56 Chevy Cameo Science Project

dhutton01

dhutton01

Backyard Hack
I bought this 56 Cameo on eBay a few years ago. It was rough but included all the rare Cameo specific parts. I decided I wanted to try to get a great riding truck on a budget and settled on using Dobbertin adapters to install a complete C5 Corvette drivetrain including having the torque tube stretched roughly 12 inches. Gamel Street Rods did the stretch. I found a 2000 Corvette roller on Craigslist for $1500 and found a low mile LS6 on eBay. I also found a C5 Corsa exhaust system that I’m going to use after extending the exhaust tips.

My fab is a little crude but the frame is completely boxed and fishplated. The bed is raised four inches to accommodate the transaxle and lower ride height. I’m shooting for 5” to the rockers, same as a Corvette. I think it should be a great riding and handling little truck.

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Don
 
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After repairing rust in the cab corners, lower cowl, fenders etc all the parts were bodyworked and eventually sprayed in Turbo primer. It was an enormous amount of work getting this truck reasonably straight with decent gaps. It’s not John Glen straight and gapped but time and skill is limited. The fiberglass bedsides were a nightmare. They had been crudely repaired multiple times and were rougher than a night in county jail… :D. The inner bedsides had some good sized dents after 60 years. I resorted to using the front end loader on my tractor as a press on the bedsides and inner tailgate. I minitubbed it to allow C6 wheels with a 285 tire.
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Don
 
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Today I applied four coats of Barry’s finest SPI Red single stage to the bedsides and tailgate fiberglass skin. I’m using single stage because it’s a timesaver and it’s easy for me to make quick chip repairs etc. This truck will be driven regularly and we live on a gravel road.
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Next up is to cut and buff all the bed parts and get it assembled before moving onto the cab.

Don
 
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dhutton01 said:
Today I applied four coats of Barry’s finest SPI Red single stage to the bedsides and tailgate fiberglass skin. I’m using single stage because it’s a timesaver and it’s easy for me to make quick chip repairs etc. This truck will be driven regularly and we live on a gravel road.
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Next up is to cut and buff all the bed parts and get it assembled before moving onto the cab.

Don
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That is a super cool project! Can't wait to see the end product.
 
Very nice work! Were you able to assemble the bed by yourself?
I see a lot of guys buy new tires for a project that doesn't get done for years, I see you had an old set to use. :cool:
 
Yes I’m assembling the bed alone. I only get my wife to help when it’s absolutely necessary… ;)

Those wheels and tires were on my $1500 Corvette roller. I’ve got some much nicer C6 wheels I’m going to use. The wide Corvette track width limits me to high offset Corvette wheels.

Don
 
dhutton01 said:
Yes I’m assembling the bed alone. I only get my wife to help when it’s absolutely necessary… ;)

Those wheels and tires were on my $1500 Corvette roller. I’ve got some much nicer C6 wheels I’m going to use. The wide Corvette track width limits me to high offset Corvette wheels.

Don
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Sorry Don, I just meant that it was good you had an old set to use during the restoration.
 
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