'74 K5 build: Smurf

[dremu]

The thing that plays Zepplin so you don't hear all the other noises.

Martin

It would have to be a very loud one to make it over the noise in that truck. It's a tradeoff I've more or less willingly made.

Seriously, I might put an MP3 player in the center console, and do like a pair of 6x9"s behind the seats or something. The cage takes up more room than I expected, so a sound system is low on the list of priorities.

-- A

 

[82355]

I just buy cheap Pioneer decks at Walmart for a little over a $100. They all have USB and Auxiliary inputs now.

Martin

 

[stan1688]

The non-polar ambers I have in the front markers are

http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...194-led-bulb-5-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/199/

The red ones I used in back are

http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...led-bulb-5-smd-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/206/

Which fit for me

-- A

Why couldn't you have just gotten the first bulb in amber and red instead of just amber? I didn't notice a difference between the two besides a small difference in size and polarization...

 

[dremu]

Why couldn't you have just gotten the first bulb in amber and red instead of just amber? I didn't notice a difference between the two besides a small difference in size and polarization...

The second one is considerably brighter than the first, like 2-3x.

-- A

 

[dremu]

There is a wrinkle in that the factory gear indicator apparently doesn't play nice with these dashes. Since I kinda like knowing what gear it's in, I'm now looking at Dakota Digital indicators. So much for doing my homework. 'Sokay, I'm tired of replacing the string in the sliding indicator.

And their sending unit.. all these sending units! This poor truck is gonna have all kinds of electric stuff on it 'fore I'm through... [She's old enough to have a mechanical oil pressure gauge, and of course the mechanical speedo, you see.]

-- A

 

[ion]

I like the bottom one over the oval one. although the cool part about the oval one is if you don't want to use the LED Blinker kit I sent you, it has built in turn signal indicators, High beam and parking brake indicators.

Let me know if I can do anything else for you. I will see if I can get them cheaper for you rather than paying full price again.

 

[dremu]

Sometimes it's the simple mods. While I love the looks of the 70's interiors, the steering wheels are uniquely impractical -- too wide (they bump into my fat legs) and too skinny (my arthritic hands can't grasp the dang things.) Of the later styles, I find the 89-91 to be my favorite. 'Course, this era trucks are tough to find at the PickNPull with the wheels still on 'em, grrr. Thankfully the van use the same columns, so I raped a coupla van conversions, and we go from

The skinny old one. Used to be that I could get those lace-on foam pad things at the parts store, but they've gone the way of the aftermarket intermittent wiper control.

Now she looks like

Quick, easy with the right tools, and sooo much easier. Popping U-turns can be done with the palm, yay!

Also to note from this thread, the trucks are both running happily for the moment... so with no fear of breakdown or excessive vibration, the GF and I took the Blazer out to dinner the other night. It's like a normal car, almost, kinda sorta

-- A

 

[AJMBLAZER]

We need proof of this.

 

[dremu]

We need proof of this.

Today I took the sixpack out for a Despot run to get stuff for the garage, so Christ, now I gotta post receipts from Home Depot for 4x8 sheets of styrofoam? =))

I s'pose I could do phone video of the trucks at highway speed, but that would consist of bouncing and swearing, primarily, coupled with a bit of laughing and fuzzy video.

-- A

 

[82355]

I put those steering wheels in every one of these pickups I buy.

Martin

 

[dremu]

I put those steering wheels in every one of these pickups I buy.

Martin

Yeah, I just remembered liking the one in the '90 Burb that wife #1 kept. I s'pose I coulda got an aftermarket one, but these were cheap & simple.

I just wish I'd done it a long time ago for my fingers' sake =))

-- A

 

[82355]

I prefer them to any aftermarket wheel I have ever come across.

Martin

 

[Jester1]

Two rigs running means there may be a third lurking in the corner of some dank dark hole waiting to pounce on your check book. Better send the GF out to move some plug wires around, unplug something or hide your rotor from you before its to late. She must be sworen to secracy to not tell you what she did.

DO IT. DO IT NOW. And for gods sake stay away from ebay and CL.

 

[dremu]

Two rigs running means there may be a third lurking in the corner of some dank dark hole waiting to pounce on your check book. Better send the GF out to move some plug wires around, unplug something or hide your rotor from you before its to late. She must be sworen to secracy to not tell you what she did.

DO IT. DO IT NOW. And for gods sake stay away from ebay and CL.

Eh, actually I'm on the other side of that curve. Along with the two '74's, there was also an '84 M1009 and the '77 Chalet:

And an extra daily driver, and ... so, yeah, I'm *down* to three vehicles from like seven. I know about what it does to the bank account, and the spare time

I miss them, occasionally, but not enough to justify the lack of focus. Eventually the sixpack may even go, and just keep the Blazer.

-- A

 

[82355]

I hear you there.

I have plated and insured:

1982 K30 3+3
1985 K5
1987 V10
1988 V10 Suburban
1990 K5
1995 Carpenter 71 passenger school bus

Martin

 

[dremu]

I hear you there.

I have plated and insured:

1982 K30 3+3
1985 K5
1987 V10
1988 V10 Suburban
1990 K5
1995 Carpenter 71 passenger school bus

Martin

A truck for every purpose, if not a purpose for every truck. =))

-- A

 

[max 02]

Whats with the bus Martin?

 

[82355]

It's converted to a "mobile home". We use it as a party bus.

Martin

 

[max 02]

Nice!!

 

[dremu]

The next big project has been to hang the spare tire and a coupla gas cans on the back of the truck. I opted for a combination of swing-away and stinger style carrier for several reasons. I didn't want to have to lift the spare tire from the ground to bumper height, so the stinger allows me to roll it into place and then lever it up. This does mean that accessing the back of the truck is a bit annoying, but I decided it to be an acceptable tradeoff. I also wanted the ability to carry gas cans outside (since the truck now has a top and everything ) Having cans on the stinger would mean removing them every time you drop it, so the swing-away allows them to stay filled & level.

A quickie teaser pic to celebrate post #300 in this thread (jeebus ) and then we're onto the "during" photos (and requisite stories )

The details:

First up I put on my fab hat and started making the various hanger and hinge bits. Let's face it, welding is just plain fun, so after a difficult week at work, it's a nice respite to go out in the shop and spark some sh!t up and beat on it with a hammer. I categorically deny thinking of the face of any specific person in management whilst doing the bending with the sledge.

Cardboard can be your friend when mocking up, and with my mail order habit lately there's lots of it around. This is the driver's side rear corner above the tail light:

Then drill some holes in, and bend some flat stock to match. Note it's easier to drill FIRST and bend SECOND. I'm just sayin'

Note there's two pieces, one inside the fender and one out, to sandwich the sheetmetal. My old Valley Industries tire carrier had this; without it, at the first flex the bolts would just pop through the sheetmetal. With the reinforcement inside the force is spread out over a much greater area.

The finished pieces look like this bare:

And on the truck:

Because of my suspension misadventures I've ended up with a certain stock of poly bushings in mixed sizes, so I thought I'd use those in lieu of actual hinges or spindles. I figure they're less costly, quieter, and allow for a certain misalignment.