What did you do to your truck today? Chapter II

[colgad]

Pulled the truck outside into the sunshine to work on it in the light for once. Hopefully tomorrow the driver fender install.

[Bennett68C10]

Originally Posted by colgad

Pulled the truck outside into the sunshine to work on it in the light for once. Hopefully tomorrow the driver fender install.

Wow nice looking truck, do you have a build thread for it?

[texjake]

I got the dash pad mounted, the center speaker installed, the stereo installed, the center A/C vent painted and installed (the chrome paint had flaked off so I repainted it black to go with my theme) & got the ash tray put back in. Finally making progress, slow & steady wins the race right?...so I have heard. Just takes more time going back in with after market items. They don't fit like the original stuff did. My dash pad seems more rubbery & is about a 1/4" short on both ends and the bracket for the dash speaker sure does not fit like I wanted it to, had to bend it to make it fit which took half an afternoon to get it to fit just right.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by texjake

[SIZE="3"]I got the dash pad mounted, the center speaker installed, the stereo installed, the center A/C vent painted and installed (the chrome paint had flaked off so I repainted it black to go with my theme) & got the ash tray put back in......

Looks really good. One day, I'm going for one of those radios. To keep the stock look, I sliced off almost everything behind the
"face" of the radio. Not so good for tunes. But I was back given about a bazillion bucks worth of electronics that I put in a home
made box/console under the dash.

Not the best set up, given that it turns out that I generally don't care much about Bluetooth/GPS/XM/DVD/FM/CD library/hands
free cell phone/AM-FM while driving the truck.

But a nice gesture by a friend. And so, in she went... into my sort-of cobby, home made box!

All that stuff running through fifty whole bucks worth of speakers.....

[texjake]

Originally Posted by magwakeenercew2jh

Looks really good. One day, I'm going for one of those radios. To keep the stock look, I sliced off almost everything behind the
"face" of the radio. Not so good for tunes. But I was back given about a bazillion bucks worth of electronics that I put in a home
made box/console under the dash.

Not the best set up, given that it turns out that I generally don't care much about Bluetooth/GPS/XM/DVD/FM/CD library/hands
free cell phone/AM-FM while driving the truck.

But a nice gesture by a friend. And so, in she went... into my sort-of cobby, home made box!

All that stuff running through fifty whole bucks worth of speakers.....

I like the center box. Looks clean. I went with the Custom Autosound USA-230 because my old radio was AM only & I wanted something with FM too. Plus it has the AUX jack to plug in my iPhone. And because it seems that everything in & behind the dash was either broken or deteriorated. So almost everything got replaced or refurbished in & behind the dash.

[Motoxrrar]

Sweet ! Nice gmc love them

[71Dually]

A couple days ago I dragged home an Eaton HO72 with a 14BFF brake conversion upgrade from the local pick your part. I had to drag it home cause with those huge drums it was real heavy and I couldn't carry it all by myself. The brake conversion was done right there in the junk yard and I snagged the complete axle as seen below for just under a whopping $131.56.





The brakes were pulled from a 1982 Step Van with the JB8 brake option and are 13" x 3.5" verses the Eaton's original 13" x 2.5" setup. This larger rear brake system also has larger wheel cylinder bores for additional stopping power.



The rear end has 4.56 open gears and the 14 bolt drums are beyond tolerance but I know they fit and I was planning on purchasing new drums for the final install on my truck anyway.

The quest for the 14BFF brake swap started while fixing a leaky axle hub seal in early January and discovering the unobtainable original Eaton drums on the truck were out of round and beyond tolerance.

I went to what I call "The Mens Mall" to window shop and browse for parts to complete an HEI upgrade and this Eaton jumped out at me from under a 1970 C30. It jumped out so hard it darn near knocked me over. Needless to say, now I want to put the rest of the JB8 option on my 71 C30 with the larger front rotors, bigger piston calipers and the hydra boost system to boot. This big brake upgrade was never a thought in my original plans for the truck but it just seems like one thing leads to another.

But this axle and the brake upgrade is a desirable another and this little deal just wouldn't stop screaming "Daddy, take me home, now!!! I don't want to get crushed and made into a Kia Sorento or a poor fitting imported reproduction part!!!".

I forked over the required adoption papers without hesitation. In all the excitement I forgot all about ignition parts. But tomorrow is another day.

Oh and what I did today was get the lights all vehicle code approved after completing the fabrication of an ICC bumper.

This is what I ended up with today:


The above photo was a continuation from this late January configuration:


That all began like this with a temporary light bar to retain at least a minimal bit of the required rear lighting:


The temporary light bar photo was taken on December 17th 2013 and I picked up the stake bed on January 12th. It's been a little bit of progress at a time but I figure slow progress is better than no progress. Of course life's big and small projects oftentimes get in the way but I keep getting back to the big girl and giving her the attentions I feel she deserves.

Now if that big hole in the cab would just go away I can start looking harder for the stainless rear window trim and proper rubber seal.

[In The Ten Ring]

It's too cold to work in my garage this time of year still so I have been making plans. Lots of detailed plans and the plans are ambitious! The next warm day, I plan to seal out last year's attic birds, clean yp their mess, and begin attic flooring preparations. I need to build a set of heavy duty sawhorse that I can disassemble for storage. I think I can slip in the new fuel lines and then the renewed gas tank and seat. That will clear up significant space. I then need to rent a storage container to make room for the garage rewire and new shelving build idea. Then I can get on with the new radiator core support install and all the other things that remain. Space is at such a premium right now, no more really hard work can continue. I'll post pics as I go. I did buy some parts the other day that were in much worse shape than I expected and those must be returned. Naturally the seller blamed me for "not asking." Typical....I am considering outing the felllow so that others may be forewarned for dealing with him and then avoiding getting blamed for the lack of forethcoming as to part condition. Geeze!

[74baggedbug]

Gonna slap the heads back on and hope for the best.. If not a 383 or ls may be in the near future

[71Dually]

Originally Posted by 74baggedbug

Gonna slap the heads back on and hope for the best.. If not a 383 or ls may be in the near future

Now that photo is a nice candidate for a wallpaper. Might be a little difficult to find all the desktop icons but it sure is a great image. It would make a sweet puzzle, a nice gear heads variation on the traditional field of tulips, waterfall and puffy clouds in the blue sky stuff.

[CST10]

I changed both inner fenders and painted my engine bay finally.

[CST10]

Why did it flip the picture? Try again.

[Lanman1972]

Started the rust repair, outer floor, both pillars, inner outer rockers, cab supports and cab corners. Removed the box, door, seat, gas tank, and fender. Did some exploring and just what I was expecting. I'll post pics as I go and maybe start build thread. Wish me Luck! Thanks to everyone on this forum for all info!

[un4gvn!]

Originally Posted by CST10

Why did it flip the picture? Try again.

CST10, how do you remove the drivers side valve cover? I have after market valve covers also and I have to take off a lot of other stuff to get mine off.

[74baggedbug]

Took right at 5hrs from when we opened up the garage to cleaning up and shutting the doors for the night..

[Motoxrrar]

Originally Posted by 74baggedbug

Took right at 5hrs from when we opened up the garage to cleaning up and shutting the doors for the night..

Glad you got it back together!

[Mike_The_Grad]

This experiment began as a thought about a week ago. My headers were so pitted and rusted from neglect, i was faced with a decision. Should I try my hand at restoration or submit to something I've been wanting for a while, a.k.a. buying new ceramic coated headers. So I decided to try cheapest first. Bought a can of plasti-kote hi-temp header paint. Directions on the can state: paint must be cured or finish could rub off. The can offers two ways of "curing": run the parts on the machinery for a number of minutes, for several cycles. Or cure in a non-household oven for a set time period at hi-temps. My local fast shop said they paint parts and then put them in the parking lot on a hot day for a few hours. My approach...how bout a homemade solar oven? I've seen on YouTube some ovens reaching +300°F . I figure if I can get somewhere around there I will just leave them in all day. Heck,better than not doing it at all right? This was as far as I got day one. Just using what was lying around the house,except Alum. Foil. Got that for $5 at the local discount store. Found out I needed to do more research...lol. oven has to be fully insulated. Today was far better faring.but lack the photos to back it. Tomorrow for sure. Got it all made for under $25. Picked up some naval jelly to remove rust.After going at them with wire wheels,#80 grit Emory, dremel, you name it, i was expecting better results. It probably would have been satisfactory, if the rust wasn't so set in. gonna take them to my bros workplace tomorrow and media blast them.

Will definatly post pics of my attempt at curing them in my homemade solar oven. Remember this is only an experiment... all with things that could easily be had from around my house, all for under $50. So if it works, awesome...if not, then I know where my next purchase lies.

[71Dually]

Sliced open a corrugated carton the big brown truck left on my front porch yesterday.



Did a mock up test fit of her new hub covers.



Confirmed what I pretty much already knew, She needs longer wheel studs.



I do like the sparkle bling thing the Alcoa's bring to the big girl. Now to score some Hug-A-Lug nut covers.



Next Up???

Dump the motorhome subframe, ditch the temporary rear fenders, fab up a couple frame filler boards and drop that stake bed down 3-1/4". Then it's on to proper stake sides, scrounging up some new LT235/85/16 Transforce AT's, mirror polishing them wheels and mounting 'em all up more permanent like.

Then I'll have to find something heavy to haul so I can "shake down" the Alcoa's and keep on truckin'

As the journey continues...

[ItsRandy]

I really did this Saturday at the Goodguys event in Del Mar, backing into a parking place. I parked right in the side of a '67 Camero soft top. Funny, the scratches don't even look like a Camero. Didn't I feel stupid!

[VWNate1]

That'll buff out ~

[Haggis]

Started the rattle-can paint job on it. Nothing special but it will be all one color, until I can start the real bodywork.

[Mike_The_Grad]

The experiment I have recently been attempting could have been a success. But the weather took a turn. Just as everything came together...Murphy's law right? Well I did not give up. I merely converted my 'solar oven' into a homemade parts cooker! I found a dual propane burner at the discount store, that works so well I had to keep a really close eye on the temp. Yes, fire extinguisher is just off to the side outside the frame. In hindsight, solar oven would work if it were summer. But necessity is the mother of invention. And I'm proud to say I've turned an idea into an actual working utility.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Yesterday, it was the annual car/truck show in the Tower District of Fresno. I was late. Found some friends and Forum Members there.
But, by the time I got there at 8:30, there was, ".... no room at the Inn". We parked in a parking lot right next to the street where all
the activity was, and saved the forty bucks.

When The Boss and I walked around, I was once again mind-blown at all the $$$$$ in those cars. Where do you get $300,000 to put in a
55 Chevy? Or a 48 Buick? I'm glad they do. Beautiful stuff.

Also, I was mind-blown at my own stupidity for forgetting my camera. Sorry.

Yesterday a show...Today, RAT had to work for a living.

Garden supplies, some sand for the chicken coop, and a stop to get envelopes to mail the taxes tomorrow. Ugg!!!

[Bob B.]

Just drove mine. That's all.

[Lees68GMC]

Finished rattle canning some more of the under-hood, not even close to done, but end of my ambition for today.

My Ranch truck sleeper