Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I made the slide hammer when I was trying to fix the crushed roof in my '77. I merely made this tip today.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Thank you! Sometimes it's more fun to make something useful rather than just going out and buying it

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Builds skill, too!

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...46-672x378.jpg

And just tried a bit of blocking on the walnut bag fender to see what would happen. This looks promising. Could build this up pretty easily with just more epoxy primer.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...02-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Things are progressing too slowly.

I recently bought a Hyundai Accent to daily drive (36mpg) instead of my C10 (10mpg). Our gas (premium, because 11:1) is $1.99/L, that's $5.50US/USgallon to you 'Muricans and £5.50/IMPgallon in the UK. The car will pay itself off in less than a year in savings alone. AND help me financially finish the '61.

Pops took a tumble recently, the second of significance, and that, coupled with a few other things has me looking for a care home for him as he's rapidly becoming unable to care for himself. My goal was to have the interior painted over Spring Break, but we'll see what happens.

If I have to choose between focusing on the truck or helping my pops, I have to choose my pops.

I'll keep you updated when I'm back on the truck.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I would make the same choice if I was in your situation. Take care of your pops, we'll be here when you're ready to get back on the truck

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

x2! take care man, the truck will always be there.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Family first. My Dad just turned 80 in January and still gets along well and my Mom is 78, but I am not looking forward to dealing with putting them in an assisted living when the time comes to that.

Take care of him, the truck will still be there later.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

A bit of an update. I've puttered a bit with the truck, but also been distracting myself modifying the Hyundai I bought to avoid gas prices.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Began spraying the interior this afternoon.

While I am using a new charcoal mask and a relatively ventilated area, I'm not McLoving it. I already have asthma; this ain't making it better.

I ordered a supplied air system.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Well, bugger.

PPG DelFleet gets mixed 6:1:1 (paint/activator/hardener). For a semigloss, you would also add 3 parts flattener, so 6:1:1:3.

But like an idiot, I mixed the paint and flattener together, and then did 6:1:1 with THAT mix, which is too much. This gave me a mostly gloss, not a semi-gloss.

So.... a scuff and a re-shoot and we'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Nope.

Note To Self: A nicer semi-gloss can be had with 6:1:1:4

And some colour:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...45-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...59-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

make perfect sense to me . enjoy it the way you want it .

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Thanks. I have a vision in my head that I'm following. It may not be what others see or want or expect (but I really don't care if others don't see the vision).

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...57-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...12-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Light gray is "Mouse Gray."

Dark gray is 2 parts Mouse Gray, 3 parts Gloss Black.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I like the color combo. I bet it will look real good once the exterior paint is on too

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I like both colors, and I really like that you are keeping the 2 two tone scheme.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

You build for yourself, your vision and I like it, it's a great idea.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Disassembled the hinges so they could be blasted and re-bushed. I need to get two pins. One for sure.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...34-672x378.jpg

Then finished the door inners so that soon they can be sprayed gray and hung.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...56-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Went to order paint, but they can't mix the colours I want in the paint I want. So I ordered something very close.

Except all the colours I want require a white that PPG gets from eastern Europe, and apparently there is something going on in Eastern Europe right now, so I might miss my 7-day recoat window. I hate sanding.

In the mean-time, I've also been working on this:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...22-672x378.jpg

2010 Hyundai Accent. widened steelies, fabricated 3/4" rear sway bar, 1.5" lowering springs, removed intake silencer, 35mpg.

Ultimately, I can this getting the floor cut out and a V8 put in..... but not yet.

The '77 Silverado is still insured, just no longer daily'd.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I like it. It's efficient enough vs the truck that it pays for itself + has enough cool factor that you can walk away from it in the future basically driving it for free in the interim.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I'm so excited about the future, I'm not even sure what I'm saying.

But yeah - this will free up $5000 to $7000 per year in gas savings alone.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

That means more money for truck parts :metal:

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Nothing is sketchier than the first drive on wheels you cut in half, widened, and welded back together.

In other news....

I got two new door pins. Yay. They're too long, but that's easier to deal with than too short.

The white came in! I now have paint - a quart more of Mouse Gray, two gallons of Grabber Orange, and a quart of an Off-White that goes good with the Orange. $1100 CDN. Ouch.

Was going to shoot the gray on the door interior, but through a comedy of life doing me like it does, Ended up putting more primer down where I scuffed too deep.

Tomorrow I intend to shoot the doors.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Mouse Gray. Hope to jamb the cab in orange tomorrow.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...19-672x379.png

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

This will look good.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I had big plans for this 4-day weekend, but Easter, pops, in-laws, brother, brother-in-law. Grrrr. Not much done.

Masked the truck in anticipation of spraying jambs, but I'm going to try and blast a bunch more stuff so I can have a 7-day primer window, and hit as much with the 14-day-open-can-of-hardener-window as I can - hopefully jambs, under hood, inner fenders, bumper, grill, heater box, and whatever else my hand finds to do.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

The window of opportunity becomes a struggle for the part-timer w/the paint materials. Especially w/the cost of the stuff!

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I guess these are not too common over there.

And looking at the shape, I am not sure we had that shape over here.

Mini Hotrod sleeper.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

They are pretty common here. They are just your typical tiny turd of a car, much like you have over there (but we don't have the Vauxhall, Citroen, Renault, etc. equivalents).

Actually, since gas prices jumped, I'm seeing a LOT of little cars around now. Probably only because I bought one, but whatever..... (grin).

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Now in the Spring, the good 94er Audi 100 is used again. Beautiful 2.8E with Automatic Transmission.
Needs 22mpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Truck is looking great and props for having patience to paint it yourself to that level.

SkinnyG mind if I get your opinion here?

Interior paint is one thing about my project that I have been tossing back and forth and can't make up my mind on what would look best. Problem is my truck is going to be a gloss pumpkin orange basically and had planned on doing just the top of dash and the door insert like you have done in flat black to reduce glare on windshield and to break up all the orange.... but its such a bright color I'm now wondering if I should do entire thing flat black inside with just bottom of dash and inserts orange....

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I'd do a semi or almost eggshell on the dash instead of a flat. The colour will really depend on what you want.

What if you really darkened the orange to an almost charcoal-burnt-orange like I did with my gray by just adding black until I liked it? Pumpkin Orange everywhere, but a dark-dark-dark pumpkin on the dash and in the inserts.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Supplied air system arrived today. Looking forward to using it.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...022/04/sas.png

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I had recently seam-sealed the cab. Today I spot-primed the seams, straightened a wee defect in the bumper and then sand-blasted it as well as the passenger inner fender, and then primed them.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...31-672x379.png

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...35-672x379.png

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Things are looking great. You have some mad skills, my friend.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Blasted the grill today. Other than wheels, I think I have now blasted everything.

Plotting my next primer/paint 7-day/14-day spraying window.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Hi, would you like to help me and measure your frame from the windshield at 2/3 points in height?

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

19.25" or 490mm measured at the center of the defrost vents, from shoulder to shoulder, NOT the ends of the flanges.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Some more primer:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...46-378x672.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...33-672x378.jpg