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

I have dealt with runs in two ways:

1. Spread some body filler over the run covering a reasonable area around it, then sand 400 grit or so to knock it all down - the run will be sanded away with the filler, and you stop when all the filler is gone. Wet sand, cut, and polish.

2. Scrape (not slice) the run down with a razor blade until you are pretty even with the surface, then wet sand, cut, and polish.

There are a myriad of opinions on how to do bodywork, you'll just have to decide what will work for you, with respect to where you are at.

If I was where you are, I'd just sand 400 and re-shoot more clear.  If it fails years from now, at least you have the skills and know-how to fix it then.  In the mean-time, it'll work, and you'll carry on.

I'm curious to see if my paint even sticks at all to the epoxy under it.

Thanks!

I put 400 on a block of wood and got rid of 90% last night. I'm pretty happy. Do I jump right from 400 to 1000 on a DA?

I deleted the thread on SPI forums, and I am not going to ask there again or I'll have someone telling me that I shouldn't worry about the grit I use, because my compressor was the wrong color and that means I need to start from scratch.

I have a "bed installation" event Saturday.

Think about it. Coarse paper makes flat nd fine makes shine.  
 

I would do a quick scuff with 600 dry it off and have a look with a magnifying glass. You will be able to see the relative size of the "mountaintops" that you are trying to sand off. 
 

Keep in mind that there are also valleys in that landscape. Your goal is to sand off the peaks, but don't try to get below and into the valleys or you will sand through.

You wand to minimize any sanding marks when you are finished sanding the peaks off. Coarse paper makes for faster cutting and a flatter surface, so maybe start with coarse if you have a lot of material to remove and work your way to finer  grade as you approach level.

I think this is a 72. Not sure how to make the slider work better. It was $50 locally. 

The best way to clean up the sliders is ro take them apart. Thing is I don't expect those to come apart without a struggle and some rivet drilling.

Another option that has worked well for me is to harvest sliders off of a modern car, not that hard to find ones that will adapt and in my case going from non-ball bearing tracks to ball-bearing tracks was amazing.

u expecting anyone but u to drive? Cause if not, just set it and don't worry.

Ive cleaned and wire brushed what i could get to, then worked grease into them, working them back and forth

 Managed to save most that way.

I intend to fix them in one location, the slider mechanism was poor from GM, and the cabs are small. Only a very short driver would want to move the bench up. Maybe I'll see which kids fit before deciding that for sure, but parts are NLA and not on this core, so I'd create something for these sliders if needed. 

I'm having trouble with the pictures my wife took somehow not uploading properly, but you'll get the idea.   The truck is in one piece now. That hasn't been the case for a long time. My handsome friends come over and we plopped the bed back over. There are a few things to do. The body lines don't line up very well and it needs to be shimmed a good bit more than it is. That said, this was a huge step.

I will need to string a line to match the body crease. The back of the cab doesn't line up with the bed, the crease on the bed is about 5/8 of an inch higher than the crease on the cab. I will first try shimming the back of the cab up, but the front may need to come up also. Likewise, the passenger side of the bed needs to come up about a half of an inch, so that can be shimmed pretty well.

Did that. Looks like I need a 3" OD, 1 1/2" id shim that's about 9/16 thick to line the cab up properly 

Id wait until the truck is fully assembled amd sitting on level ground on 4 equal size and pressure tires until shimming. Those frames are flexy enough to throw off alignment easy. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

Well it is at this stage. Plus I'm lining the bed up, since it's metal to metal on the frame, and holding that bed crease as the standard, then looking at the cab crease trajectory in relation. It is decidedly slanted down towards the back whereas the front of the cab crease lines up with the bed crease correctly. It's hard to see anything else changing that. 

Fair enough! 

Looking fantastic. 

Happy father's day!

The whole truck is down to 1000 grit now. It looks decent. Lots of little issues, but nothing I'm going to go back and address. The door gaps could really have been better. There are smears of dirt here and there under the clear. Nothing I'm going to bother with. 

The young lady in the red shirt at the bed-lifting extravaganza recommended a name, and I think I like it: Banana smoothie.

Look how straight it is!

Getting the fuel filler neck in through the wheel well hole

Post 1 of this thread is from 2013, and references another thread which was started in 2011. In post 1 of that thread you say you bought the truck about 4 years earlier, so let's say mid-2007.

Seventeen years. You didn't give up, you didn't sell it, donate it, or scrap it. You did all the husband and father things along the way. That's some remarkable perseverance. 🤘🏻

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Post 1 of this thread is from 2013, and references another thread which was started in 2011. In post 1 of that thread you say you bought the truck about 4 years earlier, so let's say mid-2007.

Seventeen years. You didn't give up, you didn't sell it, donate it, or scrap it. You did all the husband and father things along the way. That's some remarkable perseverance. 🤘🏻

Thanks, dude! You're right. To add to your timeline I bought it indeed around 2007. I drove it for a while, maybe 2008 or 2009. I took it off the road to swap the rear end and borrowed a buddy's truck for the week, since I wasn't sure I would manage it over a weekend. Once it became evident that I was helping him by paying insurance for his truck that was his third vehicle, and he could still use all the time, I started taking off paint planning a "respray" and maybe a quick refresh of basic stuff. Once I realized it was 40% bondo, I sort of staggered back inside and left it sitting there. I had a bunch of kids, wife did a bunch of things, and finally in 2013 I started working on it in earnest, right when my youngest was one or so and I could breathe a bit (literally and figuratively, I got a CPAP around then sometime). Then it was just slow plodding, always giving deference to my family and their needs.

I'm all pumped to order upholstery, and I have thoughts. I Emailed and Etsy messaged a shop, I was seeing good things and good reviews. Yesterday I called and left a VM. I am dying of suspense.

https://b62upholstery.com/

I will have to wire wheel the seat frame soon. Yesterday I had enough time to measure the cab spacer bit and sand half of the truck to 1500 grit.

In reply to tuna55 :

Please be careful wire wheeling that frame. All those wire bits offer great opportunity for the bristles to jam and I have had an angle grinder with a wire wheel jump out of my hands and chase me around. Not funny, but did teach me a lesson not to forget. I would consider sandblasting if at all possible or just POR the whole thing.

Truck is looking amazing. Whats next?

NOHOME said:

In reply to tuna55 :

Please be careful wire wheeling that frame. All those wire bits offer great opportunity for the bristles to jam and I have had an angle grinder with a wire wheel jump out of my hands and chase me around. Not funny, but did teach me a lesson not to forget. I would consider sandblasting if at all possible or just POR the whole thing.

Truck is looking amazing. Whats next?

I have to knock off some of the loose stuff first, not anything dramatic, but thank you for the warning. I will be careful! Then it will get the rust converter stuff from Eastwood, then epoxy if I feel it, then just black from Chassis saver.

Next? My toolmaker is making some spacers for the rear cab support.

I will finish cutting and buffing.

I have to figure out the front and rear glass. I do not want to do it myself, and I do not know who to call.

I have to order wheels and tires. And spacers. And lug nuts.

I have to order upholstery.

I have to paint the wide stripe, the tailgate field and the grill and install it.

I have to install vent and side windows, marker and tailights, headlights, signals, pedals, kick panel vents, dome light, rearview mirror, door handles and side mirrors, I have them all.

I have to figure out what I am doing about the dash pad and the visors and door panels. No solid plans there yet.

Then install the steering wheel, the dead stereo, figure out what I want to do with the glovebox door and ashtray, order some kind of carpet, then, you know, drive it.

Also money, figure $1100 for wheels, maybe I can find some used tires for $500, $100 for spacers/adapters, $150 for white paint, $500? for front and rear glass, $600 for upholstery, $300 for foam, $150 for a dash pad.

I don't have $3K to throw at it.

What size tires are you hunting?

I legit have 500 in a set of brand new 275/40/17 generals that i no longer need....

Abd ill throw in the vette wheels for free if that'll help.

If you need a different size, im almost sure i can scare up a used set for WAY cheaper than 500

Dusterbd13-michael said:

What size tires are you hunting?

I legit have 500 in a set of brand new 275/40/17 generals that i no longer need....

 

Abd ill throw in the vette wheels for free if that'll help.

If you need a different size, im almost sure i can scare up a used set for WAY cheaper than 500

Thanks dude! 

I'll let you know when I get wheels ordered. I think I will want narrower than that, but I'll definitely lean on you when it's time. Thanks again as always for you generous offers!!

The whole truck is in 1500 grit now. I also managed to get spacers made here for the cab, so now everything lines up.