Re: Restoring Rusty
 

yup, it dried smooth and way too shinny / glossy, i don't like it at all, and thank you for the recommendations, but at this point I have spend so much money on this dash with the JB weld as filler and specialized paints, etc. that I might as well bought a new dash, ha ha - so I am done dropping any more money on this thing, plus I tried the Rust-Oleum undercoating and it was horrible, I talk about it earlier in the thread

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I did buy this Dupli Color Textured Metallic paint before someone recommended that Rust-Oleum wrinkle paint so since I already had it today I gave it a shot

what do you all think of what it is doing, I think if I can get it to even out and get rid of the flat spots, I will be happy with it, though it is more charcoal than black, such is the life of the shade tree mechanic - I might could shoot it with the same vinyl paint that I shot the door panels with just to get them all to match

I am just sharing to see if I can help some of you out, maybe save you some money, or give you some ideas, that's all

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

after I got tired of fooling around with rattle cans filled with empty promises I decided to take matters into my own hands, and my daddy's words echoed in the back of my head from the days we painted houses together, "the way you hide imperfections is with more imperfections son"

so I busted out the ol' roller and added my own texture to the canvas, I also shot it with some left over undercoating for better or worse, basically I used anything that I thought would add bumps to the equation, possibly even the swarming mosquitoes

end result = good enuff for a TRUCK !!!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Sorry Gregski, but someone has to say it. That'll do until you're ready to come back to the dash with a new idea:smoke:

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Aww Gregski.. now ya gone un dunit..dang thing looks like gloss black alligator hide....

lol

How about a trip to the Fabrics Shop or Hobby Lobby for some kind-of skin or material you can stretch over it and glue ?? Naugahyde that puppy !?

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I hear you, the bedliner is totally different from the undercoating. The undercoating never dries and don't like to be painted. The bedliner will dry, leaves a nice texture and will give you the satin finish your are looking for.

If you were closer I would hook you up with a new in the box aftermarket dashboard that I didn't use on my project.

I'm with the others, scuff that thing up and spend the extra 30 bucks for the bedliner.

You're going to be looking at the dashboard every time you drive Rusty and it wll bug you if your not happy with the dash.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

This gets my vote: Cheyenne Pickup Parts dash pad. For all the time and money we spend on them, the dash is what we end up looking at the most.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained they say. But in this case, you are either going to have to start over, or get a new dash.

Another potentially cheaper option is to get one from a junk yard and then put a cap on it. They are only about $100.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I have been using the Duplicator Bed Armor in a spray can on my Jeep frame and bumpers and it leaves a real nice subtle texture. That is most likely what I will be using on my dash when I get to that point.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I want to wrap the headliner and cracked dash pad on my '77 in period black diamond Naugahyde, but none of the local fabric stores carry it.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

at least you're willing to try something new/different. good job on the thought, sorry on the outcome.
it might take some coin to make it work but i'm sure you will come up with a low budget solution.
keep up the good work!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

thanks for your honesty, but I must say the goal was never SEMA ready, ha ha

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Thanks, going to install it in the truck this morning and see how it looks installed, it really don't look that bad to me, maybe it's the light, ha ha

Re: Restoring Rusty - New Tachometer
 

my brand new Tachometer came in from LMC truck today $153 bones

I came to learn there are two types of gauges, used ones, and ones that work, ha ha

so going to install this bad boy plus the new speedo this morning and the dash cover, stay tuned

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

The gauges will look good

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Now that's sexay!

Re: Restoring Rusty - New Speedometer Swap
 

ok, let's get this party started!!!

first we yanked out the old speedo meter and took some pics of the old side by side with the new for comparatability

note the two stupid shinny goldish screws on the back on the new one, they are there to prevent the new meter from sliding right in like its supposed to, I had to remove them and toss them to get the speedo to fit proper like

Re: Restoring Rusty - New Tachometer
 

next up was the Tach-O-Meter, and where as the Speed-O-Meter is pretty much plug and pray, there is some fandagling that must take place to install the new tachometer, you see the new one don't come with the plasticky blue bracket in the back, so one must unscrew it from the old tach and bolt it up to the new tach

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the new tach goes smoothly right in the gauge cluster, if you consider using a crow bar to get it in smooth, ha ha, needless to say it needed some fandangoing to [ahem] "persuade" it to fit proper - but GM willing we made it fit

one thing that may bug some of youz and is worth mentioning is the finish or the different finish of both the new meters, the speedo is flat black and the tach is glossy black, it may bother some of you so I am sharing this finding, I believe the factory gauges were both a shinny

might be hard to tell in the pic, but here it is, again for comparison of the sheen

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

yes we were having fun, and there was more fun to be had, so we moved on to the dash cover, The Greg caught some flack for underperforming on this piece so lets see if he can redeem his self

here he is installarazing the speaker grill

remember IT'S A TRUCK and not a boom boom Honda, ha ha

Re: Restoring Rusty - Dash Cover
 

and here she is all installed and put together - got her a little dusty whilst installing it, but you git the idear

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I think it turned out very well ,looks great .

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Looks good Greg! I wish mine had factory Tach :( And i dont really want to go the length you did to put a factory tach in.. haha

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

thanks, if we are talking about your 1985 GMC K15 than you already have a volt meter and a electronic oil pressure gauge I assume, so you would only be getting a tach out of a cluster swap, where as in my case I got all three, upgraded from an Amp meter to a Volt meter, from a mechanical oil pressure gauge to an electronic, and from no tach to a tach, so I get why you wouldn't wanna, but in my case it made sense / worked out

now back to reading your Spruce Moose thread

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

alright boys, so we've installed the dash cover and the new speedo and tach, so how do the new gauges work? what RPMs is the truck idling at now? what about at 60 MPH whats the cruisin RPMs? etc, etc?

well if you had to ask than clearly you have not worked on a 40 year ol' truck, ha ha - cause she won't even start now, won't even turn over, no click, no clack, no pluck, no nothin' my gray hair wisdom tells me the new battery be kaput for some odd reason, go figure fellow truckodians, such is the way of the ninja warrior

we got no reading off the battery, nothin', so we put her on the ol' charge box and wait - might could take the battery to AutoZone for a test or super charge there later on

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Yea in your case it made sense. I think i might have to get a big bulky autometer tach and make it look like a 90s wannabe drag truck hahaha

Re: Restoring Rusty - Nylon Nuts
 

just wanted to give you a quick update on the truck today, today was a good day, I found replacements for these nylon nuts that go under the dash, my old ones were crusty and brittle, NAPA came through for us, 16 for only $5 bucks, USA, USA, USA!!!

Re: Restoring Rusty MPH and RPM
 

Even more better, O'Reillys replaced my 1 year old battery with a brand new one, so I was able to start and test drive the truck today. The new speedo works, and the new tach works as well.

Here are some numbers for you all.

Idles @ 900 RPM (kinda high but that's by the book, will need adjustment) old Tach idled at @ 1200

with 235/75 R15 tires I get this:

35 MPH @ 1500 RPM

50 MPH @ 2000 RPM

60 MPH @ 2500 RPM

then I ran out of runway, lol

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Ah, Gregski, yer an insperatin to weuns. I wish I had half your energy. Not to mention yur weather (he sais looking at yesterday's 8" of snow)

BTW I'm not actually iliterate but I am kind of a redneck.

Re: Restoring Rusty MPH and RPM
 

That's odd. Do you know your gear ratio? Plugging those numbers HERE says you have 3.58 gears, pretty much between 3.40 and 3.73.

Re: Restoring Rusty MPH and RPM
 

I thought I read somewhere that there was an option for 3.54 which I think I may have, at some point I will just crack the punkin open and look for myself.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I probably asked this already... Do you have the SPID label or even better was the build sheet still in the seat springs?
The axle ratio RPO usually starts with G
According to page 23 of this document from the GM Heritage Ctr.
C10 chassis...
GT4 3.73:1 was standard with the LD4 250 I6
HE4 3.40:1 was standard with the LF5 & LS9 350 except the LS9 with the M40 TH400.
HE3 3.07:1 was standard with the LS9 350-w-M40 & the LF8 454

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I did not see anything related on the SPID plus lots could have happened in 40 a years

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Oh wow, that build sheet is SO close..... I see two of the three digits of the rear axle RPO code... HEx where "X" is the missing number. It's in the second column of RPO codes on the build sheet. There's a chance that missing piece is laying on the floor somewhere...maybe you could match it up.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Only on the SPID if it's optional equipment. If it's not on the SPID then it shipped with the standard axle ratio. LS9 with a gearbox other than the TH400... HE4 3.40:1

So close to having the build sheet too... At least you have some of it.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

And some say you cant haul anything with a short bed ,and it looks good doing it too.

Re: Restoring Rusty - Work Benches
 

Thanks, gonna make two of these tall work benches out of it in preparation for March Madness. Nice and tall, 42"

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

You Know What Time It Is !!!

picked up this engine hoist and engine stand from Pontiac Mike, March Madness is around the corner

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

going to finally replace my rusted radiator support, mine has lost about 18 inches from the bottom under the battery section, picked up this one from Pick N Pull a few months ago, it only has surface rust, having this piece out will sure make pulling the engine out easier