Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

I was thinking about your build earlier today. Do you have any new updates for us to drool over? Though I think it might have been a little too cold to paint recently.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Thanks man. Currently the bed is 95% finished. I need to do the stepside steps and add some lights and its ready to go. The cab just needs a final sand/coat of epoxy/ sand again and if everything is good some paint....
Its just to cold and lately i am so friggin lazy.. I blame halo reach. LOL.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Welp. This weekend im towing the truck to my shop to put the vehicle in its final sealer/ wet sand, then final color on the cab....

Beyond nervous here. That just means if that goes smoothly i can assemble the doors and windows.. Maybe a week or two and driving this thing. :|

Just a quick refresher.. Im doing a final seal coat with epoxy. Being that it doesnt seem to lay down smoothly i will be sanding with 500 before i apply the base coat. Whats the recommended times between expoxy, then sanding, then final painting???

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Hey if you want an an extra hand wet sanding let me know. I'll come help ya out. I might even tell you how to put your windows back together. I just replaced my crank so I'm fresh with that knowledge. ;)

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Im DEFINTELY going to need help on the one piece windows and putting the doors back together.. Thankfully i have one door that is 100% assembled. So hopefully that shouldnt be an issue..

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

I just sat here and read thru 17 pages of build. Man that's impressive. Good job. Sparks the urge to get back on mine.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Update with some pics.... Truck is painted. Need to wetsand/polish it.. I got alot of runs and ran into some huge issues... I will have pics of those all later.

One issue i had was i damaged my rear step fiberglasss fender.. The fenders were painted/polished, installed and DONE 100%. SO i had to go back and RE DO the pass. one. Not happy.. I also got started on finishing the steps also. Once the steps and fender are painted, i will do my wetsanding and polishing and get this thing ready to be put back together... I dont know if im more excited about having parts out of the way and ON the truck so i can get my garage back or driving this thing...

Here is the GOUGE in my fender.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07381.jpg

You can see, not TO deep, but it isnt going to buff out. LOL.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC07387-1.jpg

First layer of goodness.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC07388-1.jpg


2nd coat, sanded
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC07390-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC07391-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC07395-1.jpg

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

After this i layed down a few layers of epoxy, then sanded it down with 500.

I learned something HUGE here. Everytime i have put paint on this truck, i sand it down, then put my epoxy, then base/clear. Well, i never sanded the epoxy before putting on the base.. You knwo how epoxy lays kinda heavy and not very flat. Well, this time i wet sanded it and now i can see why all my other times i get SOOO much orange peal. It just amplifies from the epoxy through the base to the clear. Anyways. It looks like glass and it was probably one of my best repairs being it was on a curve and it feathered back a bit...


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07432.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07431.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07430.jpg



Before i could put paint i notced the fenders were cracked. So i welded them up from the back side, tapped them smooth and started adding epoxy.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07419.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07418.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07417.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07416.jpg

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

I will be pulling the fender back off and painting it at the shop. Here is some shots of the step sides getting done. I had them sand blasted along with a few other parts. Only cost 20 bucks for the blasting. GOtta love that.. Here is first coat of epoxy and it shows the rust pits that i no longer have to worry about rusting since it was all blown off.

You can see the pitting. Yuck.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07422.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07421.jpg


First and second layer of filler. Gettin it smooth and shaped nicely. Fun fun.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07471.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07472.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07473.jpg


This is after a few layers of Featherfill G2. Stuffs awesome. Unfortunately some dried (ALOT) in my gun... I had to manually clean the gun. Wonder if one of the local paint shops will let me use their gun cleaner set up for a minute. hmmm


You can see the areas ALOT better now.. I will let this sit for probably 2 or 3 days in the house before sanding.. It does shrink alot. I will sand it with 400 then put ANOTHER COAT of epoxy on the dang thing. Then sand that and paint.. MOre pics of that to come... Maybe while im waiting for that filler to dry i can start wetsanding the truck. Im just REALLLLY not looking forward to that. ahah. takes FOR EVER!!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07484.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07485.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07486.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC07487.jpg

More pics to come later

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

nice

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Sweet!!!

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

I'm going to cover my epoxy primer with a high build primer for sanding before paint. I like the way the epoxy bonds, but hate how it sands. I think I'm using Martin Senior CP400 and the sand paper loads up in a couple strokes. I'm getting close to paint, body work is pretty much done, just more spraying and sanding to do. At least your still working on it. Looks good.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Dude! Whats up!

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Shortly after i took the pictures of my step sides, my 55 gallon fish tank exploded in my living room, ruining the whole downstairs flooring/subflooring and insulation. So we spent the next week in a hotel and then have been putting in new flooring.

Then we went and bought a new toy hauler and now i have been building a concrete slab for it.

I have been wetsanding the truck also.

What i have left currently.
wetsand hood/fender/door
polish
install windows
install one piece window kit.
install some carpet and interior pieces.
Paint one rear fender/ and steps.

Thats about it really....

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Yesterday i put one of my doors back together. I have the brothers one piece kit.. Seemed to go togther pretty well and solid.

Front windshield is in.

Whats funny is i still have parts i have to paint. ahahah..I figure once i get the doors to shut, i will finish wetsanding the truck, paint my 3 other pieces. Wetsand thoughs, Polish the truck, then finish installation of everything.

Sounds so easy... right.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

ONe quick question. When test fitting the passenger glass, it works fine. I can NOT for the life of me get the window pressed in that channel. I know the windows are held onto the regulator through pressure. I just cant get it in. I was wondering if i could glue the window to the regulator??? Lay down a thick bead of some kind of silicone or something thats going to hold the glass in the channel.

Any thoughts/?

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Should be able to knock that out in a few days ;)

Did you do the windshield yourself?

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

I did the windshield myself. Who knows if it will leak.. 2 people is mandatory. 3 is really nice. It was still an absolute pain in the but.


Ya, im going to get the right door about 90% done. No handles or mirrors on so i can polish it out. Then im doing the other door. I did NOT add any sound deadening material. Wondering if im going to regret that later.

Id like to do a spray on sound deadener in the doors a bit, just add something.

i feel good though.. Back on it. Going to start it up and take it around the block today. I might have a brake issue.. For some reason its almost damn impossible to push the truck. So wondering if a rear wheel cylin is sticking or something.. who knows...

More updates and picks to come.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Alright, so passenger door is in/installed and it shuts like a real door.


Im so excited. lol. Im going to get the other one done today/tomorrow. Then finish the wetsanding i have and just keep moving on.

Once i polish the cab i can put the rear window in and drive it. EEEEKKK. Been a LONG TIME

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Update with some pictures. Yay.

Current condition of the interior. Need to remove the seat, clean it all up and lay down my sound deadner then some carpet. The truck is going to be 100% black everywhere on the outside. Black on the inside. My wife thought that if i had RED carpet with red houndstooth seat that it would look pretty cool. any thoughts?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC08485.jpg

This is just a picture of the last fender i need to pull off and repaint. Also a picture of the old rims that will be replaced soon. More pics shortly coming with the new rims and with no air in the rear.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC08484.jpg

Picture of one of the brothers one piece window kits. I will be painting the little triangle piece. went together ok, no real issue.. EXCEPT for the drivers door. This door is a factory door that i repaired and everything fit golden.. BUT, look at the drivers door next and you will see some issues.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC08483.jpg



Drivers door. This door is a pop off. It fits fine in the door jamb, but the little triangle piece did not fit. When all installed and tightened there was a 1/8 gap where you could see outside looking through it. IM assuming its just how the door is made. This is how i took care of that.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC08479-1.jpg

You can see the little urethane i laid down. Doesnt look bad at all. Just sucks i had to do that, but luckily its black.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC08480-1.jpg


Just a pic of the other door installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC08477-1.jpg


Windshield in. THAT WAS FUN. I recommend 3 people, a REALLY warm seal, lots of vaseline or KY and you will be good to go. Thats a factory window from wes at classic. Stole it basically. For the price that is.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC08476-1.jpg

Tailgate.. It will look better when the GMC is got its red pinstriping and the outside is pinstriped. Looks REALLY neat in the sun.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC08482.jpg

Gas cap. Nothing special, just really clean. May have posted that before.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC08481-1.jpg

Thats it for now. I will be installin the inner fenders, cleaning the interior and installing the sound deadner today. Let me know what you guys think about the red carpet. There will be some slight red pinstriping on the truck..

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Check out superfly's build for a black truck with red interior (all red). Some people love it, I'm not one of them. If it was mine I'd go black or grey or a mix of both, but I'm fairly conservative when it comes to color schemes. Black and white houndstooth would be good though.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...442514&page=40

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

you need to roll this thing outside for a daylight shot!

did you paint this truck in your garage?

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

You will get an outside shot once its wetsanded. I have about 75% of it wetsanded. The bed is done. Except that one fender. I can get you a pic of that. Looks like black glass.

Yes, i basically did it in my garage. Wetsanding sucks. Hate it...

BUT, getting closer. doors shut and i can drive it if i want to. ahaha. You should see the one legged burnout in my front street. SOOOOOOOOOO unbelievably easy to light the tires up. Love my 454.

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

thats good motivation man..i started out working on my truck outside under a "carport" lol

bought house a few months ago and love working in a garage..im hoping i can get the paint done in there too like you did..its coming out nice man!

Re: My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.
 

Damn someone has been busy looks good..