The wifes truck

[longbedlgheadache]

Well,....Im not sure I really belong on the rebuild posts as my mechanical ability clearly has no comparison to most of the posters on this website. I have found a great deal of very useful knowledge on how to do things that have absolutely frustrated me over the last 6 months that I wish I would have known about this site when I began....Dont know how to really start outside of I hope some would enjoy seeing a classic being restored and the story is great for all the women who have lost their husbands time to rebuilds.

THE TRUCK;;; a 1969 regular cab longbed with a shot motor bad transmission and the best piece of metal on it looks like a fat ladies ass with shark bites all over it..natural a/c via the holes that have happened through the course of a bad life. color....rust brown/gold depending on the lighting

THE EMOTIONAL ATTATCHMENT: my wifes first truck in high school who absolutely loves the truck, the memories and everything about this truck.

My original plan: sell the truck or salvage the truck and put it to rest in a car graveyard.

last 5 years just to keep the truck running where I wouldnt feel like my wife would get stranded with our children..I painted a very ****ty black and white paint scheme just to not look at the hideous color replaced the motor with a current 350 motor and Holly carb which caused the transmission to fail and break teeth resulting in transmission rebuild....which lead to the gauges not working and replacement of the dash cluster and install of a/c and various other components.....2 years ago in an attempt to make her forget about this lost cause of a truck I bought her a new Escalade which she loves and I hauled the brown bandit to my shop to store and collect dust...didnt last long she kept coming to the store and taking it out for drives....so I had one of my employees park it in their spare garage so she would stop driving it...I know I have been a bit of an ass about the truck but I was looking at it from a dollar point of view and not the emotional importance to my wife so 6 months ago I started buying parts that could not be salvaged. Dont know if is important but I am fairly sure I am one of LMC largest customers now.,.lol I have finally convinced my wife that I am just parting out the truck for as much as I could get with the functional parts that are on it...when in reality I am trying to completely restore the truck to better than new condition..she has been very sad but understood it made no sense to continue to hold on to this truck after owning it for 17 years and not being able to park it at our house....a great set up I am hoping when it is done.

Parts that had to be purchased
EXTERIOR TRUCK RUBBER kit
FRONT FENDER SEAL SET
WINDSHIELD TRIM KIT-SS
REAR WINDOW TRIM KIT-SS
both doors and complete components and hardware and vents
hood
hinges and latch for hood
front chrome grille with bezels and all lighting
WINDOW CHANNEL KIT
DIVISION BAR W/FELT
both SASH CHANNEL ASS
both VENT WINDOW ASSY
COWL PANEL-OUTER
both inner fenders and outer fenders
complete bed assy including floor...wanted to put wood in but couldnt find a kit
SLIDING REAR WINDOW
RADIATOR CORE SUPPORT
both rocker panels and
complete floor pan
and many more to vast to list in bolts and assemblys

I was so ignorant about it I ended up buying two tailgates with assemblies
Today I got our fellow member Jeff from CPP to hook me up with a 4 wheel disc brake kit and 5 lug axle conversion as well as a tilt steering column

Estimated time to completion....3 weeks?

[longbedlgheadache]

Forgot a lot...sorry I am very new to this.

Also, replaced the front and rear suspension and have purchased all new glass for the truck and installed a new "painful" wire harness that didnt seem to work with most of the older components including the dang washer motor.

[longbedlgheadache]

more pics

[no moa]

very nice, changing out that floor is an art, and you have the artistic ablility sir. Good luck.

[Tinkermc]

lookin good and a good wife is worth it.

[longbedlgheadache]

Thanks for the compliment but I am definately not as skilled as some of the rebuilds I cant fabricate pieces and have to plagiarize ideas from the FAQ and buy most of the parts that I can not fix...first floor plan replacement I have done and I hope it to be the last!

[longbedlgheadache]

rockers on finally almost ready for cab paint...coils shot time to replace those and get cab primed.

[50bomb]

I am subscribed to this build. Your wife is gonna be very HAPPY. Great work so far keep it up.

[longbedlgheadache]

Very little progress made managed to fill the hole where gas tank spout originally came through moving the tank to the rear...I had a brand new in cab gas tank if anyone is interested in it.

[brianthelion02]

Very nice work!

[longbedlgheadache]

Felt like a kid on xmas got the 5x5 front and rear disc brake kit in from cpp and new distributer from summit expecting to have my 5 lug wheels and tires here today will post my choice when it arrives also got my new bed assemble..was actually much easier than I had anticipated..going to prime cab and bed monday and get it ready to paint.

[longbedlgheadache]

Happy !!!

[So.Cal.Super]

The works looking great and the wheels and tires going to look good.

You should Video Tape when you Surprise her? I think that would be cool to watch.

She is going to be blown away!

[longbedlgheadache]

So Cal....I think I will thats a great ideal if I can ever get it complete I wish I had some of the skill that some of these guys have to make it even nicer but Im a hell of a parts changer and mediocre welder still have a lot to do. I have the surprise planned out we live on the top of a hill that goes down to the lake I was going to park it down by the lake and get her to go for a walk down there only downside is that would require excellent timing and a lot of footage catching her seeing it for the first time..love it I will figure something out..may see a blur of her sprinting toward it...

[longbedlgheadache]

The truck when I married the woman.....

[Mitchy916]

wow! what an awesome idea, and a very generous gesture. Can't wait to see it finished!

[So.Cal.Super]

I'm with you on the parts changing and mediocre welding. I have a few friends that help me when I get stuck and would be lost without them. Since your taking all these pictures maybe a nice scrap book sitting on the seat to go with it and a link to this thread on the net I know we all want perfection in our eyes. I'm pretty sure the effort will speak more then anything. As far as getting it on camera, maybe the kids (depending on age) or a family/friend at the truck as she walks up to capture it all. Heck you might want to have a preacher on hand because she will probably marry you all over again on the spot
It looks good and its a good reminder of how much we do for ourselves fixing them up. keep up the good work. I can't wait to see it done.

Randy

[Tinkermc]

like the pile of parts looks like my office, wife should be very well surprised

[calvin78612]

Subscribed.Can't wait to see it finished.

[longbedlgheadache]

ok so I managed after much unskilled labor 2 broken bolts and a carelessly broken finger to get the rear coils changed I believe they must have been the original coils on the truck which would explain the unlevel bed a lot more. All I have left to do now is change the rest of the rear suspension change the axles to 5 lug the front and rear brakes to disc strip clean and repaint frame..prime all the cab bed hood and fenders put new core support in and various other items new steering shaft/column steering wheel paint the truck assemble all the pieces to the doors and tailgates then install all the glass, her new seats put the new wheels and tires on move the gas tank to inside frame run new fuel lines and hook all the wireing and hope it starts again....FML

[longbedlgheadache]

Tinker I had to take a picture of my primary parts pile I have store in a trailer...whats left of them anyway...enjoy

[Tinkermc]

lookin good

[Low Elco]

DAMN! Sounds like me and my dad! That's ambitious, but it looks like you're pulling it off! This is gonna be awesome. Good luck, and dude, any woman that WANTS an old truck that badly, you better keep.

[longbedlgheadache]

got the disc brake conversion done and put the new wheels on I like how they turned out going to try and prime the cab finally finished sanding and start getting some paint on it tom will be installing the rear gas tank cant get a good grasp on how to mount the straps so I will be reading some of the other rebuilds

[longbedlgheadache]

forgot to mention as soon as I finished I put the wheels on to find the lugs are too short dont have the strength to change them right now got just enough thread to keep the wheels on/// shes killing me!