Br3w City's Project omgwtfbbq

[BR3W CITY]

Another nice ass day outside, so hit the garage hard. HARD. Seats came back out so I can coat the rails, and access the nasty carpet.


Pulled out the crap trim piece (I have replacements) and exposing the rust on the rocker and portion of the floor.



Carpet up, the passenger side looks like the better of the two, but the drivers foot area (thankfully all before the cab support, which although crusty is very solid.




With all the carpet out, the overall floor is dang solid, with all the mounts in decent shape, despite being a bit crusted.


Time for the door to come off




Using the trusty prybar, we found the boundaries of the rust, as well as some filler, from some point before.



Since the cab mounts were solid and staying in place, and the inner rockers were to remain in place, there was no real structural risk to the cab. We did some measurements and verified along the way, but there was no change. We started by trimming out the rusted section of flooring, keeping overall patch size to a minimum.





Moved on to the rocker, starting at the seam in the rear and doing 1/2 of the rocker at a time. This allowed me to seperate the skin from the inner portion and retain the factory seam the best I could. It also allowed me to gauge the condition of the inner rocker and keep and eye on its integrity.



With it all the way up, we could test fit the rocker and determine the final shape of the drivers floor patch. Should get to that this week, and get it all welded up so I can move onto the other side.

[scotts62]

Getting there, looks good!

[C@rnut001]

I really like your truck and what you are doing to it. Hope you get a job soon so that you can do more to it. Your progress is looking really good. It is amazing what a carpet will hide....keep up the great work!

[mcbassin]

Nice work on the floor. I just went through this on my cab. I know exactly what you are up against.
Keep it up.

[BR3W CITY]

Originally Posted by C@rnut001

I really like your truck and what you are doing to it. Hope you get a job soon so that you can do more to it. Your progress is looking really good. It is amazing what a carpet will hide....keep up the great work!

Ya the floor had some surprises, but it wasn't all that bad. I knew what i was getting into to a certain extent, just never got around to it last season. As for the job...things are developing. Hopefully the newest prospect will afford a move to a 12 month car season-state, as well as some industry hookups...and lets say its LSx specific.


Laying out some more of the patch panels.



The rot



Then some welding....

and welding

and....welding


Not bad



I didn't have a patch for this part, so my bro decided that it was time to hand form some sheet metal. My dumbass also forgot to switch my welder back to DCEP (i had put it to DCEN to burn out the roll of free wire that came with it)...I just could NOT figure out why my welds were coming out so BIG....a complete lack of current will do that. You can see the bead gets smaller about half way up, where it was corrected. I have to grind all the welds flat anyway, so I'm sure that one will have some re-welding in areas.


We don't have a workshop, or forming tools...but we do have some hammer and dollies...which we left at the other garage. So we beat the bastard with a framing hammer on a brick. I think he did pretty damn good. There is one more little patch on this side before the rocker gets its final fitment and finish welding.

[mcbassin]

Good job fitting the patch and custom forming on the smaller patch. Loads of fun doing rust repair. Looks like you have the left side under control. How's the pass side?

[McMurphy]

Ok, when I started this very same repair, I thought I was doing something wrong, or my patch panel was misshapen somehow because I got this gap at the forward edge at the firewall.
I see now that you did too, so all is well in my little world, I know now that I will just have to make a small triangle patch to go in there.

I paintshopped your pic with an arrow to show exactly what I am blathering about.

Looking good man!!
I am right behind you on this part.

[62 Barnfind]

Truck looks good. I also have been replacing my rockers and door skins. I bought the truck thinking it didn't have much rust. Well, it is in the doors, left side rocker, cab corners and bed. You are doing a good job! Check out my build page!

[BR3W CITY]

Thanks for the comments guys.
McMurphy, that patch confused me also. I don't know why they didn't cut it to fit the seam, instead it angles toward the floor. I have a leftover piece of patch from the fender, which has a nice seam already pressed in it. I'm going to tweak that to fit, so hopefully I can keep the seam in a stock place.

We've only looked at the passenger side briefly, as it was the cleaner of the two. The driver side is easiest to access in my garage, and were gonna finish it before flipping her around for the other side.

[BR3W CITY]

Some weight reduction?

More welding and patching and welding and patching. Drivers floor is all done, and the rocker is back on.

[66ChevyMax]

Nice work and thanks for all the great pics
Posted via Mobile Device

[shrunken66stroker]

The truck's looking good. How's the welding tan on your legs?

[BR3W CITY]

Hahah, I don't have any tattoo's on my legs so I don't care about protecting them. Plus half of the one already has skin burned off it. Its not TOO bad, the part that usually gets me is when I get some sparks that shoot off down my sock!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

Hahah, I don't have any tattoo's on my legs so I don't care about protecting them. Plus half of the one already has skin burned off it. Its not TOO bad, the part that usually gets me is when I get some sparks that shoot off down my sock!

Had a drop of slag do that, right into the top of my shoe. Got a scar there now.
I need more long sleeve shirts to weld in though, got done one day, had sun burn on my right upper arm the next day from welding. Guys at work could not believe it LOL

[BR3W CITY]

Thats why I rock the HALF JACKET!
Seriously, everyone looks awesome welding in workout shorts and a bright green canvas half jacket.

Even better when I weld shirtless, half jacket only.

[68GMCCustom]

Got a question... how did you hook up your floor shifter to the 4L80e? Can you post a few pics? Thanks!

[BR3W CITY]

What exactly do you need a pic of? It was in there from the 700r4, same one you use for the 4l80e

[68GMCCustom]

OH. Wasn't sure if my cable operated shifter would work on the 4L80e. Got a shot of your linkage at the side of the 4L80e?

[McMurphy]

I just finished my rockers this weekend.
I have a patch at the gas pedal base that I am going to redo, then a tranny access door where someone chopped the hump up for a shifter still to do then I am done with floor metal working.

Are you going to coat your floor with anything?
I am thinking herculiner (because I can roll it on) then deadner, then carpet.

I like the RaptorCoat stuff some of the guys here are using, but I dont have a spray gun ...... hmmmmmm ....... yet !!

[BR3W CITY]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

I just finished my rockers this weekend.
I have a patch at the gas pedal base that I am going to redo, then a tranny access door where someone chopped the hump up for a shifter still to do then I am done with floor metal working.

Are you going to coat your floor with anything?
I am thinking herculiner (because I can roll it on) then deadner, then carpet.

I like the RaptorCoat stuff some of the guys here are using, but I dont have a spray gun ...... hmmmmmm ....... yet !!

Im down in SoCal for the week, so no progress will be coming. I'm going to be peel 'n' sticking the floor then covering with the foil/foam matting then a custom carpet I'll be making myself, to extend over the back gas tank portion and up the back wall.

[McMurphy]

Carpet going up the back wall sounds cool.... Hope you post lots of pics, I want to see your peel and stick.

Have fun in SoCal... still 4feet of snow on the gound here.... Le'Sigh

[BR3W CITY]

SoCal was most excellent, it was a bit cooler than usual, but still VERY nice during the day.
I'm sitting on edge waiting for some information before I can post more on what and why.
Hoping to get the passenger side worked on this weekend, so I can start looking at the carpet.

My brother decided we should do a headliner out of the matching door/seat vinyl, anyone know where I can find the cardboard base to wrap a headliner? I thought those existed at one point.

[BR3W CITY]

Not a "truck" update...but a "me" update. I'm signing my contracts, as I finally got a job! Not only that, in about 4 months I should be moving to SoCal, to work as contributing editor. Those of you that read LsxTv, Street Legal TV and the like will get to hear my inane ramblings about things. It should also mean nice exposure, and ideally some "comp'd" parts from sponsors. Obviously I'm happy.

If weather is ok here I'll be starting on the other side of the floor, but knowing the forecast I'll be doing a gun build or two. We shall see.

[Captainfab]

Glad to hear you got a job, and a cool one at that!

Moving to SoCal is going to be a bit of a trip.

[68GMCCustom]

WOW....what a "dream job". Congrats!!!

No doubt you'll be able to get your truck involved in various projects...netting you some free hardware. I'm jealous!