Thread: 1972 Chevy K30 Longhorn Build

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Originally Posted by Scooting

On the hydro dipping - how were the letters kept out of the pattern? or did you paint them after the dip?
Welcome to your new house, now make it a home.

The guy who did it painted the valve cover black, then dipped it, then cut off the stuff over the letters, masked it off and painted them silver. Then cleared it. I think that's what he did any how.

And thanks, we're working on it.

Not much happening on the truck but I have been gearing up to work on it. I've been working on our fence and once it's up and done, it's truck time! I'm taking the first week of July off to work on it because Good guys is the 4th of July weekend and I'm taking it there one way or another! I did buy a 5hp 60gal IR air compressor and my dad came over here and wired it up today. Getting closer to having a usable garage to work in.

This year I got an extra week of vacation at work. I decided to take a week off to work on this truck to get it ready for goodguys. Well, I worked on it, not as much as I needed to. Needless to say it won't be going again. But, I did get some work done on it. As usual, all the stuff I thought would only take a little while, took a lot longer. For instance, the new AAW update harness is wired and has connectors for the cab and is all done already. Everything else you run and install the connectors you need. So, the wiring job is taking longer. I got the new firewall insulation on too. I did get the front lights all wired, the radio is wired, new ignition switch in and wired, I finally mounted the LH kick panel speaker and found out it blocks the floor dimmer switch. I remounted it, fixed my brake rod mount, and got the under dash lights wired. Head light switch replaced and hooked up, put the new to it steering column in it. But, I forgot I have to remove the steering shaft and collapse it about 1.5" because I'm moving the column closer to the dash to gain room. I still have to wire the engine, DD cluster, air compressor, trans controller, and more. So, rather than getting it done enough to cruise goodguys, I just decided to leave it and work on it until I can be to a some what done point. It won't be done, done, this year as there's still so much I'd like to get for it. But I have other vehicles that need more first. I won't drive this truck in the winter if I don't have to, so I have a 76 Chevy K30 I need to get drivable. Geewhiz

I also got the front bumper mounts extended, plated, and drilled holes and bolted the bumper on the truck. That was a process as the bumper mounting area is 1/2" thick now. I also did a third brake light mod in the cargo light, rewired and mounted my alternator external regulator, found a lot of parts I hid from my self for this too. Hopefully I can drive the truck before July is up. With everything going on, it'll be close..........

Keep at it Ryan! It's coming along for sure.

Originally Posted by 34_40

Keep at it Ryan! It's coming along for sure.

Thanks. I'm trying. Haha

On the other hand, last week I did get the wife's Excursion running again. Man, we sure missed it! And the week before that I got my belly mower back on my Super H so I could mow Dad's pastures. He's been having issues with his LH hip and leg and hasn't been doing as much as he used to. My brother and I have been trying to do mowing duties for him. Dad did go to auction and baught a Kubota D2150 though. It is a beast! But, it won't mow a pasture like the Farmall. Imagine that. 24hp vs. 36

Kubotas are a great machine.. but 24 hp is still just 24 hp!

Last week about Wednesday some plans changed and my youngest brother and I decided to bust butt on the truck to get it ready so he could take it to Good guys one day, and I would take it the next. (I could only go on Sunday this year) The work began. From Wednesday through Friday into Saturday morning, we got a lot accomplished. He came over two mornings and worked before work with me, and I was working on it after work too. But on Friday night we pulled an all nighter on it.

I got the fuel shut down solenoid, starter solenoid, fuel pump, wired and they are ran off relays. Not just a fused circuit. It should make for a much nicer system. I still have to install wire protectant and tie it all up. But i can't do that until I have all the gauges hooked up, as well as some of my other accessories. That will get done soon hopefully. I got the rear lights wired and working, all except the brake lights. I got the dakota digital vhx control box mounted and started hooking it up. I have the oil pressure and water temp hooked up currently. My brother got my finned diff covers installed, he sanded down my bumpers and we primered them and shot them with plasti-dip. I re-painted the bow ties on my rear hub caps, made them 3/4 ton ones instead of half ton ones, and cut the holes for the lock outs in the front ones. I got my steering shaft shortened so I could move the steering column closer to the dash for more room. I switched my throttle over to a dodge style with a bell crank and linkage. Then I got the lokar throttle pressure cable hooked up to the transmission. Once that was done I installed the lokar shift cable kit I got. That was kind of a pain, and I still need to adjust it and fine tune it. I re-installed my #6 injector line my other brother borrowed when his broke. Installed the new valve cover, had to remove the starter and remove a starter spacer from back when I had a manual trans in it, and hooked the power wires up to the truck's new harness. I think we fired the truck up at around mid night Saturday morning. We added trans fluid and made sure it would go in gear. It did, sweet. Well to make a long story shorter, I pulled the truck outside the garage at 9am. I went in to get the keys to my wife's excursion so I could put the 72 on the trailer. I came back out, jumped in the truck and started driving. It was clear to me that something was wrong with the trans. Now, this torque converter is a 3,000 rpm stall V10/V10 converter that I had in the corvette. So, either the converter is way too lose for this truck, or there is a trans problem. This converter never stalled above 1250 in the car. Maybe nearly double the weight does make a difference? So, the truck didn't go to good guys, and now I have to find out why the trans goes in gear nice and firm, will move out alright at idle, but doesn't want to go up a trailer or accelerate on the road. Hopefully it's the "race" converter.

It sucked the truck couldn't go, but it is so much closer to being road worthy now and that is nice!

Nice! You've really kicked some but on this thing lately

Originally Posted by falconvan

Nice! You've really kicked some but on this thing lately

Thanks! Yeah, I really stuck some hours in it. Haha

I swapped all the lights besides the head lights to LED's too. I'm going to order some led bulbs for the head lights at some point. One of my head light housings is cracked. That's a little discouraging.

Great job on getting it closer to done.. Thanks for all the pics also!

Nice pile of lumber too.. adding on a deck? what was that address again??

Originally Posted by 34_40

Great job on getting it closer to done.. Thanks for all the pics also!

Nice pile of lumber too.. adding on a deck? what was that address again??

Thanks. Yes sir, I have to redo the seating on the deck at some point too. IDK when yet Haha (Plus I'm still not done with our fence)

I've came to the conclusion I may have to send this torque converter in and have it swapped back to a diesel rather than the gas type it is now. I should have known but I figured I'd try it. So, the truck could be setting a bit.

Small update on the 72.............. I removed the transmission back in September. My Dad has been struggling with back problems and he has been the tranny guy for me the last several years. Fast forward a bit and now he's really laid up and I wouldn't let him jack with my trans. Well last week I took it to a trans shop since I don't have enough time to mess with it. They found the problem(s) and will have it together this week. Once I get it back, sometime I'll put it back together and then get my front drive shaft built. At least then I have a working 4wd again until I can get my 76 put together. This time I will stick my reman single disc billet torque converter in it, instead of my race converter. It better work this time, I've had some bad blood with this transmission. Haha

Looking great; I hope you dad gets to feeling better.

What did "they" find in the trans.?