85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[N2TRUX]

I plan to restore and update the gauge cluster soon. In anticipation of the mods, I started looking for a tach or tach cluster. I was fortunate enough to be offered a GMC Sports tach/fuel gauge combo for a buddy deal. Now I need some true white LEDs .

[LDO]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I plan to restore and update the gauge cluster soon. In anticipation of the mods, I started looking for a tach or tach cluster. I was fortunate enough to be offered a GMC Sports tach/fuel gauge combo for a buddy deal. Now I need some true white LEDs .

Wow,
that is sweet! How would one go about finding such an item?

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Wow,that is sweet! How would one go about finding such an item?

They can be found at GMsports.com They offer a 7k tach and a 7k tach/fuel combo.

[LDO]

Thank you sir.

[N2TRUX]

I had intended to use PPG base/clear to finish the panel out till I priced materials. The cost of paint has gone up again, and red is always higher.
Buying supplies that I wouldn't need beyond this repair didn't make sense.
I looked at the Duplicolor refinishing system. They offer primer and paint at much more affordable but it's limited on colors. Unfortunately there wasn't one that matched my truck so I looked for a plan "C".

Rust-Oleum has a farm equipment line and it turns out the International Farm all red is an excellent match. Is it possible I had a viable solution for less than $20.00? I bought the recommended filler primer and was on my way.

[N2TRUX]

I had not been able to find my body hammers so I had improvised till now. I located my flat hammer, but not the shrinking hammer so I spent some quality time with my little friend.

My metal working skills are pretty rusty and I battled with one side of my work are having bed liner that really restricted my ability to see what I was doing.
I still managed to make it much better than what I had started with and it was far smoother than the factory header panel above my repair

I spot primed and blocked, followed by a full coat of primer that was wet sanded smooth. I must admit for rattle can primer the end result was much better than expected.

[N2TRUX]

One more coat of primer and I blocked and wet sanded it smooth. I remasked the area and cut in the color. I was very pleased with the coverage and it went on wet yet didn't try to sag or run.
I managed to get two good wet coats and still have paint left. Other than a nozzle that requires a lot of force, this Rust-Oleum system worked much better than expected. After a couple of hours dry time it still had a very nice shine.

Well played Rust-Oleum, we'll played.

[LDO]

That turned out pretty nice. Quite the inspiration!

[aggie91]

That really did turn out nice for less than $20 in materials. It's mostly hidden when assembled, so I doubt anyone would even notice that I might not be an exact match.

Well done!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

That turned out pretty nice. Quite the inspiration!

Originally Posted by aggie91

That really did turn out nice for less than $20 in materials. It's mostly hidden when assembled, so I doubt anyone would even notice that I might not be an exact match. Well done!

Thanks guys. Karl I was told that the red was the original color but my research indicates its close but not exact.
That meant I would have to have the PPG store custom match the color. They cant do a pint when doing matches, so I would have to buy quart of color, as well as the corresponding reducer, and hardener. That doesn't include the clear and required materials. You can see how quickly that would escalate cost.

DupliColor has a much more economical system designed for the "do it yourselfer" that gets decent reviews. Unfortunately the colors in stock weren't even close to mine.

It turns out that International Harvester red is very close. In most light its a 98% match. As you mentioned, this panel wont be visible in direct light so I think it will pass inspection.

What I do know is it looks so much better than the base coat with out clear and lots of lumps.

[GAc10boy]

Very nice! I use that Rustoleum 2n1 primer with pretty good results. I'm even an amateur rattle can painter and it treats me well.

[LT7A]

N2,

I enjoy seeing your progress (and your sometimes need for doggedness) on this build. I am learning how to do a little bit at a time, like you said. Rather than shoot for too much and get frustrated, and ultimately accomplishing less, which has been a pattern for me.

The front panel in the bed says much about your abilities with the bodyworking tools and with a spray can. It is hard for me to get an even glossy coat on something that big. It's always cool to me to see the less-than-20-buck solution when the alternative could have been in the hundreds.

I was (jokingly) curious about the math of 5 40 lb boxes (200 lbs) vs two big guys... and the candy got it done? Haha. Anyway, I also wanted to back you up on the painting of the inside of the bumpers. I've done it on one project and will be doing it again. It rusts there, it can actually be visible at certain angles. Nice work on that. Care to share the silver paint product you used? It looks good.

LT

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by GAc10boy

Very nice! I use that Rustoleum 2n1 primer with pretty good results. I'm even an amateur rattle can painter and it treats me well.

Practice makes you better at anything. Proper preparation gives good results no matter what paint is used.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LT7A

N2,

I enjoy seeing your progress (and your sometimes need for doggedness) on this build. I am learning how to do a little bit at a time, like you said. Rather than shoot for too much and get frustrated, and ultimately accomplishing less, which has been a pattern for me.

The front panel in the bed says much about your abilities with the bodyworking tools and with a spray can. It is hard for me to get an even glossy coat on something that big. It's always cool to me to see the less-than-20-buck solution when the alternative could have been in the hundreds.

I was (jokingly) curious about the math of 5 40 lb boxes (200 lbs) vs two big guys... and the candy got it done? Haha. Anyway, I also wanted to back you up on the painting of the inside of the bumpers. I've done it on one project and will be doing it again. It rusts there, it can actually be visible at certain angles. Nice work on that. Care to share the silver paint product you used? It looks good.

LT

Like anything in life persistence is the key to success. I am very motivated by achievement. That's why I try to break my work down in small achievable jobs that can be finished in a night or two. I can go to bed feeling good that I accomplished my objective.

Regarding the boxes for ballast, that included the big old boys too. We tried with both of us and it wasn't enough.

I have tried several brands of "chrome" paint and not pleased with any. On the bumpers I used a bright aluminum from Ace Hardware. It's not chrome but it does have a nice bright finish.

[N2TRUX]

Well I thought I was through with the front panel on my bed till it cured over night. I missed the inside of the top rail and overlooked some small chips that were visible with day light shining in.
I masked the upper brace and wet sanding with a flexible block. I got the chips smooth and tried again. This time I tilted the bed and stood on a ladder to get under the radius of the cross brace. I laid down 3 wet coats and called it done.

[Desert1957]

That's amazing for a "Rattle Can" job. I never considered any touch up work using this method. Nice job,

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Came home from work yesterday and your thread motivated me to get off my butt and re-wrap my PW and PDL wire harness. It really didn't take very long and it looked 10x better when I got done!

Just a few minutes work goes a long way sometimes.

Originally Posted by Desert1957

That's amazing for a "Rattle Can" job. I never considered any touch up work using this method. Nice job,

In the past I never would have considered using spray cans for anything more than small parts. With the cost of materials climbing higher every day, its simply not practical to do small jobs if you have to buy everything. Trust me, if the results hadnt been to my satisfaction, I would have stripped it and bought PPG.

[N2TRUX]

The weekend went by in a blur, but here are some highlights of our progress. Friday night I worked on the tail light harness. I didnt like the way GM had just a few random clips holding it in place, so I decided to improve. I had previously wrapped the hardness so I crawled under the bed and mapped out a new route. I think it looks much cleaner and its certainly better protected that before.
Ignore the exposed wires going to the tail lights. My loom never showed up so it was wrapped neatly with tape.

[N2TRUX]

With the tail light harness in place it was time time to install the bed. Chris showed up Saturday morning and we got to it. He guided it in while I worked the chain hoist and took pictures. For the first time in a couple of months she was looking like a truck again.

[N2TRUX]

With the bed in place it was time to wrap up job. Chris worked on finding matching hardware for the the gas filler inlet, while I hooked the fill line and vent hose up. Dont worry we used tire dressing on the hoses after the pics. This was a big step in getting Scarlett ready for C10s in the Park.

[N2TRUX]

Sunday morning Chris got here early again so we paused to do some maintenance on his daily driver. He had complained about musty air so he changed the cabin filter and made a huge improvement there. We did an oil change, and he washed and detailed it while I started on our next project.

Anyone have any factory 20" wheels? Hes happy with the 17s, but I think it needs bigger.

[N2TRUX]

With maintenance done we moved on to the rear bumper install. Many years ago my buddy Keith (N2billet) looked at the rear bumper on my 82 Blazer and said it looked like a fat butt with the bumper sticking out so far. He had looked at his squarebody truck and noted that the rear bumper could be tucked in to clean it up a bit. Ironically this mod has recently become popular again.

Chris and I started the process by mocking up the bumper moving it up from the stock position. We ensured that there was ample clearance for the tailgate to open and close, and made new holes an inch forward before we cinched down the brackets to the frame. We triple checked our measurements and broke for lunch.

[N2TRUX]

After lunch we pulled everything apart and started the final install. I noted that the bumper bolts were too long, so I measured and cut them too the proper length. This included the bolts for the license plate pocket.

Meanwhile Chris used new stainless bolts and matching screws to assemble the license plate pocket. I had originally painted it the correct silver argent color and changed to to bright aluminum to match the back side of the bumper. We were pleased with the results and mounted the assembly in place.

Note that the bolt kit came with 6 bumper bolts and 6 license plate pocket bolts. It should be 8 and 4. In the interim we used an old bolt on the inner bracket. Also note that I need a correct inner truck bracket if anyone has a spare set they want to part with.

[GAc10boy]

Excellent work and progress.

[PEDROSKI]

Door panels next?