The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1970 Chevy C10 - Grandpa’s Rebuild.

It has been a long time but I finally jumped back in on this truck. Tonight I took the doors to my friend's shop and I blasted the doors. Unfortunately, more Swiss cheese metal showed its face and I have more work to do to get these doors back up to par. Areas which I thought were fine were blown open by the blaster, despite having a shallow angle of attack. The area that blew through was also an area that I cut open and had full view of. It really surprised me that it blew through in that location.

I have no pictures yet but will update soon.


Cab:84
Fenders:34.5
Doors:20
Frame: 10
Hood: 1

Total: 149.5

🦊 (with sand in his underpants!)


Update:
Tonight I mixed some epoxy primer sealer and I painted the inside of the left door before I start to weld out the lower patch panels.
Doors: 21
Total:150.5

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5NyqUTCTUj89Gusz6

One of the photos shows the new pin holes that appeared while blasting. I coated the inside of the door pretty thoroughly and it should be good for at least another 50 years.

Hey Fox. Very neat truck and story. Awesome on the work you’ve done and are doing. I have ‘70 C10 Fleetside that I plan on getting in tip top shape. Getting work on it done piecemeal bit by bit, 5-year plan. At any rate, best of luck on truck progress! Can’t wait to hear more!

Thank you, Fleet. Best of luck to you as well. I'm on the 5 year plan, too. 1 year gone and I'm still fixing rust. Ugh.

Tonight I began tacking that door panel in place. It's amazing how things seem to move all on their own. I swear, before I took my little cold weather break, that the patch fit a lot better than it did tonight. Well I had to re-finesse the panel to get it as close as possible. In hindsight, I probably should have cut the door patch a little higher up as it is going to be a bear to hammer and dolly effectively. Wish me luck.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kLirxED1cVDko469A

Cab: 84
Fenders:34.5
Frame:10
Doors:22.5
Hood: 1

Total: 152 hours

😎😬

PS- I also ordered new inner tie rods, trailing arm bushing, panhard bar bushings, upper and lower front control arm bushings. I'm excited for that stuff to come in. I can take a break from metal work!

Right on, Fox. You got your work cut out for you. Good luck!

Hey there Fox;

A great read, gives me some pointers for my updates.

My Dad had almost the identical truck a '72 C10, Blue with a long box. Dad had a canopy on it and a slider in the rear window. Mom and Dad would ride up front and the 3 of us kids in the back. There was carpet down for us to kneel on and Dad would turn sharply or tap the brakes to try and knock us over. Games from the 1970's before seat belts!

Great work on the truck, I really want to see it done. keep the updates coming.
I was reading through your updates and congrats on the new addition to the family, April is the due date? Fast approaching, it is a real struggle to juggle the multitude of family commitments and still find time to complete a project of this magnitude. Keep on truckin' !!

Steve

I miss those days. If a guy did that stuff now, he'd go to jail and have his kids taken away by services. I remember riding/laying down in the back window of Dad's Impala or driving home on the back roads when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Will I do the same? Some of it. 😉

Tonight I beat out a piece for the inner lower door skin. I used a patch from the reproduction panel, but the contours weren't good enough, of course. It took a while to reform the piece, but it fits pretty well. I have it mostly welded in place as of tonight. I'm planishing as I go and it seems to be keeping the warpage at bay. I'd say I'm halfway welding it out, then I'll metal finish, and get it "good enough!"

https://photos.app.goo.gl/32iWz5nQEDj1oBNq9

You can see the rust perforations in the cut out piece. The epoxy hides the extent a little bit, but it had to come out. Ugh. Stupid rust.

Steve, have you thought about going to History Road in Wetaskiwin in early June? A few Alberta Bolters go each year. I'm bringing my 1 ton for the first time this year. I didn't quite finish that one in time for last year.

Right on, Fox. You got your work cut out for you. Good luck!

Hey Fox;
I have never been to the Wetaskiwin show, I will definitely see if I am around and if so, go.
The '46 doesn't have the legs to get to Westaskiwin in under a week and the '40 won't be ready yet.
I might be able to trailer it there, once there it can putt around...

June 8th is the show date, I am scheduled to work. I will see if I can fanangle something.

Steve

I'd have to check the hour list in the shop but I have been doing things on the C10.

I finished welding in the door patch but it turned out terribly and I need to cut it out and start over. Good thing I'm not paying for this (besides replacement sheet patches). Ugh. I don't know how many hours I've wasted here. I'll have to check.

While that disaster was going on, I got new panhard bushings and trailing arm bushings as well. They were pretty rotten around the outside edge. The insides weren't bad but I suspect sand from the blaster and 50 years of age and abuse warranted a change. It was a nice change to switch gears from metal work and pull wrenches. I love those easy, fun, instantly gratifying tasks. I had to completely destroy the u bolts to get them out. A 5 foot snipe with heat wouldn't even touch them. A lot of heat in one place did though! 🔥 Enter: the gas axe! I have ordered new bolts. I also had to patch/repair/ weld in new nuts for the lower springs cups on the trailing arms. I have also touched/blasted/painted any hidden rust (Really?! ?! Rust? You don't say...). It took a lot longer than I anticipated. Weird. And it's still not completely back together.

Here are some photos of the work:


https://photos.app.goo.gl/tE5LDEe1uXTgAnL97

Update: No baby girl. Yet. My wife is now 7 days overdue and we are eagerly waiting for the time to make the trip to the hospital. Baby 2 due! Hurry up and wait! I love being a dad. Pretty neat stuff.

Truck update: ugh.
This door is a real PITA. I've got the outer lower skin tigged in place (love that welder), and I now have to weld in the lower inner panel. I have a few ripples that I believe I will be able to hammer and dolly back to true, but some filler and persuasion will be needed. You can see the highs and lows in the photos. It has taken me a long time to get very little done on his door. Mistakes, learning curves, starting over, wrong parts shipped, what a curse.

But for a happy note, the rear suspension is back together. I just have to torque the U bolts and she should be good to go. Get shocks, brake lines, fuel tank done, but that is down the road still.

The hours got away on me during this sideways adventure. Here's the damage:

Cab: 84
Frame: 18
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5

Total: 183

🦊😬

I seriously wonder about simply getting reproduction doors but they are pricey, and I seriously doubt they would fit like the originals, even after all my hacking and cutting. If they are anything like other large reproduction panels, it would take a lot to make them work. Maybe I'm blind. Or crazy. Stupid. I don't know anymore. This door is seriously in my kitchen these days.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/a6PiDvFUtjd2WJnc6

I love that your tracking your hours. I lost track of the time spent years ago and am still not as far as your are. Lets just call this motivation to moving on my truck. Great read, I'll keep checking in on your progress.

Yeesh. Times flies when you're having....

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated anything on here.

So here's my rundown: Eliza is crawling around everywhere now and is likely to start walking in the coming weeks. Her brother, Everett, is 2 1/2 and talking, learning and exploring up a storm. These two are an absolute blast and I can't believe how much they entertain me and how much I love watching them learn and grow.

There is still 3ft if snow on the ground despite being spring and the end of March. I'm still trying at this LH door and it's still in my kitchen. I can't access the back well enough to hammer & dolly to control the warpage on the butt weld just above the body crease line. I'm trying one more time and then I think a full door skin attempt. If that fails, both doors are going reproduction. My cousin did this and I am awaiting a reply to see how his fit. Ugh. Recently, I cut away a loonie sized piece of rust on the upper LH side of the firewall. Well of course, the unseen rust was 10x larger than that and I had a gaping hole in the firewall to repair. It is tacked in place and will need to be dressed and metal finished. I'm finally getting some ambition up to start working again. I have 3.25 years to finish this truck based on my original goal but making puppies hasn't helped at all.

I don't have the hour updates tonight. I will have to double check in the shop.

Oh and another thing. I don't know how many of you Bolters like gaming (Nintendo style) but my brother in law let me borrow his Nintendo Switch with Zelda: Breath of the Wild . I got it in December and it have been playing it toooo much. It's strange how the truck hours dove off the deep end when that bloody thing showed up. I just returned it, but with Corona virus causing lock downs everywhere I'd better delegate more time to the shop when my family is sleeping. 😬

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9dVMbf7qwKY1JQSp9

Welcome back. I was wondering about your progress. Your kids - enjoy them as you are. Soon enough they will be out the door and you will wonder where those years went.

Oh, I am! Thanks, Ham. They are truly amazing. I have so much fun everyday.

I hope people aren't too harsh on me for this. Purists will cringe, hot rod artists will applaud, but I took the plunge and have decided to make this ole girl a shortbox. Opinions from family members came in, long, short, long, short...Dad's advice: "It's always been yours. Make it what you want." I've always felt that the longboxes on this body style were a little too long with the elegant lines of the body. Shortboxes are more proportional in my mind. If it was a 73-87, I'd say the opposite, as I feel the square body makes those shortboxes seem too short.

All this being said, this is what I've done. I removed the front bed mounts previously while I pondered this and how I was going to do this over the next few months. Well, at crunch time, I leveled the frame (front/back, side/side) and took a bunch of measurements (length, width, cab mounts, cross corner dimensions: cab to box, cab to cab) to make sure I can get her back to square and true. Then I measured out 24" under the cab, and then step cut the frame with radiused corners. I cut 12" from each side, so now I can slide them back together like puzzle pieces, brace it, check it, recheck it, tack it in place, recheck it, leave for the night, recheck it in the morning and weld it up. I will likely weld a plate or c channel on the inside frame rail to help support what I've done. I will have to relocate the rear cab mount. I have already removed the rear 8" of the back of the frame rails.

I'm certain I'm going to get an earful, so please keep things civil if you're going to let me have it. I believe this type of cut will be advantageous in the long run. I'm already nervous as it is...Thanks.


Here's the adventure:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SrkGTHz918jr4oV48


Cab: 84
Frame: 21
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5

Total: 186

😃😎🤞🏻😬🦊

Next up, welding, finishing, and removal of the old 3speed manual transmission mount.

As you say "It is your Truck", just make it safe (I'm sure you will)

Sounds like you have taken great care to get it right. I personally like the short bed. It is yours and if it pleases you then the heck with what others think. Weld away!🛠 

Well,
The old girl isn't flopping around any longer. I braced, and braced, braced some more, checked it for square, level, braced it some more, checked it and then left it for a couple days. I was rewiring my dad's old skid steer! Rechecked it, and then checked it again. I don't know what I was waiting for. I was nervous, but it was too late now. Let's weld her up. I stitched it up with about 3" welds to help keep the heat down. I jumped back and forth from left to right. Inside to outside. Then I left it for another day and tackled dressing the welds today. I have a couple tiny spots I want to readdress with my welder & grinder for appearance, but it went very well and it sure seems short now! It doesn't seem too short when you're right beside it. You think, "Hmmm, is that a shortbox?"

Step back 20ft and, "Yup, it's a short box!"

I am happy with how it's gone so far. I rechecked my square and level after it was solid. I am happy to report that from front to back diagonally it is out 1/16". I'd call that good enough! I removed the cab mounts and the rivets from the manual transmission mount and will relocate the cab mount and install an automatic mount. I still have to brace the inside of the frame rail but this little adventure has gone well so far.

Cab: 84
Frame: 27
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5

Total: 192

🦊😎

Recovery from surgery! —— https://photos.app.goo.gl/LDLpLbs4pTjKvhQL8

Tonight I removed 4 move rivets from the manual trans cross member. I thought I could swing it out of place with just the frame rivets removed, but no I had to remove the little brace pieces as well. Man oh man, did they fight me. I had to drill them out nearly completely before they would come out. There was a slight ridge on most and no amount of air hammering, BFH-ing, or grinding helped. The frame is unscathed of course, but they were the hardest rivets I've ever dealt with. After that, I marked out the new location for the rear cabs mounts, measured the space, and drilled away. It was an enjoyable night of wrenching. Plus, the weather has turned and I no longer need to have heat on in the shop. It's actually getting warmer outside than the lowest heat setting in my shop! Nice!!


https://photos.app.goo.gl/dVzSLNauVjap1Gf46

Cab: 84
Frame: 28
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5

Total: 193

😎🦊😃

Looking good!

I get nervous too whenever I make a cut that can't be undone. But hey, metal is easier than wood and way more forgiving.
It may be overkill, but I would suggest that you add a re-enforcement plate on the inside of the frame across the weld on the top and bottom.
I feel that is where the highest points of stress will be and the plates would be cheap insurance against cracks, etc..

I took a screen shot of your frame and drew on it to illustrate where I mean.

Glad to see updates from you, fair weather fox???
Just kidding of course, good to hear that you and the family are doing well.
I look forward to seeing you again at a show & shine ( hopefully )

Keep at it, push it to the goal line,
Steve

For good security , chassis welding, add fish plate !

https://www.google.com/search?q=fish+plate+repair&client=firefox-b-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=E29StCEdstjTHM%253A%252CAuKECYNc9DvwjM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQOO-IcinIiG1WE_apvk4hMCxF4LA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG1ZPd_IHpAhXGwTgGHd6HCbEQ9QEwDHoECAQQGA#imgrc=E29StCEdstjTHM:

Thanks fellas. Yes, that is what I had in mind.

I took the cab off my sled trailer and put it back on the frame. I was nervous as I lowered it but it lined up perfectly. Whew. I haven't fish plated the frame yet but I have got a piece of 3/16" x 6" flat bar to do that job when I get back to it. I took my trailer and proceeded out to the farm to resurrect that old long box. She has some major surgery awaiting her and I have been hmmm-ing and hawing 🤔 about how to make the original box work.

A lot of the box's rust is in the front corners on the downward body curve. The floor is actually in really good shape, but I want bed wood and will likely sell it. Anyone with very minor welding skills would love this floor. I removed the inner wheel tubs and fought with rusty old bolts. I cut most out from underneath with the grinder and zip disc. I then hammered on those tub buggers for about 6hrs to get all the dings and dents out. They are straight now and look really good. Other than that the floor, tubs, rear cross and cross sills, and front panel are in great shape for a 50 year old truck. Just some minor hammer and dolly work to get the front panel completely flat again.

The box sides have some nasty dings here and there that I have to address, but my plan is this:
As little welding as possible.
Remove box sides.

Scribe 11" out of the front of the box.

Scribe 12" out of the front of the box.

Remove spot welds in front bed brace that hangs down.

Remove front stake pockets and spot welds if necessary.

Cut out 11", leaving extra tabs to accommodate the stake pocket.

Cut out 8" of rear bed side. This includes chopping out the light hole. More on that later. Keep cut line as close to rear taillight compound curve as possible.

Remove right rear stake pocket assemble. I have some terribly bashed up iron here and need access to the back side to get it straight before rewelding.

Separate the inner and outer panels so as to create access for hammer and dolly work and to fix any wheel well rust.——This scares me!

Cut inner skins in front of the rear stake pocket and remove 8". Repeat at the front stake. I want to retain the bead bent into the metal from factory, so I will have to weld this up. -approx 2 ft weld near bead. Should be somewhat stiff.

Patch any rust. Recontour the wheel opening at the bottoms and fix rust, etc.this will be a big job also.

Fix front brace on the box leading edge if necessary.

Attend to wheel well rust.

Plug weld inner and outer skins back together using old tacks as references.

FOLD the front 1" extra over top of the front bed brace and plug weld in for a factory look.

Weld rear panels back up and adjust, as required, to get the slight body line drop to line up. It shouldn't be too bad. Only a bit an estimated 1/4 to 3/8" over those 8" I have outlined. It shouldn't be too bad... should it?

Prepare for bed wood.
Modify front panel for wood. Same for rear cross sill.
Redrill side bolt holes if need be.

Somewhere in there I am going to sand blast and epoxy the whole inside/outside of the skins so there will never be rust up there again. It is pretty rusty up there.

Side marker lights I haven't quite decided on yet. Cut and Weld? Build a mold and press it?

Well, that's the plan. It is a big, ambitious, probably stupid thing to attempt, but I want to try to keep the box sides and front panel at least. So far, I have removed most of the rotten bolts(ugh), removed the fender braces, inner tubs, hammer and dollied the snot out of those tubs and got them straight again, removed the left box side, and began laying out the cut lines on the rear box side.

Fingers crossed this works, or I'm out a lot of cash for a replacement box...

Cab: 84
Frame: 28
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5
Box: 14

Total: 207

😬😎🦊

Oh, by the way, I also picked up a used '72 GMC hood that side steps a lot of steel work. It is very nice. 4 tiny little dings vs a huge front end pinch, tree damage, and various smashes over top of the hood braces.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XAnBZ29dDe9ygyFj8

Well, I jumped into the deep end of the pool here. The other day I cut out my fish plates for the frame bracing. Man, I need a shear. Zip cut dust everywhere. Good thing I bought a whole box of n95 masks a year ago! I beveled them and then painted the back side black. I’m not sure what the heat will do to that, but it's done. They turned out very nice. I will weld them in one day soon. Today I began box surgery. First, I removed the front left stake pocket. I drilled out all the spot welds that hold the inner skin to the back left stake pocket. I removed this so I can weld the two separated inner skins back together and have hammer dolly access to maintain the bead on the inner skin. More work, ? Yes, but I want it that way. The bead, not extra work! Next, I drilled out the spot welds on the leading box edge that hold the front "body line brace" in place. Then, I cut the tail end of the left box side off the left side. I was careful not to cut through the inner or outer skin in inadvertent places. This actually went fairly well and easily. The front is another story. I cut the front outer skin down to size, but I still have to figure out how I'm going to relocate the stake pocket hole here without cutting through in a spot where I don't want to on the outer skin. I packed it in to avoid late night stupid decisions.

Here's the in progress surgery... ugh...rust...


https://photos.app.goo.gl/iciz7z381w192eNA6

You can see the bead of the inner panel on some of the pictures. I have also lined up the rear tail piece and think I will be able to work that dropping top body line curve into a seamless transition.


Cab: 84
Frame: 29
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5
Box: 17

Total: 211

🦊😎😬

Nervously, cautiously optimistic here.

NIce work. Are you removing the side lights? or add them back in later?

The side marker lights will likely go back in. I just haven't decided how I'm going to progress. I might weld in the old ones. I might try to make a die/mold and press a new hole in so I don't have to weld. Either way is a boatload of work...🙃

Tune in next week, kids, to see how to totally rip apart a good set of box sides! I think GM built those things to NOT come apart. But I got it done tonight!

I'm beginning to see spot welds in my dreams now. Yeesh. Do you know how many spot welds there are holding a 67-72 box side together? A pile. Perhaps I will count them next time out. It has to be well over 100. Anyway, I have the inner and outer separated. First, I got the front stake pocket removed, I then proceeded to cut all the spot welds along the top rail on the inside. There were a lot of them. I left a couple, one at the front and one at the rear, just to hold the top until I was ready to separate the two. Next, I took a very fine dremel cut off disc and sliced through the tack welds that held the inner and outer together on the top lip of the wheel well. I made a slight notch on either end to help with realignment. Again I left the end two welds to hold it until I was absolutely ready. Surprisingly, it went well so I cut the last tacks and spot welds and those pieces came apart quite well.

Once apart, I prepped the two pieces with the beads and the inner panel for tig welding. I lined them up, clamped 'em, and buzzed them out, grinded a touch and called them good. I had a little hammer and dolly work but they turned out pretty good ( for me anyway). Tonight, I removed the middle stake pocket as the true shortbeds don't have them. My spot weld cutter isn't long enough to hit these perpendicular to the metal, so I had to improvise and this caused extra cuts in the good inner panel metal. I had to tig those holes up and hammer dolly a little bit. So far so good. After some cutting & true-ing I lost about 1/8" overall. Hopefully it doesn't bite me later.

Here's the damage:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZRK1GcKc7jQ39dyH9

By the way, if any of you are thinking of getting a welder, seriously consider saving up and getting a multipurpose machine. I did, and oh boy, do I LOVE my MIG/TIG/Stick ESAB. It can do it all.

Cab: 86
Frame: 29
Doors: 44
Fenders: 34.5
Hood: 2.5
Box: 20

Total: 216

🤔🦊

I was also checking my hours list and I haven't included a lot of wasted hours from that stupid LH door. And I missed 2 hours on the cab somehow. I have to recompile the totals as this isn't quite right...

Next up, I will be removing all the rust via blasting in and out, then start some metal work/ dent repair, epoxy prime what I can, and then weld it back up. It's a long road with lots of curves ahead.

Do you guys like cheese? I am a fan of many kinds. Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, mozzarella, they're all pretty good. But, dear Lord, not blue cheese, ack! That stuff will kill you.

Swiss? That stuff is awesome on a turkey & bacon clubhouse! It makes my mouth water...

I bet you know where I'm going with this. I blasted my inner box side panels, the tubs, stake pockets and tail light back piece and all looked really good. The outer skin though is a totally different story. I suspected some rust but, after blasting, I am very upset here. I am seeing visions of the LH door repeating itself here. The wheel arch has Swiss cheese all along the curve. Holes everywhere. The blaster opened up a lot and I haven't even blasted the outside surface. If I do I bet I will open up even more rotten cheese holes. The bottom corners of the arch are full of it too, or missing completely. The lower lip of the panel front to back...pitted deeply. I thought that maybe I could weld in some patch panels. I examined more closely the day before yesterday in the sunlight and saw pitting 1/2 way up the inside of the box side. Pitting so deep that any attempt to patch in steel there will just end up with holes being blown everywhere. So if I cut away steel until I hit solid metal, I will cut away well over 1/2 of the remaining box side. Then fight to get it straight, smooth and looking good, then continue the modifications into a shortbox. I don't even want to think of the hours it would take me to do so. I've been moving at a snails pace on this truck and I am extremely frustrated. It looked so solid, the doors and box; but as I dig she's showing me just how thin she has become.

I had high hopes. Things were going so well, I had a good plan, and was eager to get on things. The wind in my sails has quit. The doldrums. I was hoping it wouldn't come to a replacement box, but it is looking that way. Now I've disassembled/destroyed a "deceptive" good looking left box side. Ugh...I've begun shopping and pricing things out.

Ugh...😞

Hours...who cares tonight.

If you're a beginner and want to build a truck, be ready for this kind of stuff. Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and you'd better have a supportive wife like I do.

*No wrenches or tools were thrown during the making of this episode.*

Hey Fox;

That sucks. I am feeling for you, buck up camper.

You got this, something will turn up.

Steve

I have been shopping (not buying yet) and my cart is getting very full. I will try to do as much purchasing in one shot to avoid extra charges. So it's going to be a big one. Remember how I said you'd better have a supportive wife? Well, my wife is unbelievable. I contemplated selling my motorcycle (terrible timing: market's flooded with them, most a lot cheaper than what I want for mine, I don't want to, etc) as I haven't ridden in much in the past 2 years after my kids were born. I would use the cash to go towards parts. My wife said to me the other day, "Don't think you have to sell your bike just so you can buy some parts for Grandpa's truck."

Like I said, she's a keeper. My parts total is running a titch higher than I initially told her though. 😬 I will see how she takes it. Maybe the bike will be on the block after all!

I haven't been idle lately though. I ripped the front end apart to replace the bushing rubber on the upper and lower control arms. They were packed full of sand from the blaster and needed to be replaced. I also fishplated the inside of the frame splice, but haven't completely welded it out, as welding under the cab sucks and I want to pull the cab off in order to complete the welds. I disassembled the stock overload springs, blasted the hangers, primed, and painted them black, I reassembled them and installed on the back end. I figure I will never use them, but just in case I pull something with this truck one day and need them. A case of, "You don't need 'em, until you need 'em." Plus, they aren't hurting anything under there.

I also cleaned up the shop. I find it extremely satisfying to see the shop clean and tidy. It motivates me to work in there more.

Here are the adjusted, updates hours from what my shop board has told me.

Cab: 88
Frame: 35
Doors: 53- what a PITA. A lot of wasted time here. Learned much, yes, but still behind the 8-ball.
Front fenders- 34.5
Box-23
Hood- 7- some forgotten hours of straightening that severely pinched hood that I got very tired of and found an original replacement.

Total: 240.5

So, some progress, 🤔 but not exactly where I expected it. 3 steps forward, 4 back, 1 forward. What a terrible way of doing it!🤦🏼‍♂️


No pictures to update. We've all seen IFS before!

I also discovered that my 3/4" ratchet has **** the bed, and barely ratchets anymore.

At least the shop is clean.

What kind of bike is it that "may" be on the chopping block?

2010 Triumph Thunderbird

I have been in talks with the parts supplier and we are working on some questions I have before pulling the trigger on this order. The bike may still be for sale, but my wife keeps telling me to be patient and not sell it yet. Unreal. 😃

I finished ripping the original bed apart. I will try to sell it piecemeal to see if I can get some cash for it. Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? Reproduction steel floors go for $2000 cdn! And that old green floor is remarkably solid. Much better than the sides. We will see what I can wrangle.

Also, I have been doing some other things. I disassembled the grille. I removed the inside grille from the outside, remove the light buckets, park lamps, and all the little clips which were tagged and bagged in case aftermarket clips suck...what?! I have blasted the LH and RH light buckets, the window wiper fluid had bracket, the hood latch aligning pin and plate, and primed and painted them. Next up, I think I will blast and paint the outer grille brace/brackets and the hood latch/grille center support bar.

Still moving slowly, but not stopped. 🤔

Cab: 88
Frame: 35
Doors: 53-
Front fenders- 34.5
Box-25
Hood/grille-11.5

Total: 247

Blasting, priming, blasting, priming, repeat...
Bumper brackets, grill brackets, horns, hood latch, grill center bar; it is going well but slowly.

I also modified my blasting cabinet. I had to replace the air hose and pickup tube hose.I installed a vent tube /snorkel for the pickup tube and it seems to pull the media a lot better. I still might make the holes between the two tubes larger to increase the turbulence near the pickup area as it is intermittent sometimes. Maybe the air is wet. I also need to get some new pellets for my air dryer. I think my air is a little damp at times and it is affecting the blaster some.

I love these instant gratification tasks. My parts shed is starting to fill up with black, finished pieces ready for final install in the far future.


Cab: 88
Frame: 35
Doors: 53-
Front fenders- 34.5
Box-25
Hood/grille-11.5
Other- 2

Total: 249

🦊😎

Blasted, primed, painted: tailgate straps, door strikers, door striker backing plates, brake pedal mount and pedal.
I bought a little Oneida dust cyclone and a new shop vac to help pull dust from the cabinet. It works quite well, but does not remove 99% of the dust as advertised. But it is still a huge improvement over the shop vac doing it by itself and then plugging up the filter, and eventually burning out.

I also purchased a 2002 Avalanche for the 5.3 and 4l60e with 200,00km. It was crunched on the front left a little but was a write off. I got the whole truck for $900, minus the t-case, alternator (I have a brand new one in the box), power pump and bracket, and front seats. It ran very well when I picked it up. Oil pressure was good and clean, but I will be going through the whole thing anyways. It is a 4x4 so I will have to get a new output shaft/tail end to make it into a 2wd tranny. Then do something with the computer likely? New guy here, remember? I have spent the last week pulling it out. With my kids I have to jump at moments to wrench and it took a lot longer than I anticipated. Also, those things are a PITA to remove. I removed the whole front clip, the trans x-member, the lines, wiring, dropped the front differential housing, etc, and it still wouldn't come out! In the end removing the intake helped give me more clearance on the firewall and it moved much easier afterwards. I figured better that than trying to split the tranny at this point. Sensors everywhere, wires everywhere, no room like an old 60’s pickup to stick your hands, I won't do this again methinks. I'll buy 1 already removed. However, I have removed it so I could make sure I had all the plugs, etc just in case I need them. I am in over my head on this stuff and hope to learn much.

The massacre....fluids all over the pad. It looks like I slaughtered something. The tranny still had some oil in her heart and the A/C compressor spilled some blood too.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/swtH8TbcoTxWFkoQ8

It was also Canada Day on July 1st and the town had a "reverse parade" where people could walk or drive past your yard to see your display. My wife and I decorated the garage and then parked the 1 ton and 1/2 ton on the gravel pad. Everett just had to have his little blue truck in there too! My father in law and his buddy brought their trucks and we proudly displayed our yard in the POURING RAIN. In the end, the judges liked things and we won a pizza gift certificate. Pretty sweet.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/VUrVVfqR1ANsa8eS8


By the way it finally quit raining. We had 3.25" of rain over 36 hours from Monday to Wednesday this week. Plus it had been raining many days before that too. Today is July 11. We have had 9 days of rain in July so far here. Some steady, others pour, some drizzle, on/off, but no sun. Today was finally a beauty.

Here is the creek at the farm. This is the truck crossing. The depth is well over the truck's roof height. It is normally 1/2 way up your knees at the crossing where the rocks sit. The creek was rocking on it. The flood of '86 was over twice as high. The whole grassland area in the pictures was raging and moving stands of trees down the valley. Unreal what nature can do.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QAQvS9HUM1P1UE587






Cab: 88
Frame: 42
Doors: 53-
Front fenders- 34.5
Box-25
Hood/grille-11.5
Other- 2

Total: 256

Finally smiling after wrestling that engine for 4 days on and off.

🦊😤😡😎

Hey Fox, good progress and I think you will enjoy the EFI. Turn the key and go.
You will likely have to get the computer flashed to set it for the new configuration once you get it all up and running. I have heard good things about CCMR shop here in the Grove. You could probably start with a conversation with them to get an idea of what will be needed.

Keep on posting,
Steve

Thanks for the tip, Steve. I will see where I go from here. I have this engine out but I am not officially sold on this route yet. Oh, I'm going EFI, LS style, but I'm scheming and scheming here... I'm going against my own advice and possibly changing my goal/plan.

It's a slow battle, but it doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop.

Anyway, I have finished welding in the upper left hand corner of the cab where I had a nasty dent, which I tried to repair once but wasn't happy with. The second go round was still a bear but it turned out pretty good in the end. There is still a tiny amount of blocking left to do, then I'm calling it good enough.

I also worked on the frame to a degree. I pulled the old original 1970 frame engine perches, cleaned up the frame rails and painted them. I went to my aunt's (had a visit and coffee of course) where my uncle's boneyard of vehicles still stands. (Thanks Uncle Red!! I miss ya! I think I got this bug from you!) I went out there to get a set of frame perches from a mid-80s truck that use the clam shell engine mounts. I have heard that I will be able to mount an LS style engine on these and still be able to utilize the LS a/c compressor down on the lower frame with an adjustable mount in the block. Here's hoping anyway. I have sandblasted them and primed them. A little shot of gloss black tomorrow and they will look golden on there. I also purchased new rubber mounts from NAPA.

While wrenching on that truck, I pulled its power steering box to install on the manual '70 C10. It truly is amazing how much GM parts are like LEGO. 1980's PS box? Oh yeah, it will bolt right on to a truck that is 15 years older. I haven't actually bolted it up, but it sure looks right. I fought with the pitman arms a tad with my pullers but everything is on the bench. I'm eager to see how this plays out.

My question: Should I rebuild it? I am quite capable I believe. It can't be any harder than a 50's manual steering or a hydraulic ram... Recommendations for a rebuild kit? Advice? This would be my personal option. Then I can paint it as I see fit, know what's in its heart, save money, get satisfaction, etc.

Core exchange it for rebuilt one? This seems stupid if I can do it, and ridiculously expensive for what you're actually getting. Opinions here please.

So, once again I have some work to do. I was actually at a stand still and couldn't think of anything to do the last week. So once stuff dries, I will begin mock up of that LM7 and then build a new cross member for the transmission. The aftermarket one I have will interfere with exhaust routing (or so I'm told). So the x-member I build will come off the frame rail and stay tight to the cab floor and then drop down to the tranny tail shaft. This way my exhaust can have a straight shot back. I may also put "through pipes" in the trailing arm x-member. This way I don't have to dip under that one either.

Well that's the story... for the C10. Everett has a little project I'm working on for him. A Power Wheels dune racer. But I HATE how loud those hard plastic wheels are in rocks, pavement, etc. So I used strips of pretty tough floor mat rubber and I super adhesived and screwed down "retread" over the worn out treads (it was used but like new apart from the treads). It looks pretty bad [censored] if I say so myself. It will be so much quieter and it will grip the road better. He might need a traction bar now. 🤔

In addition, I am trying to thin my herd. I have posted my parts 2004 Duramax truck, 1970 suburban 4x4, and 1950 GMC parts one ton trucks for sale. Which reminds me, I have to go pull those drums one day soon. I have some good bites and think I have sold the Burb. This cash flow may go toward my...scheming...🤔

As for hours, they have been going up all over the place, but I didn't take a picture of the board before I shut it down but I am pretty sure the total sits at ...


Total: 267.

Having fun again...😎🦊😃

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YE5oAzm32nvyYbj48

One reason why I haven't been updating this as frequently in the past is because I usually begin wrenching at 9-9:30 at night and pull for an hour or two. By the time I clean up shop (who am I kidding...I just drop it and go in),shower, relax a bit, it is usually 11-11:30pm. I peruse the Bolt of course, but don't feel like writing out the novel.

Anyways, here goes.

I have sold the Burb and I am glad to have it gone. I had big dreams but reality made me sell it. The Duramax has had LOTS of bites but I have had to be pretty stern with some stupid people.

I painted out the 80's C10 frame mounts and installed the new rubber mounts I got from Napa. I had to drill a couple holes on the frame rails but the install was super simple. I ordered 73-87 C10 LS engine mounts from Dirty Dingo, as I didn't feel like making my own. It's a lot harder to find time with my guppies and buying some things has sped me up in certain areas.

I rebuilt that steering box from the 80's C10 and it was easy, except that it wasn't. That bugger fought me EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. The hardest part to remove was the threaded lock ring nut and the threaded "plunger" cap. I got the lock ring with oil and heat. But I had to build 3 tools to try to get the threaded plunger cap piece. In the end, heat, penetrant for a day, and a 38" long,custom built, flat bar, screwdriver, thing-a-ma-jig with me TORQUING on it, and I do mean grunting, push/pull like a son of o gun, it finally went squeakkkkkkk! and turned a millilimeter. I finally got it with no damage to the threads. Figure that one out. Good thing the kids were in bed. Everett is copying everything I say these days, both polite and profane.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LH8M7Bsxh6eYjmwE9

I got that hung and mounted and turned my attention to the front rubber brake lines. The front mounting tabs are in the backside of the front cross member. When using a CPP 5 bolt spindle/rotor/brake kit, the caliper forces the line to go upward as it makes its way back to the tab on the back of the cross member. When this happens, the line rubs on the tire in turns. I contacted CPP about this and the response was, "Put a twist/pigtail in the line, tighten it down on the caliper and it should be good."

"Huh?! No..."

So I cut off that tab, dressed it, and then allowed the line to fall where it wanted and lo and behold it wanted to go to the front of the cross member! So I welded the old tabs there, cleaned them up and shot them in gloss black and reattached the lines. No more binding, no more rubbing, and it doesn't look stupid as f…I'll let you fill in that last syllable. Thanks CPP. 🤔

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DJXxA6orhf3VMqQeA

The next night, I proceeded to mock up the lm7 engine/transmission into the frame. I knew some problems were coming but wanted to check for myself. The driver exhaust manifold clears with some minor frame trimming but I won't be doing that. The passenger manifold hits, a lot. I have read/ seen other people trim the frame here, but I don't know how the cuss they expect to maintain frame integrity as the flange SERIOUSLY interferes with the frame. New manifolds are the option for me. The transmission clears the low hump floor and is a 4l60e. The A/C compressor JUST clears the frame but some tweaking will be necessary unless I proceed with my scheming. I was thinking about a whole kit- A mid-mount serpentine system. The dirty dingo slider engine brackets worked fine but I have yet to really test their complete abilities.

Tonight I separated the transmission from the engine. I drained the oil in the engine and it is pretty black. The little open space where you can see the valve area under the lifter valley cover looked pretty grimy. There was that baked on, fine packed sludge that looks like smoothed, roof tar, yeah that stuff. It was a productive last few wrenching sessions. My plan is taking better shape than my "roughed out" plan thanks to some Bolters, and I will disassemble the engine to see what all needs to be done before the big order is placed.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/B5Mbz5qihETKQcqe7

Thanks for the patience.
Keep your stick on the ice. (It is hockey playoffs after all! In August? What the?! AWESOME!!!!)

Hours?- Sitting at 278
I'll get the play by play hours later. It's bedtime. Wait a tick! Hockey highlights!

🦊😎🏒

Edit: Oops. I had duplicated photo links. New engine mock up link.

Well, hockey is over. For a bit anyways!

Burb sold!
Duramax sold!
Up a bit in change!
"New" 2004 Duramax doing well. I did have to change out the steering column bearing to get rid of that annoying little clunk/knock in the steering. It feels great now. Everett and I also went fishing for a weekend and broke in Maximus to see how she pulled our camper. Cruise at 110kmh. 2000rpm. And she never moved the whole trip. Up hills, flats, it was great. My Tundra would have been up and down the whole way and only pulling at 90kmh. Happy owner.

Oh right, the C10.

I have been doing some things in between parenting, teaching, hockey watching, and yard work. I have completely torn the LM7 down to the block. I have a billion pieces, bagged and tagged, heads, pistons, everything, everywhere! What good fun. The pistons have some pretty good rubbing on one side so I will be replacing those. The lifters look ok, but I might get the shop to look at them when I drop off the block. The valves look great, despite being a little grimy, the timing chain has a little slack so it will be replaced. All bearings looked good but will be replaced as well. The cam bearings were a little "rough" on the top side, but the cam journals spec out and were smooth. The cam bearings will be replaced by the block shop. A mild cam from Comp and some springs will be on order as well. Nothing crazy, just a little lope, some horsepower and a good broad curve. I will also be putting some LS style manifolds on it to clear the frame. I will use the stock 706 heads for a few simple reasons. 1. I got 'em already. 2. They look great inside. 3. They have a slightly higher compression ratio than some other truck style heads, so why drop some ratio and have to gain it back by adding elsewhere? And I'm not going the ripping snot LS7 path, so why bother with that stuff? I am dropping off the block on Saturday, hopefully.

I also stripped the outside of my 4l60e. I will be going to a 2wd trans (it's a 4x4) so I will use it as a core and just purchase a new/rebuilt 2wd from a good shop and be done. I really don't feel like jumping into an electronic transmission rebuild at this time. The LM7 is enough, methinks. I will get a new torque converter to help plant horsepower more effectively.

I disassembled the starter and cleaned it up and painted parts that needed some freshening. It is ready to go back together.

I blasted and primed the Dingo slider engine mounts. They are dry and awaiting a top coat.

I have also had to buy a few tools in order to complete the tear down. To remove the coolant plug and a few oil galley passage plugs, I needed to buy a large socket type Allen key in metric. 17mm is the coolant plug size, FYI. So I had to wait on those items. Then I needed a Torx 50 IP plus in order to be able to remove the bellhousing from the transmission. Yes, a TORX 50. PLUS. The regular 50 will not fit and will likely strip stuff out. Whatever happened to regular hex bolts GM? Ugh. Boy, oh boy, were those bolts tight. Then the bloody starter solenoid needed a TINY Torx socket. Like super tiny. "Is that a bloody Torx? Yeesh, it is. I think...Yep. You dirty bugger!" I didn't have the tool, or patience any more, so I grabbed the smallest socket in my 1999 Sears Craftsman socket set. A 4mm 6point 1/4" drive socket with extension. Well, the shoulder on the socket hit the wall of the starter. Enter the bench grinder. I beveled the snot out of that 4mm socket to see if I could get it down far enough to bite. It did. Crossed my fingers and slowly began to put some force in. SUCCESS! Just Red Green'ed that one!

So updated hours are:
Cab: 92
Frame: 68 ( I count engine/tranny work here)
Doors: 53-
Front fenders- 34.5
Box-25
Hood/grille-11.5
Other- 2

Total: 286

😎🦊

Fingers crossed my luck keeps going the way it is. The trenches can throw curves at a guy very quickly.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dKdq3iPJa7XP5ayMA

Block dropped off. Hit up pick n pull for an alternator/steering pump bracket as my engine was missing these items. $10. Sweet!

A&W for lunch. Everett got his own strawberry milkshake, and pounded it! Princess Auto stop, of course. Walmart for groceries. Stopped at the Genesee power plant to show Everett one of the display Komatsu coal trucks. Yeesh. What a monster! At least 4 of my GMC Duramaxes could fit in the dump box. He loved it and then promptly fell asleep on the way home in Maximus!

Good day.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PneFa146u3yVVTSm7

Not every exciting but I've been blasting and painting, degreasing and scrubbing, ugh...Bellhousing, alt/ps bracket, idler, balancer, A/C bracket, starter assembled, oil pan hand scrubbed...again...ugh.

One hour at a time.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DywaEXsB84zyrwv28

As an update, the block shop confirmed my suspicions. The block has to be bored. I used Jerry's ring in the bore method of measuring the cylinder bore taper, and I was finding anywhere from .003-.006" of taper depending on the cylinder. Not exactly 100% confident, and not wanting to cheap out when I'm going this deep, I got the shop to check it as well. Needless to say they would have, but I just wanted to confirm that if I could get away with a hone I'd be happy. Well, my measurements were pretty much what they got, +/-.001/.002, so the bore has increased 10 over. Thanks Jerry.

I should be pulling wrenches on this thing soon. Stay tuned there.

But first I have to replace my exhaust tube in my radiant shop heater. The last 2 feet that exhaust out the shop wall, and the inside 2 feet before the wall, were severely corroded. The pipe suddenly one day turned to holes. The pipe is 2" and near the end it was 1.75" full of soot about 3 feet into the pipe. I'm guessing stuff condenses when it hits that cold air outside when it is -30°C and drops onto the pipe bottom radius. Mix that little bit of soot with a bit of moisture and 20 years of neglect and I suppose it would rot. My wife noticed it. I can't believe I didn't because it is right above my steel rack. So I disassembled the 4" cover piping and exposed the 2" galvanized tubing. I zip cut it out and will get a new piece on Wednesday. Then, I will weld the new pipe on and reassemble. Good thing it isn't -40°C .

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q3cXkmExpvvBRHkg9

Hey y'all, have you cleaned your furnaces/exhaust in time for winter?


Winter is coming. When did summer actually start? Bahaha!