'76 Eleganza II project

[gmc260]

the propane compartments temporary (or perhaps not, havnt decided yet) alluminium blanking plate made from trailer wall material and more photos of my attempts to make the coach as water proof and resistant as possible.

pic 1 & 2 of the left side fender well area under the kitchen.

3 shows the inside portion of the air ride tubing routes mounting brackets. these were nuts and bolts that had to have two people, one inside and one out in order to install and remove them but once all the interior is assembled they would not be accessable so I spot welded the bolts to the inner backing plates and painted them.

4 & 5 show each end of the cockpit steps. common wood rot area due to leaks but this coach survived any major water damage. applied dynatron inside and out here, there was also some air leaks in this area so every little bit helps.

7 shows the left side interior wall under the big window. the orange extension cord wiring is what the PO use for adding a second generator remote start and load switch, you can see the switches and indicator light in post 9 of this thread in image9 photo on the power level panel. he did this so he could start the genset while driving. good idea! I reran the wires behind the walls while I have the interior removed since he just had them under the sofa and behind the cabinets. have also ran several extra wires through the original wiring loom including one from the brake pedal to the new third brake light I will be installing. will also be running some Cat5 cables for various geek stuff I plan on doing later.

9 & 10 show where the beltline frame meets the exterior panels, there seemed to be water stains in this area that Im not sure of the exact origin so Ive removed the spray foam insulation, cleaned it well in prep for more dynatron seam sealer in these photos. I did this front to back on both sides.

11 & 12 show where Ive trimmed the excess fiberglass off the fender wells. they were only sealed with foam tape which was still OK on the inside but degraded on the outside a bit. I trimmed it mainly so that I could spread seam sealer across the area but also thinking that I might need that flat shelf for various mounts later on.

13 - 15 show how I used closed cell foam pipe insulation to fill the void area between the generator compartment and fender well. you'll see me make use of it in many places as I continue.


16 & 17 show more of it and I also trimmed the front and back sides of the fenderwells flush with the frame and resealed them there too.

18 & 19 is the area I dug out foam and cleaned now with dynatron applied.

to be cont..

 

[gmc260]

more photos of all the seam sealer I put inside:


that nut, bolt, and big fender washer is for the rear awning mount hole that before was a sheet metal screw into just the SMC fiberglass. the other two go into the alum. frame, I used red loctite 271 and sealer on those. much more solid mount now.

2 & 3 show where i trimmed the inner fender well flush with the frame (no overlap) and sealed it.

4 & 5 are the inside areas at the top near where the rear top marker lights are. this area had evidence of leakage.

6 is where the frame near the top of the generator compartment meets the SMC rear side panel. also had signs of leakage.

 

[gmc260]

removing the rear hatch was not too bad. reading others stories about it made be assume the worst but the original screws although rusty came out with the help of a manual impact driver to knock them loose with first. after they were all out the hatch was still tight but noticed some sections I could push out and others not without some pressure.

1 & 2 show how I used a 2x4 lodged in the body frame channels groove and used a scissors jack to press it loose. be sure to also use a big piece of wood where the jack meets the hatch so as to distribute the pressure of the jack.

3 shows what was holding it in. they had put a bead of hot glue all the way around but some did not make contact enough to stick.

out it and the bath module comes for a thorough cleaning inside and out.

12 is the pedestal the bath module sits on.

rolled it out and gave the grove a wash first then removed any dry sealer that was left where the SMC panels fit together.

14 shows another major source of leakage. there really was no sealant here at all and it was totally upto the round rubber cord gasket to seal the rear hatch. I found a perfect match for that gasket I will post up next. takes 25 feet of it and only $15. from a supplier in NY.

17 is where the exterior top roof section meets the inner. their might have been a sealant here at some point but if there was it had disintegrated so this photo shows how I applied the new seam sealer in that spot.

18 & 19 shows the new hardware I used, got this stuff off amazon which I dont like to use but they had the best photos of what looked like would work together and it did very well. I used JB weld to make sure the inserts stayed but they seem to dig in pretty well and would have probably held without it. I will be using anti seize for the stainless steel screws going back in and so the whole hatch will be easy to remove again if ever needed. I will and an inner locking mechanism so it can be removed easily without access to the inside.

20 just shows the insert in place with excess JB weld trimmed away.

 

[gmc260]

prepping for paint. photos 1 - 6 show where/how the front leaks above the windshield. the front roof cap is a three piece SMC assembly and this one leaked through by the sunvisor mounts (photo 3) on both sides. from what I gather this is very common leak, this is how I rectified it, digging out the old sealer and used JB weld here.

roof vent had quite a bit of corrosion/discoloration so I gave it an acid wash then sanded it then finished it with a fine steel wool and lubed up the fan motor. will be fine for a while but plan to replace it with the Maxxfan remote model with rain sensor later.

8 & 9 are of the fridge access door upgrade to a modern Norcold vent door. matches the windows so much better than the original square edged vent.

Entry door hinges blasted and new bushings from Sirums installed and dug out all the old dried up sealer in the door jamb then sanded the door jamb which turned out to be the most time consuming part of the paint prep as it was all by hand with sandpaper to get every surface of it prepped.

14, 15, & 16 is where the original body filler was also dried and cracked. dug all that out and used JB weld here also. I've had great results with JB in spots like these on other projects, it holds up really well as the years go by and doent turn loose like other fillers in odd areas like this from repeated temperature cycles.

 

[gmc260]

sprayed the hatch separately, originally it was painted while on the coach so all the edges did not get much paint and it had wore off there over time and the SMC was deteriorating.

4 shows the new replacement round cord, closed cell foam rubber hatch gasket and source for it. perfect external match with a solid core instead of hollow core like the original.

 

[6cuda6]

Nice!! I so wish i had the place to prep and paint mine......i cannot see myself paying a shop to do it plus id never be happy with the quality that i could afford.....lol.

 

[6cuda6]

Question......did you paint the roof?

 

[gmc260]

getting ahead of myself here and some photos are slightly out of sequence. three thick coats on the roof caps and two inches over the seams. dug out the multiple layers of PO sealant in the roof cap seams and taped off and put a smooth bead of dynatron on both front and rear seams. two layers everywhere else and did not remove the awning or the top edge molding. planning a custom, structurally mounted, tubular roof rack with power awning incorporated into it but also considering removing both roof ACs and using a modern mini-split system so I can cover the roof with solar panels between the rack bars/tubes but slightly lower so the rack can still be used (very carefully) or also looking at having the panels slide out on the drivers side and tilt so they will also function as awnings over the windows all the while having the roof rack double as a roof top deck, or at least enough for a couple of lawn chairs. the deck will not be a permanent fixture and will need set up when parked. probably also be covered with its own awning and have side side railing. it will be a trick set-up and will finish the center roof section and edge caps after I get all that worked out.

also one solar panel will be for water heating one and the rest PV. Im working on this plan now and trying to get the photos caught up to where I am with it. here is some more of the paint processes I accidentally left out. the GMC lends itself to doing the paint job in sections very well with the vertical seams and its not noticeable. it certainly would be with metallic or pearl paints that get sprayed with different gun settings, temperatures, and atmospheric conditions though, those must be done in one go to get right on. spot repairs are always a problem on them also.

 

[gmc260]

these were before painting, the rear interior cap was screwed to the hatch with wood screws and all of them stripped out and cracked the hatch.

Ive added wood cut to fit in each section of the hatch where the interior cap attaches but also to have something to mount blinds etc. to later. also added wood across the back below the window for attaching the new interior stuff to. it is secured in place with liquid nails, lots of it and the professional mix, they will be solid.

9 - 13 is my custom LED tag light socket. and 14 - 20 Ive added wood inserts in the front cap to attach the custom consoles and other stuff I have planned.

 

[gmc260]

all the windows were removed, disassembled and frames and latches bead blasted and painted with black appliance epoxy. these photos might be helpful for others considering removing them, its a big job. photo 10 is the original rubber gaskets that none of the regular specialty vendors have replacements for. I cleaned them up really good and reversed them upon reinstallation so that the hardened from the sun exterior facing portion is now inside, should seal better but also added some RTV behind them.

all new weatherstripping and seals. photo 16 shows the two different new felt strips from two separate GMC vendors, the grey ones did not match original and didnt have the plastc wipers in them but Sirums had the correct ones. these are go in the all the side and rear sliding windows, same stuff.

cleaned all the glass and tinted them while they were out with bronze reflective 35% which is legal limit for cockpit glass here.

 

[gmc260]

photo 1 shows the plastic insert to the bottom end of the window frames. each slider window fram has two of these on bottom. it allows it to sit on the body frame to locate it in the opening just right.

2 is the window frame just before paint. painted all of them with the same black appliance epoxy. its good stuff.

3 & 4 show that butyl rubber crap that GMC used. scraped it off with razor blades then wiped it with lacquer thinner clean. it had all melted and looked horrible from the inside. it also doesnt secure the windows much after all these years and even when it did they could still be pulled right out so I went with the CR lawrence RTV adhesive Jim B suggests to reinstall them. much cleaner

all the side windows except the cockpit ones were tinted with dark gold reflective for maximum solar barrier. and it looks so much better than limo tint on this color coach IMO

 

[gmc260]

stainless steel hood latches from Sirums which again came through when others failed again. they show tiny, blurry photos on their website and when I got the first batch they didnt stand off the hood enough and the center section was knurled on each of them and I wanted them original looking. sent those back for refund.

the edges of the GMC letters were rough looking so I painted those with epoxy while I had them off. both the front and rear badges. looks much better. for the gen and propane doors I got the key lock latches though.

awning needed some polishing up and really happy with all the windows.

 

[gmc260]

photo 1 is the LED 1157s for the tail/brake lights. tried others cheaper ones but they did not have a bright enough brake light. I also ran a wire from the brake pedal to the rear for the 3rd brake light Ive mounted inside. its behind the tint so its not obvious until you put the brakes on. I'll go get some photos of that also, forgot about it. its mounted top center of the rear glass.

the clearance lights I wanted to keep original, I dont like the dotted look of the intigrated LED replacements. I had the opposite problem with the LED bulbs for these though, they were way too bright! so I changed them with red and amber ones from amazon that you see in these photos and they are perfect. not too bright but cant see dots of them either. I had to make the foam seals and pads for mounting them with 2.5" foam tape and scissors

the mounting holes for the side trim up front was not good so I changed that with inserts and JB welded clips in so they wont spin when tightened

last photos are the end pieces for the side trim. the trim itself was not very shinny so I polished all 50 + feet of it top an bottom by hand with first 600 grit then 100 grit then wendols polish. not fun but looks like new now.

 

[gmc260]

did the w/wiper mod to run the washer tubing through the center. polished the hood hinges and used SS hardware and some other detailed photos.

almost caught up..

 

[Mike Perez]

View attachment 1581

all the windows were removed, disassembled and frames and latches bead blasted and painted with black appliance epoxy. these photos might be helpful for others considering removing them, its a big job. photo 10 is the original rubber gaskets that none of the regular specialty vendors have replacements for. I cleaned them up really good and reversed them upon reinstallation so that the hardened from the sun exterior facing portion is now inside, should seal better but also added some RTV behind them.

all new weatherstripping and seals. photo 16 shows the two different new felt strips from two separate GMC vendors, the grey ones did not match original and didnt have the plastc wipers in them but Sirums had the correct ones. these are go in the all the side and rear sliding windows, same stuff.

cleaned all the glass and tinted them while they were out with bronze reflective 35% which is legal limit for cockpit glass here.

I'm really going to have to pick your brain about the window rebuild.

 

[Justin Brady]

Looks great, watching with great interest.
How does it drive with the wider front track from those rims?

 

[gmc260]

I'm really going to have to pick your brain about the window rebuild.

had I known how much of a hassle the front ones would be, I'd have just got the new two piece ones that Jim B. developed.

Looks great, watching with great interest.
How does it drive with the wider front track from those rims?

front seems OK but I have nothing to compare it too, the rear sways more than I like. just another reason to upgrade to the quad bags at some point and if that doesnt help, rear sway bars. Im looking for two that match the rears to try out and see if that makes any difference up front, and I think they look better.

 

[Mike Perez]

had I known how much of a hassle the front ones would be, I'd have just got the new two piece ones that Jim B. developed.

I have a total of 12 Alcoas. I’m probably keeping just 8.


front seems OK but I have nothing to compare it too, the rear sways more than I like. just another reason to upgrade to the quad bags at some point and if that doesnt help, rear sway bars. Im looking for two that match the rears to try out and see if that makes any difference up front, and I think they look better.