Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Indian113

Rian, Don't let the Cheap Gas Prices fool you! They are just teasing us with them at the moment. By Spring we will be paying premium prices again. Although our highest prices might just be cheaper than your Lowest. Looks like Dennis came through again and The Blazer will drop it's Ass Properly! Thanks for the Pictures of the Thames and your countryside, makes me want to Go to the UK even More. Ray

Sorry I could not come cook those pork steaks at your place today.

Pleasure regarding the photos I post.

[Grizz1963]

Of course there is the matter of the long weekend in America



Last night after 10pm my one neighbour brought a parcel around.

From Ernie “PedalcarJoe” it had me laughing again, that is twice this week.

Basically for the Blazer as it seems to have a bit of a bruiser look about it, and in all white looks a bit like the Stormtroopers from Star Trek.

Harley of course has to do her inspection, weird cat.



On the way home tonight I had to fill up my car, prices are a bit higher than those in the USA



In other news from the USA, Clem Johnson of Tubatrucks.com had send Dennis an old gas station driveway forecourt bell earlier this week.


Started out like this.





And after doing his magic.........






And earlier today, Dennis sent a pic of it mounted on the side of the replica gas station.




Looking forward to tomorrow.

[Grizz1963]

Lazy start to my day off work, only got up at 07.00 when Harley had bugged me more than I needed to stay in bed.

Did some work admin, lazy brekkie by 09.00 and garage by 9.30

Not bad for a lazy day.

So tried out the Bobble Heads Ernie had sent for the truck.



Then truck time.

First thing I did was to remove the beauty rings, clean them and wrap them up back into their original box

Then made up a special tool to get the centre caps off with. They are buggers to get on too.



Then consulted the destructions. Posted here in the interest of record keeping.


Not the same as my Blazer ............ Ooops.








So looking in.





Offered up.

Notice gas filler pipe is in the way.



Mr Rattle Gun called in, easy work, another great tool I bought a long time ago.



Other side removed too.

Rear axle and suspension supported on the jack, rest of truck on axle stands.



Top shackle bolt fitted, needed to come out again as lower bush sleeve did not fit into support cup.









More later.

[Grizz1963]

So the old shackles came out, looking worse for wear.





Crawling around with 5 layers was not too bad, though my back still objected by the end.



One side.






Other side.






Side view after.









Final numbers.

Started with Front 680mm
Rear 790mm

Front raised to 710mm
Rear dropped to 780mm

Today shackles brought rear down to 740mm
Front stayed at 710mm

Happy with how it sits now.

Project??

[Palf70Step]

Great stance Rian! AS I like to put to my low rider friends, perfect to drive on all the roads my friends live on.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Great stance Rian! AS I like to put to my low rider friends, perfect to drive on all the roads my friends live on.

Absolutely love that description Bill.

Thank you as always for taking the time to post up on here.

[Grizz1963]

Woke at 04.30 again.....

Bugger.

Chatted with Dennis in St Louis as he does not always sleep.

Watched some recorded telly etc, then just as I was making brekkie, I noticed a massive rat down the bottom of the garden, eating at the soup I had put out for my visiting fox.

Grabbed the skip find .22 air rifle @CraigRK had found in a skip, some penetrating pellets and raced upstairs

Only one shot......

Rats are fast !!!

He was inside the bowl, I think I missed.



My shot trajectory.



Just after 10.00 mate Craig reversed in.

Bearing gifts, also to collect some stuff from our USA road trip that he left in my bag, and items Dennis had sent with the lowering shackles.



The cottage pane internal door is a future project.

The garden gate, along with some trestles will be the new BBQ table on the deck for 2019.



Headed out, mich smaller than the Blazer.



Thank you for the delivery.

[Grizz1963]

So after coffee and unloading the gates and door from @CraigRK ‘s truck we went down to the garage to look at the Blazer.

I started it up, fired up instantly too.

Then Craig did his OCD inspection going around the truck, declaring me to be a liar.

Saying that it was much better than I had described it before, seems to be a pattern forming here.

Looking at the Lexus style light, he clearly reacted to them......




So he asked about the replacement lights I had bought from Martin in Derbyshire.

Of course I would love to replace them, NOW.

So he grabbed a Phillips screwdriver and started to disassemble.



Lenses off.

Clearly all the colours this truck has been in it’s life, on display, Blue, Orange and primer Grey/Gray



And then you find stuff like this.......

Woodscrews...... WT actual F ???



Also in evidence, cut off screws that would be needing some attention.



So onto the small drillpress and starting with a 1.5mm drill after the Dremmel slot for a screwdriver failed to unseat the rusted in screw.
Then onto the next size and eventually we had a fresh hole to be screwed




Replaced number one.



Fitted, tested, video made.......

All good.



And these........

Headed into the sunset of evil bay.







Sooooo...


LASTLY....

VIDEO CLIP.

Grizz?s 79 Blazer with uglee Lexus rear lights. -...

I hope you are all happy with the right lights now fitted, I certainly am.


Later.

[Palf70Step]

Nice work. I like the European version of make the backups turn signals. You going to install some backup lights?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nice work. I like the European version of make the backups turn signals. You going to install some backup lights?

Morning Bill, quoted from a reply I posted earlier.

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Hi Cameron,

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, we have completely different regulations here.

A full yearly MOT test to check all aspects of Roadworthiness on all motor vehicles over three years old, a bit of a con really, but you cannot get your car legally road taxed or insured (another massive con) over here.

In England, the person is insured, and most moving traffic violations are translated into “Points” with 12 points being a loss of license to operate and drive or ride. They usually come in multiples of three points, ie. speeding at 77mph in a 70 zone would be 3 points etc.

Unlike the USA where my friend Dennis in St Louis usually just says Choose a car and bring it back when you are done. I used to have the same rule when I lived in South Africa where the car is insured, so friends and family could have a car or bike on the old proviso of “You bend it, you mend it”

2016 Road Trip pic probably says it all.

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/...2018-humdinger



Blinkers are amber/yellow and have to be sperate from the brake or tail lights.

Side lights, or park lights are differently managed too.

Cars mostly have to have fog lamp/s out back too and not having them means a fail notice till repaired.

All of these are failures on the yearly road worthiness test.

So relocating the blinkers to the reverse/backup light space with an amber bulb works.

I am planning to fit a set of slimline LED spots under the rear bumper, either wired into the harness or on a separate circuit.

Once the weather settles, I will do the edges of the rims in Silver Hammerite as a temporary measure

We know it works with the black contrast.


Plan for today is possibly a drive down to Isle of Sheppey to mate Darren, to measure up and plan out a rear panel to be laser cut......

Remember that??


And possibly also going to try tinting the rear tailgate glass which of course is mechanical, meaning it may be a fail..

Let’s see what happens.


This may be challenging.

[Grizz1963]

Randomness first.

Dennis sent me a few pics.

Firstly his step son Bryan’s first deer kill of the season..... now delicious Jerky.



And a truck he was invited to work on for a friend this week..... pretty.



Remember the 2018 Road trip?

@CraigRK is a keen Coca Cola collector.

He had found a Coke lighter, rare as a rare thing, then found another for sale in Hannibal that Dennis sent over with my lowering shackles and it included a very cool salt n pepper set.



Dennis has been fitting the inner metal to the dummy gas station.

Not easy, but getting it done.



With the snow and cold weather he has had to get other jobs done.

Outside signs going up.








Saturday night dinner with Joy and her cat Mitzi, a good looking boy, loves to sleep in the draining rack. No idea why.




One of the plates I got from Andy in Oklahoma in September, 1963, my birth year.



And back in the U.K........

Another small job I got done today.

Before



After.

[Grizz1963]

Slow start to my day, the cold and damp, chilly and breezy weather slowing my motivation a bit, well, a lot.

So eventually made it to the garage by 13.30

Decided to give tinting the rear glass in the tailgate a go on my own.

Reversed the truck tint into the garage and then started to get the tailgate glass out, exposed and ready for tinting.




Glass measured 1550mm X 480mm


Cleaned and ready.



So cut it on the folding table Martin got me from his mums house, date stamped 1960 on the underside. Beats throwing it away.



Small jobs, they all take time, some more than others, even the planning of the execution of this.

Added a steel ruler to the one end, to weigh it down when I got to removing the backing sheet.



Stretched



Then removing the rear backing film.

One needs an octopus realistically to manage all the sides and getting it all sprayed wet before application.

Even my tweets held onto a tab.



Film applied.

Not looking good.

But there is hope, in the form of a squeegee

Much rubbing, squueegeeing and swearing at the wind.




Done.

Far from perfect, but at less than £10.00 for the rear and side glass, I am happy with the results.



Prozac the Van that can looking on.



Last photo taken specifically for the guys in America to illustrate the reverse lights being reused as indicators with yellow/amber lightbulbs.




Once that was done, I did the front wheel lettering.

Another small job done, never made it out to the shops.

Need to go shopping tomorrow and find myself some waterproof slimline LED reverse lights to mount under the bumper.


Thanks for checking in and all your comments and advice so far.

As for all the stalkers........ 🤔🦃

[Grizz1963]

Bought some back up or reversing lights for the truck, mainly for getting down the side of my house in the dark, as I always reverse it down to the garage as doing a 5 point turn on the grass would destroy and mark it, done once already a few weeks ago.

Had really good reviews from about 5 guys with American cars and trucks who fitted them.

I will not be adding fog lights too, as they look rubbish and we’re never fitted originally.




Then just need to find the original reverse light between the ones cut on the loom, and ensure the reverse switch on the steering column actually works, or else fit an over ride switch to turn them into rear facing spotlights.

Off work today, so certainly out with the Blazer to go shopping and for a decent drive.

Later.

[Indian113]

Those ought to Light Up the Night! Not a PROJECT is sure taking up some precious Time and Money from the 66

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Indian113

Those ought to Light Up the Night! Not a PROJECT is sure taking up some precious Time and Money from the 66

Cash is fine.

C10 has to wait for summer





My day off on Monday netted me quite a lot of miles in the Blazer.

After adding another 20liters of fossil fuel to its belly, we were off.



It was the first time I have driven it enthusiastically since working over the front and rear suspensions with fresh parts.


CONCLUSION......??

This truck now really handles well for the behemoth it is.

Entering and exiting roundabouts with confidence inspiring ease, I found myself grinning and speaking to it while cautiously pushing it harder and harder.
On the open road at 60-70 miles per hour the steering is dead still and true when let alone.

Eventually got home around 3.00pm and reversed it to the garage, then walked over to fetch Prozac back.

Noticed the DIY front spoiler, nice n low.



Got indoors and found an envelope from Gulfport Mississippi. Postage, again as always, eye watering.

Thanks to Bill Palfreyman for the Antique Truck plate, never seen one before.

But even better...... was the repair sections for the Blazers dash radio surround that’s been butchered at some point before.

I will address this when the weather is more dry.




And a photo from a friend.

Nope,

I don’t know either.


Captions welcome.






.

[Grizz1963]

Right guys,

Time to test your combined opinions, knowledge and advice.

The Blazer only has two speakers in the doors.

I however, have in my stash some random stuff, speakers, Subwoofers and who knows what else.

So when the Radio/CD/Memory stick plays tunes, they are fine for just listening to.

So tonight when I got in from work and after feeding the starving cat, I went down to the garage to dig these out

Question is, do I connect the JVC sub box and have it under the dash, resting on the hump, or do I build a sub box in a vintage suitcase and mount it behind the rear seat for the big speaker, which may need an amplifier??

These are what I have .

Speaker. No idea about specification







And specification.




Thank you for taking the time to reply, if you do.

[Palf70Step]

Like those "retro" speakers. I have never had a woofer in my vehicles, so not sure what combo would be the best. Sounds like using the JVC would be the quick way to go. If you don't like it, build the big boomer. What about sliding the JVC under the rear seat?

[ibrown50]

I’d go under the dash or under the seat rather you aren’t losing any luggage / cargo space (you’ll need it sooner or later) is the van on the previous post a VW transporter (groan!) or a golf caddy

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Like those "retro" speakers. I have never had a woofer in my vehicles, so not sure what combo would be the best. Sounds like using the JVC would be the quick way to go. If you don't like it, build the big boomer. What about sliding the JVC under the rear seat?

Evening Bill,

Thenrear seat mounts flat on the floor, so no space.

I am looking at options, and there is more stuff happening in the background, more about this later.

Originally Posted by ibrown50

I’d go under the dash or under the seat rather you aren’t losing any luggage / cargo space (you’ll need it sooner or later) is the van on the previous post a VW transporter (groan!) or a golf caddy

I think a removable option is on the cards, and side mounted 6x9’s

More in a bit.

[Grizz1963]

Popped in to Ricky’s place a few nights ago to drop off the polisher and parts for his shop, and to have a coffee, chat, and check out his stash, in fact gawping is more appropriate to describe it.

Those that recall will remember he donated the rubber Chevy mats for the Blazer.

A few random pics, but it is only a small part of the random stuff he collects,

I felt right at home.

Tank he dipped himself.



Brilliant creation of space....

For his cars, in the sliding door to his office.




Ricky collects a lot of cans, tins and if you have anything interesting that is headed out to the tip, remember he collects them and would probably love them.





Not for sale.







He also did offer these to Dennis who collects Shell stuff too, so soon off to the USA




Later.

[Grizz1963]

After all the feedback on the various forums by some knowledgeable and not so people, consensus was to walk away from themSubs I had stashed, however, also suggested was using the side panels where the red carpeted panels went in and finding some smaller speakers.

Step up 6x9’s from my stash, these were in the Taunus Transit when I had it. More than enough power for my needs really.



Also from the Transit pile, well, shelf was a couple of rolls of good quality sound deadening to go into the Blazers sides to reduce boom and distortion.



This morning at about 09.00 Mickey popped in for a coffee as he saw my car on the drive, he also brought along my LED reverse spotlights.

Once he left I opened them.

Rather bigger than expected, but the Blazer is not exactly small.



Found a new switch in the garage.



Tonight after work I quickly offered them up to the rear before dark.



Jury’s out.

While in the garage, I was rooting around to try find a hooter that I had on the C10 before.

Did not find it, but happened upon these drum pedals, bought very cheaply at Bootfairs over the last two years.

I think this one is spot on the right shape and look for the Blazer.

Opinions?




And the one that will be fitted to the 66 when I get back on it.



And then lastly, a message from Rods n Sods.......

Karma or Life being Good?

This continues to come together.




Maybe there will be a whole orchestra in the back of the truck.

And regarding the Sub wooofer...... if I build a removable box in the vintage suitcase, with a fixed plug point so that I can remove the case and sub when the space is needed, it could work OK.

[Grizz1963]

Maybe not exactly a 60-66 question but I know many guys have more than one car.


“They all leaked from the factory”

The words of my very good friend Dennis in St Louis who used to work for GM in the 70’s and early 80’s

So I live over in England and my 79 Blazer certainly leaks as much as anything that may leak. Which means LMC and the other suppliers are not just up thr road.

My question is this.......

What is the consensus on what foam seal to fit between the fiberglass cap/canopy and the body?

Some original GM part or use an alternative type of high density type foam to seal it from leaking ??

Thank you.

[Indian113]

Rian, I had a Dodge Ramcharger in the 70's they were the Dodge answer to the Blazer. It leaked so I bought some roll of rubber gasket material. I tried the foam but it collected water and then it seeped moisture in. If you can't find it you might take a Bicycle Tire Tube and put it between the top and body.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Indian113

Rian, I had a Dodge Ramcharger in the 70's they were the Dodge answer to the Blazer. It leaked so I bought some roll of rubber gasket material. I tried the foam but it collected water and then it seeped moisture in. If you can't find it you might take a Bicycle Tire Tube and put it between the top and body.

Thank you Ray

I will investigate various options. Possibly over the weekend.

Dennis used to build these for GM.

His advice.


I don't think you will find a aftermarket seal that will work.Even the factory ones fit like ****. Once you take the roof off you will see why it's so hard to get them to stop leaking. The main problem is getting the seal to stay in place while you get roof back on.

You will need a couple of buddies to help you. It has to go down and forward at the same time while someone is inside lining the bolt holes up making sure that the gasket don't fall out

I was thinking of making some kind of cross shaped carrier to then lift it all hydraulically on my own.

REMEMBER THIS THING ? https://youtu.be/vfTC9wyQKK0

Will see how it all unfolds.

[Grizz1963]

Looking at where the water is getting in the most likely culprit is the vertical and forward horizontal seal, it seems they are often not reseated when the roof is removed.



The rear window corner also is really rotten, but the water gets in just behind the door.




This morning while looking around the canopy to see what seals were in place, I saw the typical signs of an unloved, and owned by less than considerate owners, car.

Various and missing fasteners.







While investigating, I found this little plate, different fasteners again..... Phillips screw and 7mm hex head screw.

Question is, what is it for??



Weird little connector. But where to clip it in?



Does it possibly power this interior light for the canopy??



Constantly getting to know this Blazer more and more intimately, just some stuff seems weird.

Later.