everything connected right but since the front clip wasn't on the truck I couldn't hook up my battery to test it all.

So, I spent the day yesterday messing with brake lines (I had to redo one of the lines between the master cylinder and the proportioning valve) bleeding the brakes, installing the drag link, tightening down the pitman arm, etc so that I could get the front clip back in place.




I also put some paint on my new steering column floor plate and column drop and got the column mounted.


Today I managed to get the clip back on the truck and bolted down. Woohooo!!! Its almost a truck again. Now, I just need to finish sorting out the wiring and I'll be good to go. I'm hoping to be driving by next weekend.

Bobby

 

Nice. I'm interested in how the T/S wiring works out as I will need to do the same thing soon....

 

Oh good, I got to pull this one out of the computer closet one more time!!!

 

Bob,

LOL....I had forgot about that. Yup, that was me. I had several frosty beverages and drove the truck like a mad man. No DWI's, no traffic, great gas mileage, heck, I could even hear the radio. It was a great ride.....


Scott, I'll keep you posted on the wiring. I've gone back and double checked the schematic I sent you and (at least on paper) it all looks good. Hopefully by next weekend I'll know for sure

Bobby

 

But now the rest of the truck doesn't match the floor cover paint.

 

.....one piece at a time......

 

My project (well, this steering upgrade) is finally winding down....whew

I tackled the wiring. I'm running an EZ Wiring harness that is set up for the later style GM steering columns and turn signal switches. The 64 Riviera column is equipped with the early style GM turn signal switch and no hazard light switch. I didn't want to cut the turn signal switch connect off of the harness so I decided to make a short adapter harness to go between the two.
I cut the male end of the turn signal switch connector off of the Cadillac column, and tied it together with the pigtail from my Riviera turn signal switch. I'm also adding a hazard flasher switch and indicator light from a mid 60's Ford truck.

Here it is roughed in;


Here it is after a bit of soldering and tidying up. The hazard switch wiring will plug into the female side of the turn signal switch connector on the harness;


I did run into some hiccups with the old style turn signal switch. Its a goofy cable operated set-up that took a bit of fiddling to get set-up and adjusted but I finally got it. Heck, the canceling cam even works.

After all of that I bolted my headlight switch and ignition switches into their respective pods and onto my new dash panel then bolted it all to the truck and installed the heater control panel. Here it is in all its glory;


Tomorrow I need to do a bit of cleaning up, putting away tools, etc. If all goes right I should be able to get the old truck off of the jackstands and take a test drive......


Scott, The wiring schematic I made does the trick, everything works. If you have problems getting yours wired up I'd be glad to help.

Bobby

 

Bobby, glad to hear the wiring worked out. I will probably have some questions when the time comes.

Hoping your first drive goes well!