Starting back on the 85 Silverado.

[rs74]

I am sure alot of you guys know about me rebuilding my truck. I have started a build thread in the build section. For those of you who don't know then I will tell. I have had this 85 about 15 years or so. The longest I have owned any vehicle. I drove it for the first 3-4 years then end up buying another truck to drive and this one pretty much sat. It has not been driven in the past 8-9 years and has sat in the shed. It got started a couple times a year and pulled out to let run and get a bath.

I finally decided it was time to either poop or get off the pot. So I sold my an extra mower and my Jeep and have started to rebuild the ol girl. So far I have rebuilt all the brakes, all new bushings, steering components, and just finished putting on the lowering kit. All parts are Moog and Western Chassis as of now. The drop is a 4/6 with 2.5" drop spindles, 1.5" drop springs and a flip kit. I just got the front end back together last night and took the frame and cab to the bodyshop today to start taking off the cab and repainting the frame. This is not an everybolt and nut rebuild but close enough for me.

The frame will get some SEM put on it, bottom of cab, bottom of bed, core support, fender wells,fuel tanks and maybe a few other odds and ends. After that then I will mount the fuel tanks and then start focusing on the body. I am thinking about getting a new cab since mine needs alot of metal put back into it. The bed is pretty good except for two small places. I will be putting on new GM doors and fenders that I have had for 15 years still in the boxes. I am changing colors all together on the outside and inside. This will take me a while but I will get there eventually. I am also getting ready to start build an 85 K10 short bed that will be cut down from a long bed. Trying to do what I can, while I can til the money dries up. So here are a few pics of what I pulled out of the shed until today.

[rs74]

More pics.

[rs74]

Tomorrow I am going out and going to try and get the cab off the frame. I need to get the brake hoses off and grind off a few exhaust hangers that were welded to the frame. If I can get that done then I will call my media blasting friend and see about having him wash over the frame to clean it up and knock all the loose stuff off. I am not having him take it all the way down to the bare frame. As long as I have a good surface to work with and get all the grime off then it can be hit with the SEM. That will be good enough for me. Maybe within the next week or so I can get the frame painted. Thats it for now guys.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by rs74

Tomorrow I am going out and going to try and get the cab off the frame. I need to get the brake hoses off and grind off a few exhaust hangers that were welded to the frame. If I can get that done then I will call my media blasting friend and see about having him wash over the frame to clean it up and knock all the loose stuff off. I am not having him take it all the way down to the bare frame. As long as I have a good surface to work with and get all the grime off then it can be hit with the SEM. That will be good enough for me. Maybe within the next week or so I can get the frame painted. Thats it for now guys.

you don't need a buddy to help you clean it... and it doesn't need to be down to bare metal to last another 20 years...
go ahead and do it right the first time...while you have the cab off, take all the little parts off the frame, pull off the crossmember since you already have the front suspension out... clean the frame/crossmember with a scrub brush/wire brush and a lot of Tide to get the oil/grease off... takes about 2 hours of scrubbing... scuff it up with a red scotch brite pad, and spray it with whatever primer/por/paint.

good luck with your build

[rs74]

I have already power washed it once but just want him to use his sand blaster or what ever media he uses on it. With what I have done and going to do is okay for me. I already rebuilt all the front end and put it all back together and don't want to do it again. It will still be a pretty damn nice truck when done. Anything is better than what it started as. I like seeing that you are doing it on your truck. I will still probably go over some of it with a wire wheel or sanding disc though. I am replacing some of the brake lines but not all of them. I will look at the fuel lines once the cab is off.

[naphtali5725]

it's going to be a great truck when you are done... stay focused and keep up the good work

kind regards

[whiskeydented]

Nice blue krl 1022. I have the same box, love it.

[rs74]

Originally Posted by whiskeydented

Nice blue krl 1022. I have the same box, love it.

Thanks! I bought it half price when new. Couldn't pass it up. I need another one though. This one is full.

[rs74]

I ran the impact on the four cab mount bolts and it started raining all of this. A couple of seconds on each bolt. I am sure there is more where that came from.

[rs74]

Got the cab off today. Took off the gas tanks and found out that I will need new saddles for both sides. I have a few things to finish up Monday and it should be ready to be blasted and then paint.

Here it is down as far as it is going to get before paint. The next few are of a 63 split window vette and the frame to it. My frame is getting the same product put on it and should look similar minus all the dust on the vette frame.

[rs74]

They didn't load the first time.