1973 Chevy C10 Buildup - The Pickup Fix-Up Tour

Another faulty switch in the truck was the wiper switch. While it would turn on the wipers it would not engage the high setting nor would it turn on the squirters when pushed. Like the headlight switch, this was a factory replacement piece so it fit like OE. Mike simply plugged it in and threaded in the two screws.

The glove box on Mike's truck was pretty messed up. The hinge was broken and the knob was stuck in the locked position and we didn't have a key. We got the liner and all of the latch assembly stuff to get it working again.

We had to modify the glove box during the AC install so look for that story later on to see that particular modification.

The floor of the truck was littered with rust, but it wasn't bad enough that we needed to cut it out. We picked up a few items from Eastwood to tackle our iron oxide problem.

The first step was to remove any loose rust with a wire wheel. After a quick wipedown with the Pre-Painting Prep and we were ready for the next step.

We used the Rust Converter in the areas we could actually remove the loose rust and used the Rust Encapsulator in the areas where we couldn't. The converter converts it into a black protective polymeric coating, eliminating the need for sanding, while the Encapsulator actually does what the name implies and encapsulates the rust, stopping it in its tracks.

To quiet the roar of the Flowmaster exhaust system, we ordered a box of HushMat from Classic Industries. This material is vibration-damping and thermal insulation in one and it is OEM-approved. The stuff is just 1/8-inch thick and has pressure-sensitive glue so it will stick to many difficult to-bond-to surfaces such as oily steel and automotive E-coat. At the start of the trip, we didn't have carpet on the floor so the HushMat was the only barrier layer between the hot floor of the truck and Mike's flip-flops.

We removed all of the pieces and laid them out to produce the best coverage before we started to stick anything down. Once we figured out the best way to arrange the HushMat, it was just a matter of pealing off the protective layer and sticking it down. This stuff molded to the floor like a glove and didn't require a heat gun like other products might.

To cover the newly sound dampened floor, we grabbed a black ACC molded carpet kit and some new kick panels, also from Classic Industries. Since the carpet was molded to the shape of the floor, all that was necessary was to set it in the sun for a bit so the wrinkles would relax and then drop it onto the floorboard. The large humps in the floor dictated the position of the carpet, so once we fitted it over those we were able to start punching holes for the seatbelts and seat.

The Suburban doors on the truck were so full of body filler that we decided it would be easier to hang new units instead of breathing in 10 pounds of Bondo dust. We also grabbed a lock set, handles, hinges, and a wire harness for the power windows. The factory hinges were so worn out you had to pick up on the door just to get it to shut and that's with the striker adjusted all the way down!

A large hole needed to be drilled at the front edge of the door for the new power window harness to pass through. The doors featured a small dent, right where you need to start your drill so there is no guesswork where to begin.

My dad Sam taught me this little trick when installing new door handles on this era truck. Instead of fighting the rod, which is extremely hard to reach, we just popped out this drift pin and removed the piece that the rod hooked to.

We then inserted the old piece into the new handle, slipped the spring back in place, and drove the drift pin back in. If you have a better trick to installing the rod please let us know because this seems to be the best for us.

The only thing you'll need to do before installing the lock is transfer the arm. It was held on by a little clip that will came off by lifting the front edge and then pushing it back with a set of pliers.

Much like the doors on the '73, the fenders had more Bondo than steel, so a replacement set was added to the Classic Industries order. Before we could hang the fenders, Mike had to trim out some of the inner structure so his handmade inner fenderwells (for the LS1 swap) would fit.

Putting old rubber weatherstripping in a freshly painted truck is like putting an elevator in an outhouse-it just don't fit. Yes that's a Roadhouse reference. The new rubbers were nice and supple and will look much better next to the fresh paint. The best way we found to install the rubber is to place it on the cab first, then set the glass in. Then get something you can use to push the lock strip in. We used a thick plastic stick.

Because we were working like mad to get the truck done, some parts didn't get photographed when they were installed, so here they are. New taillights will round out the back of the truck.

We were missing the large plastic duct for the A/C so now all the new vents will work (not shown). The factory door panels on these trucks are prone to disintegrate, so these new ABS plastic ones will last a lot longer.

This master screw kit for the interior saved us more time than we want to mention. There was no searching for specific screws; they were all in marked bags.