Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

So as I was browsing the forum today I ran across a thread in the 67-72 section about all the great cheap mods people have done. I did a search in here to see if there was one as well but could not locate it so...Lets do the same

Here are the rules from the other thread

Now, lets set some ground rules for what is considered a $50 mod.
Obviously, a person with a pole barn packed with a lift, $25,000 worth of tools, a plasma cutter and 220volt miller MIG welder can get anything done. They have the tools to take junk metal and turn it into a one off treasure. Same with the guys who can paint like Chip Foose.
Lets keep this simple.

#1... 50 bucks is 50 bucks. Not 50 bucks plus this $300 piece "I had laying around" Now a $300 piece that you scored for $50 on Craigslist or at a flea market is fair game.
#2... Cheaper is always better.... free is best.
#3... Hand tools only. If you used air tools to make/modify something, then it is out. HOWEVER... if it could have been done with hand tools, then it's cool and it is back in.
#4... Lets keep it simple, something the average moron with little tallent (like me) can do.
#5... a quick overview, or a link to step by step instructions is best, so this thread doesn't become a 30 page thread that you have to sift through to find that trick you need.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

One of my favorites. Instead of $200 for carpet I bought 3 cans of Dupli Color Bed Armour from Advanced Auto and hit the interior with it. I believe it was $12 a can.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1330389860

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Excellent thread!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, lets see.... I was gonna put "tune-up" on top of the list, but I think we should keep maintenance and repairs out, unless the repair is a work-around to use X instead of Y to save some bucks kinda thing. Anywho...


1: LEDs in the dash, dome and cargo lights. Brighten up your life for under $50 and a few hours of time. Do this now and thank me later. Lots of good info on how to do this here.

2: Newer radio upgrade. I hate aftermarket radios and wanted some better sounds. $25 for the adapter plug, a free radio swiped from a friend, and an hour or so and I was rocking out. These radios can be had for $10 on craigslist. Not sure what the junkyards get for them. Replacementradios.com sell the plug, or you can go real low budget and hack up your factory wiring, if it hasn't been already. Chopping wires maybe the only option for guys with older trucks. And if you scoop up a radio that had a slave (single in dash, or remote changer) CD player, replacementradios.com sells a doodleybob that you plug into the radio that you plug your iPod into and then you can CONTROL the iPod through the radio.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=522852

3: Buy some SEM interior paint and go nuts. Do it in sections and keep your costs down. I'm $50ish into doing my crew cab and prolly need 2-3 more cans to do the three door panels I have left.

4: Redo that sagging headliner. New material and glue cost me under 50 bucks.

5: polish your plastic lenses. Lost of headlight resto kits out there on the cheap, and they work on taillight and turn signal lenses, too. I've used Duragloss and Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish on a rag rubbed in by hand with great success.


I'm sure I'll come up with some more ideas or remember **** I've done on the cheap.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Other things ive ran across that are great mods...

1: Broken Glove box hinges can be easily repaired with the use of a small piano hinge

2: Paint your Needles with Touch Up Paint, cut a hole in a paper towel to go over the needles to protect gauges

3. Paint the inside of the Gauge bezel with Flat White to give it more reflection and brighter lighting

4. Paint your dash bezel with Black Plastic Paint and Use touch up paint to repaint the rings in any color (Have to be very slow and steady)

Something im considering trying but not sure will work... I did a horrible job at redoing my headliner so im considering ripping off the matterial and spraying the foam with bed liner..

This would make it plastic almost, a nice textured look, and only cost $12. My concern is it may be to heavy and cause it to sag

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Pull your carpet out and pressure wash it. Douse it with Simple Green and scrub, scrub, scrub the **** out of it before hand, then head to the do it yourself carwash with $7 in quarters. Let it sit in the sun hanging over a fence or tailgate or saw horse to dry for a few days. This does a far better job that a carpet shampooer.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Back up lights, 30 for the lights and 15-20 for the switch and wires, bit of wrench time and a couple swares and bam, blind @ss holes for riding ur @ss in traffic
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Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

rust-oleum bed liner in a spray can. also comes in tan. 2 cans will do both dors and a little extra. i think it was about $8-10 a can
http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/CIMG6669.jpg

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

i did this mod, cost about 10 bucks total but you need a welder, cut off, and wood stain (or any other shift knob you want I guess.

I took the shifter off my truck, (all you need is a hammer and something like a screw driver to knock the little pin out.)

I then cut about an inch and a half out on the center of the shaft.

welded the remains back together, and smoother it out.

I then too the cutoff wheel to the rubber shift knob and knocked it off.

went to home depot. found a decorative furniture leg. cut off what I didnt want, wood puttied a little hole it had on one end, sanded, stained and drilled out the other end to fit on my shifter.

took longer for the stain to dry the the rest of the mod all together. and it looks WAY better. it keeps the shifter level with the dash instead of above it.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...y/photo-25.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ry/image-9.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...y/image-11.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...y/image-12.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...y/photo-28.jpg

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

and, since its just a few tach welds I figure everyones gotta know someone with a welder.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

sport bumper off a suburban at the wreckers cost me 50 bucks not much of a mod but it does change the appearance of your truck

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

on the topic of shifters, this is mine. I have a SM564 and shifting into second was as far as my arm could read. I found a nut that fit and welded it onto a 3/4" wrench and put a nut on the shift lever so i could lock it on. its not such a far reach to second, its tall hotrod style and the wrench is sweet(it can also be removed and used if needed). so it gets 2 birds stoned at once:

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/CIMG7106.jpg

this is a front bumper that i sectioned and shortened, i think i took out about 8" off each side. you can grab one from a yard for 50 or less

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/CIMG6593.jpg

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

What brackets are needed for this swap? Just the brackets off the suburban?

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

the outside bracket off the burb are different but the inside brackets are the same and bolt up

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

adding a second colour of LEDs to my cluster......$10.00

roll on rust paint.......50.00(was actually $39.00 on sale)

makeing the heater have an off switch.....(snip the low) free

i have the radio wired to work with/without the key
up without key/down with key.....
middle is off for drive through
maybe $5. for small switch

painted the console $10.00

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

helping increase exhaust noise and flow.....$10.-15.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Speaker pods: $11.00(6.00 for the pods, and 5.00 for fusion paint).
I pulled these from a '94 up S Blazer, Astro vans also have a usable pod(More cutting will be involved). You have to use a shallow speaker if you don't want to cut the panel/metal behind it.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7...89890e89_c.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/7...c014e119_c.jpg

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

This thread is awesome!

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

$15 Chevy Cavallier steering wheel from pick a part
$20 snap-on screwdriver handle shifter knob.
$6 Baby blue spray paint for my stock wheels.
All my mods are budget mods!

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Great job guys..Keep them coming

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

sand, prime and paint factory Ralley Wheels. beaty rings are under $10 at swap meets if you have some damaged ones. no better looking wheel out there IMHO.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Well since i cant use what i had laying around kinda kills it .

One recent mod I did under $4 make my stereo capable of playing and ipod or any phone mp3 player. Had pics on phone but deleted them sorry. What I have is a JVC cd player i got back in 06. I paid a couple hundred for it but it was just a few months before they made them MP3 capable and did not have an aux plug. Since all my speakers are ran off an kenwood amp figured I could tie into the amp. I know some people just use an mp3 player but i still wanted the cd player and radio functions. So what i found at the $1 store were rca cable splitters basicly a y jack they sell these at radio shack for $5 a peice and you will need 2 . Also at the dollar store i found a standard speaker jack "sorry forgot the technical name" to rca. so this one is another y jack with a 3 foot cord only downfall its white. I had the perfect size hole already under my dash for the plug to slide through below the stereo. a little tape lets say 50 cents and about 1 hour to make it perfect now if turn on my stereo it powers the amp i plug in my mp3 player turn the stereo volume down and use the volume on my mp3 player and it works perfect. The best part is since most our trucks have this hole you dont need to drill anything and there enough space you can kinda feed the plug cable under the dash when not in use and it doesent look out of place.


Edit: oh i forgot the coolest part if you have your phone plugged in you can make hands free calls to kinda like a jupiter jack
"as seen on tv" ;) which they also sell at the dollar store lol i love that place. but yeah cool you can talk and drive hands free.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

Glow plug relay override on the diesel. Ferd solenoid, momentary switch, battery cable and ends, 2 metric nuts, wire and connectors. No more hard starts. $50
Steel pulley instead of rubber damped one, no more rattle. $35
J code non-EGR intake. $50 including new intake gaskets, decarboned intake on the way yb. Probably picked up 3hp.

Single best mod IMHO is soapy water, scuff pad, and 6 cans of black paint under the hood. Everything loks better in black.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

This is kool, we can learn and share. I painted my wheels also, under $50.00. Two cans of rustolium cherry red, $7.00 a can. A lot of sanding but well worth it, alot of people ask if I had them powder coated.

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

I like the red.....I am going to do that with my Ralleys once I paint the truck Blitz Black

Re: Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)
 

I removed my ash tray and replaced it with my trailer brake controller. I used scrap steel and only about a foot or two of mig wire. Some spot putty and primer and Tremclad paint.

Near as I can figure it was about $3.00 worth of products and 2 hours of time and 3 cups of coffee.