It'll look about like this when you're finished I'm betting. I did the same to my K20 and it's a huge difference!
CK5
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Frankenburb the 1978? 1984? Suburban
- Thread starter AbramJ
- Start date
It'll look about like this when you're finished I'm betting. I did the same to my K20 and it's a huge difference!
Love it, did you use cool white LEDs as replacements? That's what I plan on using.
It'll look about like this when you're finished I'm betting. I did the same to my K20 and it's a huge difference!
Mine were just the $5 pack of 10 LED's of amazon, I used chrome paint instead of white on mine but it should turn out similar. I left the back of the faceplate that soft blue color to tone it down a bit.
Came home from helping my dad today to find the front passenger tire on the truck almost completely flat. Wasn't too much of a surprise since the fronts were completely flat when I first saw the truck so they were cracked pretty bad (I was surprised it held air this long)
I checked my other set of wheels from the junk yard truck and aired up the two best ones and put them on the truck.
I'll need to find the proper lug nuts so I can get the hub caps on, but for now the other lug nuts work fine.
My tracking says the stripping disks I ordered should be here tomorrow. If so I might be able to really start getting the old paint off and move forward on that part of the build.
I might've gotten other things done on the Burb today, except I had to fix the transmission shifter cable on my wife's car, and since it's her daily driver it was the priority (I'm almost to the point I'd rather burn her car to the ground than keep working on it though, lol).
I checked my other set of wheels from the junk yard truck and aired up the two best ones and put them on the truck.
I'll need to find the proper lug nuts so I can get the hub caps on, but for now the other lug nuts work fine.
My tracking says the stripping disks I ordered should be here tomorrow. If so I might be able to really start getting the old paint off and move forward on that part of the build.
I might've gotten other things done on the Burb today, except I had to fix the transmission shifter cable on my wife's car, and since it's her daily driver it was the priority (I'm almost to the point I'd rather burn her car to the ground than keep working on it though, lol).
Alright, got some time in the garage tonight. My new stripping disks came today and I got most of the bottom half of the passenger rear quarter panel stripped.
There's a dent in front of the tire
Just a little bit of rust through behind the tire, suggestions on how to fix this are welcomed.
I also noticed that where each retaining tab with double sided tape was for the trim left a scar
And the part I didn't finish is right towards the bottom behind the wheel seems to have quite a bit of Bondo on it, but the metal underneath looks clean, so perhaps it was to help shape the area more than to fix a repair?
I need more practice on my welder before I start cutting metal out to replace it so if there are other options to repair the rust through I'm all ears. If not I'll keep practicing.
There's a dent in front of the tire
Just a little bit of rust through behind the tire, suggestions on how to fix this are welcomed.
I also noticed that where each retaining tab with double sided tape was for the trim left a scar
And the part I didn't finish is right towards the bottom behind the wheel seems to have quite a bit of Bondo on it, but the metal underneath looks clean, so perhaps it was to help shape the area more than to fix a repair?
I need more practice on my welder before I start cutting metal out to replace it so if there are other options to repair the rust through I'm all ears. If not I'll keep practicing.
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Remember you don't need to weld, just tack.
If you can tack then you can replace the panels.
Tack around to spread the heat around and not build to much heat in one spot.
If you can tack then you can replace the panels.
Tack around to spread the heat around and not build to much heat in one spot.
Got some more work done. Worked on one of the front doors I bought a while ago and got it almost completely stripped. The other door had a large area of Bondo so I stripped that all off to reveal a dent in the door, I forgot to take a picture. I had the front doors wrapped securely and dry in a tarp on the side of my house, or so I thought. Water still got in there and pooled and started surface rust at the bottoms of the doors where I had previously stripped the paint. Not wanting this to continue I decided I had to bring them into my already crowded garage. I took the side door and fender that I already painted and bolted them and the front passenger door on temporarily and put the front driver's door in the garage where the fender was. I couldn't resist snapping a picture
Then my oldest daughter had come out in the garage by then and wanted to be in the picture with daddy's cool truck
I have a feeling somebody's first car is going to be a square body
Then my oldest daughter had come out in the garage by then and wanted to be in the picture with daddy's cool truck
I have a feeling somebody's first car is going to be a square body
Scored some goodies from Craigslist. A core support with lots of stuff attached, two 16.5" wheels to match the four I've already got, and a 16" wheel. I figure I'll use the 16"wheel to experiment cleaning up and painting on.
Found another Craigslist ad yesterday of a guy with a backyard full of square body stuff that I need to check out too.
Can I mount a '73-'80 bumper on the '81-'91 bumper brackets?
Found another Craigslist ad yesterday of a guy with a backyard full of square body stuff that I need to check out too.
Can I mount a '73-'80 bumper on the '81-'91 bumper brackets?
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Not that I ever found.
Made two trips to a junk yard by me on my way home from work the last two days and found a lot of good odds and ends.
What I'll for sure use on my Burb:
Hood latch, grille and front valance mounts, headlight bezels and retainers, headlight and marker light wiring harness, front valance, front bumper with bumper guards, lid and bottom half of a center console, dash pad and trim, and a transmission hump.
I got all the pieces off of a '77 Blazer. I was a little upset because it looked like someone took a crow bar and smashed a lot of stuff. The center console looked like it was complete, but it was smashed, luckily the lid and bottom part with all the mounting hardware was still intact, like I said. I'm going to use the lid and bottom part I just got with the cup holder and top section with the other one I bought. That'll save me a lot of work trying to remove the tan paint. (mentioned in my thread: Refurbishment ideas )
Since it was still all there and in good condition I also pulled the headliner and cab trim out of the Blazer. The bedside trim was there too, but had big holes cut in the fronts and the backs were separating/disintegrating so I wasn't sure they were worth taking. I also pulled the spare wheel mount. It also had the metal trim pieces that go between the bolts and the top, are those worth getting/hard to find? If so I'll go back one more time to grab them. I know I don't have a Blazer, but I'd love to some day, so I figure I'll collect any parts I find.
I took the transmission hump and set it in the Burb, looks like I'll have to fabricate the end part to connect it all together, but now I'll have the clearance I need at the transfercase.
I also took the bumper and bolted it up, loosely, to the outer bumper brackets. It kind of fits. With a little massaging I think I'll get it to work.
What I'll for sure use on my Burb:
Hood latch, grille and front valance mounts, headlight bezels and retainers, headlight and marker light wiring harness, front valance, front bumper with bumper guards, lid and bottom half of a center console, dash pad and trim, and a transmission hump.
I got all the pieces off of a '77 Blazer. I was a little upset because it looked like someone took a crow bar and smashed a lot of stuff. The center console looked like it was complete, but it was smashed, luckily the lid and bottom part with all the mounting hardware was still intact, like I said. I'm going to use the lid and bottom part I just got with the cup holder and top section with the other one I bought. That'll save me a lot of work trying to remove the tan paint. (mentioned in my thread: Refurbishment ideas )
Since it was still all there and in good condition I also pulled the headliner and cab trim out of the Blazer. The bedside trim was there too, but had big holes cut in the fronts and the backs were separating/disintegrating so I wasn't sure they were worth taking. I also pulled the spare wheel mount. It also had the metal trim pieces that go between the bolts and the top, are those worth getting/hard to find? If so I'll go back one more time to grab them. I know I don't have a Blazer, but I'd love to some day, so I figure I'll collect any parts I find.
I took the transmission hump and set it in the Burb, looks like I'll have to fabricate the end part to connect it all together, but now I'll have the clearance I need at the transfercase.
I also took the bumper and bolted it up, loosely, to the outer bumper brackets. It kind of fits. With a little massaging I think I'll get it to work.
Made some progress on the interior items today. Got the center console cleaned, stripped, cleaned, and repainted.
It isn't bolted together yet, everything is just sitting together. It looks much better now. I painted the inside with black appliance epoxy and then used SEM Color Coat on the outsides.
As a reminder, this is how the console use to look.
I also cleaned up and clear coated the dash trim.
And with the Silverado emblem.
It's not the darker wood like in the '75-'76 like I wanted, but it was too nice to leave at the junk yard. It also was a lot cheaper than buying one from eBay or one of the restoration places.
I also cleaned the bumper, but some how misplaced the chrome polish I just bought
I might actually not be working this weekend so hopefully I'll be able to get more done on the paint stripping on the body.
It isn't bolted together yet, everything is just sitting together. It looks much better now. I painted the inside with black appliance epoxy and then used SEM Color Coat on the outsides.
As a reminder, this is how the console use to look.
I also cleaned up and clear coated the dash trim.
And with the Silverado emblem.
It's not the darker wood like in the '75-'76 like I wanted, but it was too nice to leave at the junk yard. It also was a lot cheaper than buying one from eBay or one of the restoration places.
I also cleaned the bumper, but some how misplaced the chrome polish I just bought
I might actually not be working this weekend so hopefully I'll be able to get more done on the paint stripping on the body.
Well got a little more work done. Got the holes drilled for the cab marker lights, so I've got to use them now. I also finished stripping the paint on the front floor boards and got all the loose rusty parts cleaned up. I then sprayed them with the famous ryoken green, hopefully that'll keep the rust from coming back. I cleaned and re-taped and replaced the plastic tubing on the headlight/marker light harness.
No pictures today, and I did end up having to work this weekend, so I'm not sure I'll get as much done on the truck as I wanted.
Could anyone with a 4x4 Suburban that has a NP208 take some pictures of the floor and shifter for me? If anyone knows of a wiring diagram for the shifter and indicator I'd appreciate it too.
No pictures today, and I did end up having to work this weekend, so I'm not sure I'll get as much done on the truck as I wanted.
Could anyone with a 4x4 Suburban that has a NP208 take some pictures of the floor and shifter for me? If anyone knows of a wiring diagram for the shifter and indicator I'd appreciate it too.
Didn't get as much done this weekend as I was hoping too. A combination of bad paint and the weather turning too crappy for me to paint anyways. I was working on the interior again, got most of the dash sanded at least. This afternoon I measured and marked out drill locations on the roof for the roof rack and rear air deflector. Took some pics of how it should look when finished.
I'll need to get a new drill bit since my other one broke while I was doing the holes for the marker lights.
Curious of people's opinions on which mirrors to go with. I have one set of the four point camper/tow mirrors and several of the three point below eyeline mirrors. Which one would you go with?
I like both and was leaning towards the four point since the truck will be a tow rig, but the three point will work well for that too.
I'll need to get a new drill bit since my other one broke while I was doing the holes for the marker lights.
Curious of people's opinions on which mirrors to go with. I have one set of the four point camper/tow mirrors and several of the three point below eyeline mirrors. Which one would you go with?
I like both and was leaning towards the four point since the truck will be a tow rig, but the three point will work well for that too.
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I love the three point mirrors on my 78 but some yours will be a tow rig I'd go four point.
As noted above the 3 point ones like to tear the doors, they have on both of mine.
Thanks for the replies. I've been trying to decide a way to reinforce the door at the attachment points regardless of which mirror I go with. Any ideas?
A little something came in the mail today
Since finding the actual console trim emblem was proving impossible I drew it up on my computer and had it 3D printed. The actual emblem looks good, but I must have measured the mounting pegs incorrectly as they are too far apart. Just need to change that and order the updated prototype. These are in white strong flexible and polished metal plastics, much cheaper to print during the prototype phase. The final emblem I'll most likely have printed in polished stainless steel.
I also started getting my gauges out and am picking which ones to put in the cluster.
The picture washed the color out some. I need to repaint the needles still, though. I'll be buying a new clock, speedometer, and tachometer/fuel combo. I'll also buy a new printed circuit, and if I can't figure out how to adequately polish the lens a new one of those as well. Now I need to figure out how to get the park light and 4wd light both to illuminate at the speedometer, since I won't be able to have warning lights at the tachometer. I'm pretty sure the brake light would already be in that position, so I'll need to cut the lenses and glue them together.
Since I'll be doing an A pillar cluster for my transmission and transfercase temperature gauges I've considered adding warning lights up the too. The main one I can think of that would be good is a wait light for the glow plugs.
Since finding the actual console trim emblem was proving impossible I drew it up on my computer and had it 3D printed. The actual emblem looks good, but I must have measured the mounting pegs incorrectly as they are too far apart. Just need to change that and order the updated prototype. These are in white strong flexible and polished metal plastics, much cheaper to print during the prototype phase. The final emblem I'll most likely have printed in polished stainless steel.
I also started getting my gauges out and am picking which ones to put in the cluster.
The picture washed the color out some. I need to repaint the needles still, though. I'll be buying a new clock, speedometer, and tachometer/fuel combo. I'll also buy a new printed circuit, and if I can't figure out how to adequately polish the lens a new one of those as well. Now I need to figure out how to get the park light and 4wd light both to illuminate at the speedometer, since I won't be able to have warning lights at the tachometer. I'm pretty sure the brake light would already be in that position, so I'll need to cut the lenses and glue them together.
Since I'll be doing an A pillar cluster for my transmission and transfercase temperature gauges I've considered adding warning lights up the too. The main one I can think of that would be good is a wait light for the glow plugs.
Got some more good work done on the truck today. The benefit of ending my work day at a job site close to my house.
Drilled all the holes for the roof rack and rear air deflector. I was about to say I finished stripping the paint off of the passenger side, but noticed as I was taking the pictures I forgot to finish the rockers. I got all of the Bondo off the rear lower quarter, looks like it had been dented in some and someone used a stud welder to repair it. Doesn't look too bad, but will need Bondo again. Found another little rust hole too. I'm thinking about just filling the holes with Bondo hair, the stuff with fiberglass in it. Thoughts?
Drilled all the holes for the roof rack and rear air deflector. I was about to say I finished stripping the paint off of the passenger side, but noticed as I was taking the pictures I forgot to finish the rockers. I got all of the Bondo off the rear lower quarter, looks like it had been dented in some and someone used a stud welder to repair it. Doesn't look too bad, but will need Bondo again. Found another little rust hole too. I'm thinking about just filling the holes with Bondo hair, the stuff with fiberglass in it. Thoughts?
You need to have the holes sealed from the back somehow to keep moisture out, otherwise it will slowly rust from the back side, and pop out.
Of course the proper way would be to weld it shut, then continue. If you can't get that done, then at least seal the back side as best as you can.
Of course the proper way would be to weld it shut, then continue. If you can't get that done, then at least seal the back side as best as you can.
