Project TLOW - 1971 stepside

[Rod Run]

It's possible that I might be picking up my cab this weekend or next.

It's supposed to be all painted and the doors put on it. If it all works out, I'll trailer my chassis down to the shop, have them give me a hand putting the cab on the frame, then bring it home later the same day so I can start wiring everything. I will also finish fitting the rest of my panels, so those can get color on them also.

I am really getting anxious now

[Rod Run]

As if shaving all my drip edge and smoothing my dash & firewall weren't enough tedious welding....

I decided to use this filler panel to close out my cowl

[Rod Run]

I just came back from the body shop (it's about an hour drive each way), to see how things were going on my cab.

The cab itself is about 80% ready for paint and the doors are almost ready for primer. Hopefully have it in color by next weekend. I'll try to post up a couple of progress pics before the end of this weekend

[Rod Run]

Here's a couple shots of my cab from earlier today. I can't believe how much different it looks, after they bodyworked all the area where I shaved the driprails.

[Rod Run]

And here are the doors. I welded the passenger side key hole closed and then the shop bodyworked the complete doors inside and out.

These doors were super solid originals, but they were buried in filler. If this was a show truck, I probably would have been better off replacing at least one skin, but for what it is, they just worked the big dents out and took care of the rest

[pierce5b]

very nice im friends with you on facebook but never knew you had a build thread on here

[Rod Run]

Originally Posted by pierce5b

very nice im friends with you on facebook but never knew you had a build thread on here

Lots more pictures on there, then I've posted up in here. Thanks for looking

[Rod Run]

Cut the factory grills out today. Hopefully find time to weld the new panel in before next weekend

[Rod Run]

I don't know if the link will work, but these are TLOW's doors almost ready for paint


https://www.instagram.com/p/BPQmaoegtCA/

[Rod Run]

Finally got around to taking pictures of my shaved and dimpled cowl.

Here is a picture of the top and backside. Still have a little more work to do, but I thought I'd show off my progress so far

[Rod Run]

Started getting picture updates from the body shop today.

Things are looking real good. I put a LOT of time into that radiator support before handing it off to them. I welded in all the factory gaps and unneeded holes. It will be the type of mod that people won't really be able to put their finger on, but people will definitely notice that something is different than normal.

This truck will have a lot of subtle things like that as the build goes on

[GR8-68]

It is looking great May I ask did you make that cowl filler or did you purchase it some where ?

[Rod Run]

I had the material to make one, because it's extremely easy to do, but when I saw this one with the dimple dies in it, I bought it instead, because it would have cost me more to buy a dimple die set, than I paid for the filler.

I bought it from the same place as the radiator filler panel, that I posted up earlier in the thread. I don't know if it's allowable to keep posting up non-sponsors, so I don't to keep posting up where I bought it

[Rod Run]

Here are a couple of the latest interior shots. I think my dashboard modification is my favorite thing I've done so far

[Rod Run]

And a sneak peek at the cab waiting for paint

[Rod Run]

It's been a loooong time, but I finally got the cab back from the body shop last month. It's just in primer and rough bodywork but I'll be trying to update this thread much more regularly now

[Rod Run]

Here's a couple of shots as it was getting ready to come home

[Rod Run]

Here's a close up of the shaved driprail area after the body shop made my fabricating look good

[Rod Run]

New vs. old because I've got a lot of Lokar parts going into this build

[Rod Run]

Here's a couple more from just before TLOW came home. The color is Artic White that is on the new C7 Corvettes

[Rod Run]

Now that TLOW is back at home, I got Dynamat Extreme laid down throughout the entire cab and got my Lokar pedals installed

[Rod Run]

I then put Dynaliner under the seat area and on the rear of the cab. This weekend I'm hoping to start laying out my AAW harness. I shaved my firewall, so I still have to figure out where I'm mounting it and running my wires.

I have a couple ideas, but I first need to install my inner fenders first and see if one idea is going to work

[DeepOceanStepside]

sub'd Looking great!!

[Rod Run]

Thanks. Hopefully there will be lots of updates from here on out

[Rod Run]

So with the extra days off for Christmas, I attempted to start installing my Vintage Air unit. Well..... It didn't work out so great. The lines coming out of the condenser aren't lining up properly.

The smaller one is resting against the inner fender, which isn't really a big deal, because I can tweak it (although this is supposed to be a "bolt-in" unit) and planned on doing something a bit different with it anyway.

The big problem here, is that the bigger line coming out of the condenser is supposed to connect with the line that has the blue fitting on it. I don't know any type of hose that can make that type of contortion, so my long weekend was a bit of a bust. I guess I'll be calling the tech line tomorrow. With all the good stuff I hear about Vintage Air, I'm not really worried about them figuring this out, but I just wish I could have gotten it done while I had the time. Now I probably won't be able to touch this until my next extended holiday break in mid-January