Project Checkbook - 1971 Jimmy Custom

[mx289]

Originally Posted by tristan

Hi Tom, Very little action over the past few months as the shop is concentrating on getting cars done for people who actually want to drive them this summer. The top is getting close to completion but not much else. I hope things are progressing with your Jimmy. Hopefully I can post some updates in a month or two.

Hi Dave.

I hear you on the slow progress, same here.
But perfection takes time right ? And that pesky $ !

Me and Justin are about to finally tear into Jimmy #1 and get it mechanically road ready.Been tinkering and parts collecting for too long.

In a few weeks I should have a build thread started as well.


Take care.

[tristan]

After four months of inactivity due to shop issues I am back among the living and this has been a big week.

Having been infected by an expensive and incurable disease known as "undercarriage envy" by the vector known here as Iron Canine I've decided to take it all-the-way as Howard Cosell used to say. This week the tub came off the frame for a frame-off makeover. Here are a couple of pictures of the frame, which looks very solid.

I'm not planning to go to the incredible place IC went on the frame components. Since my truck came from a dry climate (NM/TX), the springs, spring shackles and bolts and other frame and suspension components aren't corroded enough to have to remove and replace. I'm going to have the frame and suspension media blasted and painted satin black. There is U-POL Raptor undercoating on the frame and I don't like it so that will be replaced with POR 15. Same thing for the T-case and gas tank skid plates.

[tristan]

The engine and drivetrain are also coming out for cleanup and repaint. The wiring harness is brittle and patched so I am going to replace it. I'm going stock on the paint schema for the drivetrain - GMC Fireball Red on the block, natural aluminum on the tranny and Chevy Orange with natural aluminum on the access doors for the T-case. Axles and differentials will be satin black except for the original Hickey diff covers which will stay their original aluminum finish.

[tristan]

Here is the tub up on the lift. The interior paint is completed. The underside was U-POL'd and I don't like it, but have decided to leave it on the bottom of the tub. I'm going to have it removed from the wheel wells, rocker boxes and lower firewall in favor of POR or some other smoother, satin black finish. The lower firewall will be painted the same ochre as the rest of the truck down to the breakline with the bottom of the tub.

The shop and I are refining the timeline and workplan for the remainder of the restoration. The tentative thought is to aim for completion next spring although both of us realize that many unforeseen variables affect such things. Money is also an issue as all of this won't come cheap. However, after paying so much money to have the truck torn down to the tub and frame I knew it would always bother me if I didn't go to this one further step to do things all-the-way.

[Chulisohombre]

Looking good. I wish sometimes I had the time and money to make that jump. I'm just happy line is on the road legally this summer after 6 years of work and time on the old girl. Always nice to see one go all the way. Lol. Cheers.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by tristan

Having been infected by an expensive and incurable disease known as "undercarriage envy" by the vector known here as Iron Canine

Like any good disease, it's swapped back and forth freely. I was so jealous of your super solid and dry tub from your first post. Congrats on the evolution. You are starting with such a solid and loaded specimen, it's going to be worth it and you'll be happier. Excited to see progress and pics. I was talking about your thread yesterday hoping for an update. Let me see if I can think of something else to will into existance... Keep up the great work!

[tristan]

I was kidding of course but the quality of the work done on your incredible Blazer is a continuing inspiration to me and others. I took the liberty of sending my resto shop some pictures of your completed frame and drivetrain so they have an idea of how the ideal should look.

[IronCanine]

You're very kind. This Jimmy is going to be killer.

[tristan]

Progress continues - here is the tub bolted to the rotisserie and flipped over to expose its not-so-soft underbelly. In the bottom-up pictures the shop had started to grind off the U-POL from the bottom of the wheel wells and rocker boxes as I want a smoother finish there. They are also prepping the firewall and the places on the bottom of the tub that were covered by the frame at the time of the original undercoating.

[tristan]

The first picture will give you a better idea of the contrast between the U-POL on the tub bottom and the smoother finish I want on the wheel well bottoms and rocker boxes which are the most visible parts of the underside. Those parts are getting a thinned-down POR-15 with a semi-gloss black finish. The other pictures show tub bottom paint prep in process.

[tristan]

Here is the firewall before paint prep and then after the first round of primer. There were no factory inscriptions on it to preserve/copy, alas.

[Chulisohombre]

Lookin good. Wish o had the money to do that much resto. Awesome there. Some day hopefully. I'm just happy lines on ther Road again. Acting as my daily driver for the moment.

[tristan]

Here are some pictures of the completed underside of the tub. I am very pleased with the outcome. The semi-gloss POR-15 on the wheel wells and rocker boxes will show well on the more visible parts of the underside while the heavy-duty U-POL on the less visible tub floor bottom will protect and soundproof the metal in that section. If you look carefully on the right side of a couple of the pictures you can see the bottom of the firewall in primer. Finish paint there is up next followed by completion of the frame stripdown.

[IronCanine]

Looking very tidy!

[mx289]

Looks great Dave.

Keep at it.

[tristan]

Thanks Tom. What's happening with your Jimmy?

[mx289]

Originally Posted by tristan

Thanks Tom. What's happening with your Jimmy?

Well,its just about done with all needed for the road.
Should be making some long test drives very soon.

Had to push it aside for awhile,but I finally got some work done recently.

I should finally be in my new shop in a couple weeks and then the real fun will begin.



Great to see yours going,where its going.
In the end you will be glad you did.

[04sshd]

They're doing some nice work! I'm in for the build!

[tristan]

More progress, now down to a rolling frame. Next up: power-washing and sandblasting the frame and springs. The tub is now off the rotisserie and awaits the happy day when re-assembly will begin.

[IronCanine]

WooHoo...exciting. I bet I can think of a few things on your Christmas list.

[Chulisohombre]

Looking great. You are doing it up right for sure.

[tristan]

Had a visit today to view the disassembled chassis and engine. The transmission and transfer case are out at a transmission shop where they have been rebuilt and cleaned. The frame and its remaining suspension parts have been scraped and power-washed prior to media blasting.

[tristan]

The engine is also being scraped before a scrub-down. I'm having all of the gaskets and seals replaced as long as it is stripped down.

[tristan]

Here are a few shots of my lonely-looking tub and all of my takeoff parts. One great sign of progress: my jerry can has a new ochre paint job.

I think I am actually nearing a very significant milestone: commencement of re-assembly. That won't happen until after the frame is blasted and POR-15'd but that is not that far off now (he said optimistically).

[BuildinA68]

Hello - Subscribed - on post 71 you have a pic of a Jimmy that was on Ebay. And I wish I had seen this, before. I bought that one and where you were talking about the "Fireball Red", that one got Chevy Orange. Didn't know there was a difference and it is way too late to redo it. Getting ready to do a build thread myself, that one I got was NOT described accurately. But it is going to be completed before I post. Here is a peek of the wrong color engine now, but still looks Nice but Not Fireball!!