Been promising this thread to Mr. Duece for a bit now. Here goes:
Back in July '15 I started working for a new engineering/consulting firm. We do soil/concrete sampling/testing/inspection etc. Our trucks are used. Hard. Usually covered in concrete and not taken very good care of. When I started, I noticed that we had this New Body Style (NBS) Chevrolet Silverado. It was the odd ball because we switched to newer Tacomas. The field guys did not want to drive the Silverado because "it's old" and "the radio don't work." I got to drive it a few times and it was fine to me.
Back in late November/Early December, the CEO says that we were sending that truck away to auction. I asked him if I could buy it and he set sure. I'll put it out for company bid. When I looked at the truck's office folder, I found and an estimate the company got a year before from the local stealership that said the truck was garbage and should be traded in. Some things they lie about, err wrote an estimate for was all 4 front ball joints, front/rear brakes, wheel cylinders, front axles, rear axle seals, and a whole laundry list of BS. Long story short I was the only bidder with the reserve set at $3500. What I got was a 2007 Chevrolet Z71 Silverado with 135k on the clock.
What I got was a truck that was trashed on the inside and out. Absolutely filthy. Lots of concrete splattered on the outside, with asphalt inside. The bad radio was the speakers. Front two wheel bearings were making a metal on metal sound, rust (bubbly paint above the wheel arches on the bed), 4 mismatched tires, a warped bedliner, original plugs and wire, and faded exterior trim. Truck ran okay but would mis at idle. Correct OE plugs and wires cured that fast.
First order of business was the interior. Dear god it was nasty. Apparently the gentleman who had the truck for a number of years was a slob, and a smoker. Truck didn't smell like smoke when I got it, but it did smell like armpit and dirt. I got started right away, but realized that basic cleaning was wasting time. There was so much caked on dirt and mud that I had to remove every single interior panel and trim piece and soak in the bath tub. After soaking, I had to use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the pieces clean. Some pieces took multiple attempts to get clean. I also knew the seats had to be removed. Had to. When I took them out, this is what I saw:
After seeing this horror of french fries, aspirin, change, and gobs of caked in mud, I knew that just vacuuming wouldn't work. Had to take out the carpet and hit with the pressure washer. That worked wonders. Took out all of the mud and bits of asphalt. Hung in the garage for a few days to dry and all was well. I put speakers back in and assembled the interior. Put in a "new car scent" air freshener and it's amazing how well the truck smells when I get in it every morning. It just smells clean, mostly because it is. I just realized that I don't have an after picture, but it's nothing to look at really other than just really clean.
After getting the inside clean, life happens as it does with 2 kids and studying for the PE. I replaced the wheel bearings a few weekends ago and added 2" leveling blocks on the front aka a leveling kit. I had always heard this phrase but never understood what it was. Basically a 2-inch spacer that sits under the front coil sprint assembly that makes the front level with the rear. Stock trucks all seem to have some serious rake from the factory. Pictures don't capture it well but it looks a lot better. I also got some new tires and a full alignment as well. Went with Cooper Discoverer's in stock 265/70/17. It looks a ton better with the new tires and leveled. Someone in our business park made the mistake of leaving a 50 yard dumpster unattended so I threw the bed liner in there. I can't be trusted around a 50 yard dumpster. My wife on the other hand is a hoarder in comparison.
You also may have noticed that I removed the aweful door trim. I have only done the drivers side to this point because I wore an eraser wheel to the nub getting the trim glue off the truck. Easy button was to use a heat gun to heat it up and pull it off. They hold a ton of gunk behind them. My daughter seems amused.
As I said, an eraser wheel made quick work of the glue, but I need to get another one to finish removing that and the "I can still smoke in the rain" window covers.
After moving on from getting the mechanicals sorted, I wanted to address the rust in the rear wheel wells. I don't have any before pictures, but just imagine bubbly paint in the areas below. I started with a wire wheel and just removed all of the bubbly paint down to mostly bare metal. As always I had 15 minutes to work on this so it flash rusted back over when I snapped these pics:
I hit the bare metal with some rust converter and then some rustoleum.
Next up came the decision to cover the converted rust rather than trying to paint. I knew fender flares would be the easy button, but finding a set of fender flares that wouldn't make the truck look like a rolling vape shop was the challenge. Luckily eBay prevailed and I ended up with a cheap set for $125 shipped that suit my tastes. Pretty basic install. Double sided tape and self tapping screws hold these on tight.
Up to this point I'm pretty happy. There are still plenty of things I'd like to do, but they will come slowly. My overall impressions are positive, and daily driving this truck is the equivalent of driving a lazy boy. It's just comfortable and smooth. I really do enjoy it. Easy to work on, parts are cheap. I can't complain. Up to this point, I'm less than $5k invested in a truck that would still cost $13k off the lot.
Thanks for the read!
