Rebuilding after 15 years of storage

[PHOENIX-GER]

.
Really nice brush bar and light bar too!
This truck sure is coming together nicely...

Such solid brushguards are today not more allow in germany of the high injury danger in collision.
Fortunately it is licenced 25 years ago build in our own metalshop. So it stays until he will be wrecked what never happen as long we are alive
He will also got rocksliders but this must wait until next year.

 

[ssdvc]

Did you build the Brushbar yourself or purchase it? Looks nice.

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Did you build the Brushbar yourself or purchase it? Looks nice.

Both build myself in our shop 1996 - long ago
The rocksliders will build also myself in adaption of the style from Brushbar and Lightbar

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Rearragend the shop again that the Chevy will be park now on the lifter
If our son will do all the electrics for us shall he do this with comfort

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

It's really incredible, Germany is a customizing desert.... I'm looking for weeks for a workshop that makes me stainless steel exhaust tubes after original template. Stainless steel mufflers are available, but the tubes are not. It needed a Mandrel tube bending machine also just a tube bending machine is possible and the stainless steel tubes...
Now I'm looking around myself for a tube bending machine. I just get the approval from my "minister of finance"
I found complete stainless steel exhaust systems in the USA for the K30 6.2 but i am not sure if it fit really. Looks different...

 

[87cr250r]

K30 and CUCV except M1009 chassis, exhaust are the same.

Stainless steel exhaust parts aren't exactly on the shelf here in USA either. Nearly every needs to be custom made. Out here on the USA west coast the custom shops are inundated with vintage Ferrari restorations so it's difficult to get in que to have any type of work done.

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

We have here the same problem beside here are only less customizing shops for vehicles. I am working in metalbranch and machine engineering. Unfortunately my employer dont use any tube bending machine otherwise i had done that about my employer. The steel tubes are still useable. It need only new mufflers. But i dont want use the old tubes with new stainless steel mufflers.

 

[87cr250r]

All of our shops are closing. They are too expensive to operate..I believe you have the same problem. The things you know about USA are quickly changing. Just keep that in mind.

Otherwise, to avoid special tools you only need a band saw. Get pre-formed bends and cut them up to get the angles you need.

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

what you see there now was going on here years ago. To expensive to less customer who want pay for it additional the law which need for a lot of things an authority approval of safety not only for vehicles

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Time to change the wheels for "winter-season" on our famely cars



started to disamble the troopseats
88 screws but only 12 stuck and need to be flexed



new screws in stainless steel are ordered
just looking now for a good source for oak panels
Should be not a problem any carpenter should be able to deliver if it is on the market
Wood prices exploded just now...

just thinking i had do the raptorliner about the top of the cargobox like the Sierra to have a protection for the Troopseat bracket but i dont like it



the troop seats had a rubber protection inside the bracket. This should be enough

 

[87cr250r]

Stainless steel will still bleed rust when installed in wood. They are sensitive to crevice corrosion. You'll want silicon bronze or monel screws for best life. The new generation of coated construction screws are pretty good as well.

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Stainless steel will still bleed rust when installed in wood. They are sensitive to crevice corrosion. You'll want silicon bronze or monel screws for best life. The new generation of coated construction screws are pretty good as well.

We use Stainless steel A4 in such cases since a long time and never seen that issue

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

It's like unwrapping a present when I remove the taping. Careful preparation is rewarded

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Today going on with the electric




Straightening the brush guard



Metal of the troop seats alsor ready for primer

Finally got today also a quotation for the oak
As it is not an usual measurement in europe needed it a special order but it is of course available.
Just needed to find a carpenter which will do that, i needed a week to find one and it is not in my town nevertheless we have a lot around us

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

just press the Summery button on our timetable for an interim value
We have spent 1350 hours on the truck since November 2021, all weekends and holidays. To finish will we surely cross the 2000 hours.

The cost of spareparts to rebuild the truck in a complete new condition is equivalent to a new mid-size car in Europe. But that's the way we wanted it in the end.

The next one is already on its disassembly parking lot

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

During assembling we decided also to go with new Hella Lights as these are 25 years old getting matte nevertheless they had still much light as they are running also on 24V but it looks ugly. All lights new and only the lightbar is the last point to do, so we go on



this are still the old Hellas as just decided today during assembly first intention was using LED but this is not allow for history registration - the Sierra will got LED Lightbar.
Hella Jumbos
Everything we are not allowed to do here because of the History Registration we can do at the Sierra

The test to see if the troop seats fit on with the lightbar was positive. Only we can not mount one folding seat about the fender. I had already feared either Lightbar or Troopseats. Of course, the cover would no longer fit. We have none anyway and even so, this is a practicable solution for us.

As only one can work on the electric does the disambling of Sierra also go on. Let's see how much the 15 years on German roads have cost the truck. Fortunately, the trucks are solidly built. After sandblasting we will know how much we need to replace.
Preowner said he had some trouble on the trailer electric



We will already change on the new 13 wire system - this is the old one with 7 wires.
Finally also found the sending unit of the rear view cam which not working proper, so the info of the preowner. After seeing his wiring, no wonder of that. Fortunately all others is untouched and stockcondition. So not a mess up in that case.
I am always amazed at how little some owners invest in maintenance

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

The metal of the Troopseats are ready, now waiting for the oak panels



only one thing needed to be done that it fit with the Lightbar.
I made one of the seatholderbracket moveable so that it can used with a screw if necessary by removing the Lightbar of course.







Thanks Dive Dive i have now the measurements and pictures of the original clamps which hold the panel on the box. Just still need to build them.

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

electric wiring of the trailer is done





and the brushguard back from sandblasting



ist primered with epoxy-zink-primer



now waiting on parts ... and during this still disambling the Sierra for sandblasting the frame

My son warned me - separate the Sierra will take much more time as the chevy
And he is right
Chevy: Bumper 4 screws and down - ready to sandblasting

Sierra: ......... alone the Frontbumper 2 hours by much more screws and clips for all the plastic around
Spent a whole day and have just the bumpers and the fenders off -

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

Fortunately - thanks Nato - could i purchase here in Germany a new Housing



i can exchange the cover from the original one
It is only the mounting part which is broken



its already all sandblasted

 

[PHOENIX-GER]

have today got back our interior from the upholstery





Leather is from Mercedes middelred 70-80th vehicles



armrest not mounted in that picture













The dashboard is back in upholstery as he didnt notice that the vin-window need the leather around the edges...