LUVTruck.com

Hey....1st post. Caught Hell gettin in here. The Activation email was sent to my bulk mail which usually gets Dumped once a week....Anyways
Greeting Luv truck Enthusiasts...
Building a Luv for my sons, a 1977 with the original Cali Step. I have a question pertaining to the body, underneath each door (ROCKER PANELS) its so thin and rusty that i would like to replace them. Does anyone know of someone who fabricates or makes Rocker Panels that go under each door? Door sill front of fender to the rear of cab? Mine are all rusty. Ground effects would cover them but I want to do it right. This is my 3rd Chevy Luv. The last one I had wound up in Minitruckin Mag before I sold it to a Kid in SC. Won 2nd place out of 400 trucks at Myrtle Beach MiniTruck Madness in 1987 so I am basically starting over in a different area of the country...all the sheet metal kats I dealt with back them have vanished! Nothing spectactular this time since it is my sons (Twins) 1st vehicle...(Notice the time line and some of you may relate...my sons were born in 1990 so I haven't had the time to put into projects for raising them...hahahahaa...Now they are 16 years old, driving and willing to help restore this LUV truck I got 12 years ago and never touched it!)
Perfect time!
Thanks in advance if you know of where I can get these already made....
I don't wanna have to go out and buy a sheet metal brake and shears to do this one project.

Heres my Old 72 Luv:
Went from this when my mother was gonna sell it for scrap....



To this in about a month:


Then eventually to this....


Then Finally this...This is the Minitruck Magazine final version...




I miss these days..


DC

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IGNORE ME

ewww, who would ever paint their frame pink???

Looks like we were kind of living the same lives on each side of country back then.
As for the replacement rockers, well I had mine replaced back around 86 and had to order them straight from Japan, nobody in the states had anything and that was 20 years ago. The only place I have seen them is
http://www.luvrestoration.com. They had since shut down the website but you can still email them through the site (Not sure if it still is a working email address though) and from time to time see them on Ebay but I think it was Luvrestoration that was listing them. How bad are they?? Mine are starting to rust through again in a few spots but I am just going to weld in patches, hopefully that is still an option on yours.

ps Welcome to the site!!!!!! I like how you changed beds and still kept the same paint job! I wanted to go with a scissor lift back in the day also but on my small budget I went with the $10 side tilt option!

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Click on C.M. logo to go to my webpage


RIP R.J.B.

Man, this thread takes me back a few years. I was just thinking how I wanted a chrome square grill like yours (step-a-side), you used to be able to find them on every corner, but now none are around.

Funny thing is that some of us had these LUV's in the early 80's and late 70's and we are still playing with them now. I like the fact that we could get a ranger or s-10 that are easier to build now a days, but we still prefer the LUV. Hope in 20 years we still have them.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

i could be wrong but i think i have that mag it is in, seems familiar. very nice

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My old but now gone Luv...

Yep, I miss the days when custom parts were available all over the place, too bad at the time I couldnt afford them like I could now!
I know for me, in 20 years I will still have mine (if I am still around then!! )

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Click on C.M. logo to go to my webpage


RIP R.J.B.

I will still have mine. And im with you tilted back in 79’ couldn’t afford to do my luv the way I wanted and now I have the money and aftermarket parts are like gold if you can find them, which I have been lucky enough to find most of what I wanted

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My old but now gone Luv...

I love running into Guys like us from back in the day who used to lowride in Minitrucks...Diehards!
You guys have some nice machines. Parts were plentiful back then.
My rockers are basically shot. I will have to rebuild them the old fashion way...Sheet metal, cardboard templates and alot of cutting and welding.
I know I will be keeping mine for a while.
I couldn't afford to pay for all the custom work so I did it myself. Self taught welder and painter. Check out my other trucks. I ran a shop at home to fund my projects. I would do a couple of jobs and have enough to complete most of the projects I had...then do a couple more. I made $$$$ hand over fist back in the 80's. So of you may know me from car shows in Mytrle Beach if you were showing back in the late 80's. Maybe these trucks I owned and built will ring a bell.....












This metamorphed Butterfly was the last Mini I owned. I sold it in 92 when my sons were only 2 cause it lost its usefulness... Check the Metmorphesis before it was sold.




Last KNown version.....




@ age 45...Now I am into to these. And I still ask myself WHY!!!

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

I don't want to hi-jack this thread, but I will keep an eye out for a set of rockers at my local wreaking yard. I have a saws all and will travel.

Now for the second part. I keep going over this thread and was thinking about the old times and things we did. I did a quick search on a window-less snug top for my LUV, I can't find one to save my life.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Man oh MAAAN! Do they still even make Snug tops?
I had to drive 6 hours to get that snug top. I always wanted one with no windows, and Snugtops were the only ones that didn't have them, and were 100% flat and smooth from front to back....I miss that Mazda.
Yeah Leme know if you come across some good Rockers.
I would be most greatful!

Step

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

Yea Snugtpop still makes windowless shells. I have one on my S10 SS (I doubt they make anything before 1990's trucks anymore though )

I have to laugh as people think it is see through and go up and put their faces on it trying to see in. I wanted one for the luv back in the day but growing up in Wyoming, I couldnt find anything but a crappy Glasstite shell.

I know if I ever see one, I will be snagging it.
OLD SKOOL COOL STILL RULES!!!

ps step, did you do your own paint???

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Click on C.M. logo to go to my webpage


RIP R.J.B.

Yeah I did my own paint...I mostly paint Bikes now. The Hayabusas, ZX12's and GSXR1000's are the rave around here. I was always amazed at how the LUV's bed was wder than the cab and wondered how a Snug would look on 1.
I bet if enough were intrested we could snug to make a few on a group buy....I have a friend here who used to work for Yacht company and made Yacht hulls...and is a Master @ fiberglass. Only thing is Lighting a Fire under his ass to get him going. He has made a bunch of Kits for cars of all types that look Super Nasty! Timing is everything with him too. I like to catch him when hes Caught up on his BILLS if you know what I mean...I know he can build a shell if he had one to copy. And once the mold is made its all she wrote! I have learned alot by just listening to him talk.
I also use to like the fact that when you have a Verted Luv, you can put the top in the bed facing like it should be on the truck and not sideways....That was the cool thing about the Luvs with Fleetside beds..I got more pics stashed away somewhere from other shows. when I find them I will post them.
Nice S-10 too! You had me rolling when you said people tried to look IN to a Solid black Shell!..Ha ha hah ahaaaa! That is hillarious!

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

Love those Pics of the Luv In progress man....Whoa!
Hey where can I get a ROll Pan for a Stepside? That Fiberglass Roll Pan is what I am looking for.

thanks

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

have you looked at this site for rockers?
http://www.exoticwooddash.com/chevluv.htm

Actually, i need the part that always rusts...the part of the body. Those were stick on panels for dress up customizing. Thanks for the link though it will come in handy later down the road. The part i need has to either cut from a Luv in the junkyard of bought from someone who has remanufactured them.

thanks

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

Step a side your paint jobs are awesome. can you give any advice to a new painter? Maybe start a new thread?
thanks

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Did a v8 conversion in 1981 on my '76 luv
Current Fleet
#1 1980 Black 2wd, #2 1980 Blue 2wd, #3 1980 Black 4x4 #4 1980 black 2wd Long bed #5 1979 black 4x4 #6 1977 red 2WD
pics
http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/gs11x/

Junk yard, but I have seen some amassing stuff put out by metal workers.

Their is a Yahoo Forum somewhere . http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/ with some great metal workers. Ever seen a old jag (180?) fender made from scratch... http://www.metalshapers.org/ Two of the best sites I have ever seen. You could spend days and days reading them. Look for some post by John Kelly, I have known him for years on the internet. Mostly VW's and Porsche stuff. Way too many people to list.

Great Paint info too, even a guy who makes his own line of polyurthern paints. He has forgot more than any 2 people will know, Id is MARTINSR
BUT Luv stuff is here..

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

The trick to painting is TAKE YOUR TIME.....Mix / Thin the paint according to the directions, use the right temperature of reducer and to make sure you bodywork is straight and smooth...I always spray my work with water and let the water tell the story. If its wavy in the water it will be wavy when you clearcoat. Remember the Clear shows what the water forgets....

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....

Hmmmmm, someone with that kinda talent should be able to fab ther own rockers or that much money to spend for those trucks in the pics could have someone make them pretty easy.

Fine lookin rides.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

Thing is I sold all my equipment.....Sheet metal brake, shears, roller, drill press. Plus, I sold the house with shop I worked in became a computer Geek when my sons were born 16 years ago. I haven't painted a car / Truck since.
I stuck to little things like My bike..

I can do one of these in a weekend in the back yard.


I kept my air compressor and spray equipment for doing tee-shirts and small jobs...and to put air in blow up toys (Blow up doll for when the wifes away) and put air in the lawn more tires etc. Starting to collect more shop tools as I lean towards quitting my job to be a full time shop owner in the near future...but right now, I don't have the resources make my own rockers. People around where I live seem puzzled when I ask about Fabricating some. I have a couple leads though that I will check out.

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The good ol days...when parts were plentiful and you could turn heads with a $50 dollar truck.....