Restoring Rusty

[y5mgisi]

Subscribed.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by andrewmp6

If you want to knock the surface rust off easy look in to clr.A few people have used clr with good luck. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=447159

Ok Andrew, thanks for the tip, here we go.

I tried the CLR product in its full strength (not diluted with water) on the driver's side of the hood only, as you can see in the after picture Rusty proved to be too tough for this product, as there is no change.

[Gregski]

curiosity got the best of me and I had to know why my gauges would not light up, why the speedometer/odometer was not working, and why the lenses were so cloudy

after taking apart the fascia of this gauge cluster I seriously considered renaming Rusty to Dusty

and man those six bulbs were expensive to replace it's like $7 bucks fer two of em little rascals, and they still don't light up, lol

[Gregski]

again why are these pictures getting uploaded upside down, can somebody help me

I really like this cluster how it's made out of metal and easy to get to, it's interesting how the gauges plug in too, they have screw studs sticking out of the back that slide into these metal acceptors instead of using electronic plugs like modern day vehicles, really cool

I don't recon I am supposed to just slide the speedo out with the cable innerds so I am guessing the speedo cable is broken, maybe someone can comment on that

also which fuse is responsible for the cluster lights?

[Gregski]

man I was on fire this weekend, got lots done, no kids birthday parties, no soccer, blah blah blah

I guess I'm what you would call an anti bling guy, I don't care too much for stickers or as car people call em decals, or logos or labels or as car people call them badges, Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!

So it was time to black out and de badge the grill...

[1984 swb chevy]

Not bad. I like the black.

[Gregski]

after replacing all the light bulbs in the cluster and all 9 fuses in the fuse panel and installing a brand new headlight switch, it was time to yank the printed circuit board

check out my light bulb testing station, a simple 9 volt battery I think is what helped me find the problem...

"just doing the dishes honey, go back to bed!"

[Gregski]

fact: washing bits sure makes part numbers easily to see

I talk some more about the gauges in this thread

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=650245

[Gregski]

do you guys think there is a chance in hell to restore this dash pad or is it too far gone, a new one from LMC Truck is $340 bucks, friggen expensive

[Gregski]

some pics for you of what the dash looked like when I first removed the dash pad, it was late at night so they are not too great, it may have been raining too, but neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, will stay us from the swift completion of our beloved trucks. Ever. (well something like that)

[GMC Guy]

I dig your style man, and your typing humor!
I had Rusty's much uglier twin, only used for the cab and a few odds and ends though, parted the rest out. I called him Shrek

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by GMC Guy

I had Rusty's much uglier twin [...] I called him Shrek

No way, too flippin cool !!! They had the same birth mark, on the front fenders LOL

[Gregski]

a bucket of water and some paper towels later and I could almost go for the dash naked like that if it weren't for those two gaping AC holes, well that and the 2 to 3 inch gap all around the gauge cluster

[Gregs71]

I think i know that truck if it came out of lodi? I almost bought it. Glad you did because my progress would of been a lot slower....

[GMC Guy]

another Greg... we're multiplying!

[Gregski]

Gregs to the power of three!

[73Super8]

Subscribed. Looking good.

[greg64]

Well, I've got to reply to that! (Multiple Greg's)

Gregski, I drove my truck for a couple of years without a dash pad.

[Gregski]

it rained today so I did what I could (gym and a movie, lol), then took the cheap seat cover off and yanked the bench seat out, four bolts easy to get to, one needed a shot of PB Blaster to get out smoothly, my list of the unknowns is getting shorter and shorter, really needed to now what lurks beneath there

Seat has seen better days, LMC Truck has a Vinyl cover for $190 but for now it's standard issue Mexican blanket time

No holes in the floor pan, just surface rust, that is a welcome sight

pulled the plug out of the B pillar I guess it's called and saw threads in there, cool, maybe this is for the shoulder seat belts (score if it is)

[Gregski]

time to bust out the trusty ol' Shop Vac and you guessed it a bucket of water and yet more paper towels

why do I use paper towels, well cause I don't like dippin a dirty rag back into clean water, so I use a single hefty paper towel piece, wipe something off, go oooogh and toss it in the trash, then rinse, lather, and repeat

[flashed]

The threaded hole you found in the pillar is for shoulder belts and you may get lucky and find some in your local junkyard ,I have not been that lucky.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by flashed

The threaded hole you found in the pillar is for shoulder belts and you may get lucky and find some in your local junkyard ,I have not been that lucky.

Cool thanks, and yup I am heading to Pick N Pull this week to see what I can find, it may be extra tough since I am picky on the interior and want black seat belts, and this was the era of weird interior colors, like blues and reds and tans.

LMC Truck of course has em fer $90 per side, not too bad

[SkinnyG]

Originally Posted by greg64

Well, I've got to reply to that! (Multiple Greg's)

I will have to as well. That's what the G is, in SkinnyG.

[Gregski]

OK, I must admit I tell my kids that GMC stands for Greg M_____'s Car, yes my last name does start with M, but then my smart as 10 year old says, but daddy it's a Truck

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

I will have to as well. That's what the G is, in SkinnyG.

Nice, welcome!