1980 Stepside Build... My first build thread

[ChevDog1]

Went out to the shop last night to replace the alternator belt, and the auto parts store sold me the wrong one. So, instead of getting that done, I spent some quality time sorting out a few electrical issues. Got the horn working, hooked up the neutral safety switch, and cleaned up some wiring under the dash. Hopefully I'll get the correct belt tonight so I can drive it again tomorrow. Seems like I only get to drive it 1 or 2 days until I find something else that needs done. Still improving though.

[ChevDog1]

Got the correct belt installed last night, gave it a quick bath, and drove it to work this morning. Had to stop for gas on the way in. First full tank through the truck was 18.1 mpg. I think it will do better under normal circumstances. That tank still had some testing and tuning on it, betting the choke setup, etc., so it had a few short trips and test drives on it. I'm hoping to be able to pull down 20mpg commuting, but not sure if I can get there without taller gears or an overdrive. I guess I need to start by figuring out what gears I have now.

[68Timber]

Still, that's a very respectable first number.

[Low Elco]

T5 swap time!

[ChevDog1]

That's exactly what I want to do! I prefer manuals - my last three cars have all been handshakers. Only problem is that I have not found a good price on an s10 T5. I have been checking craigslist almost daily. If I can find all of the parts cheap enough, I'll do it.

My brother-in-law sent me a text yesterday to tell me he is selling an old work truck. 1988 heavy half ton with an NV3500, good clutch, recent crate V8, etc. for $800. Problem is that I would have to get the trans, and then spend time parting the truck out to re-coup the costs. Not sure I'm up for that.

On the flip side, my truck would be more sell-able with an auto. A 700r4 swap would be easier, and more pleasant to drive in my daily commute. I get stuck in a traffic jam every morning and evening, which does get annoying with the 6 speed in my car.

[ChevDog1]

Well, I finally got started on color sanding and buffing the paint yesterday. I've been putting it off because wet sanding in cold temps is no fun (it sucks when its warm out, and is way worse when it's cold). So far, I have sanded the hood, drivers front fender, and drivers door. Used 800 sparingly for only heavy peel and defects, flattened with 1200, then finished with 2000. After I got started, I discovered that I'm out of cutting compound, so I tried to buff it with a polishing compound and a wool pad. It wasn't aggressive enough, so I will have to pick up some cutting compound today and go back over it.

[ChevDog1]

The photos showing sanded panels have been finished at 2000

[ChevDog1]

The hood here has been sanded and polished, the fender is just sanded.

[ChevDog1]

Some preliminary polishing - still need to go over this again.

[ChevDog1]

And another shot from a different angle.

[ChevDog1]

And a quick shot of the hood.

It's coming out pretty good, but as I said - I need some more products to do it right.

[InitialBoss]

Great looking blue!

[green72s]

Looks fantastic!

[ChevDog1]

Thanks! Hoping to have the cut and buff done by the end of this weekend. Going to try and get a little done in the evenings this week as well.

[Low Elco]

Good lookin' finish work!

[ChevDog1]

The lighting and camera make it look better than it actually is. The sanding is going well, and I'm getting the orange peel flattened out, but I had to pick up more aggressive compound yesterday. What I was using wasn't taking out all of the sanding scratches. Hopefully I'll have time tonight to try the Meguire's 105 I bought yesterday and see if it lives up to all of the hype I have read online.

[Low Elco]

Please let us know. After being a longtime 3m perfect it guy, I'm migrating back to meguiars. Very interested in the 105/205 system. Thanks!

[aotte1]

Like the color blue, looks great!. I use 3M too, like "Flyin' Low", finesse it III may be the name of final product used. However it is $$$$$$.

Really like the blue.

Lew

[ChevDog1]

Hey, that truck looks familiar! Looks like I picked a color close to the factory blue. Please be sure to post a pic in this thread when you ar done buffing it out. I would love to see what the color looks like all shined up.

Despite battling a bad head cold, I went out and spent another 6 hours yesterday, and 2 hours today finishing up. My sanding and polishing. I think it came out pretty decent...

[ChevDog1]

One from the back

[ChevDog1]

Reflections in the hood

[ChevDog1]

Another shot of the front.

[ChevDog1]

While it's never going to be a show truck, I am pleased with the results. The paint job ended up looking better than I expected, given my limited experience with paint and bodywork. It has a few flaws and blemishes, but that's what makes it mine.

I ended up sanding with 1200 and finishing with 2000. First buff was Megiires 105 on a wool pad. The 105 leaves a nice finish, but isn't very aggressive. It took a long time to cut out the 2000 scratches, even using wool. I guess that the nice part of this is that I was able to polish it out in two steps. Right after the 105, I hit it with a 3m polishing compound on a yellow me guides foam pad. Came up really nice, and almost completely swirl free.

I went over it today with Meguires swirl remover on a microfiber pad on my orbital, then waxed it with my favorite - Meguires NXT 2.0.

[green72s]

Originally Posted by ChevDog1

I think it came out pretty decent...

That's a serious understatement. All I keep saying to myself as I look at these pictures is WOW!

[Low Elco]

Looks fantastic from here!