Starting my first build 69 SWB

[sheldon]

well got my truck a while back and knew i had solid start, but a lot of work ahead. got the truck legal and drove it around a little bit. now its time to start the teardown and start rebuilding this thing the right way. i just hate starting to fix one thing and the snowball effect kicking in, so im gonan snowball it myself. this weekend will start the removal of bed/ front clip, and maybe the cab. i'll try to start tearing down the driveline, depending on how much help i can scrounge on a holiday weekend. Here ae a few pics of what i started with and what i have now... this will be my first Frame off build, and im a little intimidated, not sure where to start or how to arange the work. any advice is appreciated!

[spike38]

Looks like you have a good solid truck, Besides the normal rockers.
There is all kinds of info threw this site. And a lot of people with experience.
My best advice to you is to get some ziplock baggies and a sharpy marker,
So that you can save every bolt and clip from each section in it's own bag.
Marked and stored. Even save the bad ones, Makes it easier to get new ones.
And lots of pictures. Good references when reassembley time comes.

Look forward to your build!!!

Spike

[low&slow]

Wow your truck is looking great. I'm really liking the new paint scheme you have going. That's exactly how I wanted to paint my brothers truck. Really looking forward to this build.

[Solego]

I'm digging the fan in the garage.

[sheldon]

yeah that damn fan.... we are renting the house, and the owner is dead set on us not replacing appliances... i tried emailing him pictures of that thing.

Low and slow:Thanks i started with a picture that i colored a few different ways. the truck had a shoty primer job, the trim was terrible, so i ripped it all off and got a fe wcans of rustoleum... just to see how the color scheme looked and get a good coat of something on the metal so the rust wouldnt get worse while it was waiting to go to paint and body.

[low&slow]

Low and slow:Thanks i started with a picture that i colored a few different ways. the truck had a shoty primer job, the trim was terrible, so i ripped it all off and got a fe wcans of rustoleum... just to see how the color scheme looked and get a good coat of something on the metal so the rust wouldnt get worse while it was waiting to go to paint and body.[/QUOTE]

That's the same way I'm starting on my brother's haha.

What's the plans for her as for suspension, engine, and paint?

[sheldon]

Well once i get the body off and put away or taken to my uncles shop, i will put the engine on a stand and dig into it.350 with an Edelbrock Top end on it but i dont know any specs... so i will at least get a gasket set and just take it down to check things out... it has a TH350 that i cant stand, 1st is to tall 3rd is to short... so i will be asking a lot of questions and reading about the transmission options in comming months. suspension looks ok but i need to go ahead and notch the rear and re-locate shock mounts and just replace a lot of front end components, but all in all i like the stance. will relocate the fuel cell to either the bed or rear frame rails, depending on how much i plan on driving it when i get to that point.

[Solego]

Where can I get one of these uncles with shops?

[low&slow]

I'm totally in on this build. Sounds like you got some great plans ahead of yourself.

Originally Posted by Solego

Where can I get one of these uncles with shops?

Ha-Ha my friend has one of them uncles that he's taken he truck to to store for the winter. I'm sure I could get you in on it, but that's a long ways away from Florida lol.

[sheldon]

[QUOTE=Solego;4309420]Where can I get one of these uncles with shops

I got mine from my Dad... lol it is about 7 hours away tho, good thing im going there for christmas!


[QUOTE=low&slow;4309427]I'm totally in on this build. Sounds like you got some great plans ahead of yourself.


thanks man, i'll try to keep things moving but winter is a busy time... i have a lot of wieght lifting events and courses planned... so it eats into my truck time

[sheldon]

well started poking around a little bit today getting ready for tearing some stuff down. and found a short that was draining the battery and keeping the Ignition from working. I took the dist. cap off and the coil module out, and found a wire burned in half. the rotor looked pretty rough and i found a wiring "Harness" that looked more like a wiring "ratnest" that the PO i guess was responsible for.... this comming week will be spent waitin on the brown truck to bring a new harness and dizy rebuild kit. so i can get the truck to my uncles.

[sheldon]

got the new HEI installed last week and the truck runs great, cant wait for it to look as good. Met a guy that has been holding on to sububan seat from a early 90s sub, he said " i knew i would meet someone who could use this seat sooner or later" i just have to go pick it up now. well sooner or later i am going to have to tear it apart and quit having fun with it long enough to get some body work done.

[sheldon]

Well i replaced the front shocks today, and while i have the truck on stands i polished the rims, thinking that i could probably clean them up a little... i was suprised at how well they cleaned up.

i have to swap the starter out and go pick up a new seat this next week. and continue to enjoy the truck untill the new year, when i will focus on progress with the build

[low&slow]

Those wheels look great. Wouldn't mind putting them on my truck till you get yours going. Really looking forward to seeing how its coming.

Anyways what happened to this build? Did you title it different or something?

[sheldon]

Thanks for the compliment on the wheels.
no i didnt title it any different, unfortunately i have been sidetracked with work. I am seperating from the Army and opening a gym so money nad time are both taken for other projects right now. but all i plan on doing right away is getting the rokers replaced and getting the electrical gremlin completely worked out. I got a awesome seat from a mid 90's SUB in great shape, havent mocked it up yet but think it will turn out great!

I wish i could knock it out a lot quicker to keep everyone, including me, interested.

[low&slow]

Hope all goes well and your gym works out for you.

Can't wait to see your pictures of the seat getting mocked up when you have time.

[sheldon]

Man it's Ben a while. I had a lot of lofty ideas for the truck and then the Army gave me a new timeline. I'm home and ready to start some work on the truck now. starting the 19th I will start with the help of a friend, maybe in this order:
1 rebuild inner/outer rockers
2 fill trim and antena holes
3 dis assemble front clip, clean firewall, engine, inner fenders, underside of hood
4 re assemble front clip
By then I'm sure I will have a new list of goals. Now that my gym is up and running right accros the street from a classic car shop, I'm always motivated to make some progress.

If anyone has any tips for the projects I'm planning I would love to hear them, I have watched a ton of how tos on the rocker and I'm still not comfortable, but I'm confident. The hole smoothing shouldn't be a big deal for me, and the under hood clean up, I'm guessing degreaser and a power washer will be my friends. Will probably try to redress my engine at that time, with a repaint, and new valve cover/breather combo. Replace all the lines and what not. So here's hoping I don't get another wrench thrown in my works.
-Jeremy (Sheldon is the trucks name)
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[sheldon]

took the front fenders/inner fenders off, and had the idea to patch the hole where the side marker went, so i sanded the area around it down and found the original color!!! under the ****ty primer job that it had when we bought the truck, that i then covered with some rustoleum (why didnt i sand it then?!?!) oh well, now starts a long process of removing the new and trying to save as much of the old as possible!