Projects The Official "Chop Sewage" Build Thread Start to Finish?

Front clip fit and finish begins....the start of bolting the front clip in the way it will be in its final form to set the gaps on the hood to the fenders and the grill.

Here goes nothin eh?

 

Bear with me as it seems my iPad only wants to load one pic per post....

This photo was is a result of an experiment...see I was trying to figure out what to do about the hood striker/spring assembly as well as the hood latch mechanism...if I repainted them as it was done in the past, due to high use of the area as well as the metal to metal contact full time it would look like crap in short order....seeing as no one makes a stainless steel version, nor could I afford it if they did I did what I believe....is the next best thing (with out the trip to the chrome shop).

I blew apart the assemblies, sandblasted then, hit em with some sandpaper and nickel plated them in my little home nickel plate kit....they are not done seeing as I obviously did not go small enough on the grit and you can see scratches through the nickel....that said I learned a little something and will knock it down with a finer grit and re-coat them at a later date...

Bottom line, after a few opening and closing a of the hood I believe it will hold up and look good doing it for a lot longer than paint.

 

It's is the a result of the metal finishing and skim coat of mud and subsequent primer after truing up the gaps.....did I mention gap fitment is a pain in the ass? (Don't fret....the hood is sitting there not hooked on to the truck with a layer of rags between the hood and cowl...therefore some of the gaps appear a smidge off....but they are not when everything is where it should be)

 

Pay no attention to the big assed run in the primer...I got it a little too thick/wet....it shall sand out...

 

It's been wicked busy and I haven't gotten a lot done....I just got the front fenders and radiator shroud in primer...

Hopefully I can pick up the pace here after this month passes

 

Now I get to gap the tonnoe cover and put it in primer....

Radiator shroud....

 

Alright....I know I haven't updated in awhile....but officially the entire truck is in its first coat of primer, guide coat went on today.

As you can see I ran out of black guide and found a bottle of olive....not that it matters as it will be sanded off...

So here's to no fingerprints and sore assed shoulders....


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I have come here to say....

Block sanding effing sucks. I would take a pic but my fingers won't work. Before you mention the written word....voice to text beezies.

Did I mention block sanding sucks?

 

Yep it sucks. But great to see some awesome progress!! Looking good!

 

Day three: block sanding.....

Eff my life......roof, tonnoe cover and windshield/back window reveal sanded.

 

Quick update.....pics to follow in the next day or two...I probably shouldn't do this but I have been keeping track of the hours I have spent block sanding....when I first started I told my pops that I would likley be in it for 100 hours of block sanding....

Now in that 100 hours I expected to sand the whole truck (depending on the crappyness of the panel) up to 4 times each....the tonnoe cover is a price of virgin flat steel and needs no real work so it was ready for paint at one sand....the hood and roof likley will need 4 sandings and the front fenders probably just 2 but will do 3...

Right now I am in it for 36 hours (dang full time job gets in the way....) I have the complete roof to the bottom of the belt line, cowl, door window surrounds, hood (inside and out), the tonnoe cover and the front fenders done....

Doors are next but I'll be doing the final fitment of the gaps of the doors to the cowl and the B pillar so I estimate another 10 hours and I will be half done.....with the first sand.

Now that I'm rolling I realize my time estimate is off...now that I know how long it's taking (though I feel like I'm making good progress) I estimate 175 to 200 hours till color is ready to be sprayed....

I have no fingerprints, my shoulders are killing me...and I still have the inside of the bed, door jams, running boards and the inside of the roof to do (all of which i consider to be the most difficult work as the amount of nooks and crannys) in addition to the rest of the bed....

Block sanding sucks!

 

Nice Job !!!

 

Not much to show but a pile of primed parts....fenders are still on the dry cycle....after they are dry I'll toss the front clip back on to get it out of the way and start cranking on the doors....


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***EDIT 10-9-13*** Figured I'd edit as I dont have any pics at the moment....Now at 51 hours in, Got the door jambs (door and cab) sanded (what a pain....but they look sooo good) and the driver door blocked as well as set up with the cowl and rear cab (B pillar). Tweeked the door gaps one more time as well...

Now set to work on the passenger door/cowl/B pillar....then to the bed...I estimate 80-90 hours in just the first sanding....the jambs ate up a ton of time...still making good progress IMHO.

 

This is what 63 hours of work looks like. Half done with the first sand...3 more to go and 175 hours....the door gaps are near perfect the subsequent sandings will correct the minor imperfections....it's beautiful....

The bed side panels and tail are next....I estimate 8 hours on each bed side and 5 hours on the tail....then running boards, ancillary parts and then......start all over again.



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You know after all this work on the paint job, you're never gonna want to park it anywhere, right?

Trust me, I've been down this same road, and the result was that I never felt comfortable parking the car and leaving it alone while I went into a store or restaurant, etc.

The result will be beautiful, but you'll want to guard it like the Clottman Diamond.

Love the way this build turned out. Really excellent work, sir.

 

Yea....I know....but I look at it this way....I have never finished a project....additionally...I got sick of folks calling my unfinished truck a "rat rod"

Fear not though....I shall givest thine truck road rash via driving....and I am looking forward to driving it....

 

its a catch 22 with that one. I love both worlds patina and paint. I'd worry about either but def more on the painted stuff. Sux people don't realize all the body work, and paint prep to get something painted. Just a shame to see anything bad happen to that hard work. atleast your doing this yourself, you got something you built not bought.

 

So here is what 76 hours of work looks like....I was hoping to have the bed side done in 8 hrs and it took 12...two more panels (tail and drivers side bed) and the body will be done with its first sanding...I estimate 100 hours to get the first sanding done....nothing but time and sore shoulders.








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It looks awesome, man.

All the work is paying off.

We'll take up a collection to buy you some orange cones to cordon off traffic around it when you park it someplace.

Might not even need them, 'cause the traffic will stop all by itself.

 

I find it much easier to talk about my projects in terms of decades rather than hours... the numbers are more comprehensible to the average person. Love the truck...give it hell. Your old posts on the "health issue" brought back memories. I was all proud cause I thought I was growing a third gnad... the dr. preferred to call it a growth and removed it. C'est la vie!

 

Lol....that "health issue" seems like such a long time ago....as far as keeping track of the hours....the block sanding portion is the only thing I'm keeping track of....I am morbidly curious really....at the end of the day my OCD controls when it's done. At this point though I really need to get this thing done so me and my boy can go cruise....3ish years now....I want it done by the time he is nine....(about 9 months)

If I would have realized that this project was going to take on a mind of it's own I would have left it running and bought another driver to enjoy with my boy while I did this one.....hindsight don't cha know.

Thanks for those that keep eggin me on...

Oh...compound curves are a real bitch!

 

Hi Salty.Not only sore shoulders,BUT lack of fingerprints too.Hehehe.Good looking build.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Block sanding is a bitch for sure Cory! Matter of fact my old body man got to be where he'd be too tired to work after sanding after just a few hours, then too sore to work the next day so all the projects got backed up waiting on block sanding. Had to fire him and
hire a young guy to do it. Replacing myself with a young guy was the best thing I did!

 

LOL...yea, being self employed can have it's issues! Got up one morning and decided to fire myself. By noon I had to go grovelling back and get myself to work again. It was sooo humiliating! I spent 4 yrs sanding and painting full time so I know what life is like with no fingerprints. I should have moved on to bank robbing... keep at her... the final stages come together faster than you'd think.

 

Looks great! Are you planning on fitting running boards? Guess not.

 

James....the running boards have already been fitted and ready to block. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of it...I had to do a little wizardry with the distances/angular change with the new bed....

The running boards will be worked here shortly....I am out of town right now so I can't throw em on and take pictures for ya but will shortly...

 

97 hours of work...tailgate and driver bed side done....at this point the whole body is sanded once....three more to go.


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105 hours in. Running boards completed which makes the first of four sandings complete...now to start over at square 1...the roof....I do like how well the second sand has started....150ish hours to go!



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Second sanding complete, truck re-primed....137 hours in...


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This is some real nice work, Salty.