Huck's new daily - Victory Red '05 CCSSB

[Huck]

The other Buick knob has a much larger register. So you need to pull the metal insert out and then cut that back to the same length as the shorter one





I realized later, this one also has a longer light register/pointer that needs to be cut. I have yet to do that, so one knob sticks out further lol. I'll fix it at some point



But I think that's a nice little mod to brighten up the interior

 

[Huck]

Also finally swapped all my interior lights for LED



Here you can see my little "humps" where I got the bezel too hot and also the new crack 1" to the left



I also scored a bunch of AC vent knobs from various GM SUVs, I think GMC Terrains and Buick Enclaves were the main ones. That way I could make some DIY Esky AC vents





There's 2 different styles, the fatter ones I had to snip the backs off of and then stand them shorter so they wouldn't hang over the back of the flap

 

[Huck]

So then a couple days later I got started on these. Ya just pop the vents out and pull them apart



Gotta grind down the little "grabs" on the middle tab. I used a bench grinder and just did a little at a time, test fitting the new grab till it fit nicely





Then just put the vents back together, carefully put some 2-part epoxy inside the new grabs and slid them on. Held pressure for ~30sec and then let them sit overnight. Done. I did find that assembling the vent before putting the grab on was the best way, that way I could eye-ball center. The first one I did just with the flap on the bench and got it off center a bit.

I did 2 complete different sets (I'd also grabbed the vents out of a 'burb at the yard for this purpose) since I wasn't sure which I would like better. The smaller ones are black, the larger are the dark pewter that matches better. After test fitting, you really can't tell the difference either way. I decided to go with the larger ones to start with, still rocking them. I just need to do the rear vents now

 

[Huck]

This SOB is tall now too and I'm short so I'd been on the lookout for some steps. AMPs aren't in the cards so I'd decided on N-fabs, I see them everywhere, they look pretty good and people online love them. Found a set for these trucks 2.5hrs away in northern Alabama, so me and the GF roadtripped over there one Saturday to get them.



Got the driver's side on using the holes in the rockers like you're supposed to and then drilled the additional holes. Tried it out and they seemed too far forward, so I elongated the holes and moved them back about 3/4". Still wasn't sure but there was no more I could do, they were as far back on the cab as they could go and still look right.

I also wasn't crazy about how they mount. It's just 6 very small carriage bolts through the rockers and then the post that pushes up into the floor pan when you step on them. I didn't really feel like they were solid.


I also kept stepping on the down bar as I got out, missing the step. So I'd stumble or fall. Still though, figured I'd just have to learn. After a week and a half with no change, I decided I hated them and sold them. Got my money back thankfully.

So I decided I'd be better off with the board style steps. I wanted something that would tuck up tight to the cab so I wouldn't lose any visual height like the N-fabs do. Found these, they had adjustable brackets and were on sale so I grabbed them



Brackets are pretty nifty. Although come to find out, they're listed as fitting 1500s but the instructions say 2500/3500. The HD trucks have different inner rockers that have provisions for J-clips to be inserted for steps that 1500s don't. Not a huge deal, just had to pick up a nutsert tool and some steel nutserts. Thank god for my bodylift, couldn't have done the install without it cuz the tool was too big to fit between the cab and frame. But I was able to go above it

 

[Huck]

About 3hrs later and the were on. These actually turned out great, the boards are extruded aluminum, very light but very strong. And the brackets have tons of adjustment, up and down on the brackets and in/out at the board.



Was able to get them tucked up pretty well, very pleased with the way they look

 

[Huck]

The same day I did the boards, I also added some stake pocket plugs and some additional weather stripping at the headgate to better seal with the tonneau



They were a little oversized, but nothing a little trim wouldn't fix



Did all 4 corners, much better



I'd also been on the lookout for exhaust and saw this on FB. First thought was "that looks an awful lot like a Corsa".



Saw this picture too, cats/o2s and all. He was only 20min away so I figured I'd go take a look.

 

[Huck]

Showed up, dude is a super nice guy. Big car guy, old bracket racer. He'd bought his buddy's '06 Yukon Denali XL to part out after it'd had a dash fire. He thought this was stock exhaust and it was so dirty you couldn't see the Corsa logo on the tip. But I picked up the muffler to look through and sure enough, it was. I offered him $175 and he countered at $180 so we had a deal. Couldn't believe I scored a $1500 catback for $180 lol. I figured I'd use the muffler and tip but didn't know if I could use anything else.



So a couple days later I laid it out under the truck at work and it looked like all the hangers would line up!







Only thing that I couldn't use was the front pipe, it's shorter and also is a dual inlet instead of a single. 6.0 truck things apparently

 

[Huck]

So that next Friday, I put the truck up on the lift thinking I'd throw it on and it would take minimal mods to do so...



First sign of danger...the tailpipe is quite a bit different...



Yep, tailpipe is alot different. It hit my 5th wheel plate, no biggie there, I just heated that section up and bent it in a bit. But look at the tip, that won't do


Also wouldn't clear the spare on top of it being the completely wrong angle

 

[Huck]

Cut the hanger off my OE forward pipe and welded it to the muffler and it lined up perfect. I re-bent the hanger after this pic so it would hold better. An adapter let it go into the muffler and then I put a wide band clamp over that.



Looks like dooky but sounds great. So I got up under it and just cut the tip off where you couldn't see it and painted it black for now. I've got an appointment at the exhaust shop Monday to have a new tailpipe bent up, the tip put back on and the muffler V-banded front and rear





Sounds really good though

Dumping it changed the sound, sounds more like a SpinTech to me. I think the tailpipe and putting the tip back on will get it back where it should be. I'm having them V-band the muffler so at some point down the road I can get a small Corsa to swap in when I feel like being louder lol. Still waiting on my tuner to come by and final tune it as well, hopefully it'll sound less tractor-ish after that lol

 

[Huck]

Got back from the beach on Sunday and worked on polishing up the tip before I went to the exhaust shop Monday. It was NASTY. I used a combination of WD40, red Scotchbrite on the bare pipe and carefully on the super thick carbon, then 0000 steel wool and metal polish on the polished part of the tip



Unfortunately the bottom side toward the tires is permanently blasted silver. NBD, can't really see it anyway

 

[Huck]

Came out pretty good for ~45min of elbow grease



Then played with placement mock ups for a bit lol



Was at the exhaust shop first thing Monday morning, took them about 2hrs. They bent up a whole new 3" tail pipe rather than using an OE replacement and modifying it (which I told them they could do either one, didn't matter to me). They got it tucked and placed just about perfect IMO

 

[Huck]

The only hiccup was the pipe ended up further toward the middle than I wanted. I told them to keep in mind I had a stock sized spare that I wanted to clear. I should've made them let me put it up under the truck after he took the other tailpipe out, but it had been pouring that morning and I didn't really feel like getting soaked doing so. Can't really hold them responsible, that was my fault.



I test fitted it earlier today. It was close, I could make it work, but I'd need to bash in a section of pipe probably halfway. I'm gonna think on it some more before I do that. Not like a stock sized spare is super useful anyway, nor will the stock jack even work on this truck. But it does ride a bit better with that weight back there and hides more of the underneath of the truck. I might get the oxy acetylene torch out and massage it...we'll see.

Just jamming the spare in made the tip poke out like 2.5" from where it was and rotated it so it didn't look as good. Plus the rubber hangar was not happy. The tip looking good is more important IMO lol

 

[Khaos]

Nice tip

 

[Huck]

Nice tip

 

[Huck]

So I'd been driving it around for a while and decided this muffler is too quiet. Sounds good from outside but I literally couldn't hear it from the driver's seat most of the time. I don't remember if it was Brian or Austin or who, but someone had the epiphany that this catback is likely a Touring from way back when, not the Sport or DB, which explains why it's so quiet.

So for my bday I ordered one of the small Pro universal Corsa's like I have on the C10, figured it'd be pretty good with the cats. Also ordered a universal 3" mild steel kit with various bends and straights since this one is so much smaller. Crawled under it Friday night to do some figurin' before going to the shop Saturday. Bourbon makes everything better.



There was a slight S-curve that was gonna need to happen, figured these two 45s and maybe a small straight section would do it



Racked it Saturday morning and got biggun' out



And hung the wee widdle one



You can see the offset I had to deal with here

 

[Huck]

First off, grabbed a 45* and a V-band



Pretty happy with that for a mig with god knows what wire in it





The other 45* is slipped onto the muffler here, seeing what I'll have to chop off each to make it work...



Closer...

 

[Huck]

Phooey, that's too much. Gonna need a straight





5.5" of straight pipe slipped over the muffler, then a 45 slipped over that got me where I needed to be



Threw a clamp on, double checked the tip placement and everything else, then tacked it

 

[Huck]

Apparently I didn't get the second 45 or the straight clean enough, it kept spattering and globbing up on me. Worked through it, ground everything down a bit to look for pin holes and found 2. Welded those up, good enough for the girls we date. This is only my second attempt at welding pipe, so not too unhappy with it



Was running out of time and just cold bent the hanger. It too was fighting me to get welded, idk what kind of material it is but it sucked.



Popcorn welds but they're strong. It'll hold



This video shows the idle with the stock exhaust, dumped Corsa Touring, Touring with the tip out the back and then the little guy

This one kinda shows how rowdy this setup sounds. It's a tick on the louder side than I expected. I love it right now, but it might be a bit much over time. If it is, I'll throw a small bullet resonator in there to dial it back a touch

 

[Huck]

Sunday I stayed home and did shit around the house and washed the truck. Realized the roof was faded pretty good and none of the truck had any wax left on it, so Monday I came up to the shop to fix that.

One thing I've never done is work on the chrome on the bumpers. I just assumed it was dead, it was water spotted HARD and had shit from years and years of ArmorAll burned in it. But I'd picked up that chrome polish for the tips, so I figured I'd try it on these. I was shocked at how well they cleaned up. It's too bad the rear is bent






This was all just by hand with a microfiber, no machine. My new Hobo Freight mechanics cart came in super handy



Also VRP'd all the black plastic

 

[Huck]

Same story on the front, pleasantly surprised






Also saw my driver's rear seal has shrunk pretty good...



Uh oh, gonna have to deal with that ASAP