98 w/t rcsb

[Cape Codder]

I bought this truck about a month ago when my S-10 started needing more work than I felt it was worth. It is a 98 4.3 auto pretty bare bones except A/C. The truck has 117,000 miles and runs great. It came from Arizona and has been in New England since 2009 so is very rust free for this neck of the woods.



Pics of truck as first seen in PO yard

[Cape Codder]

This truck will be my Daily Driver and will be used to tow my boats and chase parts for my auto repair shop. First I had to clean up the grille that had been painted a couple times with rattle cans without sanding

After a day of wet sanding all the old paint off I sprayed it with Mercedes silver basecoat and clear. I painted the bowtie black and added and emblem from a 30's era Chevy

[Cape Codder]

Next I turned to the rear bumper which was covered with survace rust and bent. I do a lot of boating and go rowing at night sometimes so I first took a hole saw to the bumper and added some tractor lights for launching at night.


Next some sand blasting and epoxy primer


[URL=http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/BobLister/media/98%20Chevy%20WT/DSC00635_zps3d82cdae.jpg.html][/U

[Cape Codder]

Then some paint and clearcoat, sorry it is a F--d color left over from a job. and mount and a light test

[Cape Codder]

I decided the truck needed a little color so I sanded and painted the wheels with some left over Mazda red.

[Cape Codder]

I replaced the black center caps with some chrome and picked up some new trim rings



I also added some teak boat handrails for bed rails. As you can see the step and tow bumper is to high for my trailor,

[jughead12]

wicked truck, easily my favourite 88-98 truck on here! where did you get the grille emblem?

[Cape Codder]

A friend of mine had on his living room and donated it to my 92 S-10 when I sold it I kept the emblem for this truck. It is from a mid 30's Chevy I think I have since cut down a tow hitch from a Wrangler and welded up some brackets for this truck. I also lowered the rear 2" with drop shackles so the small boat tows level now. I will have to get a pic up with it leveled out. Thanks for the positive comments.

Bob

[Spray-Bomb]

More pics !!!
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[Cape Codder]

Ok this thread has had no updates for a couple years. I am still driving the truck and it has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. At 64 years old that is saying something. I will bring this up to date and show what I am doing now.
I did lower the rear 2" with drop shackles and added a rack to haul lumber for my boat building projects. I have painted the tailgate and replaced the decal with an emblem from a 62 Nova.

[Cape Codder]

A neighbor of my mother in law has a 96 W/T long bed and always comments on my truck when I see him. I saw him at the store last week and he told me his frame rusted out and he was gonna scrap his truck if I needed parts let him know. I called the next day and bought the whole truck.




He had bought new wheels and tires a year before as well as new rotors and upper control arms. I swapped my brakes for his and painted his wheels.

[Cape Codder]

His hood was better than mine so I fixed the small dings and painted it too.




Notice it is not white.

[Cape Codder]

I towed my boat to a rowing race about 50 miles away and the truck felt sluggish on the highway. I had been hearing some rattling from the cat so I took a 4" hole saw and opened it up.



I found the rear section of the ceramic had broken and turned sideways across the pipe exiting the cat so I had to remove it.


Welded the access hole back up and she is running sweet again.

[Cape Codder]

I put the new to me wheels and tire on this week . No more red wheels.



I am going for an old school look on a new style truck so satnd by for why the wheels and hood are now light blue. Oh and I finally fixed the dent in the left rear lowed bedside that has been there since I bought the truck.

Bob

[OutlawDrifter]

the pickup is looking good bob!

[Cape Codder]

I have been slacking on updating this but have been working on the truck when time and space in the shop allows. I work alone and have had to figure out ways to do two man jobs alone such as switching hoods. First I securely tied the old hood up to the ceiling beam and the overhead door tracks.


Then unbolt the hood and springs and carefully back the truck out without turning the wheel the foam pads are saved from packaging from new hoods.



Then just switch the hood and rehang the new hood and pull back in straight and reinstall

[OutlawDrifter]

yes, working by yourself often creates a necessary evil on creating inventive ways.

[Cape Codder]

My biggest concern with working alone is safety. Working under a vehicle especially I am very diligent with my jack stands and use steel plates under them when on asphalt as they will sink into hot asphalt.
When changing hoods I took the underhood light off and soaked it in vineger for a couple days to clean up the rust and reinstalled after painting.

[OutlawDrifter]

that cleaned up very nice.

[Cape Codder]

When I got the truck it had a pipe in one of the rack holes at one time that must have hit something or got used to pull something. It was stretched to much to repair without cutting out so I cut a piece from my parts truck. pic is after cutting part out.



New piece fitted


Moved on to fixing minor dings ,welded some holes on top of bed from a previous cap, and cleaning a little surface rust on the lower front fender.

[Cape Codder]

The doors on these trucks are some of the heaviest I have dealt with in over 40 years of body work. To remove for hinge rebuild and painting jambs I tied the top of the door to my overhead beam and used my adjustable office chair to allow me to roll it far enough for access.




After cleaning sanding masking and painting the jambs except door bottom that is still on the chair I replaced the bushings in the hinges. A socket and bolt makes a mini press to save damaging the bushings

[OutlawDrifter]

it's coming along nicely! i will see your bet on the doors and raise you 3rd generation camaro doors...takes a small crane to move those around!

[Terrick down Under]

So, what stage are you up to now? Its been another day! I want to see what colour combo you have come up with.

[Cape Codder]

Ok I got the rest of the drivers door jambed out and got the drivers side masked and ready for paint.





Very humid day so I had to crank the heat up to 90 degrees to dry the air in the shop.

Three coats of color and three coats of clear later.

[Cape Codder]

After sanding and buffing the drivers side I got the tailgate and bumper filler panel sanded and painted.




Starting to get an idea of what it will look like