'73 K5 - Stevoandaredk5's Build - [Pre-Summer Update - (4/5/11)]

[StevoandaRedK5]

have you seen what i've done with my rocker boxes on the '73? cut them all out, cut the body up 5" or so, welded in steel tube. instant ground clearance, tire fitment and rust eliminator....

I plan to do a rocker box delete much like colbystephen's '73, and POR-15 and herculiner the tub. I will also end up trimming out the fenders and fabbing up custom front and rear bumpers. Lots to do...

Yeah...I plan to do just that

I'm hoping to work on the doors today, i'll take pics and whore them later

 

[colbystephens]

the reason i suggest it is because if you do the rocker boxes first, then fit the doors to the new sill height, you won't have to patch your donor doors...

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Half Doors, Passenger Side Done

the reason i suggest it is because if you do the rocker boxes first, then fit the doors to the new sill height, you won't have to patch your donor doors...

These doors are already gonna need patching, plus I still need to obtain a welder before I can do any of this Thanks for pointing that out, I knew I was probably gonna have to mod the doors slightly after the rocker mod.

As for the half doors:

My sad, tiny air compressor can't keep up with the air cutter, so I got out my faithful sawzall The metal on these doors is also thin enough to cut with a good pair of tin snips in hard to reach spots.

There is a track for the window regulator near the middle of the door that sawzalls don't like, i ended up cutting around it instead:

The Inner Cut came out like this, before I got the window frame off:

After cutting off the top frame, I made the mark for the outer cut:

Here's the passenger door after all the cuts:

And this is all the metal that came off, these things are so much lighter than a stock door, the 2nd pic is a comparison to a full door:

I was conservative on the cuts until I decide on how to brace and cap it, I would like to get as wide of an opening as possible and it still be structurally sound. The driver's side door is disassembled and ready to be cut.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Well I haven't gotten around to cutting the driver's side half door yet.

However, UPS stopped by today with the sector gear I needed and I have the steering column back together.

Earlier today I got the weatherstripping for the door windows put on the hardtop, so now I can roll the windows all the way up Also did some other small stuff: fixed passenger side window handle, pulled nonfunctional dome lights out of hardtop, attempted to wire up my cheapo tach to no avail...etc, etc.

I have a buddy who's letting me borrow his 220 mig, and I should have the metal together for the sliders within the next two weeks, and then I'll do all the metalwork over spring break (with lots of pics). After all that's finished, I'll start deal-searching for my new 35's and then hit some rocks...

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Working on a new windshield...

Well I dropped the truck off today after school to have a new windshield installed, but since we picked it up after they closed, all I have is a note explaining to me that the glass cracked during installation. Supposedly the old gasket has shrunk and won't work with new glass. So...I have to take it back in tomorrow for them to try again, this time with a new $60 window gasket (which I have to pay for).

In other news, I'm taking the final measurements for the metalwork, and should hopefully pick up all the metal I need sometime this week. Then next week (spring break) will be lots of to get the rust cut out and the sliders welded in. After that, slap on some POR-15 and then I'll Herc the entire tub. I can't wait haha

 

[colbystephens]

that's a bummer about the gasket - been there tho! good luck on the spring break build... I've got my own spring break build i'm gearing up for. it's kinda daunting.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Another Quick Update

New windshield went in tuesday without a hitch and with no leaks during this week of rain. Timing on the engine is still off and the carb is running rich so it diesels like crazy, but it runs so I'm not too bothered by it. Trans modulator still needs to be adjusted, but I kinda enjoy driving it like a MVB.

I picked up the metal for the sliders/floorboard repair this morning, and to my surprise, my combination of drop and cut metal only put me out $85, about half of what I was expecting I may end up needing a little more after I finish all the demolition, but that's no big deal.

So I have the metal, POR-15 system, and Herculiner kit...what a great combo, can't wait until Monday to start !

Oh, and today while on my lunch break, I stopped at a local tire place to pick up a used 35x12.50 that I hoped would double as a full size spare and also be used for fitment during the metalwork next week. However the only 35 they had on hand had a cut on the sidewall and wouldn't hold air. I took it anyways (free, plus it was already on my spare wheel). I may patch it to use as a low-speed spare, but it's primary use will be to check clearance for the fenders, etc.

I guess ya'll can tell that I'm pretty stoked about all this haha.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Got a little done today

Well I got everything that I'll need this week loaded in the back of the truck so I can drive it over to my friend's house tomorrow. After that I grabbed the spray paint I picked up yesterday and finished up working on the center console. I think it turned out pretty good.

I'm stoked for tomorrow, this is probably the biggest project that'll happen on this truck, at least for the near future. I'm taking all kinds of pics as the build progresses, and I'll whore them either each night or at the end of the week, we'll see how it goes.

 

[colbystephens]

the console looks good!

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Slider Update!

Ok so I started the sliders yesterday. I'm having to do this around my job, which isn't too bad since I'm trying to be at work the least amount of time possible this week. Anywho, here's a quick rundown of what's been going on:

We started on the passenger side since it was already so messed up by rust and the PO, then progressed to the drivers side (there was so much junk under there!!). The sawzall has definitely been my friend on this build. This afternoon we got enough cut out on the passenger side to mock up one of the sliders...I don't think I'll have anyone asking where the beef is...

(Begin Picwhoring, sorry 56k guys...)

(End PWing)

I'm gonna spend some more time mocking everything up before I get a sure spot for the slider, but I'm fairly sure that they won't stick out as far as yours colby. I only have the front fender to finish cutting and we may start tacking the sliders tomorrow, I still have to cut out the wheel wells and test fit the 35 to see if it'll work...

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

 

[colbystephens]

nice work. those cuts look nice. i'm a big fan of the grinder and cut off wheel. looks like you're doing a great job.

my sliders don't stick out more than a 1/2" or so from the sheet metal. I lined up its outter edge with the lip of the fenders. they will stick out farther in the near future as i plan to put a piece of tube onto them to keep rocks/trees farther away from the door opening. I usually drive door-less, but recently I've been having horror images of wheeling and having some big boulder come through the open door and crush me against my seat belt. definitely going to have to build some half doors before the Rubicon in July...

Have you welded thick material to thin material before? It's pretty easy - get your bead going on the thick material and quickly brush the molten metal against the sheet metal. Doing this prevents blowing through, and you end up with a nice continuous bead. I did stitches to prevent the sheet metal from warping.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

nice work. those cuts look nice. i'm a big fan of the grinder and cut off wheel. looks like you're doing a great job.

my sliders don't stick out more than a 1/2" or so from the sheet metal. I lined up its outter edge with the lip of the fenders. they will stick out farther in the near future as i plan to put a piece of tube onto them to keep rocks/trees farther away from the door opening. I usually drive door-less, but recently I've been having horror images of wheeling and having some big boulder come through the open door and crush me against my seat belt. definitely going to have to build some half doors before the Rubicon in July...

Have you welded thick material to thin material before? It's pretty easy - get your bead going on the thick material and quickly brush the molten metal against the sheet metal. Doing this prevents blowing through, and you end up with a nice continuous bead. I did stitches to prevent the sheet metal from warping.

thanks! I guess I thought so because you welded yours up with the fenders off and I wasn't thinking of them with fenders on...

To be honest, i've only stick welded a couple of times and used a cutting torch a little more than that. Now that the majority of the cuts are done (I finished up for the sliders tonight), I may get used to mig by running some test beads on so of the scrap i've got. I am hoping my cousin who is a proficient welder will come burn in the final welds, and I'll just tack everything up. Don't know if that will work out so I may end up having to learn quick

Thanks for the tips dude!

 

[colbystephens]

since you just chopped up those doors, you probably have some sheet metal left over. sheet metal is VERY difficult to weld and do well. Usually, guys have problems burning through thin material. I'd recommend you run a few beads on your thick slider material, then put some sheet metal up against it to mock up the situation of welding the slider in. Like I said, run most of the bead on the thick material, as close as possible to the thin, and quickly brush the molten bead up against the sheet to weld up the slider/sheet material.

mig welding is WAY easy compared to stick welding, so i bet you'll pick it up quick. you really have ALOT more finesse with a mig than with a stick welder - i think you'll like it.

if you're not comfortable with it, you can definitely tack everything in place and let it sit till a proficient welder can finish it up for ya. two or three good tacks will hold that 2x4 in place if you're not loading it too much (i.e., you don't step on it or whatever). i mocked my sliders up with a couple tacks, but i didn't leave it too long so i didn't have to worry about breaking those little tacks.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

Slider Update #2!

Well I got to it early this morning, and with the help of my cousin Taylor we got the MIG machine setup after picking up a new bottle of gas. What can I say? I love MIG!! haha, though he did most of the welding, I tacked a few things and ran a bead or two and was completely blown away by how much easier it is than stick. Only complaint is that it doesn't like anything other than nice clean metal, and they're ain't much of that on my truck

Anyways...we have most of the subframe in and mostly welded up. We chopped 45 degree angles on the ends of the slider in line with where the fender cuts should end up, I may have to do a little tweaking, but hopefully not. Taylor welded up the slider as best he could to the surrounding sheetmetal and then we started on the 2" sq tube supports to the body. I still need to cut and tack the rearmost support for both sides, but it's not going anywhere until then, I can jump up and down on it no problem. There are some of the welds that were in awkward hard to reach spots or needed the surrounding metal to be cleaned that we held off til later. Well enough talk, here's some pictures:

I will probably head over there tonight to cut the remaining 2 supports if it's possible by myself, and probably the pieces to cap the ends of the sliders. I need to cut the fenders for tire clearance still, and test fit the 35, especially up front. May start on the templates for the sheetmetal. I can't work during the day tomorrow cuz of work, but I'll work tonight and tomorrow night, and hopefully get the metalwork knocked out or 99% done friday. Tight schedule, but I would like to have it back on the road for school next week.

 

[colbystephens]

someone's going to be feeling a sunburn tonite! and on the eyes too... why are you not wearing a real helmet? you're asking for trouble without wearing the proper gear. i used to wear shorts/t-shirt while welding, but learned real quick that i didn't like having nasty sunburns every nite.

on another note, your work looks real nice. w/ respect to having trouble welding to not so clean material, turn up the heat a bit and you'll burn right through any nasty stuff on there. i recommend actually cleaning the metal up, but if you can't do that - turning up the heat will help significantly.

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

first off, that's my cousin, not me. This is me:

notice the presence of quite a bit more hair

I was one of three people to tell him to wear a hood, and I offered him my BDU jacket on more than one occasion...He's quite stubborn, plus I wasn't too keen on offending him since he can weld better/faster than me. He welded a at least an hour a day for most of his high school career, so I bowed out to his experience.

Well, I went back tonight to work on the fenders and test fit the 35 in the front wheel well. Looks like it will need a little more work than I thought, including having to cut the slider back. Now I wish I would have done this before welding up tube, but what's done is done and hindsight is 20/20. So onwards and upwards, I measured up and will trim the inner fender, and cut the slider/fender back about 4 more inches. Regardless, I am really excited about the look with 35's, though if I am having clearance problems even with alot of trimming I may end up running 33's...I just hate to since it's the same money. Ok, so I'll stop rambling and post some pictures:

Let me know what you guys think...

 

[colbystephens]

i've had to retrim my sliders too, and it is definitely a PITA while all on the truck, but since you've got that handy reciprocating saw, it shouldn't be too bad. it can be really difficult with a grinder/wheel.

my preference w/ respect to the fender trimming is to see the tangent line be cut down from the top of the rear downward curve of the fender - meaning about 4 or 5 inches up from where you've drawn your line. i also think that for 35" tires, your trim job is bigger than necessary. your wheel won't move back super far when flexed out (take a look at the rear front spring hanger - they just about sit on the frame as is!), so most of your movement with the tire will be up/down.

I think it would look cleaner if you cut your fender from that top rear corner of the fender opening to somewhere about 1" toward the tire from your front-most new fender trimming line. but, that's all aesthetic preference - so do what looks right to you!

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

my preference w/ respect to the fender trimming is to see the tangent line be cut down from the top of the rear downward curve of the fender - meaning about 4 or 5 inches up from where you've drawn your line. i also think that for 35" tires, your trim job is bigger than necessary. your wheel won't move back super far when flexed out (take a look at the rear front spring hanger - they just about sit on the frame as is!), so most of your movement with the tire will be up/down.

I think it would look cleaner if you cut your fender from that top rear corner of the fender opening to somewhere about 1" toward the tire from your front-most new fender trimming line. but, that's all aesthetic preference - so do what looks right to you!

Well that definitely makes me feel better that I won't have to trim as much to clear flex, and you are correct that a more vertical cut on the rear of the opening will look cleaner. I may also trim the top of the opening to be more level, as right now it seems lopsided. I'm using a metal blade in a jigsaw to cut the openings because it is a little cleaner and more manageable than a sawzall. It won't like the sliders though, so I'll break out the reciprocating for those cuts.

Oh and my cousin just texted me not too long ago to say that he's got a nice sunburn on his face haha, i was tempted to say I told you so...

Thanks a whole lot for all this input colby, at first I was thinking my thread would go totally unnoticed here in this section rather than the garage.

 

[colbystephens]

try out the cut off wheel for the fender trimming. i have really good luck with those because you have great control over it, plus you don't have to worry about the blade grabbing the sheet metal and tearing/denting or otherwise deforming metal that you want to keep straight.

it's also highly recommended that you start your cut at the top of the trimming - so start at the top of the wheel well and work downwards. if you look around a bit, you'll find a few guys who started at the bottom of the fender and when they got up to the top of the wheel well opening, they'd missed their mark and now have these ugly jagged fender trims. kinda funny to look at, but it's ugly as hell.

 

[brockmub]

Stevo, did you just weld the 2x4 straight from the slider to the frame? And are you going to just put flat plate for the floor? I just want to know because I'm going to do the same to my 74. If I took the top off, I'm afraid the truck would split wide open like a taco.

I agree with you... don't go back to 33s if you have 35s for the same money. Colby's right... you shouldn't have to trim as much back as you have marked out. Even though it would probably mess up your timeline... it might want to drive it over some rocks or curbs to see the tires at full stuff and get a better idea for where you have to trim.

Cut as little as possible because those 35s look awesome under there without much clearance.