71 Cheyenne Rooftop Build

[TA_C10]

Looking good. And nutserts certainly have their place. Do you have tool to make install easy?

[cebra]

No I don't have tools for them, they are not traditional nutserts they are some rubber nut things that VA came up with so that you don't have to pull the radiator to install the condenser. I am going to freeze and grease them and try to insert and if a no go on that I am giving up after fighting them for so long when a rivet will do the same if not a better job.

[cebra]

I have been working on the truck every day but usually it is at night and I am always in a rush. I am putting this truck into paint on Sept 9 so I have a ton of metal work to do (DS Cab Corner, Drip Rail needs properly sandblasted, PS Rocker, both Door Bottoms, Finish up Bed Floor). I have started on the DS door, having a lot of issues finding good enough power to burn in my welds...popping a lot of breakers and such. Door weld looks like hell due to my inexperience coupled with the burning in issues but it will just make more grinder work and should turn out ok. I am going to pull the door off next time. Got the firewall mostly painted at this point and VA is mostly in less lines/wiring. The gravel lot is my trash dump/work space in the middle of downtown Durham....less a boatload of glass everywhere it has worked out pretty well.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by cebra

I have started on the DS door, having a lot of issues finding good enough power to burn in my welds...popping a lot of breakers and such. Door weld looks like hell due to my inexperience coupled with the burning in issues but it will just make more grinder work and should turn out ok.

I believe this is where the cold welds stem from.

[cebra]

Still a massive amount to do to get it ready for paint and I need to fix my tune issues before I run it up to PA. I feel like I barely drive it but already put 5K miles on it since the LS was done, once I get it really right I think will probably put over 30K miles a year on it...I was thinking I could keep it near 20K but I don't think that will be very feasible seeing as it is sort of a weekend vehicle and I am averaging over 2K miles a month.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by cebra

Still a massive amount to do to get it ready for paint and I need to fix my tune issues before I run it up to PA. I feel like I barely drive it but already put 5K miles on it since the LS was done, once I get it really right I think will probably put over 30K miles a year on it...I was thinking I could keep it near 20K but I don't think that will be very feasible seeing as it is sort of a weekend vehicle and I am averaging over 2K miles a month.

Are you using a mig welder? If so looks like either no gas, the polarity is backwards, or you simply don't have enough heat. Them some cold welds

[cebra]

Been working on a lot of misc things. I finally got a new ecu/tune and it seemed to resolve all of my issues less my e-fans now come on at 170 degrees rather than 210 but I will fix that. My S10 speedo swap now works which is great. I polished/painted some trim/emblems. I also got my tailgate on...only 3 weeks until paint/completion.

[notsolo]

Looking good, whats your plan for mounting trim? bolt on or push on style or both. I did little of both, bolted the door trim, the problem bolt is 1st behind the hinge. Also the most important, if it is loose it will snag the front fender. Bolt was also 1/8" to long. Don't ask how I know!

[cebra]

I plan to do bolt on for the trim. The clips were stupid expensive to go that route but I already lost a door trim somewhere in VA so I plan to go pretty stout on the mounting. The thought of trim flying off on the highway on new paint makes my stomach turn. I plan to post the Audi on ebay once I get the truck out of paint and then it will officially be my sole driver. I put 240 miles on it yesterday so I feel pretty good about my new ecu/tune.

[cornerstone]

Its been a tough journey for you since the rooftop days. Way back when it was driving under sbc power you shared a picture while driving behind the wheel. Any chance we can see and hear a walk around video and a cruise running that 5 speed through its paces?

[cebra]

Yeah, not working in the best of conditions (high wind, lack of power, and high heat...doesn't affect the welds but it affects me). I have been to 4 different friends houses and even inside a garage and was unable to pull enough power to weld without popping breakers. Those welds were on "D" which is the highest setting and the highest gas setting too but wasn't working well due to the power/wind issues...ended up knocking a bunch of those off with the grinder. I took the door off and rented space in the shop, was able to turn the welder down to "A" and the gas down to 30% and got much better welds. The door bottom is done, the rusted out hinge is done (put a very thick steel plate on the inside of the door). I got my AC lines crimped and my intake tube modified to work with my top mount compressor. Next up, a bit more firewall painting, AC wiring, drill and tap a steam vent, wire up a fan controller, and cutting out the bottom of the PS door. 19 days until paint.

[cebra]

I found this cupholder at a the junkyard when I went to get 06-11 Civic door weatherstrip. For $2, I will make a little wood box covered in something to put it in and set on the seat so I don't have to do the shift, catch drink before it tips thing since I take the truck on some pretty long drives. I didn't get a final picture after grinding but this is before it got dark last night....total of 22 hours in this door bottom. I probably could have done it in 1/4 of the time had the panel fit better and I started indoors with sufficient power. Will try to upload a video at some point but I would need to get out of the city as it is 1 (catch drink), 2 (catch drink), stop 1, 2 stop for 19 stoplights in a row.

[cebra]

I have a few other issues I am working on. The never ending tune saga, I have a correct speedo and a tune that actually works but I can't seem to find a boxed tune that gets the e-fans to turn on/off correctly and I am too cheap to pay $400 for a live tune just to resolve that. BP Automotive has been a pain to deal with...they act like it is impossible to have issues with their tune. I got a 2nd ecu tuned off ebay and it resolved the not being able to drive with the TPS plugged in issue so I am sure it is the tune. Also, I have belt squeal going on with the VA LS top mount system. The good thing is they have been very helpful and easy to work with. I try to be as nice as possible to CSR's as that job kinda sucks but some companies are a real pain to deal with which is why I try to buy from companies like Summit and avoid one-off businesses.

[TA_C10]

Jeez man, what a pain. But glad you got it figured out, keep up the good progress!

[CarlsLQ9SS]

I just read your build thread from the beginning and from roof top until now you have come a long way! The stumbling issue you are having could it be the VSS? Also I built a LS swap harness for my brother in law for a ls swapped 240sx, and he had the same issue with the MAF. His ended up being a bad MAF sensor.

[cebra]

Originally Posted by CarlsLQ9SS

I just read your build thread from the beginning and from roof top until now you have come a long way! The stumbling issue you are having could it be the VSS? Also I built a LS swap harness for my brother in law for a ls swapped 240sx, and he had the same issue with the MAF. His ended up being a bad MAF sensor.

I have all the tune issues worked out now less the e-fans. I replaced the MAF and TPS trying to resolve issues but neither fixed the issue I was having. The BP automotive tune I got was bad is all I can say. The only thing worse than their tune is whoever they have answering the phone...that person is flat out rude which is disappointing coming from a fellow Appalachian but that is neither here nor there. I got a $50 ebay tune from "Gravel Road Tuning" that fixed all my issues less e-fans which I am currently trying to figure out.

I have moved on from the rooftop but not far, I work on it across the street in an abandoned gravel parking lot. Will have to snap a picture of my new workspace, it doubles as the inner-city dump I believe.

[CarlsLQ9SS]

Good to hear, Im glad you got it figured out. I always use LT1swap.com for my swap computer tuning and have never had an issue. Brandan is top notch and always gets my computers back in a week. Truck is looking good!

[cebra]

Originally Posted by CarlsLQ9SS

Good to hear, Im glad you got it figured out. I always use LT1swap.com for my swap computer tuning and have never had an issue. Brandan is top notch and always gets my computers back in a week. Truck is looking good!

Good to know, should have went with him and may give a whirl depending no what I get this time. I am starting to think the e-fans on these things are extremely difficult to get to work. Waiting on tune #4 to get back and see what I get.

[CarlsLQ9SS]

The efans are just turned on in the tune, from my understanding. I have never had any trouble with them so far.

[cebra]

Originally Posted by CarlsLQ9SS

The efans are just turned on in the tune, from my understanding. I have never had any trouble with them so far.

They are, have not been able to get a tune yet (3 attempts) that get them to turn on at all or at the right temp. Still working on it, mailing computers test, mail out again....probably take a couple months to resolve.

[cebra]

Friday I pulled the hood and painted it, ran out of paint so need to touch it up a bit and found some rust on the hood I need to weld up as well. Barely got it down in time for rain/darkness. Saturday it rained all day so I couldn't load up the welder and tools to take to the shop. I did do some misc things such as painting emblems, fixing horn, painting/installing chrome trim on marker lights. I also took it for its first oil change on the LS...5,200 miles on it now. I should put another 5K miles on it by mid-October....very nice to have a turnkey driver vs the old carbureted 350.

[cebra]

Sunday I was able to get some good work in, I didn't plan to replace as much of the PS door but it was in pretty rough shape. I just kept cutting and cutting and then I decided it would be easier to just replace the whole inner door bottom as the top weld would be behind the door panel. I cut out 2 large pieces on the outer skin to replace as well. I had good power to work with finally as well. I also added 1/2" square tube to my bed floor end where I cut it down. This was a good solution for me as my tailgate used to rub the bed floor pretty bad (repop tailgate doesn't fit very well).

[CarlsLQ9SS]

Major props to you for not giving up on the truck, especially not having a shop to do it in. Moving your tools from one place to another it a major hassle...Good job!

[TA_C10]

Yeah man, big hassle moving around like you do. Great job

[cebra]

A few more pics of the bed floor and door welding. Also, sitting in the rain waiting on the first LS swap oil change. The only place I have to change the oil is gravel and has a boatload of glass so I don't do much crawling around out there. Yeah, it is a pain to load up and especially put stuff away at the end of the day. I have to carry an armload at a time up the hall, in the elevator, and across the parking lot....it is a pain but I have stuff boxed up like welding stuff, painting stuff, electrical stuff, etc. so I can grab and go more quickly. I have probably carried my welder over a mile going back and forth so many times.