GrumpyGhost Rusty 1999 GMC Sierra Z71 Ongoing build!

[GrumpyGhost]

It's in finally!

 

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[KMGZ400]

Enjoying following this thread! Good luck with the rockers!

[GrumpyGhost]

Back to drawing board, the wheel arch is not only arched, but curved side to side, I tried to heat it up and bend it side to side, but it just warped the crap out of it!

 

Made a new piece twice as wide and lined up inside, just cut off extra on outside after I welded it. Not exactly my best welding but, it's done! I burned through the panel in quite a few spots haha, I honestly needed to get a wheel well patch panel, but meh! I por15 and primered everything, everglas is waterproof supposedly so I'll pack it! I will definitely be doing some shaping with everglas and filler to hide a few seams, but overall I'm happy with it!

 

I also fixed the passenger front panel that separated from the bent front panel I removed. I had to remove seam sealer and drill a few holes. I couldn't get the panel to seal tightly near the wheel well because of a floor beam, so I'll fill it with seam sealer! Gunna be covered with bed liner anyways

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

I guess I should add that I only burned through the panel where the rust had went to town in the middle of the wheel arch making the panel extremely thin compared to its original state. Also the reason I said I should have just got a patch panel but I'll say again meh! It'll last just as long as it did the first time probably, Im hoping anyway!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

5 or so hours later, I got the entire passenger side sanded down to primer, went down to metal in a lot of areas but the black primer from being a replacement panel is super thin and I feathered it out, it's done!

 

Driver side I still have to sand the bottom half on each side the wheel arch, I started to work on it then remembered it is 2 layers.

 

So I called it a night!

 

I also put on some everglass filler on the wheel arch and sanded the rough spots out, I still need to work on it but I was tired.

 

I also enclosed the area because the dust went everywhere the first time around, it literally covered everything, my mother was not thrilled, but I told her it's a garage for men, it's supposed to be dirty lol. You can see who won that argument!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Took 3 and half hours to sand down rest of driver side, but it's done! Blah!

 

I sanded down the first coat of everglass and put on a second coat. I also went ahead and put filler in other locations that need it. They say to sand filler before it gets hard (it's usually sandable after 30 mins or so) so it's easier to sand, but it'll buff out! Sitting overnight or longer since its memorial weekend Ain't hurting no one! ( I'm also using the DA with 320 grit sandpaper to sand down the filler so sshhhhh!!! Makes life easier!)

 

I didn't invest in a nice electric welding dent puller and I'm not using a screw in the panel puller either to pull out dents. Seems counterintuitive to puts holes in a panel. If I can't hit the dent out with a hammer or pick, I'm just going to use filler.

 

Some of the spots you see filler had dents where I cannot get a hammer or pick to, so in goes filler. Using filler in thicker quantities will eventually shrink which is why it is not recommended. But after about 6 month's or less the paint will show a weird circle where the Bondo has shrunk, basically a quick wet sand and buff will fix the issue, no one will be the wiser! Its not like im using filler an inch thick or even a quarter inch thick, so meh!

 

So basically I've decided that I may just prime the sides of the bed after the body work and put the bed off to the side until I pull the bed off my truck, I'm not quite ready to tear my truck apart yet.

 

I have decided that I'm buying new door hinges for the driver door. I mentioned in my very first post that I almost ripped the driver door off. More on that story to come! (It's closes fine currently, but I've done extensive broke college student tricks to make it so! Hinges are welded in and $60 a piece, so 180ish dollars plus my "valuable time" was not in the cards when it happened.)

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Welp, I changed my mind! I do that occasionally. Bed is off my truck and I'm stuck with my beater with a heater! Hopefully it'll motivate me to work on the truck faster!! I mounted the tailgate on the new bed for s***s and giggles!

 

Also I noticed that my spray paint job I did on my taillights has held up very well, I painted them black about 4 years ago with Wally world "great value" spray paint! I made a stencil for the GMC logo and taped it up for backup lights. FYI for anyone saying blacking out taillights is a big no-no, save the speech, you can see the lights just fine day and night! Haven't been rear ended yet (knock on wood!).

 

I don't work again till Thursday so I'll be busy next few days working on truck!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Found that driver side leaf spring is broke in a rather odd location, so this adds about another $355 to my already over budget build lol, bump stops are $64 dollars for 2, so I may just hold off on them if money gets too tight!

 

Had brake lines bust on three different occasions, all of them happened while I was on the road, so I had it fixed by a shop! You can see where they just cut the original line and shoved in new lol, I would have probably done it about the same way!

 

Also need a new filler neck for the gas tank, old one is rusted out, I did get a check engine light awhile back, threw code for small EVAP leak, i fixed it with a new gas cap, but that must not have been the real issue lol

 

I already ordered new dust shields as I knew about them before

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

It fits!! Some of the holes I drilled for the spot welds match up perfectly, almost like it was done in a factory! Hmmm!

 

I took off the rear bumper and tow package on truck, I forgot to get photos, but basically every bolt came off with the impact. Pretty surprised I didn't break any bolts, only had to cut one bolt off!

 

Tomorrow I'm gunna be sanding again (insert sad face), I bought raptor spray on bed liner that came with a spray gun, so gotta sand bed bottom with 320 grit and I want to sand it before I weld the front back on as it being off gives me more access for sanding

 

This weekend I will be priming and laying on bed liner, no matter what, I have to get it done this weekend!

 

I also took off a bunch of bolt on brackets that hold brake lines and the spare tire cranker thingy! Basically I plan to do the frame on the truck before I do the body work (rockers and stuff), i.e. have the frame cleaned and ready for por15 before parking truck inside.

 

(Found a pic of bumper off, and a pic of bumper sitting in my old bed which has now become the junk parts storage! I saved the clips from the old harness for holding the wiring in place! Didn't come with new bumper.)

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

I spent the day sanding and Scotch briting the inside of the bed, lots of little nooks and cranys to get at, I also used the DA with 320 grit sandpaper.

 

Still haven't touched the "Bondo" I put on a few days ago. Went and got some Omni high build primer and reducer and hardner. I'm going to reduce the primer about 10%, it'll lay on much smoother and not "Orange Peel" as badly making sanding much easier.

 

Forgot to take photos but not much to see.

 

Having to buy new leaf springs and shackles pretty much blew my budget. I was considering respraying the whole truck, but that's history now! It's gunna be a real pain to blend in the cheap Omni base coat I'm going to use as it'll probably take about 5 coats and lots of Technics I'm not at all familiar with! (Like drop coating, off to YouTube to figure it out)

 

I ordered a rough country leveling kit as it was about the same as just buying new shocks, it'll also come with new u bolts for the rear end and everything will be new for the leafsprings.

 

As I stand, I'm ahead of schedule for getting my bed liner sprayed in and primed by this weekend! I'm sure I'll get behind, something always comes up with this build.

 

(Spare tire photo) idk if I should try and save this rim. I have a sandblaster, but I don't know if it'll be safe to use afterwords. I do have another tire to put on it as the current one is dry rotted!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Leaf springs and Rough Country leveling kit came today! I accidentally only ordered one shackle, but I'm gunna make one of the original shackles work maybe! Driver side shackle where leaf spring broke is in decent shape, I'll sandblast and see what it looks like after, if I can save $30 that's a win in my book!

 

New leaf springs seem like they will fit perfectly, I got them from trucksprings as they where the cheapest I could find, they look very nice, not OEM looking but that could also just be the fact that they don't make springs the same as they did in 1999.

 

I cleaned and primed my weld seams for the front section of bed. Then spent 30 mins trying to line it up perfectly. The stands I set the bed on are level, but the floor is not as it has a center drain and slant slightly to the drain. I'm going to have to put shims under the bed to get it lined up properly before I can weld it back on. I got the driver side leveled perfectly. But the passenger side is being a pain. See pics!

 

I also cannot get the bottom seam to line up as my first fit sets the front section too high. So now none of my holes match up. I'm gunna have to weld the sides, then stand bed up to weld the bottom seam from behind. You can see through the holes I drilled in the green front section, so I'm gunna have to weld them closed as well. (Extra body work!!: insert sad face) I KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!

 

As long as I get the front section welded tomorrow morning before I go to work, I should be priming and bed lining on Sunday!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

It's the little things holding me up!

Got the front section welded on, had to do a bit of muscling to get it level and square!

 

Now the photos:

Photo 1: driver side piece i welded in

Photo 2: untouched passenger side

 

Notice how the passenger side 90° angle is not as wide as driver side. I have to trim the width of the piece I put in on driver side, I also haven't spot welded it to outer wheel well yet! Oops!

 

I also have to por15 the bottom front section where I spot welded and everglass the welds. It'll be a late night!

 

90°f temps are not my friend either! So probably have to wait till later in day to paint, otherwise paint will flash really quickly and not lay on so well (orange peel)

 

Oh and I still have to sand down the filler I put on last week! But thatll go quickly! I will have to use filler again, but it'll be on top of the primer, I have to do a seal coat before I spray the base coat anyhow!

 

I will have to tear down my makeshift plastic walls and put up all new after cleaning and using hose to clean floors, no dust is allowed when painting!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Waiting on paint to dry and everglass. I forgot to grind down inside welds of front panel. So that took time, just layed everglass overtop.

 

Also got the arch cut. Its not straight as an arrow like before, but it'll do! Real pain to deburr it after I was done cutting!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

Installed new fuel filler neck, I didn't replace the outside rubber hose, it came with the filler neck and an inner hose. I had to do a bit of cleaning as the old neck broke inside and was rusted badly. Nothing some oil and wire brush couldn't fix! I also coated the outside of the hose with oil to bring some life back into it. It wasn't dry rotted or anything and feel like it will last another 18 years. LOL

 

Im doing this on my down time waiting for self etching primer to dry where I had to grind down to metal to clean rust before I spray bed liner. You can see in photos of last post where I ground down to metal.

 

Idk if I'll have time to prime the bed sides tonight! We'll see how it goes!

 

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[GrumpyGhost]

A storm ended up blowing through and I didn't want to risk losing power to compressor while in middle of spraying. It was also a long very hot sweaty day. I called it a night. I could have motored on after storm passed but I have a long day tomorrow.

 

Body work is doneish, need to work on wheel well after primer but everywhere else is good to go. I didn't use guide coat so I could be way wrong. Body guys run there hands along panels to check for high and low spots along with guide coat and rulers. It is a tricky skill, ive been told not everyone can "learn it", more of a natural skill supposedly. I oddly can only do it with my left hand which is not my dominate hand.

 

I'm no expert and also why I did not finish wheel well section, I cant tell if I have a high spot or if it's low around it, primer will help me discover my issue, not something that can really be seen visually, but will show up after base coat is layed on and i can't have that!

 

I ran out of etch primer so I used up the rest of my weld through primer which is also self etching, but expensive! Like $17 a can.

 

Everything is ready for primer and bed liner! Just need to find time to do it.

 

Im ready do be done with the bed until it's time to lay base coat on, seems like I've gotten no where fast this last month!

 

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