Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I have 05 Silverado front seats and was able to use 1 factory hole on each side. I think, lol. I'll have to go back and look. They did fit nice though. As for the passenger side mine slid far enough forward for someone to crawl in the back. I'm not riding back there so I wasn't too worried about it, lol.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

After you drill some holes, they bolt right in!;)

I'm watching this one because my Jimmy is in about the same condition or worse underneath. If you want to get rid of the leaf springs you are replacing, PM me. Was the top of the windshield frame in good shape?

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I did some more work on the driver's seat last night.

I'm a medium/large guy (6'1/215) so priorities for mounting the seats are decent leg room and a fairly low seat bottom so that my head doesn't stick above the windshield when the top is off. The leg room is determined by how far the seat will go back and the seat bottom height by how close to the floor you get the seat. Unfortunately when mounting these seats to a 72 Jimmy the two requirements are at odds with each other.

To get the seats lower you either need to modify the floor or modify the seat brackets. My seats currently have 1.5" of extra height below the rails courtesy of some mounting feet/brackets that I think I can get rid of. I'll need to check the seat operation first but hopefully they will work with a smaller/no mounting foot. I think that dropping the seats a bit is key to a decent look when the top is off.

For legroom... as the seat nears the end of it's rearward travel it extends past the back of the seat mounting brackets and bangs into the bottom of the rear bulkead. This problem is compounded by the shape of the seat rails, the little bulge at the bottom of the bulkhead and the fact that the side of the seat with the least room sticks out 4-6" further than the other due to the power tilt motors. To fix this you need to either raise the seat mounting (giving the rail more room to travel) or trim the seat rails. Since I don't want to go any higher I'll be trimming the rails.

I plan on making my own little brackets to adapt the new seat rails to the existing mounting holes in the floor and the take some steps to reinforce the floor for the added weight of the seats and lack of additional seat belt anchors.

FYI - the seats weigh roughly 80-100lbs each.


Matt

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Are your seats heated? If so let me know what color wires you have sticking out of the bottom of the passenger seat. :metal:

Good idea about the passenger seat slide forward. These seats seem to have a lot of forward adjustment and I won't need to mount the passenger seat as far back as the driver so hopefully there will be room.


Matt

Block Heater
 

I put in a block heater yesterday. It's one of the "circulation tank" types and I bought it at Napa for around $60. Here's a link.

Installation is a bit of a pain. Step one is to remove one of the the lower coolant drain from the block. These are small, flat, allen headed screw in plugs down low on the block. There is one on either side. Both my plugs had liberal engine paint on them and were pretty tough to get out. I stripped the passenger sit plug using hand tools so I broke out the compressor for the second one. Even then then I had to crank the regulator up to 105psi and bang away for 30 seconds before the plug finally came out.

Here's where the plug used to be. Now it has the adapter and the hose there.
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/blockheat_2.jpg

With this design of heater the inlet of the heater tank must be lower than the drain that is feeding it. This is easy off the lower rad hose but gets tougher when your drawing coolant off the bottom of the block. There aren't many options for mounting this low but I think mine turned out pretty slick. I have the tank located in the fender well, mounted on the outside of the frame rails with the coolant hoses going through the rgg rails and fenders. There are no mounting bolts or straps or plates. Just the pressure from the hoses and some strategically placed pieces of old rubber.

From the front you can see the drain, hose, frame rail and then the bottom of the tank heater.
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/blockheat_1.jpg

End of drain hose from block/mounting system.
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/blockheat_2.jpg

Hose "mount"
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/blockheat_3.jpg

Mounted with the top outlet going through an enlarged hole in the inner fender.
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/blockheat_4.jpg

The system worked very well this morning. The weather isn't "cold" yet but it will be soon. My heater is a 1500 watt unit so it has no problem boiling the coolant. Circulation is excellent except for the heater box. The instructions called for returning heated coolant to the top hose of the heater but this allows a cold pocket of cold water to remain in the core. Hopefully I can return through the bottom hose without problems as this should flow through the heater.


Matt
:gmc:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Been busy cutting rust out of the bed. More updates coming soon.

I'm also busy trying to get my heated seats to work. Here's a link to another thread about that. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=370574


Matt

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

nice one, that top hatch looks pretty good too.

I bought mine to fix up as i drove it and i ended up putting about an entire mile on it before I got the idea to take it down to the frame...

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

What up Durrty? Happy USMC birthday the other day. :metal:

I checked out your build threads and that's some pretty great work. My Jimmy's going to need a bunch of rocker and floor work next spring so I'ld love to get together and talk shop someday about your experiences.


Matt

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I did the body mounts last weekend. I went with poly mounts because they were readily available. GMCpauls said the rubber kits were back ordered until December.

All of the factory bolts except for the rad mounts were spot welded at the heads. I think this is normal and it wasn't too tough to grind the welds down but still a PITA if you don't have the right tools.

The instructions said to do the mounts one side at a time but I wanted to paint the mounts before installing so I jacked everything up at once. :metal: I just spanned the area where rocker boxes should be with wood and then jacked it up. Here's what a Jimmy looks like with a 33" titres, 3" spring lift and 6" body lift.:lol::lol::lol:

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/Lift_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/Lift_2.jpg

Here's some PITA photos. The first is what happens when you bottom out a lot when towing... The second one shows how much undercoating is on parts of the frame.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/BM_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/BM_2.jpg

After I got all the old stuff removed I spent a few hours stripping undercoating and then I painted. Eventually I'll get the whole frame painted but for now I just did the mounting points and immediate vicinity. I used KBS coatings Rust Seal paint. It's a 3 step process like POR-15 that I heard a lot of good things about. I'm happy with the results so far.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/BM_3.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/BM_4.jpg

I'll get some photos of the mounts installed soon.


Matt

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I was thinking the same, I also may have some pieces and parts that you might want. If i can help out just ask i am not an expert like some guys around here but I learned allot here and A WHOLE lot on the drivers side LOL the passenger side has gone smooth and much faster. Leave the top on if possible until you get the floor and rocker area torn apart and done. Even if it is bad now it will make it worse taking it off, that is one thing I would change about mine. I took the top off and then tool the tub off the frame and that was the wrong thing to do. Live and learn though...

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I've been banging away in the bed for the last couple of weeks and now it's all starting to come together. There were a number of rusty holes that needed patching so I cut out all the rust, bought a patch panel and took it to Maaco for some welding.

The first of the cutting...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_1.jpg


To keep the costs down I had Maaco cut patch panels a little bigger than the holes and then weld them OVERLAPPING the existing bed. Obviously it would have been prettier to weld the panels in flush but my wallet is happy with the compromise. Liberal use of seam sealer above and below should provide decent corrosion protection.

Here's the bed all patched up. I also hit everything with a knotted wire wheel and then used Rust Blast etching solution to prep it for primer and bedliner

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_2.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_3.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_4.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_5.jpg


The metal plates in front of the wheel wells are remnants of an old roll bar...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_6.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_7.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_8.jpg


Matt :gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Next up is a couple of coats of Chassis Saver sliver paint/primer. Chassis Saver is similar to POR-15 in that it is a rust sealing paint but it is thicker and contains a bunch of flake aluminum so it dries more like a primer.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_9.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_10.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_11.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_12.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_13.jpg
http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/bed_14.jpg


Tomorrow I'll do seam sealer on all the remaining seams and then the first coat of bed liner.


Matt :gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

It's no showstopper, more of a knuckledragger.;)

Way better than the ventilation you had.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looking good. Whats going on top of the silver stuff? (Paint, Spray on lining)

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

It is Chassis Saver sliver paint/primer. Chassis Saver is similar to POR-15 in that it is a moisture cure rust sealing paint but it is thicker and contains a bunch of flake aluminum so it dries more like a primer. Here's a link.

It can be sprayed but I put it on with a brush. Two coats deep into all the seams and then I seam sealed with 3M Automix 08308. I want to use the bed for various dirty projects in the summer so I'm also doing a bed liner. I have a roll on liner by the same company called Monstaliner.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Yeah. Now it just REEEEEKS of paint!!!! :lol:


Matt

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

cool, the bed liner will cover up those patches. You might not even be able to see them at all.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Lookin' great, feels good to have accomplished something on it don't it.:metal:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

You know it! :metal: I've been making progress for the last few weeks but putting paint/coating down is always a great feeling. It's like the crest of a hill you know? Everything from this point "should" be putting stuff back together... ;)

I put the Monstatliner bed liner in the rear tub this weekend. It went down THICK and does a lot to hide the patches. I'll post some pics soon.

The Monstatliner is a dual cure (moisture/catalyst) and it's advised that you apply it in dry weather. I do all my work outdoors and a winter storm was in the forecast so I built a little tent off the back of the Jimmy to keep the snow away from the new bed liner. It was windy also so I added a few venting slits to the plastic sheet to stop it blowing away. Here comes the snow!

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/tent_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/tent_2.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/tent_3.jpg


Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looks pretty good!

I used a similar product on my LWB bed floor - www.nomorerust.com I will be using that on the 4x4 Project this winter when I get to the metal work stage.

Not looking forward to snow/ice here at all. Forecast says it is a week or so away.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Here are some pics of the rear tub with the bed liner.

I applied the first coat on Friday night with temps around 45º and then a second coat at around 12:00 on Saturday afternoon with 55º temps before the storm rolled in on Sunday and sent lows into the 20s. The coating was dry to the touch by Saturday night and it feels pretty hard now. There is still a considerable odor but the manufacturer advises 7 days for a full cure and I think it will be longer for me with the low temps and also the closed bed of the Jimmy. I've been parking it in the sun with the hatch up to try and speed the cure. :lol:

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/monstaliner_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/monstaliner_2.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/monstaliner_3.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/monstaliner_4.jpg

About the primer gray fuel filler... I found some spray paint on the garage shelf that said it was for touching up galvanized fences, etc. and I thought it would be perfect for the galvanized fuel filler. WRONG. I'll be repainting that when I pull it to put a sealing gasket in.


Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looks good! Did you do the tailgate as well?

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

man that bed liner looks great did you pick that up locally or did you order it.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I did the tailgate flat so I could lay it on thick. :sumo:

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/monstaliner_5.jpg


Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I ordered it and had it shipped. It goes on thick and dries VERY hard. I wouldn't recommend putting it in a a truck with the top on though because the fumes are really bad...

Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

i have rock crawler i was thinking it would work great in it never has a top on it for the price i think it would work great. so is so hard it might crack or is it still plyable.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

It's probably perfect for your application. Supposed to be very UV stable with is key for you with no top. emial the guys at www.monstaliner.com to know for sure.


Matt
:gmc2:
'72 Jimmy Build

Thanksgiving Update!
 

One of my goals with this project is to add some TECHNOLOGY to my old rig. I'm not restoring to recreate how it left the factory. I want something better!

Following that line of thought I decided to switch over to an electric fan. The big benefits of electric fans is that they reduce drag on the engine and free up room in the engine bay. They also only run when needed which means they won't even be running for 5 months out of my year.

I had to replace the water pump anyways so it made sense to do it all at once. I went with a Weiand 9240 aluminum water pump and a single 12" Flex-a-lite fan. The single 12" as a temporary solution. I will be adding a shroud and another 12" in the spring.

The old...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/350_3.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/350_2.jpg

Disassembly...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_3.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_2.jpg

Comparison...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_4.jpg

New...

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_5.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_6.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/waterpump_7.jpg

The new set up is NICE! The truck idles smoother for sure. The fan never even comes on driving around in 40 degree temps. As you can see in the last pic there is some room in there now!


Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looks nice and clean.

More updates
 

It's getting there a little bit at a time... The cooling system is working top-notch now. New thermostat, radiator cap and water pump took care of that. :cuss:

I did a few other things over the holiday also...

I finally put in new rear shocks. I had replaced the fronts about a month ago but still had the crusty old rears. The fronts I already had are yellow Bilstein HDs but this model has been discontinued for the rear of the 72's so I went with a Bilstein 5100s with a zinc coating. According to the salespeople the shock internals are the same.

The difference in ride is HUGE!!! I didn't realize how out of control my rear springs were until now. The PO put a 2.5" block and an add-a-leaf under the stock rear springs so it has a bit of kick back there and the worn out shocks were doing NOTHING to control it.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/rearshock_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/rearshock_2.jpg

I also got started on a wiring upgrade for power seats, stereo, electric fans and headlights. I want to run a little stand-alone system of relays and breakers and leave the stock wiring alone as much as possible.

I found a pretty nice breaker box at NAPA that I'm using as a "fused" distribution center. The box has 6 x 20amp breakers installed and I can change the breakers out with a higher amperage if I need. The box and breakers are mounted close to the battery and will eliminate the need for any inline fuses in the engine compartment.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/_breakerbox_1.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/_breakerbox_2.jpg

I only have a the rad fan and a temporary seat wire hooked up right now but this shows how the wires connect. There are rubber grommets that install around the wires/openings and a cover that bolts over everything. The final product will be well sealed against the environment.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/_breakerbox_3.jpg

I also replaced the heater defrost hoses, replaced the heater control box, installed new rear carpet, cleaned and re-installed the rear seat, painted and re-mounted the rear bumper and replaced the plastic wiring channels in the engine compartment. More pics to come later.


Matt
:gmc2:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looking good! When you are done then you should drive it to Logan so I can take a look. I havent touched my blazer for a month now because I am stuck doing a bathroom remodel.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I just got back from a week out of town and winter is here with a VENGEANCE! Lows were in the single digits yesterday... I need to find somewhere warm I can work on the Jimmy.

I'm having a custom wiring harness made so that I can run high/low bulbs in all four headlights. I really have no need for a dedicated high beam and I really think 4 low beams will do a better job for my driving.

Check out this thread for more info on the wiring harness.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looks like a cool idea you should up grade you headlamps while your at it link

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Yep. I ran the rectangular Hella H4 Euros on 91 Celica and they were a HUGE upgrade. Four of those aimed low with 55w xenons should do nicely. :metal:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

They are some sweet headlamp's I have some 7" for my blazer!!!

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looking real good. I like the electric fan.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

Looks fantastic - when it warms up to 30 I am heading outside...to see what I can get done today on one of mine.

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

I used the beast as intended yesterday. I went up for my first day of snowboarding, driving up and back in what was pretty much a blizzard.

My commute is 3 miles of surface streets then 10 miles of 4 lane highway and finally 13 miles of 2 lane, windy mountain road. In the morning there was 1-2" of slushy snow in the valley turning to 6" of powder roughly 5 miles from the end. I left the house in 2WD with the hubs locked and shifted into 4WD-H about 7 miles from the end. During the day it snowed an additional 12"+ of snow turning the parking lot into a total SNAFU. Audis and Subarus were getting stuck left and right but the Jimmy was UNSTOPPABLE. Seriously... 12" of snow is nothing for a rig like this.:metal:

The road down the canyon was very, very slippery so it was 4WD-H and L1 the whole way down. The combo of 33" tires and whatever gears are in my truck holds it at 2000 rpm/15mph going downhill in L1.

I'm very happy with the truck in the snow. I want to upgrade the headlights and I need better windshield washer squirters but performance in the snow was outstanding. I was also happily surprised by how smoothly the truck shifted in and out of 4WD-H at 25mph. Very slick!

Here are a couple of photos from the bottom of the commute @ 4500 feet. There was a lot more snow at the mountain @ 8500 feet.

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/12:14_A.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/12:14_B.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/12:14_C.jpg

http://celadonstudios.com/jimmy/12:14_D.jpg

And a shot from the ski hill! :uhmk:
http://www.snowbird.com/images_manag...e_day/1434.jpg

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

...and the heater, how was the heater?

Very cool, build em to drive em! :metal:

Re: New Member - 72 Jimmy: Project Knuckledragger mountain commuter
 

LOL. The heater was fine. Not the ultimate defrosting machine but I stayed warm. For most of the storms around here the temps usually aren't very cold. Snowy and 28º is probably the norm and now that I have carpet in the back the heater deals fine with that.

We had lows around 10º last week the heater kept up but just barely. I'm going to need to carpet the front floor and seal up all the firewall holes to deal with temps like that!