1965 Stepside, The LST Challenge

[stexag]

Doing some searches on LS installs and look what it led me to - another Aggie. Glad to be subscribed here now and catch some updates.

Drop in some time with some other like-minded Aggie brethren... https://texags.com/forums/46

Gig 'Em,
Cody '90

[aggie91]

Cool, thanks for checking in here. I will have to take a look at that forum.

Looks like we were both down in Aggieland at the same time. I was supposed to be class of '90, but ended up changing majors and knew more people in class of '91.

[aggie91]

Got my PHB measured, cut and welded together.






Headed out of town today for Katie's regional gym meet. See you guys next week...

[aggie91]

Got to spend a hour out in the shop last night. Got the wires for the ignition switch extended, colors don't match on all the wires, but they will be hidden in loom at some point. Started to figure out where I wanted to land the 3 terminal strips that I will be using to land the unused wires at this point. You can see one option for them in the picture, Not sure yet, but I think they will be lined up along the bottom of the attachment panel I made for the fuse panel or two vertically on the left side and one on the right side.

[greg65]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Got to spend a hour out in the shop last night. Got the wires for the ignition switch extended, colors don't match on all the wires, but they will be hidden in loom at some point. Started to figure out where I wanted to land the 3 terminal strips that I will be using to land the unused wires at this point. You can see one option for them in the picture, Not sure yet, but I think they will be lined up along the bottom of the attachment panel I made for the fuse panel or two vertically on the left side and one on the right side.

Looking good Karl. Keep the updates coming.

[aggie91]

I have been sneaking in some shop time when I can, I am still plugging away on the under dash harness.

I have some of the runs completed and the connectors installed. The ignition connector is fubar, so I just used the spade connectors on the switches terminals till I find another connector. I will put some heat shrink on them for now. The Engine Harness Connector, the Wiper Motor Connector, the Rear Light Harness Connector, the Light Switch Connector, the Dome Light Connector, and the Dimmer Switch Connector are all complete and covered with flex-braid covering.




I have the Column Connector and the Dash Harness Connector to do next.


After that I will do the Front Harness Connectors and then finish with the terminal strips for the unused circuits.


The Pate Swap Meet is this weekend at TMS, so I am headed up there tomorrow after work. I plan to be there with my boys the whole weekend. If you are there look for me, I'll be the one with a gray beard chilling under a white canopy along the fence in Zone 0, Block 200, Spaces 2066-2072.

[aggie91]

A week or so ago, I messaged another Forum member after reading his thread that we was replacing the complete wiring harness in his '65 to find out what he planned to do with the old stuff he pulled out. He responded that we was going to use some of the connectors and then the rest was going in the trash. I offered to pay the shipping if he would send it to me once he was done with his.

Monday I received a package from Member dsterley, it was the harness he was tossing out. Opened up the package and right on top was two of the connectors I had been looking for online with no luck. They both where in better shape than mine, so that alone was worth the effort and shipping. Thanks again to Dominick for working with me on this and sending it to me!



Got some shop time last night so I worked on the harness trying to get that part completed. I need to be able to move the truck in and out of the shop now for some other projects that need attention before summer gets here...

I removed the ignition switch connector I needed from the harness that was sent to me and got that one finished up.


Here is what my connector looked like. Notice the melted spot at the red wire...There is damage on the other side too...


Next I finished up the main forward harness connector that is on the driver side of the firewall. I used a new plug and grommet from American Autowire.


Continuing on, I did the column connector that is for the turn signals, the horn and the brake light switch. There are 3 terminals of this harness that are done differently than the OE wiring since that have 3 wires in each terminal. My crimps are OK, but not the best on those, so I am going to solder them tonight (hopefully) before pushing them into the connector.


Lastly, I wanted to do the dash harness connector but ended up breaking the one on the harness sent to me, I now know why Dominick did not pull off the one plug and just cut the wires on that one...so I need to remove the OE one and re-use it. I got all the wires cut to length and decided to call it a night. Hopefully I can get it done tonight.


I am getting closer to getting this pig running and driving on its own power...

[The1960APE]

It pains me just to look at the wiring.....LOL, We had 65 hours in wiring mine!

[aggie91]

quick update...

No real work has been done on the truck. I had to get it out to clean the mess I call a shop and to move the boat in, so I finished up a few items underneath and put it on the ground. The throttle cable/linkage is not right, so I only get a little above idle with the pedal. I did manage it get it out and moved in the yard under its own power. I set the fenders on and took this pic.



I had to move it again later to another spot in the yard so Owen could finish mowing. Later that evening we put the hood on so the engine bay can stay dry if it rains again...

[aggie91]

No real work on the truck as taken place since my last post except that we got the fenders lined up with the doors so that the doors do not hit them when opened. Mounted the cowl extension panels and got the hood on. The grille made its way into the shop and was disassembled. I plan on taking the head light mounts to the powder coater this week along with a set of wheel for Owen's truck this week.

I had to move it again in the yard, so this time I noticed that I have brake lights and that the turn indicators are on (not sure they go out when you apply the brakes, I was not paying attention to that). I think that they stay on since I do not have the front turn signal harness ran and hooked up...

I am not happy with the way I did the PHB mount on the frame. It needs some stiffening up to work for me. That will be one of the first things to address when it gets back in the shop along with the rear shock mounts.

On a side note, I picked up another LS engine while I was at the scrap yard last week. I have no idea if it is any good yet, but it was a long block with coils and was only $145, but after the credit for the scrap I brought to sell, it was mine for $99.35. Its on a stand in the shop and whenever I decide to open it up, I will find out if I have gold or fool's gold for my efforts...

[aggie91]

In between working on the boat and other jobs I need to do around the house, I got a bit of time to pull apart the grill and headlight mounts. All of the hardware on the buckets was junk and the two retaining rings did not match. The headlight brackets where rusty and in need of refurbishment.

Part of what we are doing with Henry (Owen's '84 C10) is swapping to factory style rallies when we lower it. I took a full set to get powder coated for his birthday. While doing that, I dropped off the two headlight mounts for my truck too. They did a good job, but one of them had some serious rust pitting and it really shows on that one. Its on the back side so it will work for me. I personally would like it smooth, but I am resisting the OCD in me to redo it. I want to drive this thing and in the end, you won't even see this part when it is all together.



So now I am waiting on my parts from Classic Parts that I ordered to restore the headlight mounts with new hardware. I ordered all the screws, springs, adjusters and new stainless retaining rings. I just need to clean up the headlight buckets and repaint them once the parts arrive.

[Bomp]

Sorry to see you got hit by the Photosuckit bomb too.

[aggie91]

Crap...I have been having such good luck with them too...

Looks like I will be moving my photos to somewhere else...

Just got on photosuckit...they want $40 a month to be able to use 3rd party hosting of my pictures. you can get a discount if you pay it annually...$400 per year.

No thanks! that's just not worth it anymore...

[aggie91]

Just testing out a way to add photos...

I am thinking of buying this from my cousin and building a tow pig out of it...

[SCOTI]

Huh? What's to think about?

[aggie91]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Huh? What's to think about?

Well, let's see...The wife's boat (I get to keep it running), the daughter's gymnastics, the son's truck, the son's football, all three kid's college funds. Should I go on...


I really doubt he will sell it before I could actually think about building it anyway...

[aggie91]

OK, well I am going to try to get this thing to C10's in the Park. This weekend is the goal to get it ready for that event. It might not be pretty, but that's not the main goal.

Got the new fuel pump in the mail this week, so that is first on the list to replace. If it fixes my pressure problem then we will move on to the headlights, grille and front bumper. Don't hold your breath, but I hope to make it there....

[aggie91]

Here is a picture of the last time I worked on it...I had just got the headlight brackets back from powder coating. Did them in a satin black.

[aggie91]

OK, I was all pumped to get this thing ready for C10's in the Park, but my daily truck is giving me fits and I would need it to haul this one to the event...So instead of working on this one last week, I did trouble shooting on my '06 Duramax for "Reduced Engine Power" on the DIC. Not codes thrown in the pcm so that was no help. Decided to take it in on Monday, they can't get to it that day. Head back there this morning, they can work it in, SO now I am waiting on them to tell me what's wrong and how many arms and legs I am going to need to pay to get it fixed. Oh Well such is life.

So, I have been doing a few things to get the '65 finished up enough to take it to the Park if my tow pig is fixed. I needed to get the headlights put back together...

SO, took my adjuster buckets and spent some time in the blast cabinet, got them all cleaned up and painted. Use a stainless steel color, They look ok for a part that you can't see once it is all together. Pictures 1-3.

Next, once they where dry, I used all new hardware to reassembly the brackets and buckets. Picture 4 & 5

[aggie91]

One more, notice anything wrong with this picture...

[aggie91]

Next up was new bulbs, new stainless retaining rings and new screws. This completes the headlight assemblies. Next up is to refinish the grille and attach these assemblies to the grille with stainless #10 hardware.

The last pic shows what's wrong from the previous post. Spring is now in the correct location.

These simple job turned out really nice. Probably the nicest part that will be on the whole truck for quite a while...

[aggie91]

Tonight I hope to have sometime to prep and paint the grille and maybe work on the new wiring for the headlights using relays. Just a couple of nights left before C10's in the Park, but two of them are filled with football...

[aggie91]

Well, I made it to C10's in the Park!

I got to drive it into the show, that was the first time I had driven the truck since the spring of 2000. What a great feeling!

Its not running right, but I does run and move under its own power. Fuel pump was only making 35 psi (minimum for a LS engine to just idle), so that was replaced. Still does not idle correctly, it might be the IAC motor sticking, I will swap out that and see what happens. If that is not it, then we will hook up HP Tuners and really get into it...

For now here is a picture that someone else took at the show, that alone made me feel good that someone else liked it enough to take a picture and share on FB. I would have never thought it was picture worthy compared to many of the other 751 trucks at that show!

[greg65]

nice work Karl and congratulation on getting to drive it again. Makes all the hard work worth it.

[aggie91]

The '62 next to me belongs to an old friend, Don Debenport. He and I used to be part of a car club called Rose City Street Machines back in the late '80's thru the early/mid '90's. We attended many shows together with the other of that club. This is the first time these two trucks have been at the same show since propably 1988 or 1989. The green on his truck was sprayed in about 1991/1992... Here is a picture of that truck from the show.