My 1971 c10...starting over

[RCbowtie69]

keep going don't stop now, i know it slow going but looking good, i have a 69 swb it going to need some patch work to, like the way you going with it, i may go the same way, keep posted with some progess, and good luck.

[pocoloco71]

thanks so much for the encouragement. I have gotten a little frustrated
with my lack of experience. But I usually just go work on something
else and come back later. It took me most of the day to fit this floor panel
in. I've got some pictures of the holes and the piece I whittled on to fit in
them. I only took out the bad metal. Some of the holes in the floor board, I
just ground out the rust and welded them closed. Now I'm not saying this
is the way it should be done or if its correct. this is something I just do.
I set the welder on 1.5, wire speed 50 and weld to the sheet metal till I
get weld built all around, then weld on the weld to fill in the hole. I increase
my setting on the weld to 2 as the filler can handle a little hotter setting. then grind it flat. I circled one spot I did like this. If this turns out, then
hope fully I can move on to the a piller support, the footwell patch, the
front floor support, the inner roc... and the beat goes on.

[pocoloco71]

side view

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by pocoloco71

Thank you. That mod you did on the 70 to 68 hood was something I'm still
thinking about. Only problem is I got lost somewhere on the front lip. I'm not
that far yet on the build. I'm not scared to try it, but I just can quite see it
in my head. It's certainly not your fault, I've read it 2-3 times and I'm just
missing something. I think if I got the 2 hoods and started looking at them
I may see it. Anyways I like the way you just try stuff to see if it can be
done.
Instead of the lead for smoothing, are you familar with a product called
Metal 2 Metal and do you think it would work on the hood lip. I have not
used it yet. But I got some to use on a gas cap plug. My brother-in-law
uses it at the body shop where he works. Thanks again.

I have never used metal to metal but I know their are alot of very strong fillers out their that would do the job well for the hood. As long as you do not close the front edge of teh hood on anything even regular filler would work. It will be very clear how I did the hood edge once you get both hoods and turn them upside down, line teh back edges of teh hood up with each other and you will see what needs to be done with the front. It is alot of work but one of my favorite mods on this truck other than the EFI/AOd set up

Your work is looking very good hard to belive you are learning to weld at the same time you are doing this for the first time. Your method of welding small holes is fine but would be even better if you cut out those small areas and patched them.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[pocoloco71]

thanks for the reply and the compliment, coming from u it means a lot.
The only thing I can say about learning the welding fast is I did practice a
lot and read many articles before I ever touched the truck. Plus I just love
this stuff. Its something I didn't get to do when I was younger. So you
might say its on my bucket list.
I did cut a small patch to fill in a small spot in the floor pan where I had mis-
calculated the larger piece and it was much easier & faster to fill in the hole.
Still a long ways to go. When I hang that door back up...

[BJA69C10]

Looks good! can't wait until you start bolting on some of those shiny goodies!

[pocoloco71]

Originally Posted by BJA69C10

Looks good! can't wait until you start bolting on some of those shiny goodies!

You and me both. I've got several nice parts stock piled. The street and
performance tpi stuff will be here in mid Febuary. But I can't get ahead
of myself.

[pocoloco71]

I haven't forgotten my build. I'm actually working hard, still battling the
panel replacement. The a pillar, foot well panels are kicking my tail right
now. Hopefully I can post some sucess photos soon.

[pocoloco71]

good news today, the UPS man brought the tpi unit for S&P. 2.5 months
waiting time. I will really be fun to put this thing on top of the 350. I'm
getting the hang of this sheet metal welding. It seems more about
patience than skill after a while. Anyways heres a few pictures

[pocoloco71]

and a few of the not so glamorous

[pocoloco71]

Whoops forgot tpi.

[RCbowtie69]

looking good, keep the wrenches turning & the hammer a banging, alot work has been done can't wait to see more progress.

[Hart_Rod]

Your gonna have a sweet setup when you get done. I'm using the same ECE tank and fuel setup. Some more detailed pics and any lessons learned would be cool.

Rob

[pocoloco71]

I promise when I go back together with it, I'll take some more involved pics.
I basically installed it just like the website instructions say. For some
reason I had holes that worked out with out having to drill any like they did.
One thing I may be able to help with is plumbing it as for as lessons learned.
Run 3/8ths line for both return and high pressure. You can use 2 fittings that
come with the tank and 3/8ths barbs fittings on the other end. Then you
can use regular fuel injection hose. Also there are hose calmps designed for
fuel line hose that don't bite into the rubber. Use those for clamping. The
sending unit for the fuel gauge is straight forward, but as I hadn't ever
installed one, I had to read it several times.
I am going to hard line mine and I pretty much used the fuel line plumbing
diagram under the tech section on the street and performance website. Well
I have all the fittings and hard line the motor is not in yet. But I am
confident its going to be fine. I bought the rear exit fuel lines so I will run
the lines down the passenger side frame rail. I will have regular old GM
replaceable fuel filter, pump excetra.
I still have to figure out access to tank for service(thru the bed, drop the
tank?) and line up the bed for where to cut filler tank hole. I hope this
will help.
I have enclosed a couple of pics, I can't remember if these where in the
build thread or not. Anyway there is rear view of the tank and one show
what the new plumbing will look like.

[pocoloco71]

Got my truck back today from body shop left July 4th 2008 and came back
today. In my neck of the woods if you can't do it your self, you have to
wait. Any way I still saved money by doing as much as I did. The doors
turned out to need too much work and since it had been hit on the seam
on driver side I just couldn't get it like I wanted it my self. So I knew it
would be a work on it when he could deal. I'm pretty patient, so I waited
my turn. When they got to it, they only needed 40 hours, for 1600 dollars.
I had already messed with the old doors till I was sick of them. Anyway
I did the floorboards, cabbraces, both fender braces and the inside
rockers. They put on the outer rockers, straightened up the seam, sealed
underneath with seam sealer. Installed doors and all the hardware, plus
put in the brothers 1 piece window kit. That's more than we originally
agreed on, but then again he thought he could make the oringinal doors
work. Plus dealing with after market doors, they arived with some fork lift
tweaking, plus both bottom corners were bent outward, all fixable. Anyway
I'm excited and tickled to have my truck back and looking forward to moving
forward. Anyway pocoloco's back.

[pocoloco71]

I got some more. I took these in a hurry, right at dark. Anyway it looks
better than the pictures

[nuke1]

that is looking really good, where i live that 1600 dollars would not have gotten that done, you got a good deal if you ask me.

[pocoloco71]

Thanks. I think it was well spent money cause I can go forward.

[pocoloco71]

My nephew came by and helped me get the tranny and engine put back in
the truck Thursday. It was a good feeling. I would have liked to have gotten
a few more pretty ups done before it went in. But the offer for help was
the smarter choice. Anyway I took a couple of pictures. If you've followed
this thread what will be next is some of the parts I stock piled. Finally some
fun stuff for a little bit. I hope to put the s&p tpi stuff on soon. plum the
lines between tank and motor, test for leaks, run enough of the r. francis
wire kit to power motor.

[northern 85]

Wow lookin good!

[STOCKISH]

Good looking work man, keep at it. Truck is really coming together well.

[nuke1]

My Eyes, my Eyes, they hurt so much, way to bright to look at, but i must, i am pulled closer and closer to look, nice engine bud, that is gonna be a show stopper.

[pocoloco71]

Well it is something I wanted since I first saw one all chromed out back in
1993 I think it was. I see them every year when I go to the Street and
Perfomance show in Mena, Arkansas. I doubt if the whole truck will come
close to the engine part. Right now I just want it back together and drive
it and if something needs attention or modification later then do it.
By the way love your build and the work you do on all those projects.

[pocoloco71]

Ok, so last time I was of I put a few more pieces of the puzzell together.
Closer to possibly being able to think about firing motor. But so far away
too. AAAArrrggghhhhh.

[pocoloco71]

After a few months of trying to line the panels up and put the truck back
together and getting frustrated with how it was going, I decided to load it
up and take it to Street and Performance in Mena, Arkansas and let them
finish it. Initial estimate (shop rate quote 55/hr)@ approxiamately 150-200
hours. If you want to look on the web site at "Mr Bill's" truck, the quality
would at least approach that. I told them that would please me. I looked
at this truck up close and it looks good at any distance. He drives it every
day. I met the guy who will work on it and was shown some of his work,
primarily a 65(i think) at least it had the split window. This thing was a
basket case and he brought it back to an incredible car. It was right in
every way.
Anyway I wasn't going to give up, and I hated that I could go farther but
at least I'll have a put together finished truck that I can drive. I have saved
enough for 400 hours so I should be able to drive it home paid for. The
projected date Christmas or before. Anyway we will see how it goes. They
took my e-mail and will send me progress pictures.
I still proud of how much I did with the truck and I knew deep down
I might have to resort to this so in a way it' a relief. Big relief cost big
I guess. But it beats having to give up, at least that's the way I'm going
to rationalize it.