65 sporty
Well-Known Member
I just read through the thread, glad to hear your back at it.
1979 Dodge Lil Red Express Truck Restoration
- Thread starter jumbreit
- Start date
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
It's nice to see I've hit 60,000+ views, which makes it the highest on the pre-1981 forum.
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
It's nice to start working on this again. This summer is about fixing the cab bottom and getting it on the frame. So far I've got that cab support channel removed from the drivers side. I considered replacing the front cab support but I'd like to try to avoid that. I'm also hoping that after sandblasting the bottom I can also skip replacing the passenger side channel.
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Picked up one of those cheap Harbor Freight gravity feed sandblasters and finally got started on my cab. Got one corner done along with the middle of the cab which was nice and clean. I plan on doing this in small sections. I was planning on taking more time to do the center sections, but after I got all the gunk off it was nice and clean with no rust.
Tooljunkie
Active Member
My buddy had a lil red express in his storage building. Customer flaked out and left him with it. I hope he plans to restore it.
Its great to see a long term nearing the end, and you arent losing interest. I have three vehicles i want to bring back ,i know it will be a lot of work, but im a journeman mechanic and dabble in bodywork and upholstery. Also a lifetime of accumulating tools and equipment.
Im still impressed when someone with little more than a will to accomplish a daunting task and succeeds. Keep it up!!
Its great to see a long term nearing the end, and you arent losing interest. I have three vehicles i want to bring back ,i know it will be a lot of work, but im a journeman mechanic and dabble in bodywork and upholstery. Also a lifetime of accumulating tools and equipment.
Im still impressed when someone with little more than a will to accomplish a daunting task and succeeds. Keep it up!!
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I did experience a small drop in will after the painter fiasco...but I'm slowly getting back into the groove. However, my son and I brought home his first car and project, an '85 Celica Supra
LocuMob
Fluid Technician
Always wanted one of those as a teenager, first car was a 79 Celica ST.
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Got my dashboard all done. As I mentioned, we're going with a non-traditional paint scheme, mostly because of all the non-original sheet metal (specifically the '86 cab). We're going with satin black and red accents (decals, etc).
So I'm trying to re-do the dash to match the original as best I could, with not much luck on that chrome, and one of my sons suggested I go black with red around the bezels.
I seriously had NO IDEA it would look as good as it does. I used (satin or gloss, not sure) black with matte clear. Cleaned up the guages the best I could, touched up the needles and put in my brand new speedo.
So I'm trying to re-do the dash to match the original as best I could, with not much luck on that chrome, and one of my sons suggested I go black with red around the bezels.
I seriously had NO IDEA it would look as good as it does. I used (satin or gloss, not sure) black with matte clear. Cleaned up the guages the best I could, touched up the needles and put in my brand new speedo.
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Major milestone completed...the bottom of the cab is done and undercoated!
I had taken in the crusty cab rail to a metal shop to do some metalwork on it...but they misplaced it after it was repaired. Luckily, they made a blueprint of it and just made me a new one and it fit pretty good. I only had a few small spots to patch on the floor where the rail used to be. First time welder here...need more practice...but it worked out nevertheless.
Next step is to get the cab on the frame, get everything hooked up and start the engine up again.
My painter's been coming through for me and working out the satin paint.
I had taken in the crusty cab rail to a metal shop to do some metalwork on it...but they misplaced it after it was repaired. Luckily, they made a blueprint of it and just made me a new one and it fit pretty good. I only had a few small spots to patch on the floor where the rail used to be. First time welder here...need more practice...but it worked out nevertheless.
Next step is to get the cab on the frame, get everything hooked up and start the engine up again.
My painter's been coming through for me and working out the satin paint.
Polara_500
Well-Known Member
That dash came out niiiiiice, me likey.........
Basketcase
Well-Known Member
that dash is sweet!!! wish Dodge had stayed with that design a few more years.
The cab looks great. Been kicking around the idea of stacks on mine...but way down on the priority list.
The cab looks great. Been kicking around the idea of stacks on mine...but way down on the priority list.
65 sporty
Well-Known Member
Looking good
7mopar
Well-Known Member
I have stackes on the 82. They come up inside the frame and right behind the cab. The flat bed allowed plenty of room to keep the pipe above the frame once behind the cab. At the time had a heck of a time finding a shop that would do it.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician
That dash looks good, I like it a lot.
Richard Sweet
Member
Great project! Thanks for the thread. Keep at it. Best wishes.
Richard
Richard
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Took the week off to really get this thing on the downward path to completion.
So far this week...
This headliner was a mess and the old stuff was all crumbled and nasty and essentially was down to the fiberglass. I sprayed some adhesive and put down a layer of laminate flooring underlayment before attaching the headliner (I got from Jo-Anns Fabric). My first try and once it's on, it's on so there are imperfections...also the headliner pad itself was a little busted up in some areas.
Rustoleum Satin Black enamel, sprayed on with thinner (about 60/40) with some wet sanding initially to get rid of some drips because I've never sprayed before. I do plan to put a coat of Matte Clear on but that won't be until a final coat when I have the doors and fenders on so my final coat is consistent.
The sound deadener you see is simply roof flashing that I got from Lowes. I tapped on the panels before and after (while recording) and there was an improvement. That stuff is alot cheaper than what's designated as sound deadener and it is (arguably) the same thing.
Plans for the rest of the week:
I'll do another update after the week's over with what is hopefully a completed cab sans doors.
So far this week...
- Painted the cab
- Repainted the core support
- Painted interior trim
- This cab was from a W250 and it had all the interior trim pieces and headliner
- Cleaned up and refoamed the headliner
- Made small modification to firewall to fit old heater core
This headliner was a mess and the old stuff was all crumbled and nasty and essentially was down to the fiberglass. I sprayed some adhesive and put down a layer of laminate flooring underlayment before attaching the headliner (I got from Jo-Anns Fabric). My first try and once it's on, it's on so there are imperfections...also the headliner pad itself was a little busted up in some areas.
Rustoleum Satin Black enamel, sprayed on with thinner (about 60/40) with some wet sanding initially to get rid of some drips because I've never sprayed before. I do plan to put a coat of Matte Clear on but that won't be until a final coat when I have the doors and fenders on so my final coat is consistent.
The sound deadener you see is simply roof flashing that I got from Lowes. I tapped on the panels before and after (while recording) and there was an improvement. That stuff is alot cheaper than what's designated as sound deadener and it is (arguably) the same thing.
Plans for the rest of the week:
- Install windshield and rear window
- Carpeting
- Heater Core
- Dashboard
- Trim/headliner
- Seats
I'll do another update after the week's over with what is hopefully a completed cab sans doors.
7mopar
Well-Known Member
Door seals. You have door seals. Yes I need to order door seals. Thanks for the reminder. The truck has a fantastic heater but will not keep up in winter cold temperatures going down the road.
Looks like your doing a splendid job there. Paint runs were also a factory thing. Did some dealer prep in the early 70s.
Good thing the general public did not get to see most of it. Paint runs, weld splatter and inconsistent color were just a few noticeable items.
We try to make things look perfect when in all reality they were far from it.
Looks like your doing a splendid job there. Paint runs were also a factory thing. Did some dealer prep in the early 70s.
Good thing the general public did not get to see most of it. Paint runs, weld splatter and inconsistent color were just a few noticeable items.
We try to make things look perfect when in all reality they were far from it.
Basketcase
Well-Known Member
can't say I've had a Dodge D/W series with a bad heater. I've had two that had non working A/C, but I liked having the heat blow out of the dash vents. Gonna miss that with this truck.
Can't wait to see the black truck with red decals. sounds sweet!
Can't wait to see the black truck with red decals. sounds sweet!
jumbreit
Well-Known Member
Decided to hammer out more painting instead of doing more interior. I’ll finish the bed next year but I’m hoping I can at least drive this to a storage unit this fall.
There’s some filling I need to do on one of the doors, but I’m not going to sweat it too much. Some of the bodywork was started by someone else so I’ll finish that before i shoot paint on.
I’m excited to have everything I need to get the front done and have it start looking like a truck again.
There’s some filling I need to do on one of the doors, but I’m not going to sweat it too much. Some of the bodywork was started by someone else so I’ll finish that before i shoot paint on.
I’m excited to have everything I need to get the front done and have it start looking like a truck again.
7mopar
Well-Known Member
Is that the same hood?