since last update, ive been busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
First, I got the new fuel sending unit and pump assembly swapped in. the new pump died after about 3 seconds, so I hung the old pump on the new sender. Didn't fix the gas gauge issue. And I didn't take any pictures.
Then I moved on to the overhead console. I did a little bandsaw work to the camera monitor to give it more of a flat back. The way it was delivered was with a stand and knob attached, which wouldn't allow it to lay properly. Five seconds with the bandsaw, and....
20180410_082902 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
went ahead and used my hot glue gun to attach it to the console. Used the nubs and screws as the locations to glue.
20180410_082910 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
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Michael Crawford, on Flickr
then went on to cut up an old mud flap as a piece to fill in the hole left by the HVAC controls, and to mount my gauges in.
20180410_084232 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
we also got the rear cab wall painted. I scrubbed all the plastidip off, feathered out all the chips and gouges, primed the bare metal with etching primer...
20180409_184316 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
pulled it out in the driveway, ran 50 foot worth of air hose, wiped it down, masked it off, and had art shoot it.
20180410_173752 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20180410_175952 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
color variation between viper red and victory red. Its a LOT more different in person.
20180410_182235 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
in the meantime, art had fixed all the rivet holes and damage on the bed, as well as sprayed it in high build and blocked it.
20180411_193026 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
he then painted it, I cut and clearanced the center bed support, and we put it on.
20180412_184323 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
when I got it home, I refinished the step pads with sem bumper and trim paint, installed the stake pocket plugs, cut down the bedliner, and reinstalled it all.
20180413_085947 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20180413_085954 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
I then went on to install the tonneau cover and tie down hooks. The tie down hooks are from harbor freight. I first used them in the el camino, and find them incredibly useful, especially since there's no place to hook a ratchet strap in this bed just like there wasn't in the elky. Im adding 8: front/back floors of the bed, and then on the side walls in plane with the floor ones. Gives so many attachment options that I haven't ever wished for anything else. I also Modified every single piece of attachment hardware on the tonneau cover to make it work. I believe this is due to the bedliner and the way it makes the cover clamps fit. But its done now.
20180414_191708 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20180414_191717 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
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Michael Crawford, on Flickr
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Michael Crawford, on Flickr
I also got the wheel from the elky installed. I couldn't get comfortable with the idea of a 23 year old explosive device manufactured by the lowest bidder staring me in the face. And the leather was trashed. I still need to work on it some, as it drags on the column plastic enough to make wheel return annual effort. Thinking there needs to be some trimming done.
20180414_194824 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr
lastly, I need to give a huge THANK YOU to the staff at grassroots motorsports. See, I have a thing. I like decals on my back glass. The GRM Dork sticker is my favorite ive ever had. I got my original when we stopped at the GRM world headquarters on the way to taking my daughter to Disney. It was on the passengers bottom corner of the elky, and died with the truck. I was actually heartbroken over that sticker more than the truck. Also the memorial sticker to Walter B. Jones. I had reached out to the magazine about getting a new challenge specific windshield banner, as the windshield in this truck is cracked and pitted. While talking to them, I asked for permission to have the dork sticker cloned. Instead they sent me the whole registration packet of stickers/lanyard, as well as a new dork sticker. That may be the most awesome thing a company has ever done for me. Wouldn't even accept shipping charges. Hopefully this set of stickers stays for many, many years. I don't want to lose another set. Im also talking to mazduece about the stickers he made at the challenge of the names that were on the hood, as well as the super slow team logo as replacements for the glass of this truck. I may be radically changing what I bought, but don't want to lose its history. The goal for this truck is really to make what jeremy had intended, only nicer. Low, comfortable, capable, and awesome. A good drivabeater.
I will eave you with pictures of the decals provided by the most awesome company I have ever been involved with.
20180414_194849 by
Michael Crawford, on Flickr