My Build Thread, 78Chevyrado's 1978 C20

[VileZambonie]

Great progress!

[78 Chevyrado]

It's exciting, and It's getting to the end so I'm stressing a bit that nothing gets missed.  So far everything's going well, but you know how it is, I'll be worried about it until its all done but it's not bad.  I'm ready to drive it already, I haven't driven it in 3 or 4 weeks and I miss it.

Here's todays progress, they got the trim off the drivers fender and I helped them take the bed off.  They're feathering everything out for primer tonight or tomorrow.  The frame's dirty but there's barely any rust (except the leaf springs) so I'm going to leave it alone since it's just a driver.  I also got the fuel lines changed out at the tank since I can get to them really easy now the beds gone.

[ccz145a]

Moving right along ain't she.

[78 Chevyrado]

Moving right along ain't she.

It's starting to pick up a lot now.  Almost there!

Here's todays pics. They have the first coat of epoxy primer on all the bare metal where they did body work.  It's been raining a lot here so they got it covered so it won't start rusting.





There's still some work to do to the bed, but it's all going nicely.

[GoatBeard]

I like what you did to your console!  I'm redoing the interior on my K5 right now and hadn't thought of lining the console...  I'm gonna steal your idea!   

Great job on the whole truck!

[78 Chevyrado]

Thanks! You're trucks lookin tight too!


I ordered my new stereo from crutchfield today.  It's no super bad system, but it will sound very nice.  I think the new head unit and speakers will go well with my new brushed aluminum dash trim.

Sony GTX-GT620U
Sony XM-4S Slimline Amp to run the speakers below.  It measures basically 8x9x2 inches.
Here it is under the console


Blaupunkt GTx693  6x9's for the doors.


Blaupunkt GTx652 6-1/2's to go behind the seats. 
Here's the carpeted boxes for the 6-12's.  They sit facing up


Blaupunkt GTx352 3-1/2's to go in the dash center speaker location.
Here's the plexiglass plate I made to mount them in the dash without modifying the dash itself.




I'm not putting in a sub.  All the new stuff above will most likely give me the bass i need plus it will be loud as heck   I might add one later, who knows.

[GoatBeard]

My console doesn't have a liner in it.  How hard do you think it'd be to line the console without that as a guide? 

[78 Chevyrado]

It'll be a little harder.  I'd line the sides of the console with carpet using contact cement (permanent), and then cut a seperate piece for the bottom and attach it with velcro so you can remove the bottom easily to get to the bolts that attach the console to the truck.  If you cut the piece for the bottom a little bit too big, it should appear pretty seamless when you push it tightly into place.  Or also you could leave the side carpet up a bit from the bottom edge of the console so the bottom piece will slide up under it a bit.

If you can find a liner in the junkyard it shouldn't cost more than a couple of dollars.  If you have an original liner, it goes like a breeze.  I think I finished my liner in 30-40 minutes minus drying time for the contact cement.

[78 Chevyrado]

Here's my new (to me) tailgate band I got off of ebay. It's been stripped of all the old paint, cleaned and polished, and then sprayed it with a clearcoat. I'll paint the stripe and letters later. I will paint the perimeter stripe black, but the chevrolet letters will be a gold color that matches the letters on my silverado fender emblems.

Here's how it is now; cleaned up and sprayed with clear:

[GoatBeard]

Great eBay find!  I wish I could get my old band to shine up!  The Never Dull makes the band look great until it dries, then it looks the same as it did before I started...

When you say carpet the sides do you mean put the carpet on cardboard before installing, or not?  The carpet you used looked a lot thicker than what I have.  I got the black carpet you see on speaker boxes and such.  It doesn't have the plastic/wax film on the backing like the ACC-type carpet does.  It's more thin and flexible, but it's oddly hard to cut...  I think because it's got so many fibers holding it together.

Good idea to use Velcro on the bottom of it!

I'd also like to get my seats covered but I've got so much tied up in it now that a seat cover will have to do! 

[78 Chevyrado]

Since it's thin carpet, i would use cardboard on it, otherwise you will see the outlines from where the console was molded and you would see the brackets  through it too.  You might want to get a thicker cardboard to line the bottom since stuff will be sitting on it.  I don't know why but i have too noticed speaker box carpet is really tough  

I don't have a pic, but my band did look pretty rough when I got it, it was white and splotchy, etc.  If you want your tailgate band to shine up, If the trim paint is okay, leave it.  If it's crappy use acteone to wipe it off.  Polish it up with flitz or peek or something so the metal looks even and then use some etching wheel cleaner (for bare aluminum wheels; it's acid) to get the toughest stuff off.  At this point the aluminum will look kinda chalky/white, but that's okay, the clearcoat will soak in and make it look new (I think is DOES strip the anodizing off, so once you etch it, you have to clearcoat it).  clearcoat it BEFORE you put tape on it to mask for painting the stripe.  If you try to mask it off to paint the stripe first, that tape will stick so well to the freshly etched aluminum that all the adhesive will stay on the metal when you try to pull it off.  So clear coat it first, then in a couple of days mask it to paint the stripe back, and then if you want put another layer of clear over the whole thing.  Once you have cleared it, when you want to clean it for the next coat, use alchol ONLY to wipe it down with.  Oh another thing, I have found clear paints that do and don't come with the mixing ball inside; I only use the ones that rattle, they seem to work MUCH better.  One more thing, when you forst spray it with clear, the clear paint will look milky until it dries; but it will go away and be clear like mine is above.  Try these steps out on a section on the backside of the band to test is out. 

I'd love to recover my suburban buckets, but I can't find the front pair w/armrests anywhere.  They only sell full kits including front buckets, second row seat and third row seat which makes them expensive.

[Captkaos]

I'd love to recover my suburban buckets, but I can't find the front pair w/armrests anywhere.  They only sell full kits including front buckets, second row seat and third row seat which makes them expensive.

You didn't ask the right place.  I can get it for you, but the owner of the company that sets the price is out for 2 weeks.  I left him a voice mail and once he is back I can tell you how much it will be.

[78 Chevyrado]

I'd love to recover my suburban buckets, but I can't find the front pair w/armrests anywhere.  They only sell full kits including front buckets, second row seat and third row seat which makes them expensive.

You didn't ask the right place.  I can get it for you, but the owner of the company that sets the price is out for 2 weeks.  I left him a voice mail and once he is back I can tell you how much it will be.

  Awesome!  Let me know about it!    I need the red or burgandy (whichever it is)  set for a highback with armrests out of a '91 suburban.  I will want them, but it may be alittle while, ($$$) but I won't know until the body shop is all payed up.  THANKS!  Do you  know of anyplace that will reweb my seatbelts?  The only two things left on my interior to do is the seats and seatbelts.

[Captkaos]

I am guessing, but I am sure I can get them to you for around $160.  Once he lets me know I will report back.

Yes, http://www.ssnake-oyl.com/  They are the best for restoring seatbelts, and accordingly, they are not cheap.

[Blazin]

Also when spraying the colors over the clear coat on your tail gate trim. After you mask it off use a maroon scuff pad the sand the clear for a mechanical bond of the paint to the clear.