Memorial Reflections (A full weekend of cleaning up)

This Memorial weekend we stayed close to home and I took advantage of the sun and perfect temperature to tackle some truck issues. The first was to finish the cleaning and waxing of the truck body. The final result looks real nice. Of course now I have to consider some "repair" work on the real bad spots. I used the tent to keep me cool during the day and since it was a long weekend I was able to work on it for three long days.




Deluxe Heater

Blower motor sits on top of the unit above.

I also went after the deluxe heater controls and corresponding blower motor. The problem is that some of the controls are stiff and one does not move at all. I also suspect that the blower motor is dead. I first tried to remove the control panel for the heater. That was fairly easy except for the hidden screws up top and behind the panel that secures it to the dash cutout. It was a fairly reasonable cleanup and a few lubrication points. I then took each cable, removed them, and cleaned all the rust off and then used a bicycle lubricant to loosen them further. A few adjustments to get them just right and I have a working control panel, except for the blower. The blower removal forced me to destroy the glove box in the process. Fortunately it was in need of replacement anyway. The blower appears to not turn well as it is stiff and has lots of resistance. I tried some oil to loosen it up, but I think a new one is the best route. 

The photos below show before and after shots.  The majority of the issue was the fine red dust from the years spent in Gold Country. The mechanical components make it real easy to work with.  No plastic to break or rivets to remove, just good old screws and washers.



The dash gauges were next. light bulbs replaced, and a wire wheel to the gauge panel removed all traces of paint. I realize that it does not look original but at this moment it is a real low priority. The left panel in the photo is all cleaned while the right side is still peeling paint.  I also replaced the flasher unit and a 9amp fuse. A cleaning of the dash and all interior surfaces was a time consuming task, and not yet complete.

The following are some shots I took that captured some nice features of the truck. I have been asked what camera I use.  Its an iPhone 4.  I run all my photos for the black border and a few modifications to bring out the detail from shadows in a app called Camera+. The blurred backgrounds are using the focus lock feature on the phone.  My favorite is the water temp gauge which reflects the blue sky and green tree.

A good friend also encouraged me to get an authentic 1959 era Oregon license plate.  It is a light mint green with dark green numbers.  The registration shows December 1960. 

Lipstick on a Pig (Polishing and Waxing the Body)

I have had a "GMC" decal that I needed to place on the tailgate.  I have moved it around in my work shed for several weeks now to make sure it did not get dirty or wrinkled.  Finally I decided to "clean" up the raised letters on the tailgate with some rubbing compound and a little elbow grease so that the decal could adhere better.

Well much to my surprise I found a fairly nice surface underneath the faded blue grime and oxidation.  So I kept polishing the entire tailgate.   

When that was done I wondered what the front of the truck would look like.  Starting with a wet rag I applied some Turtle Wax Heavy Rubbing Compound to remove moss, algea, sap, bugs, stains, oil, etc.  Working in large sections I then rinsed off with the hose and a sponge.  After it was dry I went back with Meguiar's Polishing Compound.  This was really used to give a bit more luster to the paint as well as remove any rubbing compound that I missed in the wash.  The last step was to use Klasse All in One Polish.  This stuff is easy to apply and very forgiving!

I have done the top of the cab, hood, front fenders and tailgate, more to come. Notice the doors are still a dull oxidized color.

Weight Loss (Removing the Camper Shell)

This weekend the weather was wonderful.  In fact the forecast was showing 80-90 degrees for the week.  So on Sunday I decided to see how difficult it was to remove the camper shell on the truck.  Well before you know it I'm ripping aluminum, insulation and wood.  

After finally taking it all apart I am left with a handsome looking truck.  The crazy part is that the wood in the back is almost perfect.  A bit of rust on metal in some spots but other than that it looks great.

The camper was partially falling apart in one area from termites and or rot.  Once everything was removed I sprayed the wood bed to kill the remaining carpenter ants.  

A couple of observations since the removal; far more light enters the cab and it feels more open and airy, the truck design is more aggressive looking without the camper as the  forward slant on the cab is now more pronounced as it was hiding behind the camper.