1974 C20 Soon to become a project...

[Super_Dave]

The $800 NVU Gauges arrived at the Summit facility several days ago. I am waiting to order different gauges, Speedhut most likely, until the credit appears back in my account.

I stopped by the shop this afternoon. The shop might have a stall open up sometime next week, so I can start pulling out wiring and get ready for the AAW Harness. While I was standing in the shop, looking across the parking lot to my project just sitting there, I notice a new puddle back by the transmission tail shaft. I asked Tony about it and he surmised it was the rear seal on the transmission. So, I crawled under the truck and sure enough, nice, fresh trans fluid.

Nice, $2200 and about 100 feet of driving and my new transmission has a platter size puddle under a truck that has been sitting for almost a month. My driving is measured by the foot, not the mile, since the trans was installed.

It's under warranty and I know they will stand behind it; it's just the thought of a power steering pump and now a rear trans seal going out in a truck that's just been sitting for weeks... not to mention how the wiring started to smoulder with the key on but the motor not running, which damn near burned my truck to the ground!

Then there are the supplier issues, crappy $800 gauge cluster that tied up funds for three weeks and now every time I stop by the shop, there's a new leak under my truck with $6-$7K in motor and trans.

Oh, and the Buick Regal I bought to get me around while the truck was out of commission getting all the work done... the same car the tow truck driver who was moving by nearly burned down truck back to the shop; has developed a random shudder in 1st gear and the 1-2 shift. It's random in occurrence and severity. So, now I have another issue to deal with.

I know there is a reason we fart around with old trucks and cars, but I can't seem to remember at the moment...

[mikentosh]

Just read through all the issues you had with the NVU gauges It looks like they definitely have a QC problem going on there. I think cause mine was a custom order that they provided photos before shipping I avoided almost all these issues, but I agree with you that at $900 for their standard offer there shouldn't be any of these problems.

Both Dakota and NVU have the same bit in their instructions about re-bending the accessory gauge pod. I'm wondering if GM changed that angle in the 81+ gauges which is why they are calling this out?

Anyway, I think you've got a great idea going with the Speedhut setup. Good luck!

[LiveAnimals]

I don't know if this question was answered or not but I recently put those headlight bezels on my 73 (I like the full chrome front). The only difference is the lower grill trim, as far as mounting locations I found them to be in all the same spots.

I removed all the necessary components from a 1979 C10 which I believe was the first year for those style bezels. To my knowledge they were on the 1980 trucks too but only on the lower trim models.

[midnight rambler]

I like that wish I had the money

[Super_Dave]

Originally Posted by midnight rambler

I like that wish I had the money

I hear that. It's taken three years to set the funds aside to work in the project.

The nice thing about Speedhut gauges is, you can save the design you make and buy one gauge at a time if you want to. It's sometimes easier to do that, than try and save the whole amount before buying.

[midnight rambler]

im thinking of that right after I get the exhaust done.. need to get the GPS speedo first, rewire everything lol 2g at least. your truck is looking real nice like where your going with it.

[y5mgisi]

That is going to be way too cool. I like how the small gauges have full sweep also instead of how some only have like a 30* sweep. I think this style would make for better accuracy. Especially like it for the fuel gauge!

[chrapladm]

Sounds like an awesome idea. Look forward to seeing the finish.

[midnight rambler]

Lots of work there, looking good.

[Super_Dave]

Originally Posted by midnight rambler

Lots of work there, looking good.

Thanks.

I just finished removing the raised text on the face of the dash bezel, since it would only show as a bump on the hydrographics. If he can get ready to dip soon enough after I arrive, I will shot some photos.

[daddyjeep]

Very nice detail work here. I really like the gauge design that you went with.

Are you painting a base coat for the hydrographic or can your guy apply it directly to what you have? I only ask because it does not look like you have sanded the acrylic and I am worried you could have adhesion issues.

[Super_Dave]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Very nice detail work here. I really like the gauge design that you went with.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Are you painting a base coat for the hydrographic or can your guy apply it directly to what you have? I only ask because it does not look like you have sanded the acrylic and I am worried you could have adhesion issues.

I dropped off the bezel about an hour ago. Yes, we decided to go with a black base coat primer. Heath seems to know what he's doing, so I feel confident in getting the end results I am looking for.

I was torn about going with a Red base coat and Black Carbon Fiber, but since we have not made a decision on the final truck color (either black with red graphics or red with black graphics) getting the red shade to work would be a challenge, unless I had the final red color decided on... which I do not.

The only remaining decision that I am not 100% firm on, is the clear coat. I initially said to go with a satin/matte clear, rather than gloss. I definitely didn't want a flat clear. However, I am still thinking on going gloss... the gauge bezels are gloss black. What I don't want to do is have the clear coat make the bezel look fake... wanting a more realistic finish. I suppose I could go with the satin/matte and if it doesn't look good, have Heath spray some gloss.

[Super_Dave]

Well, it's been a month and a half. In that time, there has been a death in the family, serious injuries, serious illnesses, a failed transmission int he '04 Regal replacement vehicle while the truck was off the road... and a host of other issues most people experience over 5-10 years.

The Black on Black Carbon Fiber was not coming out like I wanted. After three attempts, the decision was made to go with Red. I can still go either Black or Red on the truck, so it wasn't a total game changer. It turned out amazing; better than I thought it might. The Bezel has so many compound surfaces, dipping it is not for the faint of heart.

The guys work is really nice and the price is killer... let's just say I didn't pay over $100 for the entire job. I really needed this to be as nice as it is... It was a great lift to the spirits and encouragement to keep going forward.

I have to re-anchor the two center holders for the Speedo and Tach, once I find a better method/product. The gauges are in and everything is ready for the final wiring harness install... hopefully getting started next week... but the way things have been going, who really knows. At least I can sit back and admire the Dash Bezel.

[funkatation]

that looks sweet!

[daddyjeep]

Sorry to hear about all the troubles, but that dash looks real nice.

[midnight rambler]

I like it. When life gets in the way I go to the garage. Hope all the bad things are out of the way.

[Super_Dave]

Thanks guys.

It's looking like I might be finally pulling wires this week. That will be huge. Hoping to get the rear gas tank converted at the same time, since the saddle tank is full of junk and messing up the carb.

[midnight rambler]

I like where it's going.

[Super_Dave]

Well, a lot has been accomplished in the last month, after sitting in the shops lot waiting for a bay to free up to get to the wiring harness.

I have a lot of update info to post, and hope to have the truck back by Wednesday, when I can take some photos and do a proper update. The update will have some bad news and some good news, but everything seems to eventually work out in the long run.

Suffice to say, I hope to be left with only body/paint/upholstery.

[midnight rambler]

Looking foward to seeing the pictures

[Super_Dave]

Well... where to start.

After languishing in the shops gated yard for nearly 4 months waiting for an open bay to do the AAW wiring harness, I finally insisted on tracking down the wire(s) that almost burned the truck down at the transmission shop. It was traced to a stereo wire that was wired hot 100% of the time... even with the ignition off. Dumb ass stereo shop down the road... guess anyone can call themselves a stereo shop with a pare of dykes and black tape.

So, I drove the truck sans a stereo for a couple of weeks and got the transmission dialed in for shift points and kick down. The 700r4 runs like a dream. Then I noticed a large puddle of trans mission fluid on the driveway. The fluid level didn't even register on the dip stick!

Made a phone call and was told to come to the shop in three days and they would look it over. After a bunch of pissing back and forth and the trans shop claiming "someone arced the trans cooler line across the starter and burned a hole in the line" even before they looked for the leak... (hummm, how did they know that happened?), I got them to repair the line and took it back home.

A week later, I was informed that a long term bay was open and to bring the truck down to the shop. I arrived with the truck full of parts that had been accumulated of the past year plus.
... new dash pad, tail light assemblies, gauge cluster and custom dash bezel, rear bumper with license plate holder, front bumper, AAW harness, passenger inner fender, core support, replacement hood, cab mounts, radiator core support mounts, headlights, trim rings, side lights, etc....

The shop owner was going hunting and gave me run of the shop for a week...

[Super_Dave]

Day one started with a scheduled visit to the steam cleaning shop to get the engine bay steamed before tearing things apart. I didn't want a greasy mess all over everything.

I wandered back to the steam cleaning area, and what to my wondering eyes did I see, but Jose' doing the pressure washer dance! Not what I ordered! I stopped Jose' and asked why they weren't steam cleaning. Long story short, they booked me for steam cleaning... even thought they no longer steam clean!

Well, as luck would have it, Jose' had used some caustic sh.....t on the suspension... that the pressure washer splashed onto my billet serpentine system, aluminum valve covers and chrome air cleaner and ceramic coated Heddman Hedders... and etched the hell out of everything!

I got Jose' to clean up the air filter and most of the valve covers... the Heddmans were another story. I told Jose' to stop cleaning and leave my truck alone. I figure I will have another job to do polishing everything when it comes apart for the body and paint.

The second half of day one saw the removal and replacement of the cab mounts, removal of all the front inner sheetmetal, core support, front bumper, dash bezel and dash components...

[Super_Dave]

Day two was supposed to be an install day. However...

I unpacked the core support that LMC had delivered. One quick glance told me I was screwed again. The core support was supposed to be year specific for the 73-74... but the integrated braces for the grill supports were straight as an arrow from the bottom of the core support to the top... not slanted at the top half to allow mounting of the grill! Also missing, were the holes for the grill supports adjacent to the headlight buckets... and several other needed holes.

I went online and it seems LMC, Summit, etc all use the same image for the "73-74" core supports but the support is never going to work if you want to mount your grill.

So... I laid the old core support, with the cancer in the lower left from 40+ years of battery leaking, next to the LMC piece of imported crap, and after much head scratching, deduced that the only way to keep the project on track and maximize the use of the free shop, was to to use the LMC Crap Core Support as $150 patch panel.

I called my welding buddy and 'splained my predicament. He said he would look it over if I could get over to his shop post haste. We laid out the core supports, and after looking over a number of alternatives, determined that the profiles of the bends at the base of the LMC Crap Core was close enough, that we could cut a 4" x 16" corner off the bottom left and splice it where the cancer would be cut away on the OEM core. However....

Erick insisted that both ares on both cores be sandblasted and completely rust free... Hell yes, why not?! So, back to the "free shop" with both core supports in tow. The shop truck was loaded up with core supports, inner fenders, hood latches, core support valance, new battery tray, front bumper (back side was showing rust)... heater core box, etc... and made ready for for a sandblasting trip.

[Super_Dave]

Day three saw me making an hour long trip to the sandblaster. Got there at lunch time. Walked in and chatted with Manuel, who said "$100/hour."

I hauled the parts across the yard to an open ended building that use to be a dairy barn... now filled with huge sand dunes! I hesitantly unloaded the parts while Jose' (different Jose' than the "metal etcher") put on his hood, cranked up the diesel generator and snaked this huge hose across the dunes... I am thinking, "there goes my sheetmetal...").

I sit in the shop truck as everything disappears in huge cloud of fine, sand powder and dust. 45 minutes later, everything is blasted. I creep over and inspect and I'll be damned, it's perfect!

I go back to the office and prepare to hand over a $100 bill, when Manuel says it will be $75 for 45 minutes! Imagine that... someone who doesn't round up by 15 minutes and charges just for what you use!

Wile waiting for the invoice, I noticed they had a sign for "body work and Paint." Seems Manuel also repairs and paints all the semi trucks and farm equipment in the area. I ask him how long he's been doing body and paint and he says "over 20 years." I ask if he has any photos of his work and he pulls out his phone and shows me this sweet Square Body he just finished a frame off job on.

He replaced the rockers and other rot, full body and silver gray paint, stretched the front frame 4" to make room for a big Duramax Diesel, did the engine install, detailed the frame, raised the truck 6"... so, I guess he knows his stuff. I told Manuel I will come back with my truck after it's on the road again, and we can talk turkey on the body and paint.

We loaded up all the parts, and headed back to my buddies welding shop, some two hours away. I off loaded both core supports and agreed to be there the next AM to help with the patch job.

Then it was off to the Powder Coater with the remaining sand blasted refuges and a 60% gloss satin black powder coat. I let them know that a large core support would be there by mid day the next day, and we headed back to the "free shop" and called it a day.

Later that night, I got a call from my Erick that the core support was patched and ready to pick up in the AM.

[midnight rambler]

Nice work coming along awsome