66 GMC Long to Short LS Swap

[joesscamaro]

Nice! You going to go white on the caps with body color accents?

[Duncan K]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

Nice! You going to go white on the caps with body color accents?

Not sure if I am going straight white or if I will paint the center circle body color

[Duncan K]

Got the hood painted, and the tires mounted. Had to machine the back of the wheel spacers to fit over the register on the rear axles. My son even volunteered to clean the blue coating off the white walls.

[joesscamaro]

Looking really sharp! I like it!

[Duncan K]

Got started on the electrical with a kit from American Auto Wire. This has to be the best quality product I have used in a long time! Every wire labelled, great instructions and top quality! Just a pleasure to work with. Also installed a set of Dakota Digital RTX gauges with the BIM module.

[350TacoZilla]

That's a great color combo, definitely a classic. Great work on it.

[Duncan K]

So I have been given a deadline, my son has asked to drive the truck for his high school graduation which is in May. Going to have to get moving if I am going to make it.

I finished all the electrical, got the headlights and park lights installed. Wired up the neutral safety switch and TCC for the 4L80. I welded in an extra bung in the passenger header and added a wide band O2 sensor for tuning later.

Got the exhaust finished through the roll pan and out the back of the truck. In order to end up with the tips perfectly centered in the opening I wrapped the exhaust tip with weather stripping and squished it in opening. I put a straight section of pipe in the tip and used a jack stand and shims to get it level and parallel with the frame. Took some measurements and made up some brackets out of stainless to bolt it solidly to the frame. I cut sections out of a couple big 180 mandrel bent pieces to connect from the rear axle to the straight section going through the roll pan.



Still need to weld it all out solid. I may add a flex joint behind the straight section of pipe to give it some room to move.

[SkinnyG]

Do you have enough room under the axle for full droop?

[rbruno68]

Exhaust looks great.

[Duncan K]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Do you have enough room under the axle for full droop?

It'll be close but i think so

[Duncan K]

Making steady progress

Finished restoring the hubcaps



Started body and paint on the bed. Shot the under side of the wheel tubs and bed sides with raptor liner. Body worked the roll pan and shot the outside of the box with high build. Painted the inside of the box and the wheel tubs.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2qFNEmw]

[joesscamaro]

Looking great! Always enjoy seeing updates on this one!

[Duncan K]

Bed and tailgate are painted. So far this is the best job I've done on the clear coat. Had issues with orange peel on some other parts of the truck. I got a few tips from a co-worker that used to be a painter. I have a few runs that will need to be sanded out but I got it to lay down nice and flat.



Bed wood got 4 coats of Spar Urethane

[rbruno68]

Build looks great. Do you paint in your open shop? How do you deal with over spray? My shop isn't as large, so when I start to do some painting, just thinking of how it is going to go without a both or any partitions in my garage to deal with over spray or anything like that.

[SkinnyG]

I built a booth inside my booth to counter just that. I had zero overspray get into the shop, but it cost just as much for lumber, clear plastic, filters, fans, and extra lighting as it would have to buy an inflatable spray booth off Amazon.

[rbruno68]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

I built a booth inside my booth to counter just that. I had zero overspray get into the shop, but it cost just as much for lumber, clear plastic, filters, fans, and extra lighting as it would have to buy an inflatable spray booth off Amazon.

I think I will have to do something when the time comes.

[Duncan K]

I did spray it in my shop. I have a large exhaust fan that I run to deal with the over spray. I have just accepted that there will be dust to sand out later.

[joesscamaro]

It looks great! I can't wait to see the bed assembled with the wood in it.

[Duncan K]

Here you go Joe

]

[88Stanger]

DAMN, Nice work!!

I seen SkinnyG talking about the inflatable booths, too funny because I have seen them used on a few shows and looked into them. You can get them from just about anywhere and they are good sized! So for approx. $850.00 i am going to get one!
Anyways, great job on the truck!!

[Duncan K]

I got the letters painted on the tailgate, got it installed and put on the chains. Wired up the tail lights, and fit the exhaust tips.



I lined the floor with Kilmat, and installed carpet from ACC. It fit really well! Got the seat belts installed and put in the sill plates.



I took it for a quick spin out on a country road by our shop. I went maybe a kilometer, turned around, came back to the shop and parked. Got out and was admiring it in the sun when I noticed I lost the front driver side hub cap. I hopped in my other truck and went back out down the road assuming I would see a bright white hub cap in the ditch. I have searched that stretch of rode top to bottom and there is no sign of that hub cap. I was back within probably 5 minutes. Only thing I can think of is that someone stopped in that 5 min window and picked it up. That is a real bummer because those hub caps are hard to find in decent shape.

I trailered the truck in to the city to Kal Tire to get an alignment, and the out-of-province inspection that is required to get it registered. Everything on the truck was good, but I ended up failing because of the wheel spacers. My stock 15" wheels don't clear the disk brake calipers, so I used the spacers for clearance. Now I have to find a set of wheels and tires to throw on there that clear the calipers, then have it re-inspected.

I drove it from the tire shop to my house. First time ever driving it on asphalt. It sounds amazing, I had a huge grin on my face the whole way. Now to find a set of wheels to get me through this inspection and on the road for good

[rodstored-72]

duncan, sad to hear about the hubcap. happy to know that you are able to drive it, that is a huge milestone!! interested in the failed inspection?? what do the wheels have to do with inspection? and... the truck looks FANTASTIC!!! very nice job!

[Braunschweiger]

Fantastic work, the Truck is beautiful.
Sorry you lost a hubcap.
I also assumed you had more engineering freedom.

[SkinnyG]

Originally Posted by Braunschweiger

I also assumed you had more engineering freedom.

In Canada, any vehicle that comes from out-of-province must pass an inspection.

Passing an inspection is really up to the interpretation of the inspector. Sometimes modifications get through, sometimes they can be very hard-nosed.

It took me a LONG time to find a 60-66 that 1) had BC registration and 2) had no outstanding order for inspection - it would be a total pain to fix everything only to take it apart and modify it later. I build my vehicles to "hopefully" pass an inspection, but there is a very real possibility that they won't; depends who I take it to.

[Braunschweiger]

Thanks for the Clarification, here in Germany the rules are also very strict and it depends just as much on the Inspector,
at least if you want to have the status of a Classic Car,
which has advantages.
Greetings Harald