Super Cheyenne aka the "Devil Cowboy"

[landarts]

I started going through all of the door components after the doors were hung on the truck. Here are a few of the things that need to be done to make them complete.

-The window regulators were toast on this truck and needed to be replaced with new ones (got them ordered and installed in both doors)
-The door handles needed to be cleaned up really good with steel wool. there was a boatload of red primer on the chrome. Also cleaned off the old gaskets and sprayed it down on the backside with Awesome cleaner and scrubbed the you-know-what out of it.
-The rear door channels were a little rusty so got them cleaned up and treated with some rust reformer and a coat of paint.
-The bottom of the window sash on both windows was rusty and had hard crusty dried grease. That was cleaned up with a brass wire wheel on a drill and the metal was treated with Ospho, and then painted.
-The wind wings were ragged and needed to be blown apart and rebuilt with new rubber kit from Precision.
-Also ordered all rubber for inner door items and gaskets for handles and new locks.

Here are a few pictures of the process of rebuilding the wind wings. Every time I do a set I learn something new that makes them a little easier to do. This time I used a green hard plastic window install tool mounted upside down in my vise, this was super helpful in getting the grooved rubber seated into the corner of the channel.

Pic 1- Here is one of the wind wings
Pic 2- Here is the order of the bottom components in order that they came off. I then put them onto a zip tie in the same order, then dropped them into a jar of Evapo-Rust
Pic 3- Here is all the mess after tearing one of them apart
Pic 4- Going back together with all the hardware cleaned up
Pic 5- We now have a set of wind wings completed

[landarts]

Tore into the heater core/fan box that mounts on the outside of the firewall. The outside fiberglass housing that was on the truck when I took it apart had about a pound of silicone on it and had three or four places that were cracked pretty good or broken off and missing. I knew that I had a few extra housing out in the parts shed that I saved for future use like this. So I put on my jacket and headlamp and went out early in the morning before the sun was up, about 16 degrees, and hunted down a much better housing for replacement.

The housing had a few spots with a little paint on it and also all over the fan motor. I took it apart and removed the fan and screws for cleanup and paint. Scrubbed down the housing with cleaner then put a few dabs of orange citrus paint remover on it to get it looking a little better. When I flipped it over I noticed the metal shroud that goes on the back over the fan area was missing. Back outside in the shed to get the old one and pull that part off to make this one complete. Took about twenty minutes to get it off since there was a bunch of silicone holding it on and sealing it where air could escape. Cleaned it up a bit, had to pound it flat with a body hammer, and then got a few coats of paint on the metal shroud and the fan.

Overall a pretty easy and quick project that needed to be done. Did not want the messy one taken away from all the freshened-up items under the hood. It will go back on with a new foam gasket set I ordered from LMC.

Also later that day after work I was able to get the auxiliary gas tank valve into the blast cabinet and cleaned up pretty good so I can get the holes re-drilled where I replaced all the metal in that area earlier. Then I got started on installing the Kilmat insulation on the floor and up the back cab wall.

[IronCanine]

So much progress!

Brilliant work on the bushing/gaps.

Love how the gauges turned out...polish job was a real winner.

Glad you're feeling better. I really enjoy following along with what those two capable hands are doing...maybe next time go get that wrist looked at by a professional. Any injury to you cuts into my enjoyment of your work. Just sayin.

[landarts]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

So much progress!

Brilliant work on the bushing/gaps.

Love how the gauges turned out...polish job was a real winner.

Glad you're feeling better. I really enjoy following along with what those two capable hands are doing...maybe next time go get that wrist looked at by a professional. Any injury to you cuts into my enjoyment of your work. Just sayin.

Thanks, IronCanine! I did make a call to get in to see the doctor and the earliest appointment they had was about 3 weeks down the road. By the time my appointment date was almost here, I was feeling back to myself without any wrist pain so I canceled the appointment. The progress seems like it has happened all of a sudden because I was not posting anything. After all, it was hard to type. Again thanks for tuning in.
______________________________________________________

That is it for today, hope to post a few more items over the next couple of days or so to get caught up on the build thread.

[landarts]

I decided to do a little frame repair on the back of the truck, while I was waiting for some of the adhesive to dry on the heater repair. Someone used a blue wrench to make holes for the 3" body lift that was on the Devil. I cleaned it up with a grinder and some 80 grit sandpaper on an air die grinder so that the welding would stick. Had to change out the wire on the welder from .023 to .035 for frame work. I just did a fill of material and then took some time to grind it back down to get everything leveled off.

Now I can start on the cleaning up the frame and getting primer and paint on it so I can get the bed mounted for body work.

[landarts]

Here is some of the work being done on the heater/fan box. Cleaned up the outer housing, and moved some parts over from the old setup. Painted the fan and the metal plate that goes against the firewall. The last item is to get it all back together with the new weatherstripping kit from LMC. The kit uses a high-density foam and Locite adhesive to glue the foam in place instead of just using silicone.

Here are a few pictures in the process, also I added a picture of the Shop truck logo I mocked up in Photoshop one evening.

[landarts]

I'm working on welding up the rear section of the frame, cleaning it up, and painting it satin black so I can bring the bed in and get started on the bodywork. I was able to finish off the welding up the holes the PO blew through with a torch to mount the body lift. I moved on to scrubbing the frame down with soap and water to get the rest of the dirt and grime off. then went over it with a pressurized steamer to get some of the caked-on stuff and get it ready for primer.

Applied the Rustoleum rusty metal primer to stop any rust and also helps fill the little pits in the frame. Next I will go over the primer and smooth things out so I can get the Satin Black sprayed out.

Also purchased a passenger-side bedside that will be used to replace the damaged one on the Devil. It is by far the cleanest one I have ever bought.

[landarts]

Here are a few pictures of the process of bringing back an NP205 shifter knob. The knob was gummed up with dirt and grease from hands, also had a few small scratches and the white paint was missing from the recessed lettering on the knob.

The first thing to do is get the knob cleaned up with some cleaner/degreaser and scrub brush. Then rinse with some hot water and start the sanding process with 400 grit wet/dry paper. Stop and rinse every once in a while to inspect the progress. Once you get to where the knob looks pretty even and flaws are not present, rinse again and dry. Next up will be applying the white paint inside the recessed area. I use Testor's model paint just like I used on the fender emblems. I poured just a super small amount into the little container that has a stainless steel needle-type applicator. Proceed to add the paint to the recessed area, and also it is not a problem if some gets on the upper surface of the knob. It can be wiped away and sanded one more round to remove before polishing with cleaner wax and a buffer.

[landarts]

Back at the project after being out of town for six weeks in Arizona, taking a break from cold weather and visiting family and friends.

Right before leaving town, I finished up installing the Kilmatt insulation/sound deadener. This process goes pretty fast and requires a good clean surface and a hand roller to apply. Still need to do the transmission hump, which I will do after removing when I install the transfercase and transmission.

Also worked on getting the passenger side battery tray painted and the bottom portion that the battery sits on sprayed with 3M undercoating.

[landarts]

Finally, all the parts were sandblasted and painted to mount the new master cylinder and brake booster. The brake booster rods and linkage were sandblasted and then sprayed with satin clear. Next up for the master cylinder is bending up new lines that go down to the frame.

I was also working on getting the back half of the frame cleaned and painted so I could mount the bed for some body work. The picture below shows the frame masked and papered off so I can spray 3M undercoating on the inside of the rails like the rest of the truck. This has all been completed, but I still need to take care of the axle and a few other items underneath.

Will be spending time this afternoon cleaning up the garage, getting things moved around and setup for the next work to be completed. Hopefully I will have a productive weekend with getting more items bolted on that have been repainted.

[Chevyland]

I bet it was hard leaving Arizona
It's perfect down there at this time of year

Looking forward to your progress

[landarts]

Here are a few more items I wrapped up the other day while cleaning up the shop. I mounted the drinker-side battery tray. Then, I lined up a few holes for drilling and inserting rivet nuts to mount the auxiliary battery tray on the captain's side. Once that was all drilled and cleaned, I mounted the tray and moved onto getting another item or two off the assembly table. Mounted the hood latch and center grill support after cleaning out the thread mounting holes with a 5/16- 18 thread tap. Still need to touch new bolts and washers with some satin black on the auxiliary tray. Now I just need to find a good write-up and build my auxiliary battery wiring with a relay.

The last picture shows how I tighten up newly painted bolts without chipping them up. I use cut-off fingers from latex gloves over the socket, can actually get a bunch done without having to replace the latex sleeve.

[landarts]

I have been putting off installing the transmission and transfer case for a while since my back has been giving me some pain. I wanted to figure out a way to do this without having to wrestle with it or use much effort to get it up into the proper position. I started by sliding a 2x4 under the transmission and finding a balance point. Then I built a wooden cradle from some scrap I had in the shop to fit the airbag jack that I have. I traced the round, hard rubber fitting on the top of the jack onto the board's balance point and cut it out with a jigsaw. I drilled some holes on the sides so I could secure with several ratchet straps so that it would not tilt and fall.

It all went way too easily for the transmission install, so I modified the cradle and also did the same with the transfer case.

[landarts]

Next, I moved on to getting the front and rear driveshafts cleaned up and the old u-joints removed. Got them both into rusty red primer and then sprayed with some satin black the following morning before work. Ran down to the local parts store and picked up a few new u-joints and wrapped the installation of them in the following evening.

Found the bag with the u-joint clamps in the parts box and soaked them overnight in Evapo-rust to get all the rust off of them. A quick rinse with some soap and water and they are ready for some paint.

[landarts]

Before I can install the driveshaft I needed to finish cleaning up the rear axle that was half finished and get it read for some paint.

Also, an order was delivered so I can get started on fixing the front passenger side axle has a busted axle shaft. I ordered it from a place out of New York called Denny's Driveshaft, took about 5 days to get to my door in Idaho. It is a Spicer brand axle shaft used on squarebody trucks. It is stronger than the usual tapered ones that were present in the 71-72 trucks. It is a direct fit and considered a much stronger axle shaft.

[landarts]

After getting the gap a little more consistent at the door to fender location by using a 1/4 shim I fabbed up, I decided to get the emblems that I restored a couple of months ago drilled out and mounted with Napa Auto barrel nuts #665-1457. That all went smooth, except I now have a couple of mounting holes that are not needed so I will need to spot weld them shut and do a touch-up spray on the fender on the next paint go around. These fenders came off a Custom Deluxe truck so the badging holes were different.

Also getting the front grill surround prepped and put together that was delivered a few days ago. I have also been chipping away at a few mechanical items that needed to be finished on the motor. Got the fuel pump, power steering pump, brake line to the proportional valve all installed and still have the starter and the new American Autowire harness installed to the motor. Working on hunting down a few brackets that were missing from the motor to get the gas cable and the kickdown cable set up.

[best view]

This is the fun part watching the jewels go on , going to be one beautiful truck

[best view]

This is the fun part watching the jewels go on , going to be one beautiful truck

[landarts]

As I mentioned before, the fenders I bought off of Marketplace from a Custom Deluxe truck had two holes in the wrong place for the Cheyenne Super. So I needed to get those welded up, smoothed out, primed, and sprayed with medium blue. Taped off the area, ground it down with a small roloc disc, and then filled with spot welds. Then I went back to the roloc and the carbide cutting disc to dress the welds so I could put a little filler on them. Sanded all that down, papered everything off, and gave it four good coats of SEM black high build primer. Let them dry out for a few hours, and move on to assembling the grill and getting the two outer metal grill parts stripped and painted before it all goes together.

I will shoot the medium blue touch-ups in the morning with a small touch-up gun that is great for doing small areas.

[landarts]

Finished up the day with assembling the grill and inner parts, and loosening all the fender contact points, then taping off the edge area of the paint that could possibly get scratched. I only put in a few of the pop-rivets in top and bottom, and also only cranked them down about half way so it would hold be have some wiggle room so I could adjust as I go. Spent overall about and hour and half to put it together and get it installed. Before calling it a day a threw the carpet down on the floor so it could get relaxed for the install tomorrow.

[landarts]

Spent the morning cleaning up around the truck and reorganizing the assembly table for the next items to be installed. Then, I got the areas that needed touch-up spraying done cleaned, masked, and wiped down. Used the round foam tape around edges so to break up the spray and not leave a hard line like tape does. Mixed up the paint and sprayed four coats with my new Iwata RG-3 touch-up gun. Really liked how well it sprayed and how you can really control the pattern down to a very small area.

Also made a scratch proof cover for the grill from the box the grill surround came in, don't need anything messing it up. Worked on getting a couple of pieces of trim for the front fenders cleaned up, sanded, and ready for a new wood grain decal. Headliner, headliner trim, armrest, and exhaust kit showing up tomorrow from FedX.

[MySons68C20]

Well done!!

[70STOVEBOLT]

Originally Posted by best view

Well if you’re a crazy k20 enthusiast then this is like watching porn I’ll admit, and I do get alerts when new episodes are going to be released. Eric knew i bought this 7 seconds after I did which is a funny story in itself and a day later bought his brother

You bought Eric's brother?!?!

[landarts]

I'm digging into some of the items that were provided for the truck build that need attention before they can be used. First were the DG4 mirrors. One has three or four good whamos on the back, and the mounting arms on both are really rusted and pitted. I'm going to attempt to remove the glass and metal work from the backside from the inside. I tossed the mounting arms in the tub of Evaporust to get them cleaned up.

I also have a bunch of upper and lower trim that needs a once over to get it ready for install. I grabbed a set of front fender lowers that I had a few extra sets of and worked them a little to make them look presentable and then put a couple coats of satin black to see how they would come out. For this build the bottom will get the woodgrain decal and the upper and lower groove with satin black. The upper trim will get the satin black as usual.

[landarts]

As usual, I try to have a few irons in the fire when working on a build, since some items need drying time that I am working on, or cleaning, or rust removal or repairs. Today I opened up the new headliner we purchased for the truck and the armrest. I compared them to the door panels I refurbished back to the correct color, and both of the two items were different shades compared to the refurbished door panels and visors. So I got the setup for a little SEM color change to match. Spray two coats of adhesion promoter and followed with two full coats of SEM color coat. Now, all is good for the interior matching.

Also opened up the new exhaust system I had delivered yesterday and did a little test fitting under the truck, and this is really going to work out nice. The last thing today was test fitting a few pieces of the trim onto the truck with tape to get an idea of what might be missing. I will start working on the trim parts one at a time over the next couple of weeks to see if I can bring them around and make them look halfway decent.