Build thread for the 72 GMC, finally. Thanks John!

Measuring is what i would do for best hub centric on botj sides. 

What i have done, however,  is order the hubcentric ebay ones and just run them .

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Measuring is what i would do for best hub centric on botj sides. 

What i have done, however,  is order the hubcentric ebay ones and just run them .

You're right. They are not that expensive, and raw material actually is.

Pretty sure a set of four only runs about a hundred bucks. I'd order your wheels first and then get the spacers that you need to make them work. However remember that the minimum thickness for an adapter like that is one inch

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Pretty sure a set of four only runs about a hundred bucks. I'd order your wheels first and then get the spacers that you need to make them work. However remember that the minimum thickness for an adapter like that is one inch

Yup, you are right as usual. I think I'll need like 2", but we'll see.

Driver's side door on. It took two hours and I'm unhappy with every gap. 

I think I can move the bottom part of the fender back towards the door. 

Also it looks like the spacers in the front need to be about 1 in thick. 

Time for door installation story time:

I wanted to bring everyone out there to help with the door, since they are a pain, and mine weights roughly 4,512 lb without the window. I explained what I was going to do. I put Tunakid #1 in the truck with the bolts, two different wrenches for the best angles, and a socket/ratchet in case he could use it. I had Tunakid #4 out looking at the gaps, and Tunakid #2 making sure, with his fingers, that I didn't smash the door into the fender.

Tunakid #1 could not get the bolts started. Tunakid #4 kept lifting the latch side of the door, putting the door at less and less helpful angles and simultaneously pinching the fingers of Tunakid #2. I sat there, holding the door, and sweated. Sweat was pouring out everywhere, as humidity was approximately 524% and rising. Kids began to bicker with one another, #1 telling #4 to stop lifting. #2 telling #4 to stop pinching his fingers. #4 telling #1 he was doing it wrong. I was dead silent. Stressed. Watching scratches form in the rocker, the door, and the fender. I recalled drilling small holes in the hinges to locate them with finish nails later, and then giving up on that. I wished I had done it properly. After ten minutes of this, I, very gently, told everyone to stop. I walked away, with the door, and hung it back up.

#1 and #4 hung out, and the rest went back in.

I got the floor jack out and put a soft foam pad on it. I taped up the bottom of the door. I taped up the back of the fender and the top of the rocker panel, and started the bolts myself. I then took the next hour to adjust everything. You only get 1/16th of a turn on most of the bolts the way they are angled. It takes a while. All twelve bolts move in their holes. All of them are shimmable. I got it as close as it would go.

Then I went in, gathered everyone together, and apologized for not handling that better. I didn't yell, I was silent, but that didn't make it good. We'll try the passenger side door soon, and perhaps I can do it better.

Now for story time for Tuna as a 13 year old.

It's 1995. TunaDad races Saturday at a track two hours away which ends after midnight if he does well enough. He races at a different track 1/2 hour away Sunday morning at around 8. He is doing very well in both in Super pro. Saturday is an IHRA track and Sunday is an NHRA track. he's actually in the top three in the points at the NHRA track. TunaDad really hates a lot of things. He's tough to be around, especially as a teenager, who thinks he knows everything and can't ever shut up, not for one second.

Saturday the car starts to misbehave. Something something transmission. I don't remember, it was 1995. I am sure I didn't understand the fuss, and thought it was great fun to discuss it and debate it. It came down to this: If the transmission was broken, he could fix it. TunaDad, even then, rebuilt transmissions all the time, and could probably literally do a Turbo 400 while blindfolded. If it was the torque converter, he could not fix it, and had no spare which was usable. His converter guy was far away, and he could not service one at his shop that night.

We pulled into the driveway way after midnight. Even now, this part still impresses me. Later, 25 years later, my team would win "Most Heroic Fix" a few times in Lemons, once swapping an engine in a Phil-exaggerated 45 minutes (it was likely closer to double that), but this is no 13 year old exaggeration. TunaDad pulled the car in the garage and began barking. He had me grabbing tools. He had a lift in the garage. With the exact combination of extensions and wobbles, he was pulling bellhousing bolts from the crossmember with an impact gun while the car was resting on a upside-down recycle bin sitting on a shop cart. The transmission was on the workbench is 20 minutes. Truly amazing. I was standing there watching him pull the transmission apart. He was focusing on stuff with a lead light, the old school metal cage ones. It was the converter. It got really loud, and he beat the transmission with the lead light, eventually reducing the lead light to nothing. Many things were thrown. Many words were shouted.

Two weeks later we were at the dragstrip again. he was telling his friends this story. It was pretty accurate. He got to that part, and he thought I was out of earshot. He says "I beat the E36 M3 out of the lead light. It was either the light or Brian, and the lead light was closer."

The passenger door is on! 

I had more success this time. It aligned better, too. Still lots of fine tuning to do. Tunawife took pictures, nevermind tunakid 4 funny face. We all had fun. 

I wouldn't worry too much about fine tuning the fit yet. Get all the guts loaded, then fine tuning will be valid. The fit changes significantly as weight is added. 

So the debate, currently, is as follows:

A, have the bed lifting party, flow coat the whole truck inside and out until I run out of clear, then cut and buff

Or

B, Flow coat the bed and the truck separately until I run out of clear, then schedule the bed lifting party, then cut and buff

The benefit of B is that I don't have to wait to arrange schedules.

I still have to fix the cowl panel and bolt the tailgate on. These trucks don't have easy to remove gates like the next generation does, so that's a thing. I also just realized I need to prime and paint the gate hinges. 

B. Gets more protection on the rear of the cab and backside of the front of the bed.

True enough, plus I can do it myself. Hopefully that means I can do this on Saturday. That will mean assembling the gate and hinges onto the bed, so the truck is in two big pieces, then flow coating the two pieces after maybe a quick 1000 grit blocking on the existing clear. Then I can join the two for the last time.

I still need a seat, glass, wheels and tires. My budget has been far exceeded, and my time with my family has been very stretched, trying to get the bodywork done. I have decided to call around and see about a seat frame, and have someone build upholstery for it. I'll probably start with the "correct" bench seat. I can't drive with the tires on it now, they are 15 years old and all dry rotted, so wheels should come at the same time. There are also a thousand little things I do not have: Sun visors (terrible shape), door panels (I have cores), carpet, etc plus a thousand of things I need to do (redo kick panel vents, figure out the stereo, coat the chrome handles, vent wing latches, mirrors, pedal bits) before driving it again.

In reply to tuna55 :

You keep using the term "Flow-coating".  Not a term I am familiar with. I am assuming that it is the same as "Clear-coating"? Just asking in case there is something I might need to learn.

NOHOME said:

In reply to tuna55 :

You keep using the term "Flow-coating".  Not a term I am familiar with. I am assuming that it is the same as "Clear-coating"? Just asking in case there is something I might need to learn.

The SPI forum used it. Essentially adding more clear to the body once it's assembled. It was all cleared as panels, just two coats for most of it. That's not enough for any real cutting and buffing, and it laid down weird because of the way I had to hang some of the parts. Once the cab is all once piece, I can clear the whole thing with two good coats on top in a more traditional manner. I am sure I am getting some of it wrong, but I think it makes sense anyway. I'll use up all the clear I have on the bed and cab as two chunks of truck. Then I have plenty to cut and buff. 

Tried to get primer on the tailgate hinges tonight along black on the radiator support gussets. 

Regulator broke on the gun. I guess it's better than Saturday. 

The radiator support has gussets to the fender. One of mine was missing and the other was a mess. If you recall, I replaced my radiator support years ago due to rust.  I bought some replacements from GMC pauls. Last night I painted them under hood black and installed them. I also got the cowl panel on. Not bad, considering the regulator failure and the hour spent mowing the lawn. 

Im sooo looking forward to outside pictures. 

What size tires are you going to need? I have some c4 corvette sawblade with brand new 275/40/17 sitting here. And can probably scrounge up a set of decent used in a close enough size otherwise to get you buy while funds replenish. 

Gaps are a bitch. Gaps on vehicles of this generation are not and never were to the standard we expect today. 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Im sooo looking forward to outside pictures. 

 

What size tires are you going to need? I have some c4 corvette sawblade with brand new 275/40/17 sitting here. And can probably scrounge up a set of decent used in a close enough size otherwise to get you buy while funds replenish. 

Dude you're one of the most generous people I know. I still can't believe you showed up with that door.

The tires might be the perfect size, but by the time I pay you for them, to dismount them, and drive them all the way here, it's not going to be a huge savings.  I can always grab something from a used place around here if I need it.

NOHOME said:

Gaps are a bitch. Gaps on vehicles of this generation are not and never were to the standard we expect today. 

Agreed, but remember I sliced the cab nearly in half to try to improve that! It's marginally better. I wish I was a better fabricator. One of the problems is how much gap is required just to let the hinge operate without the fender and door colliding.

tuna55 said:

One of the problems is how much gap is required just to let the hinge operate without the fender and door colliding.

Just wait until your new door seals stop them from closing at all.

SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:

tuna55 said:

One of the problems is how much gap is required just to let the hinge operate without the fender and door colliding.

Just wait until your new door seals stop them from closing at all.

I am looking forward to that (not)

Hinges primed and painted and cleared. 

Cab is blocked at 1000 grit and given three more coats of clear

Bed is blocked at 1000 grit awaiting the booth. 

Taking kids and a friend to repticon at two