Progress Pics.... and a few questions

[1980GMC]

So I've done a little teardown of my truck because I'm getting it painted, new interior, and a fleetside box. The box is proving to be pretty hard to find Unless I buy a brand new one

But anyway heres some before pics:




Interior is gonna be changed to Saddle/Tan color, and the paint I want to be Satin Black.

And now the progress until I find my fleetside box.






I go saturday to see about a couple boxes so I hope I find a good one. After the box, I'm going to work on lowering the truck with drop spindles/springs and a rear flip kit. Then a nice roll pan. Then Ill save up for the black satin paint, then the tan interior. Then comes the engine overhaul; Im going to make a 383 out of a 350 from my dads chevelle(he bought a 396 for it). Then comes exhaust, then tires.

Now for the questions.
1 Are fleetside beds bolted or welded together?
2 Why exactly do you need a flipkit? Cant you just flip the springs without it? (Im not planning on just flipping it without a kit, I was just wondering if this was possible)
3 For those with black satin paint jobs, how do you like it? and is it a lower cost paint job than glossy paints?
4 My gauge cluster has ugly faded-orange needles, as a cheap way can I just paint those white? or should i find new ones?
and finally (and a little off topic)

5 How has everyone here got into the business of restoring classic cars/trucks? Im looking at it as a career path but dont have many people in my area to ask. I think I want to apprentice at a restoration shop but I dont know if thats the way to go.

Sorry for the length,

Wes

[Russell]

Hey Wes!

I see it didn't take you long to tear yours down... I actually drove mine for a year or two before I tore it apart, and I haven't driven it since, lol

The fleetside beds are mostly bolted together. There are a couple of spot welds back near the tailights that hold the box sides onto the box floor, but they are easily drilled out. Make sure you soak the bolts like crazy before you try and take them out, and definitely use an impact wrench to do it. They will most likely be pretty badly corroded...

I'm pretty sure a flip kit is a requirement, otherwise there would be no way to keep your diff centered on the leaf springs. I don't know a whole lot about dropping trucks though, I usually take mine the other direction

A flat black paintjob looks nice, and doesn't show as many imperfections as a shiny paint job does. There is a (or was) a fairly cheap paint available from John Deere called Blitz Black that did a very nice flat black paint job. I'd personally avoid painting a truck black though, impossible to keep clean.

Painting your gauge needles is easy. Take a couple pieces of paper, cut some circles out of them that are bigger than the face of your gauge, cut them half way through then slip them under the needle and over the shaft with the cuts on opposite sides of the gauge to act as a mask, clean the needle off with some alcohol, then spray paint them white, or use hobby paint to paint them white.

Just be careful not to get overspray on the gauge faces, and make absolutely sure you do not get the factory lettering wet with anything, as it will wash right off. That means if you are cleaning dust off them, you do it with a dry paper towel, even spit will take the letters off.

[1980GMC]

Haha, yes I was rather dissapointed when it only took a few days to tear down without wrecking anything and labelling all the bolts/nuts/fasteners.

But I have learned much more about trucks and how the function just by this teardown and looking at it, so I feel it was well worth doing it right away.

Dang, hearing that the boxes are welded together a little bit was a let down... Thought I might just be able to unbolt a side panel easily but well see when I go saturday, and I will take pictures.

And also thank you very much for the tips on painting the gauge needles

Wes

[xtreme80]

A flip kit doesn't flip the leaf spring over, it just moves the axle to the top of the spring instead of the bottom of it. If you look under your truck now, you will see how the axle is below the leaf spring. Well a flip kit puts the axle above it. The spring itself never actually moves.

You need a flip kit cuz you're gonna need a new spring perch to weld to the axle on the opposite side, and you'll need a new set of u-bolts.

[1980GMC]

Originally Posted by xtreme80

A flip kit doesn't flip the leaf spring over, it just moves the axle to the top of the spring instead of the bottom of it. If you look under your truck now, you will see how the axle is below the leaf spring. Well a flip kit puts the axle above it. The spring itself never actually moves.

You need a flip kit cuz you're gonna need a new spring perch to weld to the axle on the opposite side, and you'll need a new set of u-bolts.

I should of mentioned I knew what a flip kit was lol.

I wasnt planning on doing this, I was just wondering if it was possible to do without the kit. I've already ordered my kit from Belltech.

[xtreme80]

Originally Posted by 1980GMC

I should of mentioned I knew what a flip kit was lol.

I wasnt planning on doing this, I was just wondering if it was possible to do without the kit. I've already ordered my kit from Belltech.

Hah... oh. Well, can "build" a flip kit for fairly cheap. I built a flip kit for like 25 bucks. Went to a local trailer and RV supply store here, and got 2 spring perches, and 4 u-bolts from them, and just modified the top mount over the leaf spring to fit it. Drilled one hole in it and it was good.