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Mile High 520


zachreini

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New member and owner here! Hanging out at a mile high in Denver and scored this '66 520. Haven't done much to it yet. Pulled the seat out and seat belts. Having a friend reupholster the seat. Thinking of ditching the adjustable slider rails and hard mounting it for some extra headroom (I'm 6'3" and hit my head going over bumps). Got plans on redoing the wiring, lots of bad patchwork, I just want to start from scratch and clean it up, do a wire tuck.

 

Driver side door needs a little love. The spot welds connecting the inner and outer panels are shot so the door hits the body. Not much else. Floor is solid and clean, now that the mice are gone.

 

Here's how it sits today with what I got done before the sun went down.

 

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fQPCvNS.jpg

 

 

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It appears you have a late 66, the left front hubcap is period correct.

To replace the door you need an early door, 521 doors may look the same but they are not the same, the door latch mechanism is different and located in a different spot, it likely will be easier to repair what you have rather than trying to find another door.

To make yourself more legroom you can put a spacer under the front seat mounts, that raises your knees slightly, but removing the rails will in the end give you less legroom, I am only 6' tall(used to be 6'1") and not having legroom drove me crazy, I fixed that issue in my own way.

The 521 windshield will fit your truck, and they can be sourced new.

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It appears you have a late 66, the left front hubcap is period correct.

To replace the door you need an early door, 521 doors may look the same but they are not the same, the door latch mechanism is different and located in a different spot, it likely will be easier to repair what you have rather than trying to find another door.

To make yourself more legroom you can put a spacer under the front seat mounts, that raises your knees slightly, but removing the rails will in the end give you less legroom, I am only 6' tall(used to be 6'1") and not having legroom drove me crazy, I fixed that issue in my own way.

The 521 windshield will fit your truck, and they can be sourced new.

 

Great! Thanks for the tips.

 

I'm not too concerned about legroom, I'm used to being crammed up (look at the kei van in the background) just needed some headroom so I'm gonna lower the seat, I'll keep in mind the propping up the front mounts. Maybe I'll kill two birds as they say.

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(I'm 6'3" and hit my head going over bumps).

When I re-did my seat, I added a small bit of foam to the front half of the seat and removed a small bit of foam on the rear half of the seat. It pulls my knees up slightly and my butt down slightly. I'm 6'3" and wear a baseball cap when driving.

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When I re-did my seat, I added a small bit of foam to the front half of the seat and removed a small bit of foam on the rear half of the seat. It pulls my knees up slightly and my butt down slightly. I'm 6'3" and wear a baseball cap when driving.

 

That sounds like a good trick. Thanks!

 

Idk why us tall guys always go for the small cars. Or maybe its just me.

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Nice truck Zachreini!  Did you get the wiring diagrams?

 

Thanks Charlie! Yep, I got them. Thanks again for sending those over.

 

I found your friend Terry on Tuscon CL, sent him an email about buying some odds n ends off his 520. Haven't heard back from him.

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Beauty !! Diamond in the rough.

 

Looks like some numnutz tried to break in and thought it had suicide doors.

 

Check out Zed1  's posts on here.

 

He's in TX and has been making a 66 new again for past few years and is doing an exemplary job of it.

 

Also might have some xtra hard to find parts.

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Beauty !! Diamond in the rough.

 

Looks like some numnutz tried to break in and thought it had suicide doors.

 

Check out Zed1  's posts on here.

 

He's in TX and has been making a 66 new again for past few years and is doing an exemplary job of it.

 

Also might have some xtra hard to find parts.

 

Will do! Thanks!

 

That's the kinds of things I'm needing. Front turn signal lenses, window crank knobs, etc.

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love the rear bumper

Ditto. Mine has a silver one on it, got bent in 2 directions when I got rearended a few years ago. It's not bad but more than O can fix. I bought a "replacement" from a one time board member but when I got it, it was all wrong. Would love to get another (correct) one or get mine straightened.

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Ditto. Mine has a silver one on it, got bent in 2 directions when I got rearended a few years ago. It's not bad but more than O can fix. I bought a "replacement" from a one time board member but when I got it, it was all wrong. Would love to get another (correct) one or get mine straightened.

 

I'd like to get it chromed, but ever since Denver Bumper closed it's apparently pretty difficult (or expensive) to get something big like that chromed.

 

Ya'll know any options?

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I'd like to get it chromed, but ever since Denver Bumper closed it's apparently pretty difficult (or expensive) to get something big like that chromed.

 

Ya'll know any options?

So... chroming is an interesting beast. To do a quality job on that bumper, figure upwards of $800 from any real quality shop. Or... without lots of prep work being put into it by the shop (a bad shop), you may get out for $200... and it will look like hell. I've done a ton of chroming on other projects. It is a weird business thanks to regulations, long lines of customers, and customer expections (who want perfect and cheap). Prep it and paint it with silver paint like it probably came from the factory or go with the ebay split bumper repops if you must have chrome. Expect to have to fight them onto the truck... and this, after you manage to find the mounts.
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So just got around to doing some little work on the truck. Snowed a bit here, and I don't have a garage.

 

I need to replace the steering wheel, looking for a 14" wheel instead of the stock 16", any recommendations?

 

Also, during the disassembly this small piece of copper (?) fell out of the horn assembly and I don't know where it goes. Any ideas? 

 

QXiLRqS.jpg

 

Looking for this cover that goes on the back of the steering wheel too, looks like I gotta find a junkyard with some trucks in it.

 

fUkjDzt.jpg

 

Finally, looks like white is the 3d color the truck has been. 

 

KOQyWCT.jpg

 

Going to make a post in the build thread when I get a little further along.

 

Thanks everyone for the help.

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I don't have any stock steering wheels anymore Charlie, every 520/521 I own has a tilt type 720 steering column assembly in it, I looked at my 521 switches and nothing I have looks like what he has in the photo. 

I also do not have any horn button assemblies to look at, so I am not going to be any help here.

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