DarrelK SuperStepSide Truck Build

Show off your work! Anything from final results to full start-to-finish project journals.

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PostPosted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:14 pm
Okay, so new guys on several forums have been buzzing lately about the Super Step Side Truck build they're doing on Speed TV's kit car show. Older guys here probably remember I used to have the build on the Member's Rides section that seems to have mysteriously vanished on our site here.
Rather than answer a bunch of questions or try to find individual pic.s I rummaged back through my build file and tried to put these pic.s in order with some description of what I was doing. For those of you that have never heard of this build you can go see what the trucks are all about at www.superstepside.com and look at different builds. Especially check out the galleries and showcases there.
Basically what you're doing here is cutting the body in half just behind the front door pillars and adding a complete new front clipl, rear clip, and rockers.
Follow along...
Here's your basic 1990 Chevy Capric Brougham
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Next a little "guttin" before the "cuttin"
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And just how much fun is a good sawzall? :lol:
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First test fit on the new rear clip...
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And now test fit on the front clip...
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Bonding, filling, and blocking out the top mating surfaces.
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Working out the molding flash seams on the front nose.
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Truck with 90% of body work done and sealed in epoxy. Now road testing for about 8 months looking for stress cracks...
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Still in epoxy but hey, new wheels came in...
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Road testing all done, final body work finished up, first coat of Auto Air Dark Sealer...
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Next Auto Air coarse aluminum was applied with Auto Air Candy Apple Red over top...
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And finally after a ton of clear, cut, buff, etc...
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Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:22 am
Cool stuff!
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:08 am
How does this effect registering the vehicle?

Great work as always!
1968 Coronet R/T


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:35 am
Thanks, Dennis. And '68, here's how it worked for me. This kit did not alter any part that had the original VIN number stamped on it. Our local Department of Motor Vehicles and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (these are the guys that do the actual inspections and enforce the laws on the stuff) at the time said this was simply a 1990 Chevy Caprice with a "styling kit" on it. So I registered it as a car and carried a separate "cash value" insurance policy on the body kit as well as my normal liability on the Caprice.
And to back up the registration process I can relate the following. I ended up putting a 405 h.p. crate motor with a matching 2004R Bowtie Overdrives Stage II transmission in it. So, I was out "performance testing" (uhhhh... cough, cough) on a fairly deserted section of highway. Long story short, a Sherriff clocks me coming down from a 100+ m.p.h. run and got me doing about 76 or so. He pulls me over, smiling as he comes up to the window and says, "Man, I love your Caprice!" "Uhhh... sorry, officer, just checking a new computer chip we had burned, guess I got a little carried away." "Yeah, yeah, just take it easy, I pulled you over more just to see this thing, be safe and have a good day, and nice, er... truck." :lol:
You know of all the builds I've done I think I miss this truck, maybe the most. It could hall stuff, hall butt, and go to a cruise-in and get 23m.p.g. almost all the time. Might just have to do another someday.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:55 pm
Amazing, I would have thought they would require it to be registered as a custom vehicle. However the VIN makes that part difficult to accomplish hence my question.
1968 Coronet R/T


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:39 pm
Yeah, it's really strange here in some ways. I've been building, buying, and rennovating kit cars for myself for the last 37 years and I've only had one that had a unique title to it and that was because it had been registered out-of-state before I got it. All of my old VW Beetle based cars kept the VW VIN because they did not use an "altered" (read that as shortened) VW pan. The Fiero based cars I've been involved with again did not have any cutting of the rolling chassis and kept their original VIN numbers as well.

Now if I bought a kit like Factory Five's GTM supercar that has a custom chassis with a manufacturer assigned production number. This would fall under a "homemade" vehicle and require that I keep all my receipts for parts, engine, transmission, etc. An inspection would be required by the our Highway Patrol to see if the total of receipts is matching the parts as seen on the car including that "all important" manufacturing part number on the chassis. From what I understand they also check for the state minimum headlights, horns, turn signals, seatbelts, etc. Then the patrolman gives you a new, bright and shiney VIN sticker and asks you where you want it on the car. From there it's off to register and title the car.

And for those of you thinking about doing stuff like this hobby of mine, ABSOLUTELY check with your local motor vehicle department before you even start a project like this. I have belonged to several national kit car organizations over the years and EVERY state does this differently. Some barely acknowledge the process while others require multiple visits to inspection stations and even petitions to get the car registered. Look before you leap... :shock:
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:35 am
Thanks for that advice. A guy here fairly local has three 1967 Vette bodies (kits), 1 floor pan and 1 frame for sale. The price seems pretty descent ($3500 for all) but there must be a reason for that so maybe its the state requirements.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:13 am
A few Ohio guys have contacted me lately about current registration laws here in our state. Here's a very good page on home built customs and kit cars direct from our DMV...
http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/title/sal_veh_inspections.htm

I am still fairly sure that just doing a re=body (keeping the original) VIN numbers does not require the above listed process. If you want to make certain I'd stop in at one of the DMV centers and talk to an "official" person. Always make sure you write down their name and the time you talked to them, subject of conversation, etc. Don't get in the middle of hacking something up without some "confirmation" on how the vehicle is to be registered and titled. :wink:
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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