My build. Project Karma. 71 stepside.

[lyrikz]

Welp, i guess im going to start my build thread. So, here we go.....

I purchased this




Sept 07. $2200 dollars. 1971 chevy stepside with a freshly rebuilt 250 in it. I drove the truck home and started work on it. Some history behind my skills are i have done a few full paint jobs on hondas, some minor body work here and there. I have rebuilt a few honda engines from the ground up also.... I really didnt know what i was getting myself into when i started tearing into this truck...

I started by the usual removal of the doors/hood/ and front fenders...


Thats when i ran into my first problem. THis isnt no honda. Things are heavy , and doing it alone is going to take some thinking and patience....

[lyrikz]

Once i removed the front end, i saw a few issues right off the bat. Usual rust under the battery issues.




When i drove it home i was getting water inside the cab.. Came to find out that the drain ways were all plugged and the antenna area was allowing water in.

[lyrikz]

I also ran into a few issues.. Bolts snapping off in crappy places.



When that bolt first snapped off i was all concerned and worried that this was goign to be a big problem.. ahahaha.. Boy little did i know that it happens all the time and is just a fact of life and now im really good at fixing those problems.... Leads me to a quick question for you rebuild guys, when reinstalling bolts, do you put an antisieze on them so if you ever have to remove them again???

Little helper dude. One of my twins

[lyrikz]

SO, for the metal work. Now keep this in your mind, everything i have been used to working on in the past was honda metal. Honda rust. Baby stuff.....

There were no real bad visual signs of rockers needing replaced, but i could see a little paint bubbling so i decided to dig in.... First i went to snap on and bought this gem.


Then i examined my work space and started doing work...




I was in shock when i pulled back the rocker panel.



to be continued............

[lyrikz]

As you can see in the cab pillar, there is a giant frickin hole..... Now, those rockers showed no signs and the cab pillar was basically missing....





Now, i sat there and stared at that whole mess and just thought what the heck i got into.... After talking with rocklyn for a few days, i started going to work....




To be continuuuueeeeddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lyrikz]

After working on it for a bit, i slowly started realizing that i was running out of work space. ahaha...


In the pic you can see the rear fiberglass fenders i purchased.. Nice units. Need to do some body work on em but they are nice....

So, on to prepping for the reinstallation... Por15 to the rescue.




to be continued........

[68shortstep]

If you can hook up with somebody like a friendly pharmacist who would be willing to order it for you, chemistry lab "DOW Silicone Stopcock Lubricant" ... (I know, I know, sounds like it, but it's not a joke) is the best anti-seize that there is. Nothing removes it (no joke - nothing) except boiling lye - which is what it says on the label is the best way to get it off of lab glassware. Resists everything, especially rust, on bolts, etc.

You can break loose VW bug muffler bolts that have been on for years in Chicago winter saltwater streets & finger-turn them out if you had first spread on a dab of that silicone on the threads before they were tightened. VW muffler bolts are absolutely "the worst" to break off in terrible-to-get-at places.

I have a giant economy sized tube of this stuff I have used for years on everything bolted together that I think I might ever want to get loose again, and especially if it's in an area prone to rust-seizing.

You just have to be sure & not ever get it on a surface that's going to be finish-painted ......

OK, now: ----------- LET THE "STOPCOCK" JOKES BEGIN

[lyrikz]

Thanks for that info....

On to some more pics and jibber jabber... Pulled the front grill off and noticed that it was pretty fubared from behind.




Since im going to be painting the grill i will have em sand blasted....

Now to sidetrack. When i purchased my truck for 2200 dollars, the guy threw in a set of rally rims and tires...



Well, after some fitting, i found that they wont fit on the rear of the truck.. They were 15x10 in the rear.... So, i sent them to the sand blasters



I painted em flat black, redid the chrome rims and caps, and then i sold em for $650 bucks.





So in the end, i got the truck for$1750... Not bad.....

[bedsled71]

looks like you have your hands full with work. keep the pics coming

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by bedsled71

looks like you have your hands full with work. keep the pics coming

Hey, hows the rebuild coming??? Im way further then where my post is.. Im just gonna spread out some updates. ahah....

[lyrikz]

During this process of rebuilding, i came to find out that there are alot of tools that are needed. So, i bought a few tools.... Almost need a seperate thread for tools. ahaha Bought a new welder, works great. Bought a new helmet which i paid a bunch for, but so worth it....






So, with those new goodies i started installing the floor.




Once i got the floor mounted and inner kickpanel mounted, i started to install the rocker. As you can see the rear of the new rocker fit perfect. But as i went to install the front portion of it, it didnt fit at all.


Comes to find out that the floor that i installed was bent so cheaply that it pushed the rocker up. The bends should be sharp, but they werent. They were just this crappy roll over edge.

[lyrikz]

After test fitting the rocker and seeing it didnt fit, i reworked the floor board and started to install the cab support and the inner kick panel. Inner kickpanel has to line up with the floor and the cab support and all that other stuff.. This took my along time and alot of frustration. I figured out the right way to do it and when i do my drivers side it should be much easier....

here are some pics.

Floor adjustment


Cab support install.




Test fitting the rocker with the cab support on now. Fitting alot better.



So now that i had the front all set, i moved to the rear cab support area and found a whole new bag of goodies.. To be continueeeed on that... Oh, and heres a pic of the UPS guy brought for me.. A little teaser.

[Ol'Rover]

im jealous

[toomanytoyz]

Congrats on the Truck, That was a Heck of a Deal at $2200.00, Signing on for the Ride........

Rick

[72BlckButy]

This thing is coming right along... great work!

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

Congrats on the Truck, That was a Heck of a Deal at $2200.00, Signing on for the Ride........

Rick

Thanks. Im further along, but i figured i would put pics up daily so we can see whats going on. Figured the truck was 1750 after i sold the ralleys.. The PO lowered it with ECE spindles up front. New front and rear shocks. New brake lines. HUUUGEE front and rear sway bars. This thing handled like my hondas did.

Originally Posted by 72BlckButy

This thing is coming right along... great work!

Will be updating tomorrow morning....

[chrislehr]

great progress thusfar, keep it coming...


Should rename to project identity crisis.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by chrislehr

great progress thusfar, keep it coming...


Should rename to project identity crisis.

Identity crisis??? You have to explain that one to me....

[jayharrell]

Tools, my favorite part of the build budget. Looking good.

[lyrikz]

And moving on...

So once i got the front of the rocker set up, i moved on to the rear of the rocker. That was another suprise to.. As i cut off the rear of the rocker, the cab support was eatin all the way through... NOOO signs of rust from above. ahaha THey like their secrets.





See those holes... YOIKES. So i started doing work and gettin all of that stuff taken care of. I also cut out the rest of the inner rocker and installed the new goodies there.



While i was working on that rear rocker area, i noticed a pin hole in my cab corner. One tiny poke with a screw driver and i knew i had to start working on that cab corner also To be continuuuuueeeedd!!!

[lyrikz]

backtrackin a bit, some pics of the inner rocker install.





Here is me installing the rear of the rocker area, finding that rust in the cab corner.

[lyrikz]

After getting that all taken care of i moved on to the cab corner. This is my first exterior welding, so i took my time and it came out very well... I had to do some modifications to get the rocker and the cab suppor to line up, but in the end, it looks really good.. I cant wait to get to the drivers side no i know what im doing....







After i got the cab corner on i test fitted teh rocker and the door. Notice how the rocker sits higher then the cab corner. I had to modify that to get it to line up right. The door lined up great, nice and straight. Eventually i got the rocker nice and straight also...



Here is the gap in the rocker i had to fix.

[estig70]

"Subscribed"

keep up the progress.

Eric

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by estig70

"Subscribed"

keep up the progress.

Eric

I have alot more, just trying to spread it out.....

[chrislehr]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

Identity crisis??? You have to explain that one to me....

Chevy tailgate, GMC front