Progress has been slow. But I got some progress. I got some pics, but since I am at work, I have to wait to post pics.

I decided to ditch the green, but since I like the G. Machine, I choose to go Gold and black. I get to keep the G. in G. Machine.

So I have been doing a little painting. Blacked out the grill, and painting the body gold. Well the area's I can paint gold anyways.

Still messing w/ the flat bed. Turning out to be a real pain in the a$$. Trying to get everything actually flat is turning out to be very time consuming. Since I got such a big area to work w/. Both the bed floor and the long sides, any dip or wave becomes apparent as soon as I put a dusting of primer on it. I am begining to hate it, but since I got so much time in it all ready I can't go back.

Tail light are also proving to be a bit@h. I got a fix it ticket the other day for driving around w/ the lights duct taped to the deck. He wrote me up for not having the liscense plate visable. Pass. seat does not count No turn signals, I tried to argue that the people w/ turn signals, don't use them, so what does it matter if I have them ?? And no or improper brake / tail lights. Duct taped to the truck is not proper mounting. So I got till Feb. to get that sorted out.

 

Also the truck has been running great till tonight. I brought the idle down and moved my timing a little, engine seems smoother and got that intermediate miss it used to have. Would only do it occasionally, so I got that smoothed out. I should not have messed w/ it when I was in a hurry. All most time to leave for work, anyways got half way down the block and it started popping and missing like crazy. Ooops, should have test drove it before I had to leave for work. So had to turn around and go grab the Civic. Move the wifes Jeep, pull the truck up, move the Civic down the driveway, put the Jeep back in the drive way.

But that is okay, today I'll mess w/ it and actually set it right. I'll actually use the timing light.

I'll get those pics up too.

 

WOOHOO, Today we made it to work. I am super excited, truck did great and I got even more pics. They will be up tonight.

 

pictures. I know, better late than never.

 

Chessy a$$ tail lights I know. I didn't get around to glassing in the pockets for the bulbs yet. I got the holes cut and the pockets made, just not glassed in yet. Still alot of work left to do on the rear end. I have not even started yet on the other side. That is why only pics of the driver's side

And I am going to make a fiberglass hood for the truck too. I just need to get mat the size of the hood. I hate that flimsy stock hood. It dents to easy, push down to latch it and it dents. So a glass hood is on the list.

All so on the list is a w58 trans and better rear end. On the freeway, I need another gear. Weber carb and header and actually finish the exhaust is all so on the list for this year. Plus I got to get around to the front end, I have all most all the parts, now I got to install them. Plus the interior and finish painting the truck and then the engine, and this and that. I have a actual list, it is about 2 pages long. Never enough hours in the day

 

Wel today I dropped the a$$ end. Once I find some cardboard and mock up a rear fender I'll post the pic. Body working mostly today. Gutted my door for paint and stuff.

The rear tires now stick up past the flat bed. 3 inch block

I am still in the air about how it will look. But I came this far I may as well take it all the way or decide to fully scrape the idea. Pics to come

 

pics from tonight, not the best but you get the idea

 

I'll take the same pic at work as the other one to show the difference

 

I faced a tragic set back tonight. I had a blow out on the free way. Since it was allso a construction site, no stopping. Just my luck. I had to drive w/ the tire beating the hell out of my rear end. Driver's side rear tire. Not having wheel wells to protect the rear end, it beat that side to hell. All so wrapped partially around the axle and tore my brake line.

So after a flat bed home, I am at work. I'll get pics when I get home.

 

dude that blows what happened
i really like the flat bed

 

Fixed my brake line tonight. My panels are okay, just some of my fiberglass got cracked after a little grinder action, some more mat and filler I am looking good again. Threw the spare rim I had on the truck and I am rolling again.

 

Well, since I got rained on and I had to drive the truck in the rain, I suffered another set back. A couple huge set backs actually.

My messed up electrical system decided to short out and start smoking while I was driving home. The fuse box was all ready jacked up but now it is totally fubed. I am basically having to start over. I now have my driving lights, my way dimmed down head lights and brakelights all running from a 8 gauge power wire into a distribution block, backed by a 40 amp fuse. I know, it is only temp.

Previous owner cut out all the fusible links, I have none. Some grounds that were just exposed wire bolted underneath the cab. Probably contributed to my total melt down. Alt. was a lamp cord type wire run straight to the battery. Probably why my charge light came on at over 50 mph. So I changed that wire till I can do everything correct.

Fuel gauge moves constantly and no temp gauge, no dash lights. Speedo still works. No heat, no wipers, no stereo. I don't even know if it works still. Ignition is now wired to a 3 position switch. Hanging where my ignition is supposed to be. Fuel pump is okay for now. It is just a mess.

All most a total meltdown, glad I was only 4 blocks from home when it happened.

 

The body work is the most disapointing. Since I had to borrow out my Civic to a friend of the wife. Her car broke down and she has 2 small children, so she has to have a car. So she has mine till she can get hers fixed.

4 days of all most constant rain really destroyed my truck.

I had my wheel tubs mocked up in cardbord, only resin coated on one side till I could finish the mock up, well they are destroyed, the plywood deck, didn't have it all glassed in, got drenched, is now curling up, don't lay flat anymore.
From the swelling and curling it started cracking alot of the edges. So all that is garbage. I am going home to cut it all out tonight. Area's of exposed metal, that had just a coat of primer, are rusting. So I got to sand those down real quick and throw some paint till I am ready to fix it.

So I have another set back, this dumb truck is fighting me to the end. I am really begining to hate this truck.

 

sorry bout the bad luck.

i have a 79 long bed that i'm fixin to start parting out... i'm down just south of phoenix

 

Burnzya, pm sent

 

I am abonding the flat bed. It is over and done w/. Going back to my original idea. I am pi$$ed off and sick of my truck looking like hell. I need a bed and tail lights.

Burnz sent you a pm. I need to get ahold of you so we can figure this out.

I need a front bumper too and some other stuff.

 

sorry to hear of your troubles ...

but press on !!!! so one idea didnt work out , I have been there many times .. lesson learned right ? time to move on ..





.

 

Thank you brother.

I am just sick of the rain. My electrical keeps getting screwed up. Last night I drove home w/ all the lights blinking at me. Wipers starting and stoping, dash lights coming on and off, turn signals at random. I didn't even know the dash lights worked??

My last melt down I cut out the fuse box and only have power to the lights via a 8 gauge cable, but somewhere in this messed up electrical, all of a sudden they worked and I don't have power running to the blinkers either, but yep sure enough driving along and I hear the blinker's going on and off.

I took out the heater core last week since the bit@h never worked anyways. So I got a towel as my defroster. The heater core had thick rust coolored sludge w/ a burnt up fan motor. Right now I got the coolant lines ran together at the back of the engine since I did not get around to making block off plates for it yet.

The only positive is I got the cab all sound proofed and that helped alot. I used 3 rolls of that tight seal and that stuff made a huge difference. I got the back wall carpeted as well. I guess another positive is I don't have any leaks in my truck.

All the rest of my interior is laying on the garage floor waiting to get glassed. My center council is all mocked up and ready to go, the dash pad is ready to get glassed, I filled it all last night. Once that is all done I can start adding gauges and some dash lights. Just the spedometer works, I need to do a gas gauge and everything else.

It is just a mess right now and the most frustrating part is all this small stuff is getting in the way of the big important stuff.

 

Well my truck is starting a new life. I got the last of my front end pieces, all new front end from the wheel bearings to the center link and everything in between. So next week when I get my Civic back, the truck is going down for a while. Maybe a long while.

Engine is coming out, just a freshen up, gaskets, rings and bearings. water and oil pump. Have my crank and bore checked. And just put it back together.

Trans is going, 5 speed will go back in the truck, carb is going out, going to get a webber. Rear end may come out as well, I'd a 4.10 rear end.

While it is all apart I'll have ample time to sort out my wiring and finish all the body work. Get some of my engine plated and polished.

I'll have alot of pics coming. I have collected a pile of parts and now it is time to do something w/ them.

Hopefully be back up and running in time for West Coast.

 

Well good news ladies and gentlemen. My truck broke down. It is a small repair but enough of a reason to take it all the way down. I broke the alt bolt on the way to work. So it is just flapping around now. So I am getting my Civic back and the truck is coming down tonight. After work she is going straight in the garage and coming apart. Suspension, body, engine, electrical and interior work will be going on. I'll post pics as I go along.

WHOO HOO, wish me luck and pray to the gods for me.