My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[ArdWrknTrk]

Did you ever use Levine's on East Main, or GCC on Fairfield (in front of Vulcan) on the corner of Sunnyside?

I have used them both at one time.

Is GCC still there? I want to say I went there to get supplies and either they were closed for some reason or gone. I remember when they were on Main St on the west side.

So I started going to Levine's in Norwalk just before the RR tracks. Think they have one in New Cannon also but don't know if they do paint supplies?

They were able to put paint in spray cans IIRC.

They also helped me get spray gun cup adaptors for my Start line guns so I did not need to swap the adaptor between guns to use the Dekups.

I always like to go local for supplies than on line, local can help if you run into issues and give you breaks on price.

Dave ----

Yeah, they're gone.

But there's now Albert Kemperle where Marvel Mystery Oil was across from the lifesavers factory in Portchester.

Levine's by Sergio's moved to Norwalk (right in front of the pistol range) but the massage parlor that was above them is STILL THERE on East Main...

The guys at Levine's are even willing to help a chipper like me.

Top Notch!

[FuzzFace2]

Yeah, they're gone.

But there's now Albert Kemperle where Marvel Mystery Oil was across from the lifesavers factory in Portchester.

Levine's by Sergio's moved to Norwalk (right in front of the pistol range) but the massage parlor that was above them is STILL THERE on East Main...

The guys at Levine's are even willing to help a chipper like me.

Top Notch!

So I was not wrong on GCC being gone.

I thought both Levine's where open at the same time when I was up there just did not know if the NC one had paint supplies so never went there.

Yea the Norwalk store always treated me good.

There is also a paint store close to the Norwalk store. Only been there once Paint Re-Finishers or something unless they went under also.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

More interior progress today! I am pleased to say that after 36 years without, the old Blue Mule now has a radio/stereo. I installed Kenwood 6.5 speakers in the doors and a Kenwood media player head unit. It sounds and works great. Now that the door panels are fixed up and installed with new sound insulation, and new door seals, the cab is noticeably quieter inside now.

Also installed a new to me factory fat padded steering wheel (Thanks Chris!), and I installed a new (used) instrument cluster lens that is in much better condition than my original.

And to top it all off and make it all pretty together, I re-painted all of the silver edging on the bezels!

And tonight before shutting down the garage, I painted the steel part of the accelerator pedal, and E-bracke release bracket, and the handle for the bench seat slide.

I still have a long list of little tasks that need to be done, but it's starting to feel complete!

Great job, Cory! Well done.

[salans7]

Great job, Cory! Well done.

Love the interior Cory! You're making the base trim look oh so good!

[grumpin]

Love the interior Cory! You're making the base trim look oh so good!

Nice job!

[ArdWrknTrk]

So I was not wrong on GCC being gone.

I thought both Levine's where open at the same time when I was up there just did not know if the NC one had paint supplies so never went there.

Yea the Norwalk store always treated me good.

There is also a paint store close to the Norwalk store. Only been there once Paint Re-Finishers or something unless they went under also.

Dave ----

The place on Fairfield is now a coffee/donut shop. (No Timmy's though!)

I think two things have happened, Dave.

Most body shops now have their own paint mixing -with computerized dosing- from whichever manufacturer they use (DuPont, PPG, Sherwin Williams, whatever)

Online ordering from regional distributors

It costs money for B&M retail locations and the counter staff.

With the world more and more connected, suppliers become fulfillment hubs and make route deliveries every couple of days.

A packer or driver isn't making the wage a talented career counter man needed to support his family.

He doesn't need to know how to tweak paint matches or have the knowledge of all the products and how to troubleshoot issues like poor adhesion or crazing.

(although this is less and less a problem when manufacturers have shops locked into a product line and offer training and certs to bodymen)

Levine's offers spray cans BC/CC, or single stage at reasonable prices.

And they carry Transtar staples like 'Jammin Clear', Universal Black, etc...

If you were still here Kemperle does the same, and seems to have a wider assortment of clips and fasteners.

Ok, enough of the stroll down memory lane.

I'm surprised Cory can't get a match, but I entirely understand that he can't get the line he wants due to environmental regulations.

But WE can't get Tim Horton's, and I find that even more disappointing!

 

[Rembrant]

I'm surprised Cory can't get a match, but I entirely understand that he can't get the line he wants due to environmental regulations.

But WE can't get Tim Horton's, and I find that even more disappointing!

Well, it's not that I can't get a better match, it's that right now I don't want to pay what that match would cost. The *correct SEM color is the Dark Harbor Blue 3042, which is not available in Canada. I can order it out of the US, but with the current border shut down, it means I'd have to use a customs broker, and a $15 can of paint would end up costing me a good $50, and right now I'm just not paying that. So, next best thing was to try the available off-the-shelf blues and see how it looked. The two that I tried were both good matches for other year Bullnoses, but 83-84 were specifically the 3042 code. In any case, I'm not unhappy with it. Once the border opens back up I'll get my hands on the correct stuff and see how it matches up. The door cards are not a big deal to remove.

As for Tim Hortons, I am like many Canucks a frequent customer! They made a big push into some of the northern US states years ago. I remember stopping at one in NY about 15 years ago...somewhere along I-90 in NY, I think Canandaigua. They later closed down about 75% of their US stores, so there are probably just a few of them left now. We have Starbucks here now as well, but I don't care for it. When I ask for a coffee, I don't want somebody asking me back what kind of coffee...lol. Just coffee.

 

[Rembrant]

The truck looks great Cory.

What are you going to build next? Going to sell this one and start all over again?

Thanks Ray!

Well, ideally I'd like to find a truck just like yours. My preference would be for an '84-'86, but it doesn't really matter. I've been looking casually, but not finding much in the price ranges I'm willing to pay.

I have no intention of selling my Bullnose currently, but I have a bad habit of doing just that. Once they're done, I end up getting bored with them. I'm trying to keep this one, and possibly find another one to tinker with to keep my other urges satisfied.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm surprised Cory can't get a match, but I entirely understand that he can't get the line he wants due to environmental regulations.

But WE can't get Tim Horton's, and I find that even more disappointing!

Well, it's not that I can't get a better match, it's that right now I don't want to pay what that match would cost. The *correct SEM color is the Dark Harbor Blue 3042, which is not available in Canada. I can order it out of the US, but with the current border shut down, it means I'd have to use a customs broker, and a $15 can of paint would end up costing me a good $50, and right now I'm just not paying that. So, next best thing was to try the available off-the-shelf blues and see how it looked. The two that I tried were both good matches for other year Bullnoses, but 83-84 were specifically the 3042 code. In any case, I'm not unhappy with it. Once the border opens back up I'll get my hands on the correct stuff and see how it matches up. The door cards are not a big deal to remove.

As for Tim Hortons, I am like many Canucks a frequent customer! They made a big push into some of the northern US states years ago. I remember stopping at one in NY about 15 years ago...somewhere along I-90 in NY, I think Canandaigua. They later closed down about 75% of their US stores, so there are probably just a few of them left now. We have Starbucks here now as well, but I don't care for it. When I ask for a coffee, I don't want somebody asking me back what kind of coffee...lol. Just coffee.

I should have said "locally", or at least "in his Country"

That SEM doesn't have a base in whatever low VOC you are allowed to buy in Canada.

But we just went through this, didn't we?

[Rembrant]

Love the interior Cory! You're making the base trim look oh so good!

Shaun, there is a upside to having a single color base model truck: They're easier and cheaper to restore/refinish! Chris and I were talking about it not too long ago. Finding all of the Lariat/XLT trim and interior pieces is a real chore around here. A truck with no headliner has it's benefits.

The other thing is the trip down memory lane...lol. This was supposed to be a throwback truck, so keeping it simple is part of that. Back in the 80's and 90's there were a lot of these trucks around up here, and young guys like me with no money would buy old plain Jane work trucks, and they'd get sporty rims and tires, a new stereo, and a louder muffler, and that was usually it!