What is the air line box for and what does it replace, the stand up plate that holds the lines? Does it serve a purpose of just to dress it up more?

 

Originally the truck had a plate and a tree that held the air lines and power line. I removed that a few years ago to put a storage box behind the sleeper, and ran the air lines and power lines through the box and out the side:





I liked the way the box looked on the back of the sleeper, but to be honest it just got filled up with crap I never used.

I considered simply having the lines coming straight up out of the deck plate, but I was concerned about condensation, especially in the electrical connection. Putting them at an angle should reduce the chances of that happening. I'll still use the hanger that I have for the lines, to keep them from chafing against anything.

I sprayed the first coat of clear on the air line box this morning. The second coat will be going on later today. I talked to the body shop this morning, and they are reassembling. The front fenders are already hung, the rear fenders are being hung right now, and the light bar blanks are being painted today. They informed me that I have gone over budget. I'm not happy about the late notice on that, especially since it's too late to undo stuff.

 

If they provided you an estimate and you didn't do any changes to that estimate, I would make them stick to it. Often a shop will go over on an estimate because their people worked slower than expected, or their costs were higher than expected etc but that is NOT the customer's fault.

Knew of a guy, he had been buying chrome and things on the road for a couple of years in anticipation of his first new Pete purchase. Bought the truck and had a shop put on his chrome and lights, they then handed him a bill for $32,000 to put on his own supplied stuff - it was labor to wire the truck! He rightly complained and they immediately cut it in 1/2.

Still - I would tell them that unless they have some sort of signed paperwork authorizing them to go above their provided estimate - you aren't paying the full bill above what YOU agreed to pay, based on their estimate.

 

They never gave me a full-out estimate, and there were changes made throughout. I'm sure I will be able to get the overage lowered some, if only for the simple fact that I am spending $17,000 there already, and have already informed them that I plan to spend more there in the future when I get my steps done and my tanks painted.

 

More pics to come yet today.

 

Wow, Just Wow. That looks really sharp and not like a "cookie cutter" Iowa80 catalog truck. Nice work.

I don't think you should leave until you get the tanks, battery boxes and cleaners painted.

 

Sah-weeet lookin truck!!

Are you changing the chrome front bumper? Perhaps have it powder black coated as well?

 

The paint scheme looks good, but I am not very fond of the fenders and headlights. Think it will look a lot better once the tanks and air cleaners are painted.

 

LOL :lol:

I think you should pay for it too.

The air cleaners will be black before I pick up the truck. The tanks and steps will have to wait - I've already blown my budget by a little over $2200. This project is running me about $19,500 right now, with everything I've done outside of the body shop.

The front bumper will be chrome......For now. My first priority is to get a tilt kit for the bumper, to keep the thing from hitting anything, because this baby is gonna ride LOW. I'm going from an 18" Texas bumper to a 22" American Eagle bumper. If I mess the bumper up, that's it - it's back to the 18". At $1000 a pop, I can't afford to keep replacing bumpers.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that it is only partially assembled. I agree that the headlights look weird, but I believe it has more to do with the fact that there is no front bumper than anything. I love the slope of the fenders. It gives it the feel of an old truck, which is what I was shooting for.

The headlights are mostly wired. We had to run a second clearance lamp/turn signal on each one, because the marker lights in the headlight can wouldn't function as both unless there was a second one hooked up. So what we are doing is running a turn signal on the inside of the bumper, in front of the tire. It will face the rear of the truck, and will allow cars on the side of me to see the turn signals a bit better (because they are quite small).

The underbody lights are finished on the driver's side, and the passenger side ones will be installed tomorrow. The lower cab skirt is installed on the driver's side.

I got a chance to watch them spray my rear fenders today. They look real good, and I will be able to slam the truck down to them when I drop the air.

One of the guys in the body shop asked me today why I didn't have the bullet lights on top of the cab painted white to match the headlights. DOH! Yet another thing I have to add to the list of things to do.

The rest of the truck will be assembled tomorrow, and I may come to pick it up tomorrow evening, or first thing Friday morning. I'd like to be here to see the rest of it go together, so I may come down tomorrow regardless.

 

I can't wait to see it finished its gonna look sweet.