Project Checkbook - 1971 Jimmy Custom

[tristan]

I am still inching forward, although very slowly. The shop just put in a new paint booth so hopefully (he said) the Jimmy and its top will be "under the gun" relatively soon. This has been delayed for a long time by the business moving its shop so we shall see. In the mean time, the top and fenders are back in place and all of the door and cowl gaps are now set.

I have cleaned up the center console and it is ready for a new coat of parchment. The chrome pieces are in good shape except for the top plate that holds the seat belts and ashtray so that is getting sent off on Monday for replating. The upholstery shop has received my new carpet and door panels and the seat skins should be in house in a few more weeks. Finally, thanks to some help from board members I found a place that is making me a new stainless dual exhaust system which should arrive in a month or so.

[72 tigger]

Hope they get it painted soon- looking forward to seeing it coming together!

[IronCanine]

Thanks for the update...progress is progress, inching or not. Looks very straight. You're getting very close. Keep up the good work.

[tristan]

Paint!

After months of delay my GMC finally made it to the paint booth on Thursday. They reshot both the inside and outside after an extensive redo on the paint prep. The top, doors, cowl, hood and tailgate are being painted next week.

These pictures are before any final sanding and buffing and the paint is single stage. It came out nice and flat as-is with very little nibbing or orange peeling. The paint crew is going to do a first round of sanding to move the paint up to what they call "cruise" quality. Next weekend I will inspect that level of finish and decide if I want to commission a final round of finish sanding and buffing that would move the paint up to "show" quality.

Here is the driver's side.

[tristan]

Passenger side.

[tristan]

Here are the other parts waiting their turn to be painted.

[tristan]

I always enjoy seeing the other patients in the car and truck hospital. The percentage of trucks in their work flow has steadily increased in the years that my Jimmy has been in restoration due to the increasing interest in, and value of, collector trucks. In another realm of collector vehicles, this stunningly beautiful 1931 LaSalle convertible coupe preceded my truck in the paint booth. It is off to a concours next week.

[IronCanine]

Looking great. Congrats on the milestone.

[Chulisohombre]

Looks great. Someday I will do the same. For now indid mine homemade with industrial blue paint.

[72 tigger]

Very nice! Glad they finally have it painted- keep the pics coming

[tristan]

Kirk, are you going to Truck Carlisle? Please let me know if so, I would like to say howdy.

[nds1968]

I'm in for the rest of the restoration...

[72 tigger]

Originally Posted by tristan

Kirk, are you going to Truck Carlisle? Please let me know if so, I would like to say howdy.

Didn't make it- shooting for 2018. Did you find any treasures?

[tristan]

Yeah, a good haul this year. Picked up a previously purchased Blazer/Jimmy jack set and a bucket seat frame crossmember from one board member, and then purchased a Soft-Ray windshield, a nice PO1 wheel cover and a few other doodads from two others. It was nice to visit with several prominent board members on a beautiful PA August day. See you next year maybe?

[Chulisohombre]

I'd also love to Make it to Carlisle truck. I usually don't drive mine more than 50 miles from home though anymore. Cost me half a tank just to go to Allentown. Lol

[tristan]

Now making continuous and substantial progress. Fine sanding and buffing is completed on the tub, rear wheel wells, doors, cowl, tailgate and front fenders. I paid for an upgrade to show-quality paint and it was definitely worth it. The parts to be hidden by carpeting and various panels got the basic grade 1 finish.

[tristan]

The hood, transmission hump cover and one of Rob from Canada's fiberglass windshield headers were shot yesterday and will be sanded and buffed out next week. Re-assembly will start on Monday. Now I am gunshy about issues that might emerge when things get put back together after several years apart, but I guess I will cross my bridges as I come to them.

[72 tigger]

Wow- looks great! Won't be long until you're putting things back together

[tristan]

My #*$^&% top is finally painted after requiring boo-coo time and $$$s to repair various sags, cracks, gaps and fissures. Even at that there is a swale on the left side, but at least it is not apparent when painted. The painter used a thinned-down U-POL for the outside to give it a little texture while the inside is smooth. The outside surface is less rough than original and has a light sheen that I hope will be attractive.

[tristan]

I couldn't resist this barn find that has just come into the shop as you don't see these every day.

[IronCanine]

Looks good. One step closer!

[NorCal]

Looks Beautiful!

[tristan]

Re-assembly of both large and small parts is proceeding nicely. My Jimmy is starting to look like a truck again. I joked with the guys at the shop that we have gone from having it in 5,000 pieces to merely 2,500. The fenders and tailgate are now mounted, as is the door innards and Hickey spare tire and jerry can mounting brackets.

[tristan]

This is the part of the job that makes GMC Paul and Wes Hepp rich. Although I get a lot of calls from the shop to hunt down stuff, it is now usually small parts that are readily available aftermarket rather than large or rare, and thus expensive, items. The offset is that there is lots of shop time in this detail work.

[72 tigger]

Wow, it does look like a real Jimmy again! Are they having many problems with reassembly? Keep the pics coming- nice vette too