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Custom Interior Fabrication: 1938 Chevrolet Pepsi Truck Custom Build Part 13

This post takes us to inside the cab where we have completed the classic restoration, i.e fabricated a few custom pieces for the interior of the Chevy cab.  This post will cover how we created the windshield defrost vents, cab vents, and duct housing, followed by the shifter housing build.

First, we show you how to accomplish custom metal work with the aid of simple tooling from the scrap bin.  This kind of tooling is invaluable when performing automotive classic restoration, whether going for custom made creations or original body styling.  Not only is the tooling going to be simple to make, it’s going to be super cheap!  The example job is making a pair of windshield defroster/heater vents for our 1938 Chevrolet Pepsi truck dashboard.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon
Back in 1938 there was no option for a windshield defrosting system.

Into the scrap bin we delve.  We are looking for a certain type of material, mild steel no more than 1/4″ in thickness and that can be clamped with a bench vise.  The perfect fit is a 4″ by 1/4″ thick angle iron.  Length wise we’re looking for something 2″ longer each side of the overall vent length for clamping purposes.

Next up, is marking out the cut lines on the angle iron that will eventually form the ‘roof’ of the air vent.  Once marked then cut using a 1/16″ cut off wheel, keeping the line as straight as possible, followed by hammering this section down, and welding the ends to form the roof of the vent.  We are essentially forming the vent upside down.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon
We made simple tooling to form the raised section we are going to graft into the original dashboard.

The picture shows our blank piece of mild steel marked with one cut line.  The blank is then lined up and clamped into position.  To actually form the vent mouth, we use hand made nylon chasers.  These tools chase the material down into the depth of the tooling until bottoming out.  Unclamp the material, and we have one custom made vent section ready to graft in our factory dashboard.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon‘Jig chasing’new sheet metal material into the jig.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonBeginning to graft in the new pair of vents into the top of the original Chevy dash.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonTIG welded in and metal finished.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonFront view (without the windshield in place) of the installed vents.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonSide view showing the vent opening.

Classic Restoration: Fabricating the unseen parts of the defrost vents for the interior of the 38 Chevrolet

Up next is the AC/ heater pods that will be again custom built and located between the body dash wall and the underneath of the dashboard panel.  Clearance of each housing is the biggest issue, so check out the photos of the build process.

 

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonFiguring out the size and shape of the inner vent housing that will sit under the dash (unseen) and connect the vents to the piping of the AC/heater unit.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonFabricating the vent housing.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon

 

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonWe need a set, so making an identical one.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonTest fitting, followed by placing the dash over the top to check for any clearance issues.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonThe whole apparatus hooked up, view from under the dash.

Classic Restoration: Cab heater vent housings

Next,  we take care of the AC/heater cab vents located under the dash along side the inner ‘A’ post structure. Designed and built to flow with the style of the dash and fit off the shelf vents from Southern Air.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonMaking the AC/Heater vent housings: planning out the pattern and using simple wooden jig.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonClamped up during the jig chasing process.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonAgain, we will have a pair, one for each side of the cab.  You can see how the piping will attach to the rear side.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonOverall look, although since this photo we decided to set the vents back a touch.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal Surgeon

A view of the cab AC/heater vents in paint!

Classic Restoration: Custom floor shifter housing for Chevy truck

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonPlanning to make the custom shifter housing. Face plate with illuminated transmission settings supplied, which defines our final shape.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonCreating the raised depression in the floor that will house the hardware to attach the custom shifter pod.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonTIG welded together.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonTest assembly with the face plate and screwed down.

Classic Restoration of Chevrolet 1938 Truck Part 13 at The Metal SurgeonOverall interior look with all the components created in this post. A subtle custom look!

This is part thirteen of a series of classic restoration posts on this highly custom 1938 Chevrolet Truck restoration, in post one we introduce you to the project and the custom features to be fabricated.  In post two, we look at the individual truck parts that make up the front end build.  In post three, we cover the chassis build and drip rail removal.  In post four, we show you the process of metal finishing the fenders. Post five takes us through the classic restoration of panel of the original inner grille housing panel and a custom touch of deleting the cowl vent panel.  Post six takes care of the lower cowl metal and left hand front fender.  Post seven covers the toe board panel, door lock upgrades, and mainly the upgrades to the inner fender support panel; this panel has to be heavily modified to take the new location of the hood side panels.  Post eight looks at how the custom hood was created to open by pulling forward instead of the original butterfly design.  Post nine covers the rest of the custom hood, which involves completion of the skin, and design and fabrication of the inner structure.  Post ten shows the firewall modifications.   Post eleven shows how the panel below the grille, ‘grille chin’ panel was fabricated from scratch due to bad damage.  Post twelve shows one of the steps we took to customize the interior: adding the AC/heater control knobs to the dashboard!