Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

7-24

alot more work going then pics to show for. Buttoned up the cab corners, inside and outs needed minor patch work. I utilized one of the stock gas tank straps to hold the battery down behind seat. Got bed off . buttoning up a few things on the frame and suspension. I also ran the exhaust a bit farther than I left off. I will disassemble and gonna tig weld weld some of it. I still need to put the final exits on but I'll do that once the fenders are back on. Hopefully be getting a coat of chassis saver on the rear of frame asap.

I may have to go back to the drawing board on my fuel tank situation. its just such a tight squeeze getting the filler neck where I want it. So... may go with fuel cell or mustang tank and fill from bed. not thrilled about it, but I can make a hidden opening in the bed wood.

Last pic is total trash moch up of the interior colors. There is no primer on there and the colors look bad I know, but.... the scheme is what I'm goin for. Gonna stick with a tanner color up top and the metallic blue on the bottom.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Nice job Henry!! That exhaust looks killer. Also a big congrats on the shop it will be real nice for you, I'll have to come check it out in October.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

that would be swell bob, slight chance this truck will be drive able then. also if some funds and time present themselves I can get my 51' back on road. I'm just going to focus on the air ride for now. then do interior and engine next year or so! Would love to have you come by.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

hey nice exhaust work! almost like you have done this before ;)

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

7-30 thanks joedoh, my exhaust has gotten better on each build! going to do similar set up on my 51' once I bag it. It was my first build, so not too proud of alot of stuff on it!

Onto Geronimo. Got rear frame all final welded and coated. I decided to leave the fuel tank and just make a filler in the bed, should work out ok even though I don't like bed fill caps, but hey can't have it all. The never ending firewall! I gotta tally up the hours on it but it is becoming a soar spot on my builds. Eating up time and money, I like a finished firewall so it's worth it I guess. Hoping to have some epoxy primer on it tomorrow or next week.

For time and space sake, I think I'm goin to paint firewall so I can put cab back on frame, I can then paint inside of cab and all the little pieces that need painted. I like to have an assembly line when I prime and paint, but I think just focusing on firewall right now is the best thing.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, Looking sweet...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

looking good

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Definitely making some good progress. I would love to smooth out my firewall, but I'm sure with my deadline it will get put on the back burner and never get done.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Its alot of work, I'd guess 20hrs or so. I think I had about 10 into basic metal work on it. I like to keep the stock look, just clean up all the holes. With these trucks I like so much of what they came with at the factory. the air vents, the delete plate in dash etc, I just love all the beads in the firewall and the factory looks. amazing what they could do back then.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I agree with as much factory body pieces as possible. Your fire wall is turning out nice.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Nice work on the frame and firewall. The truck is coming alone nicely.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

thanks, can't wait to just have this painted and get it back on frame. on a side note to add to all my list of things and lack of money! I'm slooowwwwly getting some stuff done on my 51'. if any of you hadn't followed that build 7yrs ago here it is. This year I'm just trying to bag it, redo exhaust and prolly put a fuel cell in it. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...58#post8005158

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

8-9 Finally got the firewall and a few other parts in epoxy. Hoping to get into high build this coming weekend, maybe paint. I have more like 30 plus hours in this firewall.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

dang that firewall looks good man!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Very smooth

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

getting there. I got some high build on it now and should have some color on it this weekend. Gotta finish weld the exhaust and get trans mated up, then plop the cab back on for good. I should have doors and other parts in epoxy this weekend too I hope so not long after will I have all that stuff in paint. Here is trans I cleaned up and primered. Going to prolly paint it.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

8-19 hard to get good pics of the paint. but the one you can really see the color and metallic in the sunlight. trans was painted the other day and what a nightmare I had with my gun (last time I sprayed primer, I was out of gun cleaner so to say the least I had a hard time with color) I used a different cheapy gun to spray the firewall etc. came out good I think. I may buy another spray gun by the time I do doors and interior. was eyeing up this astro pneumatics.

started tearing about front clip to get stuff ready for body work and primer. doors need a tad more work than I thought, so started tearing them apart. Hoping to have everything painted by next month and start final assembly and wiring. Be nice to drive it bf snow fall!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Nice work. I've used the same set of TCP Global guns for many years. If I buy another set I'll probably pick up one of the Eastwood guns.

I like that color!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Wow! That is looking great.
Very Nice work.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

super dope! love the color

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

woooowww....sparkly and shiny..

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, looks great, nice job...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

thanks guys.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Looking very good 99! Firewall and exhaust came out nicely.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Well that looks amazing!!! Get it moving by end of October when I come meet up with you again and we can line all three up. :)

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

when you coming in october? I need all the time I can get! Getting front bags in my 51' almost done with that, then onto the rear. as for geronimo going to tig up the exhaust friday I think, and try and get trans in. Then I can put cab on if I want, but I gotta lot of interior stripping and primer work to do still.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

You didn't tell us you're a painter also....

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I wouldn't call myself a painter. hardly enough practice but I can get by and make it look pretty presentable to most! This is just single stage paint from summit, basically made by kirker. I use single stage bc of time. I want to paint a full truck someday and a car actually but its just a long ways off, I'd prolly do base clear on something like that.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

We are going to the same Good Guys show we went to last year in Charlotte NC. We would be rolling through your neck of the woods on our way home Oct 25-26 :)

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

9-9 Feels like winter is right around the corner. Weather has been killing me. anyway, I really need to wrap up these doors, inner fenders and interior so I can get them painted. Once I do that, I'm most likely taking this truck down to my garage in town. I then have another 54' I'm going to set up the suspension on in this garage, its a truck I'm doing for a friend. So just racing against the weather again.

Doors were a tad rougher than I thought, and take longer to teardown and clean up too. Welded up a ton of ext mirror holes. My hobart shat the bed, so I'm using my back up eastwood. I'm dead broke but I need to get another welder bc the eastwood is for my home garage and I need it bc I'm doing the suspension on my 51'. I'm doing some trade work to obtain a nice Lincoln tig which I'll have at my main garage.

Lastly got trans mounted finally. Here is an adapter I needed bc this 4l60e wasn't mated to an LS from the factory. only other thing you have to do is expand the flexplate bolts (just 3 of them). I was going to paint this flexplate many times and the weather was trash so it never go done. Kinda regret not doing it. but oh well. getting driveshaft made soon and putting cab back on soon.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

9-10 got doors about ready for primer I'd say 10hrs in the doors, stripping and fixing them. Spent about 4hrs on the inner fenders, patched all the extra holes, and fixed some other areas on them. Stripped back sides and coated with chassis saver. I'll be spraying raptor liner on them, then prepping top for primer and paint.

I still have some interior of cab to finish up, finalize dash, front fenders to strip and coat, also rear fenders and I'm done with the majority of parts. Then its basically final assembly, brakes, steering, trans lines, wiring, glass, interior. hahah its gonna take way longer than I expect!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, those inner fender are in amazing good shape, and the black just shows it off...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

yah not too bad. I'v seen much worse for sure. I have quite a few inner fenders bc it is def one thing that gets overlooked on a build. I buy em when I can. I like the stock inners on these trucks alot.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I love gloss black inner fenders.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

well as do I, but they are getting same blue as firewall. doors and jams will be blue, bottom of dash blue, everything else will be accented with a khaki brown color. Just prepping and painting that stuff and firewall is prolly 80-100hrs dep on condition. I got 386hrs in this build so far. I was guessing this would take 500hr. So I'm prolly gonna be right on the money. Budget is pretty dang close too!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

9-15 hours are adding up. put 5 more in today doing some final sanding on dash and doors, masked off cab and sprayed epoxy. I hit a few small parts and still have alot more to do. also got to do inner fenders. My goal is to get more stuff in high build, more stuff in epoxy and be caught up for moday so I can spray the color on everything. But I'll still prolly have some straggler parts I'll need to paint later on.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, looks good buddy...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Coming along really nice. It takes a lot of time but it will be worth it.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

man you have a lot of hours in this truck but its really paying off. looks great as always.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

9-16 Thanks guys, yes hours feel loooong when doing body work. I spent almost 7hrs straight today just prepping all these little parts and inner fenders. Bought a replacement steering wheel and filled some cracks in it. Cleaned the door hinges, stripped door molding, did body work on the glove box (Iv never seen on not dented) luckily the 54' ones are smooth. Cleaned up some carriage bolts that I'll use on a few visible areas of cab.

I feel a little hokey showing yinz my paint setup, but its what I got to deal with. I'll do high build primer tomorrow and sand. Then when I paint, I'll do that in closed doors most likely. Even though at this rate I can only paint a partial truck every two years, I'v been thinking of ways to make a paint and body only area. Either my other garage here and or adding onto my commercial garage in town.

Lastly, as most of you guys can relate, buying tools is sometimes not in the budget. I'v been doing all my work with HF guns and its ok but I want to start really seeing what I can accomplish with some decent stuff. So I'v read alot of good reviews on this 100$ gun. I'll try it and see and eventually just keep getting better guns and comparing. Im a huge believer in most of quality is the user not the tool.