Halfbreed - GMC Z71 + IH Extd Cab

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

i thought they looked a little small on the rear doors, although its not my project nor my time and money lol. Id say if your unhappy now stop and fix it, but make sure its what you want so its done right the first time.

Originally Posted by JimmyFloyd

I would say deal with it now. Think of all the other stuff you'll be basing measurements off of now, and all the custom pieces you'll have to make for the doors, which you'll have to re-do later on if you change your mind.

And if you need a roof cut section, let me know and I can cut that one of the 65. I think it's like $75 or so for a roof here.

Originally Posted by dougminton

I wouldn't mess with re-doing that much wok unless I was going to be the one getting in and out of the back door.not enough difference in the looks.
But that's my opinion. Doug

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your thoughts!

[sparkydog]

I guess I should also say that as far as the interior space for the rear seat goes - I'm OK with where the cuts are now. The rear seat area and the rear doorway opening are about the same as the GM Xcab - maybe a little tighter. So it's not the functionality or ergonomics of what I have...

The thing I am obsessing over is the exterior body proportions. It's the "sculpture" shape that I am looking at - the shape and size of the outside of the cab relative to the bed and such. You know - like what if this thing makes it into the Museum of Modern Art someday?!! hee hee.

[1985-GMC]

I would leave it the way it is I think it looks fine.

[Sven]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

I would leave it the way it is I think it looks fine.

+1 for leaving it as it is. But it's your project and we're just onlookers ...

-Steve

[sparkydog]

I'm heading back to SoCal tonight and will have about 4-6 weeks to work on Halfbreed. My next milestone is to have it legal, safe and road-worthy. I have a lot of things I can work on while I continue to think about the cab/rear door size issue.

Here's my punch list:

1 Hood hinge bracket/cowl reinforcement DONE
2 Hood latch DONE
3 Footwell sides DONE
4 Finish front and middle cab mount brackets DONE - DONE!
5 Front lights, horns and wire harness DONE
6 Rear lights and harness DONE
7 Modify and install rear doors DOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEE
8 Finish rear cab roof feathering DONE
9 Finish bed seams Exterior is DONE
10 Fill in rear floor pan DONE
11 Quick cab primer (roof rust stabilize)DONE
12 Front seatbelts & harness attach points DONE
13 Front & Rear window; Front is DONE
14 Install wiper motor, posts and linkage - debug Started
15 Dashboard mods/dash ducting mods Started
16 HVAC unit install & debug Installed but not hooked up
17 Seal up cowl drain seams
18 Reinforce cowl sheet metal
19 Ebrake assy DONE
20 BFH front edge of fuel tank to clearance cab better DONE
21 Move and install rear cab mount brackets DONE
22 Fire Extinguisher DONE
23 Front Bumper Ehh... Maybe Later
24 Rear bumper Ehh... Maybe Later
25 Ground straps DONE

[sparkydog]

I wrapped up my hood hinges and installed the hood latch. Like everything else, they are at about 90% complete and will serve their purpose until the day I decide to do a proper body makeover.

I also completed the prep I needed to the tow bar and rigged up some tow lights and harness - then took it for a trial tow/run. This afternoon I towed it up to Lake Elsinore and had a professional body customizer look at the door and cab roof and give me an estimate for what he would charge to do a really nice job of cut and fitment.

[sparkydog]

I've got my first "it won't run" problem. When the truck was a bone stock donor 97 XCab it would start within one or two seconds of cranking. This was the way it kept working up until my last 4 or 5 times running it. Now today it wouldn't start at all when I was done towing it back.

I went old school on my troubleshooting and started trying to rule spark and gas in or out. When I stripped the air intake equip all off clear down to the top of the throttle body and squirted some starting fluid in - it fired right up and runs just fine until I shut it off. Once I turn it off same deal - no starty again.

How can it be starved for fuel during crank but get plenty of gas once it is running?

[67ChevyRedneck]

Seeing the "distant" body shot, I think the cab looks great as is

That's an interesting issue. With the vehicle off, when you turn the key on (without trying to start it) do you hear the fuel pump hum? It should make a humming sound while it primes.

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

That's an interesting issue. With the vehicle off, when you turn the key on (without trying to start it) do you hear the fuel pump hum? It should make a humming sound while it primes.

Yes there is a little, faint growl for a few seconds and then it stops.

[sparkydog]

Here are some pictures of the rear section with the rear seat mocked up. The front seat is slid to where I like it as a 5'8" guy. But if the steering wheel and pedals were "corrected" to their proper locations to compensate for my cab, then I think the front bench would be about where a 6' er would have it.

I haven't really paid attention to what a modern X-cab rear seat clearance is relative to the front seats. Does this look about right or too narrow?

[67ChevyRedneck]

Well, you got me then

That looks close to how my Z71 is (2000 Ex cab). It looks good to me. Have you butt tested it out? If your knees aren't in the seat, I'd call it good

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Have you butt tested it out?

Heck I don't give a crap whats going on in the back seat. As long as my dogs can fit back there and hang their heads out the window I'm good!!!

[DorianGray]

Nice work so far. I look forward to seeing more of the truck. And by the way you've got some skills with metal keep up the good work.

[*Dylan]

Looks great! Those old IH's are cool!

[sparkydog]

In true Halfbreed spirit, I decided to take one of the GM horns and one of the IH horns and put them together into the truck. As usual I spent waaaayyyy too long trying to figure out where and how to mount them but eventually settled for behind the pass side headlight.

[sparkydog]

Then I spent the rest of Sunday getting the footwell sides and bottoms mocked up, tacked and finished welded in.
(Donor metal courtesy of 67 Pickup roof!)

[sparkydog]

I'm trying hard not to get overly distracted by the "it's not running anymore" problem with this project and stay mostly focused on getting through the punch list for street legal.

On Monday eve I wanted to start the initial phase of mocking up the dashboard. So I cut the dash up so I could extend it farther out toward the driver. Then I tacked in some temp holder strips to keep it from falling off onto the floor.

I like how it lays up so far. It also covers up the GM HVAC module pretty well. I'll have a little bit of blending work to do on each end of the dash. I also re-installed the metal inner door liners that are off the Pickup onto the TAll front doors.

From the bench seat forward it is starting to resemble a real truck! Too bad it no longer runs like an actual truck!

[sparkydog]

Got the Ebrake from the GMC re-installed tonight. I harvested 3 weld-on studs from an IH pedal assy and welded them into the hybrid footwell. Mounted up the ebrake pedal and tie-wrapped the release handle until I am finished with the dashboard install.

[Frizzle Fry]

Nice work man. Lookin good!

[sparkydog]

Dropped the gas tank down and BFH'd the front of it to better clear of the corner of the cab floor.

I also finished welding up the forward cab mounts and was able to finally remove the temp galvanized brackets that have been in this area for several months.

Next up is a similar task with the middle cab mounts and then I can finish the floor where it will blend around the A and B pillars.

While I was on the creeper so much I popped off the fuel filter - sort of hoping I would find a massive clog or a lotto ticket or something to explain why the truck won't start. But it was in good shape and gas was flowing fine through it so I put it back in.

[sparkydog]

Boy do I feel sheepish.... but glad to have a running truck again.

Long story short - battery voltage had dropped so low from all the starting and short running times that the fuel pump couldn't do it's thing. Then I drained it even more with all my screwing around with the ether.

Once I got the battery charged it fired right up again just like old times!

Back to working on getting this thing street legal! Thanks guys for all the help!

[sparkydog]

I had a fun day today. In addition to learning how much better the truck works when the battery has 12v instead of 7, I...

Cut, fit and tacked in my dashboard extension.


And I also finished off the floor/A pillar base which had kind of a tricky transition/blend to it.

[ERASER5]

I really like the old dash. I had expected you to use the new dash. Nice surprise. Makes me wonder how the IH dash would look in my 70 or 72.

What are you going to do for defrost vents?

[Frizzle Fry]

Really coming along nicely. Stretching the dash looks like it was fun. Good call on using the IH dash.

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by ERASER5

What are you going to do for defrost vents?

I've saved the GM plastic ducting system as well as the IH plastic defrost diffusers. I hope to McGuyver some kind of hybrid merge between the two.

The wiper linkage, HVAC ducting and the subtle blends between IH and GM sheet metal up in the cowl intake area are probably going to be the hardest part of the whole cab merge. It's going to get tricky.