Cutting this one close...it's Sunday and I'm just finishing up installing the interior in Midnight Rose, and we're due to launch out for Vegas first thing Tuesday. I've put 300+ miles on it just making sure things are working right and all bolts got tightened. Interior is not one of those "ooo/ahhhh" ones, just a nice simple one. I like it. (The black line you see in the center is the power cord for the navigator I just attached for this upcoming trip...I plugged it into one of the power outlets on the front face of the seat frame.) Had a friend cut some vinyl labels for the air gauges...tiny little things...a real pain to try to attach, but they kind of set it off a bit... Once the seat was in and I could see exactly how high I would be, I decided the column needed to be about an inch lower. We were maxing out the tilt already to put it where I thought it would need to be, and with the new seat installed, it was just too high. Wow, what a pain. We'd installed the custom-built aluminum mount before gauges, wiring, air lines, or anthing else were there. Now to get to the 4 bolts to take it out was really a challenge, especially for a 50 year old fat boy wedged between the front of the seat and the brake pedal! But...got it out, welded in an extension, polished it back up, and reinstalled. Sits just about right now. Here's a couple shots of the tilt-forward seat installed... This one is looking down towards the floor on the passenger side, showing the rotory latch mounted with the shoulder bolt on the seat back, dropping into place. The rod runs side to side so both can be tripped at once from either side. Also built a polished aluminum trim strip to transition between carpet going up the back wall and paint from below the window on up. It turned out pretty good. Don't really see it except when you lean the seats forward. One thing I overlooked...the lower rubber door seals that attach under the sill plates are stiffer than a honeymoon...well, they are just made out of a pretty firm rubber. Found it rather difficult to get the doors to latch without really slamming them after I had installed them. Then, the part I overlooked...I designed the padded door panels to cover most of the door all the way down...which added another thickness that that seal had to accommodate. Just wasn't gonna happen...needed the arm of a baseball pitcher to get the door to close to the second stage of the latch. So...out came the rubbers, and now the doors shut fine again. Not sure if I'll try some softer ones...the ones in Rory's recent build were brown and a whole lot softer...or just leave them out. With the padded door panels, it almost seals itself without the rubber. Also, I didn't like the looks of the rubber chain cover on the tailgate...just wasn't as flexible as I would like, and seemed to distract. So...off it came, and I'm putting on "copious amounts" of spray Plasti-dip. Should coat the chain enough to keep it from damaging the paint as it swings back and forth. Once that's on, I actually think we can say the build it pretty much complete and ready to meet the highway!
Re:Interior A super nice job. Hope mine will look that good. Maybe when (if) I retire and can spend some time on it. I too hate the tailgate chain covers and am kicking over at least one idea to eliminate them.
Hang tight on the tailgate chains! I'm charging my camera batteries so I can take pics of mine. I'm pretty proud of them and they work! Stay tuned! Ken
Good idea, Ken! Here's a pic of mine with the plastic coating...now I'm wishing I hadn't taken off the hook and coated it too. Would have looked more consistant-
Spika, here's what I did! I took some upholstery that I used to do the seat and made covers for the chains. Sorry about the quality of the pics but I think you get the drift. Dad and I have done this on pickup chains since 1970 and I think they add a classy touch and protect the paint as well. Something to think about! Ken
Great idea! Those really look classy...way better than the aftermarket black rubber ones... Thanks for posting!
You have done an amazing job on this truck. I will happily buy whatever magazines this graces the cover of! It is a great inspiration to me and the best part.............IT'S A GMC!
Spika, That is a SWEEET truck! Ben watching your progress alalong but I was wondering where and what type of radio antenna did you use? I might have missed it! On the tailgate chains , i used bicycle (10 speed with skinny tires)innertubes and cut small slits in the bottom for drainage. I do wish they had some clear tubes for the chrome chain, but you know what they say:"wish in one hand and s**t in the other,c which one fills up first" Thanx for all of your great pics and info! Mike
' The Devil's In The Details ' And I lost count of all the impressive detail works in this truck . GOOD JOB ! . I'm keen to see how you like the seats after days in them , they look uncomfortable to my old eyes .
Mike, Go to the hardware store that sells tubing for fish ponds and pools, they have clear tubing that may work for the chains; it turns black and yellowish if in the sun all the time. Ken's leather/naugahyde sleeves are great also, however if I was to do what Ken has I would end up with seed beading a Cow, Buffalo skull or Rattlesake on them.
Thanks for all the compliments...I'm pretty proud of the job the guys in the shop did on her, but every truck in this forum is something to be proud of... Ccharr, that's really an interesting method your dad passed down. I've not seen that done before, but I must admit, in the numerous years of my young life that we used this truck on a daily basis, we always hooked the chain from the side you are showing. That was my first inclination when I hooked these, but in looking at the way the endgate is formed, it appears to me that the GM engineers designed it to accommodate the tip of the hook on the inside so the chain is not rubbing as it crosses over. I've never seen a hook bounce out that I can remember, so the double hook into the link is probably more for looks than function. Still, I wouldn't change the way you do it...that's something that needs to be passed down to the next generation!
I'm anxious to see that too, Nate. They are not as soft and cushy as I had expected, and I wondered if I may end up having the upholstery guy take the covers off and replace the outer foam with one that has more give. One of my shop guys, though, reminded me that the seats in our F350 are very firm, not much cush to them at all, and you can ride that for hours without getting tired. Maybe there is something to that... I'll let you know in a week how the feel-
Those seats in the F series are really good for driving, the only one I had an issues with was the 04 Lightining I bought that year. Could not get use the those seats, while the F250's bench seat has been great. Anyway, do you have a break down on the Truck for what you put into it as far as motor, tranny,front end. etc., etc., so some of us can have a wish list to put together ?
Yea, you know I do, Ccarr. Got a pretty detailed listing of each part and component through about 2 weeks ago...just a few left to enter into the spreadsheet. Broken down by type...paint/supplies, parts, general supplies. Haven't had the courage to look at the labor total yet...don't think I really want to know that. If you remind me in a week or so, I'll get it finalized and send you a copy, or post a generalized list if others are interested. If nothing else, it gives a pretty good estimate of what you're going to have in a build, even if it's just the new weatherstripping & paint. Remind me and we'll continue this conversation...
Ya rascal!!! A Lightning! Ford??? That's one truck I would like to get my hands on, but probably won't ever have the spare cash to do it. They were pretty hot rigs, if I'm not mistaken...7 or 8 psi of boost from the factory, weren't they?
That truck was so much fun to drive, and the boost was really great, I never really kept up on the stats. I sometimes wish I had not sold it; I let it go in 08 with 19 thousand miles on it. The people that moved in next door had a son with autism who had a thing about throwing rocks at white trucks, and I had two of um (white trucks) at that time.
