Halfbreed - GMC Z71 + IH Extd Cab

[Effeckt]

Looks good! I love watching your progress on this build!
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[sparkydog]

This past weekend was 50% off at the local self-serve wrecking yard. (Back in Oregon this was called a "U-Pull-It"... love that name!) I picked up some new stuff for Halfbreed. Bucket seats out of something - maybe a Honda Pilot(?) - and a steering column out of an early 90's van. I also grabbed the rollers & bracket off a forward tilt BMW hood. These will eventually replace the similar items I got off a Lesabre but I don't like them.

And I also clipped off about 25' of windshield washer hose from various makes of car and came home to hook up the washer and squirters for my windshield. The good news about the washer hose is that it AND the 50 year old IH squirt nozzles work great without any blockage. The bad news is that my 96 GM washer unit isn't getting a signal from the mother ship when I use the switch on my steering column. Notice in the photo that the main harness has three wires and the branch to the washer has 2 wires. And none of the colors on either side match the wiring schematics I have. And 2 of the 3 pins on the main harness side go to ground and the 3rd doesn't go 12v when I use the washer switch.

So I'm eventually going to figure the washer out. And I will be replacing my 60/40 bench with the buckets and a center console out of something.

Then I will do the steering column. I could use help on that from anyone who has done it. I assume I need to replace the lock cylinder with a new one and the wiring will be fun because I doubt many people have tried to tie an older column into a newer wire harness system. Plus the shaft on the van column is D style female and I believe that the stock column I have now is a male D. So when I try to install the older column I may have some girl on girl trouble. And there's the shift linkage from the old column to a newer 4L60E.

[sparkydog]

PS: I had a tachometer for about 1/2 a day but had to return it because it was a 3-1/8 size not a 3-3/8. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a 3-1/8. So when my brain saw a 3 at the start of the size I just clicked "add to cart" and away we go! Doh!

[sparkydog]

Hi boys it has been awhile since I gave you an update. I have about 30,000 miles on her now and so far (sound of me knocking on wood) the truck is holding up well.

This week began my push to get the rear bumper installed and also set it up so I can attach a receiver hitch. Here are some pics of the brackets I made and the rear bumper after the install.

[sparkydog]

And then to catch you all up on a few other things I've done over the last months. Here are some shots of the rear bench with seat belts. The shoulder belts are actually front seat style out of a '96-ish GM Xcab. The retract mechanism tucks nicely under the seat instead of hanging up in the corner where the stock GM Xcab rear seat version was out of the donor truck.

I also got rid of my 60/40 front bench in favor of buckets and a center console/ I really like having buckets ... just not the ones in the pictures. They are out of an Isuzu and looked better in the wrecking yard than they did when I got them home. However for now they are OK and I will search for something a little larger and more appropriate for the scale of the cab.

The center console is out of a Ford minivan. Shape and function are perfect for me but the brown color will have to go when I get around to upholstery someday.

I mounted the GM HVAC controls where I hope to eventually hide them behind the IH dash center panel.

And I have an early 90's GM van column that I am trying to rewire into the same connector as will plug into my 96 truck chassis harness. But it is getting complicated and I have not put much time into it. I'm probably the only guy in history to want to put an old steering column into a new (harness wise) truck.

[6772owner]

Looking good, I really like how the interior came together with the buckets and console.

[jb1016]

Looking good -- can't believe it's got 30k on it already!

[sparkydog]

The rear bumper is on and the semi-quick release receiver hitch is ready for action. 4 bolts mate it up to the remains of the mounting brackets for the original hitch that came on the donor 96 xcab. I needed to complete this so I can go buy a tow dolly and lug my Porsche 944 project home.

I should have known that if I mentioned I had nearly 30k miles on her without trouble something would happen and it did! I was on my way to look at a Porsche when I smelled burning oil but figured it was somebody in front of me. Then it dawned on me that everyone ahead was in a newer car. Looked down and the gages and ZERO oil pressure. Immediately pulled over and oil is pouring down onto the street. I assumed the worst but it turned out to be weird but simple. The oil cooler line quick connector at the sandwich block popped loose and the oil line just came off. I think it had never been fully snapped into the fitting for the past 3 years and the line clamp up near the front of the motor had kept it from backing out. Anyhoo I dodged a bullet for now. Got it all cleaned up, new line on it and needed an oil change anyway. Sorry Oceanside street department - that's my oil and cat litter all over the street and parking lot.

[sparkydog]

Oh I forgot to mention that I found my first ever "love note" taped to the windshield of the truck. A guy left his name and number offering to buy it!

[ERASER5]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

Oh I forgot to mention that I found my first ever "love note" taped to the windshield of the truck. A guy left his name and number offering to buy it!

Did you call him just for giggles? And to see if he has a clue what iis different about your truck?

You know my granpappy had one just like that....

[jb1016]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

I smelled burning oil but figured it was somebody in front of me. Then it dawned on me that everyone ahead was in a newer car.

Lol, been there! Glad it was an easy fix.

[_Ogre]

just went thru your whole build sparkydog, excellent work and a very good write up.
your finished product is a keeper for sure


though i did miss the post where you fired the chicken

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

though i did miss the post where you fired the chicken

#505 or so - about the time of the propane explosion.

[hatzie]

Excellent build. The attention to detail is stunning.

You should be able to make a custom U-joint intermediate shaft to mate the column to the steering box using $$$$ Borgeson parts or mixing the G and CK shafts. Judging from the quality of your build you have the skill and patience to do either.

The column wiring shouldn't be that difficult. I'd grab a CK column and lay them side by side.
If the turn, beam, cruise, and hazard multiswitch mounting screws aren't in different positions... You should be able to pull the multiswitch and slide the pigtail up through the G series column. Swap them with CK switches and pigtail that mate to your harness. Make sure the plastic pinch guard is located in the correct position and the wires run through it correctly.
The ignition and neutral safety are on the outside of the column so mating the newer switches should be a bracket fab job... No guarantees without looking at both.
The latest Schematics I have for G series vans is '88. The PDF is in my signature... they may help...

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

just went thru your whole build sparkydog, excellent work and a very good write up.
your finished product is a keeper for sure

Originally Posted by hatzie

Excellent build. The attention to detail is stunning.

You should be able to make a custom U-joint intermediate shaft to mate the column to the steering box using $$$$ Borgeson parts or mixing the G and CK shafts. Judging from the quality of your build you have the skill and patience to do either.

The column wiring shouldn't be that difficult. I'd grab a CK column and lay them side by side.
If the turn, beam, cruise, and hazard multiswitch mounting screws aren't in different positions... You should be able to pull the multiswitch and slide the pigtail up through the G series column. Swap them with CK switches and pigtail that mate to your harness. Make sure the plastic pinch guard is located in the correct position and the wires run through it correctly.
The ignition and neutral safety are on the outside of the column so mating the newer switches should be a bracket fab job... No guarantees without looking at both.
The latest Schematics I have for G series vans is '88. The PDF is in my signature... they may help...

Thank you very much guys!

Here are some pictures of the welding cell I set up at my work (that I used to help fab up my receiver hitch - shhhhh.) I found the 5'x5' acorn style table on Craiglist and even with the charges to rent a heavy trailer, rent a forklift at the seller's location, drive up, spend the night in a hotel, gas et cetera I spent waaaaaay less for this table than we would have to try and get even a 3' x 3' new.

I also picked up the MIG (Lincoln clone) on the way back with the table.

One of my early projects at work to check out the MIG was to fab up a welding support cart.

[maxxxy]

Oh my!!

Looks like some major fab work in your future!
How thick is that??/How much does that table weigh??
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[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by maxxxy

How thick is that??/How much does that table weigh??
Posted via Mobile Device

Hey Maxxxy sorry I didn't see your post until now. The table is 4" thick and weighs approx 3500-4000#. It makes our forklift grunt.

[sparkydog]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Stupid. Drunk. Young. Male. Hit me a couple of weeks ago. Today was the first time I could look at it.

[Clyde65]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Stupid. Drunk. Young. Male. Hit me a couple of weeks ago. Today was the first time I could look at it.

AND HE LIVED????

You are a very forgiving man IMO!

[sparkydog]

Hi boys and girls. It's been a long time since Uncle Sparky had any updates on Halfbreed. Today I swapped out my 3rd set of seats. I think these will stay on for good. They are out of some kind of Volvo. I picked them up a few months ago at a 50% off sale at the wrecking yard. I like them because they are the right size and shape for the truck and somewhat IH-like. They also feature manual lumbar and the driver has a funky lever that can change front and rear height. They also have outboard trays attached to the side of the seat. Not sure why I need that but there you go...

I haven't checked the mileage lately but since Halfbreed is my DD I suspect I have 35-45k on her now.

[Palf70Step]

That stinks for sure.

[SamsAutoParts73-87]

Not cool!!

-Sam

[sventinker]

I just spent the last few days reading your thread and WOW what a lot of work you have done. You have done more to one truck than I would think anyone has ever done. Very impressive skills. Cool looking truck too.

[Palf70Step]

Seats look goiod in there. Glad to hear the truck is still cruising along after the little crinkle issue.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Were you able to repair the "drunk's" damage.