85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[N2TRUX]

Yesterday had had to play catch up for taking Monday off. That means my work day was long and my shop time was short. I focused on a small job that needed to be done.
The GMC letters from the grill had been repainted and needed restored. I researched the correct color and decided it was to orange for my liking. I decided to go with the International Harvester red I had used on the bed end panel. It's not correct, but I think it will look better.

I made a jig to keep them flat, then stripped all the old layers of paint off. Next I wet sanded the surface smooth. Some tedious time with masking tape and an Exacto knife got me ready for the first round of paint. Once this cures I will add chrome silver around the edges.

[LDO]

Love the attention to detail and how you break things down into 'bite-sized' chunks, keeps things moving forward and keeps you positive.

I use the same technique.

Love the allen bolts on the rear diff. cover.

I have used some of that ceramic paint made for header wrap, I think pep boys sells it (others might) and it is a pretty nice finish as well. Like yours too.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Love the attention to detail and how you break things down into 'bite-sized' chunks, keeps things moving forward and keeps you positive. I use the same technique.

Love the allen bolts on the rear diff. cover.

I have used some of that ceramic paint made for header wrap, I think pep boys sells it (others might) and it is a pretty nice finish as well. Like yours too.

I have found that I have to do small tasks through the week that can be accomplished in a night or tow. If not my ADD overpowers my OCD and I loose interest. My tailgate band is a perfect example. I know I will get it done, but its going to be a longer process than I had anticipated.

I really like the clean look of the stainless button heads as accent pieces. They give a bit of sparkle on an otherwise boring component.

I will give PEP boys a try for the ceramic paint. I hit Advanced, Oriellys, and Auto Zone with no luck.

[LDO]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I have found that I have to do small tasks through the week that can be accomplished in a night or tow. If not my ADD overpowers my OCD and I loose interest. My tailgate band is a perfect example. I know I will get it done, but its going to be a longer process than I had anticipated.

I really like the clean look of the stainless button heads as accent pieces. They give a bit of sparkle on an otherwise boring component.

I will give PEP boys a try for the ceramic paint. I hit Advanced, Oriellys, and Auto Zone with no luck.

Ken,
here is the stuff I was talking about. It may not be the finish you already have started but maybe in the future it will work.
DEI Header Wrap Paint

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LDO

Ken,
here is the stuff I was talking about. It may not be the finish you already have started but maybe in the future it will work.
DEI Header Wrap Paint

Thanks for sharing. I will check it out.

[mcbassin]

Nice progress Ken, Looking forward to checking it out up close in Texas soon.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Nice progress Ken, Looking forward to checking it out up close in Texas soon.

She looks a whole lot better from a distance, but things are improving.

[N2TRUX]

Tonight I wrapped up my GMC letters project. I didn't realize the edges of the letters were chipped so much till I tried to mask them for the chrome silver paint. I decided it would be better to paint freehand. It was a time consuming task that required stopping to clean my mistakes, but the task is done.

[N2TRUX]

While waiting for paint to dry between coats, I took on another small task. I had a horn button that had stress cracks in the clear bezel.

I bought another one with a good bezel but the plastic prongs that hold the button in place got broken. It also had some thin spots in the background color.
I pulled the good bezel and repainted the back side. I installed this in the good button housing after a thorough cleaning. The finished product looks great. Now I need to do the same on my steering wheel.

[rustytruck50]

Wow...I had a level of detail that I kept on a '86 IROC-Z years ago that I regularly showed and did quite well with & this is easily a step above...

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by rustytruck50

Wow...I had a level of detail that I kept on a '86 IROC-Z years ago that I regularly showed and did quite well with & this is easily a step above...

Thanks you sir. Just trying to bring it to the next level on a sensible budget.

[N2TRUX]

What I have, and what I need. The #gmc hood ornament on Scarlett is toast. I have been searching for a better one but been unsuccessful finding one. Message me if you have one available.

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

What I have, and what I need. The #gmc hood ornament on Scarlett is toast. I have been searching for a better one but been unsuccessful finding one. Message me if you have one available.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/1981-98-GMC-TR...799?nav=SEARCH

[N2TRUX]

This evening I put the finishing touches on the front end. I installed new park lamps lenses that I picked up from Outback Truck parts, and topped the grill off with the GMC letters I restored.
I double checked all the connections and ran the ground wire to the core support. We still need to fine tune the bumper fitment but it's done for the moment.

[N2TRUX]

With the front end finished I had a feeling of accomplishment that may have led to a foolish decision. I had been accumulating parts for the interior and decided to start the restoration process. Did you know you can bite off a whole lot more than you can chew in less than an hour? Trust me on this, you can.

I stepped back and looked at the pile of dull and faded parts I had removed and the voice of Dr. Phil popped in my head "What we're you thinking? " Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

[N2TRUX]

The interior pieces have been dyed twice and the top layer was fading and chipping. I just couldn't bring myself to install the new dash components on a dash that looked pinkish.
I went by the local Auto paint store and ordered up some SEM vinyl dye and Bulldog adhesion promoter. For reference, we found the best match to be SEM Napa Red. They offered to color match in PPG dye, but I felt the SEM spray was close enough and it would be available in time for me to use it this weekend.

[N2TRUX]

Friday night I worked late and got most of the parts stripped. I used lacquer thinner with Scotch Brite and gently scrubbed the layers of old dye away. The process was tedious but the results were a pile of raw parts that should look much better in the end.

[N2TRUX]

Saturday morning Chris and I had errands to run that couldn't wait and ended up working service calls most of the day. I had a short amount of time in the shop before attending a family function so I washed the parts in preparation for dye. I have found the key to proper adhesion is clean,clean,clean the parts. I scrubbed them with Dawn soap and rinsed, washed and repeated till clean.

The headliner trim pieces are metal, so they were stripped raw then bead blasted. I followed up with a couple of coats of VHT primer. Ithis layed down nicely and will give a good base for the dye.

[N2TRUX]

Unfortunately my plans of spraying the parts after dinner were shot down by the weather.It rained then quit and left the air very humid. I didn't feel comfortable spraying with 100% humidity in the air so I changed my plans.
Instead, I focused my attention on cleaning the dash. It had years of dust and grime from use accumulated that had to go. I removed most of the a/c duct work and scrubbed it clean inside and out. Wash, rinse, repeat once again

[N2TRUX]

I found a broken mounting tab on one of the vent ducts and set about repairing it. Fortunately the broken pieces had remained intact so I created a matching piece to add strength and super glued it back together.

With the glue dry, I did a final cleaning and installed the new LMC vent. Take note if you do this, there is a felt washer on the old vent that's much thicker and better made than the new one on the LMC replacement. I removed the old one with a razor blade and used it instead.
This resulted in a nice tight fit of the vent that will adjust easily, and stay where you put it.

[N2TRUX]

For now the stock am/fm will remain. I gave it a good cleaning with Windex and a toothbrush. Not as dramatic and improvement as the dust was, but much better for now.

[N2TRUX]

One last detail before closing shop. The dash speakers will be replaced soon, so I got the brackets ready. I needed to remove them to clean under them anyway, so why not clean and paint while they are out. I know they can't be seen with the dash pad on, but I feel better that they are restored anyway.

[Greenlee]

A buddy of mine showed me a trick on the a/c vents. He found rubber o-rings that fit over the plastic piece that lets the vent swivel up and down. I can't remember if this works on that lower vent in the cluster, but I know I did it on the center vent and it made it move nice and smooth. I thought I had a picture from when I did mine, but I can't seem to find it now.

I don't remember that Napa red. I used SEM Firethorn red on my dash and door panels. It's pretty close, but not quite as marroon looking as the factory color.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

A buddy of mine showed me a trick on the a/c vents. He found rubber o-rings that fit over the plastic piece that lets the vent swivel up and down. I can't remember if this works on that lower vent in the cluster, but I know I did it on the center vent and it made it move nice and smooth. I thought I had a picture from when I did mine, but I can't seem to find it now.

I don't remember that Napa red. I used SEM Firethorn red on my dash and door panels. It's pretty close, but not quite as marroon looking as the factory color.

Thanks for sharing. The O rings are a great idea. You can buy an assortment kit from Harbor Freight that would be ideal for the application.

I looked online, but didn't trust color charts on my monitor. I felt more comfortable seeing them in person so I went to my local PPG store. I compared unpainted parts to SEM Napa Red and it was a very close match. Since I will be dying everything it won't really matter so that's what I went with.

[Greenlee]

Here's a pic of the SEM Firethorn red. I didn't paint the door pockets so they are the factory color (or LMC's version of the factory color). Just looking a the Napa red can you posted, the top looks more maroon so it's probably closer. My dash was a new replacement, but it was black. The door panels and headliner trim were the same factory color as yours. I found that the SEM die sticks better to the softer materials like the dash. My door panels have a few scratches since I painted them, but they've held up fairly well. It's been about 3 years now.