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‘82 GMC “Junkyard JIMMY” {Build bash Rebuild}

View attachment 137292

I got a pair of saddle bags out of a junk yard suburban and cut the arm rest off the door and this is what I got.

Next I need to address the hacked up speaker hole.

...Then get rid of the clown colors.

I was thinking about this pic the other day while I was installing new door glass in one door and new window motors in both doors. I thought "wouldn't it be nice to have about a one foot diameter hole in the bottom of the doors? It would make the job much easier."

Edit: not sure why the picture isn't showing up like it did originally.
 
When I post pics on Tappa talk it comes up as a pic and also an attachment.

I went back and edited the post and got rid of the attachment pic. It's still there on my screen.

I need every inch of that big hole if I ever need to service the latch.

I was thinking about getting some glove boxes from the JY and putting them there. :thinking:
 
Maybe you could put something in there that would strengthen the doors and keep them from getting smashed as easily. Like some expanding foam or some sort of steel skeleton or something.
 
I thought about that but then I saw that it had impact resistant bondo on it so I figure I'll beat on it till the end.
 
Thanks KJ.

I drove JIMMY to work today and got tons of compliments.

First a biker in the fast lane on this seriously sick bike slowed down and let me catch up to him and he was rubber necking like crazy checking it out. He gave me the nod of approval and then sped off.

Then the guys at work thought it was kewl...

...and on the way home while stuck in traffic on the highway these kids in a yota were whistling at me to get my attention. When I looked I got the 2xs double thumbs up.

I guess I stand out a little bit now. :D
 
Get ready for people at stop lights, gas stations, etc. to start offering to buy it all the time. I can't believe it when guys ask if my old truck is for sale. I try to tell them that they wouldn't want an old thing like that, but they always say they do. So I tell them that I have like $7,500 in it and I wouldn't be able to sell it for any less than $10,000. :D
 
Problems

Now I have new problems.

Damn batteries keep dying.:doah:

I tested the alternator and it passed. I'm not getting enough juice at the battery's though.
My voltmeter gauge in the dash dropped to zero on the way to work and here I sit with a dead battery.



...and there's more, JIMMY has rust.:eek1:

Not the dusty kind that the PO painted over, the kind that fully penetrates the roof at the corner of the windshield.
It's gonna be a tough fix.
 
Strange how driving a vehicle on the road when it's not used to it can cause problems like this to surface. When you said you checked the alternator, how did you check it? Did you use a voltmeter to check for 14 volts with the engine running? Either the alternator is bad or the battery won't hold a charge. Since you ran the battery down to 0 volts (I've never seen one get discharged all the way to 0), your alternator may now be fried, especially if it's a higher amp one.

You need to take the alternator and the battery to an alternator shop. I once had an alternator that I thought was good, but when the engine got to a certain RPM, the alternator wouldn't work right. Turns out that it had a bad bearing for the armature. The only way for me to find out was for the shop to put the alternator on its machine.

That rust looks ugly. Maybe it's time for a full vert to go with your half doors.
 
Rust

Going to have your hands full with the rust problem.

No idea what could be going on with your electrical, very strange!
 
When I first tested the alt It failed because it was reading 12 at the battery while running.

I thought the connection on the back came loose soItightened the little nut. The nut stripped so I replaced it.

I took the alt off and tested it at the auto parts store. On the bench it passed.

I fully charged both batteries, cranked the motor, then disconnected the batteries. The engine stayed running, I turned the lights on and it still ran, I turned on my off road lights and it still ran.

Ok, then I hooked the batteries back up and put the voltmeter on it. It read 12.5.

I turned off the electric fans and it read 13. I disconnected the 2nd battery and it read 13.5.

BTW I am running a 100 amp alt, duel batteries, windstar fans.

...:dunno:
 
I still think you should take the alternator to an alternator shop. At the parts store, did they put it on a mockup with a driven shaft and belt and all that, or did they just check it for electrical functions? Maybe the belt is slipping? Just because the diodes are good doesn't mean the alternator is working like it should. Bad connections and mechanical malfunctions have to be looked at as possibilities. Is it a one wire alternator?

Can you isolate the two batteries so as to test them independently? Maybe one of them is bad?
 
electrical gremlin

gremlin.jpg



When O'reileys bench tested the Alt they put it in a box with a belt & lights & whistles. It passed 2xs.

When I tested it I cranked the rig, disconnected both Batts and turned on all the lights. I figure if it still runs with a load on it that means the alt is serving juice.


My girl brought me the battery charger at work so at lunch I pulled the primary bat out and charged it for 3 hrs. It cranked up & drove home.

I pulled both bats and are having them tested/charged right now.

The belt is an old one, I'll replace it right away.

Edit:
Yar! I think it be the belt. It feels tight but the pulley spins with little resistance. I recently changed it because it was a little shorter than the last one and that's about the same time the problems began.

I'm going to rub the V with same sand paper and strap a new belt on that beotch.



Another Edit: I fixed it. It was the belt. Now I have 14v at both batteries. Thanks.

gremlin.jpg
 
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Not so fast with the thumbs there Jess.

Sure, it tested fine at home last night but on the way to work this morning I could smell rubber burning. When I got here I checked and the new belt was nowhere to be found.


Good thing I keep a spare in the tool box.:D
 
Burnt rubber smell?

Is there a chance the bearings in the alternator are seizing when running at a higher RPM?

I had a similar problem with the rubber smell on my Sub.

At idle or at lower RPM "all Good" no noise and 14V output, but it kept eating belts.

A rebuild kit is only around $30.00 and a couple hours (max) of your time.??
 
I'll check it out when I get home. I just drove it and it charges. It squeaks like a mofo with another old belt but it charges.

I think I may have over tightened it. Classic case of overcompensation. It was tighter than dicks hatband.
There are pieces of belt melted into the main pully. I will fix it when I get home.
 

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