Fixrupr

[landarts]

Got the repair completed and shot the final two coats of base and 2 coats of clear today. Yahoo! The pictures came out funny, the circles you see are from the camera not the paint.

Start taping off the cab Monday and spray on Tuesday.

[VA72C10]

Looking good! Yeah, the camera sees the paint/dust in the air which is the circles...or some on the lens itself...

[landarts]

Its the lens I dropped the camera on the carpet and did not bother to clean it. I will have to be fore i shot any more picts.

[67cheby]

nice

[landarts]

Paint schedule for the next few days.
Tuesday - finish prepping small parts that need painting like the following:

• radiator finger guard
• buddy bucket seat cab bracket
• cowl
• brake booster
• master cylinder
• over flow bracket
• headlight bezels

And a few more odds and ends.

Wednesday - Prep cab for painting , clean and mask
Thursday or Friday paint cab!

[landarts]

Let me tell you about a cool happening. Last week I listed a complete 1967 front clip on the local craigslist for $400. I got a few calls right after I listed, but as usual a few no shows. Typical for most Craigslist shoppers. Monday I received a call from a guy that was interested in the clip, he kept talking about how he bought this 4x4 that had a wrecked front end and needed to replace it. Then he goes on to say that he was really looking for a 72 clip for the truck.

Well I happen to have one of those over at the storage unit next my house, I told him that that clip was 100% complete, rust free and the body work had already been done. He says give me your address and I will come and get Tuesday afternoon.

I gave him the address and the next day he shows up with the $450 and we load it. Then he goes on to tell me that he drove 10 hours from Vegas to get it and was on his way back so he would'nt be late for work.

Wow I was blown away that I had local people that said they were on there way over and never showed, this guy drove 10 hours one way.

Now thats dedication to your cause.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by landarts

Let me tell you about a cool happening. Last week I listed a complete 1967 front clip on the local craigslist for $400. I got a few calls right after I listed, but as usual a few no shows. Typical for most Craigslist shoppers. Monday I received a call from a guy that was interested in the clip, he kept talking about how he bought this 4x4 that had a wrecked front end and needed to replace it. Then he goes on to say that he was really looking for a 72 clip for the truck.

Well I happen to have one of those over at the storage unit next my house, I told him that that clip was 100% complete, rust free and the body work had already been done. He says give me your address and I will come and get Tuesday afternoon.

I gave him the address and the next day he shows up with the $450 and we load it. Then he goes on to tell me that he drove 10 hours from Vegas to get it and was on his way back so he would'nt be late for work.

Wow I was blown away that I had local people that said they were on there way over and never showed, this guy drove 10 hours one way.

Now thats dedication to your cause.

No kidding. He has some serious faith in people too. I can't count the number of times someone has sold a part out from under me when I told the guy I was on my way to pick it up. That would really suck after driving for 10 hours.

I wish we were closer. I could use that 67 front clip but the gas for me to come get it would be nearly what you are asking for it.

[landarts]

Yeah I ve been through that before. Last year there was a 72 4x4 blazer on Craigslist for 800. It ran and was in really decent shape. I told the guy I would take it. He said be over a 4pm the following day because that is when he gets in from work, I said no problem see at 4pm.

The next day I get there at 3:45pm wait in the truck till 4pm thinking he is going to pull up anytime. Finally at 4:10pm I knock on the door and the wife answers and says he got home 45 minutes ago and was out with the guy that just bought the Blazer.

Well you could imagine I was really pissed and want to tell him (&^)&^*)&^*&^*&^, but I didnt . I did not want to stoop to his level and gain the bad karma. Three days later I picked up a clean 72 suburban for the same cost. Oh well!

[67cheby]

wow...NICE !!

[VA72C10]

Looks great!!!

[XxCHEVYMANxX]

Nice Job! Looking forward to seeing it all together.

[landarts]

Next step that I will complete today is shooting the Raptor Bed liner. I went with the black colored kit from TP tools. Once I get the truck back together I will be making a removable show deck from left over 3/4" flooring material and new metal bed strips painted to match truck.

Overall I should only have the cost of the metal bed strips which about $60, the wood was given to me by my neighbor that is a wood floor specialist, and I already have the paint.

See picture below - similar to this but with painted metal instead of chrome or maybe powder coated.

[landarts]

Well been geared up to start assembling the truck back together after the paint job. Been thinking through the process of what I should do first so that I dont put something back on the truck that will have to come off for another part. Like putting the front fenders on before the doors which I was about to do.

Then I noticed that I painted the bolts for the hinges with the batch of bolts that are black, so now Im getting ready to shot them with the LeMans Blue so they match.

I have also decided that I will use anti-seize on all bolts and die electric grease on all electrical connections.

So here is the plan for now.

• Install doors, front fenders, inner fender wells
• Install new wiring harness while there is nothing in the way inside of the cab
• After wiring install hood, grill and bed
• Finish wiring to rear tail lights
• Install Buddy Bucket seats and shoulder harness seat belts
• Install bumper brackets and bumpers
• Install all glass - doors, rear and windshield, wings after rebuilding them

[landarts]

Finally got putting the sheet metal back on the truck. Here are a few picts of the front clip installed. As you see the new wiring harness is sitting inside the cab. That will be the next order of the rebuild, to get it wired so it can move on its own.

Put the hood on to get it out of the way so it does not get dinged. When I shot the Raptor liner in the bed I will also remove the hood and shoot the underside with black Raptor.

Note: I searched all over the site and found various ways to install my new hinge springs on the freshly painted hood hinges. I kept seeing threads where people would use a floor jack to expand the spring, then they would put items like wrenched in between the spring to load it to a stretched state. Once I got the spring on the jack I thought why put items in between the springs, so I grabbed one of the hinges and placed it with the spring and slow let the jack down. It work awesome, took about 1 minute for each spring to be installed on the hinge. Wish I could have taken pictures but I had one hand hold the hinge and the other twisting the floor jack handle to let it down.

[fakerwade]

The truck is looking great!! Too bad you don't live a little closer,,I'd give you a hand on the wiring.

[landarts]

Hey thanks for the props - I too wish your were closer, I dont think I will have any hair left after this wiring!

[landarts]

Getting close to wrapping the new electrical harness install. I have really been getting side tracked, bouncing back and forth to other items that need done. Plan on wrapping up by this weekend and get the bed on so I can drive it out of the garage.

Still have a few items to double check on the new EZ-wiring harness, then I will get her fired up.

[landarts]

Here is a mockup of what I possibly will do with the 72 suburban.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by landarts

Here is a mockup of what I possibly will do with the 72 suburban.

I'd like to cut one down to the short bed truck length. Pull 12" or so from in front of the rear wheel and a bunch more from behind the rear wheel.

[JustCallMeDrew]

Very very nice i just found this thread and read through it i really like the color you chose!

[mjensen]

Glad to hear you're back on it! It's a great looking truck!

[landarts]

Got a few more items painted with the black single stage. Only have he buddy bucket seat frame and hardware left to do in the black, then on to assembly. Spent most of the weekend getting the electronics tightened up on my new cnc machine. Was able to get movement on all axis and now to wrap up the cable management with some ordered drag chain. I have a few items that i want to get cut for the interior of the truck.

Will be cutting the follow for the interior:
-kick panel inserts for speakers
-speaker and amp board layout for behind the buddy bucket seats
-radio plate for radio out of aluminum
-custom glove box logo out of aluminum
-have a few other small items like new knobs once I wrap up the rotary axis install on the machine

[landarts]

Finally going for the final push. I have a few items on order and as they start rolling in i will be pushing to finish the truck before Summer gets here.

Items that are on there way:

-New windshield and rubber / already installed as of Friday
-Grant 13.5" wood steering wheel. GM horn button and install kit
-Summit Legend rims Gunmetal 15x8 all the way around / on back ordered
-Tanks Inc universal mustang tank with 90ohms sending unit, top fill in bed / working on installing

[landarts]

This is how I decided to mount the filler door for the rear mounted tank. I used a magnetic filler door from Yogi's here. When grafting it in I wanted to not just have big flat spot in the middle of the ridges in the bed, so I added a few angled pieces to mimic how the ridges terminate on the bed originally. I know the one in front of the door toward the cab will trap water in the valley but I am not worried about it. I have a Raptor bed liner kit that will be going on once I get this all cleaned up. Next I will be using my CNC machine to make a template for the bed ridges so I can hammer and wood dolly out a few more bed dings before adding any more body filler. Here are few pictures of a wood dolly someone else posted a few years back, and a few pictures of how the filler door is going.

[landarts]

Finally after having this build on hold for other projects I am back at it. I have a check list of things to wrap up before I drive the truck. Most of them are assembly items going forward. My goal is to have it going down the road by May 2018.

Over the weekend I was working on getting the major dings out of the bed (see pictures). While filler was drying I worked on a few interior items like finishing the foil backed insulation for under the carpet, got carpet installed and started doing hook ups for the heater duct work.

Going forward I will remove items from the list as they are done.

Here is a list of items left to do:
Interior install items

• heater box and new duct hose
• heater controls
• radio
• ash tray
• glove box door and liner
• finish assembly of tilt column
• new steering wheel
• door panels
• 3-point seat belts
• buddy bucket seats
• gauge cluster

Exterior install items

• headlights
• grill hoops
• side marker lights
• rear lights and backups
• get new tires for new Summit Legend rims

Things to do after its on the road

• ECE 4/6 drop
• paint tailgate and cowl
• repair 2 scratches in new paint ( probably have to repaint items )
• add silver pinstripe
• color sand and polish paint