85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by UKNOWME

What qualifies as antique?

Originally Posted by aggie91

25 years old or older...
Antique registration puts limits on how much it can be driven and a few other things...not good for a DD, but OK for a show truck.

Correct. The big difference between Antique and Classic is limited use. The other factor is a Classic still has to pass a State Safety Inspection. All of this adds a significant amount to the cost.
It will be able to pass inspection, but its going to be limited use. No reason to pay all those fees up front if its not going to be driven till the Fall.

[boatpuller]

Nice truck Ken I know you'll make it nicer....Plus all the work you got planned will keep you off the streets and out of trouble.

[N2TRUX]

Busy week and got home late most nights so shop time was nonexistent. This evening I got in early enough to clock a few hours. My focus this weekend is to pull the bed and get the frame and bed bottom prepped for paint.
I got the rigging in place to lift the bed and tested it with the bolts still in place. While it looks a bit sketchy, it felt very solid. I slipped under and unplugged all the wiring harness and grounds. I unfolded the gas filler and looked to see if I missed anything. It appears to be free.

I'm reluctant to lift the bed with out a spotter so I will wait till tomorrow

[lolife99]

Ken a spotter is a good idea.
Just to let you know, I ripped a stake pocket right off the bed lifting a bed like you have rigged. Probably a fluke thing. But I wanted to warn you.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Ken a spotter is a good idea.
Just to let you know, I ripped a stake pocket right off the bed lifting a bed like you have rigged. Probably a fluke thing. But I wanted to warn you.

Keith I considered evey mounting point possible and Im not happy with any of them. I am considering eye bolts through the floor holes with backing plates on the stress points.

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Keith I considered evey mounting point possible and Im not happy with any of them. I am considering eye bolts through the floor holes with backing plates on the stress points.

Good idea,...

[Desert1957]

Our own "Keith Seymore" pulled his with just a couple 2X4's.



Desert

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Desert1957

Our own "Keith Seymore" pulled his with just a couple 2X4's.

Attachment 1537408

Desert

This is how I pulled my bed off my old 74.

[N2TRUX]

With the bed free and ready to come off, I turned my attention to the sway bar I had recently bought. Through the week I made several trips to various Auto parts trying to track down the correct bushings. It's a bit confusing because they are listed by circumference rather than diameter. I finally located the correct ones and verified they fit. After prepping all the bolts and hardware all that was left to do was strip the bar itself.
I spent some quality time with an angle grinder topped with an abrasive pad followed by hand sanding. A quick clean up with solvent and it was ready for paint. I blasted it with several coats of VHT cast iron and it's ready for installation.

[LT7A]

Very nice truck, I like many of the GM color combinations, this one included. I recommend 3 wood 4x4s for lifting the bed. Similar to the idea above, but run the first two under the bed rails longitudinally, and the third is the cross-piece that you hoist from, and its two ends are positioned (bolted to) underneath the bedrail pieces. A big "H". Lumber is cheap. Spreads out the load.

[N2TRUX]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I spent some time playing with the straps until I felt comfortable with their position. This morning Chris and I lifted the bed without incident. Once we had it lifted, my next concern come to play. I had to set it on end with no damage.
I used a stack of furniture pads and got it upright. Per forum input I chose to forget building a cart and purchased two furniture dollies from Harbor Frieght. I caught them on sale, and used an additional 20% off code so it was cheaper than the casters for a cart would have been.
Once upright I was still apprehensive about stability so we secured it with straps till I am ready to work on it.

[N2TRUX]

We started the teardown of the frame components so we could access the inner frame rails. I removed three crossmembers and set them aside for bead blasting. I had to cut the exhaust system free because it had been installed with no breaks from front to back. The flanges were even removed from the headers and welded solid. Trust me, it won't go back that way.

[N2TRUX]

Once we had all the lines and wiring free and set aside it was time to focus on cleaning up the frame rails. It seemed odd that this truck showed to be very much rust free, yet the inside of the frame rails and crossmembers were all orange with rust. The good news is it wasn't rust. Turns out it was actually bright red Georgia Clay. Within a short time of cleaning we had the entire back half down to the painted rails. No need for Rust-Mort treatment, just prep and paint.

[N2TRUX]

Today was a lesson in frustration. Since I finished late last night,I took my wife to dinner and didn't gather supplies. We got an early start on our parts run but hit an obstacle at Harbor Frieght. The lid to my paint gun cup was cracked so I planned to buy one along with a few other items.

That's where my unraveling began. They didn't have the cup I needed so I decided to buy a small detail gun. I thought it has a small cup but it would be easier to use under the truck. Unfortunately it lasted about 5 minutes before it stopped spraying completely. Deep cleaning didn't help so I headed back to Harbor Freight. By now their shelves were depleted so I grabbed a mid size gun. I soon realized it was just too big to move under the truck so I resorted to rattle cans. Not what I wanted but its been very effective in the past so why fight it.

We are prepped and masked so lets get some color on.

[N2TRUX]

Despite the set backs I had a job to do and goals to meet. I wanted to have the truck back on the ground tonight. I had to decide if meeting my goal was more important than fine tuning the details. I gave it a hard run, but didn't quite finish up.

Instead I located matching bolts for the brake and fuel line clamp. I also cut the bolts down so they didn't protrude through the frame. It's a small detail but makes it look nicer and its easier to clean. Here's where I ended tonight.

[RodsGreen10]

Nice use of aluminum foil never thought about that. Cheap and contours nicely. You need to hit those rear drums with some black caliper paint.

[GAc10boy]

Really looks great. Nice work, even if with a spray can.

[gringoloco]

Lookin' good! In to see what you do with the front shocks

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Now that you have to two rear wheels off pack'en up and send them on to TN.

Still haven't made a decision.

Originally Posted by GAc10boy

Really looks great. Nice work, even if with a spray can.

I had a buddy drop by that works at a body shop. I told him that I used Krylon and he laughed. He said our shop figures it's 30.00 in labor cost plus materials every time they load a gun. He said they use rattle cans more than you might think. I have been detailing small parts for years with cans. I'm ok with the results, and its longevity. I'm just frustrated it wasn't the way I had planned it.

Originally Posted by gringoloco

Lookin' good! In to see what you do with the front shocks

Me too. Hopefully my home made shock extenders work out. I will find out soon.

Originally Posted by RodsGreen10

Nice use of aluminum foil never thought about that. Cheap and contours nicely. You need to hit those rear drums with some black caliper paint.

The foil works great for odd shaped parts. My buddy Keith (N2billet) taught me this trick. The brake drums have been blasted and sprayed with VHT Cast Iron. It's my favorite accent color.

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

The brake drums have been blasted and sprayed with VHT Cast Iron. It's my favorite accent color.

I love that look! I did my master cylinder like that. I need to do my drums also.

[N2TRUX]

So close. All thats needed is to locate matching nuts and bolts, then blast and paint them. I had family over today so we relaxed around the pool and grilled. As much as I want the truck back together I wouldn't trade family time for nothing. The guys did have a nice bench racing session in the garage, so that counts as shop time doesnt it?

[gringoloco]

What do you use on your black parts? I've taken a liking to the vht epoxy satin.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by UKNOWME

I love that look! I did my master cylinder like that. I need to do my drums also.

I like the VHT Cast Iron a lot. It covers well, dries quick and has a nice satin sheen. I order it 4-6 cans at a time from Summit Racing when I make a parts order. They match AutoZone on price and its saves me from chasing around town to find it locally.

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Family first...

Absolutely. I have a great relationship with my wife's family. Not many of my siblings left, but my Niece and Nephew like to visit.

Originally Posted by gringoloco

What do you use on your black parts? I've taken a liking to the vht epoxy satin.

I use Krylon Cover Maxx satin black. I have tried just about every thing on the shelf and this works well. I buy it from Wal-Mart and its half of what I was paying for VHT.

My buddy N2billet uses an epoxy black that looks great. I ordered some from our friend Steve (STP67-72) and had planned to use it. As reported, that was an epic failure on my part.

[bbbc10]

looks great!!! if the shock extenders don't work out I have a extra set of front shock brackets I can send you.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by bbbc10

looks great!!! if the shock extenders don't work out I have a extra set of front shock brackets I can send you.

Thanks, I will keep that in mind. I'm going to try to get to that this weekend, but my priority is to get the truck back on the ground. I need access to the spot that its sitting in.