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'72 K5 - Where do I go from here?

Overview Gallery Discussion
I can't believe how fast that little surface rust pops up. I finished up, power washed it very thoroughly, pushed it into the sun and cleaned up my tools and stuff.

About 2 hours later I snapped those pics, you can already see (front spring shackle mount is a great example) how everything is covered with a thin layer of rust. When I finished cleaning, sanding, wire brush/wheeling, etc. it was rust free. Regardless, after I snapped those pics I pushed it onto the driveway and grabbed the creeper.......I missed a few spots on the bottom, so back out came all the tools.........I am racing against sunset....wife comes out.......leaves......her mom comes out.......leaves............her dad comes out.......I'm trying not to be rude, but. It was dark when I hooked the power washer back up, cleaned the underneath (laying under it while power washing was all kinds of fun!) and then took my leaf blower and blew it dry (like I should have done the first time). Now it's clean. Not perfect, but good enough.

I'm going to pick up some acetone (or whatever I can buy here in CA) to give it a good lint-free rub down before I start applying the primer tonight. I don't plan to stay at 'work' very long........I have 3 days left at this job. Oh, and I STILL can't access this site from my home network. I am trying to give the guy some time because of Christmas, but I am really losing my patience, especially now that I know it is his end, not mine.

Bill's question brings up a good point. If anyone wants me to measure anything, take any specific pictures, etc., ask away, I am more than happy to do anything I can to help someone out.
 
I decided to leave it. I like, well, its purpose, but also the 'back story', you telling what it is for, etc. Appreciate everything, it's coming along nicely. My goal is to have frame painted before I start new job (04Jan16), as I plan to hit the ground running, blah, blah, blah - less shop time for a bit. As soon as I get the $$$$$$ for the vacation time I am selling back - lift kit and suspension rebuild. This is a freakin blast!
 
Primer is going on ok, but a pain, it is very thick. I have a few runs from getting impatient, that's why I stopped for the night. If anyone asked me, I would do a spray on, brush, although I thought it would be easier, is really a PITA.
 
if it's enamel, you can generally thin it a bit with mineral spirits (it should say on the can).. even just a splash, maybe 5%, will make it lay out/apply much nicer...
 
Holy hell man, what are you doing with the wire wheels to get so injured? Are you trying to use the wrong side of the wheel? If the grinder in facing down and level in your hand you want to be using the right hand side of the disc/wheel so that the disc/wheel is rotating INTO the work surface as it returns to you, not into the work surface as it leaves you if that makes any sense. As you may have already found out you also don't want to put those discs/wheels into really tight areas like between brackets where they will get bound up. That has a much higher chance of resulting in injury.
 
Dirsuper said:
I decided to leave it. I like, well, its purpose, but also the 'back story', you telling what it is for, etc. Appreciate everything, it's coming along nicely. My goal is to have frame painted before I start new job (04Jan16), as I plan to hit the ground running, blah, blah, blah - less shop time for a bit. As soon as I get the $$$$$$ for the vacation time I am selling back - lift kit and suspension rebuild. This is a freakin blast!
Click to expand...

Ok, that's fine but be prepared to "finesse" a slightly deeper radius into it when the new suspension goes on... New springs will move more and will probably hit that bracket under braking, which will cause the truck to dart to the right.

-G
 
Appreciate all guys. The can says, "Do not thin" on the side so I guess I'm stuck with it the way it is. No big deal, it just took much longer than I expected and I got impatient, like a little b!.....

Truck-oholic, most of the issues were, as you said, from hitting brackets, edges, and holes. The softer attachments give more, but those really hard/tight ones just catch. Variable speed would really help, but I could not justify buying even more tools......at least not right away.

Greg, glad you point that out, I will grind that bracket as soon as I get the springs off. I just got off the phone with payroll and was told that they will give me a check for my unused vacation time (248.6 hours!) tomorrow at the exit interview. It's taxed at 43% (friggin thieving bastards), but it should still get me quite a bit of parts. I'll be on the phone with ORD tomorrow, and all over RockAuto's website after that. Lift kit, all of the front suspension/steering parts, and engine rebuild should be covered......right on!
 
That last picture must be distorted. It makes your camber look whack, and your white K5 super stubby.

Progress is looking good though!
 
Yesterday on my way to Harbor Freight I passed a Machine shop, so I turned around and stopped to talk to them. I really like the guy. I tell him about my heads, he makes a phone call, this morning I picked up some late model heads - $200/set. That pic is the place where I picked them up. They have 4 K5s in the yard, and a few 3/4 ton pickups. If anyone is looking for an odd/hard to find part, I'll be happy to check those K5s and grab whatever you need.

Question - Will front seats out of a '74 bolt into a '72?

Another question - Will axles (front and rear) from a '70s 3/4 ton pickup bolt into a '72 K5, and if so, is it worth doing (can buy both front and rear complete for $850)?
 
3/4 tons aren't worth that much around here. Not sure what the market is like there, but here you can get a 14boltFF for $150 and a 10bolt/dana 44 for $150ish.
 
Seats can always be made to fit...

For diff's...why exactly would you be bothering? You have a SF 14 rear already. Are there issues with your current front end? Also, $850 is really high for 3/4 ton diff's.
 
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