72 GMC K2500, short bed build

[randy500]

I removed the door weatherstripping today and found rust under it in the passenger side, so i have to sand blast again, wish i would have found it before i blasted the floor, blasting is soo messy, esp inside the cab.

[randy500]

If your following my shirt bed big block build i had this cab dipped, turned out real nice, no paint, no rust and no under coating left.
When i picked it up i dropped of an 8’ bed floor for a future k20 project, he only charged me $200, im going to pick it up tomorrow, its a real nice floor, very few dings and no rust. It will be a pain to store it but i couldnt pass up having it dipped for only $200!
The dipping place is 500 miles round trip, its all day trip. Im real happy with their work though and combining drop off/pick up helps average down the overall cost and saves time.

[randy500]

Big time project creep here.
Im more torn down than expected and i need paint.
Decided to change the color, full interior paint included.
My Color choices were in order
Hugger orange and white
Grapefruit yellow and white
Hawaiian blue and white.
Decided against yellow, i dont think it has very wide appeal despite having almost a full quart on hand.
Orange was $500 a gallon
Blue $300
I ordered the blue. Pick it up tomorrow.
My short bed big block will be blue so doing this one blue will give good experience on coverage, flow, etc. and any extra paint will be used on that truck.
Also i feel blue and white is the best color and has very wide appeal.

For the medium green lovers....i asked my wife to pick up the paint tomorrow, mentioned I'm painting it blue. She was floored, she loves the green!

As you can see i have the firewall stripped and the rear window out. Surprisingly the rear window pinchweld has no issues.

[randy500]

I used this 3m 2-part seam sealer, its really nice stuff, sets up quick and the self leveling one is amazing in the drip rail on the roof. I also flowed it into the cowl seams.

[randy500]

Passenger side welding is done. It will need a small piece of cab corner at some time but done other than that to include final welding on the front floor support which is difficult overhead welding.
The door fits the cab and rocker fairly well.
I just remembered today that i have an extra key parts passenger door skin, i think i will install it and see how i like it. I will attempt to replicate the factory rolled front edge of the door. I think a full skin is a more reliable repair than patches. Never had good luck with lower door patches (bubbles later).

[cornerstone]

Looks great Randy. Did you sand blast the cowl area?

Also what kind of paint did you buy?

[randy500]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Looks great Randy. Did you sand blast the cowl area?

I did sandblast inside the cowl, the engine wiring ledge, the floor, the kick panels and vents. Also part of the door jamb where it rusted under the weatherstrip.
It turned out nice and i was able to get more inside the cowl than expected.

I have one of those cheap eastwood pressure blasters. I had a Tip blaster years ago which was much higher quality but the eastwood one works good. Just requires some fiddling as i think all the cheap ones do.

[randy500]

I also installed a pretty clean 68 gmc core support that i had on hand from a 68 C30 i parted out a while ago. The old one was pretty rusty under the battery.
I blasted the new core support under the battery and painted it. Should last a while. New core support bushings/mounts while i was there.
Unfortunately the 68 core support isnt drilled for the AC condenser lines so i will have to hole saw them. Which is a pain because the hole saw makes such a rough hole.

[randy500]

I ordered new lower bed trim since i dont have any used stuff and a windshield gasket yesterday. Im going to pull the windshield for paint, i will install front and rear stainless trim on the windows and tinted glass. It has all clear glass now.

[randy500]

I bought Nason Ful-Thane, its a budget eurethane made by Axalta, formerly Dupont.
I painted my yellow and white K10 with it and the inside of my crew cab. It sprays out nice, drys quick and shines great.
Last year i got a gallon of GM white with reducer and hardener off ebay for $139 shipped! I think i paid $189 for the gallon of gm victory red on my crew cab.
Wish i could get custom mixed colors off the same guy. It would be much cheaper. There is a lot of profit in paint.

[randy500]

I will also pull the gas tank for paint. I want it painted all around the tank and i need to get the sand out from behind it.
If the tank is completely empty its a simple job. I never knew that until recently, usually they have a few gallons in them and that really complicates things, the weight and sloshing around makes it very awkward.

Someone cut the fuel line under the cab, it has about a foot of rubber line instead of a Few inches, i found a new stainless line and a nice used one in my parts pile so that will be much better with less rubber hose.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by randy500

I bought Nason Ful-Thane, its a budget eurethane made by Axalta, formerly Dupont.
I painted my yellow and white K10 with it and the inside of my crew cab. It sprays out nice, drys quick and shines great.
Last year i got a gallon of GM white with reducer and hardener off ebay for $139 shipped! I think i paid $189 for the gallon of gm victory red on my crew cab.
Wish i could get custom mixed colors off the same guy. It would be much cheaper. There is a lot of profit in paint.

I'm very interested in more details about spraying single stage urethane, so please post more about this when you start to paint the truck. Who is your paint guy?

[randy500]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

I'm very interested in more details about spraying single stage urethane, so please post more about this when you start to paint the truck. Who is your paint guy?

I paint them myself in the space you see the truck in the garage. I did my first paint job in 1986, self taught from books and pointers from experienced painters, in those years i was in the army and they had auto craft shops ran by mechanics and body men.

I love single stage catalyzed paints for the following reasons.
1. They retain a factory look, not excessively glamorous
2. Less time the paint is wet and open to contamination
3. Dirt doesnt get buried in the clear
4. Easily repaired.

I avoid Single stage metallics but have done them. I have also done a lot of base clear, i just dont like the overall look and i especially dislike the extra spraying and dry time, it makes for a long day. Also more gun and tool cleaning. Base clear is a lot more effort.
I painted my K10 winter of 2018 but prior to that i last painted in about 2000, back then i always had one in process, either mine or a customer vehicle.

I used to paint mostly with catalyzed acrylic enamel, delstar usually, and some ppg concept urethane too.
Back then these cheaper paints like nason were just coming out, no way i would have used it back then.
I ended up buying this nason because is was $300 vs $600 or more for ppg concept.
Its the best spraying paint i have ever used....but it drys very fast which is only good if you can keep a wet edge. You have to lay it on wet and keep moving.

Im not sure if a first time painter would be very successful with it. I feel like its hard to make it run where as the old enamels were easy to make it run. They were also easy to spray out dull.
This urethane has great gloss and i think it would be hard to spray it out dull.

[randy500]

The real work is in the body fit and paint prep.

With single stage solid colors you can also paint panels which helps keep them sprayed out even and wet with good gloss. I always paint in sections such as

Inside the cab one day
Outside white on cab and fenders the next day
Outside color on cab and nose next day

Inside the bed one day,
White on bed one day
Color on bed another day

Or some schedule like that

I have done complete all in one shot in this shop, i just dont like doing it that way, its exhausting and harder to get great results

[cornerstone]

Sounds exactly like what I want. I'd like to get some ordered and give it a few practice tries. Who do you recommend buying it from?

[randy500]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Sounds exactly like what I want. I'd like to get some ordered and give it a few practice tries. Who do you recommend buying it from?

Ebay is the cheapest, if you like the colors available. Whats for sale there varies a lot, i think you can call him though.
Full gallon of red with catalyst and reducer, $199
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dupont-Naso...wAAOSwD39aitiv

Orange and reds are expensive, hugger orange cost locally is $495 just for the paint, the hardener and reducer is another $100 or so.

I painted the inside of my crew cab either victory red or this torch red, i would have to look at the can. The paint on the crew cab is the same red as my 2009 z06 vette.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by randy500

I used this 3m 2-part seam sealer, its really nice stuff, sets up quick and the self leveling one is amazing in the drip rail on the roof. I also flowed it into the cowl seams.

Great work! Which one is the self leveling sealer you used for the drip rails?

[randy500]

Originally Posted by Richard

Great work! Which one is the self leveling sealer you used for the drip rails?

3m 8307 is the self leveling

[randy500]

I got the windshield out and most of the metal around it sanded.

Started filling and sanding the dash and toe panels.

[CarlsLQ9SS]

Hey Randy, what kind of seam sealer are you gonna use on the roof and firewall?

[CarlsLQ9SS]

Lol, someone beat me to it!

[randy500]

One benefit of this stay at home order is the paint store will accept a phone order and payment over the phone.
Its about time.....

Paint stores and welding stores are the most antiquated business in existence. They are the only store you can walk into where the shelfs are full of merchandise and not single thing is priced. There is no cash register or distinct place to pay either.
I hate paint and welding stores.
Wesco is the chain of paint suppliers here, the local store doesn't mix Nason but the one 20 miles away does. Last year i went up there to get a quart, explained i will be buying more at various times, he said great just go to the local store to order and pay, he will get the order, mix the paint and deliver to the local store.
That seemed like a hassle so next time i needed paint, i called and tried to order and pay by phone....no, cant do that, you have to go to the local store, bla bla bla.

[randy500]

Originally Posted by CarlsLQ9SS

Lol, someone beat me to it!

The 3m 2 part seam sealer is awesome, sets up in an hour or so, super super product. Expensive though, about $20 for 7oz tube, $60 applicator gun if you don't have one.

[randy500]

Last night i got to thinking about how hard it was going to be to paint the inside of the cab and firewall so i decided to take the cab off again.

It was an all day job because i have the cab for my short bed big block truck on my cab dolly. I figured I could put that cab on the lift but i had my bed stand on the lift, i also had to put 2 bed floors in storage.

Anyway the cab is on the dolly which will make it much easier to do a little more sandblasting and it will be easier to sand the firewall and clean up the bottom a little bit. I also have a little welding on the front floor supports. I will also patch the cab corners while its on the dolly too.
Project creep!

[cornerstone]

Safe to say that no moss grows under your feet Randy! 510 blue may be the same one I end up spraying. Do you know if he had any more of it on hand or does he mix it for every order? I'm so tempted to get it now and start spraying it panel at a time like you mentioned. I've always wanted to do it. I appreciate all the details your sharing in these posts. I may just try to keep up with you.