Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build

[brossow]

I also want to add that when things really started going to hell with the disappearing package on Wednesday, the gentleman I'd been working with at Calvert gave me his PERSONAL cell phone number and told me to call if there were any more problems. After I called him back on Friday to let him know the stuff had arrived, he again reminded me to call him on his cell if I had trouble with the installation. When was the last time you had someone from a company do THAT for you? Never, I'm guessing.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by brossow

I can't say that I would recommend the CalTracs kit as a straight bolt-on for obvious reasons, and I'm still not sure why they couldn't get the modified hangers right the first time, but at the end of it all I've gotta say I've never, EVER worked with a company that truly understood the value of customer service like Calvert Racing. Screwups aside, they did everything I asked in order to make it right, and they did a lot more that I didn't even ask of them, and every bit of it at their own expense. You pay a lot for their products, but now it's clear that you do so knowing that they will stand behind their stuff and not stop until you're satisfied. The sad thing for me is that I know I'll never in my life get service this good again.....

I also want to add that when things really started going to hell with the disappearing package on Wednesday, the gentleman I'd been working with at Calvert gave me his PERSONAL cell phone number and told me to call if there were any more problems. After I called him back on Friday to let him know the stuff had arrived, he again reminded me to call him on his cell if I had trouble with the installation. When was the last time you had someone from a company do THAT for you? Never, I'm guessing.

Might I suggest you copy this statement & formally send it to the appropriate people (for their bosses & to share w/their peers). It would have a tremendous impact to those that helped you from Calvert know how positive you feel about your experience w/them.

I admit after reading about these struggles, I was feeling very bad about recommending their set-up. I'm very curious what's different about your set-up vs. what they've sold to their previous customers for this application? How did it work for them but not you?

In the end, I'm glad Calvert Racing did what they should to ensure all was right. I will recommend them again after hearing this outcome. Let the build continue!

[brossow]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Might I suggest you copy this statement & formally send it to the appropriate people (for their bosses & to share w/their peers). It would have a tremendous impact to those that helped you from Calvert know how positive you feel about your experience w/them.

Already done.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I admit after reading about these struggles, I was feeling very bad about recommending their set-up. I'm very curious what's different about your set-up vs. what they've sold to their previous customers for this application? How did it work for them but not you?

Exactly my question from the beginning! It's not as if my hangers were unique, since the ones they modified and sent me were ones they got from a local (California) yard and not my originals. I suspect there's more to the story than they're willing to admit, but at this point I don't particularly care. I'd love to know the answer but I'm sure I never will.

Brent

[brossow]

Made a bit of progress this weekend. Had to buy a new deadman valve for my pressure blaster as I couldn't find the old one (just as well -- it was pure crap) and found out the hard way that my carefully stored media from last fall is damp despite my attempts to keep it dry. Bought some more Black Beauty this morning and got to work. Had a bit of help from my sons. Pics follow.

[msgross]

wow, what an adventure...

[VA72C10]

Those cleaned up nicely.

[brossow]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Those cleaned up nicely.

Yup. Too bad about the hole someone hacked through the radiator support above and to the right of the passenger side headlight, but that can be repaired. Hadn't noticed that one before, somehow.

Blasting went a lot better today with 44% humidity than it did yesterday at 89%. Gave up out of frustration yesterday; today I had to give up from fatigue, which is a good feeling.

[brossow]

Been weeks since I've done anything -- when I've had free time, the weather has been terrible. When the weather's been nice, I've had other obligations. Terrible time of year for that to happen, but that's life in Minnesota.

Here's what showed up on my doorstep yesterday: a Pypes 2.5" Race Pro stainless steel x-pipe exhaust system. Hope I can get this one last thing done before packing it in for yet another winter.

In other news, there's really no other news. The back half of the sheetmetal is with my paint and body guy, but his "real" work schedule has had him working out of state for the past several weeks. The hood has been at least partially blasted and needs to get some primer on it before it flash-rusts again. Still need to get up to his shop again and get some pics of what's been done so far on the bed. I wouldn't trade being a dad for anything in the world, but going it alone doesn't always leave a lot of free time, especially once school is back in session.

[Damien]

I little off topic, but we live about 4 blocks away from each other. I was looking through this tread one day and recognized your place from some of the pictures. I live on Fulton.

[brossow]

Originally Posted by Damien

I little off topic, but we live about 4 blocks away from each other. I was looking through this tread one day and recognized your place from some of the pictures. I live on Fulton.

Small world!! Stop by sometime -- I'll be out later today mocking up the exhaust.

[Damien]

I will. I want to check out the ls1 swap.

[brossow]

A very, VERY disappointing day today. Had the day off and the weather was beautiful (sunny and 65° at the moment) so it was the perfect opportunity to lay out the Pypes exhaust and try to get it hung.

Things started off okay, but went downhill quickly. The pics tell much of the story, but I'll fill in the blanks. I knew it wouldn't be good when I couldn't even get the pipes to lay out on the ground the same way side to side. Long story short, the system isn't EVER gonna bolt up to my truck, no way no how.

The first pic below shows the two tailpipes laid out side by side, exhaust tips even. See anything wrong with the angles that go over the axle? Yeah, me too. With the 90° angle on the top one (passenger) side, there's absolutely no way, no matter how I twist and turn the pipe and the one it connects to coming off the muffler, that it will hang properly. If I get the other pipe horizontal, the exhaust tip touches the ground. If I get the tip up where it should be, the other pipe angles sharply toward the ground. The only way to get it horizontal is to twist it so it's pointing toward the other side of the frame. (And no, I don't have pics -- damn difficult to do while I'm holding the pipes up.)

The second pic is a close-up of the problem ... or one of the problems. I called Pypes and they told me to email them these pics. After an hour or so, I got a call back telling me that that's the way they're supposed to be bent. WTF?! I was amazed, but I went back out and spent another hour wrestling with the pipes in every possible combination and position and it's just not gonna fit, period. That's the way it's supposed to be, not the same side to side? Yeah, RIGHT!

Compounding the problem is the pipe coming off the muffler. It, too, has an angle issue. Where the hell is quality control at Pypes?! You can see in the third pic that the angles on these two pipes that come off the mufflers and into the tailpipes aren't even close. And no, they aren't just cut at different angles; both are cut perpendicular to the pipe. I even tried swapping them side to side in case I was just somehow putting them together wrong. Not a chance. Believe me, there's no angle or combination I didn't try.

I'm utterly disgusted with the situation. It's not even worth returning the system as I'd lose SO much money in the shipping -- $30 from Summit plus another $40 (UPS Ground) to send it back to them, nearly 20% of the total cost all together. I was understandably frustrated with the Caltracs situation, but at least they never told me that the stuff that didn't fit right was supposed to be that way, and they bent over backwards to make it right. But Pypes? "It's supposed to be like that." Completely pi**ed off and know one company I'll never do business with again.

So much for getting anything else done before winter. Time to pack it up. At least I have a nice weekend to do it.

If anyone near Mankato, Minnesota wants to take it off my hands for Summit's price minus the shipping, PM me privately. Then I'm only losing the shipping cost one way. Otherwise it's going into storage because I refuse to be out $70+ for something that wasn't my fault.

Brent

[Ackattack]

I have the same pypes setup on my truck (I don't remember which mufflers I used). I totally customized my install (see build pics)

Anyways....I wonder if they're "supposed" to be that way for panhard bar clearance.

I can't exactly picture what you were descibing, but thought I'd throw that out there.

[brossow]

Even though it's too cold for me to work, my buddy with the heated body shop has been hard at work on my sheet metal for my '72 Chevy shortbed stepside project. Went up to visit it (and him) the other day and took a few pics.

In the first pic below you can see the radiator support. Doesn't look like much, which is exactly the point -- it used to have a big hole that looked like the PO had used a shotgun at close range rather than cutting a proper circle for whatever passed through it at one point. You can't tell now -- it's smooth as glass.

Next pic is one of the dealer take-off rear fenders, which were rust-free (having been stored in an attic since September 1971) but had some dings and nicks from being moved and transported. Again, smooth as glass and he's not even done blocking 'em.

Last pic shows the brand-new (repro) bed sides. Those didn't need much attention, but for the money I have invested I like to show them off as much as possible. LOL!

In related news, I'm going back to the color I had wanted originally (which I'm going to TRY to keep a secret as long as possible -- nothing shocking, just want to keep it under wraps for now). Changed my mind last fall when I was planning to have the panels painted individually and then brought back to my place for assembly, which limited my paint options in terms of matching, etc. But now that we're gonna do the assembly at my buddy's shop, I can go back to my original choice. It's gonna be beautiful.

Brent <-- looking forward to spring!

[1971gmcshortbed]

Looking good Brent, the wind killed my day here yesterday. I couldn't imagine the cold uo there bud..

[brossow]

Originally Posted by 1971gmcshortbed

Looking good Brent, the wind killed my day here yesterday. I couldn't imagine the cold up there bud..

It's a balmy 10°F right now. T-shirt weather!

But seriously, this week for the first time in weeks or months I'm seeing highs that start with "3" -- 30 today, 31 Tuesday and Wednesday, and finally 33 on Thursday, the first time I've seen it above freezing in what seems like forever. It's been a long cold lonely winter (or just a long cold winter, if you prefer Cinderella to the Beatles)!

[my67chevytruck]

nice progress....

[VA72C10]

Looking good!!!

[matthew20061]

Looks good!

[Damien]

Forward progress is always nice!

Too cold? I've been out in the garage for the last two weekends working on my s10. (I have no heat and have to have to door open to work under the hood.) 30* is awesome. Just a couple more weeks and the snow will be nearly gone. Can't wait.

[brossow]

Originally Posted by Damien

Forward progress is always nice!

Too cold? I've been out in the garage for the last two weekends working on my s10. (I have no heat and have to have to door open to work under the hood.) 30* is awesome. Just a couple more weeks and the snow will be nearly gone. Can't wait.

"Too cold" isn't quite the truth, I guess. Even if it was 80 degrees out, I still would have to literally unpack everything from the garage just to get at the truck. It's such a tight fit in there right now I have to shuffle sideways just to get at my toolbox if I need to change a shear pin for the snowblower. And that is why I haven't gotten anything done this winter.

But my little weather thingy is saying it's 34 degrees out -- that really IS t-shirt weather! If it was the weekend I'd at least be out busting up ice and chopping down snow drifts in the driveway to help it melt faster, and I'd be doing so in a t-shirt and jeans.

[Hart_Rod]

Updates? Do you have any pictures of your Lokar oil dipstick installed?

R/

[brossow]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Updates? Do you have any pictures of your Lokar oil dipstick installed?

R/

I wish. So behind on everything I could cry. My buddy who was going to be doing the bodywork and paint for me dumped the stuff back at my place a couple months ago in primer because he needed the room for other projects. I haven't even unpacked it yet this year and we're already into July. I said just yesterday that even if I get it out now I've only got three months to work on it before I have to pack it up again. Just makes me sick.

[msgross]

MOVE SOUTH!

[brossow]

Originally Posted by msgross

MOVE SOUTH!

No way -- love the change of seasons up here. I just need a decent garage.