LFD's 4dr Tahoe Build

[msgross]

always like to watch how esy you make things look...

are you doing trucks 100% now?

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by msgross

always like to watch how esy you make things look...

are you doing trucks 100% now?

No I still have about 5yrs before I go full time. I am waiting for my son to start 1st grade and by then I should have the rest of the tools I want along with the second story on my shop. I am taking a class from Ron Covell next week end and then a class from Lazzy http://www.lazze.us/ two weeks after that. I am wanting to get more proficient with a few more things before the big plunge as well. Like everyone else I am always learning

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[68chevy68]

I would love to build trucks full time. You have some amazing skills. I can't wait to see this one.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by 68chevy68

I would love to build trucks full time. You have some amazing skills. I can't wait to see this one.

Yes it Will be fun but allot of work at the same time. Remember no matter how fun it is one day you will still wake up and have to go to work! Most of the work I will be doing Will be metal work on 30's-50's street rods with a few trucks from now and then I am sure. Their is allot more $ in the street rod world than in the truck market, people are just willing to spend the big $ on a 33 3window coupe but not as much on a 71 C10. At least not yet


Had a few hours in the shop today and I got the rocker all finished up, primmed inside with a weld through primmer and welded up. Then I started to work on the 4th door and getting the front half of the structure all lined up and trimmed out so the rest can get placed.

My father in-law was over so he gave me a quick hand pulling the front end off so I can get access to the fire wall for shaving and hole filling. At the same time now I have plenty of room to get at the frame for the new PorterBuilt Bling that will be heading my way in a few weeks. I hope the have the door all tacked and swinging in the next few weeks since next weekend will be two days of school with Ron Covell so the weekend after I should be hard at it.






Kevin
LFD Inc.

[MrBeast]

Kevin, the one thing I love about your builds is you can really knock the work out its like a week ago "well I just decided im gonna punch a hole in that there suburban and put a door where the factory never did" then you do, And it looks factory.

[Rokcrln]

Well to this point I am into it about 45hrs but that does include building temlpetes and paterns out of alum plate for the next time I do one of these. It will save a good 8hrs off the next one I think.

To finish the door 100% I am going to guess about 40 more hours But then the real fun gets to start

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Rokcrln]

Well since the cats out of the bag now I can let you all in on the new Bling coming soon. You can read about it here http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=307009 But is on of the new designed DropMembers It is the same great design as the old one but with a few small changes Nate was able to knock off $400 from the old price This will let me keep the 3/4ton and still slam it to the dirt. It will get a medium C-notch in the rear to bring things down to earth.

I will be doing a full right up and How-To on the DropMember install for anyone who wants to check it out.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[gferris5]

Hooray! Another LFD build!

[68GMC454]

once again another great build.. wish i had the money to buy the truck when it goes on the market...nice job on the 4th door.. keep up the great work..
billy

[skchevota]

Wow, that looks great. I will be watching this one. Just a thought. why not sell the 5.3 and buy a 5.9 cummins with the cash? I think that would be the final touch to send this one over the top. Plus it is a tow rig, right?

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by skchevota

Wow, that looks great. I will be watching this one. Just a thought. why not sell the 5.3 and buy a 5.9 cummins with the cash? I think that would be the final touch to send this one over the top. Plus it is a tow rig, right?

I thought about it but this will be so low I don't think a cummins would fit very well and Nate does not recommend that much weight on a power rack & pinion. With out his DropMember their is now way to get a 3/4ton that low and handle so well. Yes it will be a tow rig but it will see more cruising than towing but when towing is needed.


Here are a few pics from Fridays work. I got allot done but it does not look like anything was done at all.

This pic is with the door skin lined up just to make sure the body lines are are all right before completing the hinge post.



All looked good but I still need to change out the inner door structure from a hinge post to a strike post. You see the door does not have the same profile from the front to rear. The front of the door is thicker as seen in this pic. The inner structure sticks out more then the rear of the front door.




So after the hinge structure was all welded up and braced I drilled out the spot welds and placed the structure into the rear of a passenger side front door. What this gave me was a profile that is the same as the rear of my front drivers door. The hinge area will need some dress up work so it looks right and the door skin will need to be split and shrunk so it flows right.






Here are 2 pics showing the new door front and how well it aligns to the front skin.





Now for just a few pics from Ron Covells class this weekend out at Dominator's shop. It was worth every cent!




This is one of the cars being built by Dominator that was not part of the class but I had to get allot of pics just the same. It is a 37 Cabrio.



Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Spray-Bomb]

Dang !!!

[desertrat]

WOW Kevin, you're doing an awsome job on that burb. Makes me want one even more now.

[gferris5]

Sooo, after seeing your builds, I'm wondering: "Why's this guy taking a class!? he should be teaching!"

But seriously...
Kevin, I'm sure you have some pics somewhere else on the bb, but I'm wondering what your shop set up is like? I know you were redoing your house and stuff a long time ago, but I just am curious what you're working with.

btw, I have a good friend in Fairfield, one of these days I'll have to come bother you up in Winters!

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by gferris5

Sooo, after seeing your builds, I'm wondering: "Why's this guy taking a class!? he should be teaching!"

But seriously...
Kevin, I'm sure you have some pics somewhere else on the bb, but I'm wondering what your shop set up is like? I know you were redoing your house and stuff a long time ago, but I just am curious what you're working with.

btw, I have a good friend in Fairfield, one of these days I'll have to come bother you up in Winters!

Thanks. I know allot but I always feel I have even more to learn from others around me. A day that I don't learn something was a half waisted day!

My shop is just a 25x45 concrete building that was built around 1920 or so. It was the original carriage house for working on horse and buggy's back in the day. It is very cluttered (full of tools, parts and cars) and needs a second story added on soon. I have the plans drawn up for the second floor and over half the metal for it but I just don't have the time to do it right now or the break in builds to be down for as long as it will take. I will happen in the next few years before I go full time at fabricating because I will need a place for the other sheet metal fabricating tools I need to get like the English wheel, power Bead roller, shrinker and stretchers and so on. My classes next week will be with Lazzy who is an amazing metal former and it should be a great class.

Also I have Friday off so I hope to get the door just about finished up so I can start on the back half chop


Kevin
LFD Inc.


Here are a few more pics from my last class. It is a 37 sedan, glass body, tube chassis, 2000 Norstar rear mounted V8 and way too much time. This car was not built by Dominator but by a home builder that spent 7yrs and I don't even want to know how much money.









Notice the radiator hose's and were they go!

[Rokcrln]

Well the door is turning out good and should be finished by Sunday if all goes well. I had to take a slice out of the door skin to get the profile just right. I decided to use my Tig welder for this job (guess I was feeling Lucky) but I have never really Tig'd body panels just some brackets and "Play stuff". I guess luck was on my side because it turned out great and after some time of Tacking, Dollying, Tacking, Dollying and after about two hours it will only need a few good cotes of fill primmer and blocking.

Kevin
LFD Inc.











Now I am starting on the rear jamb before I tackle the upper window rail.

[Painter D]

Nice work ,and craftsmanship.

[noteron]

badazz az alwayz!!! Stop making it look so easy... Im starting to think I can do it too...

[BlueJeep]

What's the blue stuff on the door?

Do you dolly after each tack, or after a series? Is the procedure with the TIG similar to that of the MIG? I also have a TIG that I've only played with a little bit, practice pieces and a few tube adapters. I want to get good with it, but can't seem to find the time to practice.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by noteron

badazz az alwayz!!! Stop making it look so easy... Im starting to think I can do it too...

But it is real easy. All I do is push these projects into the shop, close the door and it just happens. Doesent your shop work the same way But really thanks it has been along road but one anyone can take. Just give it a shot and it will start getting easier.

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

What's the blue stuff on the door?

Do you dolly after each tack, or after a series? Is the procedure with the TIG similar to that of the MIG? I also have a TIG that I've only played with a little bit, practice pieces and a few tube adapters. I want to get good with it, but can't seem to find the time to practice.

The blue stuff is a machinist dye used for doing layout on steel. It is super thin almost like a stain and not a paint. I then take a body file and go over the area to knock down any hi spots then I run a long board with 80 grit over the area to see were things are. Then I know what to do from their to get the best metal finish that I can do at this point in time because it is a new process for me.

Tig is far superior to Mig for doing body work because the welds are softer and they can be worked with a hammer and dolly much better then Mig can. Also a proper Tig weld is much flatter then Mig and this means less grinding to get it flat and that means less heat and less work hardening. As far as do I hammer and dolly each tack or after a few it just depends on what it is that I am doing.

Kevin
LFD Inc.


Well it is really starting to take shape now. I started and finished the upper rail tonight and started tacking the door together. I still have allot of work to do before it is finished but I can sure see the light now.



I used shims for spacers to keep the gap even.



More Tig welds.

[thirdstreettito]

Good work, cant wait to see it done and painted!

[Rokcrln]

So for the upper rail I took two Burb door rails and welded them together. The front section is the rear of a passenger front door and it lined up great. Then the rear of this rail is the rear of a driver side rail and I had to slice the lower section that tucks into the door to get some angle on it so it would slide into the new door. Then the upper corner I just cut halfway through it on the top and bottom so it would bend to the correct angle for the opening.
Then I double checked the fit with it in the door for the first time.



Made sure everything cleared when open and shut.



I had to extend part of the lower rear rail so it tucks inside the door. It was about a 1/2" to short once I leaned it forward it had to grow just a bit.



Once I was sure it all worked I pulled it apart and prepped any area that I could not get to later or that was sandwiched against another layer. I used a anti rust primmer that is also a weld through product.







All back together with the upper rail tacked in place until the rest of the door is finished up just in case it needs some adjusting.










Now I need to finish up the hinge side of the door just so it looks finished and like the passenger side. Then I will cut out the inner door panel area and weld in the stock Burb inner panel so I have the window regulator and vent post mounting area. Then I will make the new lock rods and pivot mounts. Once the window rolls up smooth I will be converting it to power windows but figured this is the bast way to get their.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[Frizzle Fry]

Oh Yeeeeya!!! Like it was meant to be.

[Rokcrln]

Well I spent another 5hrs slicing and dicing today to get the windows and regulator in and working. I also have the old inner quarter panel cut and fit now as an inner door panel. I still have some playing with the window to get it just right and I have not bolted in the top of the window divider yet not to mention about 4' of Tig welding on that inner structure. I should have it close to being done by Sunday night, I hope

Kevin
LFD Inc.





As you can see in this pic the inner structure from the burb works well after alot of trimming and fitting. I still have the door handle area and the door lock to do.




Frizzle Fry here is the primmer I have been using.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

subscribed incredable work as always..