'86 3+3

[vervepipes]

I realize I havent taken any pics of my $300 special, but I've been doing very well at the Edmonton pick n pull(3 hour drive to get there so I stop in any time I get to town).  My first trip I picked up a push bar from a ford,  which turns out is actually meant for this generation of GM(go figure, it looked a bit off on the ford), an almost new tranny cooler and some wing windows for both sides.  Today's trip produced a brand new(seriously, not a single bent fin) from a Bumper to Bumper store's work truck, another almost new tranny cooler identical to the last one I picked up, some Headman headers and headlight adjusters. 

I have a lead on a second set of headers for peanuts so I'll likely sell one pair and one tranny cooler(unless I run them in series...) to make up for the purchase.

All I've done so far is change the spark plugs and wires, and a new air cleaner so the fun will soon begin.

[Bitzer!]

nice to hear of another 3+3 
get some pics up dude

[vervepipes]

I would, but at the moment I'm 400 Km from home and heading more south in the morning to the Calgary Zoo to top off out family trip.  The mechanicals are well looked after but the bedsides and cab are rough.  The front fenders must have been replaced at some point.  It is currently painted flat black but will be reverting back to some form of blue as it originally was. 

Plans are to convert it to dually as I intend to haul with it, and it sill either have a flat deck or a service body/ flat deck hybrid as I've seen before to accommodate a fifth wheel and goose neck.

[ssapach]

Cold Lake eh?  Not too far away from my home town really.

Just a hint, Kendale Trucks in Edmonton has lots of parts for these older pickups, although sometimes they can be a little more pricey than other places.  I also sometimes wander over to Aldon Auto and Salvage in Lamont for parts.

Kendale will remove parts for you, they don't let you snoop around for them.  But Aldon will let you snoop around and remove your own parts, or I believe they will remove parts for you if you require them too.

No intention to hijack, but I think I have the exact truck your aiming to build.  It is coincidentally a 1986 as well, dually and blue....

[slammed79]

Can't wait to see some pics!

[vervepipes]

Thats pretty darn close to what I'm aiming for, I think thats even thr blue thats under my black paint.  So far Pick n Pull has been very easy to get parts from, I havent tried Buck's Auto (formerly kar basher) on the east end, up Clover Bar Road, it is also a u-pull type of place.  Unfortunately right now until I really look the truck over and work the bugs out I'm limited to what fits in the Grand Caravan and we don't have salvage yards near Cold Lake any more...

When I get back to work I'll sandblast the push bar and headers, we have a nice blast cabinet, about 5x4x4 feet, self contained with filtration because a by-product of what I work with is copper-berylium which is very toxic.  What we use at work is crushed up plastic as the abrasive, but if I put my own stuff in there I empty the hopper and use a mix of that plastic and aluminum oxide to really cut rust. 

I should have pics up by monday, depending on if I have to work at the motor hobby club on sunday(the floor grates are out for repair so I don't know if I have to work yet!)

[big bear]

cant wait for more of this build

[vervepipes]

well here she is, as I bought it except that the push bar is mounted loosely, soon to be sand blasted and painted in bed liner.  Today I pressure washed the years of gunk off the steering and suspension, installed a battery blanket, and replaced the broken door quarter window.  I tried to pressure wash the black paint off but it is stuck on harder than it seems...

[gotsmeuhh350]

danggg. those are some mirrors on that thing. hahah. ive always wanted a crew cab. ill eventually find one in my price range. lol

[Bitzer!]

that's a cool looking truck. I'd have to keep it as it is (less rust)!

I kinda like the used look 

[bake74]

     Get a turbo spin nozzle for your pressure washer, I bet that will take the paint off.

[big bear]

love the truck man !!

[vervepipes]

Well the pressure washer I used was a high powered one, it got the flaky areas on but it actually has 2 coats of tremclad over the original blue paint and it aint budging!

Working on the bed today when I have time in spurts.  The bedsides are coming off and being replaced by wood sides.  The front and bed floor are being kept as is and I'll find a way to incorporate the wood sides to them.  I'm also saving part of the tailgate, I'm going to cut out the GMC logo and find somewhere to put it, maybe I'll weld it onto the push bar or the bed front... I'm sure I'll find something creative.

I have a nice little tool box made from aircraft sheet aluminum that will be bolted into the box as well, that and the headers have been started in the sand blaster during my coffee breaks.

[vervepipes]

Bedsides are almost off, just a few bolts left.  It turns out they are quite easy to remove while the bed is on the frame

[vervepipes]

One bedside is off, the other is half off, the wood sides will come later at some point after I wire up some lights.  Even the lights will wait a bit I think until next pay but at least the hard part is done!  Not sure if I will do a stepside style or fleetside, the box sides will likely be 2x10 stacked 2 high and stained a red of some sort.  Of course the bed will have markers along the sides, I need to be seen lol.




One bolt didn't co-operate because the entire side was bent over from it's own weight, so I hopped into the bed and with a hack saw it was dealt with and the side happily fell to the ground, much to the dismay of my annoyed neighbor, I hadn't realized that is was 10 PM.