TA_C10: Stage 1

[TA_C10]

Update - Bodywork - Hood

The hood was blasted 2 years ago. I used a really nice spray called "Dry Coat". I learned about this spray from someone else and they mentioned it lasts about a year, allowing you to keep bare metal without rusting. Well, I didn't respray after a year, and it actually lasted about 1.5 years before I noticed it started to rust in the pits of the blasting. So I ended up having to re-sand the whole hood. Just whipped out the DA and went to town. Used a wire brush on drill on underneath side to get in all the bracing and etc.

Then after all that I used this Eastwood rust coating stuff inside all the holes and bracing to keep rust away. I used this same stuff in my cab roof skin and pillars when I had it blown apart. Cheap assurance is the way I look at it. Has like a 18" tube and the tip has like 6-7 holes that spray in all directions. Seems to coat really well and gets in all the hard to reach/impossible to reach areas.











Not sure if you can tell, you can see some of the splattering out of the holes, but I hit every hole I could find. Excess just wipes off with paint prep cleaner.
















And she is in primer at the moment.

[1971Stepside]

I appreciate all of the work in the Texas heat. Keep it up and you will have paint before I will

[MDPotter]

I've been wondering what you've been up to...

Bodywork is not be underestimated. On the TV shows, they make it look like it only take a day or two, but it actually takes us several weeks or months. I did all of my bodywork in the warm months so I'm looking forward to doing it all on the next project in the cooler months.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

I've been wondering what you've been up to...

Me too.

How did you get the underside of your hood so clean?

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

I appreciate all of the work in the Texas heat. Keep it up and you will have paint before I will

Originally Posted by MDPotter

I've been wondering what you've been up to...

Bodywork is not be underestimated. On the TV shows, they make it look like it only take a day or two, but it actually takes us several weeks or months. I did all of my bodywork in the warm months so I'm looking forward to doing it all on the next project in the cooler months.

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Me too.

How did you get the underside of your hood so clean?

Well, since you guys are asking......


.

[1971Stepside]

My son can't get access to the CNC machine since the COVID has the campus pretty well locked down....plan B, or C, or whatever we are on now.

[Scurry67]

Bodywork is looking great, man! What do you plan on spraying over the filler?

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Scurry67

Bodywork is looking great, man! What do you plan on spraying over the filler?

I used all Summit Racing and Eastwood products except for final paint.

Eastwood Contour body filler and glaze.
Summit Epoxy primer grey.
Summit High Build 2k black for sanding imperfections.
Summit low voc 2.1 black sealer.
Hot Rod Flatz single stage. Gun Metal Grey. Metallic. Satin.

Everything was really nice to work with. No problems with any of these products.

.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Truck is looking great man! Should be on the road in no time.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Me too.

How did you get the underside of your hood so clean?

Wire brush on a drill, and a DA with 80 grit. Took forever. And this hood was sandblasted already so that helped. I just had to knock out the rust. Before I primed the metal, I went over everything I wire brushed by hand with 80 grit sandpaper too, I heard wire wheels make the metal too smooth to paint and paint won't get a good enough 'grip'.

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

My son can't get access to the CNC machine since the COVID has the campus pretty well locked down....plan B, or C, or whatever we are on now.

Bummer man. I can test at anytime really. I plan to use my metal joint(ball) for now until we figure something out. I'm probably just gonna epoxy and paint with a thin black paint of some kind, sanding it nice and smooth to try and make it last in a plastic socket it will live in.

.

[TA_C10]

Update - Color!!! Fenders, Cowl, Doors

Yeah this is what I've been up to. I took off Friday and Monday last week for a 4 day weekend to get this done. The temps were down to mid 90's so I took advantage. I went over everything again with 220 sandpaper, glazed anything I missed, hung it and sprayed 2 coats black sealer, then everything got 3 coats of color. Reminder this is Hot Rod Flatz, Gun Metal Grey, Metallic, satin sheen. It is sooooo easy to spray. 1.3 tip in my gun. First coat I spray pretty quick passes to put a light coat on first. Then the second/third coats I make slow passes putting it on nice and wet. It comes out sooo deep. I love it. These pics do NOT do it any justice, seeing it in person is so different. I did best I could to get pics with different lighting but my phone camera just didn't capture it great.

I still missed a few little pin holes, but you can't see them unless you use a magnifying glass almost lol. My bodywork payed off. It's not perfect, but it's pretty decent. Everything looks real nice for a daily driver IMO. I just pray it matches the cab lol. The cab is so dirty I can't really tell yet. I am waiting for my new door hinges to show up, otherwise all these pieces would be installed already.

Door pics look blotchy in these photos, but that aint what it looks like in person. The paint layed down so flawlessly I couldn't believe it. No runs. Metallic layed perfect too. Unbelievable how easy it is to spray. If I knew what I was doing, I would spray a clear over these, but they don't make a satin clear, you gotta mix it, and I don't know how to do this. And plus these new technology single stage paints are awesome, they last a lot longer than the old single stage paints of our fathers. Gringoloco used same brand single stage, he says it still looks same as day he sprayed it.

I'm pumped!!

[1971Stepside]

Great job! Now get it put together so we can see it!!

[MDPotter]

You're about to reach a milestone - reassembly of all these parts.

So what's going to be Stage 2? You've done a ton of work on this truck in Stage 1.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Truck is looking great man! Should be on the road in no time.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

Great job! Now get it put together so we can see it!!

No kidding! I need hinges... Should be here today or tomorrow I think. I'm rebuilding my vent windows btw. Should finish those soon. I'm thinking however, since the door and vent windows are clean and out of truck, now would be a great time to take them to get tinted. Before I assemble them. But... I am pretty anxious and may not make that lol.

Originally Posted by MDPotter

You're about to reach a milestone - reassembly of all these parts.

So what's going to be Stage 2? You've done a ton of work on this truck in Stage 1.

Thanks man. Funny, I forget the name still says Stage 1 lol. So different what ended up happening... Anyways, Stage 2 will now be speed parts and a few upgrades. Interior may be apart of stage 2 as well, I want bucket seats, console, a-pillars, back side, all that done up with panels. And sound system.

[1971Stepside]

I'm rebuilding my vent windows btw

The extra rivets I ordered came today, so I will finish mine up over the weekend. If you need any "how the heck did you do this" pointers, let me know.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

The extra rivets I ordered came today, so I will finish mine up over the weekend. If you need any "how the heck did you do this" pointers, let me know.

Yeah let me know your technique, on rivets, what did you use as the "anvil" on backside inside the window channel?

.

[siggyfreud]

What size ball is on the other end of your mirror mount?



What if we just made the ball that goes into the mirror, and this entire chrome stem that mounts into the bracket one piece?

Edit: On second though, perhaps not as it uses that screw the mirror ball goes into to pivot on it appears.

I found a spare mirror in the garage, and as tight as this is it may just not be suited to plastic in these smaller pieces. Adjusting and holding the mirror seems to require a pretty decent amount of force in a small area.

What's interesting is their bracket is plastic, but appears much thicker and only pivots on the ball alone, right?

[TA_C10]

Update - Vent Window Rebuild

I'm going to start off by saying if you don't have the right tools for this job, you better get em(or make em). I started with passenger side and was following the brotherstrucks.com video. It seemed straight forward, but then the I started seeing issues like not getting the anvil to stay behind the rivets because they were too close to the rubber, then finding other ways on different rivets hidden.... Etc. By the time I got to the drivers side window I had it all figured out finally. No big deal really, but dang, took a bit to figure out.

I ended up finding a small strip of steel that worked great for almost all the rivets, I used a socket in the channel so I didn't gaul up the pretty side of channel and a pair of vise grips to hold the strip of steel over the head of rivet while I drove the rivets into place.

I also took my loose door windows and vent windows to get tinted. I went with the lightest tint they had of 32%. I also got their top of the line stuff. Winco brand tint. It blocks 99% of UV(what fades your interior) and 65% of IR(heat). I figured it would be really easy for the guys to install with it off the vehicle. Once the truck is done I will take it in for the windshield and back window. Back window will get same tint you see here. Windshield with get the clear(actually 70% they say) which matches most windshields standard 70% already built in. But this stuff will block all the UV and heat which I am most interested in. Should be nice.

Back to vent windows. The P.O. painted them grey on the inside. I don't know why. It took me a while but I sanded off the paint buffed the chrome out. They were in excellent shape! They have the chrome insert around the channel so they show chrome inside and outside. Crazy what people are thinking. The outside of truck was all sprayed with flat black(horribly done), and they had over-spray on everything including the vent windows.

I also used upgraded "locking" vent window handles from LMC. They are for the 73-87 squarebody's. They work great. But they do snag a little bit on the rubber when closing the vent, but not enough to hurt the rubber over time if you go slow and close them right. Definitely not enough for me to go back to the "non locking" style.

Last note. When installing the tension spring. I noticed one of my "fiber" washers was missing, and another one broke pretty easy on me. I went down to the local ACE and picked up 4 new ones. Had to clearance the hole just a tad bigger but no big deal. I also put a VERY light film of grease on all the washers and spring top and bottom. When I put the window together without the grease, it was jerky opening and closing. Now they move very smoothly and no noise.

I think they turned out pretty good, I am happy with them.


My little setup for the day, needed to get out where the wind would help cool me off, back to 100 degrees that day...





Before pics, rubber was in pretty bad shape, and all the grey paint was horrible looking...









Got this tip from the brotherstrucks video, used 2 different color zip ties to keep the hardware in correct order and to each correct window they belonged to. This was all done over a weeks time.







Got all the chrome stripped of paint and polished up nice. And here are the inserts of chrome for the main channels.












Here is my method to getting the rivets in. This method worked excellent for me.

















New rubber went on pretty easy with glass cleaner. And these tight rivets, I used a 1/4" socket extension on the vise to act as an "anvil" when punching these rivets out.

[siggyfreud]

Just spitballing . . . but something like this, and the cable runs inside it.

[1971Stepside]

what did you use as the "anvil" on backside inside the window channel?

I pushed the rivets through from the window side and smashed them on the inside of the channel. Opposite the originals, but in my case it didn't matter. I have a piece of 1/4 steel that I placed flat on my work bench. Ran a piece of tape down it and over the rivets and they went real smooth. For the pivots, I put the piece of steel in the vice on edge and got my wife to hod the frame while I hit the rivet.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

What size ball is on the other end of your mirror mount?

What if we just made the ball that goes into the mirror, and this entire chrome stem that mounts into the bracket one piece?

Edit: On second though, perhaps not as it uses that screw the mirror ball goes into to pivot on it appears.

I found a spare mirror in the garage, and as tight as this is it may just not be suited to plastic in these smaller pieces. Adjusting and holding the mirror seems to require a pretty decent amount of force in a small area.

What's interesting is their bracket is plastic, but appears much thicker and only pivots on the ball alone, right?

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

Just spitballing . . . but something like this, and the cable runs inside it.

Yeah man I dunno, the plastic just doesn't seem to be strong enough. I really like your designs I think they would work very well, but only with stronger materials. When I actually mounted the mirror with my steel ball in the new mirror, it's working great. But it's tight enough I think your plastic arm would snap.

And the ball that came with the NEW mirror, it has a plastic socket the aluminum ball rides in. My metal ball works good in there, your plastic ball worked well in there too, but the difference was the "stem" off your plastic ball was too weak.

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

I pushed the rivets through from the window side and smashed them on the inside of the channel. Opposite the originals, but in my case it didn't matter. I have a piece of 1/4 steel that I placed flat on my work bench. Ran a piece of tape down it and over the rivets and they went real smooth. For the pivots, I put the piece of steel in the vice on edge and got my wife to hod the frame while I hit the rivet.

Thanks for the info, I ended up getting mine done this weekend


.

[1971Stepside]

Do you have one of your chrome pieces on upside down? It looks like the stainless latch piece is at the top and not where your latch is sliding over. I ask, because I just about did the same thing.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

Do you have one of your chrome pieces on upside down? It looks like the stainless latch piece is at the top and not where your latch is sliding over. I ask, because I just about did the same thing.

LMBO, yes I do..... And I ain't taking them back apart either.... Got in a hurry I guess, I never even noticed it(and I have no experience at this either).... Glad that is on the inside!!

It funny the experience thing. I have never built a truck before. Not to this magnitude. Every nut and bolt... There are so many things, now that I have done this once, that I could have done better AND FASTER...

Good observation, and thanks for pointing out my screw-up. I will add this to my stage 2 or stage 3 build, upgrade to 1 piece glass cuz my vent window trim isn't gonna last

.

[1971Stepside]

I wasn't trying to be negative. I saw it and went "doh" because I did the same thing, but luckily caught it after only one rivet was in. I then about installed the pivot rivet before I put all the washers on the post.

I'm with you. I've learned a lot doing this. Don't think I will ever do another frame off.

[MDPotter]

What did you use for setting the rivets? The tool that comes with the kit? I used the cheap little rivet setting tool on mine. It seems to last just long enough for one set. The rivet tools are nice, but I couldn't justify the cost for one set of windows.

I also had the help of my dad doing mine, but it looks like you did it single-handedly so good work on the positioning and tools.

They look great, good job and nice writeup!