Brand New 1980 Chevy Trucks

[AZ4X4SQBDY]

I went to Barrett Jackson last weekend and saw a pair of 1980 Chevy trucks that were sold new in Canada, driven home from the dealership and parked in a barn. One truck had 443 miles, the other 962. There was also a '80 Chevy van with 217 miles.

I took a bunch of pictures to remind myself that they didn't leave the factory anywhere near perfect. The fender, hood, cowl panel alignment left much to be desired. The fender on the C20 actually stuck out almost 3/8' from the face of the door. Wavy body panels and tooling marks from the stampings painted over were other issues noted.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1980-CHEVROLET-C-20-PICKUP-204683

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1980-CHEVROLET-C-10-PICKUP-204681

[bedwards]

The build quality from the 60s through the 80s was not near what it is today.



bedwards

[VileZambonie]

Too bad neither of them were round headlights. The body lines were never perfect 73-80. 81 up showed marked improvement.

[philo_beddoe]

Wow, $30k. And that proves VZ what you (among others) have told me. That these trucks rolled across the line with all kinds of imperfections. And why they were around $4k in the 70's. Guess i shouldnt gripe when something doesnt line up perfect. Lol

Thanks for posting that az4x4sqbdy.

[VileZambonie]

Well there is no reason why when restoring one you can't correct poor body lines. Takes a lot of extra work but well worth it.

[philo_beddoe]

....which leads me to ask, are fender shims always required?

[fitz]

Very cool.
While 30k may seem high, I've seen guys spend allot of $$ fixing rusty trucks that don't turn out that nice.
I'm sure the buyers are enjoying them.
 

[VileZambonie]

....which leads me to ask, are fender shims always required?

Yes, due to stack tolerances, tooling variations, etc they were designed to have enough wiggle room to make them fit appropriately but body shims are needed to get it right. Always start with the door, get it properly aligned and operating smoothly with the seal in place (not a new seal). Often the door needs to be higher than you would think in the front to not have bottom gap. The fender usually needs to go on and off several times to get it right. On my orange truck, I was not happy with the drivers side fender to door match so took it back off and welded a new edge on there to build it up with metal. You never want body filler on the edges to achieve a proper gap or it will crack, chip and lift. 73-80 hood hinges should be replaced if the hood pops up in the back.

[philo_beddoe]

Ok, i didnt remove the fender nor install the new one. But no shims were re-installed back on. And you know me,,i like everything to match up perfect and button up tight. Do i insult the guy that did it or wait and do it myself after??? Grrrrr!!!

Ps. And where do these shims go? I didnt remove them so im not sure. I think there were like 3 or 4?

[VileZambonie]

They go where they are needed. How do you know he didn't use shims, are you watching him work or are they not lining up well?

At the cowl, at the door pillar and at the bottom of the fender are the most common shim points. Occasionally you will need to shim near the core support as well.

[philo_beddoe]

I'm helping out here and there, i'm the one that cleaned up the bolts and wire brushed the shims. They were still there in the cup when the fender was installed (by his worker). When the painting is done, i'll be the one probably putting all the parts back on. At that time i'll sneak them on when no one is around. Heh..heh.

I cant dare complain, because of the incredible deal i'm getting. I've seen the guys work, real quality. I told him it doesnt need to be "show  quality" but he insisted on doing a decent job because others will see his work. Makes sense, fine by me.