68 GMC to a 2003 Tahoe chassis

[75Dually]

Doors are done! OK almost done... I am still waiting for the grey circle pieces that go behind the handles, but they are done enough for now! BTW I bolted the outside door handle on after I took the below pic.

It took me a while but I now know the sequence on how to put the doors back together:

1. Install as 1 unit, door latch, lock rod, and door release handle.
2. install window regulator
3. Install the vent window assembly
4. Install the opposing window track
5. Place the window in the door and drive yourself crazy and kill your back getting all the roller tracks in their proper places.
6. Throw wrenches!
7. Take a long walk away from the shop so you stop throwing wrenches...
8. Come back and with much patience get the rollers into the track finally!!
9. And the people sang!
10. Do a little dance...
11. Tighten all the bolts and snap in all the felts, you are done!

No problem huh!

Stay tuned!!!

[75Dually]

Today was a good day! Went to the local cars and coffee with a good friend and took the 75Dually. Bunch of really nice cars out, one older SEMA mopar, and a bunch of other cool cars were out early in the morning.

After that my wife and I went to a small car show that had a really cool car swap meet. I got a great deal on something I'm going to incorporate into this build. I will show it to everyone once I get to that stage.

Once we got home I started on tearing down the Tahoe. BTW it is in really nice shape. I will take my time tearing it down. I believe in labeling everything so I can know where it goes when the time comes. So I took care while taking the front end apart as you see it below. I plan on selling the sheet metal, so if you are in West Texas let me know I will make you a great deal! All of the sheet metal is in super shape.

So tomorrow just more of the same. My plan is to get it to a point where I can roll the new chassis out and put the 68 chassis under it so it can go to the junk yard ASAP.

Stay tuned...

[Chumly223]

Subscribed
looks good

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Chumly223

Subscribed
looks good

Thanks! I got a lot to do for sure.

[75Dually]

So today was more of the same as yesterday. I continued to tear apart the Tahoe. I got the other running board off, the passenger front fender removed, and the front bumper. I also got the cowl vent area with the entire wiper motor and arm assembly removed too. I'm trying to be real careful removing everything because I have a 2003 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 crew cab, and I'm trying to save all the spare parts I can in case anything ever goes wrong on that truck. It's my wife's daily driver.

I then moved on to the interior and slowly started pulling the dash apart. I need to know exactly where I can cut the firewall and not tear anything up at the same time. There is just so much wiring under the dash area that it will make this part of the job challenging to do it right the first time. Not like you get second chances when you tear into something like this, so having a good plan the first go around is crucial.

My plan from here is to get the rest of the dash disassembled and then work on getting the body ready to come off. At least this is a newer vehicle and not every nut and bolt is rusted solid like half of the other vehicles I have torn down on projects. Nothing is worse than every nut and bolt fighting you at every turn.

Stay tuned...

[thetucks]

are you planning on using the tahoe firewall? what about the floor? I have seen a couple guys use the whole floor and firewall together but they intended to use the tahoe dash. They did have an issue when using the tahoe floor making the truck cab fit to it.

I used just the tahoe firewall on mine because I wanted to use the truck dash. If your not going to use the tahoe heat and air system you dont need the tahoe firewall though. It really depends on what all your planning on using from the tahoe.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by thetucks

are you planning on using the tahoe firewall? what about the floor? I have seen a couple guys use the whole floor and firewall together but they intended to use the tahoe dash. They did have an issue when using the tahoe floor making the truck cab fit to it.

I used just the tahoe firewall on mine because I wanted to use the truck dash. If your not going to use the tahoe heat and air system you dont need the tahoe firewall though. It really depends on what all your planning on using from the tahoe.

At this point I plan on using both the dash and the floor from the Tahoe, but that is subject to change depending if I can make it all work together. If you measure across the floor there is 5 inches greater on the 68 cab than the Tahoe. Which means you could leave 2.5 inches along the sill and weld the new floor to that.

My reason for wanting the firewall is more the gas pedal, brake assembly, and steering components initially. Then there is all the electrical pass throughs and the like. I know if I'm going to use the Tahoe dash it will have to be highly modified to fit the confines of the 68 dash area. About the heat/air, I'm not sure what I want to do right now. I've used Vintage Air in the past and really liked their products, so it will really come down to if I use the Tahoe dash or not. If not then I will go with the aftermarket air system.

Truly I will have a better idea on the final approach once I can get the Tahoe body off the chassis and be able to measure everything up.

Thanks for the advice!

[thetucks]

I am using all the gas and brake pedals, instrument cluster, steering column, etc from the tahoe. Thats why i cut out just the firewall and welded it into the truck cab. I am using the tahoe adjustable pedals and everything.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by thetucks

I am using all the gas and brake pedals, instrument cluster, steering column, etc from the tahoe. Thats why i cut out just the firewall and welded it into the truck cab. I am using the tahoe adjustable pedals and everything.

I guess I'm going to go back through your blog tonight and see again what you had done. Thanks again for the help!

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by thetucks

I am using all the gas and brake pedals, instrument cluster, steering column, etc from the tahoe. Thats why i cut out just the firewall and welded it into the truck cab. I am using the tahoe adjustable pedals and everything.

So like I just said to Ryan above, I think I'm going to do something similar to what you did on your truck. If I get stuck I'll message you.

Thanks again for your help!

[75Dually]

A small funny story happened today. I took the door locks into our local lock shop to get keys made. The technician was a really nice guy and he made a set of new keys for the truck. The funny part was when he handed me back the lock and the keys he said that he had to spray a lot of cleaning fluid into the lock to free it up. You see the dust was so thick in the lock it barely moved.

Now I've told you a couple of times how much dust has been in this truck, and yes it being from Lubbock means it has it's fair share of sprinkled earth in it. However if you are not from this part of the country you have very little clue as to the dust storms we get here, and how much this fine dirt gets everywhere and in everything.

So be glad that when you work on your own truck and you happen to tap any part of the body while laying underneath it you don't get a face full of dirt. You get this here even if you have power washed it a dozen times! The struggle is real folks!!

So as the technician handed me back the keys and the lock he told me about the cleaning it took to get it to work. All I could do was smile and tell him it was a Lubbock truck. He responded "That explains a lot." That's life here in West Texas...

Stay tuned...

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice to see you starting on this one! Fakerwade did a 4x4 one but he still hasn't finished it up. He used the firewall and cowl on his I'm pretty sure. How about I send you a rusty cab and you sell me your rust free cab before you ruin it? LMAO! Nice work on those bed sides and doors too.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very nice to see you starting on this one! Fakerwade did a 4x4 one but he still hasn't finished it up. He used the firewall and cowl on his I'm pretty sure. How about I send you a rusty cab and you sell me your rust free cab before you ruin it? LMAO! Nice work on those bed sides and doors too.

Ryan, I'm so glad you told me about Fakerwade's page. That is what I thought I would do, but after seeing it I am now more in favor of thetucks method. Just take out of the firewall what I need and tach it into the old firewall and move on with life...

Oh and about that rusty crusty Iowa cab, you can keep it... There's not enough left on an Iowa cab to even trade with. I may complain about all the dust (cough, cough, cough...) but I'll take it any day over rust!

[Dieselwrencher]

Well I figured I'd try to save you some cutting with these areas already gone.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Well I figured I'd try to save you some cutting with these areas already gone.

You're the typical giving kind you are! LOL!!

[75Dually]

Before the sun started going down today I played with with a couple of the items taken out of the Tahoe. These are the 2nd row seats that I cleaned up, and naturally that is the dash fascia. I was just checking to see if I used the Tahoe dash what would need to be cut out and what I could keep. Understand that I am not 100% sold on the idea of doing a different dash yet, but I tend to mock a lot of stuff up take pics and then see what I like.

The seats fit amazing! They just need the brackets modified to bring them down about 3 inches, super easy stuff. The dash is another interesting element. The total Tahoe dash is aprox. 6" wider than the 68 dash, but I will not use the whole dash just the fascia here. So that means that I would somehow have to take out 3" on the left hand side so that it would fit with the doors closed. This is what I really enjoy about these projects, figuring out how to solve the puzzles like this. Naturally the builders who read this post will have their ideas on how to solve that, I look forward to that discussion, but remember that in the end it needs to fit within the packaging area I have available.

So if I use this dash I will take out everything I can out of the Tahoe and use a lot of it to make this work and look right. Things like the AC ducting, defroster vents, radio mounting, etc... That way it has more of a factory feel in the end. We will see how it goes...

Stay tuned...

[Dieselwrencher]

I'm not sure on the dash. Maybe if it looked cool in the Tahoe.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I'm not sure on the dash. Maybe if it looked cool in the Tahoe.

I just knew it had to be you to fire the first shot... Well who knows what way I'm going to go, but I'll put you down in the con column and I'll be in the pro column at this point. At least we balance that way!

[thetucks]

Originally Posted by 75Dually

I just knew it had to be you to fire the first shot... Well who knows what way I'm going to go, but I'll put you down in the con column and I'll be in the pro column at this point. At least we balance that way!

Since you're gonna keep a tally put me down with Dieselwrencher. Lol

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by thetucks

Since you're gonna keep a tally put me down with Dieselwrencher. Lol

Not you too! Ug!! Looks like I'm getting dog piled today!

On a more serious note you have an LS in your truck correct? Are you still running the stock GM gauges, or are you going to run the modern gauges? If so do you have a recent pic of what your setup looks like? Also are you using the stock wiring harness from the donor truck, and what changes have you made so far to the harness? I probably have some other questions, but right now that is some of my main questions.

[72 tigger]

Sorry, I like the factory dash too. Although my DD is a 72 body on a 02 Dodge chassis with a Cummins. I installed the Dodge cluster in the factory opening using a glovebox door that I cut a opening in & had the outer band chromed & applied a woodgrain decal to the rest of the center. Will try to get a pic if this doesn't make sense. I used all the 72 climate components.

[thetucks]

Originally Posted by 75Dually

Not you too! Ug!! Looks like I'm getting dog piled today!

On a more serious note you have an LS in your truck correct? Are you still running the stock GM gauges, or are you going to run the modern gauges? If so do you have a recent pic of what your setup looks like? Also are you using the stock wiring harness from the donor truck, and what changes have you made so far to the harness? I probably have some other questions, but right now that is some of my main questions.

Yes I have the ls engine as well. I am using the stock tahoe gauges modified to fit in the hole of the truck dash. Here is a pic of what I did. I made a bezel to fit it. I am using the stock harness from the tahoe completly. The tahoe I used had every feature possible on the tahoe including onstar and xm radio. Since the wiring is already intact i am using it to run to everything im putting in the truck. I may have to change ends and shorten or extend some wires but thats the fun part of it.

[75Dually]

Not much to report right now, but I have been working on getting the Tahoe ready for body removal. Just a lot of unbolting, and labeling everything so I know where it goes when it comes to reassembly. I try to take my time on disassembly, that way your not guessing what goes where.

Hope everyone has a good and safe Thanksgiving!

Stay tuned!

[COS399]

Sorry I am late for the party but anxious to follow along and watch your handy work. I was going to do something similar to my Jimmy but changed directions when I realized the frame of the Tahoe was bent. Keep up the good work.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by COS399

Sorry I am late for the party but anxious to follow along and watch your handy work. I was going to do something similar to my Jimmy but changed directions when I realized the frame of the Tahoe was bent. Keep up the good work.

I think your going to enjoy this build... I just wish I could sit back and watch someone else do it all for me, but hey that's not how I roll... but you knew that right...