Good progress this afternoon. I couldn't find the proper bushing anywhere. Everybody ordered the right one from their source and they were all wrong. Finally in desperation, Standard Transmission sent me over to Phoenix Transmission. I walked in carrying my housing and told him what I needed. They have a shelf full of various old transfer case stuff and on the shelf was the bushing I need. The owner confirmed that bushing was impossible to find and he tried to order them in quantity for that reason. Five minutes later I was on my way home. They even pressed it in for me on their arbor press. He asked for five bucks. I gave him a 20 and was glad to do it. I'd have paid 15 for the bushing at Napa or OReilly anyway if they could have finally found one.
All finished up and ready to install.
The mail lady delivered my rear speakers today while I was gone out on the bushing hunt. I bought these as used on eBay but they were new in the box. The lady bought them and found out they wouldn't fit her car but couldn't find the receipt to return them. Much savings over buying from Crutchfield or someplace. Savings are good.
And in desperation for always wanting for decent sheetmetal screws I stopped by the hardware store. I have a big cup of various used sheetmetal screws that I've accumulated over the years, but it gets old pouring them all out and trying to find some that will work. New is good. Hey, I'm worth it right ?
Sorry about the upside down picture. My smart phone is obviously smarter than me.
The problem I ran into when installing them is that these speakers are fatter in the butt than the original GM speakers. They are 4x6, which is the correct size, but that fat butt wouldn't fit.
It hits right here on this little secondary lip.
I didn't have the heart to break out the die grinder or saw since I've worked so hard to get the carper so clean and pretty so I decided to take a different tact and built a tool. It's just a pice of scrap steel out of my junk pile. Notice the slot I cut into the tip of it.
You just go around the hole and bend the lip back.
It looks hack because the paint flaked off, but the edge is pretty much smooth and presentable looking.
Now my fat butt speakers fit right in.
I finished up by installing all of the interior trim and seat belts and coat hooks.
It's very bright outside so the pictures suck. I'll try to do better tonight when the sun goes down. Nothing ground breaking here, but compared to having bare metal on the entire interior, its a giant step forward. Hopefully the work and expense will pay off with a truck that quiet and pleasant to ride in.
I still need some interior goodies so I'm keeping my eyes open. After buying the seat, I'm gonna be flat busted of truck money till next payday. When I can recover from that, I'll try and find a pair of door panels and the two trim pieces that go above and below the rear window.
Remember my original door panels. Those cup holder thingies up top are covering a big hole in the panel. Plus the screws all around the perimeter. No way in hell are these going back into the truck.
