MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

Looks pretty good to me...almost exactly what I am working through on the blue one...

well worth the purchase price - even if they look solid in pix now - I know there will be rust hiding on these trucks...

Actually, it's not that bad. The plan in my head has it going back together fairly easy. This is the kind of truck I wanted back when I got the other one... straightforward repairs and you know you've got a strong solid truck when you're finished.

Any word on that Jimmy yet, Tom?

[1949gmc]

This is how rocker and floor repairs should be done! Hell, this is how changing your oil should be done!!

[hgs_notes]

It's wearing the coat of many colors. That's a lot of good work there.

[jimmypop]

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[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

It's wearing the coat of many colors. That's a lot of good work there.

Yeah, she's a bit of a mutt, that's for sure. Not for much longer, hopefully. I'll have some more of the zinc chromate down, soon, and then the whole thing will go urethane primer gray. I've also just gotten two gallons of Al's Liner to do the whole interior with. Small steps, but we're getting there.

[1949gmc]

UPDATE: My motivation has really been in the crapper the last couple of months, but I did manage to do some body work in the last few weeks and shoot some urethane primer today. Gotta say, seeing it in a different color (or all one color) for the first time in months is enough to get motivated.

[1949gmc]

Last picture is of a beautiful Maple in my front yard. Fall is pretty but i hate winter.

First pic is of my new NOS dash pad..... i like it.

[hgs_notes]

Looks great!

[nickp51chevy]

Nice! Looks like you got the hard part done; the dash pad.

[Jtrux]

Looks damn good, did you remove the bedsides just to paint the inside? I kinda scanned through it quickly.

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Looks great!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by nickp51chevy

Nice! Looks like you got the hard part done; the dash pad.

I might just leave it like this and start driving it!

Originally Posted by Jtrux

Looks damn good, did you remove the bedsides just to paint the inside? I kinda scanned through it quickly.

Thanks. I replaced the bedsides with a pair of nos sides that I had. The originals weren't bad, but I lost patience with the patches... just couldn't get the things lined up right. It was so much easier drilling the spot welds and welding the nos ones on. I POR 15'd the inners while the outers were off.

Working on the doors is my next obstacle. I had them acid dipped in July and right away rust started creeping up from under where the outer skin folds over the frame at the bottom. There isn't any rust thru, but I don't really know how to stop that creeping rust.

[Deep C 915]

Don't forget to pull out that glove box from ole' yeller. I think it was what you won in the auction. I will be starting the tear down of my 70' K5 next week., I pray it doesn’t turn out to be as big as your project.
I’m not worthy.....

[vtblazer]

You've come a long way!

[Erik V]

You're doing what my plan is as well. My 71 has some rust, and lots of bends from years of trail running and racing in the early 70's. We pulled the body before I was in HS, with the plan of swapping in a 72 tub we got from a parts truck, zero rust, but with a bend window frame and some damage to a quarter panel. So we'll probably just repair whats needed on the 72 tub, and use that for my 71 swapping the VIN plate. Also means I get factory air since the 72 had that.

My question is: Did the soul of your truck change? Is it still the rusty plow truck original or is it now the 72 donar? I grew up in front of too many Herbie movies, Dukes of Hazzard, and Knight Rider. Since we picked up that tub years ago, I've often thought the truck will be great, but not the same truck it has been since Dad special ordered it in early 71.

Erik

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by Erik V

My question is: Did the soul of your truck change? Is it still the rusty plow truck original or is it now the 72 donar?

Erik

Funny, I know exactly what you're talking about. It is definitely not the rusty plow truck anymore, but I don't consider it to be the donor either. The plow truck had certain nuances like the switches for the plow and other do dads that I had no intention on removing because it retained that 'original' factor. I wanted to fix it up and then call the original owner and say "I fixed up your old truck and I want to show it to you". There's no way I can do that with the donor truck now, so all those little nuances are gone but it's like I'm starting from ground zero and the truck will have my little nuances in it that only I will be able to point out. Now, I will be using a ton of stuff from the plow truck, the entire interior and the drivetrain for example, and that will always be part of the plow truck. So, I guess it's kind of a mix between the two.

And like nickp says...... Just Do It!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Erik V

My question is: Did the soul of your truck change? Is it still the rusty plow truck original or is it now the 72 donar?

My wife says this now about my C-10 because I changed the cab. I disagreed. What made the truck MY truck was the work I put into it and the pleasure I felt doing that work and driving the hell out of it. The rest is just metal.

[1949gmc]

Rebuilt front axle two weeks ago....

~new ball joints
~new tie rods
~new axle shaft u-joints
~replaced inner and outer hub bearings and races
~new calipers
~new rotors
~new carrier bearings and races
~new Skyjacker 2 1/2" springs
~new shackles from ORD
~greaseable front spring bolts from ORD
~new brake lines front to rear

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by Deep C 915

Don't forget to pull out that glove box from ole' yeller. I think it was what you won in the auction. I will be starting the tear down of my 70' K5 next week., I pray it doesn’t turn out to be as big as your project.
I’m not worthy.....

Hahaha. Yeah, the glove box, the rear seat and the gauges were really the prizes that I won.

[nickp51chevy]

Do it!

[hgs_notes]

It all looks good in the pictures. Nice color BTW. How much of the liner material did it take to do this?

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

It all looks good in the pictures. Nice color BTW. How much of the liner material did it take to do this?

Hey Mike- Thanks. I tried to find the best pics I could, but it really doesn't look that good in person. I used almost two full gallons to do all this. I dont know what I did wrong. It looks like someone threw up blue cottage cheese in the back of the truck. I like the color, too..... too bad the metallic ran on every vertical panel.

[Erik V]

whoa, speaker grill in the dash? I thought that was only a pickups thing. Looks sharp, dont worry about thick liner in the back, thats where all the dirty work will be anyways, a little carpeting here and there up front and it'll all balance out.

Erik

[1949gmc]

Thanks, Erik. I'm not as angry at myself as I was. You're right, though... cover it in carpet and no one will ever see it.

I was curious about the speaker grille, too, so I look at every K5 I can to see if they have a speaker grille in the dash. This thread sheds a little light on the subject: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=355775 .

[hgs_notes]

I had one 72 GMC K5 with the dash speaker for sure, possible another but I can't confirm it. All the others I have owned did not have a dash speaker grill.

BTW, if you're done with that spray gun kit for the Al's Liner, maybe you could sell it to me and recoup some of your costs. I was planning on doing pretty much the same thing as you did.

[hgs_notes]

Soooo, what's been happening around here?