C.E.Divine
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- Joined
- May 14, 2014
- Messages
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Hi all,
This is my first post on the site. To be honest, I do not know when I registered, but apparently I did because my email address is already in the system. Anyway, I am a lifetime chevy driver, minus my six month foray into chrysler products where I learned that they are not worth the trouble (95 Intrepid). I had a 98 Cheyenne K1500 that I loved to death, and ended up selling it to pay for sales tax on my 2013 sonic, and I miss that truck like nothing else. I still see it around town every now and them, and it breaks my heart to see the shape it is in now. Here is a shot of it in it's absolute prime.
While I still had the 98, otherwise known as Hoss, I bought an 08 Impala. It was a nice upgrade since the AC worked in the impala, and was an auto. I still missed rowing through gears in Fayetteville though.
And of course, the little 2013 Sonic that replaced the Impala when the transmission went out and also led to me selling Hoss.
I have now come full circle to the 94 K2500 that currently sits in my garage, Big Red. It was my first vehicle, PERIOD. It was owned my my grandpa, purchased new Feb. 2, 1994. He taught me to drive a vehicle in it on the farm while we were feeding hay to the cattle. He told me I was not allowed to drive another vehicle until I learned to drive a stick, and I never looked back. Just so everyone doesn't get teary eyed wondering if he passed, Pop is still alive and kicking, but I didn't have a truck anymore and Big Red had been sitting in the barn for a couple years minus the occasional drive to the mailbox just so it wouldn't seize up. Big Red's successor is a 2006 2500HD 4wd Duramax. As of today, the Dmax has 45,*** miles on the clock. Pop doesn't drive much anymore since he retired from the University and sold the farm.
When my new wife and I moved to Prairie Grove, AR in May, I asked Pop if I could borrow Big Red for a couple of weeks to move, and he offered to sign the title over to me since he doesn't drive it anymore, and is looking to free up room. The only reason he hadn't sold it before is because I asked him not to, and told him I would take it as soon as I had room to store it. When we moved, I finally had room, and also had use for it. My profession is school band instrument repair, and in the summer, we drive to area schools and pick up their instruments. Up until this last summer, we had been relying on the owner of our company to drive up from Little Rock to pick up instruments since we did not have a company truck, but Big Red has filled that position. Without further ado,
Big Red is a 94 K2500 with a 350, NV4500 with low first, 3.73 gears, 8600 GVWR option, and has every last piece of paperwork to go with it. Window sticker, lien papers, down to every last oil change. Pop was a stickler for keeping records. And that is about all he cared for with this truck. He is not an absolute car nut. He made sure it ran, had the oil changed on time, and didn't drive the hell out of it. That's it. It is a little worse for wear in many areas. 273,*** miles will do a lot to a vehicle. Original shocks, exhaust, AC that hasn't work since the turn of the millenium, really, it is mostly original minus the water pump, rear ring and pinion (grenaded towing a bulldozer) fuel pump (original sending unit that says your'e empty when you still have half a tank left) clutch and tune up items.
You know how they say a vehicle turns in to it's owner? This truck is exactly like Pop. Old, rusty, hard for wear, and will still get up, get warmed up, and pull a load much heavier than everyone says it should do. The nuts and bolts are still good, it just needs some sprucing up and a little work beyond a tune-up. I started step one today, trying to make it look good enough that everyone I drive by won't say "Why did he put such nice new wheels and tires on that old piece of $#!t!"
The main issue hear is what I said earlier, Pop made sure it ran. That means that the only wax that touched this truck was put on right before Chevrolet delivered it to him in Feb. 1994. There was also an unfortunate incident in the late 90's where C of O had to paint the building where his office and workshop was (He was Professor of Industrial Arts) and he forgot to park his truck away from the building. They used spray guns, and there was a breeze that day. The gray building paint has since resided on the truck since then.
I spent the day with a clay bar and my Porter Cable buffer trying to get this crap off.
Halfway through compounding the hood
As I went through it claying, compunding and polishing, I realized how shot the paint a clear coat are. I can see every spot where a bird crapped on this truck, because the clearcoat is spiderwebbed, and it looks like there is still something on the truck. I haven't gotten to the rocker panels yet, as I didn't want to dirty up my buffing pads and dint have the material to get old road paint off the rockers. There is still quite a bit of the paint left that floated on to the truck, but once I saw how the rest of it was turning out, I fell in to the "Good enough" trap and just kept trucking. It is a hell of a lot better as it sits right now, and I am generally satisfied. It will be getting new paint and rust removed within the next couple years anyway, so I don't feel the need to spend 100+ hours finessing out every paint detail right now. Besides, it is still a work truck, I just wanted the body to look better for the new tires.
There are still a lot of scratches and swirls left that will probably only come out with wet-sanding. That is what haves the paint look so hazy above. I am hoping wax will help this slightly, but I do not have super-high expectations. And with the way the body is now, I am not going to spend the time wet sanding it. I will probably have a few more buffing sessions down the road that will get better results each time, but it will never be on the level that my 98 was until I get the body repainted.
I also need to remove the remaining running board, because it is so rotten that I'm afraid to step on it. I just get a running start and leap in. I will be getting a set of Iron Cross stainless step bars after the new year, as well as doing the rest of the work it needs.
What else will I be doing after the first of the year?
New AC system including blower motor and actuators
Rebuild front end from rag-joint forward, including power steering lines and pump
New shocks (Bilstean 4600 series), maybe rear leaf springs
New tires and used wheels off CL if I can find them for a decent price
New exhaust from the manifold back, 10 series Flowmaster or quieter
Change all fluids
New light bulbs all around, polish the lenses
Strip interior down to the metal to clean every bit of plastic and fabric
Possible new head unit and 4x6 speakers, although I just listen to FM anyway
General tune-up, rebuild TB.
I am looking forward to this project, and will probably have many questions in the coming weeks/months. I know just enough about how to work on vehicles to be dangerous, especially AC systems. I won't be doing the exhaust myself.
TL;DR Moved, needed a truck, grandpa gave me the old farm truck, now I have the itch that I haven't felt since I was a junior in High School to fix up a vehicle.
I'm glad I can finally be an active member! Sorry for the novel!
Happy New Year!
And GO HOGS!!!!
This is my first post on the site. To be honest, I do not know when I registered, but apparently I did because my email address is already in the system. Anyway, I am a lifetime chevy driver, minus my six month foray into chrysler products where I learned that they are not worth the trouble (95 Intrepid). I had a 98 Cheyenne K1500 that I loved to death, and ended up selling it to pay for sales tax on my 2013 sonic, and I miss that truck like nothing else. I still see it around town every now and them, and it breaks my heart to see the shape it is in now. Here is a shot of it in it's absolute prime.
You must be registered for see images attach
[/URL]While I still had the 98, otherwise known as Hoss, I bought an 08 Impala. It was a nice upgrade since the AC worked in the impala, and was an auto. I still missed rowing through gears in Fayetteville though.
You must be registered for see images attach
[/URL]And of course, the little 2013 Sonic that replaced the Impala when the transmission went out and also led to me selling Hoss.
You must be registered for see images attach
[/URL]I have now come full circle to the 94 K2500 that currently sits in my garage, Big Red. It was my first vehicle, PERIOD. It was owned my my grandpa, purchased new Feb. 2, 1994. He taught me to drive a vehicle in it on the farm while we were feeding hay to the cattle. He told me I was not allowed to drive another vehicle until I learned to drive a stick, and I never looked back. Just so everyone doesn't get teary eyed wondering if he passed, Pop is still alive and kicking, but I didn't have a truck anymore and Big Red had been sitting in the barn for a couple years minus the occasional drive to the mailbox just so it wouldn't seize up. Big Red's successor is a 2006 2500HD 4wd Duramax. As of today, the Dmax has 45,*** miles on the clock. Pop doesn't drive much anymore since he retired from the University and sold the farm.
When my new wife and I moved to Prairie Grove, AR in May, I asked Pop if I could borrow Big Red for a couple of weeks to move, and he offered to sign the title over to me since he doesn't drive it anymore, and is looking to free up room. The only reason he hadn't sold it before is because I asked him not to, and told him I would take it as soon as I had room to store it. When we moved, I finally had room, and also had use for it. My profession is school band instrument repair, and in the summer, we drive to area schools and pick up their instruments. Up until this last summer, we had been relying on the owner of our company to drive up from Little Rock to pick up instruments since we did not have a company truck, but Big Red has filled that position. Without further ado,
You must be registered for see images attach
Big Red is a 94 K2500 with a 350, NV4500 with low first, 3.73 gears, 8600 GVWR option, and has every last piece of paperwork to go with it. Window sticker, lien papers, down to every last oil change. Pop was a stickler for keeping records. And that is about all he cared for with this truck. He is not an absolute car nut. He made sure it ran, had the oil changed on time, and didn't drive the hell out of it. That's it. It is a little worse for wear in many areas. 273,*** miles will do a lot to a vehicle. Original shocks, exhaust, AC that hasn't work since the turn of the millenium, really, it is mostly original minus the water pump, rear ring and pinion (grenaded towing a bulldozer) fuel pump (original sending unit that says your'e empty when you still have half a tank left) clutch and tune up items.
You know how they say a vehicle turns in to it's owner? This truck is exactly like Pop. Old, rusty, hard for wear, and will still get up, get warmed up, and pull a load much heavier than everyone says it should do. The nuts and bolts are still good, it just needs some sprucing up and a little work beyond a tune-up. I started step one today, trying to make it look good enough that everyone I drive by won't say "Why did he put such nice new wheels and tires on that old piece of $#!t!"
The main issue hear is what I said earlier, Pop made sure it ran. That means that the only wax that touched this truck was put on right before Chevrolet delivered it to him in Feb. 1994. There was also an unfortunate incident in the late 90's where C of O had to paint the building where his office and workshop was (He was Professor of Industrial Arts) and he forgot to park his truck away from the building. They used spray guns, and there was a breeze that day. The gray building paint has since resided on the truck since then.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
I spent the day with a clay bar and my Porter Cable buffer trying to get this crap off.
Halfway through compounding the hood
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
As I went through it claying, compunding and polishing, I realized how shot the paint a clear coat are. I can see every spot where a bird crapped on this truck, because the clearcoat is spiderwebbed, and it looks like there is still something on the truck. I haven't gotten to the rocker panels yet, as I didn't want to dirty up my buffing pads and dint have the material to get old road paint off the rockers. There is still quite a bit of the paint left that floated on to the truck, but once I saw how the rest of it was turning out, I fell in to the "Good enough" trap and just kept trucking. It is a hell of a lot better as it sits right now, and I am generally satisfied. It will be getting new paint and rust removed within the next couple years anyway, so I don't feel the need to spend 100+ hours finessing out every paint detail right now. Besides, it is still a work truck, I just wanted the body to look better for the new tires.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
There are still a lot of scratches and swirls left that will probably only come out with wet-sanding. That is what haves the paint look so hazy above. I am hoping wax will help this slightly, but I do not have super-high expectations. And with the way the body is now, I am not going to spend the time wet sanding it. I will probably have a few more buffing sessions down the road that will get better results each time, but it will never be on the level that my 98 was until I get the body repainted.
You must be registered for see images attach
I also need to remove the remaining running board, because it is so rotten that I'm afraid to step on it. I just get a running start and leap in. I will be getting a set of Iron Cross stainless step bars after the new year, as well as doing the rest of the work it needs.
What else will I be doing after the first of the year?
New AC system including blower motor and actuators
Rebuild front end from rag-joint forward, including power steering lines and pump
New shocks (Bilstean 4600 series), maybe rear leaf springs
New tires and used wheels off CL if I can find them for a decent price
New exhaust from the manifold back, 10 series Flowmaster or quieter
Change all fluids
New light bulbs all around, polish the lenses
Strip interior down to the metal to clean every bit of plastic and fabric
Possible new head unit and 4x6 speakers, although I just listen to FM anyway
General tune-up, rebuild TB.
I am looking forward to this project, and will probably have many questions in the coming weeks/months. I know just enough about how to work on vehicles to be dangerous, especially AC systems. I won't be doing the exhaust myself.
TL;DR Moved, needed a truck, grandpa gave me the old farm truck, now I have the itch that I haven't felt since I was a junior in High School to fix up a vehicle.
I'm glad I can finally be an active member! Sorry for the novel!
Happy New Year!
And GO HOGS!!!!
fellow former impala owner. I haven't spent much time on IF lately, didn't know yours died. I like big red.
