Project Christine V2.0

[RANDY COX]

KOOL and Welcome I thought I had rust issues, Lookin Good...

[Mjminino]

Originally Posted by RANDY COX

KOOL and Welcome I thought I had rust issues, Lookin Good...

Thanks Randy!

[bj383ss]

Your panels are mostly likely on their way. They don't update their website. In my past three orders the parts arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered them. I called and emailed several times with no response and then they just appeared on the doorstep. I believe I did receive and email response on my first order and said they were shipped and then I got them the next day.

Bad service but great parts.

[Mjminino]

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Your panels are mostly likely on their way. They don't update their website. In my past three orders the parts arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered them. I called and emailed several times with no response and then they just appeared on the doorstep. I believe I did receive and email response on my first order and said they were shipped and then I got them the next day.

Bad service but great parts.

Thanks for the info. I am just glad that I wasn't needing them right away.

[Mjminino]

BJ, I read on "Slosh Tubz SEMA 2015 Build "BOOSTED BERTHA"" thread that you were also doing lower door panels, if you get them done before me will you shoot me a few pics of the steps please???

[65sub]

nice work on the rust repair so far. Lots in my future too

[Mjminino]

Originally Posted by 65sub

nice work on the rust repair so far. Lots in my future too

Thanks a lot 65.I thought it was just sub par Before this thread i've never had anyone compliment my work before... Odd feeling. I am quite proud of it though because I have done it all myself.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Mjminino

Thanks a lot 65.I thought it was just sub par Before this thread i've never had anyone compliment my work before... Odd feeling. I am quite proud of it though because I have done it all myself.

100% with you there man !!
The more you do it the easier and better it gets too.

[Mjminino]

No updates yet. I'm still waiting for my parts to show up from Top Banana. Joke customer service. I called and they said they are running behind because of new years. I doubt that.

[Mjminino]

Finally got to work on Christine last night, got the drivers side door panel started. About the panels, the outside is great, the inside the lines don't line up at all! The raised line on the aftermarket panel is wider then OE. So what I had to do was go around it. I Did not feel like dicking around with the hinge plate so I went around that as well.

[Mjminino]

I pulled 12" inches up on side of the outside panel for a reference point when I go back to start installing stuff. Took a grinder to the door panel lip to split them. I didn't need the entire 11 inches of the patch panel so I taped it off and air sawed it off, took that and transferred the line to the door panel and got to cutting. Rusty old heated up rat piss does not smell good and you're a ****in weirdo if you think it does!!!! Flipped it and started cutting the jigsaw for the inner patch panel. It came out okay.

[Mjminino]

Before I started welding I taped the edges on the inside to leave the bare metal for welding and painted the inside with Rust-oleum rust converter. Then painted the inside bare metal with weld through primer!!! More to come on Monday when I finally get my next day off!

[clemdaddy]

you're doing it the same as i did. those new TB door bottoms aren't even close to right. some say their parts are the best but they missed it on that one.
i try to use panels from salvage yard doors and fenders whenever i can.

nice work man, keep it up...

[Mjminino]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

you're doing it the same as i did. those new TB door bottoms aren't even close to right. some say their parts are the best but they missed it on that one.
i try to use panels from salvage yard doors and fenders whenever i can.

nice work man, keep it up...

Thanks! Yeah, you spend so much money on these panels that suck. Oh well! I wish I had a salvage yard that had our trucks in it. That'd be bad a$$

[Strodder]

It's a shame the poor quality $hit that's out there. I'm really lucky that I have 3 Wrecking Yards within 4 miles from me.

[Grizz1963]

..........l. And I thought we had problems with my buddy Martin's truck.


Man, you are doing well here.

[bj383ss]

Glad you posted on the door bottoms. I had planned on getting these. Looks I will just fab some patch panels myself. Mine only has rust on the very bottom. I do have speaker holes I need to fix that look like an angry badger cutout with a dull jigsaw. You have done some major surgery and it has came out looking great.

I guy who lives down the street from my mother in law does a lot of body repair and he said the reason a lot of the parts are correct is because the make the dies off of the original parts so they come out bigger than the originals instead of making a die that is the same size as the original.

[markeb01]

Nice progress! Good thing you have the skills and talent to tackle so much, I'd be out of luck on such extensive repairs. Although I suppose I would learn if I had to. Glad you started a build thread, makes it easy to keep up going forward.

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

..........l. And I thought we had problems with my buddy Martin's truck.


Man, you are doing well here.

Hi I thought my cab was bad . I have ordered from Top Banana as well . The only difference is my parts have to go to Dons (Ta2Don ) in Arkansas then he forwards them to me in the Uk because they don't deliver to the UK so an even longer delay . Keep up the good work. I will keep watching . Check out my thread if you want to see one as bad

[yossarian19]

You're fighting the good fight, Mike, and doing darned well at it. Keep it up!

[Shady Chevy]

I will be following this build. Like it so far. Good work. More pics the better, as I love to see what others are doing. Details...details. Keep it up.

[rusty76]

I'll be watching on this one as well.

[Mjminino]

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Glad you posted on the door bottoms. I had planned on getting these. Looks I will just fab some patch panels myself. Mine only has rust on the very bottom. I do have speaker holes I need to fix that look like an angry badger cutout with a dull jigsaw. You have done some major surgery and it has came out looking great.

Thanks a lot! I wish it wasn't as bad as I would have done the same as you! Except for the speaker holes, you can have those! Mine are in the rear of the cab just below the rear window. Which doesn't make sense as the seat would cover them up. Idiot PO!!!

Originally Posted by markeb01

Nice progress! Good thing you have the skills and talent to tackle so much, I'd be out of luck on such extensive repairs. Although I suppose I would learn if I had to. Glad you started a build thread, makes it easy to keep up going forward.

Thanks! I can't wait until my trucks comes out being as reliable as yours!

Originally Posted by yossarian19

You're fighting the good fight, Mike, and doing darned well at it. Keep it up!

Oh you know I will! Especially once I leave the $hithole USPS and go back to having a normal life again! I have to catch up to you!

Originally Posted by Shady Chevy

I will be following this build. Like it so far. Good work. More pics the better, as I love to see what others are doing. Details...details. Keep it up.

Thanks for following, it means a lot! I am a picture whore so I try to take as many pictures as I go and go into detail as much as possible. My friend keeps making fun of me "Oh you're tightening a bolt, better go take a picture!"

Originally Posted by rusty76

I'll be watching on this one as well.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoy your stay!

Now back to the normal grind. If you don't know I work as USPS and I have virtually no life. I was suppose to have Martin Luther King day off, you know as it is a recognized USPS holiday...NOPE!!! (yes that is every mad smiley this place offers) Pros - decent pay (that's it) Cons - Work 70-80 hours a week, no breaks, no lunch, no benefits WHATSOEVER and I don't get to see my daughter and fiancee anymore WHICH IS HUGE to me at least. Family life is more important to me than being the richest in the world. Last but not least, I don't get to work on my truck as much anymore. Found another job which is going to be awesome. Instead of delivering mail, I will be delivering plumbing parts to people. Mon-Fri 7:00 am - 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm depending on if I want a 30 min or hour lunch. NO WEEKENDS and now I will be able to see my daughter on the measly 4 days a month I do get to see her!

[bj383ss]

Sucks when work life is no good. Glad to hear you found a solution for it. As you said family time is the most important time. We are only here for so long and slaving away at some job anybody can do is rather low on my list of importance. Of course we all have to have money coming in to live. I have the opportunity to move up higher at my job but it will require more hours and after work activities and I just don't see the benefit of the pay versus losing family time and truck time. Especially since my boys are 6 and 8. I don't want to miss anything as they grow so fast. Look forward to your progress on the truck.

[clemdaddy]

yeah man, i'd be taking that job too.
sounds like a good work schedule... and you are spot-on about whats really important here. congrats