Author Topic: Brooke's 87 V10  (Read 68853 times)

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2015, 08:45:23 PM »
i dont think you ever properly introduced yourselves. but welcome from maryland, i hope to have a couple projects with my kids also when they get older.
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2015, 10:04:44 PM »
Sorry about that. My name is Lance. We're from northcentral Wisconsin. Thank you all for the imformation on this site. I hope you get to wrench with your kids! We really enjoyed it for the most part, but every build has it's headache's. I had to walk away a few times. :o :-X
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2015, 10:14:21 PM »
Here is some of the fitting process. Some what overwhelming, figuring out how it all goes together and what to trim or bend to fit. This was when I found this site by searching for rocker panel repair. :D
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline philo_beddoe

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2015, 10:23:51 PM »
Great project and some quality time. Hope my daughter asks for a 73-87 someday. Regardless....
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.  Zechariah 14:1

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2015, 10:32:55 PM »
HAHA helps if I add the pics!  Yes, I hope your daughter wants a square body too!!
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #20 on: December 12, 2015, 10:39:01 PM »
I'm getting quicker at this resizing thing. I had to shorten the inner rocker on the front piece and weld a piece on to the rear part, so it reached the back of the outer rocker properly. Don't throw away any scraps of trimmed panels til you're done. You can see the long part in the 3rd pic.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2015, 11:13:07 PM by Captain Swampy »
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #21 on: December 12, 2015, 11:03:04 PM »
Getting started on the inner rocker. The floor pan was flat, but seemed like it should bend where the front to rear cab brace is. Had to cut the slit so it would open as I bent it. Seems to run downhill to the side of the cab from the cab support, for water drainage?
« Last Edit: December 12, 2015, 11:08:57 PM by Captain Swampy »
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2015, 10:33:43 PM »
We put POR-15 every where we could before welding it shut. Used that door skin for a patch for the lower cowl.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #23 on: December 13, 2015, 10:52:12 PM »
I've read about butt welding, forming a lip, and other methods. We decided to butt weld everything. We didn't want the lip underneath to hold calcium chloride and salt. When it's all ground flush it's hard to tell there was a repair also. 

Went and had lunch, then came back and welded the footwell panel in. Thought I was having trouble because it was vertical...... :o So I struggled with them all and went back to the floor and still couldn't weld. It welds so much better if you turn the gas back on!
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #24 on: December 13, 2015, 11:03:48 PM »
Don't let people tell you a big welder is necessary to get started. I started with flux core and converted to solid wire with gas. It welds easier and cleaner with the gas.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #25 on: December 14, 2015, 12:53:05 PM »
 8) Happy to have the new floor in!
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #26 on: December 14, 2015, 01:01:07 PM »
It penetrated pretty good. I did weld some spots on the back side also.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Engineer

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #27 on: December 14, 2015, 09:38:26 PM »
Cool project.  8)

You know while you have all of this other work going on it wouldn't be that much more work to go ahead and take the sun visor off and patch weld the holes shut. Jus sayin'  ;)
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Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #28 on: December 14, 2015, 09:58:53 PM »
Inner rocker. I cut the rocker along the line I drew, tapped the end in, and welded it back together. It made the panels match. The last photo is the piece I added and then trimmed to fit the lip on the outer rocker.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: Brooke's 87 V10
« Reply #29 on: December 14, 2015, 10:07:53 PM »
Yeah, Brooke hates the visor. We were trying to get it together by her 16th birthday, so that didn't get done. We have to get a new radiator support, and repair the passenger side yet, so there will be time to do it then. Both doors are cheap and don't fit well. Does anybody make good doors or do we need to search for original GM doors? It will be awhile before she saves enough money for the other side. She wants to put on the shorty headers Vile uses, and a new dual exhaust next. We used the exhaust off our old suburban for now.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0