First Things First was the opening title for this three-part series dealing with cab upgrades and rust prevention, so it only makes sense we wrap up the last installment titled First Things Finished. For those of you that just dropped in, we started on the C10 by sealing the cab and doors with weatherstripping from Brothers. Once we knew the doors weren't going to allow water, dust, or dirt inside the next step was to insulate and soundproof the door shells and inside of the cab with Dynamat Xtreme. Next, a pair of Power Bass 6x9-inch speakers were concealed behind the crossflow ventilation louvers in the doors, and stuffed a set of 73-87.com's 6x9 speaker brackets in the cab corners. (Boom Mats and DynaXorb formed the enclosures.) Then the hand-crank window mechanisms were replaced with Brothers' easy-to-install direct-fit power windows, and the speaker and power-window wires were routed from the doors into the cab.
As soon as the new wires were pulled through we realized the stock C10 fuse block was going to be inadequate to properly handle all of the new demands placed on it. Amongst the new demands was a list full of computers. This list of computers includes the one used to control the '79's Gearstar 4L60E transmission, the Howell Developments' TBI electronic fuel injection conversion kit, and a host of smaller computers such as the one in the Dakota Digital cruise control we installed in a previous issue of CCT. All in all, the roll call of new electrical drains placed on the system includes Brothers power-windows, a Dakota Digital electronic antenna, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and outside thermometer, and a Dakota Digital instrument panel. The Clarion head unit relies on four 6x9-inch Power Bass speakers backed up with an ultra-thin Power Bass 12-inch sub enclosure that tucks flush against the cab wall and doesn't restrict full movement of the seat to deliver crystal clear sound. A further drain comes from a 1,600-watt Power Bass ASA6004x amplifier mounted beneath the seat.
The most recent addition is going to be a 60/40-split power bench seat snagged from a '94 Buick Roadmaster Hearse. Back in 2007 when I first bought the '79 in anticipation of increased electrical demands a Painless Performance Power Star high-output alternator engineered to deliver around 14.9-volts at low rpm was the first electrical upgrade I made to the truck. Right off the bat I noticed the Power Star was able to keep up with the truck's air conditioning even while it was idling through heavy stop-and-go traffic. Now that I've gone off the deep end and added just about every power option imaginable once again it's the folks at Painless Performance I looked to, to come up with a solution. Painless' part number 50101, 12-circuit race car fuse block utilized as an auxiliary fuse block makes for a lot better solution than overburdening the stock fuse block with numerous taps, or completely rewiring the truck with a larger-capacity fuse block. In addition to curing the too-many kittens and not enough faucets situation, the Painless Race Car fuse block is equipped with a relay that eliminates spikes in the current flow. Spikes in a vehicle's 12-volt electrical system can raise hell with computers, and make the simplest of problems almost impossible to diagnose. True to how I like to write a tech feature, I zeroed-in on the areas where I think most folks might need a little help, and left the obvious steps to the manufacturer's instruction sheet.
