Old Blue - 1984 XL Flareside

[ckuske]

Oh OK. Not sure why it's stuck there. You got the bolt from the brace to the right of the heater controls? And the two screws at the top either side of the radio/speaker. Also, the E-brake and hood release is attached to the bottom frame. It seems you've already moved it some as the frame sat on top of the steering column? If you're sure you've removed all the wires and the heater controls etc. I would give a harder tug, but if the sides are free and clear it shouldn't really stick in the center. Do you have more pictures? Of the entire dash maybe?

I didn't realize it, but the E-Brake bolt needed to be removed, thanks for the help. That made a big difference. The funny thing is that in the corners, the dash moved more freely with that bolt in than by the steering column. Oh well.

I have to just disconnect a little more wiring and then it's free! Thanks all!

[salans7]

I didn't realize it, but the E-Brake bolt needed to be removed, thanks for the help. That made a big difference. The funny thing is that in the corners, the dash moved more freely with that bolt in than by the steering column. Oh well.

I have to just disconnect a little more wiring and then it's free! Thanks all!

I always forget about the E-brake bolt. But glad you got it figured out.

[Sac79]

I didn't realize it, but the E-Brake bolt needed to be removed, thanks for the help. That made a big difference. The funny thing is that in the corners, the dash moved more freely with that bolt in than by the steering column. Oh well.

I have to just disconnect a little more wiring and then it's free! Thanks all!

[ckuske]

I have a whole baggie full of bolts and screws now. Hopefully there are none left when I put it all together haha!

[Sac79]

I have a whole baggie full of bolts and screws now. Hopefully there are none left when I put it all together haha!

Yeah, no joke. Trust me, if you're going to leave it more than a couple of weeks(depends on your memory I guess), I would divide and mark them in more bags. Mine sat for 4 years and I've had a tough time with hardware. I was in a rush when I disassembled everything and thought 'I would remember that'. No, no I don't! My unused hardware bag is growing by the day! Hopefully the truck doesn't just fall apart the second I drive out the driveway!

On that note, if you have time, do you mind taking a picture of the two bolts/screws that hold the upper and lower frame to the dash cover. They are at the bottom, between the steering column and heater controls.

These two. The ones I have in there now, aren't the correct ones, too short, they don't actually go through.

Thanks.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yeah, no joke. Trust me, if you're going to leave it more than a couple of weeks(depends on your memory I guess), I would divide and mark them in more bags. Mine sat for 4 years and I've had a tough time with hardware. I was in a rush when I disassembled everything and thought 'I would remember that'. No, no I don't! My unused hardware bag is growing by the day! Hopefully the truck doesn't just fall apart the second I drive out the driveway!

On that note, if you have time, do you mind taking a picture of the two bolts/screws that hold the upper and lower frame to the dash cover. They are at the bottom, between the steering column and heater controls.

These two. The ones I have in there now, aren't the correct ones, too short, they don't actually go through.

Thanks.

Rob

If you can find the bolts in the dash illustration, you can pull all the info from the fastener catalog Gary just scanned.

Heck, with a part number it's pretty easy to get the specific bolt.

I got a box of 6x1x24mm screws with dog points, reduced heads and thick integral washers almost overnight from eBay.

[ckuske]

Yeah, no joke. Trust me, if you're going to leave it more than a couple of weeks(depends on your memory I guess), I would divide and mark them in more bags. Mine sat for 4 years and I've had a tough time with hardware. I was in a rush when I disassembled everything and thought 'I would remember that'. No, no I don't! My unused hardware bag is growing by the day! Hopefully the truck doesn't just fall apart the second I drive out the driveway!

On that note, if you have time, do you mind taking a picture of the two bolts/screws that hold the upper and lower frame to the dash cover. They are at the bottom, between the steering column and heater controls.

These two. The ones I have in there now, aren't the correct ones, too short, they don't actually go through.

Thanks.

Hi Rob,

Let me see what I can figure out. I already removed them and put those guys in the generic "dash frame support" baggie without noting where they were intended to go. Sorry

[Sac79]

Hi Rob,

Let me see what I can figure out. I already removed them and put those guys in the generic "dash frame support" baggie without noting where they were intended to go. Sorry

No worries Chris, I bought some generic screws to try at TSC and size 14 fits perfect, now I just need something not so obtrusive as the big zinc bolt heads.

Good luck putting it back together!

[ckuske]

Hi Rob,

Let me see what I can figure out. I already removed them and put those guys in the generic "dash frame support" baggie without noting where they were intended to go. Sorry

Hi All,

So I have a bit of a generic question, because I'm torn. I've recently stripped out the cab. All plastic trim, dash, carpet, the works. Just wires and the seatbelts is all that is left. The intention is to get all the trim repainted in the original Dark Blue with SEM paint. As a test run, I decided to repaint my radio bezel with SEM Trim Black paint (rattle can) - the paint looks nice but as it turns out, my garage is just too dusty - I get crud in the paint. It makes me worry about repainting all the trim - as far as car interiors go, there only shops seem to do upholstery. If I chose to have a pro with the right tools/environment, who do you think I could contact? Is maybe a auto paint shop the right place?

On a higher level though, I've been doing the interior because it's something manageable for me. I don't have a full complement of tools or space to do some of the larger tasks right now (front end work, repainting the entire truck). But now that I have the interior stripped, I have started contemplating replacing all the rubber (especially the vent window rubber). But it seems to me it is kind of backwards to do this before paint. Pic is a bit old (carpet still in, detritus on the floof), but this is the current state

I've done some casual looking, but is there an established order of operations regarding the order in which things should be tackled? Any and all mechanical? Then paint? Then interior/rubber?

I understand this is a rookie question, but hey, I'm as self-aware man haha. Maybe I just get the trim painted now, and put it all away safely and bolt the seat back in and just start working on other areas. Thoughts? Thanks for all your help.

[FuzzFace2]

Hi All,

So I have a bit of a generic question, because I'm torn. I've recently stripped out the cab. All plastic trim, dash, carpet, the works. Just wires and the seatbelts is all that is left. The intention is to get all the trim repainted in the original Dark Blue with SEM paint. As a test run, I decided to repaint my radio bezel with SEM Trim Black paint (rattle can) - the paint looks nice but as it turns out, my garage is just too dusty - I get crud in the paint. It makes me worry about repainting all the trim - as far as car interiors go, there only shops seem to do upholstery. If I chose to have a pro with the right tools/environment, who do you think I could contact? Is maybe a auto paint shop the right place?

On a higher level though, I've been doing the interior because it's something manageable for me. I don't have a full complement of tools or space to do some of the larger tasks right now (front end work, repainting the entire truck). But now that I have the interior stripped, I have started contemplating replacing all the rubber (especially the vent window rubber). But it seems to me it is kind of backwards to do this before paint. Pic is a bit old (carpet still in, detritus on the floof), but this is the current state

I've done some casual looking, but is there an established order of operations regarding the order in which things should be tackled? Any and all mechanical? Then paint? Then interior/rubber?

I understand this is a rookie question, but hey, I'm as self-aware man haha. Maybe I just get the trim painted now, and put it all away safely and bolt the seat back in and just start working on other areas. Thoughts? Thanks for all your help.

As for dirt in the paint here is a trick you might be able to use.

With the truck out of the garage if you can.

Sweep out the area with a fine hair broom. Then blow off the work bench area and any rafters.

Let the dust settle and sweep again.

If you have an area you paint in see if you can cover it in that cheap plastic you can get to cover things when painting inside the house. Then wet the floor down as this will also keep the dust down.

I did all this but I used heavy mill plastic to cover the walls up as high as I could, about 6 feet, but still keep about 2 feet on the floor. Part of the wall had my work bench and the door into a work room where I mixed the paint when I painted my truck.

Here you can see I pulled the plastic back on the right side so I could get in / out of the work room before paint started.

To my back in that picture is my sons apt. things and a car I also covered with plastic.

I had vary little dirt in my paint job, more bugs LOL

My area is big enough when I did my panels I did not get crazy with the plastic or wetting the floor.

I did have the garage doors down and no fans running. I also sweep the floor most of the time when done working on the truck, body shop thing LOL

As for what order to do things?

I think it depends on what you plan on doing and how far you plan to take it but there really is not one.

I did not plan on a frame off rebuild but once I got my truck and parts truck home and found mine run good and the work it needed to get it on the road and be safe is when I went ape and pulled the whole truck apart.

I did the needed rust repair on the cab when it was on horses. I painted the firewall and the bed lined the under side& top of the floor before I put it back on the frame.

I also had the frame stripped down so I painted it and slid it back under the cab.

As each part got put back on or in it was checked, repaired or replaced as needed.

Body work was done to the doors and the inside of the cab, inside doors & jambs painted.

I then fixed the dash, someone cut it to get the radio & HVAC controls out, and painted it and got it & wiring back in.

Before the fenders went on I installed the motor & transmission.

Did the same with fenders, body work done and insides painted before put back on the truck.

I then did the rest of the body work to the cab. By this time I could move it under its own power in & out of the garage.

I then went to work on the bed as I made a custom metal ribbed floor to replace the wood the flare side came with. Once the cab & bed was ready for paint I pulled the bed off to paint the cab then pulled the bed apart to paint it.

It took me 4 years to rebuild mine into a nice driver from a pile of junk, it does not happen overnight LOL

That just a really quick run down of how I did it. I never drove my truck other then a bad test drive before I bought it and did not really know how bad it was till I took it apart!

Dave ----

ps yes I did the rubbers & seals after it was painted.