yoothgeye
I build stuff.
Hey RRB guys and gals, sorry I haven't been on the forums in forever, I've just had so much going on at church and home that I just don't have the time to check in. I still work on bikes almost daily, and still do some building, but no real time to document and share (I do share on Instagram @yoothgeye ).
Anyway, last spring, long story short, someone gave me a 1985 Chevrolet S-10 that had been sitting in a field for about 8 year. It had been parked when the owner got a newer truck, but sitting hadn't been good to it. I decided to use some rat rod bike skills to make it something more than just a stock looking truck.
This was out in the field where it sat for years. In this photo I had pulled the bed to get to the fuel tank which had to be replaced, along with the sending unit, pump, and hanger. Amazon.com parts, this (plus pickup screen and fuel filter) set me back under $150.
I took the bed home that day on my trailer to start cleaning it up and grinding/sanding down some small rust spots. A week or two later a friend offered to trailer the truck home (about 6 miles away) so I could work at it at home instead of going back and forth to the guy's yard.
A day later I had it running. I had to rebuild the throttle body (with a $30 kit) and it started right up. At this point I had been given a set of used 14" tires, my dad has a tire machine so we mounted and balanced them, and my brother-in-law had an old but good battery that he donated to the cause. My kids got in on cleaning it.
A friend helped me lift the bed back on (I had pulled it off myself) and the next day it passed inspection and was on the road.
It drove pretty good on it's first trip up the highway.
That trip revealed a seized and busted rear wheel cylinder, but a new cylinder, brake shoes, and spring kit only set me back $15.
I can't leave anything alone, so I started preparing for a faux patina paint job. First I went over every contour and curve with gloss black.
After a few days I did the entire truck in red oxide primer and flat brown.
Then I went flat white over the whole truck.
Then I masked it for a 2 tone paint job. Wrapping paper worked well for masking, and the stuff is cheap if you don't already have a hundred rolls in your attic.
Sprayed it orange. At this point the paint job almost looked good and I hated it. After a couple days I began wet sanding the paint to reveal the under layers. In this photo the passenger side had not been sanded yet, but the look was coming together.
A few days later I did the wheels. First flat brown.
Then gloss blue.
Then after a few days, some wet sanding.
I had the parts for a while, but 3 weeks ago, finally lowered it. I used 2" drop spindles in the front ($135) and cut 1 coil off of the springs. In the back I used 3" blocks ($30), removed the middle leaf, and added a 1/2" steel plate bolted into the spring pack when I put them back together.
I love the truck now.
The kids like it too.
And even though it's lowered, it can still do work.
Okay, maybe not that much work, but definitely this much.
If there is interest I will show the checkerboard headliner and street sign tailgate liner.
I'll try not to be a stranger.
Anyway, last spring, long story short, someone gave me a 1985 Chevrolet S-10 that had been sitting in a field for about 8 year. It had been parked when the owner got a newer truck, but sitting hadn't been good to it. I decided to use some rat rod bike skills to make it something more than just a stock looking truck.
This was out in the field where it sat for years. In this photo I had pulled the bed to get to the fuel tank which had to be replaced, along with the sending unit, pump, and hanger. Amazon.com parts, this (plus pickup screen and fuel filter) set me back under $150.
I took the bed home that day on my trailer to start cleaning it up and grinding/sanding down some small rust spots. A week or two later a friend offered to trailer the truck home (about 6 miles away) so I could work at it at home instead of going back and forth to the guy's yard.
A day later I had it running. I had to rebuild the throttle body (with a $30 kit) and it started right up. At this point I had been given a set of used 14" tires, my dad has a tire machine so we mounted and balanced them, and my brother-in-law had an old but good battery that he donated to the cause. My kids got in on cleaning it.
A friend helped me lift the bed back on (I had pulled it off myself) and the next day it passed inspection and was on the road.
It drove pretty good on it's first trip up the highway.
That trip revealed a seized and busted rear wheel cylinder, but a new cylinder, brake shoes, and spring kit only set me back $15.
I can't leave anything alone, so I started preparing for a faux patina paint job. First I went over every contour and curve with gloss black.
After a few days I did the entire truck in red oxide primer and flat brown.
Then I went flat white over the whole truck.
Then I masked it for a 2 tone paint job. Wrapping paper worked well for masking, and the stuff is cheap if you don't already have a hundred rolls in your attic.
Sprayed it orange. At this point the paint job almost looked good and I hated it. After a couple days I began wet sanding the paint to reveal the under layers. In this photo the passenger side had not been sanded yet, but the look was coming together.
A few days later I did the wheels. First flat brown.
Then gloss blue.
Then after a few days, some wet sanding.
I had the parts for a while, but 3 weeks ago, finally lowered it. I used 2" drop spindles in the front ($135) and cut 1 coil off of the springs. In the back I used 3" blocks ($30), removed the middle leaf, and added a 1/2" steel plate bolted into the spring pack when I put them back together.
I love the truck now.
The kids like it too.
And even though it's lowered, it can still do work.
Okay, maybe not that much work, but definitely this much.
If there is interest I will show the checkerboard headliner and street sign tailgate liner.
I'll try not to be a stranger.
A small block Chevy, next.
