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1995 Chevy K3500 Dually Build in The Netherlands!

6.5 BUILD 
15K views 103 replies 10 participants last post by  Thijmen156 
#1 ·
Hello everybody,

So, this is where it all starts. After being the proud owner of my K3500 Dually for almost a week now, I've started the build!

First some pictures of the truck in it's current state:
 

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#2 ·
Yesterday I tinted the back cab windows in 5% Limo Black tint. First time tinting windows for me, so not perfect, but I am pretty happy with the result!

Today I got a pair of new front tires, and started om some minor rust repairs / prevention's. Removed the weather strips from the bottom of the doors, and wasn't happy about what I uncovered there.. Immediately removed as much rust and dirt as possible with a wire brush. Applied anti-rust and then a layer of spray paint. Should be good for the time being.

Also I restored the front US lights to it's original state (stupid regulations in my country don't allow US lights when a car get's imported). Looks a lot better. Still looking for the amber bulbs to fit next to the already amber blinker's in the bottom lamps (see picture) as they are now white :thumbsdow . Obviously those are not available in my country since US lights are not allowed, so will have to wait for them to get shipped overseas.

I also included some pictures of the big rust patch underneath the drivers side extended cab. I will hopefully get this welded and painted ASAP, together with new front quarter panels since they are shot underneath the fender flares :banghead: .

When the rust is taken care of I can start on the most fun part so far: the 6"lift kit and front-end rebuild! Though this will probably take a few months of saving up.
 
#3 ·
I also installed some mud guards and cleaned the weather strips so they can be reinstalled tomorrow when the paint is dry.
 

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#4 ·
Love the California plate! I've got a 51 Hudson Hornet and I run the original California plates since its so old!

I don't see the big patch-o-rust on the back of the cab pic?

...Applied anti-rust and then a layer of spray paint. Should be good for the time being.
Good! it won't stop it, but will slow it down..somewhat! I'd be saving up for some new/aftermarket doors..once the rust gets in the pinchwelds theres no way to fix it. Better off replacing the sheetmetal when you can.

Does that thing really need a 6" lift? Looks like theres a 4" on it now - or blocks in the back and someone cranked up the torsion bars in the front?

Personally, I'm not a big fan of lift kits for everyday drivers. I like to use my trucks for hauling/towing stuff and you just can't easily get into the bed of the truck with that kind of a lift.

Maybe at 22 the thought of always jumping into and out of your truck doesn't sound too bad!

Add 33 years, a "few" pounds :hehe: , and some major injuries...if I had a truck lifted like that I'd blow a knee or a hip out trying to use it!

Keep up the good work!
 
#5 ·
Love the California plate! I've got a 51 Hudson Hornet and I run the original California plates since its so old!

I don't see the big patch-o-rust on the back of the cab pic?

...Applied anti-rust and then a layer of spray paint. Should be good for the time being.
Good! it won't stop it, but will slow it down..somewhat! I'd be saving up for some new/aftermarket doors..once the rust gets in the pinchwelds theres no way to fix it. Better off replacing the sheetmetal when you can.

Does that thing really need a 6" lift? Looks like theres a 4" on it now - or blocks in the back and someone cranked up the torsion bars in the front?

Personally, I'm not a big fan of lift kits for everyday drivers. I like to use my trucks for hauling/towing stuff and you just can't easily get into the bed of the truck with that kind of a lift.

Maybe at 22 the thought of always jumping into and out of your truck doesn't sound too bad!

Add 33 years, a "few" pounds
, and some major injuries...if I had a truck lifted like that I'd blow a knee or a hip out trying to use it!

Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your reply! The Cali-plate is originally from a Chevy Van from a friend of mine in Cali.
I forgot the picture of the rust patch, thanks for mentioning!
I was hoping the doors would still be saveable. Oh well, i?ll see how long they last in Dutch-weather haha!
As far as I know the truck hasn?t been lifted, I don?t see any blocks on the rear, maybe an extra leaf but that?d be it. I have always loved the look of lifted trucks, hence it will be one of the first things I?ll do. As far as I know of I?ll be the only one in my country with a lifted Dually, which makes it even better. I don?t really ?need? the truck for work or towing or anything. Regelations in my country don?t allow me to load/tow that much without a trucker license... For me it?s a child dream and more of a hobby.
I definately see your point that for a hauler/tower it wouldn?t be so practical haha!
 

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#6 · (Edited)
that will definitely be a head turner, esp if it's the only one.
too bad about the rust. is salt used on the roads there?
what size tire? i run 235/85R16LT. they are tall and skinny.
confused: those turn signals aren't US spec? if not, what are the specs?
tuned in for the progress.
 
#7 ·
Yeah salt is used here in the winters.. so that sucks. I?m still looking for the best way to avoid rust in the future, since this is my daily driver and I need it in the winter too.
I run 235/85/16 as well. Too skinny for my likings, but okay for the time being. After the lift kit is installed I will be looking for new rims and tires, preferably 36? tires, but it?s too early to get into that now, first need to get the money together for the lift kit and front end rebuild haha!
I?m still confused about the turn signals, they get tampered with when the vehicle gets imported in my country, trying to get them back to the us standards
 
#8 ·
It will probably take around 2 to 3 months for me to get the lift kit and front end components here, since I wanna order it all in one go to save on transport costs.
In the meantime I will keep doing minor modifications to keep things interesting.
E.g. Towing mirrors, LED taillights, light bar and some working lamps.
 
#15 ·
I installed some GenIV styled towing mirrors on my 2002...after which I kicked myself in the @zz for not attempting on my 1998!

My Towing Mirror Swap

The other thing you will want to do is figure out how to stuff a Double Din radio..maybe will fit in your console...and get a nice touch screen and backup camera.

My Kenwood Stereo and Backup Camera install

Cameras are dirt cheap the camera I installed was 30.00 + 15.00 for a wireless transmitter, I spent 5x more on the spoiler I mounted the camera to!

The BU camera is easily the best safety feature I've ever added! And although you think you won't be towing much..if you do you'll appreciate the BU camera. I just hooked up to my car trailer to move it and nailed the ball placement the very first attempt by myself - PRICELESS!
 
#10 ·
The side marker indicator in the fender is not Stock from GM.
It appears that your country requires that type of side marker indicator which would only activate with the use of the turn signal.
 
#13 ·
Australia has the same requirement.
 
#18 ·
Looks good:thumb:
 
#20 ·
What did you mean with someone else did rust repairs on the cab? Don?t understand haha!
I was joking around looks to me like someone smeared some bondo over the rust and threw some paint over it - usually when you see a rust hole like that the rust is bubbling out from under the paint - in that pic it looks pretty smooth so thats another reason I thought someone tried a prior hack-ish repair (not you!)
 
#21 ·
Aah I see, it's hard to pick up on the camera but the paint is bubbling a lot around the hole. I wonder how it started though.. No holes on the other side as far as I could see, so wonder where dirt and **** came in from.
Really want to find the cause, since I don't want rust to come through again in a few years after I fix it.

Hopefully be ordering the quarter panels and this one next month. Then get it welded in and re-painted. The front grille will also be painted black while I'm at it.
 
#22 ·
the front side markers are amber from the factory. clear is aftermarket.
the rust on the cab could be coming from an interior leak. windshield, drain plug missing, hold down bolt removed......
 
#23 ·
I see, thanks! Got my US lights fixed today, amber lights came in earlier than expected!

What is the 'hold down bolt'? Never heard of that term before haha


Okay, so this might be a little early, but then again never too early to get some information. I was walking around my truck today with my dad, debating on wheels&tires after the lift.
We figured there's a few options:

6 identical rims&tires, a little bit wider than the original. Can't go too far in on the rear because of the leaf springs, and obviously we don't want the rear tires rubbing each other..

Option two we figured was to get 4 identical rims&tires on the rear, and 2 different one on the front. Then either remove the front wheel hub extension and put on a normal tire, or keep it on and look for a rim that comes more towards the outside of the car (hence why in that option I couldn't have 6 identical because they would be rubbing in the rear).

I'm not a hero when it comes to wheels and tires, and I believe it's different in the USA as well (for example we don't have 19.5 inch wheels in Europe) so any help here would be appreciated.

I added a picture, just to give an idea of the overall height I'm trying to achieve, and the width of the wheels I'd like.

I really like the wheel width on the blue one. And I think that's about as wide as I'm gonna get away with in the rear without the tires rubbing. I believe the front tires are a bit wider, which will look good with some extended fender flares (regulations here don't allow tires to stick out more than 3 cm) hence the fender flares. Also as far as I can see they removed the hub extenders at the front.

I use myself as a reference and would like the top of the bed to be at least at eye-level, maybe a little higher, but not too overkill.

22" would be the absolute maximum size rims for me, I'm hoping to go a little bit smaller and still achieve my desired overall height.

But then comes the million dollar question(s):

What offset and what size tires do I get on them? As said before I know absolutely nothing about wheels and tires.

Any suggestions / pictures etc welcome!
 
#28 ·
too cool!
 
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#29 ·
My new front axle Actuator got in today, replaced it, and now my 4x4 is working perfect!

Also looked into ordering the new Fenders and panel for the rust underneath the back of the cab. Shipping costs came at a whopping $500?! There needs to be a cheaper way to get those panels across sea?
 
#30 ·
Might be cheaper to move to where the parts are ;)

I'd suspect you'll want to save up and purchase a partial container ship the lift kit etc all together.

Maybe check with the place you bought the truck from - see if they get routine parts shipped over in a container from the states..maybe you can piggy back on one of theirs?
 
#32 ·
So a pretty shitty problem occurred yesterday.:banghead: When pulling up on the main road the truck began stuttering around 50 mp/h when I was accelerating.
Further investigated the problem and it seems when I give it about 3/4 of throttle for a good amount of time, it begins to sputter after say 10 seconds or so. When I floor it from a standstill or moving it runs fine, no stuttering at all. So it only stutters when giving it a lot of throttle for a good amount of time. No black smoke whatsoever, so I instantly thought about lack of fuel.

Checked the fuel filter, doesn't look bad, put it back in and the problem was gone... for a day. I already ordered a new filter today just to be sure but I'm afraid it was just coincidence.
Also jumped the lift pump which works fine and fulls up the filter pretty quick.
Checked the lift pump relay, which has power. Only one thing I'm a little bit concerned about. When I crank it the relay gets power on the 2nd power input, which is good, however I'm pretty sure when I put the truck on ignition it should get a 2 second 'crank' on the power input, which it doesn't. Also I do not hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds when put on ignition.

Is this normal or could this be my problem?
 
#33 · (Edited)
Check or replace the screen manager down inside of the bottom of the FFM.

That small screen is often forgotten about.

Try running with the fuel cap loose and see if anything changes
 
#35 ·
Could do a lift pump test. But probably best after checking filter condition. Should be able to run truck at idle for 30+ seconds with drain valve open. Any stuttering and the lift pump is weak, not able to supply ample fuel for all conditions.

Sent from my SM-S920L using Tapatalk
 
#39 ·
Seeing as Im an Exported Ductchman m'self (came to Canada in '57) ...I just had to see what kind of a loon would buy a 2500/3500 Dually in Holland...LOL.! AWESOME..!!

My question is this...where the hell do ya park it.?? Seems to me the biggest vehicle on the roads there is a Smart Car...

Anyway - Very Cool...I can just see the other 15 million other loons (am one myself of course), wondering the same thing as you drive by.!! Most have likely never seen such a beast.

Not knowing much about the 6.2/6.5 Motors although I did have company 93 6.2...I'll stay outa this thread and just watch..!

Cheers, (tot zeins) - my written dutch is lousy as is my verbal...was 5 when we left.
Theo
 
#40 ·
Hi Theo,

That is awesome! What a small world we live in haha.
Parking is a b*tch sometimes, but it keeps things interesting. The people watching with open mouths when i squeeze my bigass truck into the tiniest parking spot at the grocery store never gets old!
A lot of times I have to park over the curb because the parking spaces are too short, so my entire hood sticks out. At the spot where I park my truck at home the curb has sunk into the ground a good 3" from me driving up and down it :hehe: If i keep it up there will be no curb left at the end of the year!


Okay so I changed my diesel filter today and put a new lift pump relay in, my old one has been tampered with (lids broken off).
The problem SEEMS to be gone so far! But I suspect the lift pump being weak, or a clogged filter in the fuel tank itself. When I opened up the bleeder screw on top of the diesel filter, and jumped my lift pump, it did a few sputters and started dripping out, not a lot of pressure at all if you ask me.
So just to be sure I ordered a new lift pump today, so when the problem comes back I can replace it and test the pressure again. Was gonna detach the pump from the line coming from my tank and supply diesel from an external container and check the pressure again, just to rule out the pump, but I don't really wanna touch it now the problem seems to be gone.

Thanks for all the tips guys you helped out a lot!
 
#41 · (Edited)
The bleeder screw test is not an accurate flow test..

The proper flow :

The 1994+ Model Year lift pump should deliver fuel with a minimum volume of at least 0.24 liter (1/2 pint) in 15 seconds and pressure of 3 psi minimum with the engine cranking, the ESO disconnected, and the fuel line open after the filter to an approved canister

The easiest way to test the lift pump is to have the engine running, open the T Valve for a minimum of 30 seconds and let fuel flow from the drain line into a container.

If during that timeframe the engine dies or there is no fuel flowing from the line, the lift pump is too weak to support the engine.
 
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#42 ·
I did figure that bleeder thing might not be an accurate way to test it, so thanks for confirming that.
I was gonna test it with the T valve today, but then it seems like the problem has been solved, so I don't really wanna push my luck and test it now. As soon as it occurs again I will test it with the T-valve. Thanks again!
 
#45 ·
So far so good! Driven quite a bit today and the problem hasn't come back!

The way things are looking now I will most likely order the lift kit late December.
I will most likely go for this one:
https://liftkits4less.com/5-7-superlift-suspension-lift-kit-for-chevrolet-gmc-2500-3500-8-lug-4x4#

One thing I'm worried about though is Axle Wrap, and if I should be worried about it with this lift kit...
I would like to hear some thoughts about this. If I need to order traction bars it will be cheaper to let it all ship in one go.
 
#49 ·
Just found out that if I ship/import the kit the legal way, I have to pay an additional 600 euro's in taxes and other bullshit in my stupid country. No way I'm ever gonna pay that.

No idea what to do next.. Sending the goods as a 'gift' doesn't work anymore, since you still get charged from gifts from outside Europe (welcome to *****ing Holland...)

Maybe gonna have to ship it to a different country in Europe and pick it up over there..
 
#50 ·
Are there any companies that carry lift kits over there?
Maybe the local auto parts store can give a suggestion??
 
#53 ·
How?s the truck coming along these days
 
#54 ·
I'm in a bit of a financial struggle lately so unfortunately not able to do a lot. Yesterday the stuttering came back also. Gonna test my lift pump asap.
Also the truck is gonna go in lockup tomorrow since they started using salt on the roads. Will probably stay in the lockup until the end of February, then finally the big mods are gonna come :bigglasse
 
#59 ·
The AC/Delco EP 158 is the lift pump of choice if you can find one in your area.
It has a slightly better fuel flow as reported here in the forum
 
#66 · (Edited)
Took the truck out of lockup since my beater winter-car died. The fuel problem seems to be gone! Nevertheless I will clean out the fuel tank/lines in the Spring.
Ordered new brake-discs and pads to solve the 'jerking' while braking. Had the exact same prob on my Chevy Van and new discs solved it. The rotors on these vehicles seem to bend pretty quick.. I also ordered something fun which hopefully will come in next Saturday as well as the rotors and pads.

When all is installed I'm gonna have to start looking for a shop that is able to do a proper alignment, since the truck pulls to the right when driving, and to the left when applying the brakes.

The lift kit might take longer than expected since I'm having difficulties transporting it, and I refuse to pay an additional 1k on taxes and import rights. So I think I will start with some towing mirrors and additional lights instead.
Also unfortunately cracked my right-rear fender, backed up into a pole I couldn't see, so gonna have to fix that too in Spring..
 
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