My 1970 GMC “Project Splice”

[Kronald_70GMC]

I had a bit of time to accomplish something on the truck yesterday. I got the passenger AC duct figured out. I ended up having to customize the clip for the top screw. I basically had to have it so that it was right tight to the edge of the cutout which still didn't give me enough clearance for the top clip on the adapter but at least the adapter fits in the opening now. So after trying a few things, none of which ended up working out, I cut the top tab on the vent. This gave me what I needed to get the adapter in place. I even got way lucky and the modified clip actually grabs the top tab on the adapter! I also added to the edge of the vent under the corner of the glovebox as it was formed wrong in that area and I was not liking the fit. Fits like a glove now though!

[Kronald_70GMC]

I was back on filler again today. I got the entire back area around the window all done and put the last coat on a few problem areas. It seems like I have been filling this area forever. Sorry if everyone is getting bored of these pictures.

[Kronald_70GMC]

After today, I have 2 small spots left to sand around the back window area and it will finally be finished. I also ended up playing around with a potential profile for my dash pad. I plan to make a few more of these pieces and then run tape across them to get an idea of what it would look like. I may be able to hide the fasteners for the bottom inside the pad and have all the fasteners hidden. I don't have a factory dash pad I can easily access right now but I think this profile would be fairly similar.

[Kronald_70GMC]

On the weekend, I completed the filler around the back window and inner roof skin. Once that was done, I could finally vacuum out my cab and clean up some of the mess in my garage. I also was able to complete a rough visual of the dash pad I'd like to build. I made several more pieces out of all round to use as temporary spines. Then I ran tape across all of them to get a rough visual. I think it would look pretty darn sweet if I can pull it off. Probably will be a while before I tackle this but at least I have the general idea figured out now. I need to figure out what the best option will be for building it now. I'm thinking fiberglass and a rigid foam. I was also able to start welding up any holes I don't need in the bottom of the dash.

[loudchevy]

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Once that was done, I could finally vacuum out my cab and clean up some of the mess in my garage.

I feel this pain as well. Everything in my garage has a layer of dirt on it. Cab is looking great!

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by loudchevy

I feel this pain as well. Everything in my garage has a layer of dirt on it. Cab is looking great!

Haha it's definitely par for the course when working on these old trucks! Thanks for the compliment.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Today I finished up welding the holes I won't need in the bottom lip of the dashboard. I also welded up the 2 holes above the ignition switch. I then was able to get a coat of marglass on the bottom of the dashboard. I want to get rid of all the stretch marks and spot welds down there and get it nice and straight.

While I had that going, I also filled in a small spot in the passenger door jamb where my filler had come loose and flaked out. There must have been some contamination back there as I could not break out anywhere else around it. Another thing I had noticed was I had a small spot of rust coming through my primer just above the windshield on the passenger side where I welded up the seam that was there. I dug out the small area and will need to do some more investigating before I determine the correct fix for this. Sometimes there is just a little bit of trial and error to work through when you start customizing things. Oh well it is what it is. Sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back.

[1972CheyenneSuper]

Great build, I'm along for the ride. I'm interested to see what you do with your filler panel behind the seats. I'm trying something similar but haven't figured out what I'll be doing with the corners to the door pillar area. Alot of work into those seat brackets as well! I may have missed, but any particular reason for not picking up a set of repro brackets?

[Kronald_70GMC]

Hey thanks for joining in and the compliments! I decided to go that route with the seat brackets for two reasons. The first is that I'm 6'2" tall and headroom isn't a huge thing in these cabs as well as leg room. So I figured if I could lower the seats and move them as far back as possible, that would be more ideal. And the second, I wasn't a fan of the factory brackets how the drivers side was a slider and the passenger side was fixed in place. I wanted one or the other. It was a lot of extra work but in a sense, it didn't cost me anything but time and a bit of welding supplies as I already had all the metal on hand.

[1972CheyenneSuper]

Ah yes, tall people problems. I wouldn't know haha. Understandable for all the reasons you have. I agree on the two different styles for factory buckets being odd. I have to imagine it was a cost issue to not have to re-tool for a mirror set of slider brackets for the passenger seat. From what I can tell the driver bucket brackets are pretty much the same for a bench seat, just with a shorter connecting rod. I could be wrong though.

[Kronald_70GMC]

That would make sense. I also don't know much about them. Mine were completely seized and would only move with a hammer so I gave up on them

[Kronald_70GMC]

Got some more sanding and filling done on the bottom lip of the dash. I was also able to nearly complete the repair in the passenger door pillar where I had filler flake out. Work on the truck has been slow as of late. I've had some side jobs and a plumbing disaster at home that has set me back a bit. Here's hoping for more consistent time on the truck.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Some more filler happening with the dash and some of the weld seams in the firewall and the kick panels. I'm filling the firewall ones so I can be sure that they are sealed from both sides. It's been terribly slow lately. I've been working on some laundry cabinets that I am building for my wife's cousin and they are taking much more of my time up than I initially expected. I finally got them all built and painted so I can assemble and deliver them and have my Sundays back for truck work. At least for a little while anyway

[1972CheyenneSuper]

Looking good, progress is progress. Life has a way of throwing 100 things you don't want to do that get in the way of the one thing you enjoy doing.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by 1972CheyenneSuper

Looking good, progress is progress. Life has a way of throwing 100 things you don't want to do that get in the way of the one thing you enjoy doing.

Haha ain't that the truth!

[Kronald_70GMC]

Well it seems in true fashion of "Life gets in the way", it is time for my project to have a bit of a pause. Today I loaded the truck up onto the trailer and filled it with as many parts as I could fit into it. It will be going into storage as we have decided to put our house up for sale to build a new one. I still have the new cab at home so I will still hopefully get some work in before we sell the house. On the plus side, the new house will have a much larger work space for me to finish the truck in.

[Getter-Done]

This is Great News that you are Keeping on Keeping on.

I can Relate to this .

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

This is Great News that you are Keeping on Keeping on.

I can Relate to this .

Thank you. I was actually working a little bit on the cab for the first time in about a month this afternoon. Still picking away at filler so I didn't bother posting about it since I feel it must be getting boring to look at. I plan to post something on here from time to time even if it's just some progress pictures of the house. We still have some time before that happens though. The build will only be starting next spring and we plan to have the current house till maybe August or something.

[Scurry67]

More space will definitely be nice! Keep chipping away!

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by Scurry67

More space will definitely be nice! Keep chipping away!

It will be very nice. I will have a 14' x 36' Shop space that will be setup for a drive through into the backyard and if needed I can overflow into my parking space for another 12' x 24'

[Kronald_70GMC]

Well that was the most productive night I've had in a long time on the truck, even though it was 2 steps forward, one step back. I found that I had missed an "oil can" on the firewall which was causing me issues with my filler so I decided to melt off the filler and primer I had already applied so I could heat shrink the affected area. I only wish I remembered to take a before picture. Oh well. Haha before I did the heat shrink, I had a 1/4" gap in the middle between the straight edge and the firewall. Much better now! I was also able to get some more sanding on the kick panels done which brings me very close to being done with marglass inside the cab. Good thing too because I'm about out of the stuff.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Little bit more filler completed tonight. I think I'm done with marglass inside the cab now.

[raggedjim]

You are hanging with it! I'm sick and tired of bondo and sanding and I'm just trying to get my bed floor straight!

The drive thru garage will be a big bonus, I try to do most of my sanding and grinding outside but it doesn't always work out that way. My shop is a mess...

[Kronald_70GMC]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

You are hanging with it! I'm sick and tired of bondo and sanding and I'm just trying to get my bed floor straight!

The drive thru garage will be a big bonus, I try to do most of my sanding and grinding outside but it doesn't always work out that way. My shop is a mess...

Thank you! I agree, having the option to roll outside to sand would be awesome. I look forward to it. As for the sanding I'm doing now, I think the worst of it is having to lay across the cab floor and try to sand. These floors aren't particularly comfortable with all the bumps and such.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Got a little bit of sanding done today. I have a few low spots on the passenger kick panel so that should only need one more coat.