The rear window section has...
The rear window section has been “jammed” prior to installation of the rear window.
After installing the Custom trim kit on the windshield and rear window of the ’68 C10 project truck, it was painfully obvious that something needed to be done about the top half of the cab. The truck’s original orange and white two-tone paint scheme had long since been covered in a solid coat of red, rather dubiously I might add, as it appears that they simple did a tape, scuff, and squirt job, attested by the peeling of the top coat in a number of areas. And while the rest of the truck was in OK shape, the top was really bad, with the original white paint showing through the faded red respray. But not only was it faded, it was also checked to the point where it would be necessary to sand it down through the layers until the roof was smooth again. And of course, as with almost any classic truck, the rain gutters had seen better days.
So, it was decided that I had better treat the issue before it got worse. Luckily, I saw the writing on the wall when I replaced the glass rubber and jammed the area around the windshield and rear glass in gloss white. This will save the area from suffering from a visible paint line and will allow me to shoot the top without removing the glass again.
This shot of the front corner...
This shot of the front corner of the roof shows the checked paint and the rather sad state of the front driprail.
But as these things go, it can’t simply begin and end with a respray of the top. No, it must become more complex as that’s just the nature of the truck project beast. Because, of course, the grille is white as well and is suffering from the same fate that’s befallen the top. Better plan on pulling that out and working it to match. So much for my weekend!
I really hate it when these rather simple ideas turn into a whole slew of projects, but it’s just the way things go sometimes. And, what the heck? Since I have to paint the top and the grille, I might as well take the opportunity to replace the front bright work, headlights, lamps, and lenses with new bits from Brothers Trucks. And, you know what? It’s gonna look really funny with a nice, new chrome front bumper and that old crusty step bumper out back; better plan on swapping that out as well … and so it goes … CCT
Closer observation reveals...
Closer observation reveals that someone over the years made a rather crude attempt at repairing certain sections of the driprail using some sort of silicone.
The rest of the driprail suffers...
The rest of the driprail suffers from water damage in the shape of surface rust and peeling paint and body filler.
The first step in restoring...
The first step in restoring the top of the cab is to remove all the sludge built up in the drip rails.
The simplest method of doing...
The simplest method of doing so is to scrape it out using a chisel or stiff scraper.
Next, I attacked the driprails...
Next, I attacked the driprails using a 3M paint and rust stripper disc attached to an angle die grinder to get rid of any rust, scale, or paint.
Once the driprails were cleaned...
Once the driprails were cleaned up, I sanded the rest of the roof and back of the cab until the surface was nice and smooth. Unfortunately, there was no way of getting into the deepest areas of the driprail to remove the surface rust without busting out a sandblast gun, something I didn’t feel like getting into.
The solution? Eastwood’s Rust...
The solution? Eastwood’s Rust Encapsulator paint. Designed to stabilize rust and prevent it from further developing. I’ll be able to shoot the entire driprail section and essentially seal the area.
One last step before I shoot...
One last step before I shoot and seal the driprail is to go around the perimeter and knock it straight using a hammer and dolly. You can see how wavy it is in the foreground.
Heavy Drip-Chek Sealer is...
Heavy Drip-Chek Sealer is what the local parts house had to seal the driprails, so that’s what I opted to use on this job, though there are a number of options out there. It also was easy to wipe smooth with a damp fingertip, allowing it to be worked into the seams.
I found that the Drip-Chek...
I found that the Drip-Chek worked well on the vertical sections and didn’t want to run like other products I’ve used in the past.
It also was easy to wipe Drip-Chek...
It also was easy to wipe Drip-Chek smooth with a damp fingertip, allowing it to be worked into the seams smoothly.