1985 C20 Scottsdale facelift

[zieg85]

Finally work has started on restoring my rusty steed.  There is a lot of sentimental value in this old truck.  My uncle worked at the St. Louis truck plant and this truck came across the assembly line the last week before he retired which makes it extra special in my book.  I loved it when he brought it home.  He tragically lost his life in a accident helping a neighbor.  My cousin asked if I still wanted it so I said name your price...  I have had it about 7 years now and it has never let me down.  I have been collecting parts making it mine with little upgrades here and there.  Basically the truck was a radio delete, 454 4 speed with a 3.21 gear with AC.  I got it with 123K miles.  My first upgrade was '07 steel rims.  I also managed to find a tilt wheel for a floor shift having intermittent wipers.  I put a 92 Chevy Lumina steering wheel on it.  A couple years ago I hit a deer and took out the grill, bumper, right fender and door.  It wasn't that bad so I put a grill in it and got all the headlights working again and life went on.

Here is a couple of pictures I took today of the work in progress.

[bake74]

     Well it is about time for some loving to it.  LOL  At least it means something to you and you care enough to fix it up.  Is it really rusted or minor stuff ?

[zieg85]

     Well it is about time for some loving to it.  LOL  At least it means something to you and you care enough to fix it up.  Is it really rusted or minor stuff ?

The bed sides were beginning to be swiss cheese + good old uncle, king of cobble, put a passenger side tank and cobbled the wiring a bit.  He also put the snaps on it for a cover and they are not even.  Rockers/cab corners need attention and the RF fender and right door has rust issues starting but repairable but since the deer incident I have a clean door and fender for it.  The blue bed is a dual tank bed out of an 86 and I have the complete wiring to do it like it came that way from the factory.  Keeping it white, going to add wheel well moldings and will eventually find some '07 alloy take off rims to replace the steelies.  Overall the truck is solid for being from the St. Louis area till I got it and I am in NW Indiana in the middle of the salt belt, even has the original dual exhaust that it rolled out of the factory with.  Hoping to have the bed turned right side up on the pickup frame I have prepared for it Sunday, weather permitting.

[bake74]

     Not bad looking at all.  Hope it turns out the way you want it too.

[zieg85]

     Not bad looking at all.  Hope it turns out the way you want it too.

Thanks, that picture is about 2 years old... Gotten a lot worse since then...

Here is what I am starting with, just took the pics in the rain

[zieg85]

Got a few steps forward...  Going to try and do what I re-do right.  So what little rust that was found on the bed was sandblasted/wire wheeled and etch primed.  Then one really good coat of a high solids 2K military epoxy followed by 3 heavy coats of high solids 2K urethane filler primer.  The 3 different paint types were painted over the previous with only 30 minutes in between applications.  Anyway it will be block sanded next week and hopefully put right side up on my trailer frame to get the top rails done.  Great progress to me.

[bake74]

     That already is an improvement from the last pics, great job. 

[Engineer]

Been painting on mine recently...... Holy cow! Now that is a J.O.B!!!

I don't mind body work, but I would never do it for a living.

[thirsty]

Glad to hear that you are bringing that one back Zieg. Keep the pics coming.

There is a lot of sentimental value in this old truck.  My uncle worked at the St. Louis truck plant and this truck came across the assembly line the last week before he retired which makes it extra special in my book.  I loved it when he brought it home.

^This is awesome! ^

[zieg85]

Got to rightside the bed Saturday.  Now to weld up the holes drilled for various toolboxes over the years and a couple of dents it will be ready for paint.

[firefighter]

Looking good. Keep the progress going.

After undercoating my truck bed a few weeks ago, I have just recently righted my truck bed as well.
Tell me, how did you go about flipping the bed?
I had 4 guys and we rolled it over sideways while suspending it in the air. What a pain and boy was it heavy!!
I don't want to take your thread a different direction but I'm just curious how others have done this.

[zieg85]

Looking good. Keep the progress going.

After undercoating my truck bed a few weeks ago, I have just recently righted my truck bed as well.
Tell me, how did you go about flipping the bed?
I had 4 guys and we rolled it over sideways while suspending it in the air. What a pain and boy was it heavy!!
I don't want to take your thread a different direction but I'm just curious how others have done this.

4 guys as well.  We slid it upside down onto the front rails on a 2 inch foam strip 12" wide, "the pink basement insulating material".  We then stood it up and repositioned the pink pads on the underneath front bottom and lowered it to a jack stand in back.  Removed the snowmobile trailer and put the pickup trailer frame in place.  Blocked the tires, picked it up and moved it into place. 

[zieg85]

Forgot to take pictures but the bed is done and is ready for paint.  I pick it up tomorrow and haul it to my Dad's barn for inside storage this winter...  I will post pictures of it tomorrow...  Now I drop off the tailgate, right fender and door.  Need to order up cab corners.  I will blast and powder coat the tailgate hinge hardware and bolts a color called blasted steel.  The truck is finally seeing some love...  I got to looking through the glove box and found that I got it in 2004...

[bake74]

     Was hoping to see pics of the completed bed, it looked great when the body work was done.

[zieg85]

     Was hoping to see pics of the completed bed, it looked great when the body work was done.

Finally got there this afternoon, dad wanted it backed in so it was a good opportunity to take some pictures for my update.  We loaded up the bed for the winters nap.