How to pinstripe! (for the layperson) An easy way to paint the stripe yourself is to use stencil tape. This has spaces to paint between, then is removed... Start by wiping twice with a good wax and grease remover, then follow twice with windex. You should be able to hear a squeek when you rub your finger over it. The stripe is supposed to be 2/3 of the way down the belt line, not centered. It should pass through the wiper bezels. It should be 1/8" thick...the top line in this stencil. Order the pinstripe pamphlet for reference. Peel the backing as you go, leave the clear on for now. This is what the tape looks like... After aplying the stencil (I lined up the bottom with the bottom groove in the belt line) peel the clear backing, and go ahead and pull the bottom line, it isn't used. Take a razor blade and cut between all the door gaps, so you can pull sections as you are finished with them. Get a mack striper, this one is a 0. Should be around $10. Get 1/4 pints of 1 shot in the color you need, should be around $7. Juniper green gets a cream stripe. My cream was dried out....I use it so much...HA! So I mixed a little tan with polar white to get the color. Dip your striper in the paint and pallet on a slick magazine. I am using a Speedway catalog right now, but any slick page works. drag your brush back and forth through the paint to load it.... You can thin the 1 shot with mineral spirits, not too much, to get the paint to flow easier. Look on pinheadlounge.com for beginner tips on palleting, consistency tips, etc. Now take the brush and fill in between the lines. Start about 1/4" from the wiper bezels, leave a rounded tip to the line to look more freehand. fill a section at time, then peel the tape immediately so the paint can "lay down" on the edges and not be sharp, like a stencil... painted.... peeled.... Start each panel (doors, back, cowl) with a rounded edge, do not let the stripe go around the corner into the jamb, it will bleed under the tape, and a real striper would start and stop on the flat part of the panel anyway. You have now striped your truck! Mark another off the list....
Got the tailgate lettered, not stock, but a popular and good looking add on... Trique latches for the truck came today. I had both installed in 2 1/2 hours, not including painting. Start by removing all stock latches and strikers, inside and outside handles. Cut out templates and transfer to door.. Cut the holes, I used a grinder with a cut off wheel and a jigsaw for the smaller parts. Drill the holes in the door faces, marked with the doorplates.. Cut the nub from the window track through the hole... Bolt on plate.... Install latch and door handle, test a few times.....I found that I needed to bend the arm to the handle out a slight bit to make contact a little better.. Grind off the rivet for the inside actuator... Trim the new linkage after the second notch, shown beside untrimmed piece.. Connect linkage to latch through this hole... And to the door handle here...
Got the front clip on today.....Yay!... I touched up the door frame and clearanced in the jamb to fix where the door hit the hinge bolts.....no more problems! Started cleaning off the weatherstripping adhesive. Installed the new oil pressure guage, started switching the locks to the new keyed set.
I love this thread! ...being a visual learner and all... So you are building this, but you aren't keeping it? Ooooooh! That's right~ You still have that G that we haven't seen pictures of. OH ya~ Can't wait to see who gets done first! (And who has the "Manliest" truck!) Seriously~ I love this thread!
The goal is to be completed by the end of July and get it delivered to Florida. I hope to be out driving it next week and shaking it down. Then I'm buying/ fixing/ selling a Mazda protege for some quick funds. Hopefully this fall we can start on the rat/ custom GMC.
Got both doors removed, weatherstripping removed and redone, reinstaled the doors and got them all lined up. Bolted and adjusted the front clip, found that I need a longer A/C hose and a different generator mount.
Ol'chebby, Just wanted to thank you for all of your help and pics of your rebuild! It's look-n-great. I read the article on the body striping and wondered if you were gonna stripe the wheels to match? I saw a guy do his on a old record player(electric) and a turkey feather brush. Turned out as good as your cab. Good Luck, Mike
Got a lot done yesterday, started out modifying another top bracket for the generator.. Then had to fabricate a new, higher horn mount to clear the generator... Wasn't planning to replace the master cylander, but it had developed a leak. Removing it ended in broken brake lines and stripped fittings, so I am re doing the whole thing. Here is the master.... A shot of the brake lines... Cleaned the bottom of the frame with a wire brush attachment on a grinder....what a mess. Got the front bumper mounted.....again. This weekend, Davidack4 came up and helped me fit the bed wood. It is good to know a cabinet man.....
Brake lines are run. If anyone is re doing their brake lines, you will need..... 1-20" line, from the master to a "t" 3 30" lines...1 from the "T" to the left front rubber line, 1 from the "T" accross the crossmember to another "T", and one from this "T" to the right front rubber line. 1 61" line from this "T" to the back, 1 union 1 40" line from union to rear rubber line. With these lines, they fit exactly when bent, and you don't have to flare any fittings! I'll post pic.s tommorrow.
If I am not mistaken, the line from master cylinder to the junction block is 1/4" and the lines from there on are 3/16"?
Origionally, the line sizes switched back and forth. The new hoses needed 1/4" fittings, and everything else needed to be replaced, so I ran all 1/4" lines and fittings to simplify things.
After fitting the bed wood, remove the center boards in order to mark the mounting holes. I marked on the side and front panel with a stabilo pencil (like a water based grease pencil) where the bolt goes. Use a straight edge to establish your lines and lightly mark on the wood. Drill all holes. I used a 1/2" bit for the mount holes, and a 3/8" bit for the side holes . I have traced the offset washer on the wood, tomorrow I'll get a bit to cut it out and sink it flush with the wood. Drill all of the neccessary holes, then test fit. If it all fits, remove them again and sand the edges round and the tops smooth. Test fit the cross bars. This is the rear cross bar on a 1/2 ton. It needs a block and rubber pad. The rear metal box mounts need a rubber pad, and the forward most mount needs a wood block and pad. I cut my blocks from a 2"x2" solid oak length, drilled the 1/2" hole through the middle, then let them soak in oil.
These are really great pictures and instructions. I just wish I was anywhere close to this stage of completion... I'm getting a lot of reminders on details which I'll have to look up again when I reach the appropriate stage of construction. Thanks for the guide.
This is a 1 1/2" Forstner bit. It will cut the holes for the offset washer. Set it in your drill press so that it can only go the depth of the washer. Having your offset holes marked around your mounting holes makes it easier to remember which way to drill... Here is the nice, flat bottom hole, just deep enough for the washer to fit into... Test fit the washer... And stain the wood. This is golden oak. I brushed it on, bottom and sides first, then the top, then wiped away the excess with an old washcloth....(don't tell my wife).
I stood the boards in a bucket overnight and flipped them first thing this morning to soak up as much as they could. I let them soak in a 50/50 mix of Turpentine and Tung oil... I bought from woodcraft for $19.99. This afternoon, I laid the boards out and slathered them, bottom first in the 50/50 mix. I had brushed the mix on the sides last night while they were in a bucket. I applied 2 coats of the 50/50, let soak, and wiped down. Then i used straight Tung oil and aplied at least 2 more coats, first brushing it on....getting lots down the holes for the bed mounts...letting it soak, then rubbing it off with a rag. Let dry an hour in between...... It left a nice low gloss sheen and should be near impervious to weather for a while. You should be able to easily recoat if needed, and scratches should be easy to blend.
Wow thanks again for the pics and the time it takes to post them up. Looks like great work, and Im sure this thread is really helpful to others, as well as me! Thanks again!!!
