Big Blue Burb

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by BGarza13x

Slow progress. So, I ordered parts over a month ago and they finally got here. Got a few patch parts that I am going to either get help from a professional welder or from my dad. Rocker panels and the rear taillight section, mainly. Also, when I hurt my arm, I took my frustration out on the liftgate. It was added by the previous owner, apparently not very well. I snapped the weld on one side on top, so it droops and water comes in through the gap when it rains. Any tips on how to strengthen it?

Also, I want to buy new center caps for my rims, but have no clue what to search for or were to find it or what size. All 4 are rusted out. Any clue what
I should search for?

Last question for now, how much Lizard Skin do the Suburbans need. The website has an estimator, I came up with 4 gallons of each sound and heat insulators, is that right? Any one use it and really need that much?

It may be slow but progress is progress. Good to see you working on it again.....

LockDoc

[BGarza13x]

Some progress on Big Blue. We welded the hatch up better, stronger, so it is laying straight again, then replaced some of the foam to keep water out. Then, we started replacing a rear taillight section that was a bit damaged. had to straighten out some of the panel, still a lot more to straighten out on that side. Overall, pleased with the result. Will use fiberglass filler to strengthen it, body filler to even it out.

[BGarza13x]

Pictures of improvement on hatch reweld. Anyone know how much to close up on it to keep water out? I don't know what they are supposed to look like, since I was supposed to have barn doors. Never seen what they should look like. Anybody have pics of the hinges I can see? Top and bottom, if possible

[BGarza13x]

Slow progress, stopped driving because something is wrong with the steering, I think it is the rag joint, but not sure. I did find an amazing deal on seats, though. $80 for new 2007-2014 Tahoe leather 2nd row. I bought 2, plan to put a set in the front seat too, and the guy had a 3rd row from a Ford Explorer he gave me a deal on. All together, 3 rows of new leather seats for $200. He had plenty in a storage room, I'd say about 10-15 sets. He lives in Temple, I found him on the Facebook Marketplace.

Apparently, he has a contract with a company that converts new Tahoe's into police cars, so they rip out the 2nd row and put a sturdy plastic bench to transport people they arrest. The company cannot sell the seats, so they just give them to whoever has a contract with them and that person can sell them. Most people will still try to sell them at full cost, but this guy just wanted to share the wealth.

He also had a 1970 Chevy longbed truck he is working on, already converted it to a shortbed so we talked shop a bit. Seems like a great guy.

[BGarza13x]

I forgot to add that I am nowhere near putting new seats into the Burb, still need to paint the inside, rip everything out, put Lizard Skin on the floor, Carpet, THEN put in seats and new panels. Might finish work on the outside before the inside, although I was thinking about the benefit of being comfy inside while driving and leave the outside paint and stuff for later.

What do you guys think? Ideally, it could be done all at once, but if you had to choose, fix up inside first or outside?

[zellway]

looking good!

[BGarza13x]

Slow progress... I've been distracted with work and Grad School so I haven't been able to work on the truck, so I decided to take it to a local mechanic to get work done.

Still waiting on them to give me quotes, but I asked them to do an oil change (I have no clue when it was last done), tune up, and to see what was wrong with the steering, as it was way too loose for comfort. The only update I have is that they need to shim the starter, it wasn't making good contact, so it was difficult to start.

I also bought 2 gallons each of sound and heat Lizard Skin. I also bought a roll of Thermal Insulation to add on top of the Lizard skin. My dad is coming up for Easter and is bringing his welder again to fix the rocker panels and the other taillight section. I'll probably do the Lizard Skin prep then also.

[BGarza13x]

So, I put it in another post, but the shop I took my truck found issues with my starter/flexplate, but I could not afford to have it fixed through them. Instead, my dad came up and we tried to tackle the problem ourselves. To get it home, we needed to put a new starter in it, to avoid getting a tow truck (it was driving before I took it, but I guess they ended up grinding the gears beyond repair). It grinded a bit, but started. We got it home, took the driveshaft off, lowered the transmission, replaced the flexplate, put it all back together. The flexplates were identical, tooth count, size, etc. Then, when we put the starter back in, it began grinding, the bendix got stuck in the flexplate, we shimmed it, but it did not help, until it was barely making contact.

The more I thought about it, we started to wonder if the starter was for the wrong flexplate, but when the old flexplate was in, there was more wiggle room so it was able to start, but with a new one, it can't? I called O'Reily's to double check that I got the right starter for my flexplate, but they could not help.

Also, the old starter had insulation wrapped around it and some weird brace. It is right next to the headers, so I guss to help protect from heat?

[BGarza13x]

Oh yea, since I am on a budget, we made our own jack stands out of landscaping timbers. Total cost of 8 bucks, felt a bit unsure of their reliability, but they held up, and are actually still holding up, since I haven't figured out the problem yet.

[Hart_Rod]

Are you sure that the starter and flexplate are matched? I know that there are 2 different flexplates with the difference being in the number of teeth they have. The starter must match the flexplate or you end up with similar symptoms to what you have.

EDIT: Check this thread out, there's a lot of good suggestions here: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...rter+flexplate

[BGarza13x]

That was the best idea we could come up with, I tried to call O'Reillys, but they couldn't tell me if the starter was made for 168 teeth. I went to another shop and found someone more knowledgeable, so I have a part number for a starter that is "supposed to" fit the flexplate I have on.

I have been meaning to get back underneath and swap them out, but am on call for work this week, so I am hesitant to start anything I wouldn't be able to finish and would need to clean up from. I might try to swap it out this weekend sometime.

[BGarza13x]

Hey guys, sorry for the long absence. Some progress has been made. I had got the starter to work. Afterwards, the plan was to work on it with my dad, bare minimum to paint and some body work, but instead, a friend of my dads is working on it. He has had it since July, working on it on the backburner because he's giving us a good deal. We buy parts and supplies, he's only charging $1600 for labor to fix all the rust, weld in the panels, undercoat it, and primer it. I think he was going to paint it as well. This includes taking the rear windows and winshield off, replacing rubber. Only down side is that it is in deep south Texas, I'm in Austin, 6 hours away. I've only been able to visit twice. I suppose I can't complain with the deal I am getting, I just miss seeing it in my driveway.

Soon, it won't be the Big Blue Burb anymore. Going red, was considering Super Red or a Pearl Red but think I might need to classic with Victory Red.

[Average Joe]

Nice progress! $1600 is dirt cheap for all that work to be done.

[BGarza13x]

Progress on paint. It has been there 14 months and the guy swears it'll be ready soon (I've heard that before). Haven't been overly impressed with the guy, but I'm pretty much stuck at this point. He was fairly meticulous outside, then on the inside, rushed. The plan was to primer, lizard skin, then top coat possibly with Bedliner, was still on fence. Guy skips all steps and bed liners the floor and roof. Not only that, he mistook the lines on what would be covered and coated parts of the interior that are visible, like above the rear quarter window and the support brackets on the roof. They were able to get it off the rear quarter, but not off of the support brackets, which I wanted to have exposed.

Exhausted from this and just want it home. It's several hours away, so I've only seen it maybe 4 or 5 times in over a year, besides a few pictures. Supposedly, they are working on dash and interior, then painting the exterior.

[BGarza13x]

Photos from before some of the last pics, this was the last time I saw it. They went a little bedliner happy. I'm worried about it, but really can't do anything about it at this point, it's already sprayed all over the place.

[BGarza13x]

On a more positive note, I had picked the paint colors. Victory Red and Arctic White. Going to be along the paint lines of this rendering. No trim, I don't plan to, at least, and no badging. Bumpers painted white, as well

[Average Joe]

Good color choice! That sucks about the bedliner.