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I am approaching a cross roads as such with my truck. I would like your opinion and why. Do I continue building the truck to a finished product, including paint or do I focus on getting it on the road with a minimum of stuff for safety. I still need to get windows, wiring harness, exhaust, gauges, emergency brake cabling. I have no heater or A/C so no defrost as well. Everything else I have or is on order. Running boards not sure of. I don't have any that fit. I was going to build some once I know for sure the front and back are right. The interior would remain as a steel box, no interior finishing or insulation. The body would remain as is or in epoxy primer depending on how far I go with it.
Well Martin our builds are quite similar ( including it appears choice of wheels ) . My current plan is to get it to the legal stage and drive it for at least one year before paint . I have no doubt there will be changes needed or just wanted . Me being a bodyman by trade will leave me with allot of " splainin " to do but I feel that the end result will be much more to my liking . JMHO PS my truck currently has a budget type paint job from the po and I will be building a new box .
My opinion is its up to you. I spent five years just to have a non legal first drive. It would have took another five years "to do it right". I wanted to drive it. The rest will get done as time and money allow.
Safety is Number 1 I would finish it , at least down to the primer (keep in mind that some cheap primers are porous and the metal might rust underneath) a top coat would be best. If you drive it too early, you might have to do a bunch of cleaning. BinL made his own r boards for his 53 out of white oak.
I think you will be happier in the long run with a finished product
Best of luck and stay safe
Since you are a body man by trade, paint for you will basically be material cost unlike the rest of us who would have to come up with at least $10k for average paint and body work. For that reason, I'd paint it before driving it. Things like interior, new chrome if needed, and bed can be done at a later time. Make certain the brakes and any other safety stuff are in good condition, motor, trans, drive train, and suspension are fine. Install a new wiring harness. I went with a universal Painless kit instead of a custom fit kit to save money. Clean and reinstall the original gauges for now, get a pair of repro running boards. Basically, put off to a later time all the more simple bolt-on and remove and replace stuff.
For me this is not a hard one to answer. While it's nice to have everything totally done when you start driving it, a running and driving truck in the driveway is worth 5 non running ones in the garage. lol. If you've been working on your truck a long time, just get it moving. I had mine for 5 yrs before it ever moved on its own. There was one baby and many set backs in between but I still wish I would have got it done sooner. It still needs lots of things, flashers for the turn signals, sound deadening and insulation for the floor, A HEATER, A/C, and a whole bunch of other things I would like to do someday. The thing is, it doesn't have to have those things to run and drive, in the fall we put on more clothes and in the summer we sweat and when i need to turn I manually run the blinker, you see none of that stuff matters as soon as you start driving it. It's just to much fun to worry about that stuff. Finish while you are ENJOYING it.
Thanks guys for the opinions. For others please keep them coming. This is my first build ever. The challenges and learning opportunities have been large and great for sure. I am a carpenter by trade, not a body guy. But that being said I am learning a bit about body work, welding and mechanics. I do have a finished vision and plan in mind. Hoping to do almost everything myself if I can figure it out. Yes that will include painting it. Started making a list of stuff I still need to get to help me make a decision as to what way to go. I know this is an opinion question with no right or wrong answer. I find it helpful to get views from other people. I ask my 3 kids about stuff on a regular bases. I have one brother that is a gear head as well. He gets pumped for info on a regular bases as well.
EBear, if we were closer together I bet we would become the best of friends.
Thanks guys.
My opinion might not be worth much, but I got my truck roadworthy several years back. It was in primer, pair of bucket seats and running gear ready. To be quite honest, I've had more fun with it like it is than I ever had with my cars that were show cars. I don't worry about scratches, I let the little kids get in it and get their pictures made and it handles unbelievably for it being a truck. It seems to always draw people to it at the gas stations with some wanting to take pictures. Lots of comments at red lights with most people not even knowing what it is. Will I ever get it finished......... who knows. I have been sorting through small issues as they come up, some of which might have had me doing paint repairs if the truck had been painted.
Since you are a body man by trade, paint for you will basically be material cost unlike the rest of us who would have to come up with at least $10k for average paint and body work. For that reason, I'd paint it before driving it. Things like interior, new chrome if needed, and bed can be done at a later time. Make certain the brakes and any other safety stuff are in good condition, motor, trans, drive train, and suspension are fine. Install a new wiring harness. I went with a universal Painless kit instead of a custom fit kit to save money. Clean and reinstall the original gauges for now, get a pair of repro running boards. Basically, put off to a later time all the more simple bolt-on and remove and replace stuff.
I'm not sure I understand your rational . The cost whether it be mine or someone who must pay some degree more is the same whether done now or later . I'm sure that for many the cost is a deciding factor . For me , even though the cash outlay would obviously be allot less , my concern is that being a first build there will be things I don't like ,didn't consider or wish I would have done differently . Many of these may be minor and nothing that will be affected by working around a finished paint job , some may not . This is as mentioned a personal decision but for me making sure it operates the way I want is priority .
Drewski2. I love the look of your truck. Have looked at your running boards. Am thinking of doing the same thing or very similar so as not to infringe on copyright rules.
Drewski2. I love the look of your truck. Have looked at your running boards. Am thinking of doing the same thing or very similar so as not to infringe on copyright rules.
If you happen to run exhaust tips through the running board, I would consider tapering the running board all the way to the front. As an afterthought I wish I had done mine that way. I don't like the lump in the rear look that I have. Might fix that some day.
No copyright, just some bent up metal welded together. Just wanted to do something different.
My first build I did, OT car, all the body work was done and had it to a stage where it was ready to paint but I held off and drove it for a couple years. During those years I did some changes that would have ruined the paint. It was nice driving it not worrying about dings or scratches. Now that it is finished with a nice paint job I am always worried about it which is one reason why I am selling it. The truck I am doing now will not get a nice paint job for a while. I just want to enjoy and use it. To each their own. Good luck.
My decision isn't based on the damages that "will" happen when it is used . I want my truck to have a great paint job I just don't want any errors or changes to damage the paint .
I’ve always built my vehicles (trucks,cars,bikes) to street worthiness before paint. I like to give them a good “shake-down” run to make sure everything is as correct as possible. Hate to do repairs around new paint. Nerve wrecking.
I like driving my truck as is. Using it as is frees me of worrying about it in parking lots and hauling stuff.
Hey Marten,
You get to a point where you have a lot in the truck … sweat, money, time, etc.
I shifted to "get 'er done" mode after about 18 months on my truck. All choices
after this point were to get her running, stopping, & on the road.
We sprayed the bed & interior cab floor & ceiling, running boards with cheap functional bed liner.
Left the cab interior sound proofing & insulation for later. Stuffed a large Salvage yard fan set up
in with a manual switch. Used some Spring spacers to keep front end from hitting wheels over bumps, etc..
Paint - I just told them to stop sanding - I like the imperfections.
We've got 30K fun miles on the truck since. Get it back on the road & do the other stuff as you go along.
I would finish it , at least down to the primer (keep in mind that some cheap primers are porous and the metal might rust underneath) a top coat would be best. If you drive it too early, you might have to do a bunch of cleaning. BinL made his own r boards for his 53 out of white oak.
