Restoring Rusty

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I will likely be shunned from Gregskis build and the forum for all eternity for posting these pictures of my daily driver but I will risk it we are like brothers Gregski!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

I will likely be shunned from Gregskis build and the forum for all eternity for posting these pictures of my daily driver but I will risk it we are like brothers Gregski!

Wow yup, I can barely tell our vehicles apart, ha ha. By the way how did you manage to swap an LS into that little Honda Cervix (wink wink)

[Gregski]

removed the door striker pin (came out much easier than expected with that torques star screw thingie, I thought I was gonna strip it fer sure) so that it would not interfere with the door alignmentability

with it worn the way it be, it's time fer a new one soon

[Gregski]

also cleaned the door crusty locking latch the best I could with it still being on the truck ie in the door, some scrapping with a flat screw driver followed by a steel brush and some denatured alcohol and brake cleaner and then some chain lube and finally some white lightning grease

to be honest whichu all though the door still aint aligned perfect what used to take two attempts to shut the door now takes no effort at all, before after the first attempt I could pull on the door and it would open 1 inch every time, I have no idea how that worked, ha ha, but than on the second time it would shut proper, try telling your teenage kid that sequence of operation and you get, never mind dad I'll ride with mum, ha ha

[Gregski]

ok I ain't sure how accurate this iPhone GPS based Dynolicious app is but here's some numbers fer you all

0-60 in 7.06 seconds (pronounced respectable)

1/4 mile in 14.70 seconds at 97.7 MPH (we can do better)

116.5 MPH Top Speed (don't tell the wife)

[hatzie]

Looks like that door has been mis-aligned for a while.
I read somewhere about someone using ABS tubing to replace the plastic sleeve on the striker pin. Can't find it now...

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Looks like that door has been mis-aligned for a while.
I read somewhere about someone using ABS tubing to replace the plastic sleeve on the striker pin. Can't find it now...

3/4" Pex tubing from the hardware store for the striker pin. You have to buy like 8 feet though LOL.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by enaberif

3/4" Pex tubing from the hardware store for the striker pin. You have to buy like 8 feet though LOL.

Oh well. If he's replacing the pin anyway it should have a spacer on the new one.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Oh well. If he's replacing the pin anyway it should have a spacer on the new one.

yup, but please tell me these guys be kiddin' with those prices

$70 bucks for two bolts

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Looks like that door has been mis-aligned for a while.
I read somewhere about someone using ABS tubing to replace the plastic sleeve on the striker pin. Can't find it now...

YES!!! I have done that with a piece of plastic tubing on my 81 stepside, and the door has never been better!!! ☺

[harley87ta]

I used 1/2 inch pex recommended from another site. 3/4 may cover the pin better I have a gap around the pin, but I haven't had a problem with it.

[hatzie]

I learned to weld using Oxy MAPP. TIG is still the easiest of the electric welding methods for me.
I have a real tough time stick welding sheet metal.
You can get a pretty decent new 110v Lincoln or Miller MIG new for under $400. They aren't good for anything but sheet metal work but they are real nice for that.

If you can find one... the small 21A 220v Lincoln SP-175 Plus is a very nice machine. I bought one about 10 or 15 years ago for around $380. The only difference between the SP175+ and the 175T is the 175T has 5 preset heat ranges and the 175+ has continuously variable heat. They cost within $15 of eachother when they were being sold new. You will not find another MIG in that class with that feature.
I used the common old Hubbell NEMA L6-30 Twist Loc plug with 10ga THHN wire in EMT conduit rather than an outlet for the NEMA 6-50R dryer plug that it shipped with. 50A is a bit of overkill for a device that draws 21A worst case... Now it's value added to have at least one NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage for electric cars. My value added is that I can run my TIG on it. LOL

[Gregski]

so my 12 year old front tire decided to separate on our way camping luckily right before the last exit with a tire shop in the middle of the forest mind you, yes we was in the right lane as we was loaded up with a bed full of gear and a kayak strapped up top

the tire never really blew just went totally bald, so we limped along for about a mile

so bought two Bridgestone Wranglers (since that's all they had in our size aka 235/75 15" rims) for the front so now all four corners are new though the fronts don't match the backs

the only casualty was the inner fender which got totally caught in the spinning tire and mangled, time to hammer it out and re paint it again

Thanks to the nice guys at Sierra Nevada Tire & Wheel shop for hooking me and my son up, and allowing us to make it out to the camp site in time for dinner, ha ha

[Gregski]

made it there, nothing was going to stop us, lake was full so were the beer coolers

Truck Camping is Still the Best!!!

last pic: Camping Manual

[hatzie]

Good lord. 12 years is twice what you're supposed to get out of tires. Those are just plain dangerous.

Gad you didn't have a more exciting incident.

[deejaaa1]

hopefully those Trendsetters don't set the trend for the future.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by deejaaa1

hopefully those Trendsetters don't set the trend for the future.

LOL, no doubt, they came with the truck, would not have been my first choice

[squarebody_43]

looks pretty sweet love the old gmcs

[Gregski]

I know it aint much but I am happy to report my new speedo finally hit 1,000 miles

anyone whos built or rebuilt an engine knows racking up the miles is a good thing

[daddyjeep]

Cool, if you've made it this far you are good to go.

[Gregski]

Recently posted Rusty's Second Dyno Test results in a thread of its own, please check it out.

[Gregski]

more parts showed up

- Davis Unified Ignition, DUI Cross-Fire H.E.I. distributor cap and rotor (this allows you to run the even 2-4-6-8 plug wires on the passenger side and the odd ones 1-3-5-7 on the driver side and eliminates the crossing over)

- New oil pressure sending unit

- New digital volt meter gauge (honestly just added that to the Summit order to put me over $99 bucks to get free shipping, ha ha)

[Gregski]

remember back in July 2016 when I got this fancy distributor cap...

Originally Posted by Gregski

more parts showed up

- Davis Unified Ignition, DUI Cross-Fire H.E.I. distributor cap and rotor (this allows you to run the even 2-4-6-8 plug wires on the passenger side and the odd ones 1-3-5-7 on the driver side and eliminates the crossing over)

Well on Thursday the truck ran amazeballs and on Friday it would not start. I suspect the coil went out as there was no spark. So I swapped caps back to my trusty cheap ProForm and after replacing a few MSD plug wires for reachability with generic AutoZone longer ones, whalla we got spark, and the truck runs again.

Now in the fancy Cross-Fire caps defense it did not come with a coil I swapped the coil out of the GM HEI unit into it, which by the way the GM HEI distributor is the one that seized on me, so it's the worst of the bunch yet it was the most expensive one, go figure.

Lesson Learned: Form Over Function Bites Us Again!!! when will we learn

[Gregski]

Well gosh darn it, tested the resistance of the new oil pressure sending unit and it tested same as the old one, popped it in, and the gauge still don't work, it still reads 00

Can the gauge be broken if it reads 00, I mean it's on so it is getting power and a good ground

[Gregski]

just testing / playing with the new Summit digital volt meter gauge