Got a little bit done this weekend...

[kevinr1970]

Main project was to get the rear bumper done; I pulled the one that was on it when I bought and tossed it. I have been having a problem finding a useable used one for a reasonable price; one guy that had what I would call decent but wanted $300 for it and went on a tirade about buying "cheap China crap". I sent one to the scrapper a little more than a year ago because I couldn't sell it for $20???
I ended up buying a new one from LMC, that has the reverse lights integrated. No instructions with the "mount kit" and the brackets are universal for probably 100 different applications. I ended up drilling a new set of holes in the bumper to lower it so it would clear the tailgate?
PS, metal seemed just as thick as the bumper I pulled...
Bought tailgate a while back and now seemed a good time to get it on there too.

[kevinr1970]

I wasn't fond of the front brush guard, never really liked them. Plus this one had some damage on one of the bars and is starting to rust a little in the junctions. I always felt the push-bars looked at home on a 4x4 .
The grill was also looking tired (maybe can't see by the picture?). Replaced it with a better grill and bezels, but ordered a new set of the turn signal lights, and a new air-deflector for tow-hooks.
The piece that goes underneath the grill, bolted to each fender was also damaged so I stole a better one of those off my other truck too

[kevinr1970]

Next up, new flex-plate and should probably replace the starter too. Local shop quoted me $350 for labor on that so I might just end up farming that out...

Then new tires, but I would like to go bigger than the 235/85-16, but worried about fitment. Was suggested 255/85-16 but that seems like a size that has gone out of favor? Might do rims too, but probably some later model steelies in the factory gray color, although Alcoa's would be sweet!

Then headers and dual exhaust, then...

[bluex]

Nice looking truck an nice progress...
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[kevinr1970]

Pulled the trigger on tires... didn't appreciate that bill one bit!

[kevinr1970]

Answered a CL ad about a guy having a black passenger door in "mint condition". Got to talking to him and said he had a pair of doors and a black GMC tailgate too, also "mint".
I drove the 60+ miles down to his place and when I got there, I passed on the driver door, but did buy the passenger (the one I really needed) and the tailgate.
He was trying to sell me on a front clip he had in his driveway that had a '89-91 Blazer/Suburban core and headlights/blinkers, but I wasn't really interested.
He said something to the effect of "too bad you don't need a short bed"; when I bought this truck I had planned to do a single wheel, short bed conversion, but the dually has sort of grown on me.
We had to drive over to his buddy's house but the bed was in pretty decent, straight condition, so we worked a deal - I told him I would give him his asking price if he threw in the front clip at the other house so we did that.
I went out looking for a door and tailgate, and came home with a door, fenders, core support, tailgate, cowl panel and a short bed, all in black!

[Jwood70]

Good looking progress. I really dig your rear bumper. How do you like the integrated lights?
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[kevinr1970]

I was leery but it was only like $10 for the bumper with the lights vs. without.
I did something wrong (or so I thought) and they didn't come on when I put the truck in reverse. Turned out that the switch in the column for the reverse lights was just too sloppy; just have to put the shifter all the way up against the detent for P before they come on?
I took it to a guy and he wired it so that not only do they come on in reverse, but they also come on with a toggle switch. But he also wired up the stock reverse lights to do the same.

[tlawre87]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

I took it to a guy and he wired it so that not only do they come on in reverse, but they also come on with a toggle switch. But he also wired up the stock reverse lights to do the same.

That works when someone decides to start high-beaming you from behind. haha

[kevinr1970]

The tailgate on the truck now has a GMC trim panel, but it is stamped Chevy.
Also has a diesel emblem, and paint is pretty poor.
The tailgate I bought has decent paint and is stamped GMC.

The guy said he also had a nice black hood, but it wasn't any nicer than the one I have so I passed on it.

One funny thing about the bed is that my truck has the chrome strips along the bottom of the body. If I decide the go with the short bed route, the new bed has the same chrome strips, as does the door I bought.
I will remove the chrome stuff before paint, but will leave it on for now as I am sure the paint will look very different under those strips.

Oh, and on the '89-91 core support, it looked real old and dirty, but what I realised as we were loading everything in the bed is that it is actually pretty decent and has been painted a gloss black, the same as the inner fenders.
The truck ws supposed to have been a "show" truck with a blown BB, but after sitting around in the weahter for a few years the guy that built it took the BB and put it into something else. From the way the guy I bought the parts from described it, it was a pretty nice truck, minus drivetrain when he bought it and decided to part it?

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by tlawre87

That works when someone decides to start high-beaming you from behind. haha

Haven't had to use them yet, but I was thinking the same thing...