Installing the front clip on our 1950 Chevy pickup | Redline Update - Hagerty Media

With any big project, there’s a certain feeling of success when the project looks like a car again. That is where the Redline Rebuild‘s 1950 Chevrolet 3600 pickup currently sits. In our last Update, Davin tended to a handful of small projects to keep the project moving forward, but this episode marks a return to the “one big project” idea.

It’s often easier to do large amounts of work to the engine or chassis of a big-fender pickup like the 3600 by simply removing the entire front clip. With the fenders, radiator core support, and grille out of the way, a mechanic has unimpeded access to frame and suspension pieces that would otherwise put Davin into the same shape as an amateur contortionist to perform any work. Might be why it was the first thing to come off this truck when it rolled into the shop.

With all the progress to the chassis underneath complete though, it’s time to put that sheetmetal back on. The process is actually pretty simple.

“The reason I removed it all still together is because it preserves most of the panel alignment,” Davin says about getting the front clip reinstalled. “It also makes it a little easier to store, since the whole thing stands on its own.”

One good reminder Davin mentions in this update is reassess how your project is supported throughout the process of working on it. This truck has been supported by the two-post lift in the Redline Garage for literally months without issue. However, it was was put on that lift without a front clip and no engine. With both of those items now installed, the balance shifted forward significantly—making the truck capable of tipping off the lift with a bit of misplaced force. The same thing can happen on jack stands in a driveway. Always be sure to give your project a shake to ensure it’s stable before you roll underneath it to continue working.

Davin elected to reinstall the headlights and turn signals into the front clip before bolting everything together. Similar to how removal made working on the frame and engine easier, the space also made for easier running of the wiring harness for the lights. With the wiring finished up and the front clip reattached, the 3600 not only looks like a truck again, but there are only a few items left on Davin’s to-do list before a test drive.

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