Cab installed. Was very easy to line up and bolt up. I thought I was going to have more issues than I did, but the lift I made worked very well.
Engine installed: Pulled the engine out of the shop and degreased and washed it up good. Went down to Autozone and purchased some Engine paint(GM BLUE). Wrapped everything in foil for the prep and shot a few coats of paint on. Looks very nice. Still need to polish some chrome and replace the hoses and such. Will get to that later though. The engine was alot more work getting lined up. The first problem was just getting it into position as I never removed the front bumper, so I had to install it from the side. This created issues with the tire not letting me get in close enough(I pulled the engine with no tire on). I was finally able to get it in from the front, but had to jack the axel up as the lift wouldn't slide under the axle. Bolting it up once in place was a pain as well.
Transmission installed: WOW! What a nightmare! I tried everything under the sun. Followed the shop manual, online forum posts advise and all... No matter what I did this darn thing would always stop about 1/2 a inch before meeting the bell housing. I spent 2 nights getting the trasmission in alone. Probally close to 10 hours. I took it off and reinserted it 8 or so times, double checking everything. Decided to let the bolts work it in the rest of the way. Hate doing this though as it can destroy a trasmission if not careful. Worked each bolt slowly never forcing the bolt. Doing alittle on each bolt. Wiggled the transmission some with the floor jack and it went all the way in!!!! Thank god that is over!!!
Paint Prep: Before I started installing steering wheels and electric, I decided to get the paint on the cab going. There are alot of choices out there. I have done alot of research on this, trying to decide what will work best for me. I was pretty set on spraying the "Paint Shop" system by Dupli Color, as it was going to cost arround $200 - $300 for supplies. There was also another system called "Barret Jackson" by Planet Color I believe, costing about $300 - $400. All these paints were a pretty big investment for a first time painter, so I was very nervous. During my research I found alot of people that have been using "Rustoleum" paint from Home depot. It is a single stage Enamel, which when buffed looks very nice. Best part is the cost. About $75 total. That being said, I thought I would give it a try. So my nephew and I sanded down the cab, bondoed were needed, and cleaned it all up(Thanks Matt). Pulled it back into the shop and wiped it down with some Cleaner. I decided to Prime the cab first, even though some people say its not needed with this paint. Oh, did I mention this is all being put on with a roller and brush! First coat looked like CRAP! Second coat of prime looks alot better. I have to keep telling myself that sanding between layers will fix the imperfections, as there are alot of them. Next is paint, wish me luck!
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