Strippin'

So I am getting back to work on restoring the truck.  Seems like life keeps sending me down detours that take longer than planned.  But now I'm back for a little while.  Read something funny the other day about picking a body shop to do your restoration.  It said to look in the shop and see how many vehicles are sitting around being used for storage.  Then I walked in my shop and noticed parts of three different projects resting on the rear of the truck frame.  So I decided that it was time to get back to work.  At least until the next detour.

So I started by preparing to remove the cab.  The cab is the largest bodywork issue that I have, and will likely take the lions share of time on bodywork.  And its the only part still resting on the frame.  I knew in order to get it ready to pull from the frame, it needed to be stripped of all parts from the interior as well as the firewall. 

My initial goal was to pull the passenger side door to gain easier access to the interior of the cab.  I was prepared to call it a win.  Well, it snowballed from there.  I started picking all the stuff off the passengers side of the cab.  Glove door box, glove door latch, glove door hinges, glove box retaining ring.  Bagged, tagged, and in a box.  Then the speaker grill and radio delete plate.  Same story - bagged, tagged, and in a box.  Then I pulled the seats and the gas tank filler nozzle.  So one half of the interior of the truck is stripped.

Well, I still have a little more time and energy left.  So moving on to the drivers side.  Just get the door off, then I can roll on the rest another day.  Door came right off, pulled out the hinges as I did on the passenger side for a solid rebuild.  Then for the challenge.  Gauges.

Now anyone who has spent any time at all around the Advance Design Chevrolet trucks knows that Chevy put these trucks together to stay together!  I'm certain that the worst job on the assembly line was hanging those gauge clusters in the dash.  It at least wasn't a position held by a sausage fingered german like myself.  At any rate, three different 3/8" tools and quite a lot of contorting are required to remove them.  Coming out is always easier though, because I knew I could cut the harness, didn't have to worry about scratching the paint on the dash, or whatever else I will face when re-assembly begins. 

And as always, didn't take any before, during, or after pictures.  After, not much to see.  just a shell of a cab, empty.  The only things that remain are the interior dome light, and the door seal trim on each side.  There is one lonely screw per side that is holding them in.  Only because I can't get them to budge.  I did learn that anything from about 12" down on the truck is definitely going to be more stuck than anything above that.

I've went back and forth, and will probably go round again, but today the cab is going to get sandblasted.  Tomorrow I may buy a blaster and do it myself.  Who knows.  But for now, There are two pieces of door trim, an interior dome light, steering wheel and column to remove.  Then drain the gas and remove the tank, then 4 bolts holding the cab to the frame and recruit some muscle to help me lift it off the frame and onto the dolly (or trailer). 

May be able to get that accomplished this week in the evenings before bed.  Then possibly this weekend with a case of beer I can get the cab lifted off.  Then start power washing, wire brushing and ospho'ing the frame getting prepped for paint.  Then I can start putting the drivetrain back in and make a true roller out of it. 

Well my lunch break is over.  Back to it.  Till next time.