TA_C10: Stage 1

[TA_C10]

Update - Seat belts, seat, speaker brackets


Ripped out the seat, installed my rear speaker brackets from brothers(painted to match), seat belts(re-using what came with truck), and finished up some wiring under seat.


I had pre-drilled the holes already last year when I was doing all the metal work. I drilled them in the factory locations, but the driver side was a little off for some reason. The hole is supposed to go through the floor pan, AND the cab support underneath for added seat belt pull-through protection. Factory welded the nuts underneath. I ended up just using nyloc lock nuts and huge thick washers for another layer of protection/support. All new grade 8 hardware used.







Driver side the hole ended up being just a little too close to the support so I had to bent the washer to fit. No big deal.










I finally pulled off that ugly cheap seat cover that I put on a couple years ago so the seat wouldn't get damaged in the garage over the years working on the truck. Glad I did cuz it still looks pretty decent.





I ended up mounting my seat belts towards the back of cab, this was the best method to keep the belts from touching during use. Plus, it keeps it out of the way, they are kinda ugly anyways.

[MDPotter]

You're down to some finishing touches and the hood now! Very functional truck in a unique color. I have a set of the Brothers speaker enclosures on the way - do they feel pretty substantial?

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

You're down to some finishing touches and the hood now! Very functional truck in a unique color. I have a set of the Brothers speaker enclosures on the way - do they feel pretty substantial?

Thanks man, I just returned from vacation and I'm ready to get that hood done. I managed to get the truck insured while I was away. Now I'm sitting at Firestone waiting to get it aligned and inspected. Then it's off to local paint supply for some glaze and body filler hardener. Few other supplies as well. Start bodyworking the hood this week and hopefully get her in paint.

[SCOTI]

The light @ the end of the tunnel!

[MDPotter]

We're looking forward to seeing some finished photos!

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

We're looking forward to seeing some finished photos!

Potter I forgot to mention, those speaker brackets are real solid once installed. I plan to slap some killmat on the backside when I get speakers to install. I have killmat and closed cell foam in the cab corners. Should do pretty good for sound I think.

[TA_C10]

It has begun. And those front fenders will be getting a scuff n shoot along with the hood....

[1971Stepside]

Has to be exciting to take it out on the streets. I think your truck looks great and you will be late everywhere you go because people will want to stop and talk to you about it.

[SkidmoreGarage]

You are really on the home stretch now! I'm sending good weather thoughts your way to make painting happen.

[Kronald_70GMC]

Everything is looking great man. Congrats!

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

Has to be exciting to take it out on the streets. I think your truck looks great and you will be late everywhere you go because people will want to stop and talk to you about it.

Thanks, it really is exciting to drive it around. I have insurance but not inspected or registered yet so back of my mind a ticket still in my future. I just hope the cop is a car guy/gal if/when I do get pulled over LOL.

Originally Posted by SkidmoreGarage

You are really on the home stretch now! I'm sending good weather thoughts your way to make painting happen.

Thanks, I start working on hood today, hopefully it will be done with bodywork this weekend and ready for paint soon.

Originally Posted by Kronald_70GMC

Everything is looking great man. Congrats!

Thank you sir, and your truck as well!

[TA_C10]

Few updates and some future stuff going on.

I'm going to be trying something new. BrothersTrucks just came out with their flush mount license plate box. It raises the license plate to be flush with bumper rather than hang down 1 and 3/4" like stock. It's going to be tricky with plans to make it work with hidden hitch. Not designed for that. But I am determined to make it happen. I like the flush look and I had forgot to order my license box for bumper. It's the first commercially available flush mount box I have seen and brothers says it wasn't designed to work with it, so I am on a mission to prove them wrong Stay tuned.

https://www.brotherstrucks.com/1967-...tinfo/FLPB787/

And here is my thread on it as well in general section:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=815808


Other update. Radio is installed and wired up. Thanks to 71StepSide I was ahead of the curve troubleshooting the source of the yellow wire(AAW harness, radio bat +) to clock fuse. Why they did that I dunno. They also only supplied a 10amp fuse for that circuit but if you use it for radio battery connection, you need to step that up to a 20 amp.

I have the retrosound radio, and decided to mount the microphone for phone calls. Well it clamps onto the little flat spot on tilt rod next to column like it was made for it. So then I just ran the wire underneath the "column to dash" rubber grommet and called it a day. It works great too, called the wife on it from garage

Another cool feature on that radio, if you turn the feature on, it syncs the clock automatically when you sync your phone via bluetooth. So you never have to set your clock manually on the radio.


Clock synced here as soon as I connected my phone to bluetooth.




Here is the microphone that comes with radio. I am in the middle of finishing up "buttoning up" all my dash harness wiring as well. It's a mess right now






Radio comes with male "bullet style" connectors, so I had purchased a kit of those already for other things and used just the female ends on the AAW harness connectors for radio connections. Worked really clean.

[MDPotter]

I must have gotten lucky with my radio install - I didn't have any issues hooking it up to the AAW harness and making it work.

My microphone is just hanging under the dash...I don't know if it will be useful with the volume of the exhaust. It seems like the farther I press the pedal down, the louder it gets.

[TA_C10]

Found a bad spot that had to be fixed. This makes both sides same amount of repair done. This hood was in bad shape...

[MDPotter]

I'm having nightmares looking at all that filler. But you're on the home stretch now!

[1971Stepside]

My arms are tired just looking at that...

Home stretch though. Keep going with the jello arms.

[TA_C10]

LOL. That's what your supposed to do right? Put a skim coat on everything no matter what? Pfff, I have no idea what I'm doing, I just go for it...

I started with 36g on a long block and quickly realized this was no small task. Finished that and went with 80g on a DA. Now I'm back to 80g on a long block to finish it off. Each day I get hood out and throw it on horses out in the driveway. Then I have to put it away again. I can't wait for a real shop....

After 2 days of sanding.

[TA_C10]

Quick reminder of how bad the hood was. This was one of my first welding jobs ever... I guess I gave up on it a year ago because I found the other side was just as bad....

[Scurry67]

Hood is looking great! I feel your pain with the sanding... but it’ll all be worth it! You’re definitely on the home stretch

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by Scurry67

Hood is looking great! I feel your pain with the sanding... but it’ll all be worth it! You’re definitely on the home stretch

Thanks!

[TA_C10]

Small update.

Took truck to alignment shop, they were no good, couldn't do caster/camber, only toe. So I won't be going back to them. But in the process I found out I put my control arm bushing seals on backwards... So I ordered new ones and they finally arrived for me to install. I pulled it apart a while back when I got back from shop but was unable to just turn them around and reinstall because the bolts for shaft snipped them so they were ruined. Well I installed them this weekend, and I was not paying attention but I did the same thing to the lowers as well. WTH.... Lowers are not ruined however, will have to tear down again to fix those...




Wrong ......





Right ....

[MDPotter]

Ah man what a bummer. Good thing the suspension on these trucks is so simple and easy to work on!

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

Ah man what a bummer. Good thing the suspension on these trucks is so simple and easy to work on!

You got that right, simple is the word.

.

[TA_C10]

Update - Flush Mount License Plate Box with Hidden Hitch

Well I have a rough mock-up of it. Still need to clean up my cuts around the trailer hitch hole. But it works. I'm happy with it. I will need an extended hitch receiver. And I am still deciding whether to use the stock style license plate light or go with the lights that came with kit(lights you see in my pics). It works great. There is plenty of room for plate to flip up and see/access the hitch to install the receiver.

One thing I am disappointed in however, is HartFab sells this box and I never found it when searching for a "license plate box for 67-72" on the web. He is selling same box with very little difference. And it's only $75 compared to the $99 at brotherstrucks. I would rather buy from a local member on here to support them.

https://hart-fab.com/products/67-72-...ense-plate-box


3 main steps I did to modify this box:

#1 = Drilled new holes for flip bracket. They are a little wider than stock holes for license plate.
#2 = Cut access hole in box for hitch receiver to insert.
#3 = Had to cut the 2 top mount bumper license box holes off so the flip kit would swing up far enough for access.

If you wanted to modify a stock box you probably only need to add material to the sides of box to raise it up behind bumper and drill 2 side holes for mounting. You can keep your OE license plate light assembly. Rest of my steps would still apply unless your not doing the hidden hitch.


My angle with camera is bad here, not centered, but again I do need to finalize these cuts and spray a little paint to complete. I was cutting small amounts at a time till I get it where I want it. OH, and the box does not lose any stability with this cut. Not enough to make any difference anyway. The box doesn't do anything but hold the license plate anyway.




Not sure if I am going to use these lights from the kit, but they are just tucked under the plate for now. Later pics show them working.




Here you can see the tabs I have cut off of bumper so the plate swings out far enough. It still locks out for ease of use too which is awesome.







Here is a short receiver installed. The plate will fold down completely with receiver installed I just didn't take a pic of this. With an extended receiver I will be able to flip the receiver upside down since the truck is so low. Keep the trailer up high enough.





Back of box view. You can tell here how the stock light lamp would still work on top if you want to go that route.





Few extra pics. Some I took as it started to get dark so lighting was temporarily installed to see how the kit lights work.

[ajgriffin]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

I've been wondering about this!