Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[chevy_man5]

Looking good McMurphy!!

BTW... it's tomorrow!

[CRGRS 66]

Originally Posted by chevy_man5

Looking good McMurphy!!

BTW... it's tomorrow!

I agree, looking good... and it is tomorrow, yup, it is... Don't leave us hanging all day McMurph

[piratexpress1369a]

nice work fur sure ..now lets see that bling lol

[chad64chevy]

hey mcmurphy, the truck is looking good, i really like your progress pics! those brake lines came out great, its 7pm my time so weres the special update pics, lol!!! i have no room to talk but got to give you some motovation!!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by chevy_man5

Looking good McMurphy!!

BTW... it's tomorrow!

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

I agree, looking good... and it is tomorrow, yup, it is... Don't leave us hanging all day McMurph

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

nice work fur sure ..now lets see that bling lol

Ok some of you guys (see above) were up way too early today on top of the time zones away !! LOL

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

hey mcmurphy, the truck is looking good, i really like your progress pics! those brake lines came out great, its 7pm my time so weres the special update pics, lol!!! i have no room to talk but got to give you some motovation!!

I cannot understate the level of motivation this site gives me. You know that saying that it takes a village to raise a child yes?
Well you are all my village and I am the village idiot, and you all raised me !!!

**********************************************************

So I figured a post on the one year anniversary of my starting this thread would be appropriate, with a couple of look-back comparisons of what I started with, and where I am at.
Kind of a photographic gut check for myself to keep me focused on the fact that I now have a goal of the 4th of July weekend to have this bad boy back on the road!


This is the truck the day I bought it. Just looking at it from this angle I have since shaved the leading edge of the cab roof, and repaired that old CB antenna hole, top center of the roof.


Sadly all that old shag carpet had to go.... what a throw back to the '70s that was....made me want to keep on truckin' !! Among other things you can see the shave job I did on my fuel fill too.



Sadly I dont have the new engine in yet like I would have for these photos, but soon... kinda mind numbing when you see what I started with. Gosh I sure wish I had bought that pressure washer a LOT sooner than I did !!

[Modges'66]

Awesome comparison pics dude!
I'm sure it helps you to keep moving forward.
I constantly look at old pics to get a stance on how far that things have progressed with my build!

[McMurphy]

And just a few more.

Not much more than a walk around shot of before and after,



And for those who remember this mess.
I guess this was when I really knew I was in for a penny, in for a pound... probably one of the first and most proud parts of this build I have done so far. I was certainly out in uncharted waters when I did this job !!


And that is all really for now.
On my to do list is getting my:
o engine and tranny married up and installed.
o plumb brake lines
o new shocks all the way around (ordered today)
o new door locks and door checks installed (got the parts in)
o finish the dome light mod / cyclops light (I add them together due to the shared access hole they will have.
o get the seat re-upholstered and installed
o new carpet / deadner
o possibly mod my vents from handles to cables
o drink more beer
o do my head light mod
o get my GMC hood straight and ready, with its mods
o get the bed wood mod done
o modify my tail gate from chains and hooks to latches
o add my '68 DeVille tail lights
o flirt with the wife a little more...
o swap out the 5 lug rotors in the front back to 6 lug
o finish the under dash extension and install stereo
o and maybe ..... just maybe ..... refurbish that wooden camper shell that came with the truck

Whew, whatta list, and that is just off the top of my head !!
Well guys sorry it isnt much, and if you think I am bragging .... please dont .... I am actually starting to sweat the dead line !!
Its only 9 months away !!!!!!

[Bomp]

Man,,,,you gotta list! At least you have a dead line.
Im so far out in uncharted territory that a finish date is out of the question right now.
You totally inspired me to get crackin'. Great Job!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Awesome comparison pics dude!
I'm sure it helps you to keep moving forward.
I constantly look at old pics to get a stance on how far that things have progressed with my build!

I do that as well, you never really get a feel for how far you have come unless you take a look back at where you started every once in a while !!

Originally Posted by Bomp

Man,,,,you gotta list! At least you have a dead line.
Im so far out in uncharted territory that a finish date is out of the question right now.
You totally inspired me to get crackin'. Great Job!

I HAVE to have this done, we are hoping to get a change of duty station as early as next September, and I want to make sure this rig is road worthy before I take it home and store it!

[clemdaddy]

thanks mcmurph for the update.

noticed there were two unusual items on the list. those items should constantly be in all our lists, and never get completed.

stay the course dude, looks like its an achievable goal.

[CRGRS 66]

great to see the retrospective, and update photos!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

thanks mcmurph for the update.

noticed there were two unusual items on the list. those items should constantly be in all our lists, and never get completed.

stay the course dude, looks like its an achievable goal.

Thanks for noticing, and of course you are right. The wife should be deserving of at least equal time and attention as the truck !!
And beer? well the answer to that one is always in the question !! LoL

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

great to see the retrospective, and update photos!

I am glad you liked it.
I wanted to do something to commorate a full year here, and all the advice, and tips-tricks, and ideas I have stolen from all the fine folk that come here. I am very happy we can post photos side by side here, it made that little display a lot more effective I think.

[flips72]

great post, hard to believe its been a year, time flies when your having fun

[allaboutchevelles]

I think thats the first time Ive seen pics of your whole truck. Your making some good progress on it. Keep up the good work. Its cooled off enough down here that im starting to get back on mine.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by flips72

great post, hard to believe its been a year, time flies when your having fun

Yes and sadly I fear the next 10 months are going to fly by as well in regards to this build! Just hope I dont get caught behind schedule next summer like I did with my Tempest engine swap.
Hate doing rushed work !!!

Originally Posted by allaboutchevelles

I think thats the first time Ive seen pics of your whole truck. Your making some good progress on it. Keep up the good work. Its cooled off enough down here that im starting to get back on mine.

Good to see you working on yours again too sir!!
Cooled off for ya, eh?
We are rocking a whole 46 degrees up here today, warmer than it has been. I may be able to get the wife to help me knock the rust off some stuff LoL !!!

**********************************************************

So I got my brake lines all plumbed, that was fun like a puzzle.
Not sure why they put those springs on them, but I scrounged up enough of them to sleeve a good majority of the brake lines from the master cylinder down to the frame, and of course painted them.

I was so stupidly proud of that accomplishment that I decided I could toss the engine and tranny in before the wife came down to get me for dinner.
And whattya know ?!?!?!?.....


Taa Daaa !!








Just a bit of indulgent walk around pics. I think that is the first time I ever dropped in an engine all by my self. It was fun, and the look on her face when she came down later to fetch me was classic.

Soooo what to do today ??

[C@rnut001]

Man, that looks great sitting down in there where it is supposed to go! Thanks for the pics and updates, it is awesome to see your progress and I bet your wife was really happy to see that!

[pdxhall]

The front end is really coming together nice. Great work.

[Captainfab]

I agree.....looking good

[CRGRS 66]

indulge away, looks great McMurph!

[markeb01]

What a great milestone to achieve, on top of all the other excellent progress! Hang in there.

[piratexpress1369a]

way to go 2 thumbs up

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

Man, that looks great sitting down in there where it is supposed to go! Thanks for the pics and updates, it is awesome to see your progress and I bet your wife was really happy to see that!

She was surprised I got it in all by myself, I told her it was better that way because the hoist was being a little brat, and with it slowly losing pressure I was constantly having to jack it back up.
Needless to say there was colorful language involved....
and in those situations she can sometimes take that personally.

Originally Posted by pdxhall

The front end is really coming together nice. Great work.

Thank you pd, it is therapudic like you said.

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I agree.....looking good

Always great to see you here John, thank you for taking a look!

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

indulge away, looks great McMurph!

Thanks man, I cannot wait to start putting body parts back on !!!

Originally Posted by markeb01

What a great milestone to achieve, on top of all the other excellent progress! Hang in there.

Yeah, though I may have to pull it back out, I have some questions....

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

way to go 2 thumbs up

I guess the color scheme is not too over the top? (though in the photos the colors are not what you see in real life. The red is not that glaring, and the white is not white but a pewter grey)

**********************************************************

Yesterday was consumed by trying to get my throw out linkage in for the clutch. Once I figured out the existing holes in my engine block were not going to cooperate, I had to make an adpter plate.
I have to admit that I really like fabbing stuff up, and if yesterday is any indication I am getting better at it !!
My template worked like a charm and the plate was a first time go for fittment and functionality !!
Woot !!

[Captainfab]

Does your block not have the rear boss for the bellcrank ball stud?

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Yesterday was consumed by trying to get my throw out linkage in for the clutch. Once I figured out the existing holes in my engine block were not going to cooperate, I had to make an adpter plate.
I have to admit that I really like fabbing stuff up, and if yesterday is any indication I am getting better at it !!
My template worked like a charm and the plate was a first time go for fittment and functionality !!
Woot !!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Does your block not have the rear boss for the bellcrank ball stud?

I am going to have to go with the no, answer on that because I really cannot visualize anything down there that would fit what you just asked me.

I took copious pics though.

I do have some concerns though regarding my clutch install. The 11" clutch I got came with a pilot bearing and the video I watched did not install it. I assumed since it was a corvette motor, and the same exact transmission that what I was watching was as close to what I have as possible. Later I went back and saw that the 'vette crank was obviously milled to take the pilot pinon at the end of the tranny.

I am not 100% certain I do not need that bearing. Any input?

I also took some pics of my clutch fork. It has about 2" of free travel before it presses against the clutch plate, and I do not know if that is normal or not...
I will post the pics tomorrow as it is late and I am supposed to be in bed atm.

[coulter]

Nice man!!! that engine is looking really good