Gator Squared

[sumran]

Rearranged in the garage some over the weekend. Went well until the 250 tipped over on the cheap stand it was mounted on. Ruined the alternator but didn't appear to do any other damage. I'll have to sell it a little cheaper now. I would not recommend the motor stand with a single front wheel.

Since I have no truck to work on I decided to lace up the steering wheel. I am using the three point wheel sold by both Classic Parts and LMC. It is a nice wheel, but I like the feel of a leather grip. I put them on all my vehicles.

[sumran]

This is the size and product I am using. They run about $16 at an auto parts store.

[sumran]

If I had a truck I could be having some real fun. I have a houseful of high-quality truck candy and nowhere to install it. I needed some parts to match colors, but "while I was ordering anyway" I got most of the interior parts.

My gargage is now haunted. Every time I walk through it the parts say, "you have no truck, you have no truck..."

To make matters worse there are threads about paint prison floating around on the site. I told may painter, "work it in between your other jobs" and "I am not in a big hurry". The paint prison threads say you should never utter those words to a painter.

Which will take longer, having my backorders filled on the parts I ordered or the paint and body work? Will the one backordered part I still need before they can prep and spray the interior arrive soon or will it be an excuse for the paint to take even longer? Am I destined to walk through the parts box jungle in my gargage for days, weeks, months or years (some of those paint prison threads are frightening!)?

Positive attitude, work on the engine and tranny, take the paint guys pizza...it will all work out.

[West Texas Z]

fast progress. How is the body work with the painter coming?

[sumran]

Originally Posted by West Texas Z

fast progress. How is the body work with the painter coming?

I will know more by the time I get home tonight. I am supposed to go look in on things and take some pictures later today. I will post pics and an udate later tonight or tomorrow.

[Restrorob]

Originally Posted by sumran

I have a houseful of high-quality truck candy and nowhere to install it.

Hey Randy, I can cruise by tomorrow after the show.....We can install it in the back of my 97 !!!

Hmmm.....Paint prison huh ? Been there done that....

Sorry told me a week to paint my new core support and fender wells, I stopped in a week later and he hadn't started yet said a couple more days. OK fine I said, Another week and he had just started on them.

He started his biz in partnership with his brother who had a shop in St.Pete, He played around with those three items for 6 months while working on better paying jobs until he decided to close the doors. His brother had to drive up here and finish all the jobs he left hanging, I finally got a call from his brother to pic my parts up 8 months after dropping off.

I've painted industrial contractors equipment (backhoes/fork-lifts/trenchers/trailers) and a couple fiberglass boats so I'm no stranger to a spray gun, I thought I'd save time letting him paint them while I worked on rust repairs on the cab.

Yeah, After this BS I'm doing ALL the body work and paint myself. I will never trust anyone else with my chit again.....

Here's hoping you didn't put your rig in prison !

[sumran]

I am very happy with the guys that are painting mine. They already painted one vehicle for me and the price and delivery schedule were good. Work was an excellent value.

They have been hampered by the fact that the owner of the shop had a motorcycle accident and has not been able to work. He is going to be OK, but some of his injuries have to heal before he can be exposed to the chemicals related to paint and body work.

The owner spends most of his time spraying and post-paint. He has other guys that do the bulk of the body work and prep. My truck is still at that phase, so it is progressing. They are interested in a successful project, not just trying to run the truck through the shop and collect money. For example, they found a frame crack that I missed and will be fixing it before the paint the engine bay. They are also coordinating with the glass installer to make sure the one-piece window kit looks good when we are done.

I was supposed to go by Saturday and take pictures, but other priorities blew up the schedule. I'll run the circuit of upholstery/paint and body/window install on Monday and post some pictures Monday evening.

[durty harry]

Cant wait to see it all painted .

[Restrorob]

Sounds like your dealing with a good shop Randy, All that's over here is bone-head back woods shops.

You and Scott missed a heck of a show yesterday, Last year was 84 entries but this year yielded 243

Your's truly had the only non-factory reversed hood hiding the only 502, But that didn't help against all the DEEP pocket Ocala-Gainesville guy's with the Barret Jackson type rides....

Had a good time anyway, It was a nice cruise since the truck hadn't left the yard since the last show back in December.


Wait'n on those pics !

[sumran]

A few pics to update. Things have been a bit slow at the body shop due to the owner's accident. They have done some work and the owner hopes to get a release to go back to work this week. The first picture shows the crack in the frame they will be fixing. The missing doors will show up in the following post. The dents in the tailgate will be a pain.

We selected the paint colors while I was there. They gave me an estimated completion time of 3 weeks. I'm thinking six.

[sumran]

The doors are getting fitted with the one piece windows. The glass is down in some of the pictures. The kit is much easier to install on door stands than on the vehicle according to the glass guy. He is also installing the kit on the blue square you see in the background.

[sumran]

The outside window scrapers were delivered today from One Piece Products. That will allow the glass guy to complete the window install and mirror repositioning so the doors can go back to the painter.

That was one of those small things that could have become a big obstacle. Always glad to see those potential snags get resolved.

[durty harry]

Those are looking great .

[sumran]

Originally Posted by durty harry

Those are looking great .

I am very happy with the look of the windows. It will be good to see them with the complete package. The installer struggled with the first set, which was on the blue truck that belongs to someone else. When I dropped mine off and saw the install on that truck I was worried that I had just wasted a bunch of money. But he figured it out. I got the benefit of him practicing on another truck first.

[West Texas Z]

Originally Posted by sumran

I am very happy with the look of the windows. It will be good to see them with the complete package. The installer struggled with the first set, which was on the blue truck that belongs to someone else. When I dropped mine off and saw the install on that truck I was worried that I had just wasted a bunch of money. But he figured it out. I got the benefit of him practicing on another truck first.

[sumran]

Heading out to the junkyards today to fill in some blanks in the project. I am looking for a headliner molding piece and I am going to try and locate a usable serpentine system. Who know what other things will show up. My Daughter is going to buy me breakfast and ride shotgun.

[sumran]

Got the headliner piece I needed, but the bonding time with my daughter wasn't what I hoped for. They wouldn't let her go in with me because she was under 18. I didn't get the other parts I was chasing because I did not want to leave her sitting in the parking lot. Another mark against lawyers in my book.

[sumran]

There were several threads with the same name. Thanks to moderator Joe for changing the name on mine to cut down on confusion (I am easily confused and prone to wandering).

Finished up the steering wheel lacing while I watched the Masters. Now I have a better grip when I sit in my chair and make truck noises. It will be nice when the truck can make its own noises. I am taking my headliner trim pieces to the painter today. I'll see how things are progressing with the body work. I am also picking up the vinyl for the dash so I can send it to Stitch. I had the upholstry guy order the dash vinyl along with the seat material to make sure it all matched. Stitch has been great to work with and I can't wait to see the dash with the new cover.

Size B was a bit tight for this wheel. I would suggest Size C.

[durty harry]

Im starting to get jealous . WAIT there it is now Im jealous .
Cant wait to see it in person .

[sumran]

Originally Posted by durty harry

Im starting to get jealous . WAIT there it is now Im jealous .
Cant wait to see it in person .

We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. I can't wait to see it in person either.

Dropped off the parts to the painter. Still not much action, but I think the guilt level is close to critical mass.

The upholstry material came in and it is fabulous. The colors are great and the feel of the leather is very nice. I'll be shipping the vinyl off to Stitch tomorrow. I still haven't been able to get the embroidery people to return my call.

The preinstall of the windows is complete and the doors have been reunited with the truck. Not attached but in the same building. They will probably leave them off unitl all the welding and paint is done. The installer was very happy with the window kit by the time they were done. Moving the mirrors forward solved the flexing problem. Once they were moved forward there was no need for a stabilizer plate.

Things are progressing but it feels painfully slow when you are waiting on other people.

[Restrorob]

Originally Posted by sumran

Now I have a better grip when I sit in my chair and make truck noises.

Hmmm...... For some reason I can picture this pretty well !

[sumran]

I was watching a show I had recorded this weekend that featured a Chevy pickup. They did a full restoration. As they took things apart, they boxed and labled all the fasteners, so they would know which ones to use when they put it back together.

I sure wish I would have watched that show before I took my truck apart.

[motornut]

lol it always looks EZ on TV
I thought thats what coffee tins were for

[sumran]

My coffee comes in a bag. I do save my peanut butter jars. The lids are screwed to the underside of the shelves and I have various nails, screws, etc. that are visible and readily available. The theory is that they will get put away again immediately after use.

I now have a box of snack size ziploc bags in the garage. I may be dazed and confused on this project, but I'll be ready for the next one. Don't tell my wife there is going to be a next one.

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by sumran

There were several threads with the same name. Thanks to moderator Joe for changing the name on mine to cut down on confusion (I am easily confused and prone to wandering).

Finished up the steering wheel lacing while I watched the Masters. Now I have a better grip when I sit in my chair and make truck noises. It will be nice when the truck can make its own noises. I am taking my headliner trim pieces to the painter today. I'll see how things are progressing with the body work. I am also picking up the vinyl for the dash so I can send it to Stitch. I had the upholstry guy order the dash vinyl along with the seat material to make sure it all matched. Stitch has been great to work with and I can't wait to see the dash with the new cover.

Size B was a bit tight for this wheel. I would suggest Size C.

How long did it take to do that..