Lurker OrrieG Progress Pics

[SCHRUMGMC]

looking great

[Denee007]

AC compressor looks nice and the bracket of course. I like that compressor with the AC lines coming off the back too!

[1985-GMC]

Looking great! Did you buy a parallel flow condencer for it?
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[OrrieG]

Not yet, going to order the original VA one that would have came with the kit.

[sgtusmc]

That chrome plug looks perfect there. Thanks for sharing, great idea!

[OrrieG]

Made up a bracket to adapt a momentary on pull switch to old choke pull knob. Not pretty but works. Switch is for the electric wiper fluid pump. "C" is for cleaner!

[oldman3]

Slick....Jim

[Daze57]

very very cool idea sir !!!!

[Kim57]

Very nice idea.
Kim

[_Ogre]

pretty slick orrieg

[OrrieG]

Finished up the column cover/ aux. gauge pod. Installed the steering wheel and seat so I could set the arm rest. Installed the arm rest.

Question: I have to touch up the steering column between the wheel and the "leather" cover. Originally it was all the grey including the eldo wheel. Now I am thinking the rest of the column to the cover should be metallic black to match the wheel? I am going to paint part of the door panel in the same black to pick up the theme.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Finished up the column cover/ aux. gauge pod. Installed the steering wheel and seat so I could set the arm rest. Installed the arm rest.

Question: I have to touch up the steering column between the wheel and the "leather" cover. Originally it was all the grey including the eldo wheel. Now I am thinking the rest of the column to the cover should be metallic black to match the wheel? I am going to paint part of the door panel in the same black to pick up the theme.

That reminds me of a machine shop I worked at. We built scientific testing machines. The guy that owned the shop would redesign parts as machines were being built. One day as a machine was apeoching the shipping dead line I heard this conversation.
Shop owner: When will this machine be ready to ship?

Shop foreman: Jim, it would go a hell of a lot faster if you would quit taking parts off of it. I think this applies to all of us

Any way I like the idea of the metallic black, But it shows dust and on a 4wd truck.........

[OrrieG]

mkittle, good point about the dust, etc. Last thing I want is more housecleaning....

Anyway got the passenger door one piece done. For some reason (not surprised) the gap the channel goes in on the front side is about 1/16" narrower than the driver side. Pinches the glass more but works, I hope the glass is has less resistance than the tempered board mockup I am using. Got all the holes welded up and ground down. A little plastic and the inside of the doors are ready for paint.

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[Denee007]

I'm kind of in the same boat with my steering wheel~ I was thinking just to wrap the outer portion with close to the same color steering wrap~ and leave the "inside" black, or maybe paint it the same color as dash. I like the color of your column~ and to paint it metallic black? But I see tying it to the lower part of the door. However, as good as your steering wheel looks, perhaps a custom steering wheel? At least the steering wheel can be tended to any time? Looking good Orrie~ I like the pic of you in your truck~

[OrrieG]

I think custom wheel in yours would work well. I am trying to stay more "stock" in some aspects of mine. Make it look stock at first glance, then they can start taking in the details and see the modern upgrades. Photo is good but wished I had on a looser tee, I'm not as skinny as you!

[OrrieG]

Mounted the rear bumper and spent time making a template for a closure piece between the bumper and bed. dip in the bumper is a challenge. Then started looking for a place to mount the trailer electrical connector where it was out of the way, did not hang down, and accessible without crawling under the bumper. Decided to ditch the closure and make a smaller license plate bracket and mount the trailer connector where it is out of harms way, close to the wiring harness and I can reach it from above. Tape line is bottom of the tailgate, the plate is tucked under it. Going to use the plate mount led lights for the plate.

[Red Foreman]

Good idea, it worked out neat.

[OrrieG]

Back at it, finished up the one piece glass mods on the driver side. Tried to get it to work without notching behinc the latch, but the glass kept getting hung up "turning" the corner at the front. Need to fill a couple of holes, clean up the welds and move on to the passenger side.

[Denee007]

Looking good! It's really not that bad of a job, a little frustrating for sure
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[1985-GMC]

Nice job on the one piece glass, that is going to be really nice!
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[OrrieG]

Finished welding in the gas door, no pics. Dispite taking my time, on the lower corner it really pulled the rest of the panel, about 3/8" depression. I had worked a lot on that area before deciding to put the door there because it had been banged up and bent over from sliding into a cut bank on a logging road hunting. The truck had the rear bed corners cut out for a lift gate and there was nothing to support the bottom of the side from the fender opening back.

I started shrinking it back and working the tension out, but have a ways to go. Tempting to just slap on some plastic and be done with it but the old timer body mans voice in my head is telling me to do it right. I'll post some pics next time.

[OrrieG]

About an hour of serious hammer and dolley work and it was pretty good. The gas door is double thickness metal space about 3/8" apart with metal in between so it did not want to move much. In the end it turned out ok with basically a skim coat of plastic. Here is a shot with the welds ground before I started bumping it and one primed. Earlier in this thread I have pics of it spot welded in. Now I can get the hose fitted and fire the engine. Whoppee.

[Denee007]

Gee Orrie, that looks great!!!!

[oldman3]

Looking good, ready to hear that baby run....Jim