'Hay Burner' 69 LWB Frame Off Restore

[Qknf4u69]

It is never too late to get back in to a project. This is to help others to not give up and maybe not follow the same path of mistakes I have made… with that here we go!

So, I have wanted to do this build ever since I purchased this truck from my dad back in 1985 who bought it new from the local dealership. The 69 pickup was known around town (kids at school) as 'The Hay Burner'. The name was given because of the tons of hay she and I had hauled, a wood bed having a 16" hole over the exhaust, the subsequent fire from the loose hay in the bed which created a smoke trail driving to school one day. She has had a few different engines, transmissions and wheels but never got any closer to the way I dreamed the truck to look when completed. She has always looked like a work truck.

In the 90's I decided to do a frame off restore, why not, I can do it I have tools. So, while tearing in to the truck I found a crack in the frame and on the front suspension cross member from this accident. It must had happened from an accident I had when I was 17. It was a great accident, where I removed the front of a car then went over an embankment in to a culvert that broke the lower control arm U-bolts and sheared off the tie rod which left my wheel making an extreme right turn while the driver wheel was still pointing pretty much straight. Luckily only the vehicles were hurt... So after finding the damage I searched and found a donor frame and had it sandblasted then waited for money to continue.

The year was 1993 and my first purchase for the build was after reading in my Truckin’ magazine about a 4-link rear suspension from Alston Suspension. This way I could get to get rid of the old sagged out leaf springs that were tired from the 500 plus trips of 50 bales of hay on them and the custom torched leaf lowering I did when I was 16... Heat was free, parts were expensive, when you are young who needs safety... LOL. In that same magazine I found a tubular lowering kit for the front suspension from CPP. It was cheaper than dropped spindles at the time and having minimal money I purchased that kit as well. I figured I would have this thing knocked out in no time! But then waited for more money to continue.

In 1994 acquired a 454 that I rebuilt and installed it in the frame with the new suspension. That same year I purchased a TCI TH400 from Jegs and hooked it behind the Big Block. But then it happened, the wife and I had our first of two children and the truck was put away, it was time to buy a family car and a house.

In 2001, I had thought I could juggle my job, kids and a project so I sent off the body for soda blasting. I found a 71 pickup at the wrecking yard and picked up disc brakes and the power steering for the truck. Clean up all parts, rebuilt as necessary and installed on the donor frame. Started working on the sheet metal of the cab and it looked like I was going to get after it once again. Well, a new house, kids doing sports and money not being as plentiful as expected made the truck go to the back burner. These pictures are the only digital pictures I have of my truck at this time of the build, too bad I have no idea where the box of photos are of the truck before digital.

The truck was not really touched until winter of 2016, which was about the same time the kid’s plates were broken and kicked out of the house, not really, but they were no longer the money eaters and the 'Hay Burner' was dusted off and evaluated. Well let’s just say that in my youth I didn’t have it all figured out. I went to finish up the 4-link and found out that I didn’t set it up correctly and the parts that I would need to buy would be almost as much as the kit cost now with 23 years of inflation. So, what to do… buy a complete coil over kit and remove the 4-link.

And… we will just have to start the build from there... Oh the fun had just begun.

[Qknf4u69]

December 2016:

Oops, my drive line hits my track bar. Time to cut out the old and buy some new trailing arms, springs and rear end.

[Qknf4u69]

December 2016:

Might as well add better frame notches.

[Qknf4u69]

January 2017:

New trailing arms, springs, rear end and brakes arrived. Mock up complete!

[Qknf4u69]

March 2017:

All parts fitted and painted.

I did have some issues with the rear end. There was a problem on the rear end pads that were welded on from the builder. The pads were not in plane with each other so when I traveled the suspension from ride height to bottoming out in the frame notch the passenger side hit about 1" before the driver side. After seeing and figuring out the problem the solution was to make some shims to correct the rear end lean. It must be a problem with the jig used to weld the pads on because even after I had the supplier send replacement the two side by side were identically wrong. It was a cheap fix and I had a end mill at my disposal at the time to fabricate the shims.

[Qknf4u69]

May 2017:

My body man had to return my parts unfinished. Health problems and he was losing the building he had. So here is a picture of the pile of sheet metal.

Goodbye garage space at home...

[1971Stepside]

A lot of work on that frame for sure, but worth it in the end. I'll be watching your build as it is off to a great start.

[Ol Blue K20]

Subbed to watch the build

[Qknf4u69]

I was worried the torque converter may rattle forward and kiss the flex plate during break-in so I removed the converter and put the transmission back to hold the engine. These few week were dedicated to the transmission. The transmission was split from the block and I installed the converter and fabricated transmission lines. Luckily there are a lot of bolt holes in the frame that were no longer needed which worked great for the Adel clamps for the steel braided PTFE lines. Because of the large primary headers I used 90º fittings off my AN6 adapters out of the transmission to give ample space between the tube and the lines. Drilled a hole in the core support and added a expansion (Well) nut to hold my lines as they routed to the front of the radiator. I left enough room for a AC condenser in case I ever want to add in the future.

Unknown at the time the future fuel line connections photo bombed the transmission line picture.

The mail was nice enough to wreck my new speedo assembly. All I could see was Jim Carry in Ace Ventura kicking the package down the street from the looks of the pouch and the contents I received.

A quick text to Kerry at American Hot Rod Solutions and a replacement was in the mail for another attempt. Thanks Kerry!

[Qknf4u69]

Thanks for checking out the build. I should have been doing more posting on the way instead of heaping the build so far into one giant day.

I am new to the posting thing and will try to be better with updating things on here.

1971 Stepside...
I had happened on to your build back around August when I was looking for who knows what... loved reading about truck's journey from high school day to present. Great build so far and it is helping me stay motivated!!!

[Ol Blue K20]

Man that speedo gear must've gone through hell.

[1971Stepside]

1971 Stepside...
I had happened on to your build back around August when I was looking for who knows what... loved reading about truck's journey from high school day to present. Great build so far and it is helping me stay motivated!!!

As you know, they are a money suck, a time suck, and they fight you the whole way. You have a great looking project and you are doing it right. I'll be following along as you go.

[Qknf4u69]

Looks like I missed a few spots in those pics, so pay no attention to the amount of dust/grime that has appeared over the build's elapsed time. I have been wiping the frame and components down where ever the next point of work has led me. I think I may get all of the crud off eventually.

[cornerstone]

Thanks for contributing your story and build to the board! I'd bet most builds don't go exactly to plan in general. It seems the at the start of a build everything is just simple job, I was even blind enough to think I would have an LS swap in and done within a couple of weeks. That was nearly 4 years ago. If it were only as easy to put them back together all shiny and new as it is to tear them down when they're all greasy!

Clearly you do nicer work now than when you were 16! I look back at some of my 16 year old "repairs" and have to laugh at myself as well. Like the time I riveted a street sign over the giant hole in the floor board and called it rust repair.

What other plans are in store for the truck? You've already got a super nice set up with a big block and coil overs, but what color do you want?

It sounds like you have an interesting job... care to share what you do in the entertainment industry?

[Scurry67]

Great write up. I’m in for the ride

[Qknf4u69]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Thanks for contributing your story and build to the board! I'd bet most builds don't go exactly to plan in general. It seems the at the start of a build everything is just simple job, I was even blind enough to think I would have an LS swap in and done within a couple of weeks. That was nearly 4 years ago. If it were only as easy to put them back together all shiny and new as it is to tear them down when they're all greasy!

Clearly you do nicer work now than when you were 16! I look back at some of my 16 year old "repairs" and have to laugh at myself as well. Like the time I riveted a street sign over the giant hole in the floor board and called it rust repair.

What other plans are in store for the truck? You've already got a super nice set up with a big block and coil overs, but what color do you want?

It sounds like you have an interesting job... care to share what you do in the entertainment industry?

Yeah, back in the day if the bolt fit in the hole that was it. Who needs washers or a piece of plate to hold in the bucket seats I took out of a blazer and then gave away when I started this tear down. Those would be worth something now!

Haven't settled on the color yet. Originally I had picked out the LeMans Polynesian Green, it is what is on the engine valve cover pictures. Then Atomic Orange was new and exciting but that has been done a few times. Recently it has been charcoal grey or a two tone red morphing to black...now I am just confused and can not pick a color. So permanent of a choice, do not want to ever second guess myself once its on there.

As far as the entertainment.... have you ever seen Magic Mike......

Well, that is not me...

If you can remember back when there was a show out front of the Treasure Island with Ships, Water & Fire. It was changed 10 years later to the Siren's of ti (more like new Coke, not as good). I was head of the team that kept it all going every day for nearly 20 years. After 'they' shut it down in 2013 me and my co-workers (friends really after that long) all went out in search of work. I ended up at the Le Reve show at the Wynn. Was part of the team that worked on all of the automation equipment and flew people on high speed winches. Unfortunately now that is no more... it was permanently closed as of September due to COVID19.

Good news... Now I can devote more of my time to the project, until the money runs out. Only time will tell if Entertainment recovers to what once was.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by Qknf4u69

Haven't settled on the color yet. Originally I had picked out the LeMans Polynesian Green, it is what is on the engine valve cover pictures. Then Atomic Orange was new and exciting but that has been done a few times. Recently it has been charcoal grey or a two tone red morphing to black...now I am just confused and can not pick a color. So permanent of a choice, do not want to ever second guess myself once its on there.

Same here! For the better part of 10 years, mine was going to be a red and white truck.... then went to hugger orange and white, but sometime this last spring I told myself I was changing for the last time since I always seem to gravitate toward the medium blue and white trucks at a show, so I went ahead and bought the paint so I would quit thinking about it! Part of my decision making was thinking how the color made me feel. I really like the look of the reds and oranges as far as show trucks, but if it were my truck, I wanted a bit more relaxed look, and to me that was the blue. Black is really my favorite, but I've already owned a new black truck and trying to keep that clean with my 1/4 mile gravel driveway proved to be way too much work.

Keep the pictures comin!

[cj847]

What color are your valve covers? Is it available in a spray can? Thanks.

[Qknf4u69]

Originally Posted by cj847

What color are your valve covers? Is it available in a spray can? Thanks.

I don't know if this info will help since this color was mixed for me in the late 90's, but here ya go.

It is a single stage Centari color by DuPont. "GM Le Mans Polynesian Green". I don't remember what year this color was offered but the paint code is #N9711A. I am sure if you go to a DuPont paint supply store they could probably use this info to get the color. It probably could be put in to spray can too but I shot it with a DeVilbiss spraygun.

A pack-rat never throws anything away. Even an old paint can with a rock of old dried up paint...

[Qknf4u69]

Of course there are many reasons to turn back time...

Mine isn't just to be younger and invest in Amazon or Tesla when they first offered their IPO. No this one was when I hacked up the dash in my truck at 16 to but a Power Booster with a 8 band EQ with LED Meter where the ashtray used to be. I am sure it was a whole 50 Watts of power probably with a lot of distortion not to mention the hack job was horrible. It was one of those bad moves you wish you never did. So when I was 19 and a guy I worked with had a old cab that had a decent dash I took jigsaw and went to town. I got 2 of the 3 bolts on each side of the dash, because I couldn't get the upper bolt holes lined up and cross threaded the bolt holes. And the way I cut the dash I overlapped the new to the old dash and the dash pad covered it all. Nobody could tell unless you knew the ashtray from the donor was from newer truck.

So today I started to repair the damage of those long ago days. I took the donor dash back out and tapped out the holes and I welded up a 1/2" hole in the center of the dash where a stereo installer put a LED for a Alarm system back in those early days. Was a lot easier to take it out and patch and grind the unwanted holes. It wasn't much but it was a start.

I also have some rust issues below the passenger side vent above the standard patch panel are. This weekend I will prep for those repairs and maybe a new cut line so I can properly marry the two dashes together.

More pictures to come when all that happens.

[Kronald_70GMC]

That's a nice easy way to fix your dash. Nice!

[Qknf4u69]

Well its been some time since I have updated. I have been busy with everything but the truck it seems. I did make a trip to my Mom's ranch to help out around there and had a great time doing that kind of work. Funny I moved away from there originally to get away from those chores and go on a kind of vacation to get away from here to a simpler life to do those chores.... .

Patched up some holes that have been needed to be repaired on the cab. I should have done the cowl rot differently but it turned out good enough and will never be seen.

Really doesn't look like much, but its progress none the less.

[Qknf4u69]

How much can body and paint hide? I hope a lot.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by Qknf4u69

How much can body and paint hide?

They have some fiberglass reinforced bondo these days that I believe can take care of some pretty deep defects. Maybe 1/4" I could be wrong here....maybe someone else has some better info.

[Qknf4u69]

Luckily that much won't be needed. I had it almost perfect but I kept trying to weld up any pin holes that showed up then got angry and cut the area back out and started over with a piece of sheet metal. Then a few more would show up and I did that process over 3 times. Each patch a little bigger that the previous. If I had all the cool big boy tools, a real shop and maybe some sheet metal guys... who knows how good it could be... Come on Motor Trend TV rescue me, fix it in a hour so I can drive it tomorrow. LOL