"Crewcab Jake" the 84 to 74 conversion

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Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Seats and wheels look very NICE!

Thank you sir

Originally Posted by aggie91

Need an updated picture with Jake at LST...

[rustytruck50]

Wow Ken, Jake looks like a million bucks!

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Now that the LST dust (mud) has settled its time to coordinate with Aaron at Homegrown Hotrods and discuss our next step.

We decided that the interior needs to be completed for the next phase. That means that the cabin needs to be enclosed. Before I install the windows and Precision Replacement Parts seals, he needs to fine tune the door adjustments.

Since I built this truck from at least eight donors the fitment was not great. Aaron did a good job in a short period getting them close, but its time to dial them in so they can be sealed up with Tamco sealer.

I'll post updates as the progress continues.

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This evening I got home from running service calls and started the next stage of the build. Since Aaron will be working on the doors soon, I want to ensure they are ready for him.

I started working on hanging the door panels. I have a set of Suburban panels that should do the trick. I plan dye them then update the inserts to match the seats.

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I had a spare dash pad so I swapped them to see if I liked the black on top, andvI'm not feeling it. It looks like the light pad will get dyed to match.

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My plan is to modify the existing inserts to allow room for the Silverado brushed aluminum inserts. The lower door will have black carpet kick panels with chrome trim accents.


To give a visual of what I'm thinking I installed the maroon panel that has similar trim to what I'm planning to use.

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I had planned to meet with the guy that did the bodywork on Jake's doors to pick up the internal parts he had removed. He had to work today and couldn't meet with me.

I decided maybe it would be better to install the Vibro Solutions sound deadner before the regulators went back in. It was a good decision that cut my install time and blood loss in half.

If you have ever worked inside of these doors, you know it's like trying to give a cat a bath....in alcohol.

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Due to poor lighting I couldn't get a quality picture inside the door. The 5 mil I used was a older version of the 2 mil that had a silver foil layer. The new version is satin black like pictured on the inner door. That area is under the door panel for an additional layer of thermal barrier.

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Chris came by for a short shop session this evening. We want to get as much of the interior mocked up as possible before we send it to Homegrown Hotrods.

I got the door panels in position and held secure with enough screws to ensure that they were stable. We needed to install the new carpeted panels on the doors. Since we had a mixed set of doors, panels, and carpet we had to check the old one for fit then use them as a template for the new ones.

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The new panels dont come with the chrome trim. I decided this interior color needed the bling so I collected a good clean set. We transferred them to the new set

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If you use a bit of imagination you can start to visualize where this is headed. The door panels will be dyed to match the seat color. I have vinyl that matches the seat inserts that will be used to cover the inserts on the door panels.
Note that the front insert will be cut shorter for the full length Silverado brush trim to fit both doors

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While Chris worked on the panels, I continued to push forward with the Vibro Solutions sound deadner install. The back door was a bit more challenging due to the smaller access opening.
I managed to get it wrapped up in between assisting Chris with his project.

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I had a really long day at work and my allergies are wreaking havoc with the pine pollen in full bloom. Consequently my shop time was a bit limited tonight.

I discovered the the passenger front door had GMs version of sound deadner installed inside it. I'm not sure if it's to prevent rattles or actually to dampen the panel. What I do know is it was not effective, and it was in my way.

[Wikid61]

Reflectix R-3.7 Double Reflective Insulation 2' x 100' at Menards I have used this over top of regular sound deadener (FAT MATT, Dyna, ect) on the outer door skins. AND on the inside cavity of these plastic door panels. It really made a difference. For low-low dollar build we used just the foil wrap & doubled it in places it would fit anywhere in the cab.

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Originally Posted by Wikid61

Reflectix R-3.7 Double Reflective Insulation 2' x 100' at Menards I have used this over top of regular sound deadener (FAT MATT, Dyna, ect) on the outer door skins. AND on the inside cavity of these plastic door panels. It really made a difference. For low-low dollar build we used just the foil wrap & doubled it in places it would fit anywhere in the cab.

We dont have Menards here, but I have used a similar product from Home Depot. The composition of the product makes it a great addition to the sound deadner. Its light weight and thin layers make it useful as additional thermal barrier above the headliner.

I have used it as you suggested under the door panel. Rather than attach it to the inside of the door panel, I cut a piece to fit the door instead. I attach that piece with duct tape (color coordinated of course) to reduce thermal transfer AND wind noise. The duct tape allows me to remove it if necessary to do any repairs inside the door.

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This past week was insanely busy at work. The weather was bad pushing people to find indoor activities. Combine that with Mardi Gras festivals and crawfish season our accounts were extremely busy. Combine that with me fighting a sinus infection and I didn't get a lot done in the shop.

Instead, I was productive by ordering parts. I played the price match game with Summit Racing. They have gotten much stricter on matching but I still got some great deals.

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To take advantage of the free shipping and compound my savings I made orders that were right above 100.00 each time.
I wanted all new inside door handles, and window motors. Once the inner and outer door parts go together I dont want reliability issues.

I bought Dorman door handles and A/C Delco window motors based on feedback from reviews and experienced restoration shops.

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This morning I finally got some shop time Chris and I ran a few errands and went to my buddy Berdos shop. Hes one of my C10 Club friends and a Squarebody parts scrounge.

I had sourced the rear power doors from home along with door panels and several other parts early on in my build.

He recently picked up a Suburban that had a pristine power door harness that was perfect for my needs. He had an extra rear door panel to replace one I had cracked while trying to remove it. I also grabbed a headlight dinger module to replace mine that had died.



I loaded

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I started working on stripping all of the door panels.
I removed the old window scrapers. This allows me to test fit the panels and remove them with ease. They will be replaced on final install with new pieces from Precision Replacement Parts.
I also removed the arm rest pads, insert panels, and trim pieces. These parts were a tedious task due to 35 year old plastic pins

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I worked my way through all four door panels till they were stripped down. I laid all of the pieces aside to evaluate what needs to be done.
Once I ensure alignment on the corresponding doors. The cloth covered insert panels will be stripped, then cut down to make room for the full length Silverado brushed aluminum trim from Cheyenne Pickup parts.

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I learned a valuable lesson tonight. I already knew that Texas weather is totally unpredictable.
This past week temps were freezing at night, with drizzling rain and 40s during the day. It was supposed to be cold and wet today as well. Instead it cleared and warmed to the low 70s.

So, what is my point? I found out that its virtually impossible to hang sound deadner inside a door when temperatures are above 70 degrees. It turns the sheets to a limp and sticky mess that does not want to be adjusted after it makes contact.

It was a lesson in frustration, but I managed to get the last door done.

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Today Chris and met with Harris and picked up the parts from inside the doors. Chris took inventory and we only have a couple of parts missing.

Once we got the parts stored we loaded Jake on the trailer. Hes headed back to Homegrown Hotrods to start the panel alignment process.

After mapping out our plans on Jake, I headed back to the shop. With the truck gone I have to see what's available for me to work on.
I decided to rebuild the rear door handle assemblies. The stock handles are spot welded to the mounting plates so I drilled them out. I drilled and tapped holes to mount the new handle assemblies to the backing plate.

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I went by Cypress Auto Interiors yesterday and met with Jaime. We discussed color choices for Jake's interior.
The choices for seatbelt webbing are limited. We made that decision and moved on to vinyl dye. He had an SEM color chart so I took it with me. I wanted to look at the samples in various different light sources.

The colors are really hard to photograph. I managed to get a pic that's reasonably close, but still not completely accurate. The ivory (15853) is a bit darker than the seat vinyl which I what I want.

[lolife99]

Ken,... why couldn’t TMI provide you with matching door panel material?
I would think they would have plenty on hand.

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Originally Posted by lolife99

Ken,... why couldn’t TMI provide you with matching door panel material?
I would think they would have plenty on hand.

They did Keith.I bought extra yardage of both materials. Jaime will use that to create inserts for the door panels. Eventually I will use some to cover a speaker box.

The vinyl dye will be for all the plastic parts. All of the trim, door panels and console will be dyed to match.