Sparky's 1978 Silverado Build "Addiction"

[Dads79GMC]

Originally Posted by moregrip

Mike,

Excellent detail! thank you for taking the time make everything clear and precise! Can't wait to get my built by brooks brackets installed on my long bed frame too! I'm wrapping up this damn College degree I started in 3 weeks time and then I can have some free time again!

Devin

Congratulations on getting close to wrapping up your college degree!!! Job well done!

[Jaysonb]

Looking good Sir! I think we shall move all the body work to our Des Moines location from now on! You the man.

[Dads79GMC]

Oh no Mr Obi Wan Knobi, this is the easy stuff Master! "Body work," ie sanding, primer and painting is too tough for me!

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Congratulations on getting close to wrapping up your college degree!!! Job well done!

thanks man! Who says a 46 year old cant get some education in!

I'm actually very happy to wrap this BA degree up so I can take some welding classes!

[Jaysonb]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Oh no Mr Obi Wan Knobi, this is the easy stuff Master! "Body work," ie sanding, primer and painting is too tough for me!

I think you're going to be surprised, you have the natural skill set, and attention to detail to accel at this stuff. It's far from rocket science, but some stuff comes natural to some, more than others.

[MrBeast]

subscribed!

[Woodyboat]

Originally Posted by moregrip

I'm wrapping up this damn College degree I started in 3 weeks time and then I can have some free time again!

Devin

If you went into college as a non-traditional student (I don't know how old you are...) and you're well into adulthood, I can speak from experience that you've had a very up-hill task to finish. I started my college degree after I lost everything and had to start completely over. In 2011, I entered the university at 55 years of age and finished my undergrad in 2016. I finished my Master's program this past fall. Whew...

It was the very BEST thing I've ever done in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

[Dads79GMC]

Originally Posted by Woodyboat

If you went into college as a non-traditional student (I don't know how old you are...) and you're well into adulthood, I can speak from experience that you've had a very up-hill task to finish. I started my college degree after I lost everything and had to start completely over. In 2011, I entered the university at 55 years of age and finished my undergrad in 2016. I finished my Master's program this past fall. Whew...

It was the very BEST thing I've ever done in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Great job Woodyboat! I spent 33 years, 3 months and 9 days in the military. I was fortunate that my masters was paid for by the military (US Army War College). As for the undergrad, I drug my feet and didn't get it done until I was 39....it was either that or they'd take away my commission...

[Dads79GMC]

No truck stuff today. My "contract" job has derailed me until Tuesday!!!! I did go to Barnes and Noble and purchased some Truck magazines to read while away!

[Dads79GMC]

Originally Posted by Woodyboat

If you went into college as a non-traditional student (I don't know how old you are...) and you're well into adulthood, I can speak from experience that you've had a very up-hill task to finish. I started my college degree after I lost everything and had to start completely over. In 2011, I entered the university at 55 years of age and finished my undergrad in 2016. I finished my Master's program this past fall. Whew...

It was the very BEST thing I've ever done in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Great job Woodyboat! I spent 33 years, 3 months and 9 days in the military. I was fortunate that my masters was paid for by the military (US Army War College). As for the undergrad, I drug my feet and didn't get it done until I was 39....it was either that or they'd take away my commission...

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Great job Woodyboat! I spent 33 years, 3 months and 9 days in the military. I was fortunate that my masters was paid for by the military (US Army War College). As for the undergrad, I drug my feet and didn't get it done until I was 39....it was either that or they'd take away my commission...

Sounds like we have similar backgrounds except I was out after 20, too much time away from the family. Retired from the Navy, now working as a contractor for the Air Force, good times!

Woodyboat, I'm 46yrs old, the degree is/has not been my favorite thing to do but I kinda felt like I'd be stupid not to finish it out. Who knows, a BA may come in handy someday.

No masters in my future though, I think I'd rather learn bodywork and welding but as they say, never say never

And Mike, I tend to agree with jasonb, you do seem to have a natural ability here, well done!

[Whamo]

Originally Posted by Woodyboat

If you went into college as a non-traditional student (I don't know how old you are...) and you're well into adulthood, I can speak from experience that you've had a very up-hill task to finish. I started my college degree after I lost everything and had to start completely over. In 2011, I entered the university at 55 years of age and finished my undergrad in 2016. I finished my Master's program this past fall. Whew...

It was the very BEST thing I've ever done in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Right on Dave!!

[Woodyboat]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

One of the biggest remarks I got from my friends and family when I first enrolled in school was that they would ask me if I realized how old I was going to be when I graduated. I said that I would be exactly the same age as if I didn't even go.

The recession of 2008 really hit my business hard. Then, to make matters worse, my ex wife divorce raped me and left me with absolutely nothing in 2010. I was so broke that I qualified for the maximum Pell grant. Also Tennessee has the Hope Scholarships available. Between those and the other more specialized grants for my particular discipline, I was able to cruise through without any worries. If I had not done this, I would have been facing a very tough job market at a close to retirement age with no marketable skills except for what I got from my business. But that was virtually nil because every working guy without college has basically those same things to offer.

If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have gone of for my Master's. It's really not needed. It doesn't pay enough dividends in the job market to justify the additional costs and work. But it's at least nice to have since I've got it anyway.

As a side note, I was blown away by the amazing amount of attention I constantly got from young traditional female students who were just totally infatuated by a single silver fox like myself. Yeah, that felt GREAT! And that's all I'll say about that. LOL

[Dads79GMC]

Great story!

[Dads79GMC]

Having worked over the weekend and Mon thru noon today, I'm now off until next Monday, life of a defense contractor, hopefully I get something done on the truck over the next four days. Couldn't motivate myself to work on the cab repair so I played with the new blast cabinet and primed some engine tins.

Mike

[Dads79GMC]

Question:

Should I go with GM Blue or Orange for he engine color? I'm not sure when GM changed the color. I know my 79 (this engine) was GM Blue, but it's going into a 78. I'm leaning GM Blue, but not married to it!!!

Thanks Mike

[hatzie]

Early 1977 was when they started using Corporate blue rather than orange.
1978 would definitely have come with a blue engine.

[Jaysonb]

My vote is for orange, personal preference I guess, I just think it looks more "GM" than the blue. Plus the truck will have a 73 front end on it...

[Woodyboat]

Unless you're going for purist show points, I'd paint it any color I liked. That's the beauty of restoring your own truck. You get to do it all YOUR way!

So what color again is the engine bay going to be? Ask yourself what would look best either contrasting or accenting the engine bay color.

[Dads79GMC]

Red engine bay with black inner fenders and core support. I think blue will set it off just right!

[Dads79GMC]

Surprise, went GM Blue. Color is close enough to the original color. I did get the intake, timing chain cover and oil pan done as well.

Thanks Mike

[Woodyboat]

Now THAT is Woodyboat approved! Yeah, I do like that!

[Jaysonb]

Looks great Mike!

[Dads79GMC]

Thanks Fella’s! Mike

[Dads79GMC]

Day started out awesome!!!! Sarcasm!! Wife and I decided to clean the dryer vent on the second floor of our house. The vent runs inside the wall from the floor up to the ceiling, then turns at about a 45 degree angle in the attic and then through the roof....terrible. Well, I got to the top (approximately 15 feet) with the vent brush attached to sections on a drill and without thinking, flipped the drill into reverse.....Yep, that unscrewed the brush from the sections of wand....real smart, now the brush is near the top, stuck in the vent tube!!!!! Thought I was gonna get a whole day working on the truck, nope, now I had to figure out how in the world I'm gonna get this thing out? Luckily, my wife remembered that our roofing guy who put our new roof on last summer put a high quality roof vent on that you can take apart, of course she remembered that after about 30 minutes of me having a melt-down!!!! I usually go on the roof at the end of cleaning the vent and blow compressed air down the vent. So, this time I went up there and took the vent apart expecting to see the brush....nope!! Start over! Luckily we had a second brush and attached it to the wand (or whatever you call it) and ran it back up the vent to my son who was waiting for it......It showed up, hooked to one section of wand attached and wrapped around with the wand and brush that I ran up the vent. OK, I destroyed two sections of wand and one brush in our adventure, but learned a couple lessons while doing this chore; don't put the drill in reverse and take the vent apart before cleaning the vent, that way I can run the vent brush all the way out and not have to blow air up or down the vent!!!! Yes!!!! Now it was time to work on the truck!!