1985 Chevrolet C10 - Project Red Rocker - Part 2

Here is a shot of the cowl after the welds were ground smooth. The holes for the windshield wipers were also welded up. We won't be needing wipers, since this truck's final destination is sunny Southern California.

Corey used a DA to knock down the filler and finishing putty on the cowl before it was block-sanded and prepped for primer.

The doors and fenders sat in the spray booth after being covered in primer.

Project Red Rocker sat inside the shop with the fenders hung in place in order for the necessary modifications to be made to tuck in the front bumper 1-1/2 inches.

Ron used a cut-off wheel to cut off the front frame horns in order to modify the position of the front bumper. The goal was to move the bumper 1 1/2 inches closer to the body. After the front frame horns were whacked off, the original bumper bracket mounting holes were re-drilled 1 1/2 inches back.

With the bumper lifted into its desired position, Jason spot-welded up the bumper bracket. Now the bumper sits 1-1/2 inches closer to the front of the truck. After the bumper was properly positioned, the brackets were welded solidly to the frame.

The cab was rolled into the spray booth on the chassis and masked in preparation for primer.

Red Rocker's cab emerged from the booth coated in primer and ready for final block-sanding. The custom Corvette-inspired coving around the seats was covered in primer, since it will be coated in tan paint to match the upholstery once the truck is completed.

The bed was rolled into the booth on a dolly and more block-sanding was performed, before primer was misted on for Jason to continue blocking the bodywork with water and heavier-grit sandpaper.

With the bed back outside, a bit of wet block-sanding was performed to ensure that all the metalwork was flat, smooth, and even before the final coat of primer was laid.

After countless hours of getting the bed perfect, all of the fresh metalwork, including shaving the taillights, molding in the Grant Fabrication roll pan, and shaving the stake pockets, was sealed in primer.

Custom inner fender panels were made for the engine compartment and sealed in primer so they would remain rust-free until the truck went back in the booth for paint.

After all the bodywork was complete and the primer was laid down on all the metal, the crew re-assembled the truck to check for gaps and make sure everything fit just right. Plus it was cool to see the truck fully shaved, assembled in primer, and lying flat on the ground.

Here she sits laid out with some fresh metal modifications and just about ready for paint. The truck will be block-sanded a few more times to remove any pinholes or imperfections in the surface before paint. Stay tuned for the next grinding and welding build-up segment of Project Red Rocker.