Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[Ta2Don]

One more for ya Murph…


Have a Blessed New Year!

[Modges'66]

Nice goin Murph!
That there is some pure ingenuity!
Have a great New-Year!

[Grizz1963]

Happy New Year again.

I had to share your light mod on a few forums, including here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=230296

You may see a few more viewings of your Youtube clip than expected.

[chevyrestoguy]

The part on the video where it's pitch black and then the LED kicks on and the headlights retract is freakin' awesome. What a COOL mod!

[coulter]

killer work on the grill/ headlight mod man!!!! you come up with some very cool ideas man

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by mattfranklin

Love the headlights. Subscribed.

Glad you like them !
It has been a real challenge.

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

No more need be said.
Happy New year and thanks for the video.

Oh yeah, that video was a long time in coming. But had to make sure I was close to done with that phase before I could start posting on it.

Originally Posted by flips72

awesome

Thanks Flips !!

Originally Posted by pdxhall

Awesome mod, man!!
It amazes me the ideas you come up with.
Happy New Year!

I spend my life looking at stuff and saying to myself, I wonder how this could look, or be better....

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

I Hereby rescind my previous salutation…
McMurph is henceforth to be known as,
Evil Genius Extraordinaire!!!

Awesome !!
Evil Genius in the Frozen Garage !!
Can't imagine what I am going to show you all next !!
Heheheh actually I already know...

Originally Posted by Modges'66

Nice goin Murph!
That there is some pure ingenuity!
Have a great New-Year!

Thank you Modges, sure am looking forward to your start up post.
I know you been wrestling with wires here lately, and your drive line looks like it came out nice!
Though I think I missed the part where you got it balanced...

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Happy New Year again.
I had to share your light mod on a few forums, including here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=230296

You may see a few more viewings of your Youtube clip than expected.

Oh my...
The guys on that site seem like a pretty cool bunch.
It was certainly good to get some impartial input on my build (not that you guys are not impartial, but since we are building the same series truck we are already skewed in our preconceptions by default and association).

Some of the things they said really hit the bone, but most of them were very gregarious and supportive in their comments. Sadly the one fellow who said it was not going to be a show quality build was 100% correct. I had to wrestle that demon down (yeah too much Soldier pride spilling over) and realize that:
1. I do not have the facility to do a show quality build. I am working in one half of a shared garage with second hand tools in the middle of literally NO-freekin-WHERE (LoL).
2. To say it isn't show quality I guess is not to say it isn't show worthy
and at the end of the day I can live with that.

I am also pretty sure some of the back to factory quality build guys have me on permanent ignore, but that is Ok too. At the end of it all, I am the one that has to be seen driving this monster.

I was completely overwhelmed and honored that some of them actually sat down and read my entire build... Wow !! That alone is inspirational and motivating !!

I admit I was a tad edgy to open that link and see what total strangers from a completely different board would have to say...
One thing I would like to address on the technical side, as it was a common topic; the shape of my headlight bulbs.

I suppose round versus the rectangle is a valid argument, and to me it is purely a personal preference point.
From my point of view, it seemed more academically and aesthetically sound to use the oblong, or rectangular head lamps given the overall shape of the grill.
I suppose in my thinking if you open a rectangle you exect to find a rectangle inside, not a circle...
I hope that makes sense.

Rian seriously though, I thought your comments were the most generous, and I thank you for that.

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

The part on the video where it's pitch black and then the LED kicks on and the headlights retract is freakin' awesome. What a COOL mod!

Thank you man, I am just sorry it was a rushed job and my camera is 10 years old now and feeling it and showing it. It was having a hard time staying focused, but in the end I used that to my advantage.

Originally Posted by coulter

killer work on the grill/ headlight mod man!!!! you come up with some very cool ideas man

Thanks Coulter, your pancaking of the front end came out awesome dude !!
And as alwasy I love your garage !

Ok guys I am working on my hood now, and I think just this morning as the coffee was greeting my face, I decided to pull the trigger on a major mod that will completely change the profile of the hood and add to the over all mods I have already started on the look of it....

More to follow homies !!

[jlsanborn]

At the core of this hobby is individualism. I like yellow, you like blue. I like round you like square. If everyone were trying to achieve the exact same result then you could maybe compare who's right or wrong, better or worse but then I think it'd be a pretty small, boring crowd now wouldn't it? You Murph, have come up with ideas that YOU like and have put those together with tools and it's WORKING - Props!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

At the core of this hobby is individualism. I like yellow, you like blue. I like round you like square. If everyone were trying to achieve the exact same result then you could maybe compare who's right or wrong, better or worse but then I think it'd be a pretty small, boring crowd now wouldn't it? You Murph, have come up with ideas that YOU like and have put those together with tools and it's WORKING - Props!

and I dont need my ego greased, I realize different strokes for different folks and all that.

Criticism is a good thing, helps keep me gounded....well after I put a bandaid on my hurt feelings LoL

Just kidding, if I had feelings then I would probably need bandaids for them.

Glad you like the video man!
Hope you guys are surviving your fierce winter down there this year

[Bomp]

Thats why I totally dig your work Murph.

I have the tag line down at the bottom to say it like it is. 'Mods that make purists cry and custom people sit and shake their head.'
We all fit into that statement, well except for those few trucks out there that are 100% factory restored and those trucks are totally awesome too.

Different is Cool Man. IndividualiZm.

I thrive on being different. ah, did that come out right?

[jlsanborn]

Cool!

[laynrockers]

Murph- killer job on the lights. Just as mentioned above. We are all different but brought together for the love of these trucks mad creating our own version. It awesome to see ideas generated and executed. Happy new year!!

[piratexpress1369a]

love the vid ...thanks to you and your friend for some really cool music

[Low Elco]

Vid looks great! Congrats on one more step!

[Low Elco]

Congrats on the Grille, you cleared that hurdle, me likey! I'm diggin' the air dam!

[Ta2Don]

As with the other "Mods" you've done... The Air Dam is Killer!!!

Well Done Sir...
Time for me to research Metal Massaging... The boy is going to need help with his Miata fenders and I need to get after a couple of spots on the bed that will require a hammer and dolly...

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Trsmotrhed

Awesome head light mad. I really liked the lights behind the "CHEVROLET" letting on grill. That is wild.

Thank you sir, I wish my sheet metal skills were at your level though!
Your fender repair looks great !!

Originally Posted by Jmorales3181

X2 very creative idea... Nice work, hope your keeping warm, while it's 5 degrees here in Rhode Island. I can't imagine what it's like where you're at!

Good to see you posting again, I think many of us have missed you around here during the Holidays!
Hope your were exceptionally good.
Your truck model turned out pretty cool too... I wish I could take the time to do some stuff like that again, but right now I cannot.

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Love the video. Thanks for sharing. Being one of those guys that prides himself in recognizing vehicles at least older ones by their headlights at night. You are going to have some people stumped. LOL.
Bret

Well then I am going to be confusing you both coming and going... my tail lights are going to be an odd job too.

****************************************************************************************

I really dig the GMC hood, but in my opinion being a GTO fan, the turn signals detract from the awesome body lines in that hood valence. So I decided to shave mine.
This is my story:

First I started with an infamous pizza box template (hooray for PIZZA !!) and drew these babys out on a piece of sheet metal.


Some cutting and the first bend...


These are the two fill plate facing each other to show the taper of the well...


And clamped into place...


Then some welding, grinding, and self etching primer later:


Later when you see this married up to the hood, some of those photos will show just what I was talking about as far as the "nose" on this hood.

[McMurphy]

A couple more for the photo junkies out there (like me) !!!

The d-side:


Straight on:

[clemdaddy]

dadgum... another great idea from the frozen one. way to go murph...
the stuff you do with those blue fingers blows me away. rock-on bud.

[jlsanborn]

"The Frozen One"

Blue fingers

Looks great Murph! Whatchya doin with the tail lights?

[fordguy]

I joined this site just so I could post on your thread. awesome build

[markeb01]

Great video! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by laynrockers

Murph- killer job on the lights. Just as mentioned above. We are all different but brought together for the love of these trucks mad creating our own version. It awesome to see ideas generated and executed. Happy new year!!

I totally agree, and doubt I could say it better sir!!

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

love the vid ...thanks to you and your friend for some really cool music

I am really glad you liked it, he has one about Nitrous Oxide that I am waiting to use for my drive by video this summer !!

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Vid looks great! Congrats on one more step!

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Congrats on the Grille, you cleared that hurdle, me likey! I'm diggin' the air dam!

Yes, and thank you LowElco! I was quite happy to get past that point. Projects that take a long time, after a while, tend to wear me down, and I catch myself wanting to take shortcuts.
That whole face was a prime example.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

As with the other "Mods" you've done... The Air Dam is Killer!!!

Well Done Sir...
Time for me to research Metal Massaging... The boy is going to need help with his Miata fenders and I need to get after a couple of spots on the bed that will require a hammer and dolly...

Glad you like it Don !! You pump me up man !!
I took a few YouTube classes on the subject. I think it was when Alan was doing his cab corners (well...some major body part anyways) when he mentioned it needing some more "massaging" and I asked about the reference.
I have found that the basic 7pc hammer and dolly set is "nice" but in actuality you need more and different dollys. I have even gone so far as to using another hammer as a dolly or/and as an extention.
One thing to keep in mind, it is not muscle man work!!
Tap tap tap....check it....tap tap tap....check it.... that sort of thing LoL

Originally Posted by markeb01

Great video! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

Terribly glad you liked it Mark !!
Making and sharing the videos is more fun than posting pics I think....
Some day I may even do a talkie !!

[Trsmotrhed]

Awesome head light mad. I really liked the lights behind the "CHEVROLET" letting on grill. That is wild.

[Jmorales3181]

X2 very creative idea... Nice work, hope your keeping warm, while it's 5 degrees here in Rhode Island. I can't imagine what it's like where you're at!

[bj383ss]

Love the video. Thanks for sharing. Being one of those guys that prides himself in recognizing vehicles at least older ones by their headlights at night. You are going to have some people stumped. LOL.

Bret