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1968 Chevrolet C10 Restoration - Two-Tone Revival!Restoring A Timeless Design While Fixing What Mother Nature Wrought From the May, 2012 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Ryan Manson
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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.  I waited a good twelve hours...  I waited a good twelve hours between applying the Rust Encapsulator and the Drip-Chek seam sealer. Another twelve hours elapsed while the Drip-Chek cured and then I was ready to shoot some paint.  I waited a good twelve hours...  I waited a good twelve hours between applying the Rust Encapsulator and the Drip-Chek seam sealer. Another twelve hours elapsed while the Drip-Chek cured and then I was ready to shoot some paint.  In the interim, however, I...  In the interim, however, I removed the grille and related components and prepped them for paint as well.  I opted to use Eastwood’s...  I opted to use Eastwood’s Low VOC Bright White single stage Urethane for the top of the cab and the grille, mixed 4:1 with their activator. This will yield a beautiful finish with plenty of protection from UV rays and inclement weather. I use 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner for all kinds of cleaning and degreasing duties ’round the shop. Of course, it’s designed for wiping down surfaces prior to paint or bodywork.  Eastwood equipped me with...  Eastwood equipped me with a set of their Concours HVLP paint guns. The gun on the left is designed for those larger jobs, while the detail gun on the right is great for those smaller jobs such as painting a steering column or small parts.  I also have a variety of nozzle/needle/air...  I also have a variety of nozzle/needle/air cap kits on hand that I switch out depending on what I’m spraying.  With the truck masked off...  With the truck masked off and my work station (if you can call it that!) organized, I started shooting paint.  I laid a light coat, followed...  I laid a light coat, followed by a slightly heavier coat, followed by two heavier coats to provide consistent, even coverage.  You can see the gloss and...  You can see the gloss and color of the top in this shot of the rear passenger’s corner.  Putting the grille back together...  Putting the grille back together is a fairly straight forward process, though I did learn something that I thought I’d share and that’s the proper way to install the clips that hold the grille opening trim in place.  Note the relationship between...  Note the relationship between the rotation of the flat washer/clip and the spring tabs on either side. Basically, it needs to be installed so that when the nut is tightened, it wants to spin and lock into place as opposed to spinning and popping out of the groove.  The grill has holes for every...  The grill has holes for every fastener and it’s tricky to get them all in the correct spot. To solve this problem, I simply laid the trim against the grille, marked each hole, then installed the fasteners in the appropriate spot. This allowed me to install the trim correctly the first time without repeated attempts, which could have scratched the freshly painted grille.  Here’s the freshly rejuvenated...  Here’s the freshly rejuvenated front end, with all the bright work from Brothers Trucks including those nice, bright Euro Crystal headlights with bright white halogen bulbs. That unsightly white bumper also got traded in for a nice chrome number, adding some much needed shine to the frontend.  With the top painted to match...  With the top painted to match the grille, the original factory two-tone paint scheme has been reborn.  Not wanting to leave well...  Not wanting to leave well enough alone, I opted to get rid of the massive step bumper out back to wrap up the bright work upgrades.  After removing the bumper...  After removing the bumper with a small crane, I proceeded to install the new bumper brackets provided from Brothers.  Next, it was simply a matter...  Next, it was simply a matter of lifting the new bumper onto the brackets, leaving the shipping paper in place to protect the chrome for the time being.  And there you have it, all...  And there you have it, all the bling our little truck deserves, at least for the time being. Notice those new lenses? Those are courtesy of Brothers as well, and wrapped up all the lens and marker light upgrades.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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