So who do you think coined the term “shaved,” referring to, of course, the permanent removal of an OEM accessory? From what we can tell, the term became part of hot rodders’ vernacular in the mid ‘50s when customizers began to remove unsightly door handles, side trim and other large OEM bolt-on chrome accessories. Some say that the reason for shaving parts was to streamline the vehicle to reduce wind drag, creating better aerodynamics. However, many just say that the practice became popular because it made the vehicle look better, giving it style, or more of a unique look.
It doesn’t matter whether you come from one side or the other on the origins of shaving; what really matters is that good ideas, like shaving off OEM accessories die hard. Just think, here it is 60 years later and we’re still removing all of the OEM jewelry to clean up the look of our vehicles.
Well, we’re probably not the first to tell you that the square-body C-10 body style has a lot of bolt-on OEM accessories, nor do we need to point out that removing these accessories will improve the aerodynamics of your truck, giving you some speed and fuel advantages. (Good luck collecting that data Dr. NASA.) Really, the idea is quite simple: Square bodies have too many OEM accessories and beg to be shaved.
So let’s focus on the basics, drip rails, door handles, stake bed pockets, gas door and the cab seam. These items alone can reshape your truck, bringing a new, more modern look and feel. These mods will allow you to focus on the true lines of a square body, which believe it or not, are rounder than you think.
Don’t let this kind of work scare you. It’s not difficult, but it does require some patience. Taking your time to do these steps right will save you more time and lessen your frustration later when you perform the bodywork. You will need some skill welding sheet metal to perform these mods. Square bodies are known to be a little tricky to shave, especially the door handles, due to the fact that the door skins lack sufficient inner supports. Too much heat and the metal shrinks really quickly, creating waves. Check out how we performed all five body mods on our project square body.
Sources:
ProStar Safety
www.praxair.com/prostar
Miller Electric
www.millerwelds.com
Hardkore
www.hardkoreonline.com
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- We took a knife to this virgin C-10. (Well, not really, but you get the idea.) The first order of business was to remove the drip rails. They’re really easy to remove, just turn the hardware fasteners that hold them in place and lift them off to reveal the holes that will need to be filled to shave them clean.
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- To ensure that we don’t damage the glass when grinding or welding, we took the extra step of covering the glass with a heavy canvas drop cloth. Next, we grind down the paint to expose the factory metal. This step ensures us that our welding wire makes good contact with the factory sheet metal.
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- To ensure that we don’t damage the glass when grinding or welding, we took the extra step of covering the glass with a heavy canvas drop cloth. Next, we grind down the paint to expose the factory metal. This step ensures us that our welding wire makes good contact with the factory sheet metal.
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- Now it’s time to begin welding up the holes. Be sure that your welding machine has a good ground contact before you start. The idea here is to place the welding wire on the edge of the hole and work your way around it. Don’t hold the wire in one spot for to long or you’ll burn the factory sheet metal up and create a larger hole. Take your time; doing so will make for a cleaner job in the end. Once you’re finished welding the holes, grind them smooth using a 60-grit flap wheel grinding disk.
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- Let’s move down to the door handles. Once they’re removed, use the same 60-grit flap wheel disc. Grind all of the areas around the openings on both sides.
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- The grinding disc won’t be able to get into the edge or lip of the door to remove all of the paint. Use a rat tail file to remove all of the paint, exposing bare metal.
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- Next, you’ll need to make some sheet metal patches to be used as backing plates where the OEM door handles used to reside. Try to use the same gauge metal as the door. Using the same gauge is key because you won’t need to burn the wire in hotter to gain proper penetration. Using gloves, hold the plate in place behind the door skin and tack weld the corners first. Now, take your time to weld the plate in place. The best way is to use a series of spot welds or tacks to control the heat. You can also use a damp rag to cool down the metal between tack welds. Taking the time to do so makes a huge difference in the end result.
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- Next, you’ll need to make some sheet metal patches to be used as backing plates where the OEM door handles used to reside. Try to use the same gauge metal as the door. Using the same gauge is key because you won’t need to burn the wire in hotter to gain proper penetration. Using gloves, hold the plate in place behind the door skin and tack weld the corners first. Now, take your time to weld the plate in place. The best way is to use a series of spot welds or tacks to control the heat. You can also use a damp rag to cool down the metal between tack welds. Taking the time to do so makes a huge difference in the end result.
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- Here’s a look at what it should look like after a kiss with the grinder. The ring around the old opening is smooth and there is a recessed hole or divot in the door skin. Weld and grind the rest of the holes smooth, and voila, shaved door handles!
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- Moving on to the stake bed pockets, the first thing that you’ll need to do is make a template out of masking tape.
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- Transfer the template to a sheet of 18-gauge steel and cut it out with a pair of sheet metal sheers, a cut-off wheel, sawzall, whatever. Next, using a welding magnet, place the sheet metal panel into a position where it fits the best. The better the fit, the easier the job.
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- Tack the corners first then finish welding the whole perimeter of the panel. Remember to use the spot weld practice just as you did on the door handles. Once you’ve got them welded all the way around, grind them smooth.
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- Tack the corners first then finish welding the whole perimeter of the panel. Remember to use the spot weld practice just as you did on the door handles. Once you’ve got them welded all the way around, grind them smooth.
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- This is what you can expect to have after you’re done. Smooth, strong and ready for some filler.
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- The gas filler door is the trickiest of all of the mods. It’s a big panel to replace, and it’s got a curve in it as well. The first order of business is to remove the old door’s hardware and toss it to the side.
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- The perimeter around the outer edge will need to be ground down to bare metal.
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- Again, using masking tape like you did on the stake bed pockets, tape around the outer edge of the opening.
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- Peel back the tape once you have a good fit around the door’s opening, and transfer it onto a sturdy paper. (We like to use filing folders.) Trace the inside opening of your tape template and cut out the shape.
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- Peel back the tape once you have a good fit around the door’s opening, and transfer it onto a sturdy paper. (We like to use filing folders.) Trace the inside opening of your tape template and cut out the shape.
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- Using the template, cut out a panel of 18-gauge steel and test fit it to the bedside. You might need to put a curve in the panel for it to fit correctly. Use your thigh to dial in the right shape to fit just right.
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- Once you are happy with the way the panel fits, go ahead and spot weld it in place. Then grind it down just like the other panels.
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- Once you are happy with the way the panel fits, go ahead and spot weld it in place. Then grind it down just like the other panels.
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- Remember to take your time and cool things off during welding and grinding. This panel is fairly large and on a curve, which is a recipe for shrinkage, so pay attention to heat management.
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- BAM, it’s done and ready for some filler.
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- When you shave the cab seam one of the first things you’ll need to do is remove the seam sealer. Welding to seam sealer is a big no-no, so grind the area around the seam first then, using a heat gun, heat the sealer up and dig it out using a box knife.
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- When you shave the cab seam one of the first things you’ll need to do is remove the seam sealer. Welding to seam sealer is a big no-no, so grind the area around the seam first then, using a heat gun, heat the sealer up and dig it out using a box knife.
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- This is what the seam should look like prior to welding. Be sure to remove all of the plastic out of that seam. If you don’t, the welding wire will not make the proper contact and you’ll just make a mess.
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- Begin welding the seam inside the door jamb and weld the entire seam across the back of the cab and into the other door jamb. Remember that heat creates havoc, so keep things cool and work slowly. Here’s a look at the seam before grinding it’s ground down smooth.
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- Begin welding the seam inside the door jamb and weld the entire seam across the back of the cab and into the other door jamb. Remember that heat creates havoc, so keep things cool and work slowly. Here’s a look at the seam before grinding it’s ground down smooth.
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- With the welding done, use your new best friend, the 4 1/2-inch grinder with a 60-grit flap disc wheel, and a cooling rag to finish up your work. See, it wasn’t all that difficult. It took us the better part of an afternoon to perform all five body mods. Can your barber pull that off?
Tags: c-10, OEM Accessories
