To Do lists, Frustrations, and Findings. What are yours?

[Montierth]

This last week or so I have finally gotten to really drive my truck and feel like it was both "safe" and "reliable". As I have been driving it however a few things keep coming to mind that I need to do or want to do on his truck or some observations.

To Do:
1. Finish painting all the odds and ends. Including the tailgate and the inside of the bed.
- Considering doing spray in raptor liner. Not sure yet
- Maybe some day do a show deck or go to quietride.com/showbedder and get a rubber mat to put in floor of bed.

2. Rewire the truck. I have an AAW kit but don't have the time and needed to start driving the truck.
- I have no reverse lights. I have read all the posts and just need to spend the time to figure it out OR....rewire the truck.
- Now out of the blue when I turn on right turn blinker- the right turn blinker works but the left reverse light starts to blink too!

3. Figure out fuel gauge. See #2 above - Rewire.
- I have gone through a lot of posts on here and found info to determine if wiring, grounding, sending unit of gauge. I bought a new fuel sending unit because last one I think had a leak in float and always registered empty. New unit when grounded outside the gas tank will respond to moving the float and works on gauge. If I just ground the fuel line wire to fuel tank the gauge goes to empty. Not grounded it goes to full +. Why is it 1/4 when in tank but out side tank seems to work?

4. Front bumper GMC-
- Observation - I had my old front bumper brackets that seemed to work OK but thought new ones would be cleaner. What I found with the new ones it that the driver side bracket does not work if you have power steering! The old bracket on the driver side looks different than the new bracket. I ended up putting old brackets back on.

5. Noise control-
- Right now have a 350 with 4 barrel carb, dual headers to flowmaster 40 I believe and then I ran it straight out the back. I have used the hush mat all over on the inside (doors too) and then my carpet has the MLV dense foam stuff and Jute padding. So doing all 3 layers as recommended. The noise level is way down.
- Need to find a solution to continue above the carpet under the dash to block more noise. Right now I just have some of the left over original firewall padding up there but I think it is just old technology and worn out
- Need to swap out mufflers with more of a daily driver sound.

6. Fix the Rake or level it out. The truck is an original 1970 GMC with rear leaf springs. The prior owner did a flip kit on the back and on front did dropped spindles.
- I want to raise the rear about 3 inches but not sure of best way. I did remove the block with the flip kit which raised the rear 1.5 inches but that pulled the axle forward and made the wheel be off centered in the wheel well.
- May just live with it - I still like the look but not first choice. OR in future may flip axle back under springs and install shackles and maybe buy drop springs
- What do you guys think about the profile?

7. Fix the seat height
- I rebuilt the seat bench buying the foams that everyone recommended. The bench was too high and I have determined that the foams are just too firm and to thick. So I bought the lowering bench brackets from someone on here and it definitely helped but I still have trouble seeing the gauges and feel like I'm too high.

8. Door and window felts and rubbers.
- I did the press on door rubbers. They work really good but have to slam doors originally the get doors to shut. Getting better as time goes on. All the rubbers seem to fit well. No real instructions on some of them but the window rear channel guide is a pain to install.
- I rebuilt my vent windows. Do your self a favor and throw away the rivets and the little tool and go to hardware store and buy a hand riveter kit and blind rivets and just be done with it! BTW don't replace the main large rivet that the glass pivots on unless yours is broken or worn out.

9. Automatic column shift linkage
- No matter how much I adjust it, it is always sloppy. Makes me wonder if it was ever any better from the factory new! Thinking of getting the Lokar shift linkage - Any thots if this tightens it up some?

10. Install all new lights
- Just installed Hella H4 Halogens - made a huge difference and just ordered light relay kit to install next week for brighter lights.
- Side marker lights - Instead of paying a ton of money for the LED side marker lights I just bought a package a couple packages of 10 LED lights to replace all the bulbs in my gauges and side marker lenses. Made a huge difference. I did need to get new blinker fuse and also had to flip a few bulbs due to polarity.

11. Figure out my kickdown cable. I have read with a turbo 350 tranny you won't do harm if it is not hooked up.

Future wants or possibilities:
- get AC
- Get a radio
- Possible LS? I installed a 350 gen 1 crate motor and its rock solid. Still breaking it in.
- Posi traction rear end. Right now I have a 12 bolt rearend with 3.07 gearing. Seems to work fine for me right now.
- Get a clock and/or tachometer - need to do research.
- hood lock and kill switch
- Under hood heat/sound barrier - quietride.com
- Get one of the Lloyd mats single floor mat that covers from driver to passenger and has GMC embroidered
- Figure out how to carry a spare tire, jack, tools, etc
- Get a cool horn that plays a tune OR My truck came from factory with 2 horns. figure out how to make both work together
- Try to look cool while driving my money pit in the meantime!