'69 GMC Build Thread.

[jott_06]

i just looked at the first page of your build and you've really done alot for that truck.

[Palf70Step]

That green looks good! Can't wait to see some assembly on the ole girl!!

[samwise68]

Thanks guys!

Jott - I keep telling myself the same thing. Just remembering the rust, the perforations, the dents...it makes the repairs done seem alot more valiant. lol.

Bill - i was kind of disappointed with it was going on, i was anticipating a darker green. however, it may have been the lighting, or the fact it was wet..or..something. idk. i'm very satisfied with it, and am digging the contrast of the white cab and green body.

Ol' Diamond Lil has been given a new life! or...something like that. haha.

thanks again all!
i can't say enough how your comments and posts on my truck have kept me going when i'm getting burnt out. and it just makes the highlighted progress that much better for me, and help urge me to keep going.

thanks again!

-Sam.

[lukecp]

Looks great! Can't wait to see pics of the whole thing!

[67_C-30]

Looks good. We need more PICS!!!!!

[samwise68]

Thanks again all!

i hope to start to get it put back together as soon as i get the headers and exhaust stuck on. because, without body panels, it makes it easier. so. you see my plan. .

the next warm day i have off, or should i say warm-ish, i'm going to wet sand a bit, and finish off a few spots that are a bit thin on green.

i checked the paint tonight when i got home, and wow. i can't even scratch that stuff. usually my finger nails suffice, but...that stuff is hard. which makes me happy. . haha.

and as for pics...i have a paper due tonight before midnight. so. thats what i'm going to do right about...now. i'll take some more tomorrow when i get home from class. haha.

thanks again!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Well guys,

unfortunately i didn't take any more pics. i'm terribly sorry to let you down.

but! i did get the back of the frame painted, along with the trailing arms plated over so they don't split apart. and...thats really about it.

i also taped off an almost straight line for the the white/green transition on the back of the cab.

tomorrow, i have off. so i'm going to attempt to get the headers squeezed in so they can get bolted up. and then it's just some measuring, and off to the pipe bender.

she's almost ready...i'm getting really excited. kinda scary, eh? haha

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well!

yesterday and today were very successful, in my opinion. though it may not show, lol.

Friday-

before i went and visited my girlfriend, i unbolted the starter a bit, and wiggled the passenger side header down, and got that hung up. then i took the clutch pivot out, and pushed the linkage out of the way, and slid the other set in after fighting a bit with the oil filter. and, the best part? the clutch pivot and all the linkages went in smoothly, with no rubbing! thanks to randy (teeitup) for a good fitting set of headers.

today -

sprayed the back of the cab.



bolted the headers on and loctighted them.





installed the rear shocks.



and for about 2 hours, i crawled around under ol' Diamond Lil, and welded in seat belt bolts with plates welded to them, along with gas tank bolts with plates as well. that was...gah. welding upside down is NOT cool, regardless of the sitation. but, i ifugred, seat belts aren't something i really wanna take a chance on..soo...i'll make plates, weld the backing nut to that, then weld the whole assembly to the cab. that way it distributes the pressure a bit more evenly, and gives me some more confidence that it'll hold just in case i doubt the welds of my patch panels around there.

oh, and we straightened the front bumper, and shot some white paint at it. it's not the greatest, but, better than it was.

but thats it for now.

last pic i took before i left the garage.



tomorrow, we plan on cleaning the spark plugs (good ol' R45s!), put the front shocks on, weld up the collector/reducer/glasspack, and back her on out of the garage. while outside, i want to paint the cab floor, and maybe start seam sealing some of my wel seams, just to make her tight. after that comes under coating...wooO!

and, if all goes well, maybe i'll start to put the front end back together. i have to dig my inner fenders out that i repaired a couple years ago in shop class in highschool, since i don't feel like fixing the ones that were on her. they're solid, kinda ugly, but solid. lol.

and, thats where she stands. this coming week, it's off to get the pipes bent, and get them on her, throw the bed on, and...check the brakes and buy tires. hah! it's almost there.

but thats where she stands til tomorrow.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[Palf70Step]

Looking good ole samwise!!

Are you sure this is the same truck??

[67_C-30]

I can't wait to see it all together. You are really going to enjoy that truck since you put so much work into it!

[samwise68]

Is that a trick question Bill?

sometimes i have to stop and look back at the beginning pics, and just kinda shake my head. haha.

she's come a long way, and if it wasn't for me, she'd still jsut be sitting there, rusting away. - i tell myself that when i don't like how something turned out. haha

she's close...

-Sam.

[samwise68]

67 C30 -

darn right i am!
i can't wait to hop in, pump the gas pedal, bump the key, and actually take her out onto a REAL road! it's going to be exciting. don't worry, i'll take pictures.

-Sam.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by samwise68

67 C30 -

darn right i am!
i can't wait to hop in, pump the gas pedal, bump the key, and actually take her out onto a REAL road! it's going to be exciting. don't worry, i'll take pictures.

-Sam.

I can't wait to see them buddy!

[jott_06]

Its looking good. that paint looks like it shines pretty nice. Didnt you say it was tractor paint? Once its together you should post some before and after pics.

[samwise68]

Jott,

I will be sure to post some before and after shots. thats a necessity.

And the paint does shine really nice. it beads water really nice as well. this paint always surprises me, since we've used it before. but, i'm very happy with the way it turned out, all things considered.

and yes, it's just tractor paint.





i bought it from Fleet Farm, it's just Valspar Tractor and Implement oil base enamel. i used the matching primer, and had my body work and prep been better, it wouldve turned out better. lol.

but yes, today was...fairly uneventful, unfortunately. due to the cold weather coming, and consequentially frost, we moved some stuff around in the garage to ensure the daily drivers are covered in the morning. so, that took up most of the morning.

i did, however, get my collectors/reducers/glasspacks welded up.



we also touched up a few light spots on the back of the cab and the tailgate. and since we had paint left, we shot some on the cab floor where i patched.



and. as i said, we painted the front bumper.



and...thats about it.

tomorrow, i have night class. so, i'll pick up some hardware that i need, and maybe do some seam sealing before i head back to school. it's in the air.

tuesday, however, i only have one class, so i have all afternoon to get some stuff done. i want to clean the plugs, and get the wires all hooked up, and maybe fire 'er up. i'd like to also bolt the gas tank in, which would help immensely with firing it up. .|

but yes. thats where she stands.

i have some things left to do, like get the rear bumper off that i'm going to use, clean that up. get the inner fenders all set up. check the brakes. etc etc.

well, let's hear it!

thanks again for all the compliments guys!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Update!

as you know, this has been a very low cost build.

i did some figuring, and everything, including the truck, has cost around $700.

and all that is left to purchase is brakes (if needed), tires, some hardware, pipe and bending, and liscense, registration, etc.

i'd be enthralled to keep it sub $1,000. but, i figure even if it's under $1,200, i'll call it a success.

but yes. thought i'd toss out that bit of info. haha. not too shabby for a college student. .

-Sam.

[dilbert]

any new updates im pumped to see what the truck as a whole painted looks like

[samwise68]

Nothing at the moment dilbert.
but don't worry. tomorrow i'm planning on starting 'er up, and starting the reassemble.

i'm just as pumped too. haha.

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well!

i got some stuff today.

despite being fairly chilly, in the 30's. i worked past it.

i bolted up my glasspacks to the headers. but, due to the angle, i may take them off, and notch the collector/reducer so they're parallel to the cab, instead of pointing down, to make the exhaust routing alot easier and straighter.

i also put an electric heater in the cab, so it would warm up a bit, and layed down some seam sealer.





and to quote myself, "i got enough caulk in there to float a double wide!"

it should be tight. lol.

also threw some foil backed insulation under the gas tank, and it'll go under my rubber mat as well.



put the gas tank in as well.



and thats what i got done today.

also fired her up, of course. .

she sounds pretty good through those glasspacks. but, don't worry. she's loud when i want her to be. haha.

i'll see if my video turned out.

but thats where she stands now.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[clemson71guy]

shes coming rite along and looking good to. it makes me want to go crank up my truck rite now....but i still have a few ok alot of things to do before i can do that.

[samwise68]

alright!

the video turned out decent. i'll get a better one this weekend when she comes outside.

but, nonetheless.



and youtube, just incase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqwQMcnWQF0

whatcha think, eh?

-Sam.

[samwise68]

haha, trust me, i know what that's like.

just gotta keep pluggin' at it, and do it right the first time, which from the looks of it, you're doing exactley that!

thanks for the kind words!

-Sam.

[67_C-30]

That old tree oh seben sounds good!

[samwise68]

i thought so too.
i'm almost considering putting off the full exhaust til spring, or when i have some surplus money. lol. we'll see.

but, time for a mid day update!

my morning class was canceled, so after celebrating, i went out to the garage. got the front shocks bolted on, and cut off that god-forsaken rear bumper.

and...thats really about it. lol. i'll post pics when i get home tonight, right now i gotta go clean the grease off my hands and hit the road.

back in a bit!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

and as promised...pics!

one shock...



two shock...



and...no bumper on the truck!



but, one in the yard.



and just a few pics.





you know you like the shine...

and a few little tid bits.

i'm picking up spark plug wire looms tomorrow, so i don't torch any wires on the tubes.

i've also decided, since it is fairly quiet, to for go on the exhaust out the back for now. and just pipe it out in front of the rear tires for now. it'll save me some money, which i can spend on tires. and i'd rather have some good rubber in the back, then a proper exhaust system.

and...thats about it. hopefully a little bit more done tomorrow.

let's hear it!

-Sam.