Fast Orange: Rodstoration

[muddpile]

I've decided to compile all my posts here and leave this as my standard build thread, kind like N2Trux and N2Billet have done. Seems like a good idea, and keeps it all in one place.

Well, I've finally decided that the charger is not a suitable daily driver. When I fixed the corvette, it worked decent for a parts hauler, not good, just decent. Now I have two other projects, plus I work at a lumber yard, so a truck is really a necessity. A little over a year ago I found a 1972 chevy custom deluxe for sale. I always wanted a 72 longbox, and the fact that it was orange finished the deal. It came with a recently rebuilt 350 4bbl, a fresh rebuilt TH350 tranny with stage 2 Transgo shift kit, Fresh rear gears (Highway gearing, can't recall ratio) and a new radiator. When I looked at it I knew it was beaten, rusty and needed new wiring something fierce, but for the cheap price it was worth it. Here is what it looked like for the 11 months I drove it:





Like the highlander seat? It was kind of cool in the truck, but it makes a nicer garage couch. Anyways, the truck was half made of duct tape and mono foam, the heater and wipers didn't work, it had Mono AM radio, the one tire went flat 3 times a week and the passenger window was made of plexiglass and siliconed in, but it worked for knocking around.

As it got colder out, it got more miserable to drive, so I decided it was time to park it and rebuild it. I had been buying bits and pieces for it since I got it (it came with a pile of parts as well, including a dent and rust free box) but I knew I had to go all out and do it right the first time. I tore it half apart and figured out what I needed, then ordered all new goodmark sheetmetal for it (Cab corners, rockers, floorpans, doors, fenders, etc.).

[muddpile]

After I ordered the parts, I planned everything out in my head. I wanted something cooler/cheaper than stock (The trim was all bent or missing, not to mention the plaid seatcover that is no longer reproduced as a single piece...). I went to the wrecker for some inspiration, and came home with a nice pair of 92 chevy buckets/console in a grey velvet (they have since been steam cleaned and look a lot better)



I then ordered material to match that will work for custom door panels and headliner. I managed to track down a tilt column for it as well (Thanks HeavyD!), and a few other trick interior pieces that I will post at a later date.

Next thing that needed to be addressed was the look of the truck. In stock form it looks nice, stylish and vintage, but the price of the trim and everything would break me, so I will be going custom. It will still be orange and white, but with a bit of a different twist to it.

Now, onto the gory detail pics, the destruction and resurrection of my old pickup. I started tearing it apart a couple weeks ago, and found no real surprises. I knew it needed a lot of sheetmetal and a lot of wiring (the fuse box caught fire last month as well), so what you are about to see did not surprise me.

[muddpile]

Well, thats it for now. The cab and box are unbolted, and the wiring harness is out as well. Should I remove the cab to fix the rust (cab supports, rockers, inner rockers, floor pans, cab corners) or leave it on the frame? I assume it would be better to remove it, but I'm not sure.

Also, how many circuits should I look for in an aftermarket wiring harness. My stock fuse box has 9 fuses, and the aftermarket one I'm looking at has 12, does that sound like a good number (CD deck, heater, electric choke, all lights, horn etc. No real big options.) Thanks and I look forward to sharing more progress, hopefully going the right direction when I put it all back together.

[muddpile]

Well, after a lot of grinding, bending, sanding, priming and painting I'm back with another update!! The box is off, and the cab is ready to come off, so I figured I might as well paint the frame, as I hope to never have to tear this truck apart again (or at least not for a long time).



Once I got the box off, I noticed that there was indeed minor damage to the rear of the drivers side frame rail from when I got rearended. It was straighted with a hammer and a crescent wrench prior to painting.



One rainy trip to the auto wrecker (the most miserable trip ever) the heater and wipers quit. On the drive home I noticed it got louder. One of the rusty old bottles had broken, and was just kind of hanging there. When I took the box off I hit it and broke it right off.





Another area of concern was the shocks, I knew the truck was bouncy and needed new ones, but I never expected to find these. Anyone know when the last time they made Gabriel AjustOMatics was?

[muddpile]

Once everything was out of the way, I noticed the extensive rust damage that my cab corners have suffered. I wondered why the patch panels were so big.....





Armed with my trusty roller, brush, and spraycan I started on the frame. I wanted to give it that slightly textured look that new truck frames have, so I used a thin foam roller. Here it is in primer.







Notice the modified exhaust in the last pic? It's going to be loud as hell for a while, but I figure the kind people on main street miss me owning a vehicle with straight pipes, and I'm not one to disappoint ;D . I will be getting performance mufflers put on, as bottles don't seem to last very well.

[muddpile]

And here it is with a fresh coat of flat black. It looks kinda blotchy in the pic, but it wasn't dry. I checked it today and it dried nice and even. The diff and will be painted by the end of this week hopefully. I'm in the process of scraping about 1" of grease off of it.

[muddpile]

I've almost got all the rust cut out of the drivers side floor, but won't bother taking pics of that until it's done and ready to weld. There isn't much floor left after the large amount of rust is gone, but I have patch panels to cover all of it.

I've got the differential primed between the springs and should have the rest of it including the drum backing plates done tomorrow.



I also mounted my instrument cluster to see how it will look and fit, as the gauges aren't in the original places or the original sizes (and yes, I know some are really crooked, but I just slid them into the holes for fit). It fits really good, and I really like the look of it on the orange dash. I was thinking of painting the entire interior a semi-gloss grey to make it look more modern, but I'm leaning towards orange again.

[muddpile]

Well, its that time again when I post a few more pictures of my rodstoration (We all know how much us truck guys like pictures). I got the floorpans/inner rockers welded in on both sides, and patched up both kick panels. The floor feels way sturdier now, and it makes everything look more complete. The welds aren't ground yet, but will be shortly. For the record, this is the first time I've ever welded.

[muddpile]

[muddpile]

Well, update time again. It's been a busy month, so I haven't been online a lot, but heres some 2 week old pics of where I'm at. I'll have more current ones soon.

Here's some stencils laid out on the goodmark fender pieces. I'm still in the planning stages of my paint job.

[muddpile]

Here's the cab tipped over, ready to weld from the bottom as well, then grind, seam seal, put the cab supports in and undercoat.



As you can see, it's a mess down there too.....



And last but not least, here is a before and after comparison of my ramhorns. I like how they flow and look, but I hate the cast, so I polished them and ground off all the big cast blocks for a clean look.

[muddpile]

Another update, again slightly outdated, but sorta recent. Here's more of the frame painted (Its the same color, just kinda wet in the picture and not dirty like the back part).



Here's the seat anchor nuts and washers welded to the floor. They didn't want to stay there, so I welded them until they did.



And here's the underside after a good cleaning and scraping. Lots of varsol goes onto this project. I also have the seam sealer on all the welds.



Next pictures will be of the cab supports (front ones are in, rear will be by the end of the weekend), followed by undercoating and engine work (starting next week, already partially de-greased).

[mike nutt]

looking good, keep up the good work.

[Joe67]

Great thread! Thanks for all of the pics, looks like you have done quite a bit so far! Keep it up, threads like this are an inspiration to many here

[67Mach1]

Nice job on the truck.
Keep the pics updated. They provide motivation for many of us our here.

Thanks,

Thomas

[N2TRUX]

Nice build thread! looks like some really good progress. Keep the pics and updates coming....

[glock35ipsc]

Excellent job! Your patch panels look great! What kind of seam sealer did you use: the caulking gun kind in a tube, or the brush-on kind?

[muddpile]

The seam sealer is the caulking gun kind. I can't remember what brand, it was in a blue and yellow tube. It's nice stuff to work with, but almost impossible to get off your hands.

[MadDog]

Very nice thread, I love the instrument cluster, looks very good.

[glock35ipsc]

So did you lay it down then spread it out with a puddy knife or your fingers, or just smear it around with the tube? I have both kinds (from Eastwood) and can decide on which to use.

[muddpile]

I layed it down then spread it with my finger. If you use that route, wear rubber gloves,this stuff is gooey!

[glock35ipsc]

Gotcha! Thanks for the tip!

[muddpile]

I'm baaaaaaack! As you may have guessed, the project got cancelled...........................Just kidding I just took the summer off to have fun, cruise in my other vehicles and take in a few shows etc. So, without further interruption, here we go again!




That is the old rusty front fender mount/front cab upright. Rusted, destroyed.........



But with a little TLC, a grinder and a mig welder, it looks a lot better (don't forget the Goodmark patch panel either.)



Since it's the evver classic "Frame Off Resto" that we hear so much about, I figured I'd better get a shot of the bare rolling chassis, since I never plan on seeing it this way again.

[muddpile]

Just a shot showing how close I'm getting. It's scary to think that someday I'll drive this thing again. The goodmark panels are top quality, and fit really well with minor tweaking. At first I thought they sucked, but after putting new pins and bushings in my door hinges, it went a lot better.



And here's my home made balancer installer. It worked great! I know, I should have shortened the threaded rod, but isn't this a lot funnier?????





And my pride and joy, the only real finished part of the truck, the engine. It looks a lot better now than it did when I got the truck, and with all the new parts on/in it, it should perform better too!

[muddpile]

Another update. This is the most current stuff I have pics of, but I have a feeling this week is going to be a big one.



Both kick panel vents were rusted out from filling with water, dirt, leaves, etc.



Anything remotely close to the heater was as well, so more welding had to take place.



The radiator support was BAD. The original battery tray had rusted off years ago, taking part of the rad support and the inner fender with it. I assume the odd leaky battery was the cause.... That ugly piece of tin in the top of the pic was the new battery tray. It was jagged from being cut with a torch, and had been stick welded to the inner fender and the rad support. I have since bought an OEM style one.





And here's the finished product (minus the nuts that are now welded to it. It will be getting an optima this time, so hopefully there won't be any more problems like this). This week I hope to get the old fuel filler hole shaved, the antenna hole shaved, the doors lined up, and the cab corners and rockers on. Am I asking for a lot? Sure, but I work on it for 5-7 hours every night, and the whole weekend. It's doable