1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by McDeezl

Nice work on the patch Greg .... won't take much of a skim of mud at all to smooth it out. Your attention to detail is amazing but your patience is next level sir!
No doubt your vital signs must have been heading north up until you found out it was the starter. Yikes -->> phewff!

thanks,it was a battle but I may win?i just about had a heart attack when I started the engine and it sounded like a cat was caught in the fan belt?it started a 100 times,never a problem til then?i bought a new starter cause the original was still working with 1 bolt missing from the solenoid switch,the top of the solenoid burnt right through from living under the exhaust manifold and the brushes worn right down to the screws that hold them in place.the last thing I expected was for the new starter to misbehave?anyhow it seems fine with a few shims,i had it running several times today and once for a long while to get it warm enough to get the the break-in oil out and new fresh oil in.it's all good.i have some welding to do on a customers car so the next time I get to the truck,i'll start on the patch on the other side.i'm hoping for a 1 shot deal,we'll see?take care.Greg

[Happy_dan]

Always great to see your progress Greg. That post about the starter really scared me at first! Glad that is all is was.

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice work on the patch panel. Those can be a pain because most of those holes were cut and rolled crudely by the installers. My Longhorn, they put the door centered over the seam extension. That should be really nice to try and make look correct when deleting the tank door.....

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Happy_dan

Always great to see your progress Greg. That post about the starter really scared me at first! Glad that is all is was.

hi Dan,thanks.it was an anxious time when I started it and it sounded so awful,all good now.i think I may lead that patch in rather than plastic body fill.i have about 75 pounds of lead I rounded up,may be time to put it to work?we'll see.take care.Greg

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very nice work on the patch panel. Those can be a pain because most of those holes were cut and rolled crudely by the installers. My Longhorn, they put the door centered over the seam extension. That should be really nice to try and make look correct when deleting the tank door.....

hi Ryan,you're right.whoever hacked the holes in my truck just used an air hammer,cut a hole,not square and left a big curly Q of metal at every corner,then the screws pulled the metal crooked as they went in,a real mess and of course i'm no bodyman.i almost wish I didn't start but then again when I leave things to the "experts" the guys who know how to do it right but don't,drives me nuts so I do it myself?have a great day.take care.Greg

[mr.mud1]

well not much to report,the last week or so has been all upside down.i got roped into repairing a rotten Buick that belonged to a family member,i spent 5 days welding a new bottom in a car that wasn't worth my time,then last weekend,we were getting ready to go away for the weekend,the phone rang at 6:00 am Saturday,my wife's mother on the phone,my father-in-law had had a stroke and was in the hospital.needless to say we didn't get anywhere,my wife trying to get a flight home but couldn't get out til Monday,so Monday,in a storm,i drove her to the airport.about 3 hours from here,then delayed flights and on and on.anyway he's doing well and has been back home now for a day or two.my wife will fly home on the weekend so i'm back to work on my truck.i have the patch i made and welded in the pass side done,waiting for the bodywork part.today i made a patch and got it fitted into the gas door hole on the drivers side and a bunch of moldings off.tomorrow we burn welding wire.

[mr.mud1]

well just a little update,although i've worked for days,it doesn't appear to be much progress?these patches in each bed side where the auxillary gas doors were,gave me fits.i would've loved to have the guy who chewed them into the side of the truck,by the throat.i did each side 4 or 5 times til it suited me and even then i wasn't 100% happy with my work but you have to draw the line somewhere?i have the first coat of fill over the patches,tomorrow we sand filler.i welded up 7 holes on the bed sides top flange where the camper shell was bolted on,so i'll make those dissapear.we did have a little set back and i lost a little time when i had to drive my wife to the airport,3 hours away and then back home.she had to fly home,her dad had a stroke and then a week later,drive back to the airport to get her once he was home and doing well.it's all good.i have an appointment at the body shop for the paint work on May 5th i think it is so i'll be ready for him,then put all the trim,door handles and so on,back on and get this old girl back on the road.then it'll be time to get back to my 39 Chrysler project that has been waiting patiently in the corner,while i worked on the truck.it'll all come together.

[Richard]

Looks like you are doing a good job making those doors disappear. I can personally appreciate the amount of work you have put into the task. Will pray for a continued recovery of your wife's dad. Bless you and your wife for taking the time to honor your parents.

[Happy_dan]

Looking good Greg. Been thinking about Chris' dad and praying for a quick and full recovery! Happy Easter

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Richard

Looks like you are doing a good job making those doors disappear. I can personally appreciate the amount of work you have put into the task. Will pray for a continued recovery of your wife's dad. Bless you and your wife for taking the time to honor your parents.

thank you sir,i appreciate that.at the end of the day,these are just old trucks but family is more important.hopefully things work out for him,he just had surgery for cancer 2 or 3 months ago,now a stroke but doing well.the trucks and old cars will be there anytime i can work on them.take care,all the best.Greg

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Happy_dan

Looking good Greg. Been thinking about Chris' dad and praying for a quick and full recovery! Happy Easter

hi Dan,thanks for the kind words.i was thinking about you last night and was going to zing off an email.the truck is coming along.it'll be in the paint shop before you know it.Chris's dad is doing well,it's amazing how well considering he just had some surgery,now this,but doing great.they had planned to come here in July anyway,say they're still coming so that'll be nice to finally get them here.Happy Easter to you and yours.all the best.Greg.

[McDeezl]

Good to hear things are going positive for father in law and hoping they only get better. Nice work on the patches and can only imagine how good it feels now to finally have that in the rear view mirror! Just a skim coat of mud to clean them up so your patience and talent paid off nicely. A month from now you'll have it back from the body shop with fresh paint and you'll be smiling ear to ear.

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by McDeezl

Good to hear things are going positive for father in law and hoping they only get better. Nice work on the patches and can only imagine how good it feels now to finally have that in the rear view mirror! Just a skim coat of mud to clean them up so your patience and talent paid off nicely. A month from now you'll have it back from the body shop with fresh paint and you'll be smiling ear to ear.

yes sir,thanks.that's the plan.i love it things come together.it's the 1 step ahead,4 steps back that drives me around the bend.it's all good,a 100 years from now,we'll look back at all this and laugh.take care.

[mr.mud1]

a little progress to report,working for hours and hours without much to show but i have the gas doors carved into the bedsides,gone,several skims of fill,blocked and what i think is the last of it on there now,to block off tomorrow.there was 6 or 8 holes drilled in the top rails of the bed for a camper shell,they're all welded up.i could be laying on some metal etch primer,then some hi-build but i'm not going to.i don't want to tick off the body shop guy and get ahead of how ever he does it.i'll leave well enough alone.almost all the moldings that have to come off,are off,gas neck grommet still to remove and hood to re-install,as per the body shop's instructions.May 9th it goes to the beauty parlor.i bought myself a set of dura-blocks for this job but in the end,used what i had as well as some blocks i made from pink rigid insulation sheets and about a 10 inch piece off my grandson's pool noodle.if he shows up with a tape measure,i'm in trouble??

[68bowtie]

Clearly lots of work went into that tank filler repair. I will be thinking twice before I decide whether to take it on for my 70. But it will sure look nice!

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

Clearly lots of work went into that tank filler repair. I will be thinking twice before I decide whether to take it on for my 70. But it will sure look nice!

Yes sir.thanks,it a pile of work.i almost shouldn't have started but once you're in there, you can't go back.full speed ahead.i did each side several times til I was sort of satisfied. So simple but hard to pull off on that big almost flat panel.i'm hoping it looks good when it's done?time will tell. Take care.Greg

[mr.mud1]

finally have these side about buttoned up,they are pretty straight,i'm not 100% happy with them but they'll have to do,they need the hi-build primer and so on but i'm leaving that for the body shop guy to do it as he usually does.i have all the moldings off from the upper green and white but decided to pull them all off,every molding is packed full behind with dirt and sand,so all that needs cleaned up.another development has come up,my plan was to paint the green from the upper narrow molding,up to but not the roof,all the way around the truck and the white bedsides.i've been thinking,there's still a bunch of black primer poking through the white on the doors,the front fenders,in other words the truck should probably be painted all over.so i think when it goes in on May 9th,i will ask the body guy,if he has time(he made me this appointment last September) and if so,what would it cost,to just do it all.that's not what i had planned on but it's probably the smartest way to proceed?

[mr.mud1]

well i'm just fooling around putting in time til my appointment at the body shop on May 9th.the heater controls had a broken top lever so i bought the repair lever kit to fix it and decided i'd get that crossed off the list,as is the case with most things i do,i seem to have to do a couple times til i'm satisfied with the result.i got my size 12 hands up into a size 6 hole and got the controls out and on the bench,dismantled everything,changed the lever,and put it back together,lubed all the cables and re-installed it all.the lever that i changed didn't move smooth and the little plastic guide bushings,because of the slop in the lever,wouldn't stay in the track?so it came back apart today,i put it back on the bench and studied the situation for a bit and came up with a little brace to apply just a little pressure against the lever,taking out the slop and making sure the pins and bushings stay where they're supposed to.i love it when a plan comes together.i started the engine,it hadn't run in several weeks so i ran it til it warmed up,everything is looking good,body shop on the 9th,can't wait.

[steveimpala]

Greg - just amazing work that your doing, your attention to detail is top notch !I just went thru your entire thread....thanks for taking the time to share all those photos !!

Your friend in NY,

Steve

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by steveimpala

Greg - just amazing work that your doing, your attention to detail is top notch !I just went thru your entire thread....thanks for taking the time to share all those photos !!

Your friend in NY,

Steve

thank you sir,i appreciate the kind words.body shop on Monday,i'm anxious to see how it looks and hoping the guy has time,now that i've decided,to paint it all,if he has time.he made me this appointment last September and told me Friday when i stopped in,that he's booking for October??unreal.next week should be big,we'll see.take care.Greg

[Richard]

Good progress. Your bed repair looks great! Should turn out great.

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Richard

Good progress. Your bed repair looks great! Should turn out great.

Thank you sir,I appreciate that,I hope it suits the body shop guy?today's the day it goes in for the paint work. Hopefully we'll have some new paint on this old girl later in the week?more pictures to follow,I'm sure.take care,thanks.Greg

[mr.mud1]

today i had the truck outside for the first time since all this started last fall,and i drove it,it's maiden voyage on the new engine/transmission, to the body shop.it ran great,no surprises or anything stupid,it ran nice and cool,lots of oil pressure,charging.i almost forgot how well it drove and a new tilt column that i moved an inch or so closer to the dash?i love it when a plan comes together.the body shop guy came out to inspect the work i had done making the gas doors disappear.he didn't laugh at me so i think we'll be fine.i did ask him about painting it all over,rather than the original plan of painting the green from the narrow molding up,all the way around the truck and the white bedsides.he agreed that,even though the rest of the paint is decent,it won't be as nice as the new paint,so he said he thought he had time to paint it all over,so that's fine with me.he said maybe he'll do the white on Wednesday and the green on Friday?we'll see,anyway it's there at the beauty parlour.can't wait to see how she looks after her make over.now i'll be busy cleaning all the moldings,everyone was packed on the backside with sand and dirt,the adhesive pads all dried up so they all need renewed,the front bumper and grille have to be be cleaned and polished,the grille center painted,the rear bumper needs a little repair and paint,still lots to do even though the truck isn't here.more pictures to follow as soon as more progress is made.

[Happy_dan]

Nice tractor!

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by Happy_dan

Nice tractor!

thanks Dan,you can come play with it anytime you want.