[cerial]

I was 20 led's short on my dash lighting that required me to soldier in the resistors myself. Upon ordering more found out that they now offered them with the resistors already inline and looking clean. So I ordered 120 of the things to redo the previous 80 lights.
They arrived yesterday so today I went about stripping, twisting, inserting the 18-22gauge o ring, soldiering, covering the 120 bastards, before testing them all, and placing them in a neat pile for this picture next to a few of the old ones. Only using 96 of them on my removable control panel. But spares are nice to have.

Over the next few days I will connect the 4 lights per my 20 dpdt switches down then continue running the wiring from the fuses to those switches as well as the 49 fuses for the rest of the truck (9 spare spots) and 16 gauges master switch and 2 positive and 1 negative 30 connector junction blocks all one panel that can be pulled with 2 bolts and set on the seats. Basically if anything electrical goes bad I can pull the panel and fix it easily without laying upside down.

Lots of work up front. But, it will be worth it in both ease of maintenance and reliability later on.

 

[cerial]

Made some progress wiring my control panel.
It looks like a mess. But is actually really organized. What you are looking at is a 49 individual circuit panel. 1 wire comes off the bar then goes to the fuse then back to the switch then on it's way to what that fuse is for.
I am currently using 20 out of the 49 fuses to control my 19 dpdt switches and 1 heater control switch. All 49 are wired for power I just need to slide in a wire into the other end of the fuse and crimp it down to make that fuse active that is not on a switch like the lighters, gauge lighting, etc.




This main bar sits behind the switches. The truck is run off these switches so the bar is able to be moved for access to that wiring allowing me to crimp these switches to the trucks wiring.



This end is held up with a piece of hose keeping the switches wiring from contacting the back of the bar.



The other end is held in by 4 bolts that are hard to see with the wires installed.


Still lots of work to do like labeling all the switches, running the lights to back light those labels, running the grounds to all the lights, then finally hooking up the main feed wire to the first and second buss bar, installing all my fuses, then making sure everything works as I designed it to before bringing the thing to the truck and wiring that up.

 

[cerial]

After playing around with this thing all morning I have finalized my layout of my switches back lighting on my dash.



The layout is already in the computer. I need to clean the final labeling up and add color then it will be printed over transparent paper for the led's to illuminate the colors through the transparent paper.
I am making each switch have it's own layer on the computer so If I want to change the color, what a single switch label looks like, or change that switch does it is just a matter of printing off another sheet. The transparent paper is sandwiched between two pieces of plastic making removal easy. The old label can be pulled out in about 15 minutes and new label installed changing the look of the dash easily.

I did not like the idea of having to order custom switch covers or use switches with limited function or pay the $15-25 per switch(x20dpdt switches) when I can have the same rated dpdt switch for around $5 and change the look of all my switches for $1 vs $5+each for different covers. This also lets me match the Gauge colors/font which is compromise with other switches.

 

[cerial]

I threw a few hours at this. I still need to work with it a bit more before adding color.

 

[cerial]

Played around with different ways to back light my dash. Decided to go with using glue sticks to diffuse the leds which is something I seen on instructables site. I measured them all and sorted them into cups.



Then tested one out and the results are good with the light only illuminating where I want it to.




Now I just need to make another 55 or so over the next few nights.

 

[cerial]

I wear a hooded sweatshirt when welding and leather sleeves. It can hot during the summer. But I had a strange thing of having those little buggers going in my hair and down the back of my shirt(welding on frames and exhaust). I think flipping a baseball cap around made it worse. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt prevents that fun feeling of the weld just sitting there while you try to ignore it and continue laying down the bead.

 

[cerial]

Put my forward facing headers on and they hit. Like not bash it hit like I need to cut 2 tubes hit. They also block the plugs much worse then I thought they would.

There is a set on eBay which rise next to the valve covers. But I am thinking hood clearence is a issue there plus that's where I want to run my accessories.

Well I have always wanted to build my own set of headers. I do have a heck ton of .120 1.75 dom 1.5 id and a bender. They won't rust through at least.

 

[cerial]

Killed my afternoon finishing wiring up all the power and grounds to my lighting side of the control panel. What your looking at is everything that controls the lighting, and starting of the truck. 8 dtdp switches with 32 led's and 16 functions. I need to finish this up then can set this panel on the seats and run the trucks wiring allowing me to just insert the wire into those 16 untapped connections and crimp it down before running the wire for the next one.



I had to shine a light through the face to see where to put the led's so I could keep them all separate.



Next two weeks (around 28 hours) will be running the other 12 switches, 25 functions/54 led's that control the rest of the truck.


It is a lot of work up front for easy maintenance later.

 

[cerial]

Those rails look like they were fun. Did you build them?

 

[cerial]

Had some 3mm led's laying around and was curious if I could get them to flash at a decent rate using only a old flasher. 10 of them here flashing at a decent rate.

 

[cerial]

Bought me a $1000 toy tonight.

1987 V10 with a 5.7 700r4 203 and That's all I bothered to look at this point.



It is scary rusted and painted camo. I hate camo paint but know it turns everyone away and there are deals if you can look past it and all the rust.

It has a plow with one plow light and one headlight. The passenger fuel tank was hanging down. Thing was backed into something at one point so I had no drivers rear taillight. The drivers mirror was on the seat and the hood cable was broke so I will have fun with that later. Bumpers are there but they are krumpled a bit.

So a 2 in the looks department. It is still a square body style after all with a solid front axle and tbi.

The guy was firm that it only had 99K on it and I took that with a grain of salt. Thing looks stock and has the dual batteries/dual tank option to keep that thing fed and powered.

But you know what the thing fires up and is a strong engine, it holds great oil pressure with no horrible noises or smoke. Frame is good throughout no cracks or rust through. Everything seems to work or work better then it should and besides some plow controls the interior looks stock.

The guy put new exhaust on it and going down the road it is very quiet in the cab with a bit of sound from the vent window weatherstripping around 60. The 700 shifts like butter. The thing drives straight as an arrow steering is tight. It stops great with a slight pull on the front drivers caliper. Not horrible but something to look at.

Inside the truck over my 50 mile drive back to the house I was impressed and know it is a great start to a build that has the platform I want to build from. Square body look, simple tbi, mostly untouched drive train.
Outside the truck well, lets just say I don't need to worry about it getting stolen anytime soon. Can park up front and just let the soccer moms slam there doors into the thing no problem.


Here is my list for the next 2 weeks. To make it into a driver.
Hit it with a pressure washer and get rid of the dirt. I hate dirty rigs.
Needs a new hood latch cable.
I need to do all the lights/mirrior.
The transmission looks to have a leak out of the shifter or tv seal. I will just do those and the dipstick seals.
All fluids/filters, belts, and new strap for that fuel tank.
Oh and I need to roll on some Hamerlite paint to make the thing one color.

During the summer sometime;
Needs some new tires and weatherstripping.
New front leafs, and shocks.
Front hubs/bearings.
Cab forward bodywork
Cab boat sides/floor work.
Grill?
Truck box of some sort.
Not sure what I am doing with the bed. The bedsides are shot. Not flapping in the wind shot but several several hours of work shot. Would not be my first flatbed from scratch. But would also not be my first bed swap if one falls into my lap.

That's what I worked on tonight.

 

[cerial]

Floor is good rockers are junk. Leaning towards just riping the bed off and building a flow through flat bed. With double 1' hinged sides letting it be 4-8 feet wide.

 

[cerial]

Rolled 2 coats of primer onto my rig. Putting on 4 coats of Hammered silver paint on in 8 hours. Not doing body work. I will get parts then do the thing right. But for now I just want the thing one color.

From this.





To this.

 

[cerial]

4 coats on






I like the "hammered effect" it goes along with all the dents on the rest of this thing.




Bought this Monday and I want to be driving this Friday.
Just throwing the paint on for now so it is not a total mess.

So far I have replaced the shifter shaft seal, Installed a new pan bolt, tested the electrical, bought 2 new batteries(old were junk) and painted this thing.

I need to remove dirt from the bed(wanted to get this painted asap so it could dry longer), hit the windshield with a razor blade/0000 wool to get the paint and previous overspray off, replace the wipers, remove the rear bumper, Build a legal rear bumper, unbolt the plow junk, wire up some tail/backup lights, and replace the fluids. Then it will be a good drive able wood truck.



l will get junk around(weatherstripping, trim, doors, front clip, etc) then build a flatbed for it. Thicker steel and less susceptible to Michigan rust. Just going boat sides eliminating the rockers. Not sure what direction I am going to go with the fuel tank yet.

This paint just buys me time to get things around.

 

[cerial]

Yes there is a sapling in there.

 

[cerial]

Removed all the plow junk from the front of my v10



Removed all the rear junk and started on the rear bumper.



These 1" thick 4.5" tall pieces will slide inside the frame rails then be bolted to the frame. They are a tight fit and required a 3/8" to be removed for them to fit snug yet still be removable. They will be secured with 10 grade 8 bolts attached to the frame using the original holes.




Next up is the bumper and hitch setup. Nothing is bolted up which is why those look tilted.
I need to tack the bumper in place then will final weld that and the hitch before drilling the mounting holes to ensure none of the holes end up in the wrong spot or misaligned.




Michigan weight reduction.

 

[cerial]

Fixed a rear taillight steel, installed a new rear harness, bulbs(some led) and new bulbs lenses. Then installed my new bumper.

All of this is temporary to get this thing driving legally. The next stage of this the bed will be ripped off and flatbed made.













Next is the front end.

 

[cerial]

Finished making my front end look pretty, removed junk passenger fuel tank, plugged lines, installed new fuel filter, cut old battery terminals and installed new ones.

 

[cerial]

Decided to give my truck a tune up before I actually started to drive it.

Power steering belt, cap, rotor, module, egr valve, tappet cover gasket, oil pan gasket, plugs, air filter, oil filter, oil, and some stop leak. Thing only leaked a dime sized mark over 2 days while painting. But I put the stop leak in everything drive it for a month then do another oil change dumping a quart of marvels then do another oil change and it is a combination that has worked multiple times for a leak free engine that is much better off then when I got it.



Thing is an 87 and about to turn over. After today I am pretty sure it is for the first time.


Turns out routine maintenance is a new thing to this truck. Everything is stock and untouched. Meaning the thing has been sitting most it's life used as a plow truck and not much else. I drove this thing 50 miles and it drove amazing not backfiring or anything. But, sitting and only being driven during the winter tends to lead to many things rusting

I am putting off the exhaust for now. The air pump is disabled and manifolds are not leaking yet. They are rusted to the point I want to replace them. Lots of heat cycles of penetrating oil being pulled into these bolts before I even attempt to remove them.



First time having spark plugs separate on me. I was real careful nothing fell into the cylinders and inspected them making sure nothing did before installing the new plugs.



Factory coil


All cleaned up and grinded where coil grounds to the bracket.


uh oh


It started then shut off this morning then would not start again. I cranked it 2 times then said screw it and went to work. Guess I was just in time here.



Module had GM on it. Either someone used dealership parts or this is stock.



All ready to put the cap on


Or not;


I have been here a few times.


Just a bit of jb weld on the threads and a drop on the bolt before threading it on the bottom then a dab on the bottom forcing the stuff up against the bolt.

There is around a 1/16 gap between the bolt and the bottom of the distributor.



It will sit for 14 hours then I will turn the bolts through the bottom exposing the good threads.

 

[cerial]

That's crazy... I've never seen plugs break off like that before, but I can see why it happened. They're pretty rusty.
What you are doing on the distributer cap screw has me curious. Are you doing this to remove the remaining part of the cap screw?

I have done it 3 times now and while you think it would work I am still 0 for 3 with it. The jb weld either does not hold or I have what happened today and the frigging bolts broke off below the distributor base.

So, I was like ok screw it and got out the drill, made the holes larger, found some self tapping metal screws just slightly larger then the ones I removed from the cap, threaded them into the cap so they would not crack it, and screwed those puppies down. The cap is on there tight and perfect. Only thing I will need to do is use the old screws in the next cap but I am still calling it a win.



Replaced the egr solenoid. Anytime the foam is gone your asking for trouble. This thing will make your computer very angry if it gets clogged. 3 "junk" s10's bought due to this part so it is on my replace it as soon as I get the truck list.



Removed all the paint from the glass and hit it with some 0000 ultra fine, installed my wipers, then did an oil change.



I installed this mirror(ripped out of holes and on seat when I bought it) which I will paint along with a few other spots soon.