'84 K30 original frame color?

[K30_dump]

Hello all,

Got the frame back from the sandblaster today and was able to put on the first coat of black. Remember before sending it that there were some gray paint spots (and engine and front sway bar crossmember were completely gray). Some spots were behind brackets and such, so it must be original. I've only ever seen the black though (as my '80 K30 was). Anyway, now thinking of doing a coat or two of gray over the black (being a dump body, it may look neat I guess ). Frame was originally from an ambulance, so its a 135" wb cab and chassis frame if that matters. Can anyone vouch what color paint the mid '80s K30 trucks had on the frames from the factory?

Any info is appreciated, thanks!!

Joe
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[Matt Man]

all frames were black the grey you saw was probably some kind of rust preserve paint.

[Jonboy]

My '89 is black, too.

[Keith Seymore]

Black.

Both a low gloss/semi gloss black paint, which came in on the individual components, and also a black goopy rustproofing type material (aka "chassis black") that was drizzled in the general vicinity of the completed chassis immediately before body drop.

K

[K30_dump]

Thanks for the info guys. The gray on this frame was mostly on individual components, such as engine and sway bar crossmembers, front leaf spring mounts/core support mounts, etc. No real paint on the frame itself anymore . Definitely was original and very shiny, as it was perfect behind a reinforcement removed from the LH side of the sway bar crossmember. Anyway, guess I'll leave it black. Used gloss black on my '80 frame (and first coat here), but thinking of topcoating with semi-gloss. Sure looked neat this AM when the dew gave it a flat look.

Thanks guys,

Joe
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[old Rusty C10]

the grey could be from the people who installed the ambulance body if they upgraded anything prior to the install

[nbpro]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

the grey could be from the people who installed the ambulance body if they upgraded anything prior to the install

This is correct. Most ambulances are custom fabrications. A lot of extra stuff is added for support and stability. Beds being a lot heavier.

[Keith Seymore]

While I'm thinking of it - by way of further detail:

I should mention that frames were received completely disassembled, that is, individual frame side rails, all the various crossmembers, brackets, rivets, etc were all received loose at the vehicle assembly plant.

The individual rails were placed on a mechanical "pedestal", which fixtured the assembly and moved forward at the designated line rate (70 jobs per hour, in the case of Flint Assembly, in order to support a "Final Line" rate of 60 jobs per hour). Crossmembers were sub assembled off line, allowing the operator of that job to work at his own pace (as long as he could support the line rate). In fact, usually, that particular guy would work like crazy for the first half of the day, building up a huge reserve of parts (normally he was totally engulfed in a sea of black hardware, so that you couldn't even see him back there!), so that he could "coast" the second half of the day, merely having to hang the fully assembled specific crossmember on the feeder overhead conveyor.

Frames were assembled upside down at this point, so that once the basic "ladder" was formed the individual brackets could be added, then allowing the front and rear suspensions to be set into position. The 2wd front suspension was usually received mostly assembled (that is, the main crossmember, control arms, rotors and brakes already assembled). Rear suspensions were built up in job position, by adding leaf springs and then the rear axle (4wd front suspensions were done similarly). The rear axle was provided via a separate feeder line, having been built up (taking the completed axle housing with gearset and brakes already assembled from the supplier) and adding brake lines, park brake apparatus and shocks, all done in a remote area of the plant. The front suspension unit and drive shaft were provided on this same separate feeder line.

After the front and rear suspensions were in place and torqued the frame was "flipped" into vehicle position using a chain hoist (you'd want to give that operation some space, because the frames dance around a bit once they flip over!). The frames remain in this upright position, suspended from chains, through the rest of the process until the tires were installed immediately before body drop.

I would also add that the brake system was completely assembled and functional during this phase. The brake master cylinder was "slaved", or fixtured, in an approximate vehicle position. An "Evac and Fill"system was used to bleed the brakes, whereby all of the air was sucked out of the completed system and brake fluid allowed to flow into the evacuated space (bleeding, as we are familiar with it, was not required other than in a repair situation). The brakes were then pressure tested for force and displacement, using a small tester attached to the master cylinder, and then stamped as "OK" once the vehicle passed the test.

The engine and transmission (as a unit) were installed in the frame, as well as the radiator/radiator support and cooling system, somewhere along here.

Lastly, immediately before body drop the frame passed through a small spraybooth where the chassis black was applied. In my previous post I consciously avoided the word "paint", because this stuff was not really much of a paint (more like undercoating) and I also chose the word "drizzled" on purpose, because it wasn't really sprayed like you would paint a car, but more hosed casually over the areas that could be easily reached (front control arms, down the side, half the drive shaft, parts of the rear axle, etc).

At this point the tires were installed (that's a whole nuther story) and the completed chassis was placed on the Final Line "flat track", ready to receive the cab and box.

There are pictures of some of these processes, and can be viewed here:

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/Assembly%20Line.htm

Hope that wasn't TMI -



K

[nbpro]

Great story Keith. And it wasn't too much info. But could the gray primer be from installing the bed at a later point? I know when I worked for the Ford dealership, custom vehicles were often sent out to have such things as ambulance beds, utility beds installed to meet the customers needs. So is this possible for the gray primer?

[K30_dump]

Hello again,

Thanks for the great replies. Excellent information Keith, makes sense why the individual components would have been gray but the rails black. . Definitely not too much information, great post!!

Thanks also to all who posted, guess I'll leave it black. Now do you guys prefer gloss or semi?

Joe

[nbpro]

semi

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by nbpro

Great story Keith. And it wasn't too much info. But could the gray primer be from installing the bed at a later point? I know when I worked for the Ford dealership, custom vehicles were often sent out to have such things as ambulance beds, utility beds installed to meet the customers needs. So is this possible for the gray primer?

Yes - certainly once the truck leaves the assembly plant anything could happen...

K