Project Checkbook - 1971 Jimmy Custom

[tristan]

A few more.

[tristan]

There is some major progress to report again this week: completion of most of the bodywork and now the Jimmy is in primer! There are still a few smaller parts like the cowl and inner fenders to deal with, and then undercoating of the undercarriage. Then it's on its way to the mechanical shop for an overhaul.

I've decided to have the truck spot-painted in its original ochre for the time being to preserve my investment in the bodywork. It will look good but of course the paint job won't be of show quality; that will have to come at some time in future when (or if) I decide to invest enough to lift it from "fine driver" to "show quality" status. My objective now is to get the truck roadworthy and to get as much of the body and mechanical work as I can afford behind me.

[mx289]

Hi Dave.

It was great to meet you and Ron as well and thanks again.
Jimmy #1 will rise again.(I actually have it back to its original yellow).

Your jimmy is looking better and better.
Glad to see you will keep it Ochre.

Soon enough you will be enjoying a cruise in it.

[tristan]

Thanks Tom. It was a pleasure to meet you and Justin as well and it is great to hear you are already resurrecting #1. Can't wait to see the build thread (hint hint). You'll have to think up a good clever name for your project.

[tristan]

Gi-normous milestone today: paint! It's a 20 foot touch-up job, just enough to coat all of the repaired and primed areas and protect my bodywork investment. It sure makes things look a heck of a lot better.

[tristan]

Here is the touch-up paint job with the tape and masking material removed. It doesn't match exactly, but it is hard to recreate what ochre looks like after having been baked by the New Mexico sun for 43 years....

Off to the mechanical shop soon for a complete examination and overhaul in order to lift the Jimmy up to "roadworthy" status.

[Tom Vogel]

Looks darn good!

[tristan]

Thanks Tom, I am pleased with progress to date. The Jimmy is now over at the mechanical shop for a fairly extensive list of repairs. It will come back to the body shop afterwards for U-POL Raptor undercoating and completion of small items such as remounting the spare tire carrier.

One other thing they have finished is re-gapping the doors. Someone had replaced the body mounts without checking door fitment and the driver's side hinges were bad so that door was rubbing. The shop re-shimmed the body mounts as necessary and replaced the driver's side door hinges and now everything opens and closes as it should with good consistent gappage (is that a word?) all around.

As I like to worry about stuff and think ahead, I am now considering next steps after the mechanical overhaul. There is still a lot of expensive and time-consuming work to do on my vehicle even after accomplishing everything that I've logged here so far. Interior, chrome, exterior paint, trim pieces, and a general category with a lot of gnarly stuff that I'll lump together under the category of "detailing out". That includes things like removing the instrument cluster and sending it out for a makeover, replacing all of the body gaskets, repairing and repainting the top, detailing out the engine compartment, ad nauseum. Figuring out the order in which these things should be done, how to pay for them - and whether I should given cost vs. vehicle value - and when to jump in myself vs farming out the work will keep me tossing and turning for a long time. I know many of you have already been there and done that.

[tristan]

Wow, it's been two months since my last post. One reason for the gap is because the project has shifted over to mechanical rebuild. It's a necessary phase but doesn't make for much in the way of progress pictures. It still costs a lot of money.

Before the mechanical work began I decided to spring for an undercarriage cleanup and undercoating. The shop degreased and wire-wheeled the underside of the tub and the frame and then coated them with U-POL Raptor. I have to say that I am not all that happy with the appearance which is much rougher than the example I was shown on another vehicle. In any event, at least the underside is clean and protected and I can always do something about it later if I can't live with the undercoating.

Phase I of the mechanical work took care of all of all items necessary for the Jimmy to pass PA state inspection, including a lot of brake work. The brake booster and hoses were replaced along with the windshield wiper motors and just about every switch on the dash. The shop also rebuild the left front hub and replaced the wheel bearing and put in a new set of valve cover gaskets and a battery. Phase two of the mechanical project will tackle some comfort items like the AC system, etc.

This week the Jimmy went back over to the body shop for a new phase of work that is more photogenic. I am having them strip the entire interior, including all of the dashboard components, and remove the top. I am going to have the interior painted and I'm send out the steering column and instrument panel to board members for rebuild.

The shop does a lot of Corvettes and they know their fiberglass so I am having them inspect, repair and repaint the top. I'll also strip and replace all of the weatherstripping while it is off the truck. I've been dying to see the Jimmy without its top so you can share the joy. These pics were taken today during the teardown of the dash and top.

[tristan]

Here is the interior completely stripped and prepped for primer. I found out that the heater and AC controls are shot and will have to be replaced so I'll be hunting up a new or refurbed unit. There are some other heater and AC plumbing issues ID'd that will be dealt with during phase 2 of the mechanical overhaul.

[tristan]

I went over for a visit yesterday and had a look at the topless truck and the removed roof. The shop has sanded the roof down to the fiberglass to check for any issues and only found a few places that need attention. There is one fissure at the back left corner and a few other spots that need some epoxy but overall it is in very good shape. I have NOS weatherstripping for it that will go on once they have patched and repainted the top. My restoration shop specializes in Corvettes so the top is definitely in the right hands.

All of the body door and tailgate weatherstripping is out so I'm going to have the interior paint carried out to the door and tailgate edges. New exterior paint is still far in the future. I picked up the instrument panel and tilt steering column and am preparing to ship them out to board members for rebuild. As I mentioned before, the HVAC controls and ductwork are shot and I will be enriching Classic Heartbeat or GMC Paul soon for those.

Much to my relief, removing the top showed that the windshield header and the tops of the bed sides were in excellent condition. Rust repair is now behind me.

[mx289]

Hi there Dave.

Glad to see the great progress on the jimmy.Its looking great.
All these steps are adding up.

I think you may need to look into a set of steelies and hubcaps. ?

[tristan]

LOL, I have some large and painful parts and restoration service bills to pay first and then there are these piles of detail items to sort through.

Shoot me a PM and let me know how things are going with the Jimmy.

[jaros44sr]

Nice work so far, that s usually the biggest bill. I see some Corvette center caps in your pile, are they for sale. I need two.....

[tristan]

Those are someone else's headache. There is a 68 (?) 'Vette parked right behind my truck so they may belong there. This shop specializes in Corvettes and usually has some drool-inducing split windows, big blocks, 1954s, and other rare birds lying around in various stages of disassembly and re-assembly.

[tristan]

Interior paint prep completed and primer is going down! The doors are off for seam sealing and priming also as I have decided to get the door frames and door edges done while everything else is apart. I placed a large parts order with Wes last weekend for the new heater/AC control unit, center AC vent, glove compartment liner, and various gaskets and grommets needed for the windows and interior. The shop is going to rework all of the heating and AC ductwork also as it is a complete mess.

[IronCanine]

Super jealous of that NM tub. Everything is looking great.

[tristan]

I've decided to replace all of the window gaskets as long as everything is apart so the windshield is also coming out. During the week the shop removed all of the top glass so that the window gaskets can be replaced. All hinges, lift gate and tailgate hardware, catches, latches, bumper strips, weatherstripping, etc. are now out of the door and gate frames to leave a clear field for primer and paint. The doors have been stripped of their glass, lifters, scrapers, fuzzies and vent window assemblies and all of that stuff is apart. I'm springing for new rubber, scrapers, fuzzies, etc. since everything is torn down.

[tristan]

Here are some views of the top with all glass now out and the fiberglass repair nearing completion. Anyone have a paint code for the top? I keep telling them "white but not too white" but they say that one doesn't show up in their PPG book.

[lolife99]

Just found this thread!
I like the way you are doing this project.
Subscribed!

[tristan]

A few more of the door frames and edges. I'm glad that I had the windshield removed as the shop found a few spots under the gasket that had some rust damage. Those places were welded up yesterday and the entire windshield frame was seam sealed and primed. The rear bumper is off and I am strongly tempted to send it out for a makeover. It is in pretty good shape but the chrome is faded and it has a couple of minor dings and dents that need to come out.

[Senorx]

I'd be interested in a top paint code too. I'm in the beginning stages of getting my top redone as well. Fiberglass is beyond my skills, so the pros are doing it. They are using a product called Zolotone for the texture. Then a clear coat with UV protection. I'm going with a satin finish.

[tristan]

The windshield frame and dash are now taped up and primed and finish paint should be going on the interior soon. I am so grateful that I didn't have to replace the windshield frame. Those pictures of the new replacement ones with their 25 extra (and partially misplaced) holes, or the rather weary-looking salvaged ones that come up occasionally on the parts forum, scare me to death.

[Chulisohombre]

Looking great. Attention to detail is great. These guys are doing a awesome job. I wish I had the cash to do this.

[tristan]

A great leap forward this past week - interior paint!

I also want to give a shout out to the great work done on my instrument panel and steering column by board members Tom Garris at Classic Gauge and Cluster and Les Boatright respectively. They look better than new, were packed with great care and the work was done expeditiously. You can't go wrong with either of these fine gentlemen. Here are some befores and afters which really don't do justice to their work.