How much can I build in 4 days???

[OneOffStroker]

Well, I had planned a 10-day thrash to do a ridiculous amount of work to my '69, but as they do, plans changed. I got a 4-day weekend from work, and the wife is out of town for said weekend, so I have uninhibited garage time to pound out some work. I guess I'll see how well I do in 4 days...

Here's what I'm shooting for:

- Remove front clip and strip out old wiring
- Remove old motor/trans (350/TH400)
- Cut out cancer from floorboards, firewall, and kick panels.
- Replace said panels, resulting in a smooth firewall
- Liberally apply seam sealer to exposed corners and joints to deter rust from returning.
- Prime and paint new steel, as well as clean, prime, and paint the rest of the engine bay.
- Install RAAM BXTII and Ensolite deadener
- Install 5.3/4L60E and associated wiring
- Fab up some temp exhaust
- Swap driveshaft yoke and press in new carrier bearing
- Rewire entire truck with EZ-Wiring 21 circuit harness
- Carpet interior to cover deadener (need to find some carpet first...)
- Install new A/C Evaporator unit

I think I'll stop my list there. All of the above looks like a lofty enough goal for one man to do in 4 days.

*Note: as I write this, I'm at lunch on day 2. I'm not quite where I want to be yet...

[OneOffStroker]

1- Engine out.
2- P.O. used fiberglass mat to cover the massive firewall rust. Clever, but not up to par.
3- Lower cowl. Both sides are bad like this
4- Windshield wiper motor. This sucks. It will likely be the hardest part to replicate
5- note the rust all the way around floorboard and up kick panel. Ugh.

[shawno72]

Good luck!! Take a quick sec here and there to let us know the progress.

[OneOffStroker]

1- P.O cut the coils so short, it was 100% on the bumpstops and shocks bottomed all the time. Dangerous ride.
2- The 5.3/4L60E all sexied up.
3- Gutted!
4- Teaser of the seats. Heated Leather from 2003 PT Cruiser Turbo
5- Out with the old...

[OneOffStroker]

Progress from day 1:
1- Rust out...
2- ...new metal in.

Now it's lunchtime day 2:
3- More rust out.

Now I have to get back at it and make new panels, weld them in, and get to smoothing and priming.

[shawno72]

WOW!!! You are really moving along

[OneOffStroker]

Well, now it's about dinner time. It just started raining like crazy out of nowhere, so I figured it's as good a time as any to come inside for a few. The driver's side rust is a bit more intense than the passenger's side. Apart from having to keep things mounted on the firewall on this side, I ran into the biggest abortion of a fix I've ever seen. The P.O. put blue shop towels and expanding foam inside the rocker to 'shape' it, then sprayed paint over it. Chicken wire and bondo have nothing on this!

Pics:
1- The dude should have just put actual sponges inside the rocker...would have had the same result.
2- Massive rust through kick panel and into cab support.
3- Rust cut out...but can you see what bonehead move I just pulled here. This is the second rookie mistake I've made in 2 days. (1st was not plugging the tranny output shaft when I pulled the motor. You know what that means...)
4- I had options to either build a standoff 'box' to mount the brake master, or section it by the amount I'm relieving the firewall. I chose the better of the two, I think. Will make a smoother firewall in the end.

That's where I am now. After dinner, I'm going to make patch pieces for the floor and firewall, then weld it all in, including a new rocker from Year One. After that, I'll throw down some primer and seam sealer.

Laters!

[shawno72]

That's just nuts, makes me feel real happy with my pencil eraser size hole above the d/s door.

[low'n slow]

Hey, I'm missing those blue rags! That is a cheap fix for sure. Good luck with the repair. You have quite a list of chores to accomplish in 4 days. Good Luck!

[OneOffStroker]

Well, end of day 2. Today sucked. It turned into a complete downpour for almost 4 hours, so I didn't get too far because my garage nearly floods when the door is open and it rains. The truck barely fits in the garage, so I have to have the door open to really get anything done.

And then there were all of the additional holes I found in the floor, rocker, and braces. That just took too long to figure out. I don't fire up my grinders or loud stuff after 9 pm so that I don't piss off the neighbors, so I didn't even get patch panels made.

However, while I was looking things over, I had an epiphany for the overall look of the engine bay. Most probably won't like it, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one. Stay tuned to find out what I do with it...

[OneOffStroker]

Well, day 4 has ended, and I did not get as far as I wanted. I was plagued with bad weather and neverending rust. It just takes too long to make dozens of patch panels, fit them up, and weld them in. I nearly finished, but ran out of MIG wire. So after I get some of that, I'll finish up the welding, smooth things out a bit, and then it will be time to degrease, clean, and prime the engine bay and framerails.

Once I get the bay painted, it will be an easy day to stab the 5.3 in there and start wiring it all. I should also get an additional glove box door in the mail this week so that I can cut it up and make a new instrument cluster as well. This one is going to be fairly trick, I think. Stay tuned...

[gcburdic]

Moving right along here....looking forward to seeing the engine bay...post up some pictures when you get a chance

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

Moving right along here....looking forward to seeing the engine bay...post up some pictures when you get a chance

X2

[ThreeQtr]

Looks like your doing a good job of beating the rust. Hang in there, we need to save
as many of these old burbs as they don't make them anymore and alot of them get cut up for scrap.

If you think you had alot of hidden rust to deal with check out this rebuid.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342284

[OneOffStroker]

Originally Posted by ThreeQtr

Looks like your doing a good job of beating the rust. Hang in there, we need to save
as many of these old burbs as they don't make them anymore and alot of them get cut up for scrap.

If you think you had alot of hidden rust to deal with check out this rebuid.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342284

Thanks, ThreeQtr. I've only told about the rust on the first 1/3 of the truck...there is plenty more rearward of the B Pillar. *uhg*

I have everything welded in, primed, and painted finally. Now I need to prime & paint the inner fenders, fenders, radiator support, and under the hood.

I got the front suspension installed today finally. I installed new control arm shafts, and that was beyond a PITA. I think I need a new driver's side lower control arm, because something just doesn't look right. Oh well. I'll drive it around and see how it acts. If I can find one at the pick-n-pull I'll grab it and rehab it.

BTW, I'm holding out on you all in the picture department, because I don't want to give away my underhood paint scheme jus yet. I'll make a build thread full of pics after I get the truck back together and out of my garage. (~2 weeks)

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by OneOffStroker

BTW, I'm holding out on you all in the picture department, because I don't want to give away my underhood paint scheme jus yet. I'll make a build thread full of pics after I get the truck back together and out of my garage. (~2 weeks)

Boooooo.... we'll be aniticipating to see what you've done....and may just pester you till you post up some sneak peeks

[OneOffStroker]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

Boooooo.... we'll be aniticipating to see what you've done....and may just pester you till you post up some sneak peeks

I linked my build thread in my signature.

[gcburdic]

cool...I moved your build thread to the project/ builds for burbs forum for ya too...thanks for the update, keep us posted over there