85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

...The 77 is up next and I'm at least a month behind. It WILL be at LST 2018, and it will probably be finished at the last minute as well.

Rebirth of an icon

[N2TRUX]

Heres a video documentation of the build that Johnny M and John J did. The complete install thread is here - Ridetech 4-Link Coil-Over Install

Originally Posted by JohnJ@RideTech

My Small Screen Debut!
We finally finished the install video of the kit. Check it out and let me know what you think.
I probably wont be nominated for an Academy Award or anything but this will give you guys a pretty good idea of how the kit goes together.
Let me know your thoughts.

73-87 C10 Coilover Suspension Install -- Full - YouTube

[85/Silverado]

He can park it in my driveway Christmas eve, I won't complain.

[smpoulin01]

If you need a place to put it Ken, I have a nice space that comes with a friend!

[N2TRUX]

You guys are correct, it never ends.
Friday night I traced an intermittent charging issue to a loose positive lug on the alternator. I pulled it apart to tighten the lug and discovered the brush housing was cracked. Replaced the brush set and she's charging once again.

Saturday I worked on the suspension. I adjusted the shocks down another click to soften the ride a bit more.
I cleaned the front area completely and discovered where my rubbing noise was coming from.
Apparently I had not centered the front sway bar properly and the wheel was rubbing when turned at full lock. I loosened the bar and repositioned it to center.
With the front cleaned and wheels polished I needed a test run. I decided the Niftee 50ees cruise night was a good place to test it out.

[N2TRUX]

I had the a/c blowing cold, jamming to some 38 Special and almost at the show. The coil over adjustments were an improvement, and tuning the timing gave better throttle response.

Life was good till I heard a high pitch squealing noise. A quick check under the hood and I discovered the blower motor for the a/c was the culprit.

[N2TRUX]

Sunday I started the tear down to get to the bad fan. It's a simple job unless you have Slosh Tubz. That requires everything on the passenger side to be removed to access the fan.

It needed a good cleaning after my road trip in the rain to Goodguys, so I blew it all apart. Three hours later I had a new fan in place and she was back on the ground.

[1957 Chief]

Never ends Ken...never.

Bubba

[N2TRUX]

Got home late tonight and spent some time making repairs on my pool equipment. I decided to spend a while chasing gremlins. Several minor issues had not been attended to so I worked my way down the list.

The AM/FM was not receiving and i assumed it was an antenna issue. I pulled the a/c duct and located the antenna wire. It had gotten pulled loose so that was an easy fix. I tightened the connector to prevent further issues. I tuned all the presets and made audio output adjustments as well.

The clock had stopped working as well. I traced the power wire I discovered the connector on the back of the clock had been pulled loose. I reconnected it and set the clock. Its working now and keeping the correct time as well.

The last item in the dash is the temp gauge. It was reading previously, but not now. I pulled the wire from the sending unit and jumped it to ground. No response! It looks like I will have to pull the cluster to check the gauge.

Two out of three ain't bad. I can sleep tonight.

[N2TRUX]

Pool party last night. Diagnosed my pump motor leak and determined it was the pump shaft seal. I replaced it and the leak is gone. Now I can work on my truck.

Started pulling the dash bezel in hopes that I could gain access to the temp gauge without pulling the cluster. Not going to happen. Stripped it half way down and called it a night. I decided it would be better to wait till I had time to complete the task.

[N2TRUX]

The good news is I found the problem. The bad news is I had to pull the cluster to to it. Of course the entire dash has to come out too.
With the cluster out I tested the temp gauge with a Dewalt battery to determine it was good. From there I traced outward to the contact point of the printed circuit and the connector. I discovered the run on the circuit had lifted and was pushed aside, not making contact. I repaired the run and solved the problem.
Yeah me! Now I get to install the entire dash again.

[SCOTI]

Ken,

How are you liking the sound system? Do you have individual p/n's for the kick panel 6.5's & 6x9's? Would it compare to a late model high end set-up or?

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Ken,

How are you liking the sound system? Do you have individual p/n's for the kick panel 6.5's & 6x9's? Would it compare to a late model high end set-up or?

Scoti here the cheat sheet for the Kicker Audio system in Scarlett-
Reciever- KMC20 Media Center-
Sub- Hideaway-
Rear- KS Series 6x9" 2 Way Coax
Kick- KS Series 6.5" Coax
High- KS Series 3.5" Coax
Center- KS Series 3.5" Coax

I worked with Tim Smith of Kicker who helped me design the system. Time would have rather not used the 6x9's in the rear. I felt it would create rear imaging that would be inaccurate, and he was correct. To compensate, Chris and I tuned them down as much as possible. They still produce more high end sound than is technically correct, but they arent overpowering.

My reasoning for using the 6x9 in the corners is that its a common practice in these trucks and I hoped to accomplish a full range system using components that are commonly used. I feel we achieved the goal with some trade offs in sound quality.

With all that said, whats the bottom line? We have a system that has great mid bass and low bass coming from minimal power. The Kicker Hideaway is impressive in its ability to perform based on size. With the hideaway tuned moderately low, the 6x9's fill the mid bass gap very well.

Up front the KMC 20 works very well in accomplishing my goal of having a contemporary full feature receiver with out having to cut the stock dash at all. It offers Bluetooth that connects easily to your device to plays HD sound via YouTube. You can use a memory stick, or any storage device to play back as well through an HDMI port.

Does it rival a high end factory system with computer designed enclosures and ideally placed components? Probably not. Does it sound very impressive based on the limitations and obstacles these old trucks offer? Absolutely!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Scoti here the cheat sheet for the Kicker Audio system in Scarlett-
Reciever- KMC20 Media Center-
Sub- Hideaway-
Rear- KS Series 6x9" 2 Way Coax
Kick- KS Series 6.5" Coax
High- KS Series 3.5" Coax
Center- KS Series 3.5" Coax

I worked with Tim Smith of Kicker who helped me design the system. Tim would have rather not used the 6x9's in the rear. He felt it would create rear imaging that would be inaccurate, and he was correct. To compensate, Chris and I tuned them down as much as possible. They still produce more high end sound than is technically correct, but they arent overpowering.

My reasoning for using the 6x9 in the corners is that its a common practice in these trucks and I hoped to accomplish a full range system using components that are commonly used. I feel we achieved the goal with some trade offs in sound quality.

With all that said, whats the bottom line? We have a system that has great mid bass and low bass coming from minimal power. The Kicker Hideaway is impressive in its ability to perform based on size. With the hideaway tuned moderately low, the 6x9's fill the mid bass gap very well.

Up front the KMC 20 works very well in accomplishing my goal of having a contemporary full feature receiver with out having to cut the stock dash at all. It offers Bluetooth that connects easily to your device to plays HD sound via YouTube. You can use a memory stick, or any storage device to play back as well through an HDMI port.

Does it rival a high end factory system with computer designed enclosures and ideally placed components? Probably not. Does it sound very impressive based on the limitations and obstacles these old trucks offer? Absolutely!

Gotcha..... Thanks

[LT7A]

Ken, the truck looks great and I'm glad you made it to the show! I've followed your work on the previous truck from part way through and for the entire time on this one (along with an eye toward what happens on the '77). I like seeing the upgrades, ideas implemented, and overall improvements. But I think my favorite part is the storytelling aspect. Working on these rigs always goes better in our minds than on the floor with the tools. It is great to see your progress along with the mistakes, mismatches, and chasing of gremlins. Nice work man, I appreciate your work and your efforts to tell us about it.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Ken, the truck looks great and I'm glad you made it to the show! I've followed your work on the previous truck from part way through and for the entire time on this one (along with an eye toward what happens on the '77). I like seeing the upgrades, ideas implemented, and overall improvements. But I think my favorite part is the storytelling aspect. Working on these rigs always goes better in our minds than on the floor with the tools. It is great to see your progress along with the mistakes, mismatches, and chasing of gremlins. Nice work man, I appreciate your work and your efforts to tell us about it.

I appreciate your following and the kind words. I try to present my builds from the average Joe perspective. This is reality TV without the TV and drama. Its as real as it gets, including my mistakes.

My 77 Cheyenne build is ramping up. Enjoy the ride. Elwood #the 77_remix

[N2TRUX]

As much as I love this truck, its time to let her go. I finish Elwood, and think about my next build. Besides this thread, I have several videos and hundreds of pics documenting the entire build.

Asking 25k, NO TRADES. Message me if you are a serious buyer.

[rustytruck50]

Hate to see her go, too, Ken. Will be keeping an eye out for the next chapter

[85/Silverado]

I would buy it But I like my cahonies to much.

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by 85/Silverado

I would buy it But I like my cahonies to much.

Don’t be scared!
It’s easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 85/Silverado

I would buy it But I like my cahonies to much.

The cab is quite roomy if you need a new place to crash.

[rustytruck50]

Very true.....and one heck of a "rehab/get well soon" gift to yourself!

[85/Silverado]

I'll print some photo's from here and take them to the Car Show this weekend ( https://emeraldcoastcruizin.com/ ) and show your work off. I'll give them the web-site so they can look at the work you did. This is the first year I get to show mine off with 85% complete. I think your's would win in the C-10 category

[LT7A]

Ken, I hope you find the right buyer in a time frame that works for you to get your money back out of the truck. Hold out for a number that makes it worth it for you. Having done a similar build, albeit on a car, that number is more than reasonable. My quick calculations say that's about what somebody would have to spend just to buy the truck and the parts, before installation.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Ken, I hope you find the right buyer in a time frame that works for you to get your money back out of the truck. Hold out for a number that makes it worth it for you. Having done a similar build, albeit on a car, that number is more than reasonable. My quick calculations say that's about what somebody would have to spend just to buy the truck and the parts, before installation.

I sold the truck and it has arrived at its new home. I put a price on her that I thought would be fair market value. I told the new owner, "its a lot of money for the truck, but its a lot of truck for the money"

Essentially I built the truck to improve my skills, and teach my nephew life lessons. With out the support from Chris and all the great vendors involved Scarlett would not exist.