In last month's edition of CCT I spoke about how the '79 Chevy C10 Big 10 known to loyal CCT readers as the Americruise truck had gone through a lot of good changes. I discussed how the first improvements after buying the truck and readying it to drive across country in only six weeks time for Americruise was to install a Gearstar 4L60E transmission and rack-up over 5,200 test miles in one week on CPP's new trailing-arm kit for '73-87 C10s. I also mentioned how I had installed Howell Development's TBI kit, the Wilwood/CPP 14-inch big disc brake conversion, plus a bunch of Dakota Digital goodies, as well as a host of other upgrades that could be found in tech stories archived on CCT's website. I concluded by saying "in next month's issue we're really going to rock and roll. Before Brothers power-window mechs go in. I'm going to line the doors with Dynamat, and enclose the 6x9 speakers the right way with a Boom Mat, and DynaXorb. While I'm at we'll also drop in a set of 6x9 cab corner brackets from Jeff Drew at 73-87.com." That said in this issue we are at exactly the point where we can pick it back up as promised.
Notice the passenger-side door is precisely as we left it with the window glass in place serving to protect the interior of the cab from the elements, and with an empty door shell as a clean slate for us to begin with. Thanks to the '79 spending most of its life housed in a barn at night, the door's innards were discovered as close to mint as one could hope for. If your truck exhibits any trace of rust damage you'll have to address that before you can proceed. The first move was to take a damp, soapy rag and wash down as much of the door's interior surface as possible and then blow it dry with compressed air. By the time I had completed a thorough repetition of the process I was wishing the silver paint on the outside of the truck was looking as good.
The key to obtaining good results is doing things in the correct order. This meant it was time to line the doors with Dynamat Xtreme before moving on to concealing a pair of 6x9 Powerbass speakers behind the steel crossflow ventilation louvers on the doors. Lining the doors interrupts the harmonics set up by sheetmetal vibration that causes noise. On the flipside, as Dynamat Xtreme cancels noise its insulation qualities work to increase sound pressure, which adds more bottom to bass notes. Beyond improving sound quality Dynamat Xtreme enhances the truck's heater and air-conditioning ability to maintain a pleasant temperature in the cab.
With the insulation and speakers in place all that remained was to install Brothers' direct-fit power window mechanisms. This turned out to be a real pleasure as installing Brothers' direct-fit power window kit proved easier to do than reinstalling the manual window regulators. Naturally, as with any custom installation there are a few tricks of the trade that can make life a lot easier once they know them, so we've included a proverbial bandelero full of hot tips you can use.
The Mega Pak contains nine...
The Mega Pak contains nine 24x48-inch sheets of Dynamat Xtreme. I found the best way to start was to measure the area I wanted to insulate, and then thumbnail a blueprint. All it takes are basic tools to install: a fresh, single-edge razor blade; a framing square; and a 5-foot straightedge will get the balling rolling.
This was the first time I'd...
This was the first time I'd ever installed a large section of Dynamat Xtreme. The easiest method I found to avoid a big stuck-together mess was to peel a little backing off the leading edge, stick it in place, and then pull more of the backing away as I worked towards the end of the section.
Next, I used the palm of my...
Next, I used the palm of my hand along with my fingertips to tamp and press the Dynamat down. I imagine I could have utilized a roller of some sort, but that would have involved having to walk to my toolbox.
There's hardly anything more...
There's hardly anything more fun than doing a good job on the first try. The odds of this area getting carpeted anytime soon are pretty slim, so it's a good thing the rear of the cab came out this nice.
The large opening in a '73-87...
The large opening in a '73-87 door is just a little over 8 inches wide. Inserting Dynamat that's wider than 8-inches sets up a wrinkle that's hard to flatten back out. An 8x24-inch wide strip dropped right in, and slid easily towards the front of the door.
I tacked the Dynamat Xtreme...
I tacked the Dynamat Xtreme at the top, and then peeled the rest of the backing off, as the 8x24-inch section was pressed on.
The next step was to prepare...
The next step was to prepare for dropping the 6x9 Powerbass speakers into place behind the crossflow vent louvers. With very limited space available, utilizing a collapsible Boom Mat speaker baffle proved to be the perfect solution.
Since the 6x9 Powerbass speakers...
Since the 6x9 Powerbass speakers will be almost impossible to access after being installed, I attached the speaker wires Powerbass included.
Next, I flipped the 6x9 over...
Next, I flipped the 6x9 over and fitted the Boom Mat to the speaker's backside. Notice black silicone was applied to keep the mounting nuts from backing off.
A sharp, prick punch was used...
A sharp, prick punch was used to align the two mounting holes on the speaker with the holes in the door.
My favorite method for cleaning...
My favorite method for cleaning off excess silicone, and restoring a paintjob's original luster, is to buff on a coating of Mothers Carnuba Cleaner Wax and polish it off with a Mothers microfiber towel.
While I had a clear shot at...
While I had a clear shot at pulling the wiring for the Powerbass speakers and Brothers direct-fit power windows, I butt-connected a fishing line together with a length of stainless steel bailing wire.
Here's the route necessary...
Here's the route necessary to circumnavigate the double-wall structure found in all '73-87 C10 doors (fish around you'll find it!).
This is how Brothers direct-fit...
This is how Brothers direct-fit power windows are situated inside the door. Notice the boltholes for factory power windows are now used instead of the manual window regulator boltholes.
This is how Brothers direct-fit power windows are situated inside the door. Notice the boltholes for factory power windows are now used instead of the manual window regulator boltholes.
It's as simple as one, two,...
It's as simple as one, two, three. To install Brothers' power window mechanism I inserted it through the large hole in the door and inserted the white nylon roller into the window track positioned slightly below the vent window from the front of the track.
The second step is to insert...
The second step is to insert the top rear white nylon roller from the rear of the rack.
The third white nylon roller...
The third white nylon roller on the bottom arm was installed by rolling (shoving) the power window mechanism forward to mate up with the opening in the track located at the bottom of the large access hole.
The final step was to line...
The final step was to line up the four mounting studs on the power window mechanism with the four matching holes located in the door, and then tighten the nuts.
I used crimp-type butt connectors...
I used crimp-type butt connectors to fuse the black and blue wires together.
The chrome GM-type power window...
The chrome GM-type power window switch included with Brothers' kit fits into the manual window crank hole with just a little filing to make the round hole square.
A good trick to determine...
A good trick to determine the size of a Dynamat section needed is to use a tape measure like this.
The www.73-87.com 6x9 speaker...
The www.73-87.com 6x9 speaker mount fits nicely into the cab corner. I used a template Powerbass included to drill the four holes needed to mount the speaker.
With the speaker grille installed...
With the speaker grille installed and the black and blue Powerbass speaker wires concealed beneath the carpet I was ready for the next step.
True to everything I have...
True to everything I have done to the '79 so far, my decision to mount an ultra-shallow Powerbass 12-inch subwoofer cabinet is a little over-the-top. Please stick around for next month's issue where I will finish up by wiring the Powerbass amplifier, subwoofer, and the four 6x9 speakers into the C10's wiring electrical system along with Brothers direct-fit power windows. Notice how the Powerbass12-inch sub cabinet fits perfectly onto the C10's shelf-that's it for now, I'll see you guys next month.