Orange is the new $$$$

[scott123]

I bought this Blazer several years ago. It was primed black, with big hooptie wheels, a 68 front clip and a cowl induction hood. It would crank by just about looking at it and I never had a minute of trouble. I drove it everywhere and anywhere if the sun was out.

I ditched the 68 front clip with the cowl induction hood, ditched the hoopties and painted it orange.

Never paint anything orange. LOL

When completed I pulled it out of the shop, admired the new look and made the first drive as a stock looking Orange 72 K5.

I made it to the end of our road and it started running hot. The thermostat switch failed and the fans did not come on. I ordered another switch and took off on my next voyage. Again, ran hot. I replaced the relay and the cooling issues was resolved. I drove it around the block a few times and all was well. The next morning the anti-freeze on the floor said otherwise. The water pump was leaking from the weep hole so I pulled it all down and replaced the water pump and the belts while I was there.

Pulled it out of the shop and as I rolled down our path it stumbled and died. I pulled it back in the yard and I was getting no gas. Filled the bowl and it fired right up but died.

Sending unit shows a half tank but sounds empty tapping on it so today will be 'is it the sending unit or the fuel pump'.

I have looked all over the front end to see if I pinched a wire or damaged a wire changing out the front clip. I even scratched the shiny new orange paint to get a good ground.

I am thinking I should have left well enough alone and just lived with the ugly ass wheels and the cowl induction hood.

(forgot to add while swapping out the hooptie wheels I saw grease and found the rear axle seal was leaking. I pulled all that down and replaced the axle seal. Moving the axle back in the spider gear fell out and I wrestled them for an hour getting them back in place)

I am beginning to think it is the Orange paint that caused all this 'pain and suffering'. LOL

Scott

[scott123]

Much happier times? LOL.

Scott




https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...06#post8569006

[hemi43]

Amazing how a paint job didn't fix all the mechanical problems! You might want to consider suing the paint company.

[best view]

At least you can find it when you break down

[scott123]

When people say the worse thing you can do to a vehicle is let it sit.....no truer words have been spoken.

It took me about 16 months to get it all done. In 16 months it fell to pieces. LOL

The kicker is, I'm the paint company. LOL

S

[DeadheadNM]

I’d be cranky too after all the surgery Looks great

[scott123]

I am happy with it. Just sort of venting. LOL

The Blazer was problem free for three or four years. Parked it during the winters and drove it on the nice days. Never an issue.

Painted it and things sort of fell to pieces.

Scott

['68OrangeSunshine]

They used to say changing the name of a ship or boat would bring down bad luck.
I dunno about Orange?
I bought a '68 C/10 Stepside in 516 Orange in 1973. Had about 49 years good luck cruising around in it, til April '22. I got T-boned on my way to a Union picnic. Took out the 12 Bolt differential with an Eaton posi, bent a wheel, panhard bar, and trailing arms and crushed-in my orange fender. After that, I replaced the trailing arms and bushings, and rear end. Now, I found my drive shaft is bent too. I have not pulled it yet, to see if it can be straightened.
Fumes escape from the in-cab sending unit. Frame may also be bent.
It only had 400,000 miles on it.

Must be the Orange Curse.
Only I didn't paint it Orange, the Fremont guys did.

[scott123]

That sucks.

Hopefully the 50 years or 500,000 mile warranty is still in effect.

Short bed or long bed?

I have a factory short bed frame that a guy tried to make a 4WD. It has not been cut but when he found out it was more than hanging springs and getting big tires he bailed on the project. I bought it for the two rear ends and the transmission and transfer case.

I have no need for the frame if yours can't be fixed.

I fear those type of stories.

Scott

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

They used to say changing the name of a ship or boat would bring down bad luck.
I dunno about Orange?
I bought a '68 C/10 Stepside in 516 Orange in 1973. Had about 49 years good luck cruising around in it, til April '22. I got T-boned on my way to a Union picnic. Took out the 12 Bolt differential with an Eaton posi, bent a wheel, panhard bar, and trailing arms and crushed-in my orange fender. After that, I replaced the trailing arms and bushings, and rear end. Now, I found my drive shaft is bent too. I have not pulled it yet, to see if it can be straightened.
Fumes escape from the in-cab sending unit. Frame may also be bent.
It only had 400,000 miles on it.

Must be the Orange Curse.
Only I didn't paint it Orange, the Fremont guys did.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Hi Scott. It's a shortbed stepside. 115'' wheelbase iirc. Built at Fremont CA c. late '67 or very early '68.
[I was in high school. But I liked the ''New Breed Chevy Trucks'' as soon as they came out. I was watching the parade of cars passing Hollywood High on Sunset Blvd, and these new trucks popped out. ''Wow. Not an ugly truck.'' I said to myself.]
That's a generous offer. We're a couple of thousand miles away, though.
I was stationed in Cherry Point, NC and drove my truck there from Tucson, AZ in '74 and back to AZ about a year later when I PCS'd to WesPac orders, taking the truck to my parents while I was overseas.
It was a beautiful drive. Out thru the Cumberland Gap and then into the Blue Grass of early summer Kentucky. The Midwest was a blur -- probably night driving. Don't remember where I slept overnight. Except for a motel in Kentucky. I picked up I-40 and hit Flagstaff. It was mostly downhill from there. Gas prices only had 2 digits then. Coasting and using light throttle on that last leg, I averaged 17 MPG with a factory stock 292 and SM465.

[scott123]

I am thinking the entire problem is the GM gods are frowning down upon me.

The orange paint I chose was actually a Ford color from the mid 70's. The guy had some spray outs and none of the GM 'huggers' and such caught my eye. He then showed me a car he had sprayed some years back and that color clicked in my brain. Ford Tangier orange.

Sending unit works fine, tank was about 1/2 full to match the needle.

Fuel pump died.

One more failure and it is some scotch brite pads and primer all over again. LOL

Scott

['68OrangeSunshine]

Don't panic. ''Omaha Orange'' was a DuPont color name. They sold it to all the Big Three, GM, Fomoco, Mopar. A lot of municipalities uesd it for fleet vehicles. I think your Blazer looks fine. Wish my K/1500 Jimmy was Orange. I bought it because it had an SM465 4-speed and had 33x12.50x15 tires like my K/10 Suburban.

Among the fancy names Marketing Guys peppered sales brochures with, when trying to sell Orange-painted cars, were: Omaha Orange, Sunbolt, Tangerine, Tangiers, etc.
[Hugger Orange and Tomato Red have more red pigment in the mix.]

Among the paint colors I'm looking at for a 50 year repaint is Subaru Crosstrek Orange. [They only put it on Crosstreks!] I think it's a little lighter [more yellow] than GM RPO 516 Orange, but after 55~ years under the intense solar radiation of Cali and AZ, the Subaru shade matches mine.

Fuel Pumps is a separate issue. QC overseas is lax, and alot of the rubber diaphragms inside are not Gas-Ahol proof. Mechanical or electric?

You still have that shortbed frame? My wheelbase is 115''.

[scott123]

Mechanical pump. I swapped it out this morning and been driving most of the day. I actually took it for a night ride just a few minutes ago. The funniest thing is I just eye-balled the head lights alignment and I missed.

I could coon hunt with the driver's side. It was up in the trees as I came down the road. I put that back on the list. LOL

Yes, I have the short bed from but I do not know the wheel base. I don't know if it was a fleetside or step side. The previous owner hung springs and front and rear axles. I am not sure how close he is to the correct wheel base for a short bed.

I will look up some frame dimensions and take some measurements. I will get some pics of it tomorrow.

Scott

['68OrangeSunshine]

Wheelbase is measured from center of front hub to center of rear hub. AFIK, Stepsides and Fleetsides didn't have any frame differences. I know of people who have swapped bed types.

About 5 years ago, the fuel pump on my GMC Jimmy died in downtown traffic. Thought I was out of gas. Got my Roadside Rescue guy out to add a couple gallons. No go. Had to call again to get a 10-mile tow home. Took 2 more hours. R&R'ed the fuel pump. Brand new. It lasted 100 miles. Next time I went to work, it was splashing gas all over the front suspension. Got it towed home again. Put another one on.
I think that got it unless it was bad too.
No American made mechanical fuel pumps anymore.
[Unless Jeg's has some Carters.]
I carry a spare Fuel Pump now.

Aiming headlamps is even more fun with a GMC.
You can use the brick wall technique -- Park the truck square-on to a brick or concrete wall. [The mortar lines will help you find level.] Aim the drivers side ''spot'' about hip height, and slightly right, to avoid glaring at cars from the opposite side. Bring the passenger side beam up to match.
How far from the wall is something to be determined locally.

I used to have a yellow plastic Headlight Aimer gadget from the auto parts store. You put 3 points on the 3 glass tits protruding from the front of the lens, then watched a level bubble as you dialed in elevation. Left and Right was still up to personal discretion.

[scott123]

I can measure hub to hub on what I have but I don't know where the axles land in regard to being where the 2WD hub would have landed.

The frame is a 2WD. I bought it on the way to the scrap yard. The previous owner was attempting to make it a 4WD. He added leaf springs on both ends. No welding or cutting, just bolt on. The project turned out to be more then had had originally planned.

2 rear ends, a 350/205 set up bolted to a 2WD frame.

The hub to hub measurement will be accurate for what is sitting here but not sure if either axle landed center/or where it should have landed.

It was a knee-jerk reaction to seeing all that being scrapped so I bought it.

Measurements and pics later today when I get out there.

Scott

['68OrangeSunshine]

Thanks.

[scott123]

I thought these went out the other day. My apologies.

Scott

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Thanks.