Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

After i got the heater box in and hydraulic lines hooked up i filled up the power steering reservoir and the radiator. I wire nutted the electric fans in. I then test fired the engine to check for leaks and make sure the fans turn on. I don't have a scan tool and i got nervous because it was getting pretty hot and the fans had not turned on yet so i had to improvise. I robbed my kitchen for my girlfriends meat thermometer and taped it to the heater hose. It worked perfect. The fan kicked on at 180 degrees!

I also installed the glove box and glove box door. It is som much more fun installing part than taking them off!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Well i had a problem with my shift lever pin not fitting my freshly rebuilt tilt column that i didn't figure out until it was already installed:waah:. Here is a link to how i fixed it. Hopefully it will help others with the same problem.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...92#post6198792

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I got my exhaust 100% complete this weekend.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

A couple more pictures.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Well, i took a little time off from work and working on the Jimmy to go on vacation to Glacier National park and Yellowstone to do some much needed Harley riding. The trip was awesome. We logged about 1400 miles on the Harley and 3800 on the truck in about 11 days. Now it is time to get back to work on the Jimmy. Hopefully i will get something done!

Awesome. I can upload normal size pictures again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I have been working on some body work lately. I had to repair both my front fenders. The passenger side needed the trim holes filled and a front lower patch panel. The drivers side was a little more work. It was obviously in a "fender bender" at some point. It had a about 3/4" of bondo covering up the dent. I got a fender out of the pick and pull and cut it up for the patch panels. I probably should have just bought a new fender but i think this will work.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Drivers side fender.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I bought the Lokar ACA-1800 shift linkage and installed it. The rod that came with it was not long enough and i didn't like the coupling with the set screws that allows you not to have to put a thread on the end. So, i bought a piece of 5/16" stainless steel rod, bent it up and threaded both ends. It was a pain in the butt to get the indicator on the column to point where i wanted it to for each gear.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Instead of repairing my rusty inner fenders i bought a set from Auto Parts Warehouse for $120.00 shipped to my door. The quality looks to be good and i just have them mocked up but they appear to fit really well. Here is the link if anyone else needs to get a set.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/se...al&N=0&submit=

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Well done, but, do you come back and fill in all the spots that are not hit with the first pass on your welding. Looks like a butt weld, i flanged mine, and was curious if they are just as strong.....

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Yea. That picture was just the first series of tacks i put on it. I kept tacking it and cooling each tack with compressed air until all of the tacks were all connected. I then ground it all smooth and filled in any low spots or spots that i missed. It is a full penetration weld for the most part by looking at the back side. I know butt welds are plenty strong. I have never flanged body panels before so i'm not sure on the strength of those.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Really like the look of your exhaust. Especially the tips. Was that a kit you purchased ? Steel or stainless ?

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Thanks, It is stainless steel tubing and fittings. I pieced it together from a few chunks of tube and a dozen 90 degree elbows. I cut and mitered the fittings to the angles I needed and welded it all together. The main exhaust tube is 2 1/2" and I used a couple butt weld 2 1/2" x 3" reducers at the outlets. For the tips I just cut the 3" tube on a 60 degree angle and welded it to the reducers.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Just read your build thread. Very nice work :metal:. Going to be a very nice ride when your done with it.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Very nice project. I look forward to seeing it on the road.

Marc

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Thank you!

Thanks Marc! I saw your ride at the street rod show on Friday. I looked for you but you must have been out walking around. Yours was one of my favorites from the whole show.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Thanks for the kind words. I was around most of the day Friday. On Sat my truck was there all day but I was not. I had a full slate of kids sporting events. I'm sure that we will meet sooner or later.

Marc

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Com'on, i know youve been doing something in your shop.....post up:lol:

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I have not been as busy on the Jimmy as i like, but it is time for a little update.

My plan is to get the doors repaired and then put everything together and make sure all of the body panels fit and the gaps are how i like them.

I have been working on the doors. I thought that i would just replace the lower door skin of both doors, but after doing the drivers side i am not that satisfied of my work. I will have my painter/body guy look at them, but i may just order new door skins and have him install them. I love trying to do everything myself but sometimes you need to know when enough is enough and let the professionals take over. Haha.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I have also been taking care of some smaller items like mounting the air box assembly. I had to cut a chunk out of the fender/core support bracket to get everything to fit like i wanted. One of the next things on the list is to order the American Autowire Classic update Kit and start the wiring process. Does anyone know if i have to buy their crimpers or are there universal crimpers that i can get that will work?

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Nice work on the door, it looks good from here....that is my weak spot, trying to weld sheetmetal

I buy all my electrical tools and connecters from Waytek. You could go middle of the road on tools, and get a quality job from them. I think the more you spend the longer they last, ive always wanted to pass my tools down to my sons, so i tend to spend more on them......i think i spent between 40- 60 on them

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

The door has a little bit of a wave in it. The long flat weld is a PITA to keep it from shrinking and you can hardly get to the backside to hammer and dolly it. It will be up to my body guy if i should just get new skins.

Thanks, for the tip on tools. I will check them out. I just don't want to spend $200 on American Autowires tools.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I used cheap combination crimping and stripping tool about $10. works OK but not the best....I am going to get this one to finish my AAW Classic update kit....This http://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-18900...=crimping+tool

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Well, I ordered replacement door skins and actually installed them myself! It really wasn't as hard as i thought it was going to be. They are not perfect and will require a little bit of filler where i dinged them up with the dolly putting them on, but they are a whole lot better than what i had.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I cut the mirror holes out of my old door skins and will use them for template for the new skins. And i also built a relay bracket that i mounted behind the battery tray on the drivers side to hold the electric fan relays and eventually hold the headlight relays.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I got all of the sheet metal on this week and have been working on adjusting the gaps. Everything seems to be looking o.k. except for the lower portion of both doors where they meet the fender. There is quite a bit more gap in those locations. I will probably weld in some 1/8" welding filler wire on the door edge in those locations and grind it until the gaps are how i want them. But, i will get my body guy over here and see what he thinks first. Here are some pictures of the passenger side.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Here are some pictures of the drivers side. Same issue with the gap on the front lower portion of the door.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Hood Gaps.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Tailgate gaps. I ended up shimming the bolts on the hinges on the tailgate so it can't move side to side. Seemed to work good.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I remembered how much noise the tailgate straps made rattling around the little bit i have drove the Jimmy before i tore it apart so I went to the pick and pull this morning and scrounged some tailgate cables and bolts from a Dakota and a Ranger to see what ones would work the best. The Dakotas are perfect. I will get new cables when the time comes but i just wanted to mock it up.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

My hood looked like someone stood on it, so i found one on Craigslist a while back and bought it. After i got the hood home and inspected it better it had a bunch of little dings and was kind of rusty so i thought that i would try to save my original hood since it is completely rust free. I forgot to take pictures of the process, but what i did was take a piece of 1" square tube and slightly bend it to the contour of the hood i bought on Craigslist. I then trimmed the ends of the tube so it would slide under the front and rear supports of the hood and capped off the ends. I put some POR 15 on it and installed it under the hood and tacked it in. I then took the support off another junk hood i had and installed it in the center of my hood to cover up the square tube and give it a "factory appearance. It turned out really good and now my hood is a lot stiffer.

Something else i realized today is that the rust repair is 100% complete. :metal:

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Good job! These hoods actually need more bearing than what they came with. IMHO

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Looking great and I dig the hood mod

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Thanks guys!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I am sure you guys are getting sick of my door gap pictures, but i finally have them where i want them with a lot of grinding, welding and some more grinding here they are. My goal was to get 3/16" all the way around the door. Besides the tailgate (need to get a new bottle of argon/Co2) all of the gaps are done!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Passenger side.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Santa came and brought me an AAW classic update kit. I will be on wiring for a while i think!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

I would have to say your time spent on the gaps has been well worth it. They turned out great. What do you think about the AAW kit? I was pleased with the quality overall and thought it was very user friendly. Keep it up. Spring will be here… well eventually.

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

The doors have definitely been testing my patients. I have been working on them on and off for about 2 months now. If this thing was a suburban it would never get done.:lol: But, i chalk a lot of the time I spent on them up to learning experience and if i had to do them again now they would go much easier.

I have not gotten too far on the AAW kit yet because i am still waiting for the crimpers to show up, but i am extremely impressed with it. I was worried about having to splice into a brand new wiring harness for the LS motor power wires and other accessories but with the accessory plug on the harness it is truly plug and play! I am going to change a few things on it like put my electric fan trigger wires into the firewall plug to eliminate an extra hole in the firewall and relocate the temperature sensor wire to clean things up a bit and the AAW kit makes it easy to do all of this.

I can't wait until spring is here. I am already tired of clearing the driveway and a path through a 6' snow drift to my shop!

Re: Project "It's a Jimmy Thing"
 

Good morning, hope the snow has stopped....

Just got my remote tank vent from tanks inc., thank you for the advise, but i was wondering where you mounted yours, as the instructions mention being above the top of the filler neck, any help?

Great work on the truck so far