Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

When I talked to berry at SPI on the phone about my list of questions he recommended I do 50% reducer for the sealer and that worked out good for me. He also said that with my base and the SPI clear, it could be cleared a week after base no problem.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Took last weekend off from the truck and spent it with my dad, son and wife in Galveston. Went out fishing with a guide and did pretty well. 4 redfish that needed the oversize tags! Actually caught a fifth big boy that got to be released because we ran out of tags.

This weekend I got myself back on track with the truck. Wet sanded the cab, tailgate and bedsides back smooth with 320 and 400 grit. Should be ready for cleanup and respray. BTW, dry sanding the color coat didn't work out well. Just tacky enough to gum up the paper. Fortunately, I also had some wet/dry paper to finish this up.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Weekends away from projects help to prevent burnout.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Yep, it was nice to get away after a "less than productive" weekend on the truck, but also nice to get after it this weekend and feel like I made progress. So what's the plan for side trim on that kick'n truck of yours?

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Looks good! I was thinking of getting these next time. Any more pics maybe from a straight on view back or front?

Keep going man, you're doing great! (nice reds btw!)

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Here's a straight on of the tire. Don't have any yet to show how they fill the fenders since the truck has been apart for paint when I got these mounted. Thanks for checking in!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

I don't know really. As of now I guess my plan is to get it all cleaned up and install it. No idea really on how I want to accomplish the install with regards to all the taped on and such. I plan on doing some trial and error.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

the wheels look killer!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks ryanroo! I have always liked the truck rallys with beauty rings, so decided why mess with a good thing.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Good choice they look great!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks Brett. Bit of an update this week. Got the bedliner sprayed in the bed and cab floor and both back onto the chassis.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Wow. Looking good! :metal:

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Damn, I go away for two weeks and it's painted! Looks great Rick! Can't wait to see it all back together. Bedliner looks good as well. What did you end up using?

Chris

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks Greenlee and Chris. For the bedliner, I went with U-Pol's Raptor liner over their adhesion promoter. And its not quite painted yet :lol: I haven't painted doors, fenders, hood and small parts yet. Also still have to sand down and redo the bedsides. So, you can see the color better now, but not ready to show off the paint job yet.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

:agree: Beauty!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Looks really good! I love that color.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks Brett and Matt! I'm really pleased with the color too. You just never know for sure when you pick your color from pictures, but this came out just how I hoped/expected. Now if I could just figure out how to adjust the dang gun so the paint lays down better :lol:

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Wow...I guess it looks ok...LOL, just kidding! You're doing a great job, and I can't wait to see this thing done. Good work Rick!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Great progress. I really like the color.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Great looking truck! I really appreciate how your OCD kicks in and demands that if you're going to complete a task, it will be done to the best of your ability. I was raised in a similar environment and developed a similar neurosis, to the extent that as I read through your thread I keep seeing one thing that I've got to ask about, it's driving me crazy...your radio opening. :lol: What're you doing there?

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Marcus and Mike, thanks a lot for the kudos! I've been enjoying following your heavy hauler thread Marcus, and glad to see you rekindling interest in your build Mike. Just got to keep at it!

All of your comments on the color just get me more excited about it, so I'll share a pic in a bit better light that is far enough off you can't see all the issues:lol:

Appreciate you looking through my thread Devin. I have never thought of myself as being OCD, but my kids tell me that I am. Just heard over and over growing up that a "job worth doing is worth doing right". Another part of my particular neurosis is that while I plan ahead, its just a couple steps ahead or it would make me crazy. The truck came without a radio and to be honest I haven't paid much attention to the hole. I haven't noticed it looking hacked on, so I just assumed it was the factory hole and I'll find a system that will fit it when I get to that point (months and months away at least :lol: )

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Ahhhh, this might make you irritated with your dash. The original radio is a shaft style, like this:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z...psb29bbc54.png Image credit to user: HIGHWAY BY THE SEA

There are several options among original delco radios, even CB models, it seems like most of them can be sent off for modern internal upgrades. There are a couple aftermarket shaft style units that the restoration catalogs have in them, I've never been impressed with them, installed one in a '71 Chevelle and it was 'meh'.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Well, kind of late to weld in a patch panel at this stage. Good thing is that I haven't been holding myself to keeping this truck 100% original, so I'll just have to find a radio that will work with the opening I have. But thanks a bunch for pointing it out to me :lol:

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

I was bummed that my dash was cut also, but without being tied to the shaft style you can buy a decent stereo with blue tooth, speaker phone etc for about 1/3 the price of the shaft style that won't have all the bells and whistles.

You can buy a cover plate that hides any gaps and makes the install look flawless. I found mine on eBay. I contemplated welding in a panel so I could use the original radio, but now I'm kind of glad it was already cut.

I did buy a new bezel from LMC and took it straight out of the box and cut it for the radio. That was a strange feeling chopping up my brand new bezel. :lol:

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Since my dash is not cut I plan making some kind of natural looking cup holder and putting one of these marine stereos in with the cup holders. I think that's the plan. Otherwise I want to still use the marine stereo and put it into the ash try area. They have a few different ones.

http://www.charterworld.com/news/wp-...nd-Tenders.jpg

http://images.sonicelectronix.com/im...ain/prv175.jpg

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

I think this is the actual one I'm going to get.

Edit: link didn't work.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Well, I took a closer look and the PO left both options open for me. He cut the shaft area of the radio opening, but just folded back the flaps. Not sure if that was clever or lazy :lol: Looks like I could, without too much effort bend them back and a few well placed welds be able to use an original style radio if I want. Spent the day getting the backsides/undersides and small parts prep'd for paint tomorrow if I don't have 50mph wind like we had today.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

You picked a great color for the truck!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

There are several stereo options now that I have been looking for some for my crew cab again.

Sure is a hell of a color you chose! Looks amazing! Can't wait to see more over all shots when you get the rest painted and assembled .

I'm finally approaching being done with my buff job (just need to get it out in various sun lights to see spots I missed) and have started putting my new window seals in. The biggest thing I can't wait for with mine now is to get the trim cleaned up and installed! Inexplicably that's the same thing I can't wait to see on yiur truck! Chrome and that color is going to be insane! It's going to be somehow wildly over the top and totally subdued at the same time!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks for the compliments on the color swamp rat and y5migsi! Seems that I am not the only one who thinks there are some cool shades of brown. Of course some of the guys at work kid me "did you paint any more sh1t brown?". Hard to say whether they are referring to painting more "stuff" brown, or referring to the color :lol:

On a happy note (at least for me), I got some great help over on the paint and bodywork forum that explained why my gun has been spraying like sh1t. It had been spraying with a stutter that was leaving lighter vertical bars. I cleaned the gun several times and tried everything to adjust it, but just couldn't get it to spray smooth. The reason I have to sand down the bedsides and repaint is that I thought with enough coats it would cover anyway. In my shop, it looked alright, but out in the sun - not so much!

Turns out that the Devilbiss Finishline guns have a plastic washer behind the fluid tip. This is basically a crush washer and needs to be replaced after only a couple of uses. I had no idea, but Jrainman (member) clued me in and I bought some. Made a world of difference. Night and day! Don't have pictures now, but this past weekend I sprayed inside the doors and fenders, underside of hood and all the small parts. Gun worked like a charm and the parts look great. Now I have confidence that I can get a nice job done on the outer surfaces of the truck. Just have a race with weather and holidays to get it done before there is no chance of a warm enough weekend.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

I can't wait to see it!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Well that's good! Once during my paint job I was between stages so I had cleaned the gun and waited for whatever I was doing to flash. I went back and was ready to spray whatever I was spraying next and it sprayed like really bad! I knew I must have done something wrong with the gun. I pulled it back down and found that I had left the fluid tip only hand tight! I tightened it down and all was well. I felt like a dork.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Looks outstanding!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

Thanks Jonboy! Really appreciate all the support from the folks on this forum. Better part of 3 days hand sanding fenders, doors, hood, and bedsides. Uggghh! My right shoulder will never be the same again.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

You missed a spot! :lol:

Looking real good Rick!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

I haven't posted in a while, but I have been busy on the weekends with this. The whole truck is now painted and clear-coated inside and out. I'd hoped that would be it, but that was wishful thinking for this first-time painter. Got a lot of orange-peel, dust and bugs in the finish. So much, that I'd be embarrassed for anyone to see it. So, more sanding in store for me. A LOT more sanding. And buffing. Got started today.

Passenger door before, after 1000 grit, forgot to take pics after 1500 and 2000. Then finally after buff & polish. I'm pretty happy with the result. This door wasn't the worse, but in the first pic you can tell by the reflections that it wasn't too smooth. Hopefully you can tell it is much better in the last pic.

Word of warning - If you do this cut & buff thing, any sanding scratches from your bodywork will be brought back out. I've got plenty but for a driver I think I can live with that. Other than a few days of holiday travel, I'm off till Jan 4th so I'm going to try to finish this and get the sheet metal hung back onto the truck.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

That looks great! Can't wait to see it all bolted together.

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

The stage everyone enjoys in their build...final assembly!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

You seem to have my exact thoughts on that. The paint turned out reasonably well for a first timer but to us, it's awful! So we have to sand and buff. We still have imperfections but ones that we can live with and learn from. Good work!

Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble
 

looks like glass Rick! Nice work. really! Definitely ready to see it all back together.
Have a great holiday!

Chris