2001 Ext cab

[Crazed179]

well I'm starting to get stuff done on my truck so I figured I'd bring you all up to date so when she's done you'll know I didn't just go out and get it all done...its taking forEVER.

current budget Sucks so its hard to get things done but..
heres from the beginning till now:

I totalled my 89 blazer when I was 16,
me and my sis washing it a long time ago


got a really good deal on this from a friend



I met spraypaint. I painted the mirrors, bumpers, wheels, taillights, and the whole lower body line and hood....with spray paint.

then the interior!




moldings off, looking a little better..less like the mafia of the same color trucks running around. then decided to match the tailgate with the stripes and get a roll pan..eventually tinted 5% all the way around (just a strip on windsheild)



Then I talked to a mechanic about spindles and bags and all, I'm starting to get into this truck stuff..He gave me Jeremy's number. I call this cat and we talk about trucks over the phone for a little while and he tells me to go to this college, I'll learn everything there. So, I did. my teacher got me a job in warner robins at a body shop. and guess who just so happened to work there? Jeremy (Sweet Tea Man)

before I was at the shop I painted the tailgate single stage


After seeing that, I'm definately painting the truck Black.
bought all new lights, factory sucks.
Don't ask about Fox City Customs..big tuner club and I guess I thought I'd fit in. anyways..

I took a welding class so you know I had to..




then I sat outside and stared at the truck for a while. decided I didn't like the door handles. then I hopped on here and did my shaved handle research and a week later I was callin AVS.




and since its going black...its taking a LONG freakin time to get everything right. I told Jeremy to not let me cut corners. so the bed has been off (better gas mileage!!!) and he has helped me 100% with getting it all ready so far... should be painting the bed next week.

Since then I cleaned and undercoated the frame, looks alot better.




She's almost ready and I'm freakin excited.
heres the 22's I'm getting after paint (and when my wallet gives me the ok)


and I'm going a 3/5 all Belltech drop.
Front: 2" Spindles, 1" coils
Rear: (already have shackles 2") 3" leafs
Nitro 2 shocks
Carrier Bearing Kit (gotta hate a 2 pc driveshaft)

She WILL look good. this is my baby. girls may come and go but I've always got the truck (which sometimes might be why they go...) Could really use your imput, good bad, anything really just need some motivation! I'll keep everyone updated, thanks for ridin with me

[Toolman]

That sweet tea sure gets around.

[Crazed179]

couple months ago he'd come in with a gallon of sweet tea everyday...then I got hooked on it..its addicting and gives you enough sugar rush to get stuff done

[Toolman]

Originally Posted by Crazed179

couple months ago he'd come in with a gallon of sweet tea everyday...then I got hooked on it..its addicting and gives you enough sugar rush to get stuff done

The rush from him is good but you have to watch out for the rash.

[Crazed179]

wow that turned the wrong direction haha maybe back to the project..any imput on that?

[Sweet Tea Man]

it was hot as hell that afternoon i've got to get the pics of you priming your bed uploaded off of my phone.

[Crazed179]

Some updates

primed

undercoat frame

got all the spray paint off and primed

Bed MIGHT (fingers crossed, wishing at 11:11, buying some powerade for sweet tea man tomorrow to stay late at the shop..) get painted tomorrow. we'll see. I've been painting it "tomorrow" for a while now.

somebody give me some motivation man I got 2 people out of the 2,000 that were on the other night?? and one of them is helping me..slackers

[Black90Sport]

lookin great man. if ur goin black its gonna look awesome just got my truck done in black ppg. looks awesome

[Crazed179]

dude, I noticed your sig the other day, made me think about blacking out the rest of my grill. nice truck

[Black90Sport]

thanks! its still got a LONG way to go.. drop, rims, god the list is long still sooo much more urs is almost done!

[Crazed179]

sounds like we're in the same boat. that 3/5 is gonna set me back about $900, and the 22's are about $2000..the tires cost more than the rims. and on my salary I give it another..3 years lol. well if you update before me post some pics up

[DarkCharisma]

I'm VERY excited for your truck. For whatever reason it just plays to my eyes. It will look bitchin' once it's done.

[94383Z71]

Looking at the work on your truck, looks like it could be mine. If it was a crew cab and a 4X4 Dmax. If you want to see what the bed will look like in black, check out my (re-)build thread in this section.
Looking at that tailgate handle relocator chaps me, I bought the exact same one, from some guy on eBay. It turned out to be the only negative feed back I have on my eBay account, out of 260 transactions. It was so flimsy, that I attempted to re-inforce it with a few gussets, then got p***** and pitched it in the trash. Went to Summit and bought a nice Belltech unit.
That one like yours, the filler plate did'nt fit the recess on the outside of the tailgate. I called the guy, told him it looked like they sent me the wrong one, and complained about how light gauge the steel was.
He assured me I had the correct one, and said it was made from the same thickness metal that the tailgate was. Which is true, but the tailgate is perimeter flanged, and reinforeced. Anyway, I pitched it, wife asked me one night as I came in from the garage how it worked out, I told her it was junk.
She leaves the guy a negative feedback, so he responds by leaving me one in return. Long story, I know. Your truck looks great, and you obviously got some good help there. I know what you me about the lack of response to your post, just don't get discouraged, keep your eye on the prize, it'll be awesome when your done.

[Crazed179]

dude I appreciate it. and hell yeah I'm glad I'm not the only one. that is a peice of JUNK. When you pull the handle the whole housing flexes..the extra $20 is worth it to anybody that reads this. get the good one.

I ended up putting a 90² bend in a flat peice of metal and welded that across the inside to get rid of the flex. it needed alot of support. and I cut some peices off to make it sit right..the bed liner didn't help much either, I'll check out your thread after work today.

oh and the "on sale" roll pans from stylin don't fit right either.. these trucks have a natural curve under the tailgate and my roll pan is straight so theres a nice bulge on each side...its uniform but it kinda pisses me off. I'm not a cheap @$$ anymore lol

[94383Z71]

Originally Posted by Crazed179

I'm not a cheap @$$ anymore lol

It's a hard lesson to learn, but I'm learning it.

[Black90Sport]

ik what u guys mean. its better to just spend more money for fit. learned that the hard way w my grille. im gonna have to get a gm one cause mine fits like ****. make sure u post up pics if u get it painted?

[F4MOU$]

pretty ghetto how it was all spray painted. other then that, from the sounds of it. it should look killer when its done. I cant wait to see it!

[Crazed179]

well I didn't get it done today but I'm gonna try to drag jeremy up to the shop at 7 in the morning. I'm pretty excited that there is finally a set time, and that this is the last "tomorrow."

Originally Posted by F4MOU$

pretty ghetto how it was all spray painted.

I didn't know any better... I'm paying for that mistake. it didn't look bad for spray paint.. I mean I was really happy with it, but now it'll be done the right way.


next on the list is the cab...it's close but it was wrecked before and was apparently repainted on the passenger side.. the clear is flaking off from a crappy job at a local bodyshop so I get to prime all that...fun stuff. but no matter what...the bed is gonna look killer. I'm gonna sand and buff the whole thing throughout next week's lunches to get rid of the trash and orange peel. should look like glass. pics of the bed tomorrow!!!

[Crazed179]

In the booth ready to spray finally!!

Can't thank Sweet Tea Man enough for all the help he gave me. He put in alot of work to make sure that I don't completely screw everything up. He always eggs me on to do things the right way and not cheap out.. which all I'm thinking is I wanna spray!!

He made sure everything was ok and helped me every step of the way. I owe ya man. thanks a billion



putting the base on

Black is Beautiful!

Base done

starting clear



my retarded self spraying some clear

and again

cleared!

I did ok I guess, Jeremy really saved the whole thing...I did have 1 big screw up. He coaches me making sure I got the right distance and speed and what-not, he said, "get a little closer" and like mid-bed it looked like the gun threw up clear. "that'll buff out" lol. there might be a little discoloration but I'm not too worried because its freaking beautiful.

and this is the first time that I've seen exactly why you put so much time and energy into something. If I would have rushed it, it woulda looked like doo-doo. jeremy really slowed me down and made sure I got things right. sweeeeeeeeet. now for the cab....


oh and I have alot of videos but I'll post those up later. photobucket is being a homo. I haven't been this happy in a while!

[Sweet Tea Man]

you did a good job man. as i told you. slow down and look at as just another vehicle.the more you do the more you will get used to laying on the clear. When you do the cab, i'm not going to step in and lay it on for you. Its all on you. i'll help you mask it and prep it....but then its all you.