Clean Shave

More progress this weekend! sometimes, it seems, progress with the setup, and environment this build happens within is just as important as the progress on the actual build itself. The truck build has really been in the works for just over 2 years now! yikes, that's a hard one to spit out! This is definitely not my first go at building up a car, but this time the game is a bit different. I have always handled the mechanical aspects of a build, but the paint and body work side of a build is all new to me. so with new comes research, and tool buying. which is all fun, but not without its time suck, and budget constraints! (big tools are not cheap.) I have been accumulating tools and knowledge long enough! now I have to dive in and learn my own lessons to pass on.

This one may seem like a 'no brainer,' but here in the wet, and cold Pacific Northwest, shelter is a must for any projects undertaken between the months of October and June--yes, winter is really that long around here. So, this weekend, the truck got a house! The new "carport" as the box says it is will serve many purposes throughout the build. In addition to general shelter, and keeping me out of the wind while working, it will also be a paint booth for me. The painting environment has been one of my primary subjects of research, and this will serve its purpose well, and it is at a price point that I can dispose of it when the build is completed. win/win. The assembly was fast and easy, and it was raining just enough while I put it together, that I could tweak how the sides and roof attached in order to optimize the water shedding of this sweet gem. :)

Now that I spent some time ensuring my being dry, I could move ahead with cleaning up the appearance of the engine compartment, mostly in the form of sanding. I removed everything else that I need to in order to get some paint on the firewall. other than simply painting the firewall the red that the truck will eventually be, I am also giving it a clean shave. I will limit the amount of stray wiring coming out of the firewall like a spilled bowl of spaghetti, and consolidating the penetrations from the engine to the cab. These trucks are very simple vehicles, making it easy to simplify what is necessary, and what is extraneous in the engine bay.

some more removal of accessories, and some sanding/sandblasting later, and we have a clean surface VERY close to needing paint. let the learning curve begin!

one more thing, notice the last image. these are some numbers I found hand engraved on the firewall. this is most likely something done on the assembly line, but I have never come across these particular numbers before, so I will be doing a little digging to find out what their relevance is. we shall see.

and... sorry for the 'flash' photos. it is also dark from October to June ;)