My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble

[boynton]

Was the drivers fender a tri-plus fender? I remember you saying they were two different brands. Looks like you are almost ready for some of that shiny stuff!

[rgunlock]

Thanks Mike! Yes, the driver side fender was Tri-plus. At least on my truck, with this pair of fenders as examples, I'd be much more likely to go with Key Parts for future projects.

[andrewmp6]

Yeah body work can be hell but is worth it in the end.

[y5mgisi]

Well at least it wasn't a total waste! Looks good from here! You probably mentioned before, but what color are you painting this truck?

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by andrewmp6

Yeah body work can be hell but is worth it in the end.

Yep, but glad to say its almost done. Now its time for block sanding!

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

Well at least it wasn't a total waste! Looks good from here! You probably mentioned before, but what color are you painting this truck?

Thanks! Not sure that I have mentioned color before because it still isn't decided. I've been leaning toward a medium brown with copper highlight, but haven't really settled on a shade or specific color code.

[y5mgisi]

Gotcha. It's tough. If I might just suggest something, whatever color you pick, time will be more friendly to it if you pick a factory color. Even if you two tone it. As long as you pick factory colors, the truck will remain timeless. Custom colors make a truck look custom and is rarely a timeless look. So what happens is after 5-10 years or so, the truck starts looking like an old, washed up, once nice, has been truck. While that's not true in every occasion, in my mind, it's not worth the risk of going custom colors. Just something to ponder on.

[cmabolt]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Yep, but glad to say its almost done. Now its time for block sanding!


Thanks! Not sure that I have mentioned color before because it still isn't decided. I've been leaning toward a medium brown with copper highlight, but haven't really settled on a shade or specific color code.

Medium Brown with Copper. Sounds awesome! look into House of Color root beer
but of the shimrin base coat as apposed to the true candy's
http://www.kolorhouse.com/hoc-kbc07-q01.html

There's some really nice browns that are on the Acura's and Audi's as well.

Good luck, I think I changed color choices about 4 or 5 times. Truck is looking good by the way.
Chris

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

If I might just suggest something, whatever color you pick, time will be more friendly to it if you pick a factory color.

I feel much the same way about it y5mgisi. There is a member on this site, TexasJeff, with a truck called Ol' Brownie that is 1980 Dark Camel. In pictures, the color looks perfect but I don't know how well it transfers to seeing it in person.

Originally Posted by cmabolt

look into House of Color root beer
but of the shimrin base coat as apposed to the true candy's
http://www.kolorhouse.com/hoc-kbc07-q01.html

Chris

You're suggested color looks right on Chris, as if you are reading my mind I've still got a couple months of block sanding ahead of me, giving me plenty of time to change my mind a few more times! Thanks for the suggestion on Acura and Audi. I think I really won't feel good until I find a real vehicle in a color I like that I can see in person, or pick something that looks good in pictures and hope that it looks as good on a test panel.

[boynton]

There is nothing wrong with doing it the "right" way if you have the patience

[y5mgisi]

One thing is for certain. Upon completion, you will not have any defects that stare back at you and bug you. Fixing a problem now might take a day or two vs a problem staring back at you every day for years. Its just hard not to be short sighted some times. So its nice to see someone like yourself take time to do it right.

[swamp rat]

Got a question, are you taking the doors off by yourself? how are you supporting the door when unbolting it? Thanks! Truck is looking great!

[rgunlock]

Yes SR, I am taking the doors on and off by myself. Here is my handy door mounting buddy - goes to show that my OCD really is selective Helps a lot that the doors are just empty shells right now.

[Mustard72]

I think the gap definitely looks better. I'm pretty certain mine are gonna take a lot of work to get anywhere near as good as yours.

[rgunlock]

Thanks Nick! How's the kitchen remodel coming along?

[Mustard72]

Getting there.

Meanwhile, Mustard waits patiently...

[boynton]

If you run out of fittings for the a/c lines I have a bunch left over ill try to get a picture of them soon. For some reason my kit came with double or triple of what I needed.

[rgunlock]

Thanks Boynton. Since I ordered the fancy chrome bulkhead connector, I've got a ton of extra fittings also. Unfortunately, there are no alternate fittings for the suction and liquid lines coming off the evaporator (under dash unit), or the heater hose fittings for that matter. They want to go through the firewall holes assuming I had used the block off plate. Not really lending themselves to going sideways toward the bulkhead connector. Just got back online to see if anyone has described how they dealt with that.

[boynton]

I made rubber lines for the inside For the heater hoses and the a/c lines. Its kinda tight in there but I made them where the just fit. I did have to make one with a loop to get where it needs to go.

[y5mgisi]

Nice install pics!

[rgunlock]

Thanks y5mgisi - I aims to please. So here are some more. Finished testfitting the Vintage Air system this weekend. I had bought the nice chrome bulkhead connector dealy, but I could not find a spot for it that wouldn't require a) new fittings made or bought to point in the right direction from the evaporator unit, b) a lot of knuckle busting trying get wrenches into tight spaces to fasten connectors, c) trying to maneuver hoses over fittings only a few inches apart. I'm sure that a lot of folks have gone this route successfully, but it was smelling like a lot of aggravation to me!

So, I used the block off plate as a template to mark the hose holes originally intended by VA onto the firewall. I also used that plate to make sure my fittings were oriented correctly to go through the firewall holes when I fit the evaporator back in up under the dash. My wife was nice enough to pick me up a bigger step drill bit when she was in town because the one I had wasn't big enough diameter. Got things mounted up after making the holes and I think it will look just fine. That empty bottom hole will be for wiring to a heater valve. A grommet for it is include in the kit.

[rgunlock]

I bought VA's bracket kit to move the alternator to the driver side so that I could mount the AC compressor on the passenger side and avoid having hoses run across the engine.

VA did us a big disservice on this bracket. I'm using original drop manifolds on my truck, as well as OEM brackets for the power steering pump. VA's instructions say that if you use the OEM power steering brackets "you may have to trim the front spacer". Doesn't say how much. Apparently they don't figure that the average Joe will have the OEM PS brackets and just include the correct length spacer in the kit. Well, I estimated I needed to grind about 3/16 off the spacer based on visual of the PS bracket. Tried to mount the new alt bracket which bolts into the 1st and 3rd manifold bolt holes. Wouldn't line up to start the bolt. Screwed with this for at least a couple hours. Drilled bracket holes bigger to give more slack (probably not needed in retrospect), ended up removing all the manifold bolts to get the front one to start (the problem one). Bolted the rest of the manifold back on and mounted the alternator. Was pointing way off at an angle. Figure out it was that spacer I ground down. Off it all comes... grind some more... back together... still not right... repeat a couple time! Finally, got the alt pointing forward. That bolt went in easier and easier the more I ground off. Why oh why couldn't they have just included the right length spacer??? I think that I ended up grinding off about 3/8 inch on that spacer when done. I'll have to measure when I pull it apart to paint the brackets. Enough rant for this post, it ended up looking pretty good.

[rgunlock]

AC compressor went on a "little bit" better. The bracket that went into the manifold holes went on without a problem - no spacer grinding required. Picture in the instructions of the front bracket that bolts into the water pump was a bit misleading in my opinion. 1st attempt was backward. As you can see, the adjusting bolt had no place to go. Off came the compressor, flip front bracket around and all is good.

[swamp rat]

For some reason i was under the assumption you could mix and refill a paint gun in the middle of a job without cleaning it, figured if the paint stayed wet in the gun you would be ok.. guess i was wrong huh... Nice work!

[rgunlock]

With epoxy primer, I was able to do just that SwampRat. But this 2K primer was setting up fast enough that it would clog the gun. I do have to admit that after the first couple times I decided to sacrifice the paint cup and lid and just clean the gun body and tip. From what I understand, paint won't have the same quick flash times as 2k primer.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

With epoxy primer, I was able to do just that SwampRat. But this 2K primer was setting up fast enough that it would clog the gun. I do have to admit that after the first couple times I decided to sacrifice the paint cup and lid and just clean the gun body and tip. From what I understand, paint won't have the same quick flash times as 2k primer.

I understand that Harbor freight sells disposable cups for ( at least some of )their paint guns, in case you could use the info..