Over 25 Years Later, Finally My 71 C-10 Truck Build

[hgs_notes]

Guess what I did today! If you said sanding, you would be correct. I think that is how my progress reports are going to go for awhile. Finished the drivers bedside, driver door and the hood. One area I was a little surprised on was the door bottom. It was a completely new panel, but you have to hammer the flange over the inner panel, and looks like I'll need a bit of filler in a couple spots there that were bigger than expected. Other than that I just have a dozen or so spots I'll put some glazing putty in. I did ok on the body work so far as I can see. I had my neighbor the body repair guy take a look at it and he said I was doing just fine and had a good handle on it.

Here's a tip: I was having a problem with the sand paper loading up, and I would rub it off or scrape with another sanding block to clean it out. That was ok, but it seemed like the paper was wearing out too fast, so I started using the blow nozzle on the air hose. It cleans the paper right out and it seems to last longer.

Pics...

[VA72C10]

Nice progress! Keep at it....and sounds like you're doing well with the body guy giving his stamp of approval!

[JasonBird]

that is looking good! i'm in a similar situation. the bed makes a good storage place...but mine is packed full of crud. Keep up the good work! I wish i had a bodyman living close to me!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Nice progress! Keep at it....and sounds like you're doing well with the body guy giving his stamp of approval!

It's always good to get positive feedback, and constructive criticism. Might get more done tomorrow, we'll see.

Originally Posted by JasonBird

that is looking good! i'm in a similar situation. the bed makes a good storage place...but mine is packed full of crud. Keep up the good work! I wish i had a bodyman living close to me!

Thanks. The things in the bed are mostly truck parts, the new bed wheel wells and a set of front inner fenders, some mufflers, etc. I keep the empty boxes for spray testing, etc.

Besides having a local body guy (he works at a shop in the next town east), there is a body shop just around the corner a block away. They have been very helpful during the build. That shop was started by a guy many years ago and he had a son in the business. One who now owns that shop. One of his hired bodymen lived across the street, just down from me, he left to start his own shop on the north side of town. He's the one that did the insurance repair work on my wifes denali. Now his brother has an auto repair shop across the street from the body shop. I can usually borrow tools from either shop, get advice, and occasionally have some work done by them or buy supplies, etc. The manager of one auto parts store lives a block from me, and the other parts store (napa) is 3 blocks down my alley. I know a few of the guys there too. There are 2 other auto repair shops I use, one a block away. I know the owners of both shops (one of them has a wife that works at napa). Our kids do some sports and activities together, etc. It's a very small town and I'm not from here, but I've been involved with enough community things to fit in alright and make some connections.

Now if I could just some of them over to help with the sanding

[hgs_notes]

Sanded a bit more. Other than the rear corner of the cab, the driver side is done.

[VA72C10]

Good progress. And glad to see you covered your shelves....but you do know it will all still be covered in yellow dust and whatever color you sand, right

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Good progress. And glad to see you covered your shelves....but you do know it will all still be covered in yellow dust and whatever color you sand, right

Yes, I am aware of the dust problem. The plastic was more to keep overspray off. It got warm (+40) so I opened the garage and used the leaf blower to get some out. It's going to be a fun clean up when the sanding is done.

[hgs_notes]

Highjacking my own thread for a bit. I was up north for work, in my old home town and surrounding area. I visited mom for a while, took her to dinner, etc. Anyway, my dad died about 5-6 years ago and we talked about some of his old cars. When they met he had a new 1969 Mustang Mach 1, blue, pony package, 390 w/ 4 spd. I can barely remember it, but I have pics. Later he had a 67 GTO. I was 5-8 when he owned it and really wanted it when I got big. One day I came home and it was gone. He had sold it to a friend of his for $175. When my mom found out she was PO'd also, but I didn't know that 'til yesterday. I was a kid and don't really remember the details, but it was blue, with a black pin stripe, one maroon fender, and he had rebuilt the 400 engine. Mom said it had a little rust in the rockers, but that was it. Remember this is mid 70's and the car was about 10 years old. For some unknown reason he had a habit of selling things for pennies on the dollar. It's the one car that he had no reason to sell and I always wished he'd kept.

My mom said he was always doing things like that. He had a mid 60's red convertible also. I remember riding in the country and going to the beach at the lake with the top down. I was too young to remember what it was. My mom said she really liked that car and was mad as hell when he sold that without telling her. It had some rust and some tears in the top, but she said it ran great. It was a ford and she thought it was a 64-65 fairlane, but I found out they didn't build them in convertibles, so I think it may have been a galaxie.

The Mach 1 was lost to the bank shortly after they married when they lost all their belongings in a fire.

The earliest car I remember was an early 60's falcon, light blue. I was about 3 then. All of the later cars were boring family things. That is, except the truck anyway.

He had other cars before having a family. Starting with a 49 or 50 ford and another 49 or 50 mercury. In high school he had a 46 Harley with the shifter on the side of the tank. He owned a few other early mustangs also.

Thanks for following along on my trip down memory lane. I know I developed my love for cars from him, my mechanical ability was developed over years of helping, watching and and seeing him do things he never had before, but trying it anyway, usually with good results. I don't want regrets when it comes to my auto's. Lesson learned.

Anyway, did a bit more sanding. Most of the tailgate is done and about half of the other bedside.

[VA72C10]

Way to hang in there and keep on progressing!!! A little at a time is better than none at a time. I've had my next project for a day and haven't been able to even touch it

[hgs_notes]

The weekends progress is more sanding. Finished the pass bedside, got about 95% of the pass door done, and did most of the top of the cab. Just need to do the pass fender and the rear corners of the cab, rockers and cowl and this stage is done.

It can't come soon enough, I hate sanding. Didn't like it before the project, like it even less now. I am seriously considering just letting whoever paints it finish it from this point. The painter will be able to see the flaws that have shown up after this stage of blocking and judge better what needs to be done to make it meet their needs for a good, not great paint job. I can afford it now where 2 years ago it was not an option.

I'm not looking for opinions on this. It won't break my heart knowing I didn't sand every square inch up to final paint. I just wanted to do as much as I felt comfortable with. I'm not frustrated, just tired and bored. I want to get to re-assembly.

[hgs_notes]

I had one body man take a look at my truck today and give me an estimate for finishing the paint. He thought I had done pretty well so far looking at the results of the block sanding. He figures around 50 hours of labor plus materials for paint of around $1000, so about $3000 from where it is now to paint. He said that if I had it completely prepped and they were to just paint it, I would be looking at around $1500.

One guy over the phone tried to compare it with a car they had done recently at $6-7000. I think they figure my at home bodywork was crap and they would redo everything.

I have 1 other local shop I want to check with, and 1 or 2 in neighboring towns that seem interested also. I'll have to see if the wife is still on board after the sticker shock. I guessed around $500 plus materials for a paint job in my head would be reasonable. So it comes down to how much I'm willing to pay for someone to finish the prep work. I know I have already saved thousands with the work I've done myself and I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far.

I've learned a lot the past couple years. I've done welded and adhesive type rust repair, I've pulled dents with a stud gun, used the various types of filler, sprayed epoxy and uerathane primers, block sanded, mounted and aligned body panels, etc. I've gotten great help and advice from members here and local pros. I've basically found that I can do just about anything I want with my truck and overcome my 'fear' of the body panel. It's just metal, it can be fixed like just about anything else. And if it can't, it can be replaced.

In any case, if the wife balks at spending the money and I have to continue on my own, I will. And I'll keep posting my progress as I go. Getting the feedback we all crave, listening to the advice and encouragement, hopefully helping others get over their own 'fears' to tackle something new. Even with paint, I have a long way to go before I'm back on the road. The 2011 Car Craft Nationals are July 22-24th. I'd love to drive this there.

[67cheby]

all of the prices you qouted above are cheap in my opinion... the materials alone for my paint job are almost $2000, you dont even want to know how much in labor and fabrication !!! and i did a ton of the labor myself

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

all of the prices you qouted above are cheap in my opinion... the materials alone for my paint job are almost $2000, you dont even want to know how much in labor and fabrication !!! and i did a ton of the labor myself

I hear ya. Paint can be very expensive, but doesn't have to be. This truck is and will continue to be a driver. I want it to look good, comparable to a standard new car finish, which really isn't that great. The only reason I would put it in a show is that I would be able to park in the grounds and bring in a cooler, chairs, shade, etc. You are building a very fine vehicle, way beyond my goals or desires. I on the other hand would be happy with Maaco. I was thrilled when it was all epoxy primer gray. The first time it was all one color in decades.

[67cheby]

"i would be happy with maaco" that made me laugh ..now dont go that far, they might have someone that could spray it ok but i dont think the quality of paint they use would hold up very long "i could be wrong" correct me if i am but i would hate to see you Maaco it after you have put that much work into the body work

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

"i would be happy with maaco" that made me laugh ..now dont go that far, they might have someone that could spray it ok but i dont think the quality of paint they use would hold up very long "i could be wrong" correct me if i am but i would hate to see you Maaco it after you have put that much work into the body work

The biggest problem with Maaco isn't the paint materials, it's the prep work. And it depends on location to location. There is one near my house that does awesome work. Better than factory looking paint jobs. The guys that work there love what they do and do it right.

That being said, again, it comes down to prep. If someone brings in a car to just get a paint job w/ all emblems/handles, etc...a little will be taped off and then it will be shot.

However, if you bring them a stripped down vehicle ready to be shot, the 299 special can come out looking awesome.

If I can't get the same guy who painted my blazer to paint this truck in the time frame I want, I'm going to talk to them about painting my 72 super...I will do all the prep and it will be primed and ready to spray.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

"i would be happy with maaco" that made me laugh ..now dont go that far, they might have someone that could spray it ok but i dont think the quality of paint they use would hold up very long "i could be wrong" correct me if i am but i would hate to see you Maaco it after you have put that much work into the body work

Don't just go by reputation. They are a legitimate body shop with some economical options. The company I work for insures some of their shops and I have been in them and talked to the owners/managers. You get what you pay for. They can and will do anything you ask of them. On the more expensive packages they will use higher quality materials. I would not say that is the case for every shop, niether would I say that about any other body shop I've been in, and I've been in hundreds of them for my work. My biggest obsticle for that line of shops is that the closest one is about 80 miles away.

[mcbassin]

Hey, Your body work is looking good. I feel bad for you on the whole bodyshop situation. It can be very expensive to get a quality job and material can be even higher. I hope it all works out for you. Worse case senario you learn to do it yourself and get more satisfaction. good luck.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Hey, Your body work is looking good. I feel bad for you on the whole bodyshop situation. It can be very expensive to get a quality job and material can be even higher. I hope it all works out for you. Worse case senario you learn to do it yourself and get more satisfaction. good luck.

What's to feel bad about? I've had one estimate that seems fair to me, and a few more that have called and are interested in the job. I could finish it myself eventually, and probably do a decent job of it, but time is an issue. I'm a month behind in my job, my daughter is starting spring volleyball with 4 weekend tournaments, then she starts softball season. I already have 5 weekends in the next couple months scheduled for work, and will have more yet to do.

I want to drive my truck again, this year. The reality is that might not happen at the rate I'm going now and can foresee in the near future. Other than jamming it, the engine compartment and maybe the interior, I was not planning on painting it myself anyway. What it comes down to is if I want to pay for someone to finish the prep or not, and that decision is based on whether I can afford it and if I think the benefit (getting it done) out weighs the negatives (not doing it myself, cost, waiting longer, etc). That decision will be different for everyone, and is different for me now compared to a couple years ago.

[hgs_notes]

Yesterday I had to go do some shopping with my wife. Let's say she is pretty tolerant of me and my hobbies, but she lets me know when it's too much. Anyway, she started a conversation like this...

"You're going to need an industrial size swiffer to clean your garage. When I walked through to get in my truck the other day I got filthy with dust." To which, I replied "What are you doing parking in my body shop?"

The weekends progress. Finishing up the large areas on the major panels. Pass fender is done, door got finished (minus the window frame), tailgate got finished, Did the tail light area, almost done with the top of the cab (need to do the driver side edge yet). Whats left in this round of sanding is the cowl, windshield frame, door window frames, rockers, inside edge of wheel wells, tailgate handle and letters, rear corners of the cab behind the doors. I think thats it, so probably another half day of sanding, then time to start filling the low spots and move on.







I posted this part on the paint & body board but I haven't had a response yet, yet anyone can help please speak up...

I have several areas that are somewhat low, but the sanding did make some contact. It's smooth there, but the guidecoat is still visible. I stopped at that point because I was down to the epoxy primer layer and didn't want to cut through that. I have a few spots that will need some filler.

My questions. The lower areas that were partially sanded, but not through all of the guide coat, can I just spot spray those with more 2k primer then spray the whole panel with a couple more coats and block it again, or should I just use a glaze putty in all of the areas where guidecoat is still visible?

Next, Will the glaze filler bond well if the guide coat is still there, or do I have to sand out the guidecoat before filling?

Also, what are you using for outside curves as a sanding block. Even my small thin durablock doesn't have much flex in it. I'm thinking areas like the top and bottom of the front part of the fenders, around the top part of the tail lights, top and bottom corners of the cab rear wall, etc.

[67chevy1series]

truck is looking good i wish mine was as straight as yours!

[Ipaintgrt]

I'm not sure on how deep those low spots are but they don't look too bad. I would scuff them with some 150, then skim them with some catalyzed skim coat. Reblock with some 150 then reprime. If the low spots are actually more like dents then they need to push out the dents, then grind, bondo, sand, prime, reblock.etc. good luck..

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by 67chevy1series

truck is looking good i wish mine was as straight as yours!

Thanks, that is a lot of work making it straight.

Originally Posted by Ipaintgrt

I'm not sure on how deep those low spots are but they don't look too bad. I would scuff them with some 150, then skim them with some catalyzed skim coat. Reblock with some 150 then reprime. If the low spots are actually more like dents then they need to push out the dents, then grind, bondo, sand, prime, reblock.etc. good luck..

Thanks for the tip.

I was out at the junkyard today. Yeah it was cold, about 16F, but it was above zero, the sun was out, not much wind, and was actually decent out. This would be the junkyard scrounging off-season I guess. I spotted a truck at this yard a coupl eweeks ago and got a 4 core radiator out of it, which ended up going back because of a few leaks. This time I brought my tools because this was a well optioned 70 GMC 2500 and had a complete manual throttle set up. Can you say poor mans cruise control?

[VA72C10]

Nice score! Have the other style in my 72 super. And I'm watching another setup that is over 160 right now on ebay...

[VA72C10]

Oh and nice progress on the sanding too

[67shortie]

Here is what I would do with the low spots, the parts of the fill primer that you still see the orange peel and guide coat on the panels. These spots will show as waves/dents on the final finish and you should address them now.

Take evercoats poly fill (it's in the garage now for the exact name but I can't find it) the can is a smaller blue one, the product is white in color and catalyzed. It spreads like smooth filler and used for low filling needs like yours.

Use this to fill all of the low spots sand with 80/150/220 and re prime with filler primer and reblock. This is the way I have fixed low spots in the past on problem areas like yours. Even more important on black cars which the whole panel will get skimmed and blocked before primer.

For the smaller rounded corner blocking I have used a tightly wrapped scrap of carpet and curve sandpaper around it. It worked for me quite well.

Finish detail like this will make a big difference in the final product