Started on the 72 this weekend

[DT1]

So I originally picked this one up to restore for myself but since I already gave my Granddaughter a car, I decided to do something for the Grandson. I told him, if he wants it, He'll have to earn it. My goal is to get him off his I Phone long enough to appreciate the fact that there are more rewarding things in life than social media. He has absolutely no mechanical experience what so ever but he's a fast learner and I think with a little patience and guidance he'll have something he can be proud of.
We started work on it this weekend and the bed was the target. The plan was to get the spray on bed liner off so I could see what we had to work with. I was surprised how easy it was to remove and more surprised to find a near perfect bed under it. The outside temperature was 107 F and being the old guy that I am, I was calling for an ice water break every hour. You know, just to give the kid a chance to catch his breath. So, here I am sipping on my cold water in the shade while he was, in the direct sunlight, playing "Flipity Flop" on his skate board. But I digress. By the end of day two, we had the bed pretty well stripped and the oak removed. We plan on removing the bed next weekend and start on the body work. This is not going to be a ground up Restoration. Instead, we plan on a complete drive train rebuild, interior reconditioning, and quality body/paint.

[toolboxchev]

That is awesome!, I am envious of the work that I should be doing myself.

[custom10nut]

Great project. I hope you achieve your goal with the Grandson. From the pictures that bed wood looks to be in good shape, but you're a better man than I am for taking off the bed liner, in that heat.
I kinda like that pinstripe /body line on your truck.
Is it painted on or pinstripe tape?

[Ken B]

Looks like a real nice solid truck. Way to go on getting your grandson involved!

[DT1]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

Great project. I hope you achieve your goal with the Grandson. From the pictures that bed wood looks to be in good shape, but you're a better man than I am for taking off the bed liner, in that heat.
I kinda like that pinstripe /body line on your truck.
Is it painted on or pinstripe tape?

I'm not sure how old that paint job is but it was a pretty good one. The stripes are painted on.

[DT1]

Ok, so I need some advice on removing the bed. It looks like it going to be sort of flimsy without the bed wood attached. Should I bolt up all of the cross sills just to stiffen it up a bit? Will it be light enough for one grandpa, one grandma, one fat guy and one skinny grandson to lift onto a trailer?