VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions 31 pickup assembly

i'm working on a 31 1/2 ton pickup. it was partially disassembled when a got it and received most of the wood in a big bag. most of it is intact so i can use it for a pattern to make good pieces. my problem is where and how some of the pieces go together. does any one know of a publication or does anyone have diagrams to help with this. i think i have all the metal parts but agian some i don't know where they go. also, can one buy a kit, just incase?
THANKS Jay D.

I am not aware of any diagrams that will help you with positioning the wood parts. I have two cabs in pieces. The metal and wood don't appear to be that difficult to figure out. However that is before even trying.

A search of the internet yielded

KC Wood Manufacturing
470 Rock Church Rd. SW
Willis, VA 24380
540-789-8300

As making wood for 1926 to 1936 wood for Chevrolet Cars and Trucks.

Bill Cartwright is listed as owner.

thanks i believe i can figure it out. I'm just trying to sort out all the parts i have to see what i don't have. so i can start the search for the missing parts. Another question i see the wood joints are held together by screws. does anyone use glue also, or is this a no,no? i'm thinking they may need some amount of flex the glue won't provide.
Jay D.

Hide glue was originally used in assembly. Over many years it deteriorates. There are plenty of modern wood glues that should be used after the final fitting. The screws and dowel pins help hold the joints in place while the glue sets.

THANKS, i was wondering what do people use to go around the roof at the area just above the drip rail, it covers the nails. i was thinking of some sort of side molding for a car aluminum maybe that could be bent around the corners, or even a rubber one would work. it would need to be about 5/8 3/4" tall. what do people use? THIS is not a show car just a daily driver.
Jay D.

Most people that are not trying to be completely original use a product called 'Hideum welt" it is a vinyl-type material strip that you drive the nails through and then close it up and it hides the nails & the seam...... I have used a little caulking under the top material and the hideum strip... you never see it....

If you want to go aluminum the strips are available from The Filling Station. Search roof on their site and they will come up. One part number is RW-465. What is correct for your truck I don't know.

Chistech, a poster on this forum, had a great series of posts on replacing the roof material and bending the trim. Maybe someone can post a link or you can find it by searching.

Dave

THANKS TINY
Jay D.

Friendly warning:
Beware!
1. There are quite a few wood pieces and some of them (door pillars) Have somewhat complicated shapes, not trivial to make. New ones are expensive.
2. The metal was held to the wood with hundreds of little tacks and until the cab is all together you have no real idea where they go.
3. The cabs were built on jigs, which held them in the proper shape until bolted to the frame. YOU don't have a jig. There are MANY degrees of freedom!
4. The bed assembly in not obvious and documentation is hard to come by. I got some factory drawings, but don't remember the source. I'd copy, but it's a different year.

Mine is a '34, the worst thing I've stepped into. After carefully reassembling the cab, there were 1"+ gaps at the top of the doors, so I had to take it all apart again!
The one thing I did right was reassemble it with itty biddy wood screws, so disassembly was nondestructive!
The pickup engines improved substantially during the early 6 cyl years. My truck came with a '29 engine, because the farmer owner wore out the original and replaced it with a '29 car engine and it's anemic. Don't expect a lot of pep.
I didn't do it but, in retrospect, I'd consider building the cab on the frame. That might be like using a jig, but I don't know if you could get to everything.

These are good looking trucks, but I'd rather drive a model A. If you have time, patience, and some skill, and you go into it eyes open it's a neat project!
Don't expect a whole lot of detailed help. There aren't a lot of these around. Mechanicals, sure, but bodywork not so much. Someone sent me pictures and careful measurements of the door openings, which helped, but I expect there are many fewer '32s around.

Good luck. I'll do anything I can to help.
Wilson
Hillsborough, NC

THANKS for the reply i;'ve been i the vintage car restoration for 60 some years. and have a pretty good knowledge of assembly. BUT i thoroughly understand what you're talking about. this is just going to be a driver slightly modified GMC 270 engine. my DREAM is to mount the cowl and work my way back. my doors seem to be in real good condition, though i haven't got into them they look good.
Jay D.