Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Just got in my morning fix of Awesomeness by looking in on your continuing build thread...:metal:

...Never noticed this before, maybe I have too much or maybe not enough coffee in me, but the pic of the bumper re-installed without the guards reminds me of the USMC Bulldog...:flag::cf:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

It's a small world that's for sure. I used to work with the guy that was the wrangler for the actual Marine Corps bulldog when he was stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Just a short update tonight. This morning I applied Rage body filler to the bumper guards/bullets. I finished shaping the noses of both bullets, and filled any remaining gaps between the two parts. After shaping and sanding, they were covered with two coats of catalyzed U-Pol high fill primer:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/845/tdml.jpg

If one round of block sanding completes the job, they’ll be ready for paint tomorrow. If not, I'll slap on a couple more coats of primer and repeat the process until they are done.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Man Mark! Really looking nice! I'm excited to see the finished product! :metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks! Me too! I'm hoping I can get them painted and back on the truck tomorrow or the next day so I can get some nice shots with all the spring colors available.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

This is gonna be insanely cool... even for the markeb01 build thread.

-W

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Meticulous Attention to Detail...:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

x2!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

As of this afternoon, the modified bumper guards are completed. Now I just have to leave them alone long enough for the paint to cure:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/838/gcfj.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/841/bi167.jpg

The lighting isn't very good in the pictures, but the color is the same Rustoleum bright white as the rest of the front end. They’ll be installed by tomorrow, and see if I can’t get some decent outdoor photos to post.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I figured out a way to mount the bullets without touching the paint. I used my transmission alignment studs to position the guards on the upper holes, and then started the lower bolts by hand until snugged up. The long studs were then removed and replaced with the correct bolts and all four were tightened.

Here are a couple of snapshots until I can take some decent pictures in a different location:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/834/l7h4.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/844/yo58.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/836/43lq.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looks FANTASTIC! They look factory. Now you have to pull peoples legs and lead on that they were a very rare factory option back then.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

My wife has already suggested I should add a Buick trunk lid emblem on the tailgate and tell everyone it's a rare Canadian Buick!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

The bullets turned out great, & I'd expect nothing less from you. ;)

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Very Nice Sir! Great Job!!!:metal::metal::metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. This has been a fun project and didn’t really require all that much work.

We decided to take a trip over to Idaho to celebrate the truck being back together. We discovered some wonderful advantages of having bumper bullets. They pierce the air in front of the truck reducing wind resistance and improving mileage, they direct more air into the radiator causing the engine to run cooler, they act as stabilizers holding the truck tightly to the road, and apparently just the sight of them scares the bejesus out of deer. This feature allowed us to narrowly avoid a high speed collision tonight.

The following are snapshots taken off our dash cam tonight. I know the quality is very poor, but it’s the best I can get off my Chinese dash cam:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/844/q76s.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/842/j55kj.jpg

The oncoming headlights bleached out the area when the deer first appeared, but he was standing just inboard of the white line on our side of the road. He bolted and ran away from the truck in about a second, just as we passed his location. If he had darted in any other direction we would have clobbered him at about 60 mph. It was very close and rather alarming.

In truth the bumper bullets had nothing to do with the near miss, I’m convinced deer don’t like my noisy gear drive. This is the third time I’ve had a deer spin 90 or 180 degrees and run away, within inches of a collision. The truck emits a loud mechanical scream at speed, and I’m very thankful they find it offensive.

Okay so the bullets don’t provide any measurable benefit, but they sure look cool!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Glad you were able to enjoy a road trip...:mm:
Maybe no measurable benefit… but the Cool Factor (in my opinion) is :jdp:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

that looks awesome

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

First of all, you have one heck of a nice truck there, sir! And one of the most organized shops i've ever seen. I wish mine were half that nice.
I have been following along for a while now and enjoyed your journey with all the improvements you have done, and i am truly impressed with your skills.
I am about to change all the wiring in my vehicle, and that perticular section in your build thread will give me lots of help, so i thank you for sharing that.
You are doing a superior job with your photo documentation and your precise explanations. And now, with summer just around the corner, you can start enjoying your truck out on the roads again. Well deserved, and i would like to pass on something i read somewhere: May your journeys be grand and free of crosswinds. Thank you again for sharing, sir!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Mark....WOW!!! Looks really nice!!!!! Just don't get to close to the rear end of another car. ;)

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

To TruckSwede and others that comment regularly, thank you so much for your kind comments. There was so little information available when I first started on this truck (1992), I’ve been very thankful for all the helpful answers I’ve received from this forum. I figure if each of us document what we have learned along the way, we’ll build a legacy of data that will assist many new enthusiasts for years to come. Thanks again and have a great weekend!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Washed the truck last night, and took a couple of pictures today that accentuate the new profile:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/842/dvmcw.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/hfp5m.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

This community of Great people and information is the reason my own build went from, "slap a motor in and drive," to the process it has morphed into...:mm:
Recent conversations make me think of your build, as well as many others, who relent that their truck is never really finished...:metal:
The Pic with the lights on is really cool!!! The front profile seems more complete with the Dagmars...:thumbs:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I guess there must be some truth to some things never being finished. Sometime before the steering column swap, the high beam indicator light failed. It has always been a blue LED, in the upper left of the gauge cluster. The only spare color I had was red, so that was substituted. Since then I've developed a bad habit of driving around in the daylight hours with the high beams on, because the red indicator is so dark I cannot detect that it is illuminated except at night.

So rather than spending $13 plus shipping on another blue indicator, I instead rerouted the circuit from the red indicator, to the two yellow indicator lights at the bottom of the cluster. They use to blink back and forth with the wig wag lights on the rear of the truck, but those were removed a while back and the indicators were left in place, connected – to nothing.

So it was a simple process to reroute the power wire to the yellow lights. They are much brighter than the red, but nothing compared to the blue. The blue indicator was so bright I had to put a dot of black paint over the end, and the peripheral glow lit up the chrome gauge rims. I don’t think I’ll need the paint dots on the yellow indicators, but won’t know for sure until we take if for a drive after dark. It’s always something. At least this minor correction was free!

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/ur0pz.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Problem Solved...:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Okay after much study I did find one more place to spend money! Sitting in the truck swapping the indicator lights, it occurred to me that I still have one random plastic bat handle toggle switch which controls my windshield washer pump. So after a bit of research I found a Cole Hersee pull to on, release to spring powered off switch (M-486) and have it on order:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/839/c4hr.jpg

I have one more round ball knob (new in the package) that will be mounted on this switch, and all five primary switches and cables on the dash will have matching knobs!

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/g16gt.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Man Mark!!! And I thought I had a lot of switches on my dash!!!!! LOL!!! Nice work! Nice thing about these...errr..or..not so nice thing...is that there's always something to spend money on. :chevy:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

While not exactly truck related, my happiness factor in the garage is going up about 500%. I got a call from my garage door guy a day ahead of schedule letting me know they’d be over at 08:00 to get started installing my new doors! So I moved everything towards the nose of the garage today making sure they have room to work. The existing doors are over 36 years old and made of wood. They are cracked, swell in wet weather, and need more repairs than are practical.

Also, several years ago I backed out of the garage during lunch and broke the bottom header on one door. The horrible looking repair has held up for several years, but it's finally time for something better. Here are the before pictures:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/842/nwdz3.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/842/effjh.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/845/722t.jpg

The new doors are much better insulated and will have windows on the top row. I’m looking forward to leaving them uncovered and having better lighting. With the windows on the 2nd row I always wanted some covering to keep prying eyes out. Also the old doors leak dust badly and we live across from a field. A day or two inside and my truck looks as dusty as if it had been left is outside. I’m hopeful that will go away with new well sealed doors.

This upgrade will also probably inspire me to finally get the rest of the garage painted white!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

White interior to my garage followed by 8 strip lights installed along with the original two on o e side has made my garage a more pleasant place to be in after dark.

I like the high window idea in the doors.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Security is second nature to me, being a former Marine and having seen enough bad things happen when it isn’t taken seriously. I was amazed when we bought this house. The garage windows were completely uncovered, as was the door window on the back of the garage. There wasn’t a single deadbolt on any door, and no secondary lock on the sliding glass patio door. Many of the windows had no coverings, and the people had lived here for over 20 years. All that was fixed before we slept here the first night!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I spent the better part of the day watching my old garage doors go away, and my new ones being assembled and installed. Here are a couple of shots:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/823/l7vr.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/853/9xvz.jpg

I should have taken an inside shot before putting the cars away, but I was getting very fatigued by this time. The new washer switch showed up in the mail today. After a quick exchange of female spade to ring terminals, it was also in place:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/840/dhld.jpg

Best I can tell that completes the dash controls.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looks like a new house, Mark. When is the house warming?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Dash Controls...:uhmk:

I really like the Door windows up high…

Have a Great Weekend!

:flag:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

New garage doors look nice, along with the new dash knob. Like you said, I think that completes that area.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

While I’m waiting for the next truck project to reveal itself, I decided to reorganize some of the garage and do some more updating to make my life nicer when spending time out there.

Somewhat related, investing in the new garage doors highlighted how much I’ve hated a couple of other house related appointments that I’ve managed to ignore just as much as the rusty master cylinder on my truck – like the front door to our house. In the 10 years we’ve lived in this house we’ve always hated the color and chalky appearance of the front door. But since we almost never use it (we go in through the garage) it’s been largely overlooked:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/n7p64.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/841/qha38.jpg

First thing this morning I fabricated a temporary tarp/bug shield closing the door hole to the outside. I then pulled the hinge pins and hauled the door out in the garage. It received the same prep I would perform when painting a car. Long story short it was washed with wax & grease remover numerous times along with thorough block sanding on all the flat surfaces, and intense scuffy pad activity on all the raised features. 3 coats of Rustoleum high volume gloss white industrial paint finished it off:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/820/3q3l.jpg

I can’t get over what a difference a couple of hours work can accomplish. While waiting to rehang the door, I swapped out all my old/dirty/broken totes for about 20 bucks worth of new replacements, and added printed labels to each one for easier viewing:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/855/p6h4.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Although I am impressed with you organization skills….:uhmk: I am organized in my own chaotic way...:haha:

I did make one huge mistake… I showed my better half your garage… so now when I get my Garage built (hopefully before the end of this year) she will have me attempting to mimic your system…;) I must admit, it will save me time when searching for some seldom used item that becomes invaluable when needed…but unable to find...:mm:

An additional confession is… most of my spare bits and pieces come from my inability to find something and a subsequent trip to the appropriate store for a replacement…only to later run across the recently replaced bit lurking in the place it was stashed, "so I can find it when needed…":dohh:

Great Work Mark!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!:mm:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks Don, and Happy Father’s Day to you too!

I guess I can say I gained my organization skills naturally. My dad came from the coffee can and cardboard box generation. He did hang his hand tools on pegboard, but everything else went in coffee cans and boxes and trying to find anything required dumping them out on the floor and going through the mess (and then cleaning it all back up).

At some point I was introduced to a guy that put all his bits and pieces in baby food jars and screwed the lids under shelves. Man what an improvement that was. I used that system up until the mid-70’s when they changed the lids on the baby food jars. Since the 1950’s the lids had 3 formed “fingers” that directly gripped the threads on the jar. In the 70’s they changed to a rubber seal around the edge of the lid. This may have sealed the baby food more effectively, but for hanging jars of nuts and bolts they tended to fall off routinely breaking the jars and scattering stuff all over.

In the late 70’s I got tired of doing exactly what you described – running to the store to replace things I knew I had. So the first thing I did was start getting rid of all the stuff I knew I’d never use. I had some really cool stuff like all new chromed doo dads for a 1950 Oldsmobile, louvers for a 67 Chevelle SS hood, etc. I took all that stuff to swap meets and cleaned out a bunch of stuff I never missed. With that much less clutter to go through finding items became much easier. Eventually totes and small drawer racks came along and I upgraded to the system I use today.

My dad on the other hand never changed. When he passed I inherited his tools. Most were found on a “bench” inside an enclosed porch on the side of their mobile home. 40 feet long, 5 feet front to back, and at least 18” deep with “stuff”. In total, he had something like 11 socket partial sets (representative off how all the tools were stored. Whenever he’d lose one, he’d just buy another set. After days of scouring through all the debris, all the sets were restored to completeness. The pieces were all in the pile, just impossible to find when needed.

My weakness is that I’m basically lazy, and I don’t like working that hard over trifles. I prefer investing my time in something I enjoy doing!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Okay here’s a question for anybody with an opinion. Now that I have bumper bullets:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/842/dvmcw.jpg

I’m wondering if I did the best I could. I’m reminded of the old adage “if some is good, more is better, and too much is just right”. I think this applied to – motor mounts and maybe a few other things. :lol:

So now I’m thinking about the subject again and considering if I should move things up a notch, like either 1956 Cadillac bumperettes:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/823/bxlyy.jpg

Or perhaps 1957-59 GMC bumper guards with bullet tips added:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/4k64t.jpg

Like this guy did on his Caddy bumpers:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/856/pfhn.jpg

Thoughts? More is better, or perhaps the whole concept is stupid and I should go back to stock?

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I personally like them the way you have them... They are your idea and design:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I love chrome...... loads of it.

Therein is the clue.

You have built a set, painted etc, but it will ultimately be your ride, your way.