Update! Someone on dakotaforumz contacted me, looks like I'm getting a frame from New Jersey. He sent pictures and it looks to be in great shape. Once this project gets started I will create another thread. I have big plans and a small wallet.

 

Okay, I know it has been a long time, but I did end up getting that frame.





Unfortunately, the guy had cut the front sway bar and torsion bar crossmembers (to drop the drivetrain, I guess?), and did not do an acceptable job welding them back in. And I think that's being nice about it. You be the judge...







SERIOUSLY???

Yep, seriously.

Anyways, after last semester (which was hellishly busy), I finally got the welds redone by a friend of mine. He did a great job. I will have pictures up fairly soon and this time I really will start a new thread.

Thanks for all your help guys...

 

Good! Got a frame. Whatcha doing to make sure it doesn't turn to rust there in sunny, warm, & dry Connecticut? At the very least, you should massively degrease the new frame and coat it with some rust preventative primer (ie, zinc chromate) and then paint the whole thing. Any color you like, and my current fav. brand in rattle cans is made by Rustoleum and is available at Home Depot. Make it shiny!

You are going to transfer a whole lot of stuff, with many, many fasteners. Nuts, bolts, and clips that aren't totally roached can be cleaned & then de-rusted with Phosphoric acid (don't leave them in the soup any longer than necessary.) And then paint them as above. But also plan on buying a number of new fasteners--don't use the roached out ones, they have no strength. Whether you want to use stainless or regular steel is up to you, but everything should get a coat of paint as you reassemble. This is the best time to replace the long brake lines as well--paint them, too.

Plan on new motor and trans mounts. While you've got thing out, change out the rear main seal on the engine and fix any seeps in the trannie. This is the easiest time to fix things--you are going to have EVERYTHING off at some point. Were I doing this job, I'd put new shaft seals and a gasket in the front diff, too. And paint.

Yeah, start a build thread. We'll watch with keen interest.

 

The guy you got the frame from was a stupid ******. No need to cut anything to get the body, drivetrain off the frame. And there are welds that definitely shouldn't be attempted by an amateur. (I'm an amateur, btw.) Those are stick welds or at best home mig welds. They should be TIG welds, which provide much better penetration and a cleaner look, TIG welds can be be ground flat.

Neatness counts.

Those are pigeon sh*t welds, no pride!

 

Thanks Brian!

I really plan on doing this right.

I plan to get as much of the surface rust off as possible and then use SPI Epoxy Primer to coat the entire frame. Of course, it's not like it needs any protective coating in Connecticut's arid climate.

I expect to be replacing many bolts, nuts, and clips. I will definitely not reuse anything that looks icky. Brake lines are on my agenda, and I will be using SUR&R nickel-copper lines. I just replaced all of the rotted brake lines on my dad's 2002 Silverado using those lines, and they were an absolute pleasure to work with. I pre-bent them before installing them and made fine adjustments as I routed them.

I'm probably going to do every bushing on the truck. And you're right; good time to replace the mounts too.

The plan is to drop a 318 in to replace the V6. I have the V8 sitting on the engine stand right now, but I've barely touched it and I'm not sure what it needs. If it needs a complete rebuild, I'd rather put it aside, use the V6, and spend money on the truck itself.

Yeah, the welds were bad, but I wasn't about to pass on the frame. I had to rent a trailer and drive to Jersey to get it.

I'm looking forward to this project. I really want to put in WORK so it moves along. But the temperature has been hanging around 0F. No matter, as long as I have free time, I'll dress for the weather and get stuff done!

 

Yeah, I had to make some decisions today about how to dress for the weather. Question: Tan shorts or the camo ones? (sorry, you can poke fun at us next summer when it's been 105 degrees for a solid month.)

Anyhow, you're undertaking a HUGE job. I think I'd limit my time outside in anything under about 40 degrees (which is frigid for Tucson.)

 

Yeah, I'll take the cold over the heat, thank you very much.

I don't think it even got above freezing when I was doing the brake lines on my dad's truck. The trick is to be pissed off the whole time. Swearing helps keep the body heat up.