Silverado restoration in Finland

[LT7A]

I'll never get tired of seeing pictures of this truck. I'm almost sad to see it so close to getting done. Don't hit me, haha. It's not often that you get to see a restoration done so beautifully. I think your license plate frames look great, and if they were gold, or bolder, they would take attention away from the rest of the truck.

I saw the BMW off to the side in one of the other pictures. Neat little car! If that's your next project, would you consider putting it on the Forum here under "alternate tinkerings"? Or heck, you could even post about it on this thread. I'd like to see what you do on it.

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by LT7A

I'll never get tired of seeing pictures of this truck. I'm almost sad to see it so close to getting done. Don't hit me, haha. It's not often that you get to see a restoration done so beautifully. I think your license plate frames look great, and if they were gold, or bolder, they would take attention away from the rest of the truck.

I saw the BMW off to the side in one of the other pictures. Neat little car! If that's your next project, would you consider putting it on the Forum here under "alternate tinkerings"? Or heck, you could even post about it on this thread. I'd like to see what you do on it.

Thanks very much for your kind words LT7A! I like very much about this "Chevy trucks" page, and all of you guys to this pages have been really friendly even though we are not American. Thanks to everybody!

My next project (BMW). I do not know if I can put pictures on these pages because someone can gets angry. By the way; what is your mentioned "alternate tinkerings"?
Yesterday, I started and removed the interior out of the BMW and I found a litlle bit of rust. I think so, this project isn´t so "quickly" than our Chevy, because I have to save money.

But LT7A, there is still a lot to do in Chevy, so more pictures and my bad English is coming as long as we get time and money again.

[BIGglaSS]

I've been watching your build here. Very nice! Feel free to post your BMW, I'd watch that, too... Post Alternate tinkerings here:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=140

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

I've been watching your build here. Very nice! Feel free to post your BMW, I'd watch that, too... Post Alternate tinkerings here:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=140

Thank you very much, BIGglaSS! Thank you to the "Alternate tinkerings" page link. Maybe some day I put there more information and pictures about my BMW. I want to learn much better english and the new project story (BMW) would be good for learning english. This site has really nice people so here it has been nice to write a story about our Chevy. Here in Finland there are too many wise men(nasty people) in different forums and I do not like it.

[MrFinland]

1, 2 pic.; My brother protected the truck from the rust.
3, 4 pic.; The interior is now almost complete. The middle safety belt must still be replaced.

[Dads79GMC]

Man, it looks excellent!!!!!

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Man, it looks excellent!!!!!

Thank you Sir!
I just admired both of you cars, Mike! Both will be really cool.

[lowbrow454]

This is one of the nicest builds I've seen. You did great work.

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by lowbrow454

This is one of the nicest builds I've seen. You did great work.

Thank you so much for all your kind words Lowbrow454!

[MrFinland]

Here are a few pictures when we drove the last time before winter. The truck is now in the garage about for the next 6 months. We need to fix all the faults that came in the light during the summer.

[Dads79GMC]

Looks great! Finished just in time for the snow to fall! Mike

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Looks great! Finished just in time for the snow to fall! Mike

Thanks Mike! Fortunately, we were able to drive before the fall came. Hopefully, in the next summer, we can drive a lot more.

I would like to start renovating BMW but there is no room for both cars in my garage. I have to wait for Chevy to go to my brother's garage.

[Palf70Step]

Beautiful truck!


I am so glad I that I can run mine year round. You guys in them cold places.

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Beautiful truck!


I am so glad I that I can run mine year round. You guys in them cold places.

Thaks a lot Bill! You are lucky guy Bill, if you can drive round of the year with your truck. Here in Finland is now so dark, cold, windy and today we got the first snow....I hate this weather.

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by MrFinland

Thaks a lot Bill! You are lucky guy Bill, if you can drive round of the year with your truck. Here in Finland is now so dark, cold, windy and today we got the first snow....I hate this weather.

That means, you are going to have to get another project truck

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

That means, you are going to have to get another project truck

Yes definitely I agree! We teased to our wives, that our next project is crew cab dually. But in our wives' faces we saw, we might not want to buy crew cab dually now...for at least a little while.
My next project is BMW and my brother´s next restoration project is old tractor (David Brown).

[Dads79GMC]

It’s terrible!!

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

It’s terrible!!

I agree! I think that you have same "problem" in Iowa than we have in Finland?!? ...I saw a litlle bit snow in your building thread pictures.

[Dads79GMC]

Again, terrible weather!!

[LT7A]

Ilkka, I saw where you asked Mike (Dads79GMC) about wheel spacers. If I recall correctly, you need at least 3/4" thickness of material in the spacer to recess the nuts to bolt it to your axle. Then the spacer has studs that you bolt your wheel to. It appears that a 3/4 or 1 inch spacer wouldn't push your rear wheels out too far, but I'm just guessing, looking at the pictures. If 1/2 inch is really the right size, you may be able to just get longer studs and press them into your axles (after pounding the old ones out) so that you can install a 1/2 spacer plus your wheel and still have enough threads for the lug nuts to hold your wheel on safely.

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Ilkka, I saw where you asked Mike (Dads79GMC) about wheel spacers. If I recall correctly, you need at least 3/4" thickness of material in the spacer to recess the nuts to bolt it to your axle. Then the spacer has studs that you bolt your wheel to. It appears that a 3/4 or 1 inch spacer wouldn't push your rear wheels out too far, but I'm just guessing, looking at the pictures. If 1/2 inch is really the right size, you may be able to just get longer studs and press them into your axles (after pounding the old ones out) so that you can install a 1/2 spacer plus your wheel and still have enough threads for the lug nuts to hold your wheel on safely.

Thanks LT7A! Yes, I thinks so that 1" spacer is too much for our truck because we have 10" rear wheel and 295/50-15" tire. I tryed to install 1/5" spacer but it was too thin, but maximum what can use with original studs. I have to check studs (if I can install longer studs) when we remove rear end, because we have to change the seals to rear end.

[LT7A]

I'll bet longer studs are available. Let me know if you want me to check out anything in the States for you.

[MrFinland]

Originally Posted by LT7A

I'll bet longer studs are available. Let me know if you want me to check out anything in the States for you.

Thank you very much LT7A! I'm really impressed by how friendly the people are here! Thanks to everyone and especially for you LT7A! I´ll let you know, if I don´t find those longer studs. I have to talk to my brother first, because he don´t want those spacer but I want...

[MrFinland]

I noticed that we have no picture of the engine bay. Something small still needs to be done before it is ready; for example stickers, air hose for the engine and jack...

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by MrFinland

Thank you very much LT7A! I'm really impressed by how friendly the people are here! Thanks to everyone and especially for you LT7A! I´ll let you know, if I don´t find those longer studs. I have to talk to my brother first, because he don´t want those spacer but I want...

Happy New Year Ilkka! I can understand both sides of the discussion about the spacers. It was good to see you were able to sneak your truck out onto the road even though it's winter. Is Finland similar to Norway and Sweden in the type of cars? If so, your truck is probably very unusual there. And very big compared to the rest of the cars. I'm sure any one of us would be proud to have that truck. It is as if new, while being 37 years old. Even though most of the work is done it would be fun for us to see where you go and how you use it. I hope you will keep posting pictures.