'97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom

[likaroc13]

I've also been tinkering with some other little tasks, such as replacing the shifter boot/seal. I didn't get a pic of the original before removing it, but it looked exactly as it does in the pic below.


shifter boot/seal (old) by likaroc13, on Flickr



I got the new replacement from GM Parts America on Amazon.

Part # 26044259

shifter boot/seal (new) by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

And now we return to "As the world turns"....

On a Friday in early November the Tahoe decided to die on me at the local McDonald's drive-thru, just as I was headed to work. All it would do is spin over when turning the key, but it wouldn't fire. I had to get a couple employees to help push me into a parking spot. Luckily my wife was able to get me to work, & the Hoe had to wait for towing. Over the weekend I stopped by the shop where I had it towed, as they were closed until Monday. Lo and behold I find this, to which nobody informed me about. I was pissed to say the least. I got an apology from the owner, & he explained that his guy didn't realize it was lowered. So, when he let it down off the roll-back, it caught the ground & ripped. As a result, they had to buy me a new air dam.

IMG_0956 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_0958 by likaroc13, on Flickr

I stopped back by Monday morning to check the diagnosis, & I was told it wasn't the fuel pump. They kept checking & later informed me that there was no spark getting to the plugs. So, they ended up changing the distributor. I was back on the road later that Monday. Well, later that week it decided to die on me again, this time at home right before I was headed to work. Once again my wife had to rescue me, & this time I had her call a different tow company that I had successfully used once before. I knew the guy would be more careful with my Tahoe. Luckily my initial plans didn't work out, because I had intended to take the Tahoe on a mini vacation to Gulf Shores, AL. I was planning to drop it off with a detailer friend in Pensacola while we were down. If things had worked out, I'd most likely have been stranded away from home again. The shop called me to inform that it was the fuel pump this time. If you've followed along, you'll note that I just had a new one put on (along with new sending unit) in the Spring of 2016. I explained this to the mechanic, & during our conversation he informed me that they had bad luck with Delco parts in the past. He said they often get re-branded by cheaper components. I asked whose parts they use, & he said Borg Warner. So, that's what he put on as a replacement fuel pump. Unfortunately, the sending unit had to be replaced as well due to some melted wiring. I'm not sure how that happened unless it occurred when the fuel pump died. I bought both the fuel pump and sending unit through Rock Auto. They cover the manufacturer warranty, but it only allows for replacement. Since I didn't have time to ship parts back or order new ones, the mechanic's suggested parts were used. Everything is good for now, although it lightened my wallet by about $800.

On a positive note, during the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to pick up my taillights, grille shell, & emblem from the painter. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to put anything together yet, & I'll likely wait until Spring to do so. Then I'll try to revisit my plans of getting the Hoe detailed before new parts are assembled.

[Bczik84]

Is this truck on Craigslist for sale? I saw like 3 black 2dr hoes for sale on nashville Craigslist

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Bczik84

Is this truck on Craigslist for sale? I saw like 3 black 2dr hoes for sale on nashville Craigslist

No, I'm still driving it daily. Just haven't had much time to do anything to it, which is why I haven't updated in a while. I'm actually working on getting everything in order this weekend before re-installing my roll pan. We've got a layoff at work coming up at the end of November, & unfortunately it affects me. Hopefully I'll get called back within a few months. In the meantime, one of my goals is to get this Tahoe back together & looking how I want.

[likaroc13]

So, here's where I'm at today. I've been trying to get ready to reinstall the roll pan. I've been working on modifying the old tag light, upgrading it to LED. I also did a little more cleaning on the rear frame rails. I've got a few pics I need to upload, then I'll post them here.

On a different note, we unfortunately had a big layoff at work (General Motors). I was hired permanently in Oct. 2016 but am still being affected. It looks like we might be out a few months. Either this week or next should be my last. So, I made a vow to make good use of the time off. Aside from trying to get some much needed things done at my late grandparents place, I made a vow to get this Tahoe back together. In the next week or two, I'm taking it to a shop to get some stuff done. I'm changing from the fiberglass cowl induction hood to a factory steel hood. I'm also going to get that taillight taping issue fixed.

One other thing I'm debating on is whether to keep my wheels the same color. I went with the gray powder coat because it offered a subtle contrast to the black body. I still like it but am wondering if another color might better suit my plans for hand pinstriping/graphics. I want to do something similar to these, using traditional flame colors:

Untitled by likaroc13, on Flickr

3 by likaroc13, on Flickr

I've been debating whether the metallic gray wheels would still compliment that overall look. I've thought about trying black, but I didn't like the black spokes on the old BOSS wheels because it just seemed like too much black to me. The smoothies offer a different perspective though. I would be installing my chrome bullet center caps (which have never even been installed), so those would break up some of the black. I need to see how they look with the gray wheels as well. I also have a set of stainless ribbed trim rings if I want to use them. I previously didn't want to use red wheels, because you see that so often. It does look good with black though. If doing that color, I'd probably lean towards a deeper red/burgundy metallic. I've also thought about a sort of burnt orange metallic. If you guys have any thoughts or suggestions, let me know.

[likaroc13]

One of my other thoughts was to just leave the body solid black & do a more contrasting wheel color. After watching the episode of *****in' Rides with the '57 Ford Fairlane, I really liked the satin mint green color they used. As I dwelled on it a bit, I thought maybe that could work for my Tahoe as well. The smoothies could be done in the satin mint, & I could add the bullet centers (& possibly trim rings if needed). Then I could still do some pinstriping in a corner of one rear barn door & possibly the hood. Here's a link to the Fairlane that Kindig built, allowing you to get some perspective on the color.

http://www.kindigit.com/gallery/57-ford-fairlane/

[LT7A]

Man, this build thread is quite a saga. You've been through a lot. My strong suggestion is that you put the rig back together in its entirety. You can then decide what you're going to do for graphics. And once the graphics are done you can decide what to do with the wheels, if anything. All of the colors that you described, IMO, would be a little too sudden if they were on the wheels. If you add a graphic to the body, you can echo that with something subtle on the wheels, a pinstripe or something. But you don't need to make that decision now. I'd get that rig together and enjoy driving it that way for a while.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Man, this build thread is quite a saga. You've been through a lot. My strong suggestion is that you put the rig back together in its entirety. You can then decide what you're going to do for graphics. And once the graphics are done you can decide what to do with the wheels, if anything. All of the colors that you described, IMO, would be a little too sudden if they were on the wheels. If you add a graphic to the body, you can echo that with something subtle on the wheels, a pinstripe or something. But you don't need to make that decision now. I'd get that rig together and enjoy driving it that way for a while.

Thanks for your input! Yes, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride. I was actually thinking it over the past couple days & have decided to do exactly as you suggested. I'm just gonna leave the wheels as-is for now, get my other paint work done, then get it professionally detailed. From there I'll decide what route to go with pinstriping/graphics. Once they're done, I'll come back to the wheels & make that decision. As they say, wheels can make or break the looks of a vehicle, so I don't won't to make a costly mistake.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by likaroc13

Thanks for your input! Yes, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride. I was actually thinking it over the past couple days & have decided to do exactly as you suggested. I'm just gonna leave the wheels as-is for now, get my other paint work done, then get it professionally detailed. From there I'll decide what route to go with pinstriping/graphics. Once they're done, I'll come back to the wheels & make that decision. As they say, wheels can make or break the looks of a vehicle, so I don't won't to make a costly mistake.

Cool. Not because you agreed with me, ha, but because you have a firm direction. It's a good looking rig and you ought to be out there enjoying it -- all in one piece.

If you want to want to talk more about the graphics idea or visual presentation of your truck, I'm game. I'll throw one thing at you to consider: the previous owner was going for a monochromatic look. And did a good job of it if you like that look. You seem to favor some more variation in how the truck looks (i.e. not 100% all black). My point is that if you are going to go away from the monochromatic scheme, you will want to have an integrated and fairly thorough idea of what your revised look is going to be based on. The old plan was easy -- make it black. When you consider changing it up, with graphics or whatever, having a plan can save money and frustration.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Cool. Not because you agreed with me, ha, but because you have a firm direction. It's a good looking rig and you ought to be out there enjoying it -- all in one piece.

If you want to want to talk more about the graphics idea or visual presentation of your truck, I'm game. I'll throw one thing at you to consider: the previous owner was going for a monochromatic look. And did a good job of it if you like that look. You seem to favor some more variation in how the truck looks (i.e. not 100% all black). My point is that if you are going to go away from the monochromatic scheme, you will want to have an integrated and fairly thorough idea of what your revised look is going to be based on. The old plan was easy -- make it black. When you consider changing it up, with graphics or whatever, having a plan can save money and frustration.

Yeah, the previous owner had a tendency to black out things (even another vehicle). It's just not my style. I've been toying with the idea of graphics for about 3 years now. I pretty much know exactly what I want if going that route, it's just a matter of pulling the trigger. I just want to make sure this other stuff falls into place before taking that step. If doing the graphics, it would definitely be best to match up a wheel color afterwards. Where I guess I was thrown a bit is when I thought about possibly keeping the vehicle pretty much all black. That's where I began contemplating a more contrasting wheel color. I wouldn't really have to wait around to do that, & it would probably be best to have it done while at the body shop. I'm just not 100% sold on what would look best if I went that route, & if it's something I would prefer to do rather than the graphics idea I've had for so long.

One thing that throws me with true classics/hot rods is that many with highly contrasting wheels have white wall tires. To me they compliment the look of an all-black ride such as those. Considering I don't have white walls ( & don't plan to), it gives a completely different look with black wall tires. So it's sometimes hard to picture exactly how the highly contrasting wheel colors would look & whether it's a good idea or not. If any of that makes sense, lol. I've also been trying to factor in that I have a gray interior. I want everything to tie in together overall, so some colors might clash when you consider the black body with gray interior.

It's not easy to find a lot of retro looks on this body style ('88-98). I don't want it to be cheesy. I want people to understand what I was trying to achieve. I think I accomplished that with my old '93. Just hoping I can do the same with this Tahoe.

[Bczik84]

Mines black to I've thought about the older 2 tone chevy trucks black silver black

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Bczik84

Mines black to I've thought about the older 2 tone chevy trucks black silver black

Not quite the look I'm going for, but that might look cool if you have the factory trim/mouldings.

Tahoe is headed to the body shop this afternoon. I'll report back with some results in the near future!

[likaroc13]

Okay, so here's a little bit of an update. I started messing with the tag light idea last year I think but had never posted any pics. Now that the roll pan is about ready to re-install, I'll show you what I had in mind. By the way, this is one of those lights made for roll pans. You can still find them new, but all I've ever seen is the old lighting. I wanted something better, thus went with LED.

With the clear plastic housing removed, this is what you have:

Tag light/harness (Before) by likaroc13, on Flickr

Tag light/harness (Before) by likaroc13, on Flickr

Tag light/harness (Before) by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

So I removed the old light & harness wires, just leaving the plastic base. I used my Dremel & also hand-sanded the plastic smooth. I also had to fill the old holes & did so with JB Weld Plastic, sanding smooth again after it set. Then I drilled a hole into the plastic base to fit the new LED light.

No new pics yet, but I'm in the process of connecting the new light wiring to the old. I put a coat of white spray paint on the plastic base to clean it up, & I cleaned/polished the clear plastic housing/lens.

Tag light removed (bottom) by likaroc13, on Flickr

tag light removed (top) by likaroc13, on Flickr

Hole drilled for new light by likaroc13, on Flickr

New light test fit by likaroc13, on Flickr

New light test fit w/ housing by likaroc13, on Flickr

New light test fit w/ housing by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

I also got the Tahoe back from the body shop this past Sunday. The mirrors are on but have to come back off. I need to install the foam pieces. The body man just stuck them on since the paint was a little soft still, & he didn't want them to get messed up. I snapped a quick pic yesterday, just to give an idea of the hood. I'll try to get some better ones later. It's weird looking at it with a stock hood, . I'll get used to it though eventually. Come to think of it, it's been about 10 years since I had a daily-driven truck/SUV without a stock hood!

Hoping the temps warm up a little bit soon. Too cold for me to want to get out there & mess with anything!

IMG_2618 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[DZL1]

Very nice! Might borrow your tag light idea...

[likaroc13]

In the link below, I posted about the hood not sitting how I'd like for it to. Not sure why, & I haven't really tried to address it yet. I don't recall it being an issue with my fiberglass cowl hood, so I'm not sure why it's sitting high with the stock one.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=754513


Between the weather & fighting fitment, it probably took me a week to get the taillights installed & looking decent. It was fun getting those rubber seals back into place on the lenses. Then I had to trim them a bit. The passenger's side light gave me a little trouble. I had to carefully trim the hook tabs on the rear housing so that they'd fit into the slots on the body properly. I did the same on the driver's side. However, it seemed as though every time I'd get the top into place, the bottom wouldn't line up right (& vice versa). On the driver's side I ended up having to remove the plastic trim piece on the corner above the light because it was interfering with the top of the taillights. Lots of cussing, trying different screws, pushing, pulling, & trimming, they eventually both became acceptable. I hope I don't have to take them apart anytime soon though!

No sooner than I got them installed, we got hit with some Winter ice/snow. We had very frigid temps for at least a week, so I didn't do anything during that time. Here's a few pics of the snow & the Hoe.

DSC_0473 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2651 by likaroc13, on Flickr

I don't have any good daytime pics yet of the tails installed, but you can get a rough idea in the pic below. I'll try to get some better pics this week.

IMG_2650 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by DZL1

Very nice! Might borrow your tag light idea...

Before you do, please follow along...I ended up running into some issues with the LED light I used for illuminating the license plate on the roll pan. The bolt ended up being a little too long. When test fitting I didn't realize this because I never completely tightened it down. I had to do some trimming on the original plastic bulb housing to try to make it sit flush. I got the wiring done between the LED & original harness, which I thought came out pretty good. When I got everything into place & began tightening down the light/lens, it wouldn't go down all the way. It was because the bolt was hitting the fiberglass on the back side. It wasn't extreme, so I thought I could remedy it by using my Dremel sanding tools to carve out a small section in the fiberglass. It looked like that might solve the problem. However, I tried tightening down the light/lens again & heard a slight cracking sound. I thought I had probably cracked the lens. However, I had caused a crack in the fiberglass. Apparently where I carved out the indention it got a bit too thin. As a result, I induced a small crack in the paint on the top side/lip of the roll pan. Luckily it's minor enough that most hopefully won't notice.

Still not having the clearance I needed, I decided to carefully cut off part of the bolt using my Dremel. It was either this or try to find another light. I looked on Superbright LED's website but didn't see another that would work any better. Rather than try to find another light & have to rewire everything again, I decided to try to make mine work. Cutting off the bolt end gave me just enough clearance, however, the wiring still sticks out close to the fiberglass though. I used silicone around the end of the wiring where the portion of the bolt was that I cut off. Seeing as how I still couldn't tighten the bulb/lens down completely flush, I opted for creating a thicker gasket behind the lens. I found a rubber gasket sheet used for plumbing & used the original foam gasket as a template. Once I got that trimmed & fit properly, it seemed to fill the gap I had between the lens & roll pan. While it doesn't sit as flush as it did originally, I think it will be completely fine. If something ever happens with this LED light, I'll try a different route next time.

First off, here's a link to the LED light that was used:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...ght/1494/3431/



Back side of the bolt/lens (before cutting):

IMG_2672 by likaroc13, on Flickr

After wiring was completed joining LED to original harness:

IMG_2673 by likaroc13, on Flickr

Original foam gasket/lens. Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic of the rubber one I created.

IMG_2674 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

Exterior license plate area where the lens mounts:

IMG_2675 by likaroc13, on Flickr

View of the area underneath where I recessed the fiberglass:

IMG_2690 by likaroc13, on Flickr

Back view of the roll pan where the lens & wiring comes through. This was after cutting the end of the bolt. You can see how tight the fitment is.

IMG_2691 by likaroc13, on Flickr

Pic of the crack I caused. Don't know why I'm showing other than to hopefully prevent somebody else from making the same mistake.

IMG_2708 by likaroc13, on Flickr

Rear view of the new LED license plate light:

IMG_2700 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2702 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

It took me forever to get the roll pan reinstalled as well. Seems like nothing I took off wanted to go back onto the vehicle without trouble. I must say that I was doing it by myself as well, & it would've been a bit easier with extra hands. Once I got it adjusted & back into place, I began tightening everything down. I did this cautiously as to not induce any harm like I did with the license plate light. Everything was going smoothly until I decided to slightly snug down the end bolt on the passenger's side. Crack!

As you can see, it put a slight hairline crack around the perimeter of that screw. If I had a lighter colored vehicle, you'd probably never know. Everything shows on black though! It's in an area not visible when the door is closed, so you guys are likely some of the few to ever know. I'm just going to live with it for now, as I can't afford to repaint it again so soon. It's honestly not that big of a deal but just one of those things that will drive me crazy knowing it's there.

Will try to get a daytime pic later:

IMG_2693 by likaroc13, on Flickr


While I was making progress, I decided to finally install the "stubbie" antenna I got for Christmas a year ago, lol....I went with the gloss black powder coated version.


Original antenna:

IMG_2694 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2695 by likaroc13, on Flickr


New 6" "stubbie" antenna:

IMG_2696 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2697 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2699 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2698 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[DZL1]

Thanks for the heads up! I appreciate it.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by DZL1

Thanks for the heads up! I appreciate it.

Yes sir! If I had known beforehand that it was going to be an issue, I probably could've used a thick washer on the inside of the plastic housing behind the bulb. I think there's plenty of room inside the housing for that, & it would've eliminated the need for that rubber gasket I created. If it wasn't such a pain to get apart & back into place, I'd probably do that myself. Maybe a little later down the road I'll readdress it.

[likaroc13]

I went back and added a pic of the crack I caused when tightening down the license plate light. I took some daytime pics yesterday of the taillights & license plate light. Due to everything being black, it's hard to make out details of the light. You can't really see the extra rubber gasket I made. All I can say is that the plastic lens/housing should be sitting closer/more flush to the roll pan.

I'm pleased with how the taillights came out. Now I don't have to worry too much about whether folks can see me stopping during the daytime. Aside from one incident with a state trooper when we lived in SC, I've never had any issues with the tinted tails; and I've had numerous other cops behind me. These new tails should offer a bit more peace-of-mind though.



IMG_2707 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2705 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_2704 by likaroc13, on Flickr

You can tell which side is clean & which isn't,

IMG_2703 by likaroc13, on Flickr

[likaroc13]

So, I took a trip to a local C-10 Club meet in late March. It was the first time we've made a trip in the Tahoe with my little boy (2 yrs). It's a pain to get a car seat in/out! Also, it's not easy getting him in/out considering he's rear facing. He'll likely be rear-facing for another year, & we plan to have another child next year. It really got me to thinking about the practicality of this thing right now in my life. After the trip, I began thinking about possibly selling it. It's not something I really want to do though.

I had come across a '99 Suburban mild custom that I really like. It has a good bit more miles than my Tahoe, but it has been well taken care of. I wasn't even really looking for another vehicle when I first saw it on an auto detailer's Facebook page I follow. It caught my attention though, so I reached out to him to see if he could give me more info. I had no clue if it was for sale & honestly didn't expect it to be. After contacting the owner, however, I found out that it was indeed for sale (just not advertised). It's funny because that's how I came across this Tahoe. I initially contacted with intentions of buying the Burb outright & then selling mine. However, after mentioning my Tahoe through conversation, the owner asked if I would have any interest in trading. So, I'm still trying to make decisions.

I've played out several scenarios in my head over & over. My biggest fear is letting it go & regretting it later down the road. However, I have 3 other antique vehicles (2 inherited) that also need attention. I would love to focus on those & make sure they're all roadworthy. However, I also know these 2dr/2wd Tahoes are not common & likely to be quite collectible themselves someday. After all, mine will be deemed "antique" in a few years.

I've been working on this thing for probably a month at least, trying to button up some of the things I should've done a long time ago. I've been thoroughly cleaning every inch I can. I neglected it for much too long, & it was due for a major detail. I'll get some updated pics once everything is done, likely this weekend.

[likaroc13]

A few weeks ago I took some interior pics, which is something I've been lacking. I won't post them all here, but you can check out the Flickr link below:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/98543199@N05/8VV0q8

I also finally installed a couple of the bullet centers on my front wheels for the first time. They've been sitting in boxes for a few years now! Still working on some stuff in the rear, so those are not on in the pics. While I was out today, I saw a good spot for some new photos. Here you go:

IMG_3589 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3590 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3591 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3595 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3594 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3592 by likaroc13, on Flickr

IMG_3593 by likaroc13, on Flickr