VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 34-36 pickup cab wood

Does anyone have any pictures of the lower cab wood on the 34-36’ pickups? The truck I’m working on had someone previously working on it that cut and pieced the main sills then used soft framing lumber and plywood to fix it. I’m pretty sure of how it was all made, just want some photos to confirm it. KC Wood has some photos on his site but just looking for some closer up pictures if anyone has any.

I'd like to help you because I have a '36 "high cab" and made all my own wood when I did the restoration in the early 1970s. . Although badly deteriorated the original wood was good enough for patterns, I cut all the new wood from a huge hunk of ash that a custom woodworker friend of mine had left over from a restaurant remodeling job he'd done.

But the geniuses who run this forum believe that posting pictures is a privilege that people have to pay for. Interesting concept huh, paying to give stuff away? Oh well, that's their loss.

Ray W

Ray, you have my email and I’ve been trying to contact you about those brake parts. I really only need pictures of the main sill, lower part of latch pillar where it meets the sill, and the rear corner wood below the main sill.

Good morning Ted.

I'm not sure what the "main sill, lower part of latch pillar where it meets the sill, and the rear corner wood below the main sill" are. Are these parts visible from under the truck in the seat mounting area? Or do you prefer a view from inside the cab?

Photos of anything you want are available but I'm not clear on the exact items you're working on.

I also recently installed seat belts, connecting them with a robust angle iron bolted to the rear cab mounting bolts. I did that after reading about a fatality when someone was ejected from a vehicle. The '36 does seem a lot safer with the tandem MC and seat belts. None of that does any good if some techie playing with his/her cell phone blows through a red light and T-bones us however.

Ray W

Ray, I posted in the general section about a vendor I called yesterday about the wood. I'll post the pictures of the area there.

Good morning Ted.

I looked at the pictures you posted in "general". It looks like the area you are interested in is the floor area from the seat base forward. Is that correct?

When I made replacement wood for my '36 "high cab" in the early 1970s I chose to do that tedious job myself because I had read numerous horror stories in G & D about ill fitting wood "kits". Parts either fit or they don't. If they don't fit they have no value. The bed wetting, thumb sucking excuse offered by the vendors was that "the vehicles are made with inconsistently sized metal parts so hand fitting of the wood is required", as if each vehicle body and door skin is hammered out of a piece of flat sheet metal. Give me a break! The metal parts are stamped out by the thousands on huge stamping dies. Not wanting to deal with that kind of stuff I made my own wood. It was a lot of work but well worth avoiding the junk offered by the vendors.

The most complicated pieces are in the doors and the parts of the cab contacting the doors. Those curve and taper in 2 directions so there is a lot of bandsaw and shaper work. It's all quite doable as you will see in the photos I send you. Mine has held up perfectly for about 45 years of actual driving, not being hauled around on a trailer.

Please let me know if my understanding of the area you are interested in is correct so I photograph the right parts.

By the way, I got "spanked" for my 11-18 message to you joking about the rule against some of us "heathens" posting photos to help others. I stand by my statement. We'll see if that gets me kicked off this forum.

Ray W

Hi Ray,
I'd like pictures of the complete main sill if you have them. From the front where the three holes are to the rear. I'm interested in the shape of the rear of the main sill, if it's notched for the latch pillar, and all the wood pieces in the rear cab corners below the main sill. How they are shaped and attached to the main sill and body edges. The truck I have seems to have the correct wood for the seat support framing and the rear cab crossing deck board. Not sure if there's anything else that crosses along the back of the cab. As I said, years back the main sills were cut off as you can see in the pictures and then the lower cab corners and rear pieces of the sill were all made with soft house construction lumber, probably fir or hemlock. I am going to finish pulling the cab apart into the three sections, cowl, roof, and rear cab, then start making new wood for the cab. I have a good supply of top quality ash and have made many pieces of body wood in the past. I also have a router duplicator that lets me duplicate the intricate pieces like latch and hinge pillars quite easily, especially for one or two offs.

Thanks for your help and I look forward to seeing the pictures. I assume you're sending them to my email.
Ted

Good morning Ted.

I'll snap some photos of the part I think you're referring to and send them to your email. For decades I had a dimensioned diagram of all the wood parts in the '34-'36 high cab trucks but a few years ago I gave them to a guy on this forum. Now I wish I'd made a copy before doing that. Maybe he's still here and you could find him. That diagram came from the late Jim Payne, the '34=36 PU and truck tech adviser from back in the day when tech advisers had first hand knowledge of the construction details of their specialty vehicles.

If you're going to make the wood posts for the doors and cab door jambs be prepared for a challenge. I did my wood project in an evening adult education wood shop class because doing the job required a big, industrial size band saw and a wood shaper.

Jim also sent me a 1936 Chevrolet service bulletin that informed me of a factory fan shroud for those trucks. That started a decades long search for that ultra rare accessory that finally turned one up. It is an odd looking thing that seems to be based on a different theory of air flow from today's fan shrouds.

Do you still want that list of brake parts?

Ray W

When you get a chance check your email Ted.

Oops, I now see that I didn't photograph all of the wood you're interested in. I'll send more photos.

More photos sent, total 6.

This is the first time I've looked at that wood closely since I did the job in the 1970s. Now I remember why it took so long. Some of it is simple sticks and the "sill" is more complicated. But the door jamb pieces, wow, both curved and tapered with numerous precision pockets for door hinges, hinge screws and rubber bumpers! Getting a proper fit that is still tight today was quite an exercise. This is why one restoration is enough for me. Doing it all one's self seems at the time to be taking forever. But how else can you look at the finished product and say "I did that."?

Ray W

Got the pictures Ray and thank you. I’ve disassembled the cab and have started going about the new wood layout. The original latch pillars are in the car but the bottoms past the sill are long gone. I pretty much figured out that there’s a block screwed to the bottom pillar that’s screwed to the stepped block that you show in your pictures. Once those two pieces are screwed together on a 90d, it appears they are rounded on a disk sander to follow the shape of the corner of the cab. Does that sound about right to your memory?
What unfortunate is whoever restored this cab years back, duplicated a lot of the original wood well, but used soft fir or hemlock and nails or screws won’t hold. If they had only used the proper wood, their repairs wood have lasted. The owner of this truck thought the wood was solid and while it wasn’t rotten, it is not solid for a safe cab. With me changing the rear over to a higher ratio, adding the juice backs, a nice fresh lively motor, and the owner intending on long drives at higher speeds, a safe, solid cab is a must. Seatbelts had been added but the shoulder belt mounts were bolted through modern plywood that was delaminating and would have easily pulled out. Not only will I replace the wood but I will be making custom steel plates that will fasten into the new latch pillars and rear framework. While it’s not as good as a modern vehicle, it will be a ton better than the crappy plywood that was there.

I have been working quite a bit on this truck and I have started a restoration thread over on the AACA. Because photo must be downsized for this site, it takes too long posting here. Also, recently there has been some not so nice characters who find nothing wrong with harassing others and calling them names. For these reasons I'll no longer be posting any restoration threads here on the VCCA. Here is the link if anyone is looking to follow the restoration. I will also be doing a rear ratio mod and hydraulic brake modification.

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/336225-34%E2%80%99-chevy-pickup/

The project looks good Ted. Wish we had capability for larger picture files here.

As for the Trolls, they will find you anywhere. If you don't feed them they will go away, otherwise they will keep going until they get the last word. Reminds me of an expression, "Never argue with an idiot. They will wear you down to their level and then beat you with experience".

"I pretty much figured out that there’s a block screwed to the bottom pillar that’s screwed to the stepped block that you show in your pictures. Once those two pieces are screwed together on a 90d, it appears they are rounded on a disk sander to follow the shape of the corner of the cab. Does that sound about right to your memory?"

Yes, that's how I remember it Ted. and I think those pieces are shown in the photos I emailed you. My "latch pillars" were completely rotted away also, but using the shape of the cab metal as a guide it was possible to figure out what the length and shape of those parts once was.

In the nearly 50 years since I made all new wood for my '36 high cab every other wood working project, including making chairs, has seemed simple in comparison. You can give yourself a big pat on the back when you finish that project. Very few even attempt it.

The street rod guys get rid of all the wood and substitute in metal in it's place. I'm not clear what the advantage of that is but it's what they do.

Ray W

Got to remember that expression Tim, I like it!

I am kind of feeling the same sentiment as well. Maybe soon. It already looks like many people have done that already as I do not see a lot of the people I used to. Too bad. This site used to be moderated quite well. Not so much any more.

More wood work done on the Chevy posted on the above link.

Ted,

I looked at the photos you posted on the other site. Seeing that disassembled '34 PU brings back so many memories because the '36 high cab is so similar. It looks like you're doing a great job on the wood parts. I'd love to see photos of the door and door jamb wood parts when you make them. I recall those being the real challenge in making the cab wood. You have my email address.

Does AACA have a lot of do-it-yourself information posted like what you posted? If so that would give that organization great appeal.

Ray W

Yes, the restoration forum is really great there. I did a complete 4 year long thread there on my 32’ Olds. Lots of wood work there also. I’ve posted more pictures tonight and there’s some of the latch pillars. The front hinge pillars and cowl cross piece are fine. Haven’t looked inside the doors much yet but I think they’re in good condition.

ck timpeachey.com. has a few on his line. and jim carter discussion section. I am putting together my 34 pickup cab and doing a complete photo and name list. It will only be for 34 - 36 hi cabs. J.