85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[LDO]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I have found that I have to do small tasks through the week that can be accomplished in a night or tow. If not my ADD overpowers my OCD and I loose interest. My tailgate band is a perfect example. I know I will get it done, but its going to be a longer process than I had anticipated.

I really like the clean look of the stainless button heads as accent pieces. They give a bit of sparkle on an otherwise boring component.

I will give PEP boys a try for the ceramic paint. I hit Advanced, Oriellys, and Auto Zone with no luck.

Ken,
here is the stuff I was talking about. It may not be the finish you already have started but maybe in the future it will work.
DEI Header Wrap Paint

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Ken,
here is the stuff I was talking about. It may not be the finish you already have started but maybe in the future it will work.
DEI Header Wrap Paint

Thanks for sharing. I will check it out.

[N2TRUX]

This evening I put the finishing touches on the front end. I installed new park lamps lenses that I picked up from Outback Truck parts, and topped the grill off with the GMC letters I restored.
I double checked all the connections and ran the ground wire to the core support. We still need to fine tune the bumper fitment but it's done for the moment.

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I will look it up and post it later. Be sure to order a screw set too. The screws that come with it are too small.

Did you ever find this information?

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

What I have, and what I need. The #gmc hood ornament on Scarlett is toast. I have been searching for a better one but been unsuccessful finding one. Message me if you have one available.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/1981-98-GMC-TR...799?nav=SEARCH

[N2TRUX]

With the front end finished I had a feeling of accomplishment that may have led to a foolish decision. I had been accumulating parts for the interior and decided to start the restoration process. Did you know you can bite off a whole lot more than you can chew in less than an hour? Trust me on this, you can.

I stepped back and looked at the pile of dull and faded parts I had removed and the voice of Dr. Phil popped in my head "What we're you thinking? " Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

[N2TRUX]

The interior pieces have been dyed twice and the top layer was fading and chipping. I just couldn't bring myself to install the new dash components on a dash that looked pinkish.
I went by the local Auto paint store and ordered up some SEM vinyl dye and Bulldog adhesion promoter. For reference, we found the best match to be SEM Napa Red. They offered to color match in PPG dye, but I felt the SEM spray was close enough and it would be available in time for me to use it this weekend.

[N2TRUX]

Friday night I worked late and got most of the parts stripped. I used lacquer thinner with Scotch Brite and gently scrubbed the layers of old dye away. The process was tedious but the results were a pile of raw parts that should look much better in the end.

[N2TRUX]

Saturday morning Chris and I had errands to run that couldn't wait and ended up working service calls most of the day. I had a short amount of time in the shop before attending a family function so I washed the parts in preparation for dye. I have found the key to proper adhesion is clean,clean,clean the parts. I scrubbed them with Dawn soap and rinsed, washed and repeated till clean.

The headliner trim pieces are metal, so they were stripped raw then bead blasted. I followed up with a couple of coats of VHT primer. Ithis layed down nicely and will give a good base for the dye.

[N2TRUX]

Unfortunately my plans of spraying the parts after dinner were shot down by the weather.It rained then quit and left the air very humid. I didn't feel comfortable spraying with 100% humidity in the air so I changed my plans.
Instead, I focused my attention on cleaning the dash. It had years of dust and grime from use accumulated that had to go. I removed most of the a/c duct work and scrubbed it clean inside and out. Wash, rinse, repeat once again

[N2TRUX]

I found a broken mounting tab on one of the vent ducts and set about repairing it. Fortunately the broken pieces had remained intact so I created a matching piece to add strength and super glued it back together.

With the glue dry, I did a final cleaning and installed the new LMC vent. Take note if you do this, there is a felt washer on the old vent that's much thicker and better made than the new one on the LMC replacement. I removed the old one with a razor blade and used it instead.
This resulted in a nice tight fit of the vent that will adjust easily, and stay where you put it.

[N2TRUX]

For now the stock am/fm will remain. I gave it a good cleaning with Windex and a toothbrush. Not as dramatic and improvement as the dust was, but much better for now.

[N2TRUX]

One last detail before closing shop. The dash speakers will be replaced soon, so I got the brackets ready. I needed to remove them to clean under them anyway, so why not clean and paint while they are out. I know they can't be seen with the dash pad on, but I feel better that they are restored anyway.

[Greenlee]

A buddy of mine showed me a trick on the a/c vents. He found rubber o-rings that fit over the plastic piece that lets the vent swivel up and down. I can't remember if this works on that lower vent in the cluster, but I know I did it on the center vent and it made it move nice and smooth. I thought I had a picture from when I did mine, but I can't seem to find it now.

I don't remember that Napa red. I used SEM Firethorn red on my dash and door panels. It's pretty close, but not quite as marroon looking as the factory color.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

A buddy of mine showed me a trick on the a/c vents. He found rubber o-rings that fit over the plastic piece that lets the vent swivel up and down. I can't remember if this works on that lower vent in the cluster, but I know I did it on the center vent and it made it move nice and smooth. I thought I had a picture from when I did mine, but I can't seem to find it now.

I don't remember that Napa red. I used SEM Firethorn red on my dash and door panels. It's pretty close, but not quite as marroon looking as the factory color.

Thanks for sharing. The O rings are a great idea. You can buy an assortment kit from Harbor Freight that would be ideal for the application.

I looked online, but didn't trust color charts on my monitor. I felt more comfortable seeing them in person so I went to my local PPG store. I compared unpainted parts to SEM Napa Red and it was a very close match. Since I will be dying everything it won't really matter so that's what I went with.

[N2TRUX]

Sunday was pivotal. If Chris and I couldn't make serious progress with the interior parts it would be a major defeat. We got the majority of the upper interior pieces dyed, but our focus was on the door panels. We knew they would require a slow build process so our goal was to get them done.

I had ordered brushed aluminum trim from LMC Trucks to replace the billet inserts. They look very nice, but did require a couple of holes to be drilled. Once installed with the provided PAL nuts the fit was good. They do not come with holes for the pull straps. We opted to eliminate the straps for now.

I tried to clean and polish the door handles and the related handle pockets with no success. The handles were too pitted, and the pockets scratched deeply enough they just couldn't do. I ordered new handles from Auto Metal Direct and bought the pockets locally from Outback Truck parts.

We are done with the panels and waiting for new handles to arrive so we can install them.

[N2TRUX]

While waiting for dye to dry Chris and I worked on lots of small parts. He pulled the rear view mirror and sanded the surface rust down then gave it a fresh coat of satin black.

I cleaned and painted several small parts then started on the steering column. It was chipped around the ignition switch so I sanded it and primed the raw spots. Once we get of few more critical pieces we can do final assembly.

[Greenlee]

Here's a pic of the SEM Firethorn red. I didn't paint the door pockets so they are the factory color (or LMC's version of the factory color). Just looking a the Napa red can you posted, the top looks more maroon so it's probably closer. My dash was a new replacement, but it was black. The door panels and headliner trim were the same factory color as yours. I found that the SEM die sticks better to the softer materials like the dash. My door panels have a few scratches since I painted them, but they've held up fairly well. It's been about 3 years now.

[Greenlee]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Sunday was pivotal. If Chris and I couldn't make serious progress with the interior parts it would be a major defeat. We got the majority of the upper interior pieces dyed, but our focus was on the door panels. We knew they would require a slow build process so our goal was to get them done.

I had ordered brushed aluminum trim from LMC Trucks to replace the billet inserts. They look very nice, but did require a couple of holes to be drilled. Once installed with the provided PAL nuts the fit was good. They do not come with holes for the pull straps. We opted to eliminate the straps for now.

I tried to clean and polish the door handles and the related handle pockets with no success. The handles were too pitted, and the pockets scratched deeply enough they just couldn't do. I ordered new handles from Auto Metal Direct and bought the pockets locally from Outback Truck parts.

We are done with the panels and waiting for new handles to arrive so we can install them.

Looking good. Nice work!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

Looking good. Nice work!

I really like the Firethorn red much better than the Napa red, but I had a dilemma to deal with. The carpet has been replaced with Firethorn red but the kick panels havent. The seat belts, vinyl on the seat, and headliner matched the Napa red the best so I went with Napa to prevent having to gut the interior.

In the end it will "match" best, just not my first choice of color on a red truck.

[86454k30]

http://www.usa1industries.com/chevy-...-burgundy.html

This is actually a 100% match, I didn't want to dye my whole door panel so I spotted in the top edge, matches perfectly.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 86454k30

http://www.usa1industries.com/chevy-...-burgundy.html

This is actually a 100% match, I didn't want to dye my whole door panel so I spotted in the top edge, matches perfectly.

Excellent choice if you have all original components. Unfortunately this interior was dyed twice and it appeared to be a mix and match of parts.

I picked a color that would help bring the different shades together.

[LT7A]

That front end looks great! Like new. The painted inside of the bumper shows itself off well in your pictures. I see that you used VHT primer. They also have a high heat product with ceramic. I just bought a can of flat aluminum color to use for my tailpipes and more as I get the chance.

http://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vh...eproof-coating

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LT7A

That front end looks great! Like new. The painted inside of the bumper shows itself off well in your pictures. I see that you used VHT primer. They also have a high heat product with ceramic. I just bought a can of flat aluminum color to use for my tailpipes and more as I get the chance.

http://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vh...eproof-coating

Thank you for noticing. The inside of the bumper is just a personal deal. Most will never see it, but I feel better knowing it's done.

Yes I really like VHT paint and have seen the VHT ceramic paints. Unfortunately they are all flat. The paint I used on my exhaust has a nice satin sheen to it so it's not as porous as flat paint.

[N2TRUX]

Some nights in the shop are a lesson in frustration. The dash pad is in excellent condition and it appears to be a GM replacement. It had two layers of dye on it and the bottom layer was peeling and lifting. I had no choice but to strip the entire piece.
I worked very gently to prevent damaging the grain on the surface while removing as much dye as possible. It was a tedious process, but it's finally done. I will be able to spray it tonight and install it tomorrow.