strutaeng's 04 2500 4x4 project Suburban

[strutaeng]

Well, it's time for me to work on this project. I bought this truck like 3 years ago and it's been just sitting. It's a 2500 LQ4/4L80e/NP263/4.10 Suburban LT.

There are some details to fix:
Smashed hood/clearcoat peeling on the roof
Cluster has battery drain
Rear fuel level switch I think fails because I get an intermittent zero fuel gauge and light on.
Really dirty carpet. I took off the seats and I'm pretty sure the previous owner hauled gravel on this thing, LoL. I ordered the rear carpet.
Needs new tires.

The good: engine/transmission/TCase and everything seems really good. It's got like 168k on it.

Goal is to make it a reliable weekend camping rig, with maybe some modifications after that. Maybe a little off-road capable rig, ARB lockers, something like that. Thread is to document progress and motivation Wish me luck!

 

[tuckerrnr1]

Sounds like a worth while project. Looking at the carpet, you sure that wasn't involved in a homicide?

 

[Bigburb3500]

I’m here for this. I had one of these with the barn doors! 3” lift and 33” tires too? Right??

 

[strutaeng]

Sounds like a worth while project. Looking at the carpet, you sure that wasn't involved in a homicide?

That's the same thing my buddy asked me, LoL.

IDK. It looked like oil, then when I put purple power it turned like reddish. The guy I bought it from said it was his Dad's and he was like a hobby farmer/rancher. Maybe a dead goat or pig? LoL

The new carpet arrived in the mail today...

 

[strutaeng]

Not much progress. I laid that carpet down and there's no holes for the seat mounts and seems oversized. I thought it was a drop-in? I'll mess around with it some more this week.

I looked at my roof and it's pretty gnarly. My hood I had sanded with some 600# a few years ago, but it's been sitting outside. I need to take another look at that.

I bought 2qts of basecoat and 1 gallon of clearcoat from local paint store. I think my plan is to sand with DA 320# (maybe rougher grit if the clear starts coming off easily?), spot prime the bare metal with etching aerosol primer, seal entire area, basecoat and clearcoat.

 

[strutaeng]

Not much progress with the days getting shorter. I sanded and primed the underside of the "new" hood yesterday evening.

I also replaced the little struts for the rear glass because it wouldn't stay up. Baby steps...

 

[strutaeng]

I sprayed the base and the clearcoat. I actually bought a cheap Iwata-knock off from Amazon Prime days for $60 and tried it and I hate to admit but it literally blows my older HVLP (CA Technologies) and another HVLP from HF that's like $120 out of the water. Very good atomization.

I'll post the link later, but it's called R500.
AEROPRO TOOLS R500 LVLP Air Spray Gun with 1.3/1.5/1.7mm Nozzles & Air Regulator, A610 Paint Guns Automotive, Car Paint Gun Sprayer, Paint Gun for House Painting, Car, Furniture, Varnish and Top Coat https://a.co/d/iHSd3ET

 

[strutaeng]

I had also sanded my headlights up to 2000 grit sandpaper and shot them with the clearcoat. My markers were very yellow and I wasn't able to remove all of it. I may buy new ones.

 

[nsogiba]

Good to see you on here. You are probably best off just getting new headlights and turn signal lenses, they're under $100 all in on Rockauto. I just did mine and it looks like a new truck up front.

Keep posting the updates!