Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Thanks. Yes sir, thats what we use. I find the Krylon Cover Max coats well, dries quickly, and has a nice satin sheen that is durable. Its much easier than loading a paint gun, and there is no waste.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Nice results! I need to look into that "new" event...

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Another week flies by and not much time spent in the shop. My nephew sold his car so we spent most of Saturday searching Craigslist looking for a truck. It's amazing how many people have no idea how important it is to use quality pics and a real description of what they are selling SMH :rolleyes:

Sunday was much more productive. We did some minor repairs to Chris riding mower then got back on wrapping up the gas tank install. Last week we installed the tank but we had to drop it again. I didn't like the routing of the factory harness and decided to make changes. Now the harness is at the top of the rail and crosses over to the inside. It's much cleaner and is protected inside the frame rail.

While cleaning up wires going to the tank we ensured the ground had a very good connection.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

With the gas tank install finished we moved to the passenger side. The floor pan had a dusty coat of paint and undercoating that was sprayed over more of the red Georgia clay. We scrubbed the pan and rails clean to uncover more rust free metal. Lots and lots of red clay but nothing more than specs of surface rust on the rails.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

We prepped the pan and gave it a couple of coats of undercoating then hit the frame rails with satin black. We have most of the cab done now. We need to lower the transmission tail to get above it and the exhaust. We are getting close.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

While the bottom of the cab was drying we wrapped up on more detail at the back of the cab. There is a small cross brace there that supports the fuel lines as they cross over to the tank. Whoever mounted it last used what ever bolts they had laying around. None matched, and none were GM style bolts. We found all the correct bolts with built on washers and secured the cross brace properly.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

nice and clean.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Your last build and this one have inspired me and Owen to do a similar undertaking on his Sonoma. The Sonoma will need an all over paint job, but the rest will get this kind of treatment...

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Thanks Karl my quest here is multipurpose. By working on these newer purchases I am distracted from fixing things that aren't really broke on my 77. My Dad once walked up on my taking apart one of my cars when I was a kid. He asked me what was broken and I replied "Nothings broke, I'm making it better" . He gave me a puzzled look and said " Son, if it ain't broke don't fix it till it is". While that is very profound advice, it's just not in my nature to leave things alone.

The other reason I am doing these builds is for my nephew. Chris has a desire to learn more about old trucks but my brother didn't teach him a whole lot. Hopefully I can teach Chris what I have experienced over the years and learn together as we go.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

I fully know where you are coming from on this. I hope to teach Owen just as you are doing for Chris.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Still shopping for a truck for Chris. In the interim we spent the day working forward from where we left off last. We pulled the fender liners, and lowered the tail of the transmission to gain more access. Once again I was pleased to find absolutely no rust but plenty of dirt. We cleaned and prepped everything.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

After a full clean and prep process we got the floor pan covered all the way to the bottom of the firewall. Tomorrow I will paint the frame rails and transmission. Then I can get the crossmember in place.

Ignore the big run at the top of the pan. It's from the factory seam sealer, and I'm going to remove it even though it can't be seen when the liner is back in place.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

We found a truck to go check out but we had some time to kill waiting for the owner to get home. I finished the prep work above the transmission. We wrapped the tranny up and blasted the pan.

EDIT- Apparently I failed to get finished pics. I will add those later.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

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Amazing how rust free this truck is.

Always enjoy reading your attention to detail refurb threads - appreciate the time you spend to share all the details!

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Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Since you are doing the cleaning in the shop and I don't see water all over the floor in the pics, can you describe your cleaning process?

Your results look great.!

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

I searched for weeks looking for the "right" candidate for my latest build. I have learned that rust repair and paint work add the largest cost to a build. If I can start with a rust free truck that has quality paint then I am miles ahead. I usually do the degreasing at the local Coin Op Car Wash. I spray everything down with Gunk Engine Brite then use the degreaser feature to get it as clean as possible.

Once its in the shop we use various size wire brushes to start the clean up. To minimize dust I sometimes wet it with a spray bottle. Once we have the loose dirt off I blast it with the air nozzle. I also use a battery powered leaf blower to clean up my work area.

I have tried various solvents for the final prep but they can become cost prohibitive and easily wasted. We discovered that Walmart brand brake cleaner on folded paper towels uses minimal product and dries quickly with no residue. I toss them in my recycle bin so we are enviro friendly.

I buy the cheapest paper towels that Sams Club offers and they work great. They are virtually lint free and cost much less than the blue towels. I may use twice the amount, but its still cheaper.

The end result is we almost never have any fish eye or chemical reaction when we apply undercoat or paint.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Another Killer N2TRUX project. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. Hard to beat these old squares. I love them. I need to add another one to my stable eventually.
subscribed....

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Thanks for sharing and taking time to post. Always informative!

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Thanks for sharing this info. Its these methods/products that the masters like yourself have developed that make for great results. Learning this stuff can be costly if you have to learn this stuff the hard way without some guidance from people like you.

I've been doing this for a good long time too, but I still learn new things all the time and like to see/hear what the others do for the challenges these old trucks give us.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

My Pleasure I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person. Despite that I often find myself doing some really dumb stuff. Upon reflection, I realize that the stupid things I do are usually because I got in a hurry or chose to try a short cut.

I try to learn something new or see things from a different perspective every chance I get despite what my wife may tell you. ;)

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Unfortunately no progress to report. My wife and I are hosting a family gathering for the 4th of July so my time was spent in the back yard. Since the decision was made late in the game I went with bagged mulch rather than bulk delivery. We spread 24 bags and planted several flats of ground cover.

I sanded and painted a bench and table. I got one section of the wrought-iron fence sanded and primef before the rain shut me down. My buddy is coming to pressure wash the deck tomorrow and I will be ready for the family to enjoy a day at the pool.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Its good to relax and enjoy time with the family on the 4th. Owen and I will be in the Appalachia mountains on a Youth Mission trip for church. We leave on the 2nd and return on the 10th.

Have fun and be safe!

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Nice progress on the truck and the backyard! Looks like a fun place to be with family on the 4th.

Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

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X2!

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Re: 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"
 

Chris and I took a couple weekends to get caught up on other projects. We found a new home for his old car and finally located a truck for him. We picked up a 2001 GMC Sierra. It was a one owner truck that had been passed through several family members and was up for sale. The good news was it had a fresh paint job on it. The bad news was it had not been cleaned up for a long time.

We split our time between cleaning his truck and repaint, replace, and repair all the little things that had been neglected. With a few purchases from Amazon, Craigslist, and the local pick and pull we have his truck looking much better and functioning like it should be.