"FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Well....I started my first frame off restoration on Friday at Noon....and here's what I got done so far....I did everything by myself including removing the bed & front clip....what a pain the ass!

The cab is ready to come off....I'll need some help for that one!

Hopefully in the next week or so I will get it over to the media blaster and then to my paint & body guy.....The body is really solid....one spot about the size of a quarter on the passenger rocker and thats it....

While It's at the body shop I will be tearing the frame down and start going through the whole drive train and getting the necessary components sandblasted and powder coated....

I've already learned so much from this forum just by using that powerful Search Function....

Thanks in advance to everyone on this forum who will be helping me with this build!

Dan

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate8%20009.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SP...ate8%20043.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SP...ate8%20044.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SP...ate8%20045.jpg

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Looking good. Keep up the good work and pics.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Now that's progress.No one around to bring you uhhhh... adult beverages and interupt what you're doing.You'll be driving it in a few weeks if you keep going at this pace and the budget holds.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Good luck!!

:chevy:

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Good job man! What are your plans for her?

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Great Progress, taking it apart is really easy now putting it back together is when it gets tricky and $$$$ ask me how I know....

good luck!!!!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Very impressive, you are getting a lot of work done very quickly!!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Looked like a really great truck top begin with. Can't wait to see how your build progresses.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Wow speed wrench!:chevy:

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Im so unbelievabily jealous of how clean that cab looks and the absence of any rust on it! looks good keep up the good work!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

wow man. you got the bed off yourself?! if that's the case, you should be able to do the cab w/o help too. just get creative with the cherry picker and some 4x4's or straps.

great looking truck though. can't wait to see the final product.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Welcome from glendale az lol. Off to a good start and I agree man those long beds are heavy.... I had my dad, my brother, my mom, one of my bigger buddies, and I and it still was heavy for everybody lol... But if ya can't get people to help with the cab I could come over one weekend and help.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Looks awesome, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Wow what a nice truck you started with.....Can't wait to see it done......:metal:

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

What a clean start, good luck with the build up!!! Be sure to post plenty of pics..... :D

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

From the pictures it looks like you just need to do some clean-up and paint work and you'll be finish. What a nice looking truck. Keep up the good work.

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

NICE! I am jealous! :hm:

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Well...Things have slowed a bit since I "flew" through the initial disassembly...But I'm still making headway...

Got the small body panels to the media blaster - Cab & Bed will be going this week....I also removed the engine, trans & transfer case....they all will be going out to get "freshened".....along with both axles!

After I got the cab off I had a buddy with a super high pressure power washer come by and help me clean up the chassis as to try and keep the disassembly of it as clean as possible....It was still a grimy mess pulling the engine and trans!

For those who asked about my build plans....well, I'm a bit of a purist and I will be doing a very factory stock build.....with just a few upgrades....ie; power disc brakes conversion, 2" lift kit and possibly adding factory AC.....I'm still up in the air on exactly what I'm gonna do on some things, like paint & interior colors.....

Here are few more pics of how she's sitting as of today!

Thanks for all the well wishes!
Dan

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Rackman1111/SPK...ate9%20046.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/Rackman1111/SPK...ate9%20045.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Rackman1111/SPK...ate9%20047.jpg

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Well...I'm making a little headway.....Here are the highlights of what I have accomplished in the past few weeks:

Just got the body back from the media blaster and it is currently in epoxy primer....Body work should begin this week....(I'll get progress pics)

I got the frame and chassis components back from powder-coating

Upgraded to a mid 70's front Dana 44 with Disk brakes....I was going to keep the original axle with the drum brakes....but the entire thing was shot....including a bent housing....Got to talking with a guy who happened to have one laying around.....I was stoked....best $150 I've spent so far!

The guts of GM 12 bolt rear was pretty much shot as well.....but at least the housing was good....So, we installed new ring & pinion gears in both front & back....went to 373 ratio's in both from the 410 / 411 combo that was in there.....had them powder-coated as well while they were apart.....

Sent the trans & transfer case to be hot tanked & checked out....Everything was good...so just had them do a quick bearing & seal job......I detailed the trans & transfer case (while fully assembled)....not bad if I do say so myself for rattle cans and tape

I added the 1" Zero Rate add-a-leafs from ORD for just a modest 1" lift......easy install but they sent the wrong U-bolts and I had to drill out the center hole on the leafs to accept a larger pin.....that is some hard ass stuff....3 drill bits later one spent drill motor and I got her done...

I replaced all the leaf spring bushings, trans adapter mount and torque mount grommets.

I also had the engine freshened up.....Had it bored 30 over as it had a couple of cracked rings that scarred the cylinders...other than that I kept it as a fairly stock rebuild with just the addition of a baby Cam.....I started the re-build of the Carb and also added the Petronix electronic ignition to the distributor.....I still need to paint the engine....Hopefully I'll do that this week and get it installed as well.

Lots of individual detailed reference pics can be seen @: http://picasaweb.google.com/Rackman1111/TruckResto#

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20064.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20071.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20073.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20081.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20080.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_2wzS50GoNjQ/SQ...ate9%20085.jpg

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Man, that was a pretty fast turnaround, its looking good.

Mine is going to take a bit longer, I am building a brand new frame!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

wow! That is one nice looking frame!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

you don't mess around my friend! :sumo::mrt:

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

That frame look's AWESOME!!!!!

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

I thought the same thing! It'll be up and running again in a matter of a couple of weeks at this rate! Can't wait to see the finished product! Starting with a truck as clean as yours is really helps a lot on the progress since you really don't have a lot of rust to deal with. I just love this generation of 4x4! Makes me miss my 71 GMC that much more. Wish I'd never have sold it now. ...Joe

Re: "FRAME OFF" Has Begun - Wish Me Luck! - Pics
 

Nice :D