Halfbreed - GMC Z71 + IH Extd Cab

[68 Four on the Floor]

You're CRAZY! I like you.....

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by wuntun87

IIRC, that is the wiper delay module. Not necessarily hidden to keep one from finding it, but just installed that way for cost cutting. My wiper delay failed and that part (circuit board) was a dealer only item (somewhere near $100 or more) so I bought a matching resistor like the burnt one ($2 at radio shack), and soldered it in. What a rush to save that much money on a repair. I have been reading your build from the beginning, and i finally got a chance to add .02 cents. Keep up the awesome work sparkydog! (OK. now .04 cents)

Thank you wuntun! Very nice to know what that thing is.

Originally Posted by racedaddy

Man O Man, just found this thread this morning and read it all. Nice work. Have you thought of going with an electric fan? You can get a GM one from pull-a-part for like $10. They use them in everything and then you could get much closer to the engine.

Yes I would probably switch to elec if I needed to. I should be OK as is. There is a lot of stock GM stuff that would also have to move around if I got too aggressive with the relo. Like washer fluid tank, ECM mount bracket (because the fender skirt would get sectioned), battery. I'm trying to keep the total fab work down to barely do-able so that I don't burn out. I want to switch to front hood hinges and that alone is probably going to kick my ass.

Originally Posted by 68 Four on the Floor

You're CRAZY! I like you.....

Thanks for reading my build!

[67ChevyRedneck]

It's been a whole week! I need pics!!!

[sparkydog]

Ask and you shall receive!

Fabbed a mounting point for the IH grille by welding a doubler plate with a weld nut onto the GM grille base.

Then made up some mating gussets for the grille and marked off where they would be welded to. Then tacked them on while still on the truck and then took the whole thing off (for the 20th time) for proper welding.

[sparkydog]

Now the truck has a solid base for mounting the grille to the chassis - two 7/16 bolts and I can adjust fore/aft with the GM shock mount bolts and height by adding/subtracting flat washers under my new brackets.

[sparkydog]

Then it was time to mockup the GM fender skirts. I had not realized that the driver's side skirt was really smashed up - that side must have taken a bigger hit in some former accident and I just hadn't really noticed all the messed up sheet metal. So I spent about an hour with various tools taking the dents out of the skirt and getting it back to more or less stock shape.

After that I went on to putting some temporary braces (elec conduit) between the firewall and the grille so that I could have a stable and symmetrical hood and grille from which to start hacking up the fenders.

[sparkydog]

That's it for the week. At least the wood platform and most of the vice grips and clamps are off the truck.

I did chop up a fender and start playing around but quickly realized that I was getting ahead of myself. I have some work to do on the hood to get both sides where the edges meet the fenders to be smooth and arched the same before I can start aligning the fenders to the hood.

[1985-GMC]

Wow great job!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Looking good! Wish I had half the progress you have. (on any one of my projects)

Never had a hot water bottle. Are you using it full or empty?
Interesting!

Yes full of water. Sort of a variation on a leather bag full of shot.

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Wow great job!

Thank you!

[72CREWCAB]

Just read the entire thread! Truly unique build, looks great! Amazing to watch not only the progression of the build but the level of your skills and confidence as well! Very inspiring! Keep up the great work!

Subscribed for sure...oh and Merry Christmas!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by 72CREWCAB

Just read the entire thread! Truly unique build, looks great! Amazing to watch not only the progression of the build but the level of your skills and confidence as well! Very inspiring! Keep up the great work!

Subscribed for sure...oh and Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining my build. You're right about the change in my confidence. I remember being very intimidated by the roof and now I wish I could go back and try it again.

Merry Christmas!
Posted via Mobile Device

[EZ SPEED]

Awesome build. Just read it all at one sitting.

Definatly subscribing to this thread. Keep up the great work

[sparkydog]

First of all Happy New Year to all of you.

Next an administrative issue - there was a management shakeup on the project. It started several months ago when I could not find the darn chicken. Eventually I felt like he had lost interest and walked off the project but finally I found him inside the passenger's side door. But he had kind of melted into the pocket and he didn't look so good when I pulled him out.

So over the holiday season my family set me up with a new project mascot. I have always respected the sock monkey ever since I saw him pull off the wakeboard flip on TV.

[sparkydog]

Next up is to show all of you what happens when you mix fuel, air and a source of ignition.

In this case the source of ignition was probably my air-head sister-in-law. There were 17 of us in the great room after finishing Christmas dinner - all within 15' of the explosion. Nobody was hurt but some shrapnel took out a brand new ipad.

[sparkydog]

I have made some good progress on the build and will post pics in a few days. I was at the wrecking yard today for some odds and ends and stumbled into my front hood hinge equipment! So I have everything I need to wrap up the nose job now.

[71Sleeper]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

Next up is to show all of you what happens when you mix fuel, air and a source of ignition.

In this case the source of ignition was probably my air-head sister-in-law. There were 17 of us in the great room after finishing Christmas dinner - all within 15' of the explosion. Nobody was hurt but some shrapnel took out a brand new ipad.

WOW!!! I'm glad everyone is alright. I bet there was a lot of crying and yelling going on that night. This will be a story told every year at Christmas from now on I bet.

[Palf70Step]

So glad to hear everyone was alright.

[ThreeQtr]

It's good to here no one at the gathering became a statistic of the holiday injured.

Was it your house that got the instant remodel or maybe you sister-in-law's?

[67ChevyRedneck]

So what the hell happened? Pilot light went out? DAMN!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by 71Sleeper

WOW!!! I'm glad everyone is alright. I bet there was a lot of crying and yelling going on that night. This will be a story told every year at Christmas from now on I bet.

Yes indeedy this will be a story for a long, long time!

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

So glad to hear everyone was alright.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ThreeQtr

It's good to here no one at the gathering became a statistic of the holiday injured.

Thanks - all 17 of us are grateful for being spared a Darwin award on this one.

Was it your house that got the instant remodel or maybe you sister-in-law's?

A resort cabin on the Columbia River - owned by my brother in law (not the one married to the air-head SIL).

Originally Posted by low'n slow

I'm glad no one was hurt. I like the monkey. Have a name? What does Sparkydog think of him?

Thanks - no interaction yet from the monkey or the dog. When I get the crew seat in I will duct tape them together and we'll see what happens.

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

So what the hell happened? Pilot light went out? DAMN!

All I can say is... just like when you can give somebody a test before they get a driver's license but that doesn't stop them from driving the wrong way up a freeway... a gas stove can't be made idiot proof and my SIL proved it.

[sparkydog]

More nose job progress. First I took 3.5" out of the center of the wheel opening and then tacked the remaining pieces back together to make sure I had the blending as smooth and uniform as possible. Then I cut the whole side off and removed another 2" from the rear side of the wheel opening. I also rotated the whole thing down a bit so as to reduce the weird swoop that the flare bodyline makes.

Now it's tacked back on and I am liking the results. Driver's side will be next.

[low'n slow]

I'm glad no one was hurt. I like the monkey. Have a name? What does Sparkydog think of him?

[sparkydog]

Here are some progress shots. I was able to keep using a front trans cooler but in order to do this I had to mount a skinnier version up high and in the center so I went to the wrecking yard and found this one on something. It was an engine oil cooler. The stains are from my flushing out the old oil - at least I hope so.

Next is a shot of what I did to allow the radiator to move back an inch or so. I was fighting the four hard lines that go into the radiator end caps so I cut off their ends, flared the ends slightly and found some preformed hose with 90* bends to connect back into the radiator. This gave me the flex I needed.

And a shot of the three cores stacked together - similar to they way they were when they were inside the GM grille assy. I still have to fab up the upper attachment brackets to space them apart and trap them all but will hold off on that until I get the front tilt hood hinges installed.

[sparkydog]

Next some shots of the forward tilt hinge gear that I harvested off a Mopar car - I will be following the steps that someone on this site (maybe rokcrln?) outlined in their build. In the foreground of the first pic is the main hinge assy that I have to adapt onto the top of the grille assy. Then there are the latch point brackets that go on each side up on the cowl. And finally a shot of the brackets that go onto my IH hood (after I shave them off the Mopar hood amputations).

[sparkydog]

Finally a shot of Halfbreed back under power - but not yet road worthy. I was getting nervous having it stuck in the garage for almost 2 months. I needed to get it back to a condition where I could at least drive it out and feel like I was making progress again. I'm just not the kind of guy who can keep working on the truck for months at a time unless it can run and go somewhere. So tonight I tie-wrapped just about every part inside the engine bay (because the fender skirts are still out of the truck) and managed to get the motor fired up so I could check for any major leaks. Also a good chance to clean up the floor of the shop and blow out all the dust and dog hair.