1 Week Build Thrash

[plcamp]

Hi, first off I gotta say sorry for my future screwups on here.(Virgin) Next, I love this site. Thanks and much admiration to all of the gear heads who do all this amazing work on their rides day in and day out and take the time to post their masterpieces for us to live vicariously through.

What I have is a 72 GMC Jimmy 4x that I have had a on again and off again relationship with for the last 5 years that I am GOING to turn into a daily love affair-(driver). I have about $2500 worth of parts in route to throw at it in a week along with getting exhaust and a windshield installed then drive it back from my dads place in Panama City FL back home to southern Louisiana. I'm not starting it till next Monday so I will upload some old Picts if I can find them and give a rundown on what I have done to her in the last 5 years. Tomorrow... Any insight or tips would be great.... Thanks again.
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[plcamp]

I started with an auto trader ad for it for $1500. The PO was originally from Oregon and said that he had alot of work done to the motor but it quit running and he didn't do anything else to it for the next 10 or so years before I bought it. I brought her home, pulled the mallory ignition system and distributor, primed the oil pump, stuck a HEI in her, poured gas down her throat, and she fired right off. WOW what a relief. I started by cutting out the bad floor pans and rockers, put new ones in and used old air conditioning unit sheetmetal to replace the bad stuff that was mostly flat.( It works awesome, good guage material to use from rheem units) A few years went by and I pulled the body off and undercoated it and the frame. New Carb and intake(motor is 30 over with a nice cam I finally found out) Then I installed the 4" lift and tires and smoothed the old heater unit holes on the firewall. And here we are a few more years later.... FINALLY.....

[71swb4x4]

It looks like the hard work is done. It should be a fun week, keep us posted on your progress.

[psuedopimp]

what lift and tires are those?

[plcamp]

Hi guys,
Sorry its been hectic trying to play catchup at work and home since I got back. I'm going to try to make the time tonight to post the rest of the story...and picts.
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[71swb4x4]

I will sit here refreshing my screen just waiting for the rest of the story.

[plcamp]

The week after the week of build has been crazy!!!

Here is my best description of what was done during that week.
I started off with the drivetrain. In went all new Tie rod ends, new pitman arm steering linkages, wheelbearings (did you know that there is not a part store I could find to get new hub seals and I dont want to spend $100 bucks on an new set of hubs when my originals are perfect except for seals).

Next I went through the brakes. On with a new booster (I didnt take the extra 5 miniutes to rattle can it black which I regret now), all new rubber lines along with calipers pads and rear wheel cylinders. The brakes are awesome now but I think I need to replace the rear hard lines on the axle.

I will try to keep the pictures in order

[plcamp]

Next my reinforcements arrived... DadadanDAAA SUPER JOHN! Man I couldn't have gotten this done if he hadn't brought his camper all the way from Atlanta and camped in the yard for a week just to help me.

In wnet the Painless wiring Harness. It made things really simple. I did get confused on the alternator section. I have a 92 camaro serpentine system along with alternator. It has a 4 prong connector- plfs on the connector- but with Johns help we figured out that there is a conversion connector with a resistor/diode? inline to convert to the 2 wire plug. $12 bucks alot of searching local shops and we are back in business..
Next goes the windshield Yaay. But they had the wrong seal, the cst for trim and I didn't have any trim. My lmc cab seal kit was coming in the next day so back they came.
Next the front seat. This front seat came out of a 97 Dodge ram and it fits PERFECT! the front two outer mounts were too long so I cut them down till the rest of the seat frame sat flush to the floor. Rewelded and holy cow, With only a little adjustment the front 4 bolts went into the factory holes. I welded a cross brace to mount the into the rear holes and done. Except the seatbelts are solonoid actuated STUPID DODGE. O well figure the wiring out later...

[plcamp]

I'm getting dirty looks from the wife for not helping with the house... more to come later today

[plcamp]

The outer front seat mount modifications.

[plcamp]

The whole time I was doing the one person jobslinke wiring up the dash and welding the exhaust, 2.5" Magnaflow stainless mufflers with turndowns at the rear axle, SuperJohn was using his powers to take the body back to bare metal again.

We did not have time to do any body work...Dammitt. but o well.
Finally we got it all sanded and I had the GREAT idea to wipe it down with OSPHO rust inhibitor before I primed and painted. I'm glad I did but the OSPHO left a rough film on the body ALL OVER IT! So we had to resand the whole thing by hand twice with alot of feeling it up to find the rough spots. It was kinda like a sticky residue that would gum up when sanded. we got it clean and were ready for prime and paint.the next morning it was a family affair to build the paintshop. It was windy and cold so I borrowed a small salamander kerosene heater to warm it up for paint.

[plcamp]

Paint booth is built. And warm too.. Ready to go.

I originally was not going to even paint it, but John showed up and made it possible.
Here is what I used. Don't judge, I know.

Dupont Paint Shop series primer. ran out so I found some omni high build that I had left over from the last paint job to complete the job.

Dupont Paint shop series blue metallic color coat. It really is a nice color. but it really has to be mixed and shaken well.

I was going to just use the Paint shop clear coat but after much research I decided not to because it doesn't have much resistance to chemicals like gas. I used it on the firewall previously and didn't like it anyway.

So I had a gallon of Omni clear and hardner (didnt have any reducer) so it was THICK but I have had good results from it before and it was compatible to cover the cheap color.

Everything sprayed perfectly right up to the clear. I got in a hurry and tried to spray the second coat toooo thick and I got runs. and lots of them. Its not something that can't be fixed with alot of fine and careful sanding then a good power buff compound but still annoying because I know I can do better.

[plcamp]

Alright, paint is done, runs are in it, I'm over it! Time to put her back together.
We put the hood back on and it doesnt fit correctly. I don't have the shims and time to adjust too much so we get it to close and leave it. On goes all th weatherstripping, cab seals, and window channel felts. In my rush I didnot put the driver window rollers in all the tracks so it is finicky to open and close. o well do it later.
While I was painting SuperJohn was cleaning and bleaching the top so it is a nice white again. We finally get it back together and time to fire it up for a test drive but not befor checking fluids and such. O yeah I forgot to tell you that I put in the larger 4 row radiator and had to build new retainer channels and modify my fan shroud to fit the camaro fan. No Picts of that yet.

Fire it up and run it down the road and it runs like crap. We spent the next few hours trying to get the timing and carb right but I am not in any shape (mind, nerves, or body) to figure it out. I even go to the extreme of throwing a brand new 1406 edlebrock at the carb problems. those mostly fixed but its still not good enough to make a 350 mile trip back to Louisana.

[plcamp]

It is 12 oclock sunday night and the wife and kids have to leave to be back in LA to go to school and work. Luckily my brother said he would help me monday to get it going. I sleep for a few hours on his couch and start again in the am. I am not that good of a mechanic so I throw more parts at it like plugs wires dist. cap and a new ignition module for the HEI. The red bronco is his we redone it around the same time I bought the jimmy. I play with the timing and finally get it to clear up enough that I think It will ride out ok. Wheew.
Here I go. nervous as heck because in the 6 years I have owned it I have never driven it more than around the house and driveway! I hit the interstate and away I go. I have to stop a couple of times, once to adjust the alignment and the others to double and triple check the wheel lugnuts. other than that the ride is un eventful. 60-65 is the max speed because the tires aren't balanced and the motor still isnt just right. But it makes it the whole way and I have been driving it to work all week. Today I am going to get a timing light and vacuum guage and set everything right.

[plcamp]

Still gotta find a grill and front bumper. Wish I would have kept the old ones. Here are a few picts from years ago when I first bought it and started working on it.

[hgs_notes]

For a week, that is a good job. I like the color. I was going to tell you to look for vacuum leaks.

[71swb4x4]

That's a great story. It's amazing how far you made it in a week.

If you didn't reinforce your floor for the seats you may want to look into it. It appears your seats have seat belts built-in, but the stock floor pan probably wasn't made to handle those forces in the stock seat mounting holes.

[plcamp]

Thanks for the input guys. Pump its a 4" lift with 35" 12.50 on 15x12 wheels. No scrub. But these trucks weren't made for south Louisiana roads. ROUGH!
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[plcamp]

PIMP I meant.
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[psuedopimp]

looks good. glad you made it on your maiden voyage. seems like the first trip is the toughest. every little rattle or vibration makes you nervous...

[plcamp]

O wow do I ever know it. It was the longest 5 hr ride I have ever taken.
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