Project Checkbook - 1971 Jimmy Custom

[tristan]

Another month, another shop bill but some progress to report although it is still teardown progress. The front clip is now off the Jimmy and I have both bumpers, the grille and the associated front end trim ready to send out for replating. I hate the black trim paint they put on the 1971-72 Jimmy grilles and am not going to redo it.

[tristan]

Here is the nekked GMC without its front end. I don't know if I've shown the SPID before but you'll see why I think this particular truck deserves the time and money that I've invested in it so far.

[tristan]

The top has had some additional challenges hiding under its rotten gaskets. There was a fair amount of lip loss, a crack or two and some delamination along the edges. As I've mentioned before, this restoration shop does a lot of Corvette work so the top is in good hands. There is probably a few more days of fiberglass work before it is ready for paint.

The shop still has quite a bit of paint and interior chrome part buffing to do but they have cleaned up and repainted the bumper brackets and trailer hitch which is a morale booster. I have asked them to start tearing down the radiator assembly and core support as well as the heater core to begin the engine compartment cleanup.

I have also learned that my 350 is a 1986 GM crate motor replacement but I'm not terribly concerned about it at this point. The market doesn't seem to punish replacement engines all that much and this one has excellent compression, vacuum and oil pressure. Finding the right "Fireball Red" GMC paint for it has been a b!tch though.

[IronCanine]

Progress looks great. I'm getting excited for you. That is one stout SPID! More than worthy of the TLC she's getting.

[tristan]

Here are a few of the front-end teardown. Today the heater core, AC equipment, core support, radiator and AC radiator (or whatever they call it) came off. The core support is sound with just a few dings and the usual crud around the battery bracket. My truck came from the factory with dual batteries which might be neat if I can figure out what the 2nd one powered. The A/C radiator is dinged up but sound although I don't like the bent vanes. I'm going to have the core support blasted and painted semi-gloss black.

I bought an original deluxe Delco AM radio per the SPID and also bought an underdash speaker assembly on the FS ads here. I shipped them off to an antique radio specialist for rebuild. I have also located a source for GMC "Fireball Red" engine paint and had a devil of a time finding it. You'd think there would be more demand for it but GMC-only stuff is usually very troublesome and expensive to get.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by tristan

I have also located a source for GMC "Fireball Red" engine paint and had a devil of a time finding it. You'd think there would be more demand for it but GMC-only stuff is usually very troublesome and expensive to get.

Was your engine originally red? I wasn't aware that the Jimmy's had different color engines. I assumed that they were orange just like the Blazers. Here's a pic of an original 20K mile '71 Jimmy engine bay...and it looks pretty orange to me...though it may have been re-touched. I'm sure it would look cool regardless, but would be interested to learn more about this. Experts please chime in.

[Chulisohombre]

My buddy had a 67 305 v6 that was red. I thought the v8 was orange.

[tristan]

Here is the color I'm talking about off a current EBay Jimmy auction. It is also shown in a 1971 factory sales brochure I have that pictures an "Invader 350 V-8." It is definitely not the same color as Chevy's engine orange although many make it so as that paint is easy to find.

[tristan]

Here is one more of the engine paint which is a red-orange color. The difference between it and Chevy orange is subtle but real.

[Chulisohombre]

After 40 years I'm sure the red dulls some as well. Never noticed except my buddy's. But his was redone and painted as well.

[mx289]

How's it going over here Dave ?

[tristan]

Hi Tom, Very little action over the past few months as the shop is concentrating on getting cars done for people who actually want to drive them this summer. The top is getting close to completion but not much else. I hope things are progressing with your Jimmy. Hopefully I can post some updates in a month or two.

[mx289]

Originally Posted by tristan

Hi Tom, Very little action over the past few months as the shop is concentrating on getting cars done for people who actually want to drive them this summer. The top is getting close to completion but not much else. I hope things are progressing with your Jimmy. Hopefully I can post some updates in a month or two.

Hi Dave.

I hear you on the slow progress, same here.
But perfection takes time right ? And that pesky $ !

Me and Justin are about to finally tear into Jimmy #1 and get it mechanically road ready.Been tinkering and parts collecting for too long.

In a few weeks I should have a build thread started as well.


Take care.

[tristan]

After four months of inactivity due to shop issues I am back among the living and this has been a big week.

Having been infected by an expensive and incurable disease known as "undercarriage envy" by the vector known here as Iron Canine I've decided to take it all-the-way as Howard Cosell used to say. This week the tub came off the frame for a frame-off makeover. Here are a couple of pictures of the frame, which looks very solid.

I'm not planning to go to the incredible place IC went on the frame components. Since my truck came from a dry climate (NM/TX), the springs, spring shackles and bolts and other frame and suspension components aren't corroded enough to have to remove and replace. I'm going to have the frame and suspension media blasted and painted satin black. There is U-POL Raptor undercoating on the frame and I don't like it so that will be replaced with POR 15. Same thing for the T-case and gas tank skid plates.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by tristan

Having been infected by an expensive and incurable disease known as "undercarriage envy" by the vector known here as Iron Canine

Like any good disease, it's swapped back and forth freely. I was so jealous of your super solid and dry tub from your first post. Congrats on the evolution. You are starting with such a solid and loaded specimen, it's going to be worth it and you'll be happier. Excited to see progress and pics. I was talking about your thread yesterday hoping for an update. Let me see if I can think of something else to will into existance... Keep up the great work!

[tristan]

The engine and drivetrain are also coming out for cleanup and repaint. The wiring harness is brittle and patched so I am going to replace it. I'm going stock on the paint schema for the drivetrain - GMC Fireball Red on the block, natural aluminum on the tranny and Chevy Orange with natural aluminum on the access doors for the T-case. Axles and differentials will be satin black except for the original Hickey diff covers which will stay their original aluminum finish.

[tristan]

Here is the tub up on the lift. The interior paint is completed. The underside was U-POL'd and I don't like it, but have decided to leave it on the bottom of the tub. I'm going to have it removed from the wheel wells, rocker boxes and lower firewall in favor of POR or some other smoother, satin black finish. The lower firewall will be painted the same ochre as the rest of the truck down to the breakline with the bottom of the tub.

The shop and I are refining the timeline and workplan for the remainder of the restoration. The tentative thought is to aim for completion next spring although both of us realize that many unforeseen variables affect such things. Money is also an issue as all of this won't come cheap. However, after paying so much money to have the truck torn down to the tub and frame I knew it would always bother me if I didn't go to this one further step to do things all-the-way.

[Chulisohombre]

Looking good. I wish sometimes I had the time and money to make that jump. I'm just happy line is on the road legally this summer after 6 years of work and time on the old girl. Always nice to see one go all the way. Lol. Cheers.

[tristan]

I was kidding of course but the quality of the work done on your incredible Blazer is a continuing inspiration to me and others. I took the liberty of sending my resto shop some pictures of your completed frame and drivetrain so they have an idea of how the ideal should look.

[IronCanine]

You're very kind. This Jimmy is going to be killer.

[tristan]

Progress continues - here is the tub bolted to the rotisserie and flipped over to expose its not-so-soft underbelly. In the bottom-up pictures the shop had started to grind off the U-POL from the bottom of the wheel wells and rocker boxes as I want a smoother finish there. They are also prepping the firewall and the places on the bottom of the tub that were covered by the frame at the time of the original undercoating.

[tristan]

The first picture will give you a better idea of the contrast between the U-POL on the tub bottom and the smoother finish I want on the wheel well bottoms and rocker boxes which are the most visible parts of the underside. Those parts are getting a thinned-down POR-15 with a semi-gloss black finish. The other pictures show tub bottom paint prep in process.

[tristan]

Here is the firewall before paint prep and then after the first round of primer. There were no factory inscriptions on it to preserve/copy, alas.

[Chulisohombre]

Lookin good. Wish o had the money to do that much resto. Awesome there. Some day hopefully. I'm just happy lines on ther Road again. Acting as my daily driver for the moment.

[tristan]

Here are some pictures of the completed underside of the tub. I am very pleased with the outcome. The semi-gloss POR-15 on the wheel wells and rocker boxes will show well on the more visible parts of the underside while the heavy-duty U-POL on the less visible tub floor bottom will protect and soundproof the metal in that section. If you look carefully on the right side of a couple of the pictures you can see the bottom of the firewall in primer. Finish paint there is up next followed by completion of the frame stripdown.