"Crewcab Jake" the 84 to 74 conversion

[rgunlock]

Just found and caught up on this build. I appreciate all the detail you put into your posts regarding product and suppliers. It is getting pretty rare to see other squares on the road around here, particularly the early style. Keep up the great work.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Just found and caught up on this build. I appreciate all the detail you put into your posts regarding product and suppliers. It is getting pretty rare to see other squares on the road around here, particularly the early style. Keep up the great work.

Thanks for the kind words. Its unfortunate that the forum format doesn't get the following it once did. It's still so much better than other media outlets for reliable data.

I have always preferred the 73-80 front end. In particular the 73-74 grill due to its recess design. It add so much depth to the front of the truck.

[N2TRUX]

It's been a crazy busy week. I ran hard and long so my shop time was nonexistent. Today I had to spend some time in my yard to keep Momma happy.

With that done I managed some shop time. I am still trying to piece together my dual tank system. My buddy Chris Lucas finally located the switching valve and fuel line assembly he had stashed away. With that part located I was motivated to get the second tank stripped and ready for its replacement.

[N2TRUX]

The tank that came with Jake is junk, so I bought a Spectra Premium replacement. I needed to remove the filler neck and mounting brackets for restoring. I stripped the necessary parts and broke them apart for cleaning.

[N2TRUX]

With everything separated I worked each part with a small wire wheel. I followed that with Scotch Brite and brake cleaner

[N2TRUX]

I plan to paint the new tank satin black, so the filler neck will be the same. I hung them up a blasted them with Krylon.

[Dads79GMC]

Nothing better than working on C10s on a Saturday!! Looks good! Mike

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Nothing better than working on C10s on a Saturday!! Looks good! Mike

It was a good day Mike. I planted some Spring color and detailed truck parts.

I managed to find a great deal on a new rear bumper too. Now I need a set of brackets. I'll be shopping at Brothers Truck parts come Monday.

[N2TRUX]

I gave the mounting brackets the same cleaning process as the other parts. I wanted some contrast so I used my favorite accent color, VHT cast iron.

[N2TRUX]

Unfortunately the replacement tank was damaged in shipping. Spectra makes great products, but does a terrible job of packaging them. The flimsy box literally disintegrated.
The good news is Summit didn't hesitate to ship a replacement. Hopefully it will be here by Monday.

[rustytruck50]

Haven't checked in for a while, but things are looking great! Btw, the small parts of the tank setup look much nicer than they were ever intended to be...you do have detailing mad skills my friend!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by rustytruck50

Haven't checked in for a while, but things are looking great! Btw, the small parts of the tank setup look much nicer than they were ever intended to be...you do have detailing mad skills my friend!

Thanks for dropping by. Yes, my mad skills are called OCD. Sometimes a blessing, often times a curse. Regardless, I appreciate the kind words.

[N2TRUX]

Today I spent some time sorting through my interior pieces to see what I had. The visors are usable so I set them aside. The seat belts will need a color change so I'll have them rewebbed. I'm not happy with the plastic covers on the front set, so I hope to find a better set to dye.

[N2TRUX]

With the seatbelts at a stand still I moved on to the center console. Chris didn't understand the attraction of a mint condition factory cup holder console. All he knew was it wasnt going in the truck for LST if it was still blue. He took it apart and gave it a quick coat of Krylon.

[N2TRUX]

It looked much better for the show, but now it needed to be stripped and prepped for a complete color change.

[N2TRUX]

Before stripping the black paint I spent time cleaning and polishing the trim piece. It had quite a bit of surface rust. Fortunately I was able to remove 98% of it and polish it back to like new condition.

[N2TRUX]

I decided I wanted to give the inside a more finished look. I didn't like that the bottom didn't have a smooth floor and all of the mounting bolts were exposed.
I found a piece of hardboard scrap and set about making a floor piece. I just happen to have a piece of black vinyl that will give the look I'm after

[N2TRUX]

With that issue resolved I went about stripping the black paint off. I used brake cleaner and paper towels to remove the bulk of it. I followed that with a final clean up with Scotch Brite and more brake cleaner.

[N2TRUX]

I temporarily put the finished pieces back together . I ordered a can of SEM primer and a can of SEM Ivory. It should be here tomorrow so I can see what it looks like soon

[N2TRUX]

I decided to use SEM brand primer to ensure proper adhesion and smooth out some small imperfections on the console pieces. SEM offers more than one primer. The one used here is a flexible primer and surface which is ideal for my intended results

[N2TRUX]

I sprayed a few light coats on the interior of the console. I will scuff this to soften the rough edges before adding color.
The exterior surface got several wet coats after initially cutting in with dry coats. Once it cures, I'll scuff the areas that need attention and give it one final layer before color.

[N2TRUX]

I ordered a can of SEM Ivory #15853 based on a color chart. Unfortunately the color is actually lighter than the sample show. More importantly its lighter than the seat color which is not what I'm after.

[N2TRUX]

So the SEM Ivory was a no go. Based on that color being much lighter than the chip, I decided to go darker. I was hoping the results would be the same and I was correct. The new color is SEM #15843 Medium Parchment.

Once again its virtually impossible to photograph accurately. It is a very close match to the vinyl color of the seat, but it is a shade or two darker.

[N2TRUX]

If your wondering why I'm using rattle cans vs spraying from the gun, its about consistency. I have had difficulty getting my local automotive paint store to mix SEM colors consistent in color. Rather than fight it, I decided to find an off the shelf color hoping to have better luck.

I have a lot of pieces to dye, and I want them to match.

[N2TRUX]

Now that I have a color I'm pleased with I can try to have it mixed and hope it's the same.

Meanwhile heres a sneak peek of where I'm headed. The lighting makes the seat look a bit yellow.