Thinking about building a truck from basically scratch

[Don B.]

Another update, I found a deal on a stainless steel brake line kit and fuel line kit from marketplace where the seller bailed on his truck due to what he says was too much rust.
Only problem is the particular company that he used only has line kits for short bed trucks like mine for some reason so I'm about 16" short on the line going down the frame to the back brakes... The front lines fit beautiful.
I did come up with a piece of straight and flared 3/16 stainless line but it's about double the length of the "patch" I need.... So I need to cut that one down and attempt to reflare 1 end of that... I've flared ALOT of brake line over the years but never had to do any stainless line.... This will be the first experience with that.

 

[Duner Wi]

Free advice, practice on the extra length before you are committed . Thank you for updated.

 

[Don B.]

Ok I got the front line and the back one to join up .. that piece from my kid actually flared easier than expected.
I found a 30 gallon gas tank that actually has a working and not rotted out sending unit... Soni don't have to settle for a Chinese reproduction.
I have a Chinese reproduction sending unit here and I see a way that I can swap out my old float unit (the part that tells the gauge where to read) off of a rusty original one and transfer that to the new rust free sending unit body.
Can't believe how much they get for those plastic tank sending unit lock rings.... Damn
I also have a 2nd rear end identical to the original that's been all sandblasted and primed/ painted
Primer and topcoat are each 2 part individual epoxy.
I took the brakes apart on both old and "new" Dana 60 and found all 4 drums between them are out of spec so had to get new ones.
I had to take the brake backing plates off and do some build up/welding on them where the shoes ride. I then sandblasted them and powdercoated them... I had an "oops" while powdercoating and all of the coating blistered and burnt off the one I had on the top rack of the oven. That stuff came off quite easily. The PC on the rest of it that didn't get BBQd dis NOT want to come off!!!
It took me over 2 hours to get that backing plate company bare again.... I don't have to worry about this stuff being durable I see.... This is the 2nd "test" of the durability of powdercoating on this project.... And it surprised me both times.

 

[Don B.]

I have everything brand new for the back brakes except for the backing plates and the e brake lever that the cable attaches to/ plus a 2nd set of everything (also brand new) as spares ... Including the e brake cables themselves.

 

[Don B.]

Well shyt.
Last night I got the rear ends swapped out. I feel more comfortable with having full contact on both spring plates instead of only half contact on the one side that had busted leaves and a spring plate that was bent down like a banana and looking like the driver side sprint and the rear end could slide on each other... I could have replaced the spring perch on the original rear but I lucked into a deal on a replacement for a good enough price not to have to cut and weld.

Earlier yesterday id gotten a phone call that's had me ------ ever since. Is this typical?
They've had my bed cab doors fenders etc for A WHOLE YEAR and haven't done anything with it yet. A YEAR. and I gave them their requested deposit the very next morning after I brought it to them. In cash even.
I realize they had a few jobs to finish up before they could start on mine. I was fine with "well have it done in 6 min to a year". I'm not happy with a year and not even touched.
We had a hailstorm in March. A full 6 months after they got my truck to paint
Well it seems every damn hail job got put in front of me. Cmon I was there FIRST.
Now they yell me they're over a year out on hail work. And im at the end of the list and have requested me to come and get my truck in same condition as they got it. I have the frame done and ready for the painted body to go back on the frame, and the body is still bare metal as it was when i dropped it off. I brought it from a sand blaster guy straight to them. Bare metal. Straight clean rust free from out of state. Not salt infested like most Illinois trucks. And they couldn't even prime or seal anything? We found damage in 1 door 1 fender and I had others in storage that turned out to be better, meaning less time and materials needed to make it nice. (And less money) So I took them nicer stuff to replace the not so nice ones... Neither tailgate I took them was worth a shyt so I bought a 3rd that is actually in good shape. A year and they haven't touched my truck, instead wanting to do all the work that has come in since mine got there.
Is this typical? I don't get it

 

[Don B.]

The kicker is I know these people.
I worked with the owners mon, dad grampa and uncle in my years of working at sears auto center. Body shop owners sister is my sins age and they went to school from kindergarten to high school together. So much for small town, support local, all that.
The guy whose truck I saw when I decided to go there that I asked who had painted his and gotten this shops name was a square body Chevy. Every project in progress that had to be finished was a GM. I got some Snickers when I brought in a Dodge bit ive known these people 30 years and they've known me as "the Dodge guy" all the while. Somehow I have a feeling that if mine was a Chevy I wouldn't be writing this ... But cmon it's sheet metal.... What difference does brand make when working sheet metal?
Wed previously talked price which went up to a "I really don't want to do that job so I'm gonna quote it stupid and I still left it there.
It was always "I get this one done and yours is next ". And each one he had to finish to get to mine was a different one that wasn't there when I brought mine in. And every one a GM product

 

[Don B.]

So now I probably get to rent storage while I shop body shops

 

[Duner Wi]

I hope for good news pretty soon. Most frustrating .

 

[Don B.]

Well I think I can get a better deal anyway. If he follows his word and I get all of my deposit back I guess I can call it free storage... But I would have much rather seen progress. At a minimum a coat of something on all that bare metal. Last time I saw it it hasn't started flash rust yet and I hope that to still be the case.
I'll bring the bed home and put it on the frame by a couple of bolts for now and whatever I can fit in the back of the bed. The cab they've had will probably get cut up for its good parts as I have a better one at home. I wanted to swap them out but the shop owner wanted me to bring that one home and swap out the big floor tunnel for my stick trans... He said he'd rather fix the outside problems where id rather work on stuff not so visible. Like floor pans that will be hidden by hush mat, carpet and such. So now I'll get to do that at least and save myself some money with whoever I get to take it over. My son recently moved to 6 acres in the country (from 2 acres in the country) so I have a place I can at least get something on the bare steel I have sprayed paint before but more industrial type stuff. I want this to actually look good so I'm not wanting to paint the obvious parts. I don't mind doing the jambs the firewall the back of the cab the front of the bed, places like that that will barely be seen ... So at least that will allow me to reassemble the truck.... Maybe I'll chip away at that and get it as a complete roller and then look for a shop.... I don't know at this point. Every time I figure on paying someone to do anything for me I get screwed. So if I don't do it it usually doesn't get done