New topper

[Larry]

Well this new Snugtop topper will defiantly make it nicer and warmer to sleep in this coming fishing season instead of my old truck tent. I wonder how long the safari rack will last before it gets pruned off by a tree though.

 

Snugtop did a pretty good job at matching my color too! Wish they would have done that good of a job pealing off the option sheet sticker that doesn’t want to come off the rear window.

 

Planning to start building the interior raised floor with storage compartments and all of the electrical dodads next weekend.

[RyanbabZ71]

Larry,

 

That is an awesome truck.

[R Dogg 56]

Looks darn good, Larry.

[ChevyMan23]

Looks like a K5 like that...sweet.

[antig24]

Very Nice

[Wingnut]

Yup...Still my favorite truck on the site.

[burgundyz71]

Awsome truck !

[Larry]

Thanks for the kudos guys....so far I am real happy with how weekend warrior rig is coming together.

 

You would not believe how hard it is to find a topper for a 73 – 87 GM Short bed truck. Snugtop is pretty much the only game in town left to service this segment. If I was looking for a classic truck long bed topper I would have had Leer and a few others to choose from. I found several used toppers in the local yokel anywhere from free to $200 but they were not very tasteful looking. Good thing Snugtop was on top of my list….even if it cost a over a grand brand new.

 

Snugtop builds all of their toppers to order and paints them at their factory in Long Beach, CA. These dudes are only used to painting late model OEM colors and it was a real pain in the arse to have them paint my topper a non late model truck color. My color is actually a 1997 Pontiac Montana Quazar Blue but do you think they would paint that even thought I provided the WA paint #??....nope, I had to send them a fuel door so they could match it even after I gave them the WA paint number. Oh, well….it turned out real nice and I even got the fuel door back unscaved.

 

I’ll post pictures as the interior starts to take shape. Planning on dual Optima batteries, (one of which will be a deep cycle) isolator, 110 outlets, a few 12V outlets and big fat battery cable to feed the rear 12,000 lb winch, not to mention the home grown interior raised floor with hinged storage compartments below for the spare tire, high lift jack, and camping gear.

 

Once all this stuff is added into the rear, the plan is to swap in front 6” lift springs to replace the 4” then add an add a leaf and an ORD shackle reverse kit to the rear. Hopefully, this will level it out and still keep the tires from trying to divulge the fenders under flex.

 

This project will never end. I just bought another 8.1L engine last week. This engine is production prep 2005 8.1L with the latest coil on plug design, returnless fuel injection and latest PCM so another engine swap will be coming soon. The engine is broke of course, so I will have to cobble it back together but it may be cheaper going this route than the Marine MPI L29 EFI that I am already elbows deep into. Also still have a NV4500 5 speed to stick in it too. Weird how things work....when I was younger it was money that kept me from my projects….now it is TIME to get stuff done. I am starting to feel old.... By the time I get this thing how I want it.....it will be too old to sarafice to the off-road enviroment.

[Larry]

Got the interior almost finished with a lot of help from my friends dad that is pretty handy with building things out of wood. He did a great job. Everything has it’s place now and I have a nice flat spot to put my air mattress to sleep. Got all the goodies on board now…Fire extinguisher, air compressor, spare tire, hi-lift jack, shovels, fishing poles, camping and fishing gear, chains, snatch straps, snatch blocks, tools, etc. Next project is to install the dual batteries, run the rear winch power cable and wire the interior for lights and doodads. Need to rework the rear springs now too. The rear end dropped about an inch and a half and I still have more junk to throw in. Almost ready for fishing season.

 

[921500Z71]

That is...sweet.

[Wingnut]

Dude...I hate you.

 

You're like that kid that I knew that had every single GI Joe, and every single GI Joe vehicle...All the way from the 18" tall original GI Joe (with Jeep) to the big a**ed aircraft carrier for the smaller figures.

 

B***ard had all the cool stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice man.

[pwall]

Sweet truck!

[Larry]

Dude...I hate you.

 

You're like that kid that I knew that had every single GI Joe, and every single GI Joe vehicle...All the way from the 18" tall original GI Joe (with Jeep) to the big a**ed aircraft carrier for the smaller figures.

 

B***ard had all the cool stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice man. 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Wingnut, your hilarious. If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t have anything cool as a kid so I am making up for it now as an adult. My parents were so broke they couldn’t afford to pay attention so no cool toys for me back then.