My "Official" Stepside Restoration Thread and LS Swap 2021

[Chevy305]

Slow but steady progress...

Here's how it looks with the beef in my rear:

Here's the underside of the cab that is normally hidden by the tank after a lot of wire wheeling and eating a lot of rust (I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut...)

Much better than before. I plan on hitting it up with some satin rustolium just to cover the silver.

 

[79rustyk10]

Lookin good!

 

[colbystephens]

Here's how it looks with the beef in my rear...

holy hell that's an awful(ly sig-worthy) statement.

 

[NEK5]

holy hell that's an awful(ly sig-worthy) statement.

Got the same response over on my forum

 

[Chevy305]

A little more progress

More progress, doesn't look like much but the truck is now ready for the bed to go back on.

Got the tank back in and I was able to drive the truck today! New rubber fuel hose installed and a new connector for the sending unit so I now fianlly have a working gas gauge again! Driving, its a little quicker with no bed, and the brakes are so much tighter now too, no more squishy pedal, and a better working parking brake. Also with no weight over the rear makes it real easy to lay rubber...

Also I got the new cab body mounts in and the cab definately sits more evenly:

Got my tow hooks back in too:

Also over the rust bullet is some semi gloss rustollium and over the seams I filled in with some seam sealer so now the under side of my cab is offically bullet proof.

 

[Chevy305]

Today i spent running errands and only got to sand and prime the new front fender to replace my reproduction one thats falling apart. Unfortunately, I think I may have the wrong nozzel on my paint gun. The paint came out rather spattery and left the fender textured. I have a 1.2 tip that came with the gun on it now. Check out the pics:

So thats how it sits now... But the brown santa gave me a HUGE package:

 

[JDNobodi]

Ohh, are you building a stroker 496 or bigger big block?

 

[79rustyk10]

almost looks to me like not enough reducer. I could be wrong though, Im far far from a body man

 

[colbystephens]

my sandable primer came out like that too, but once you knock it down to 600 grt paper, it's no biggie... this is coming from almost no body work experience though. however, the VW looks pretty good...

 

[Chevy305]

Ohh, are you building a stroker 496 or bigger big block?

Haha I wish

Nah just a 355. People keep saying I should go 383, but I think the 400hp out of the 355 will be more than enough for me to have trouble keeping traction. Plus the 383 kit is a good $300+ more $$.
This was just a matter of getting a fully balanced rotating assembly.

almost looks to me like not enough reducer. I could be wrong though, Im far far from a body man

Could be, but I mixed it 4:1 just as the can says. 16oz of paint, 4oz of reducer.

 

[ryoken]

most primers like a 1.8 tip, well, epoxies and urethanes....... 1.2 is tiny, 1.3 is the normal size for lacquers and sometimes basecoat... you CAN compensate for this somewhat by thinning it more.... the obvious issue there is if you have a fixed amount of reducer for said primer... poor man's viscosity test is used everytime I'm spraying thru a gun to check how thick I am....

what primer is it?

 

[Chevy305]

most primers like a 1.8 tip, well, epoxies and urethanes....... 1.2 is tiny, 1.3 is the normal size for lacquers and sometimes basecoat... you CAN compensate for this somewhat by thinning it more.... the obvious issue there is if you have a fixed amount of reducer for said primer... poor man's viscosity test is used everytime I'm spraying thru a gun to check how thick I am....

what primer is it?

Its Eastwood 2 Part Urathane primer. Its a basic primer that can be used for high build when sprayed thick.

 

[offroadblazer764x4]

maybe you had the gun adjusted wrong. I work in a body shop im thinking you might not have had the air pressure at the cap set rite. But once you knock it down with first some 320 grit dry then go to 600 grit wet it should come out mint. As long as you got good thick coverage thats the important part.

 

[broncoman6524]

I have been backreading your thread, so this may have been said.

How do you like your sealed beams converted housings?

Like the cut-off and stuff, I want HIDs in my blazer and I need a set of converted housings.

 

[Chevy305]

maybe you had the gun adjusted wrong. I work in a body shop im thinking you might not have had the air pressure at the cap set rite. But once you knock it down with first some 320 grit dry then go to 600 grit wet it should come out mint. As long as you got good thick coverage thats the important part.

Ya I adjusted the gun to its full range of adjustments. I think I just need to thin the paint some more or get an even bigger tip. Since I posted those pictures, I got a 1.8mm tip and gave improved results but still slightly bumpy.

At this point I have given up on the paint and will be farming out to a local body shop to finish my fender and do my bed, and do my cowl hood when I get it. I dont quite have the patients to get this done nor the space in my garage to set up a paint booth for long enough. Plus all these little supplies are nickel and diming me to death.

I have been backreading your thread, so this may have been said.

How do you like your sealed beams converted housings?

Like the cut-off and stuff, I want HIDs in my blazer and I need a set of converted housings.

I got mine from LMC Truck. I think they were around $35-40, but can't be certain because it was over 2 years ago. Honestly though HIDs aren't necessary when you do the H4 bulb conversion and the wiring upgrade like I did. I constatntly have people flashing me thinking my highbeams are on.

 

[Chevy305]

Off to the body shop

Ok a little update... I have given up on doing the body work myself and I have farmed out to a local body shop. They will do my bed and fender and should be out at the end of next week. Feels good to finally have it come back together!

 

[Chevy305]

Turkey Induced Wrenching

Well after a filling meal and several cups of coffee to combat the turkey hangover, I managed to get a little wrenching in. Actually for having to tear down the front axel to change the broken axel shaft thats been broken since June... It went pretty well.

Now I have some tricks up my sleeve:

Now I need to prepare for more broken axel shafts...

 

[colbystephens]

very nice!

 

[desertrat67]

Well after a filling meal and several cups of coffee to combat the turkey hangover, I managed to get a little wrenching in. Actually for having to tear down the front axel to change the broken axel shaft thats been broken since June... It went pretty well.



Now I have some tricks up my sleeve:

Now I need to prepare for more broken axel shafts...

Looks like you need to put that thing in gear more often. Poor thing has a rust belt.

 

[Chevy305]

Looks like you need to put that thing in gear more often. Poor thing has a rust belt.

Haha ya it hasn't been in 4x4 since I broke it in June.


But another update for everyone:

Weld in steering box brace is in. It was kind of a pain in the ass but I got it accomplished. The frame cracks were not too bad either. My welds aren't too bad either. Pics:

Relief holes drilled at ends of the cracks and then welded closed.

Welds were ground down and the brace boled on. Then a lot of persuasion with a BFH to fit the contors of the frame. Also I had to use a c-clamp on the ends to keep them tight.

All Done!