Chevy Trucks Project

[Tileman]

Well BJ and Jim have started on there next projects. Make 3 trucks out of 5. The boys have told me they will have 2 of the trucks ready to plow snow this fall. Here are some pictures of all the parts and trucks. I will try and tell you what parts are going on who’s truck.

First is a picture of BJ's 79 Chevy, this truck will be parted out , motor, trans, transfer case , springs and plow will move to his new truck.

Rich

[Tileman]

Next is Jim's 77 Chevy the bed, springs, air bags and the plow will move to his new truck.

[Tileman]

BJ's installing springs from 79 on new frame, new u joints and bearing in front axel, all new ss brake lines, and fuel lines installed. New cab mounts also.

[Tileman]

BJ found a cab from Arizona that restoration had already been started .

[Tileman]

Jim was not quite as lucky his cab needs some work, but he will fix it before it goes on. The cab is solid but the floor pans and rails need some work.

[Tileman]

Jim has welded caps on the rails , more steal there now than from the factory.

[Tileman]

This is the third truck, the utility bed will come off my old service truck and go on BJ"s new truck. They say they will put a bed back on it for a parts runner.

[Tileman]

Here is one of Jim's new motor .

[Tileman]

Both the boys are going from 1/2 trucks to 3/4 tons. This is Jim's frame with BJ's body setting on it. Don't ask.:confused:

[Western22288]

looks like some fun project trucks and the restoration of both trucks looks really good. good luck and cant wait to see the finished trucks

[Tileman]

Jim has a 2wd cab, here he has rapaired the rear cab mount nuts and covered up the holes with new sheet metal.

[Tileman]

Jim has repaired the front cab mounts and repaired the floor, next will be to make some changes to the center hump. Need room for the transfer case and shifter.

[Tileman]

BJ's Cab is off Jim's frame and on the shop floor. We made up a roller frame out of some 2x4's and some swivel casters. Now they can finish the cab up and get ready for some paint.

[Tileman]

New motor, trans and old np203 installed in Himmy's truck..:) Still looking for 205 parts :rolleyes:

[Tileman]

Jim installing motor mount bolts.:burnout
Notice duel fuel tanks:) :burnout We think Jim will need them.

[Tileman]

Fixing some dents on the roof of BJ's cab.
When these are finished should be ready for some color.:) Going to paint all the cab parts one at a time will get plenty of paint on the inside of everything.

[cat320]

Rich those trucks will be great once they finish with them.Nothing like knowing how they are put together:) the only problem is will they be :argue over which truck looks and runs the best LOL

[wyldman]

Rich - Why not keep the NP203 ? It's a better case for plowing than the 205.As long as it doesn't have a part-time kit in it it will be fine.Gives you the option of running with the center diff unlocked,which is much easier for manuevering when plowing.If you need all 4 wheels driving,just pull it back one notch into 4LOC.

[Pelican]

One other tip: If they're using a metallic paint, it's better to give the exterior its coat after the truck has been assembled. Paint the interior sides while it's apart, but on the exterior it will be difficult to get a good color match if painted separately. Solid pigment colors aren't affected as much, you can paint those either way.

[Tileman]

Thanks for the complements :)

Cat the fights have already started :argue

Chris I know the 203 is better and you know this it is:) , its trying to get Himmy to understand :headwall . We have three good 203 units to pick from. (He is using one of them for now)

Steve thanks it will be a solid color, the guy who is painting for us said the same thing. (great minds work alike :greenange )
We are limited on space to paint the truck as one unit. So solid color it is.

[Tileman]

Himmy droped his cab on the frame this evening. Still needs some work, but wants to get the new motor running.
:D :burnout :burnout

[76chevyman]

looking good im sure those trucks will make some good money this year


Rich:burnout

[Tileman]

Littlle welding on the core support

[Tileman]

Motor with fenders and core support

[Tileman]

Hood is on , most of the wiring is back in the cab, getting close to start up

[Tileman]

Missed this one cab in need of some wiring

[wyldman]

Nice pice,it's coming along well.

Gotta redo those plug wires though,they will crossfire like crazy when ziptied together like that !

[Tileman]

Jim's got it running :burnout , and getting ready for the first night out:(
No paint yet wants to get the bugs out of the new motor and trans first. Plus check out all the weird sounds:eek:

[Tileman]

Jim did break down and have a nice new duel exhaust system installed with the headers

[Tileman]

By the way the new motor sounds sweet. And you can here it running:) Will give the specks on the new motor just as soon as Jim gives them all to me.

[Tileman]

This picture and the next one shows what is left after you strip one out and reuse the parts on a newer truck. We have a frame, parts of a cab, and a couple of 1/2 ton axels. The wiring is even gone:eek:

Rich

[Tileman]

Jim got all the glass and doors off of it the only thing left is the motor, trans and
T case. These still go in BJs new truck, they were overhauled about 3years ago and only have 5K to 8K miles on them. And some more 1/2 ton axels :(

Rich

[Tileman]

Cab ready for paint. Waiting on it to warm back up 49 degs the high for yesterday. To early to be heating the shop.:(

[Tileman]

BJ's motor, trans, and t case out of the old truck. Think we need to clean some parts before it goes in the new frame.:rolleyes:

[Tileman]

Frame in front of shop getting ready for the trans plant.:D

[Tileman]

Transplant complete:) Just need to hook up a few wires, some body panels, install plow frame and were ready for snow.:D

[Tileman]

Well the rain has stopped the temp is going up so time to get some finish primer and some paint on the truck.

[Tileman]

getting things wiped down and ready

[Tileman]

one more of getting things clean and ready for some color:)

[Tileman]

Got the real paint out :) starting on the inside of the hood. And boy is it White,:grinz

[Tileman]

One more got to get out of the shop and let things dry. Inside of fenders and the hood . If everything goes alright tomarrow we will paint the cab and core support, and flip finders and hood and paint them also. Well see.

[Tileman]

We have paint:cool:

[Tileman]

More paint :drinkup

[Tileman]

Inspection time shadess : Thats my bud Cliff checking out his handy work with the paint gun. (if it looks good or bad its his fault) :)

[Tileman]

On close inspection this is what we found:fuming :headwall :headwall a pair of flys got in the paint on one of the fenders. Pulled them out and gave it one more coat :cool:

Now have to wait on everything to dry so we can move some of it around . Set up the doors and a few small part and paint them.

When the cab drys we will set it on the frame and start wiring and installing other parts while waiting on the doors.

More pictures when we set the cab.

Rich

[Pelican]

Love the color Rich! All it needs now is a red stripe along the bottom!:wink

Tell the boys to be real careful during assembly, the paint will remain soft for about a month even after it's dry to the touch. It will be very easy to scratch or chip. I often put electrical tape on the panel edges to help avoid chipping while fitting the panels in place.

[BWhite]

Nice work . I have many parts from my 78 3/4 ton suburban project that I never completed . THe parts are sitting around here and some day they will get in the way and I will trash them .
PM for more info

[Tileman]

Cab being lowerd on the frame.

[Tileman]

Cab is on and bolted down. Now BJ has to start on the wiring , heater box, w/wipers, and all the other things that were taken off to paint.

[WoofsPlow]

Keep 'em coming - I wish I had the time and space for projects like these:D

[Tileman]

Steering wheel in, and dash wiring coming together. Still a lot to do on the inside of cab.

[Tileman]

Heater and A/C box installed, master cylinder and booster hooked up and bleed, core support and radiator hooked up and working. :)

[Tileman]

Front and rear windows in, head gear for plow installed, wiring for the truck lights pulled and tested, plow light wiring hooked up to truck lights and now working (Thanks Jerre).:cool:

[Chuck Smith]

Coming along nicely!

~Chuck

[JCurtis]

Very Nice !

[Pickering Snow]

Rich

Iam very proud of jimmy and himmy has i know you are they have done some very impressive work its nice to see young men doing this opposed to other things and the boys are verylucky to have a father that supports there efforts the way you have stood behind them very nice!!!

[JCurtis]

Ya know, with the amount of work you are doing and from the looks of the pics, the quality of the work that is being done, have you ever considered this as a full time gig?

Lotsa old chevys and GMC's out there that could be redone for the right price!

Could be a lucrative venture !

[Robh]

This makes me wamt to go out and tear the fenders off of my truck rite now. Well I better wait till after the snow flies. Well I cant wait till these boys are done with this project...Rob

[Tileman]

Trucks back got the new exhust system

[Tileman]

Fenders and doors are on, glass and hardware in the doors and it all works:cool:

[Tileman]

Inside of cab is together, and I think :confused: every thing is working. Im not sure what all the boys were doing in the last picture, they would not tell me:headwall


More pictures before thanksgiving.

Rich

[Tileman]

This afternoon we backed the new truck out long enough to roll the old service truck in to get the bed off . Then had Jim do some welding under the service body so we could get it set on the new truck.
After some cutting and welding the old :( service body is on the new truck.

[cat320]

Rich it's looking good They need to put some nice led lights in the rear of that service body and recess them ,you know thos oval ones with the rubber gromets.

[76chevyman]

I hope you guys are going to paint the utility body too and leds would be nice in that.

Rich:burnout

[Tileman]

Today being Thanksgiving I thought this would be a good time to say thank you to all the members here who have said so many good things about the boys there trucks and Dad. THANK YOU one and all.



As for the utility bed..... Leds there will be something recessed just not sure what yet. Paint oooohhh yes it may be rust -oleum but it will be paint (white).

Getting real close now down to the small things.


Rich, BJ and Jimmy

[Robh]

All I kow is I cant wait for the finished product...Rob

[76chevyman]

Rust-olem is the best on a work body i think, there paint handles abuse real well. I would get Led lights i saw Auto Zone selling them round recessed with the rubber gromets for $50 for both. I think Leds will be well worth it. They are cheap but if you get LED back up lights forget it they are pricey, Lowest i've seen them $80 for one.

Rich:burnout

[Alan]

Check out these lights, then look at what else he has for LED lighting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7936260247&category=42613

I've bought a bunch of LED stuff from him, very fast shipper and nice to deal with.

Here's another supplier of LED lighting. Never bought from him but this kit is pretty cheap for what's in it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41495&item=3837016687

[Pelican]

I was going to start a thread on a find I made, SuperBrightLEDs.com (http://www.superbrightleds.com/) , but in the meantime I'll mention it here.

I was interested in converting my F-350 to LEDs due to the high draw of my plow pump and I found this company on a search for TrukLite products. I was stunned at the low pricing they offer, and they have virtually every light replacement there is.

I placed an order and had my lights 3 days later and I must say I'm very impressed with them. I had doubts due to the low cost (you get what you pay for syndrome) but they seem to be a quality light.

I got 2" round markers with 9 LEDs each and the oval stop/tail/turn mentioned here in red. I also got "Peterbuilt" style amber markers for the sides of my headboard. They all are bright and the stop light is bright even in daylight, which was a concern. I feel these are a great light at a great price!

I'll start a thread with pics when I get my camera to download.

[Tileman]

Head gear getting mounted on Jims truck, check out the new bumper .

[Tileman]

Here is one of BJ s head gear with the new front end all together the grill is for a late model Blazer (90-91) Jimmy is going to build a new bumper for BJ like the one on his truck.

[Chuck Smith]

That grill is a nice touch. But I also like the 79/80 headlight bezels on Jim's. I prefer the round 1980 GMC headlights, but the square ones are unique too.

I too can vouch for the Rustoleum. It's a tough paint, and will hold up well where sprayed on just won't. Even with Rustoleum, proper prep is the key to a lasting paint job.

If the boys need any wiring supplies and connectors, check out Del City.

www.delcity.net

~Chuck

[Tileman]

Truck is on the road as of Last Night:)

[Tileman]

More outside pictures of BJ new ride.

[Tileman]

One more. Now we will have to get all the trucks washed and get the plows on and get some pictures .

[Robh]

Tell ya what tileman, ill come down there and drop off my 88 tomm afternoon, you think you can have her done by monday?? Seriously great job there I thought hard about redoing my k 1500 next year but i think im going to tackel a much bigger project. I want to take a cab over semi and put a pickup style bed on it. Everone here thinks Im crazy I just dont know what my insureance agent is going to say about it. Again great job on your projects keep us posted on the rest of the trucks.....Rob

[Tileman]

Jims truck will not see anypaint till spring he is going to get all the body panels this winter and change them in the spring or summer. so his will be red, black and dark green all winter. BJ will get a front bumper yet this fall. I think everyone is broke and waiting on some snow.


Thanks for all the kind words guys.



Rich

[AL Inc]

Trucks look great guys, beautiful work! I wish I had the know-how to tackle projects like that. I've got my '87 Blazer which I'm getting ready for snow right now. But it's just basic maintenance. Good luck and I hope you guys get plenty of snow to play in with those trucks.:drinkup Mike

[Tileman]

Wanted to take some pictures of the trucks while they were clean, but had to go out and salt on Sunday morning. We hooked up the plow this afternoon so I thought I would take a couple of pictures.
(The NWS says we could get rain, sleet, snow and or all three at one time tonight and tomorrow morning ) So before we go out tonight here are some with the plows.

[Tileman]

Here is the front:( BJ's Chevy and Rich GMC Jim's not home from work yet so we will hang his plow this evening.

[chipsearthworks]

"If you have a yard full of used trucks you might just be a REDNECK" Just kidding looks good :drinkup :drinkup

[tlc]

How do you attach a Picture. It keeps on telling me the File is too big.

[Lawngodfather]

My Jeep going to get that done once I get some snow money coing in

[Tileman]

Action shot of Jims truck :) Doing a little clean up work.

[Tileman]

Jim working the big piles now:D

[William B.]

Tileman- All I can say is wow. You guys did an amazing job. I always wanted to redo my old 80 K-10 but I got a new truck and now have to sell the 80. Keep up the good work and keep the action pics coming

William

[Tileman]

Little action shot of BJ's truch doing some clean up work in one of the parking lots.:cool:

[Tileman]

Here is a little follow up on the truck projects. First both trucks have done a wonderfull job plowing this winter very few problems. The boys are still getting a few bugs out and doing a few things that did not get done before they ran them out of the shop. Now that spring is here the donor trucks are on there way to the scrap yard. Here is a picture of two of the donors on the trailer ready to go this AM. Frames cut down, cabs and bed removed.

[Tileman]

Here are the few parts the boys did not use on the new trucks but thought just maybe they should hang on to them. The axels are all half ton and in matched sets. Also saved some of the springs and other dive train componets.

[Tileman]

This is my old service truck (boys said they would make a parts runner out of it) but it ended up being more of a donor than just the utility bed. It lost a lot of parts all the wiring is gone from inside the cab, no motor or trans (motor junk) tarns sold , dash is gone, seat belts gone, gas tank gone just not to much left to build a runner out of. The guy who painted BJs truck says he would like to have it for a project truck, he may just end up with it.