Always good to see you and Kris!
Digging through your shed and everywhere else is like a mini treasure hunt every time.
Digging through your shed and everywhere else is like a mini treasure hunt every time.
CK5
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Well I splurged on a new rear bumper. Had to modify bracketry some...but nothing too technical. I squared up the bedsides as good as possible as well and added the chrome tailgate strip...mostly to hide how chewed the top edge of my tailgate is. It's gonna be a driver, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. Anyhoo...Cliffords butt looks better now. Threw a '73 plate on for giggles and because I had one.
More progress incoming.
More progress incoming.
He must workout!
So last year I bought a pair of "off shore" door shells. Never been on a truck, but not new either. They looked decent and I gave $250 for the pair. I had zero issues with the passenger door, everything was where it should be, and it fit the truck decently. I would give it a solid 8/10.
I'm at the point of installing the driver's door and I was optimistic based on the passenger door. Well, I think the driver's side of the factory in China is drunk. Initial fit I already had to fock around with the hinge bolts to get them all started. Not the end of the world. I tried to gently close the door (still a shell at this point) to see what adjusting it needs. It is completely out of whack to the shape of the cab. I will get pics later to better illustrate. To get it less horrible I had to cut the inside structure of the door to get some of the twist out of it, but the basic profile of the door is still way off. Horribly so.
At this point I'm still thinking I can make this door work, so I start filling it with all the glass and stuff. Everything is fighting me, hole patterns off everywhere, holes missing for the vent window. I got the vent window in, but if you open it you can't get it closed again now. The short version is this door is garbage. so, I am gonna cruise marketplace and try to find the cleanest OE door I can find and go from there.
I'm at the point of installing the driver's door and I was optimistic based on the passenger door. Well, I think the driver's side of the factory in China is drunk. Initial fit I already had to fock around with the hinge bolts to get them all started. Not the end of the world. I tried to gently close the door (still a shell at this point) to see what adjusting it needs. It is completely out of whack to the shape of the cab. I will get pics later to better illustrate. To get it less horrible I had to cut the inside structure of the door to get some of the twist out of it, but the basic profile of the door is still way off. Horribly so.
At this point I'm still thinking I can make this door work, so I start filling it with all the glass and stuff. Everything is fighting me, hole patterns off everywhere, holes missing for the vent window. I got the vent window in, but if you open it you can't get it closed again now. The short version is this door is garbage. so, I am gonna cruise marketplace and try to find the cleanest OE door I can find and go from there.
OK for anyone that cares.
This is along the rocker showing the door is level, and rocker alignment is tolerably OK.
Next up shows the door lined up decently from above the door handle to just below the rain gutter
Those are the only two areas that are goodish.
"A" pillar, starts off OK, then dives in hard at the top
Upper part of the back of the door, you can see how it's curling in towards the top
This is at the body line, and there is no adjusting this away. I already filed the striker hole an extra 1/8" out to get it to be like this.
And finally the vent window once it's been opened. Definitely a good bit of stress, and the only way to get it to close now is to remove the upper screw and manually pry the damn thing into submission.
What a waste of time...
This is along the rocker showing the door is level, and rocker alignment is tolerably OK.
Next up shows the door lined up decently from above the door handle to just below the rain gutter
Those are the only two areas that are goodish.
"A" pillar, starts off OK, then dives in hard at the top
Upper part of the back of the door, you can see how it's curling in towards the top
This is at the body line, and there is no adjusting this away. I already filed the striker hole an extra 1/8" out to get it to be like this.
And finally the vent window once it's been opened. Definitely a good bit of stress, and the only way to get it to close now is to remove the upper screw and manually pry the damn thing into submission.
What a waste of time...
How bad is the original drivers door?
Did you cut that one up to gut it?
Could it be that you cut the bottom off the new chink door for patches.
A lot of work though.
Did you cut that one up to gut it?
Could it be that you cut the bottom off the new chink door for patches.
A lot of work though.
If you want to make a drive...
Question for you?
Is it true the window glass is thicker on the 73/80 doors than the 81 and up?
I believe so.
I changed glass on one of my doors and the glass I got from my older door seemed too thick to fit.
Made it work but it did feel thicker
Yes, and that changes the seals used. They are the identical shape and 77-80 door glass is interchangeable with 81+ if you use the seals to match. Door shells are 73-76 or 77-91.
77and up. That’s good to know.
I found a pair of OE doors a little closer. Thanks though!
Still picking away at Clifford, but I have been remiss in keeping this thread current.
First up I found a pair of OE doors, no rust, but not perfect either. Driver's door was bashed, passenger is better but I only got it to have a spare. The lady also had a era correct GM bench seat. I think most likely a rear seat from a 70's Suburban.
I did my best on the driver's door, before calling it good enough and chucking it on the truck. It fits much better.
At this point I'm done rust repair and body stuff, the interior looks pretty mint to me, so it was time to get into the engine. I wanted to re-seal everything, new timing chain and stuff. I felt it had been well maintained even though the truck was rough. With zero cleaning on my part this was the inside of the valve cover. You could eat off it...
And a pic of the rockers etc. Zero gunk...I was pleasantly surprised!!
I installed a new cam, Comp DLC lifters, Howards double roller timing set, cleaned and painted all the tins including the pan, one piece gasket for the pan. Just general refresh, reseal, and clean up. I added an Air Gap intake and a Summit Holley clone Vac Secondary 750.
Seeing as I'm going with Crossover steering I needed a 2WD box. I found one pretty local, and snagged the 7 blade clutch fan while I was there. I also swapped in a new steering shaft. I will have to find the thread and give credit where it's due. The shaft fits the box, and the upper end you can buy separate and marry the two with not too much effort.
In betwixt all that I found a guy getting rid of a pile of 12" hubcaps. After some dicking around I got them so they'd snugly fit the rims I have (which are 16x7 Ford steelies). My rims have 4 hubcap bumps, but only two of them have a small machined lip for the hub cap the grab onto. Took a fair bit messing around to get these caps to fit snug, but they all do now. Fronts I hacked a hole for the hub center, which turned out OK I think.
Keen observers and hub cap nerds will notice I used GMC hub caps for the fronts (red line gives that away)
Next up is Going through the D44. new axle U-joints, check the wheel bearings, clean and lube everything that needs it, new gear lube, and Crossover steering.
First up I found a pair of OE doors, no rust, but not perfect either. Driver's door was bashed, passenger is better but I only got it to have a spare. The lady also had a era correct GM bench seat. I think most likely a rear seat from a 70's Suburban.
I did my best on the driver's door, before calling it good enough and chucking it on the truck. It fits much better.
At this point I'm done rust repair and body stuff, the interior looks pretty mint to me, so it was time to get into the engine. I wanted to re-seal everything, new timing chain and stuff. I felt it had been well maintained even though the truck was rough. With zero cleaning on my part this was the inside of the valve cover. You could eat off it...
And a pic of the rockers etc. Zero gunk...I was pleasantly surprised!!
I installed a new cam, Comp DLC lifters, Howards double roller timing set, cleaned and painted all the tins including the pan, one piece gasket for the pan. Just general refresh, reseal, and clean up. I added an Air Gap intake and a Summit Holley clone Vac Secondary 750.
Seeing as I'm going with Crossover steering I needed a 2WD box. I found one pretty local, and snagged the 7 blade clutch fan while I was there. I also swapped in a new steering shaft. I will have to find the thread and give credit where it's due. The shaft fits the box, and the upper end you can buy separate and marry the two with not too much effort.
In betwixt all that I found a guy getting rid of a pile of 12" hubcaps. After some dicking around I got them so they'd snugly fit the rims I have (which are 16x7 Ford steelies). My rims have 4 hubcap bumps, but only two of them have a small machined lip for the hub cap the grab onto. Took a fair bit messing around to get these caps to fit snug, but they all do now. Fronts I hacked a hole for the hub center, which turned out OK I think.
Keen observers and hub cap nerds will notice I used GMC hub caps for the fronts (red line gives that away)
Next up is Going through the D44. new axle U-joints, check the wheel bearings, clean and lube everything that needs it, new gear lube, and Crossover steering.
