Project Re-Restore

[jdaghy]

Hello all,

This is somewhat of an introduction both as a new member and a new project to the forum. I've been following the forum for quite some time, but seeing as though I have finally began to dig in on this restoration of my 1970 K20, I figured this format would provide some motivation to myself and give place for documentation, as well as provide me with useful info. Anyway, enough with that, on to the truck. The title of Re-Restore is somewhat of a long story, the truck has been in my family for around 25 years (longer than me, turn 21 tomorrow 0__0), but originally began life as a local NIPSCO truck doing the rounds. My father purchased the truck just short of 25 years ago and utilized it as a daily driver, with intentions of one day restoring. Over the years he acquired a multitude of parts and trucks. When everything was collected he performed a roughly 6 year frame-up restoration, with the help of a pesky son hanging around the shop. Once the truck was finished it became a strictly show vehicle for 8 or so years collecting awards and recognition of a clean truck, until his work vehicle went out and the truck once again returned to daily driving duty due to rough economic times. In the process of daily driving a neighborhood resident found it fitting to strike the truck in the passenger fender and door as he was backing the truck into the driveway and due to a poor justice system, received no repairs to the truck. So beginning the tragic downfall to a once gorgeous truck. Fast forward to a year ago, family finally has recovered from the poor economy and the truck gets retired to the backyard and as a birthday gift, the keys and reigns to the old girl were turned over to me finally. At the time I was still working a piss-poor job and within the past few months after acquiring a decent job, have finally been able to begin the process of purchasing necessary parts to get the truck to a more deserving condition. There is a lot of work to be done, things I still don't know, but plan to figure out with the help of this forum and my buddies. As a lot of you will notice the truck isn't a pure 1970 k20, there are parts from 71 and 72 as well, but when questioned for reasoning my father says he liked this or that better. I appreciate any constructive criticism, ideas, suggestions, etc. I apologize for the novel, but every truck has a story and this is why this truck is special to me, (I mean hell I learned to drive in the thing!) and credit to if you made it through the whole thing without skipping to the pictures! (which may or may not work)

Jared

Anyway on to the pictures...

[mike550]

That looks like a good project you got your work cut out on that one I just started mine 2 weeks ago I have a fair amount of rust to I'm doing a ground up on mine + bed and frame shortning you can check my thread for ideas
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[Xeen]

Welcome to the board.
Silver is one of my favorite colors on these trucks.
Is it my imagination or did the wind blow the front of her skirt up?

[jdaghy]

Mike- Yeah there is plenty of work to be done, luckily between me and my buddy we have a shop and all the tools to make it happen, were also doing a 68 coronet with a lot of custom fab work so serious rust repair is a few weeks out, but I will definitely check out your thread and maybe get some ideas or learn a thing or two, frame shortening is a job and a half!!

Xeen- That's the one thing I love about this truck is the silver, which I haven't seen too many of, the silver is actually an 82 chevy color. If by the wind comment you mean the front sitting higher than the rear you are correct haha it has always had that bulldog stance due to lack of blocks, but those are purchased along with new u-bolts and hardware!

[jdaghy]

Well, been making seemingly minimal progress lately, but figured I would update anyway...Been doing some removal of parts and what not, just trying to get as much out of the way as possible and labeling of parts. Got the bed unbolted from the frame tonight and plan to slide it off tomorrow to begin cleaning the frame and axles, then hopefully get it off to media blasting soon. Also began stripping the doors down, so when the new ones come in it will be an quicker/easier swap.



Like I said, new doors are on the way...lock was a pretty simple removal haha

[Xeen]

Holy rust hole Batman!
Did you pick up some new repro doors or find some nice used ones?

[jdaghy]

I actually just ordered some repro's last week (sadly on back-order, but got a good deal)....I had found a set of seemingly decent doors not far from my house, but the initial pictures the guy sent me were odd angles in a dark garage. I asked for more pictures since I would be driving to pick them up and turned out they were in worse condition as far as the lower half is concerned...basically tried to screw me

[jdaghy]

Slow and steady wins the race...right? Been busy helping my buddy with his coronet, but made a couple bigger steps in the past few days with the truck, got the bed off the truck the other day and did more inspection, with that being said, I have been looking for a cleaner bed to work with as opposed to trying to revive this one. Also installed the blocks and u bolts in the rear to level the truck out to a dead even 37 and 3/8 all around. Then tonight with the help of a buddy started stripping and cleaning the frame, this has kind of made me feel like im actually making some sort of progress, but didn't get any cleaned up pictures of the frame. I also cleaned and painted the front wheels to freshen them up a little, rears will be done soon as well.

[jdaghy]

Well since the last post not a whole lot has happened, other than the purchase and acquiring of some new parts. Being a full time ME student and working 40 hours a week has been killing me lately, but I have managed to make a little progress. Cleaned up and primed the rear half of the frame, then began the daunting task of rust repair finally. Got my cab corners and inner rockers in finally so I decided to cut out the cab corners this weekend...to discover some other rust issues. Although that stuff being negative, my brand new doors come in tomorrow and I am acquiring a MIG welder this weekend to start burning in the panels. Began doing some investigating as to a repair time/investment of fixing the current bed or acquiring another one and I have decided to take the easy way out of just constructing a "new" bed...so hopefully should have rebuilt funds to purchase such in the next month or two, truck and motorcycle payments are hell on a project truck haha anyway on to some pictures









Lastly about 21 years of Arkansas clay that attributed to the mess of cab corners on this truck...

[Xeen]

It looks like the rear cab floor crossmember and rear cab floor panel has some rust damage as well.
I don't envy you the task of fixing this one.
edit:
The bed looks like the nicest part of the whole truck from the pictures you took, other than the tailgate, what's wrong with the bed?

[jdaghy]

Yeah, there are a few little spots on those components, but nothing a few small patches wont fix, those specific panels look worse from all of the clay that was in there. The bed from a distance looks solid, but when you get close up there isn't a good seam on the entire thing, all the seams and flanges are shot. Coincidentally my doors finally came in today...didn't know the doors from these trucks look exactly like a complete set of '69 Camaro quarter panels when off the truck?!?...but seriously classic parts has been nothing but a hassle from my experience, took 2.5 months for doors to be in stock, sent the parts to Louisville,KY (I live in northern Indiana), and now they are a totally different part from a totally different vehicle, I'll be returning to LMC for future purchases!

[Xeen]

My advice for the future is order all your replacement panels and patch panels from Tabco, they are made in the USA and are top quality you won't be dissapointed.
http://www.tabcobodyparts.com/index.html