LUVTruck.com

Thanks to everyone here on the site for your help and ideas.

On to the body work and paint....
Body is super straight, no rust I've been sanding and filling small dings.
The hood needs work, lots of chips and small dings..
should spray some primer next week.
Haven't done any paint work in a few years but my budget is tight after the paint work on my other car.
gotta paint it myself, or at least give it a try.

The drivetrain and V8 swap is done now, runs great. Fast and fun to drive.
I did a write up in the drivetrain section.
added a nice dual exhaust from the Hooker Headers back to a 2 1/2 dual in and out Flow master
muffler done by Walley's World here in El Cajon, nice work, sounds excellent.
Thanks to Mytmouz for the idea of the dual muffler...

2 weeks working on and off on small dings and scratches and a hood that I thought might have to go...
it came out very straight, body is clean. I am thinking silver on the top, charcoal grey on the bottom...hmm.
Or that cool orange I saw on a new dodge dart..i'm gonna think about it.
Gonna drive it for a while this way.
PCL 903 poly primer in black...works great.
Had my local Ace Hardware guys shake it up for me.

Got an early grill, dual headlight buckets, bezels, and a fiberglass front bumper going in.
aluminum channel bumper for the back.

Anyone know the best way to remove 30 year old window tint? I tried the heat gun and razor blade....comes off in little bits.
I may try some steam and ammonia.

For the old window tint use a razor blade and some Goof Off. Not Goo Gone but Goof off, there is a huge difference. Avoid painted surfaces with the Goof Off.

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Three Amigos

Thanks LUVTRKR,
I will give that a try, this tint has been on there a long time, I will look for some goof off locally.
Goo gone in my experience hasn't been too effective.
I've read a lot about the steam method and also the ammonia window cleaner with a plastic bag over the inside of the window to let the sun warm it up, so the tint gets soft and releases the glue..
I see how it works and post it up...

The film needs to be peeled off first before using the Goof off for the glue it leaves behind. A warm day and a straight edge razor blade will get the tint film off. I did a Nova a few years ago and the tint was 20+ years old. Good Luck!

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Three Amigos

You might try some acetone or MEK. Be sure to be well ventilated. Protect all other surfaces.

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The light at the end of the tunnel, may just be a train coming!

So I was waiting on bumper decisions...put them up for sale in classifieds...no takers so far. I'm not gonna give them away cheap, they are pretty nice as is for a 44 year old vehicle.
so I will re-chrome them and re-use them, since shipping and handling for the fiberglass one (Unlimited) is close to $200.00
I can re-chrome it for $225....makes more sense. Giving to a chrome shop for re-working and new chrome tomorrow.

Here is a current picture..

Bought a good wiring harness since the P/O cut out the original one. I'm gonna take it apart and use lighting and windshield washer circuits, the rest is already done. Truck runs and drives really well, fast and fun but a little stiff. The front end reminds me of the old 87 and 89 IROC and GTA Trans Ams I used to drive/have, ride is pretty stiff.
Anyone know how to soften it up? I have BellTec nitro drop II shocks on the front, maybe that is the problem.

I hope to let it sit in the sun this weekend and work on the window tint, thanks guys for the suggestions and ideas, it has been raining a lot here in so cal, especially on the weekends, I work a lot of hours during the week and have not had the time.

Looking good though, tried the aluminum rear bumper, not sure I like it?
your comments and opinions good or bad are welcome.

Looking good. I used the same taillights on mine when it was a stepside for a month or so but mounted them low. The bumper was made from some pretty thin aluminum diamond plate and was just for looks but I had angle iron behind it.

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Three Amigos

That looks better and more finished than mine LUVTRKR, I should have trimmed/welded and finished it better.
Too late now tho....

Did you sell the stepside bed? I know some like them some don't....I'm good with either one.

I met a guy this weekend when I was at OPGI in Seal Beach, gave him my stock LUV bumpers to straighten and
re-chrome. Met him at the Big 3 auto swap in SD a few weekends ago.

Looks like your close also.

almost done, bumper came out nice!

wet sand and some finish paint for May/June

Here are some new bumper shots, got the rear bumper back a week ago, they both are super straight and like new.
I replaced the old damaged Vitaloni Torino mirrors with some newer Vitaloni mirrors from Amazon.
They are not cheap, but great quality.

Glued a new rear view mirror on the inside. threw the stocker out...(it fell apart)

Put on stock Gabriel shocks to smooth out the ride, helped a lot.

Truck drives great and is super reliable, no leaks from anywhere, no overheating issues...just a good little truck now.

Only recent problem is it makes everything else I drive seem slow...and their not!

Power steering would be nice, but smaller tires and rims on the front would help.

Well the time came and I sold the LUV
It was going to need a fair amount of time and money to finish it still.
I could tell it wasn't something I would take on a longer road trip, I know some of you do this with yours but
I am a bit old and spoiled I guess...
My other cars need to be finished and are more of a priority. My Chevelle is almost done.
The good news?
I put the LUV in Craigslist here for $5,300.00 and within 30 minutes I had a call and a buyer.
I also had a buyer ready to come see it if #1 didn't want it.
It sold for very close to that asking price.
I got a fresh fat stack of cash....nice.
So its gone...
I had fun building it, thanks to luvtruck.com for the great help and advice.

I see the new owner of your Luv is trying to flip it on craigslist for double the price. lol

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Three Amigos

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Previously owned 2 Luvs) 75 & 77 Fleet-side
3rd 77 Step fixing up aka The Yellow Submarine to Luv Ms (Sun)Shine=)
98 GMC Gas Guzzler~>The reason 4 my ~>3rdLuvNext2a66MALIBU =)
66 Chevelle The Oldest of all the vehicles I owned

Yeah $5300. for a good running Luv is a bit cheap. But hey as long as you enjoyed building it and Im sure someone will enjoy driving it as well.

I saw the ad LUVTRKR thanks for pointing it out. I never expected him to flip it.

But you know, I have no complaints, he may make a little money on it, good for him. He was an older guy, 72 with a house near the beach in Del Mar...plenty of cash. I needed to sell it.
I put in the ad, sold it no regrets. My 55 gets power steering, Chevelle gets a new top. van gets some linex work and new wheels...money left for the fixer (keep reading) if I want it.

My last experience trying to sell the LUV was terrible...I asked less money too.
All I got were low ballers, time wasters, looky lous..young kids and people with no money and promises.
lots of trade offers. tried for 6-8 weeks..

but then I

1 primered it same color.
2 put on a new exhaust
3 re did the bumpers
4 hooked up the headlights.
Then it sold easily, lots of people want a cool driver, and its all about timing too.

as far as the price? cheap? might have been worth 6K what do you all think?

I have a current dealers license from the dmv. (since 2006) I am wholesale only now, but I was a retail dealer with a medium sized lot years ago. I have sold tons of cars, boats, and RV's for profit. So I'm not a rookie.
I never quit my regular job, still at it.

Cheap for a luv?
I looked at (I know its a dodge) a 2000 Dodge Dakota club cab 5.9 V8 RT truck the other day, A/C, p/s, leather, auto o/d power everything, these are pretty nice trucks, it had some hi po goodies, ran well, 140K on it. I could have bought it for $1,800.00 it needed a couple minor things...easy for me. These were fast for a truck and cool.

My friends cant believe I even got 5K for the LUV, they don't get it.

3rdLuvNext2a66MALIBU

I see your Malibu is also getting a resto, looking good!
seems like the body and paint is all done?
send me a current picture!

The LUV project came at a bad time..
I did too much to my Chevelle (Malibu sport convertible) at once...should have waited on the LS/6 speed transplant.
It was a 350 4 speed Muncie car, I built a new 350 for it and put in a 5 speed years ago.

It now needed floors, all of them, from the firewall to the tail panel, rear wheel wells, rear quarters, both doors, both fenders,
cowl near the windshield, and a new SS hood. Its looking good. My wife and daughter love it..I almost got rid of it. but its a convertible, kinda rare for 69. I knew that so I had the body done, I did everything else myself.
Fuel system is getting completed, efi tank and pump.
2 wiring harnesses, main and efi systems.
hydraulic clutch, custom throttle cable.
New top and controls.

Hope to drive it end of July...

Well we are going to think its cheap after all we are a little prejudice over here, LOL. I sold a roller race truck for 7k. No engine trans, just the frame and wheels. But it had a full cage. Most folks do not want a project, they want something they can jump in and drive. For me the build is the journey and sometimes I am disappointed when I am done. However with a race car you are never ever done. Lol