72 SWB STEP "Army truck" Budget Build

[WIDESIDE72]

more info

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=422521&page=3

[WIDESIDE72]

http://obits.victoriaadvocate.com/ob...&pid=152652006

[WIDESIDE72]

No photo updates, but my dad loaded the truck up and plans to take it to the shop that painted his 71 GMC and a couple of ther places to get a price on paint. I did get the Quadrajet rebuilt, but it's nothing spectacular. I took a few pics of the carb when I finished to "impress" the kid at work. He seems to think it is too difficult to rebuild a carb and has convinced himself that he needsa new $400 Edelbrock carb.

[WIDESIDE72]

I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for me. I cannot get the engine to turn over with the key, only with a underhood jumper with the alligator clips hooked to the starter. I get power on and off to the ignition when I turn the key on and off. Judging by the PS pump and brackets that were left hanging, the last engine that was in the truck was a LWP engine. I mentioned in a previous post that the underhood wiring was hacked so I bought a new one from Brothers with the provision for HEI.

http://www.brotherstrucks.com/prodin...er=EH03680%2DH

This only replaced the harness on the left side of the bulkhead connector and still left a handful of wires that had been clipped off coming out of the right side of the bulkhead connector. The truck is at my dad's so I cannot double check the colors at the moment. I have a 72 service manual and it looks like these wires don't have anything to do with the ignition/ startng. The only other variable is the truck originally had idiot lights and I "installed" a tach dash with gauges. I have not done anything more than running a hard line for the oil pressure gauge. What do I need to do to get the truck to crank with the key? I am going to swap the gauge cluster back to the idiot light cluster this weekend to see how that goes as far as getting it to crank with the key. Photos to follow as time allows. My dad has take over on this project as the new baby doesn't allow a lot of time.

[WIDESIDE72]

I wonder if I have a bad ignition switch? I think I hvea spare that came out of a running truck. I bught this truck with no engine or trans, so I have no idea if the switch is good or not.

[WIDESIDE72]

I am also looking for another glove box door, a 72 clutch fan and timing pointer for a SWP/ 7" balancer.

[SCOTI]

It doesn't try & turn over @ all when the key is turned? Check the wiring connections @ the starter & make sure the small wire/s is/are on the correct solenoid terminal.

[a.c.ward]

check the neutral safety switch. if your truck is automatic with column shift, it is on the column. if manual, dont know where it is. should have two purple wires connected to it. if the wires are not plugged in, it wont start with the key. if the switch is not adjusted or faullty, wont start.

scratched my head for several days on my truck, back in the early 90's, before I had a computer, or money for a service manual, before I figured that one out.

if the neutral switch is faulty, you can make a temporary jumper for it, just temporary.. please. Safety first

let us know what you find.

[WIDESIDE72]

I forgot to check the neutral safety switch.I will have dad check that, since the truck is t his place now and I am at home. It may not be plugged in, or is bad.

[WIDESIDE72]

My dad called me this evening and said that he pulled the doors off today in order to replace the inner andouter rockers and hinge bushings. When he did, he said that the driver door had some "mud dobber" welding repair to the hinge mount area and some bondo slathered on over a few minor rust holes on the passenger door. Both can be fixed, but since I have two extra pairs of 72 doors, I will take a look at them and see if they would be easier to fix.

He said he also pulled the seat and dash pad, as well as the column and other interior pieces in order to paint the cab.

Since I had cleaned the frame in the engine compartment, and he had pulled the bed and cleaned the rear frame, he said that he has also decided to pull the cab off the frame in order to clean the frame under it and replace the cab mount bushings. (It's nice being retired.)

[WIDESIDE72]

We knew that the truck was going to need rockers, but Dad said that when he got the cab off and had to install some patch panels under the door hinges and possibly floor boards. I will take and post photos when I go down over Thanksgiving. While down there, I am also possibly picking up a 53 Chevy 3100 that had been sitting in a pasture for about 30 yrs. It is pretty well rusted out, but I plan on using it for "yard art" by putting it in my front pasture and palnting honeysuckle in the bed area. I used to ride in the truck with our neighbor when I was a kid. If I remember correctly, you can still make out where it reads "Edna Lumber Company" on the doors, which is who he bought it from in the 70's.

[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I forgot to check the neutral safety switch.I will have dad check that, since the truck is t his place now and I am at home. It may not be plugged in, or is bad.

That was it. The trans linkage wasn't installed and the shifter was not in park, so it wouldnt start with the key.

In the mean time, the project has taken a turn. The body was pulled and sent to the body shop. Currently, the bodywork is about half done and it is no longer a "budget" or "Army truck" build. Dad is paying as he goes and has about $1500 in the body work including material. The body man is doing it on the side due to being slow at the shop he works at. It will probably take another $1500 to get it done, but I have seen this guy's work and it is top notch, some of the best I have EVER seen!. He will be done in another week. No "paint jail" on this one. This explains the reason why it is no longer a budget build. Here is the explanation as to why it is no longer going to be an "Army truck' build. This is the color we decided on:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/restoration...P+AE2702-KIT-M

The body work is so nice, we decided it was too nice to go with olive drab. First we thought dark emerald green metallic, but then changed our mind to Fire red pearl. I have an almost complete original green interior from another truck I parted out, but we like this better. I will dye parts black, or buy black where dye won't work.

[WIDESIDE72]

Sorry for no photos. THe truck is currently around a 4hr drive away from me and dad is not to savvy with the digital camera. I will try to coach him some. My mom was the photographer when she was still alive. She used to have to send me her SD card in the mail so I could download photos, though!

[WIDESIDE72]

On a related note, the 50's 3100 is ours for the taking, along with a 63 Impala SS. Unfortunatley the SS is a complete loss due to sitting in the salt air for the last 30 yrs, but all of the SS specific parts are still intact, such as stainless trim and bucket seat interior. The 327 is gone, though. Photos to follow soon.

[WIDESIDE72]

The body work is done on the truck. Sorry, np pics as the truck is 4 hrs away. I think I mentioned earlier that I wanted to paint the truck in a 2 tone combo using a non oem break point...such as the one here

[WIDESIDE72]

Dad and I decided we wanted a red truck. I thought silver over red would look good. The painter shot the cowl as a test. He thought it needed a "stripe" to separate the colors. We explained that the stripe he tried as a test on the cowl would not work on the hood, as it was not a vertical surface like the cowl, doors and cab.

[WIDESIDE72]

Dad explained that we wanted the color change on the body line, and a dark grey or black pinstripe over the actual color change line. After seeing it, I realize that all of the two tone trucks I have seen had the darker color on top, not reversed like the cowl is. I am strating th think I should stick to solid red after all... Any opinions???

[WIDESIDE72]

He is set to start painting the rest of the truck next week and since we are already into this deal for over $4k, so I have to get it right the first time!!!

[VA72C10]

The silver and red work well together and I like the brake point of the yellow/black truck shown...that being said...not sure how it'll look with the silver on top as you're worried about now...I'd have to see it...maybe see if someone can photoshop the yellow/black truck with the colors...

[WIDESIDE72]

We decided to go solid red, no photo updates as of yet, but the truck is supposed to be done by the end of next week.

[71swb4x4]

Can't wait to see it!!

[VA72C10]

looking forward to pictures!!!

[WIDESIDE72]

Yall are never gonna believe it, but this is the same truck, I swear! I wish I could change the thread title to " what happens when you throw $5k at a $500 truck! I still think it was a better investment than the $$$ I had in my 401K a few years ago!
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[WIDESIDE72]

I forget the name of the paint, but it is a 2010 and newer Chrysler color.

[WIDESIDE72]

If you look at the last photos before these current photos, you can see that it is the same truck by the tires. THat is about all that is the same. THey will be going away soon, in lieu of some 94-96 17" Impala SS alloy wheels.