DASH REPLACEMENT IN MY 720

[dhp123166]

Interesting idea.  The textured finish also hides any blemishes in the work.

 

To a certain extent it does, but just like bodywork, I will have the best results with the best foundation.

[dhp123166]

So ever since I put the dash in I have been staring at a hole where the radio should be.

 

Finally today as I was inventorying radios in my collection I happened upon an OEM Hitachi AM/ FM head unit.

 

I think it is from an 810 ( among others) and it works very nicely!

 

I needed to build a harness but no problem, non-stock faceplate and knobs but no problem, they do the job!

 

                                                                             

 

Fixed a bunch of other stuff under the hood too; battery cables, dual puller fan ( no idea of the brand as it has been in my inventory, probably for years) , new water pump ( which was a beeyotch as there were broken off bolts inside the bungs on the engine block).

 

Did the drive belt for the injection pump as the old one was frayed and probably never replaced. I used the belt from a Nissan Maxima Diesel as this engine is the four cylinder version of that 6 cylinder diesel engine.

 

Steam cleaned the engine and intake and dang it looks pretty good!

 

[KoHeartsGPA]

Looking good, man!, What size are those electric pullers?, Do they have a brand?

[dhp123166]

HOW I GOT A FREE NEW DRIVE SHAFT.

 

  So about 6 months ago, the telltale clunk-clunk-clunk of worn out drive shaft u-joints started coming from the back of my truck.

 

I took it to a non-preferred shop and they confirmed it; I needed to replace/ rebuild the drive shaft.

 

It was taken off and brought to a drive shaft shop. I looked for new drive shafts on eBAY and also used ones from salvage yards.

 

No go on both counts, eBAY sellers alot of the time have no idea about proper vehicle applications and as far as used, why gamble with them as they will probably be in the same shape as the one which failed?

 

So the drive shaft shop disassembled it and I was informed that the u-joints couldn't be put back together without destroying them and anyway the drive shaft was "dented" (from what I have no idea as it worked fine up until he u-joints wore out).

 

In short, the shop had me by the short hairs, I told them to build me a new one at a cost of $400.00 and change.

 

Ouch, but whatever, fix it right once and cry once, or fix it wrong and keep crying.

 

So they built me a new 2 pc. drive shaft, I was very happy with the results and I paid with a credit card.

 

I was planning to pay the balance on the next cycle.

 

I had used the same credit card three weeks prior in an online purchase and that was paid in full.

 

About a month elapsed and someone used my credit card to purchase two expensive cel. phones on eBAY.

 

I submitted a claim for fraud, a few weeks passed and the credit card sent me a typed statement with 4 transactions on it. 2 were fraudulent and 2 were not.

 

The credit card company instructed me to circle the fraudulent one as these were the ones I would receive credit for.

 

I circled the fraudulent transactions as I was not going to attempt to defraud the credit card company while submitting a case for fraud protection!

 

I sent the statement to the credit card company and two weeks later they sent me a credit FOR ALL FOUR TRANSACTIONS.

 

At this point I was like " Hey I tried to do the right thing, they already made their decision, if I try to undo this, it just going to be even more of a headache."

 

So the two fraudulent phone purchases were credited, the one transaction I had to send the payee the original $40.00 I paid him because they took it back from him.

 

The other purchase which was not fraudulent was for $400.00 and change...and it never got contested.

 

$400.00 and change was the bill due for my drive shaft which...was paid by the credit card company!

 

Thanks!

[720inOlyWa]

Trunk paint might have been even better. It is tough as nails and wipes clean very, very easily. You can also get it in several color versions, which is kind of cool. But I like your concept.

[dhp123166]

I can't buy truck paint at the local auto parts store.

[720inOlyWa]

Our local auto paints store / supplier has it. GM trunk paint if you  are shooting it, but rattle can versions are available too. Really great stuff! I saw an engine bay done in GM trunk paint and not only did it look great, it hosed off to clean.  Oil, grease and dirt just hosed right off.

[dhp123166]

So I'm a little confused, truck paint works great on a dash or in the engine bay?

[Lockleaf]

TRUNK. t-r-u-N-k.

 

Not truck.

 

It's a vintage multi colored speckle paint that they used inside the trunks before they started lining them.

[dhp123166]

So trunk paint on the dash or the engine bay?

[dhp123166]

Trunk paint might have been even better. It is tough as nails and wipes clean very, very easily. You can also get it in several color versions, which is kind of cool. But I like your concept.

 

 

No actually trunk paint is not a better idea.

 

I hate to break it to you but ANYTHING out of a rattle/ spray can does not have nearly (if any) the tensile strength that a hot applied plastic urethane product does.

 

I can't count the number of people I know who purchased the SEM or comparable products specifically for dash repair.

 

They lavish countless hours on getting the foundation work just perfect so the final coat will look primo.

 

The final coat does look primo...for about 3 weeks, then...it frigging cracks again because...it is just paint, no matter how much it is dressed up as something else to sell it.

 

It will never mimic the tensile strength of wrapped vinyl ( or the cost haha) or my lower cost alternate of truck bed liner.

 

Incidentally I am working on another hot urethane spray which really mimics OEM vinyl finish but my vendor has some bugs to work out.

 

If you are so sold on that trunk paint, why don't you do a dash with it and post your results?

 

I am sure we would love to see it!

 

And don't forget the pictures!