After 9 years in paint prison, project 71 GMC finally going back together

[Eddie H.]

It's been a long hard road, but I'm finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel on this project. The most challenging thing now is all the small details. Since it was taken apart by my 17 year old son, then got tied up in paint prison with the worst body shop in the D/FW messtroplex for 9 years, many of the screws, bolts, and mics small parts are missing now.
The moral to this story is, no matter how frustrated you get, NEVER GIVE UP. Restoring an old vehicle is like eating an elephant, you have to just take it one bite at a time.

[68 short step]

looks good, whats the shops name?? and just a FYI you said paint the in the title, so these trigger happy mods will probley move this thread, so nobody will see it...

[Painter D]

I 'd like to know the shop name too.

[Eddie H.]

The shop name is "Pop's Classy Chassis" in West Ft Worth.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by Eddie H.

Restoring an old vehicle is like eating an elephant, you have to just take it one bite at a time.

LMAO! I love it! Looking good.
If there is a positive side to serving 9 to life in paint jail, is that you had plenty of time to get all the other parts of the build lined up and ready to install.

[Liz]

Originally Posted by 68 short step

looks good, whats the shops name?? and just a FYI you said paint the in the title, so these trigger happy mods will probley move this thread, so nobody will see it...

Troll much? I thought you got past the bs posting years ago? Believe it or not we do indeed read threads. Humans do also make mistakes. It must rock to be so perfect and not err. Post was reported for trolling. Please use PM and let us know of mistakes made instead of assuming we are out to get the world. Thanks!

[dmack91]

9 years!? I am surprised it was still there and not scrapped out or sold for storage fees.

Should be fun putting it back together.

[VA72C10]

Truck looks great!!!!!

[big_al_71]

9 years ? you my friend have a ton of patience...keep the picts coming..

[y5mgisi]

That is full on insane! 9 freaking years!

[CParnell]

That is one hell of a wait, looks good though.

[Pop's C-10]

Glad you got is bac..wow 9 years

[bosco200]

You could have bought another truck and had it done by the time you got that one back lol....Looks great by the way!

[Eddie H.]

Thanks for the compliments. The truck was held hostage by this guy, and I thought I'd never get it back. I finally had to get a lawyer involved and was getting ready to take him to court, but it's a long story I don't have time to write right now.

[Liz]

Damn.. that had to suck to go through. Glad you got it back, and keep us updated as you get it going.

[Sammy]

Reminds me of a similar story of a guy who had a S/B for sale. The person whom he was selling the bed for had taken his grandfathers original 68 truck cab n frame to a guy for paint while he had the bed sitting in the barn. Four months later he returned to where he had dropped the cab n frame for paint at. The painter had been foreclosed on was long gone and the new owner had his truck sold to a junk yard for scrap. All he had left was a seat and the bed of the truck which had 50,000 original miles. That bed had been sitting in a barn on a pair of saw horses for 5 years before he finally decided to part with it.

[ItsRandy]

Originally Posted by Eddie H.

Thanks for the compliments. The truck was held hostage by this guy, and I thought I'd never get it back. I finally had to get a lawyer involved and was getting ready to take him to court, but it's a long story I don't have time to write right now.

9 years...WOW! I would like to hear what was the hold up. The body work/paint jail comments I have seen posted on the board is the reason I am doing the body/paint myself. I figure even if I screw it up 4 times I will have saved at least 6 years compared to what happened to you. Good for you...you got it back. Was the work free/a favor?

[Classic Heartbeat]

9 years... I feel your pain. It is crap like that along with shops that lie threw their teeth is why I lost most of my desire to finnish my panel. Also the reason I learned to do stuff on my own. Anyway glad to see you have it back and are on your way to finnishing it now. WES

[CG]

Wow, I thought I had the record at three years. Glad to see its all coming together now.

[Eddie H.]

Ok, here’s my LONG story for those who are interested.
In early 2000, my 16 year old son decides he really wants to restore an old truck. I thought, hey, it would be a good father/son project. We find a 71 GMC Custom, not running, but very restoreable. We haul it home and I put it in the back yard and let him and his buddies disassemble it down to the last nut and bolt for a full frame off restore. I send the cab, bed, and all the sheet metal out and have it media blasted and sealed with epoxy primer. When I got it back, we repaired all the cancer ( floor pans, rocker panels, cab corners, etc.) Meanwhile, he spent the summer sandblasting and painting the frame and rebuilding the suspension. I rebuilt the engine and installed a rebuilt 700R4. The rolling chassis was pretty much done now, so I sent out the cab and sheetmetal to be finished and painted to a “restoration” shop who was recommended by a friend. BIG MISTAKE. He said he would have it ready in a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks turned into a couple of months, then I found out the shop had closed. I spent some time tracking the guy down and found him in another shop in another location. ( said he’s lost his lease, but assured me it would be ready in a couple of weeks) That couple of weeks turned into a couple of years, and after a thousand lame excuses and broken promises, he closed the shop and disappeared again. I tracked him down again, (doing business at a different location.) I was going to pick up my parts and take them somewhere else, but he didn’t have them at this shop. ( he claimed that they were in the paint booth at his buddie’s shop, and they would be ready in a couple more weeks). That couple of weeks turned to 3 years, and after a thousand more excuses and promises, he finally admitted that he didn’t have my parts anymore. He claimed they had been stolen---- but not to worry, he had already found me another good cab and would have it ready in a couple more weeks. Fast forward 4 more years and 2000 more lame excuses, I finally gave up and hired a lawyer to take him to court. The lawyer sent him a threatening letter and gave him 30 days before hauling him to court. (On the 30th day, he called me and said I could come pick up my parts.) I took my trailer and picked up my parts ( even though he did a half assed job, and I’ll have to have a lot of it repainted) I was happy and relieved the ordeal was finally over. Meanwhile, my 16 year old son has graduated high school, graduated college, got married and had my first grandson. It’s still his truck, and I’m gonna let him finish it with his son. ( with a little help from Grandpa, of course)

[y5mgisi]

I think after about 3 months, i would have just shot the guy and been done with it.













At least thats what i would like to think...

[Eddie H.]

I know, I've always been too easy going. I have a tendency to trust people and take them at their word. Needless to say, I've been burned a few times.

[Liz]

That sucks.. but on the good side, you know have a triple generation project Your grandbaby will have good history on the truck.. and you will be able to enjoy the truck together

[N2TRUX]

Ya know if you had shot that no good SOB when you first wanted to, you would be out of jail by now. I have had some similar problems, but nothing that lasted that long. Congratulations on getting it out.

[OARNGESI]

Originally Posted by n2trux

ya know if you had shot that no good sob when you first wanted to, you would be out of jail by now. I have had some similar problems, but nothing that lasted that long. Congratulations on getting it out.

words of wisdon