I thought you were getting rid of the k5 because it was in worse shape than you thought.
I was thinking after all this work?
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
'88 K5 - Running Down A Dream
- Thread starter jimmyleetn
- Start date
Ground up restoration of my '88 K5. The plan is to go through every inch of the truck and fix or replace pretty much everything that needs it. This will also be a full vert conversion and I plan to make the vehicle look more like a 73-75 than 88.
I was thinking after all this work?
No but funny story (not funny for me though). I'm gonna try to post a picture or two later tonight. I really really really royally screwed up the final two coats of paint up on that frame. Not that I am going to give up or quit, but I can see why people get discouraged and sell out or put projects out to pasture. I'm going to have block sand the whole frame and then reshoot it with paint. It's going to be terrible. I even thought about paying a student or two to help me. Long story short, I painted in the worst conditions for the type of paint I chose and came out like hammered poo. Just embarrassing.
Yeah, I lived 35 years in the middle east and had my fair share of rusted cars from the salty air of the Mediterranean and when I came to California I decided I get clean rust free cars for keeps, and rusty trucks for beaters on the trails.No but funny story (not funny for me though). I'm gonna try to post a picture or two later tonight. I really really really royally screwed up the final two coats of paint up on that frame. Not that I am going to give up or quit, but I can see why people get discouraged and sell out or put projects out to pasture. I'm going to have block sand the whole frame and then reshoot it with paint. It's going to be terrible. I even thought about paying a student or two to help me. Long story short, I painted in the worst conditions for the type of paint I chose and came out like hammered poo. Just embarrassing.
My 76 k5 lasted 6 years before it fell apart literally but I never spent a cent or a minute on the body or frame.
Back home I did a frame off restoration on a 74 k5, went through the same as you, sand blasting rust patching etc...
I had enough in 35 years now it's more mechanical and custom work only.
I'm definitely not looking to go this deep again anytime soon, if I do it'll be because one of the kids takes interest. I'll make them do the dirty work lol.
Here's my crazy paint mess on the frame. So many variables at play here but based on what I've been told by tech support at Eastwood and read elsewhere, I should have waited for better weather. Slightly windy, over 90°, and probably should have used a bigger needle than 1.3mm. The paint was Eastwood's 2k ceramic chassis black satin. It should have had more of an egg shell to smooth appearance. What it appears like happened with the paint was it started drying as soon as it hit the air. I never could get a good wet looking fan and that's probably when I should have stopped. It kept coming out chunky and not really flowing when I hit the test paper. That should have been my sign but I'm just not a painter and I thought it would flow for some reason and I hammered through it. I could technically put the frame under the body the way it is, but I just really hate the texture of that finish. It looks almost like truck liner. I came this far I can't just throw it back under the truck after all this time and money. The upside is it blocks smooth really easy with 320grit. I can probably block it in a couple hours by myself. Then I'll just wait for better weather and repaint it. A light coat is all it'll take. Still sucks though.
Run it
If it's still durable and it doesn't flake off easy it doesn't look bad.
You're not wrong. It seems durable. It's probably fully cured or close to it. I guess it's just not the look I was going for. I know it's just the frame and most people will never notice but it laid down with those aerospray cans really good on the axles and so that was the finish I was expecting this time out of the gun.
Now I understand that it's not the look you were going for but yeah it doesn't look bad.
So here's a little detour from frame and chassis finishes. Sometimes you see a cherry and you just got to have it. I picked up this NOS window crank or the table gate as they were setting up the swap meet part of the car show yesterday for a $100. I already have the Taiwan reproduction but I know that the originals are better. It's got a little bit of shelf wear but pretty hard to beat for the price. It came with a lock and key too but I think I'll take the locking mechanism out of my repop one since I have everything keyed the same.
Nice Score, on the crank handle. I think the frame is good to go, if it is stuck on.
Well I did stuff today. We're on the university's first ever fall break. I spent the first half of the week and this past weekend shooting geese in Wisconsin. The plan now is to get paint on these floor pans. Nothing really photo worthy. I spent half the day sanding the afterblast by hand with 180grit. The other half I welded up the pin holes, except for the really bad one. I also used a vacuum and did extensive work to get the crushed glass out of all the nooks and crannies. From there I wiped it with brake cleaner in a microfiber towel to get it ready for paint. Should be in the '70s most of the day tomorrow so it'll be perfect paint weather.
Well this turned out pretty good. I used my HF Avanti 5 Stage turbine sprayer modded to fit a 3M PPS Legacy paint system for the 2k epoxy primer. I used the 2K Aerospray Ceramic Chassis Black spray cans for the satin this time. After screwing up the finish on the frame I wanted a win. Plus, I only have two quarts of ceramic chassis satin paint left in cans anyways. I'll probably end up using it for the floor but anyways it was a good day. It's not silky smooth, it's got a little bit of an eggshell feel to it but it looks just like the axles that I painted a few years back. Once it hardens up it should be plenty durable and definitely not rust.
Lookin good! That rotisserie is awesome.
Thanks, glad I was able to borrow it. I don't think I could do it any other way and my OCD not keep me up at night.
Well I'm basically out of primer but I did get the floors done. I could probably do my front inner fenders with what little is left, but for all practical purposes I'm out. I've got two quarts of that 2k ceramic chassis satin black I did on the frame but I'm afraid to try it with the spray gun. Maybe I'll grow a pair and do it when I have more time. If the floor has texture it really doesn't matter since I'm going to put that roll on heat and sound insulation on it. The big thing though is there is no more bare metal which means I don't have to worry about anything that was sandblasted rusting at this point. If I wait too long and miss my window on that top coating that primer I can always go back and hand sand it with 320. It really wasn't that horrible of a job when I did it with the 180.
I decided to go for broke today. I had 2 quarts of the satin black. My thoughts were if I do the floor and it comes out coarse like the frame no one will ever see it so there's no need to worry about it, and I should still be able to get my sound deadener and insulation to stick to it. Plus today winds were light and variable and it was 75° when I painted. I had a short window of time before we had to get ready for church so I was very rushed, but I was able to get two coats down. I did miss a spot here and there that I can touch up later, but anyways the floor is basically done other than some minor rust repair I've got to do. All I need is a finish coat on the frame and I can start reassembling. I'm so ready to get that thing back together, there is no room to walk in the shop. I also miss wrenching and I really don't enjoy painting.
Look, sometimes I make very dumb financial decisions. See exhibit A below, getting seat belts refurbished for a truck that doesn't even have a frame under it currently. All that being said, they are very nice. I opened up a few of them and decided just to leave the rest packaged up. This is the photo of them before they were packaged up and sent back to me. If this thing ever gets put back together that'll be one less thing I have to buy. No going back now I guess LOL.
Tina does great work.
I completely agree. Her attention to detail is superb. I didn't intend to go all in at this point in my build, but her and I had been talking about interior colors and the next thing I knew I was shipping belts off to her.
Please Be very sure you have redundant jack stand supports. Those are not sufficient.
