Project Checkbook 2: 1971 SWB BB Cheyenne

[72 tigger]

Driver plan sounds good

[tristan]

A few more taken with better lighting.

[68bowtie]

That’ turned out really nice.

[tristan]

The C-10 is back at the mechanical shop for some additional work. Here is the replacement salvaged driver's door loosely bolted in, the rebuilt tilt steering column from Tom Garris, and the salvaged new grille installed. Those raccoon headlight bezels gotta go next.

[tristan]

Here are a few interior shots plus a few of my parts stash. Although not on the SPID, I am upgrading to tilt steering, tach, dual horns, AM/FM factory radio and bucket seats with console. I spent a lot of time, energy and money tracking down, buying and refurbishing these old period factory parts and, although not 100% purist, I want to use them. They are reversible additions if some future owner is offended by them.

I don't think I will be reusing the headliner and bench seats shown. It looks like some PO had the original saddle door panels and arm rests spray painted red.

[72 tigger]

Nice additions!

[nds1968]

Nice, do you think you'll be able to drive it this summer? Does the AC work?

[tristan]

I'm hoping but it might be touch and go. I had a confab with them Friday and they have a pretty big backlog in their body and paint shop. The truck is mechanically perfect now including the AC so it is going back to the body shop for the bucket seat conversion and paint prep.

[tristan]

Looks like I will have to change the name of my project to "Napoleon Blown-a-part." The teardown for body work is proceeding quickly. There had been a plastic bed liner installed and I had feared the worst underneath when it came out, but the bed looks relatively clean. The shop is going to media blast everything back down to bare metal. A fellow board member's cab is right next to my truck so I hope they don't mix up our parts unless his are better. :-)

[nds1968]

Looking good Dave, did they find any unknown problems like rust or...

Oh by the way I secretly marked all of my parts. lol

[Zoomin]

Nice lil project.

What paint did you use on the frame?

And what hub caps are you planning on using?

[tristan]

Hi Zoomin, it is some kind of epoxy chassis paint. I will try to get the name for you next week. I am going to run stock full PO1 wheel covers on my steelies.

Well, the bed, exterior of the cab, doors, core support, cowl, hood and fenders have now all been removed and media blasted. It is almost like archeology where you get to see what lay beneath the crappy black paint, bed liner and other problem hiders.

The cab looks OK although the drip edge is full of blasting media and I couldn't see what is under it. The rockers look good and it is obvious that the cab corners have already been replaced by some PO. The back of the cab is banged up a little but it looks easily fixable and won't be visible anyway.

[tristan]

The bed is a mixed bag. The ribs aren't banged up and the bedsides and wheel wells look very good. However, there are some scattered pinholes along the tailgate edge and a few mysterious holes near the drivers side wheel well that will need to be patched. Nearly the entire edge of the floor at the front of the bed is a bit raggedy. The shop is going to reblast it to see if there is a bigger problem lurking there.

[tristan]

The doors and fenders are blasted and will get some love later on. One of my bucket seat frames needed some metal repair.

[tristan]

I might have them take the cab off too since I am wrestling with how to repaint the firewall. That way I will have all of the black paint off and all problem areas will be revealed. Don't know if it is cute or something out of a horror movie but it looks like the fan is reaching out to give someone a hug.

The blue cab and parts belong to another board member whose project is farther along the evolutionary continuum. The beautiful Marina Blue paint reminds me of a 1963 split-window Vette the shop sold last year.

[nds1968]

If you take the cab off will it stop there? That's like the point of no return lol. I was surprised yesterday when I stopped and see the interior painted. They are moving along at a nice pace.

[tristan]

It is a very slippery slope as I learned with my Jimmy. Classic Industries is running a nice St. Patrick's Day sale so I ordered up a complete Dark Saddle interior.

[68bowtie]

Great progress. Keep it up!

[68Gold/white]

That Marina Blue is an awesome color!!!

Hope you can get more pic's of that one too!!!

[tristan]

Geronimo! Cab off and stripped for media blasting this week. Lots of artifacts of the original paint job were revealed. So far the windshield header, lower cowl and other typical rust buckets look pretty sound but I will wait to see them without the black camiflage paint.

[tristan]

I got a look at the bottom side of the bed and was very pleased at how sound it looked. All of the support beams were solid with just some light scattered pinholing. Ditto with the wheel wells.

[tristan]

A lot of my loose stuff is already has a coat of primer including the hood, front fenders, outer cowl, core support, etc. The replacement drivers side door that I bought sucks and I am going to have to scare up another one.

[tristan]

Now that I have remainder of the truck down to a rolling chassis another slippery slope awaits. How much engine compartment cleanup do I do?

[tristan]

Here is another yard bird that has been hanging around the shop for the past few months. It's a stripped 1968 work or farm truck with a 6 and 3OTT. It is cool though.

[nds1968]

Come on you know this will be just as nice as your Jimmy when it's done.

I fixed my bed floor but that was before they made repo steel floors. I don't care for the wood floors but thats an option. You'd have to get a different front panel and crossmembers for the wood floor or yours looks fixable.