Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

I just found this thread, great work! I hope your achilles tendon heals fast. subscribed .

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Thanks! I have been watching your build and that is impressive!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Well to keep the theme of doing stuff I can sit a a bench and do...... I built the X Pipe for my exhaust. I plan on running 2 1/2" stainless steel exhaust like on my Jimmy but on the Jimmy there was not room for an X pipe so it got a H pipe. Actually working the foot pedal of my welding machine is good PT for my ankle.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Nice work man, I wish I'd made my own x-pipe, I already had the one I used just to save a dime. but now it kinda looks out of place next to the mandrel 3" tubing. Did you use a bandsaw to get your cuts or free hand ?

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Thanks, I appreciate it. I feel like I have writers block right now, But I'm still at it, ha

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

No bandsaw. I just measured some points out on the heel of both elbows and connected the dots and went to town with a cutoff wheel on my grinder. I then just cleaned the cuts up with a sanding disk and made sure it sit flat on my bench. They actually fit together really well and I purge welded them so they didn’t sugar the inside.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Clean work on the x-pipe and the header. All progress is progress. Good luck with your achilles. I recently saw a tire name to achilles I thought that was about the worst name there is for a tire, haha.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Got the cab and tailgate painted this weekend. The weather was perfect mid 70’s and low humidity so I decided to get it done. I had to stand on a ladder to get the roof painted and my ankle hurt like hell but it is done and looks great. I found the key to getting SPI euro clear to lay out like glass……..35 psi at the gun. I only have the bed left to get color on.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Looking good!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Your paint looks great!!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Thanks guys!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

ditto!! I may have missed it but what color is it? :metal:

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

It is a factory color 029 Midnight Blue.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

You need an address to send that cab to ?

Looks good !!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

The square body looks great. I like the color. I need to drive the Suburban over and check out that AD truck you have sitting outside in one of your earlier pics.

Marc

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

The cab is in the mail! ;) Thank you!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Thank you! Stop by anytime! I would love to see that bad ass suburban, but i may put you to work though.

I think the 51 will be my next project. I bought it from my brother in law when i was fifteen with hopes of driving it in high school. It has a later model 235 in it and it runs pretty good. When we moved to Schoolcraft from Kalamazoo i drove it to our new house with a load of stuff from my barn and it was scary ass hell getting it to stop at stop signs with it weighted down. Haha.

The plan is to keep the patina and build a tube chassis for it with a IFS kit on bags, LS engine, 4l80e tranny, 18" front wheels and 20's in the back laying the floorboards on the ground.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Sounds good Josh. I will give you a call and drive out some upcoming weekend..

Marc

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Finally able to get something done on this thing. This has been one crappy summer. I ended up needing surgery on my ankle and am fresh out of the walking boot and it is sore as hell but the weather is changing fast hear so I had to get the bed painted before it gets too cold.

The clear did not lay on as nice as it did on the cab and I got a few runs on my 4th coat so I added a 5th to make sure I had enough on for sanding. Not sure what happened but I think it was a combination of hobbling around and temps in the mid 60’s. It will be alright it is just going to take a little more work than I wanted. But that’s the case with this whole project.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

That nice painted body gets to go on this! Time to work on the chassis!

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Glad to see you back at it! Color looks good in the sun.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

I really like that color. I need to get over that way before the cold weather moves in.

Marc

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Josh-

Thanks for showing me around on Saturday. You've got some great projects. Can't wait to see that AD.

Thanks
Marc

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

Anytime Marc. I cant wait to be working on that AD because I know I will not be cutting and buffing on it. This is how I spent my Saturday. You watch the tv shows and you think cutting and buffing kind of looks like fun but its not. It has to be one of the worst jobs of body work ranking right up there with blasting. Until I can learn to get it to lay out like glass this is a step I have to take I guess.

Re: Budget Build 1985 K20
 

To get that type of shine there is no shortcut (ALL ELBOW GREASE). This is also the labor step that most people don't understand when paying for a show paint job.

Looking good

Marc