Going for the 1980s nostalgia look

My goal for my truck is to make my 1989 as 1989 as possible and then see if I can enter it in the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach in a few years because it's 25 years old now.

For some of the old timers here, what were the popular looks for these trucks in the 1980s? I'm thinking static drop, billet or steel wheels, ground effects, scalloped paint or neon or pastel stripes? Maybe light bars, bull bars, fog lights for the most off road look? Maybe build a replica of Dave Wolin's Coors Light series truck? Or a 1980s style Baja truck?

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Bump. Anyone know what the "period correct" air shocks to get were in 1989? What about which sound system and old school amp?

Spatter paint?

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:mytwocents:on the front of the 1986 4wd i have gabriel air http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.F5q...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0the 1979 convertible has pyle pounders http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.V%2...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0 carver amp http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.Xf9...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0 & clarion pre amp cassette deck

Geronimo is about as 80's as you can get - multiple fades, graphic stripes, velour upolstery, 16" and static drop with air shocks in rear. Although the inspiration for the graphics was a 70's sin bin van design from Greg of Akron.

Monroe Max air shocks were the other brand used. Splatter truck paint was used when Zolotone was too expensive - most truck paint needs a clearcoat to seal it or it will chip right off and is water based so you can't clean it unsealed.

16" wheels are the largest people would go right? Billets? Hammers? What about tire brands?

I never heard of Zolatone and googled it. That stuff looks pretty retro awesome.

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Originally Posted by ragragtimetime

on the front of the 1986 4wd i have gabriel air http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.F5q...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0

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Wait -- you had Hi Jackers up front? BTW I love Gabriel's rabbit logo and the big white GABRIEL billboard logo printed on their black shocks. Great graphic design.

I didn't know it was possible to fit air shocks on the front of any truck. I have a 2WD but do you have a part number? Maybe I can get them to work. I'd love to have old school air all around. Someone on the FB group was just asking about that.

Dupe, please delete.

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Originally Posted by noahwins

Wait -- you had Hi Jackers up front? BTW I love Gabriel's rabbit logo and the big white GABRIEL billboard logo printed on their black shocks. Great graphic design.

I didn't know it was possible to fit air shocks on the front of any truck. I have a 2WD but do you have a part number? Maybe I can get them to work. I'd love to have old school air all around. Someone on the FB group was just asking about that.

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the air shocks are on the johnbaker exterior shock mounts:http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...5&d=1397262738

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Originally Posted by noahwins

16" wheels are the largest people would go right? Billets? Hammers? What about tire brands?

I never heard of Zolatone and googled it. That stuff looks pretty retro awesome.

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yes 16" as well as 16.5" were the "new". the convertible still has fulda y2000 tires on the rear http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.mKV...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0 purchased thru a "new" company called the tire rack in the 80's

I would have thought the fulda's would have dry rotted by now...

Interesting. How much travel can you get with HiJackers, ragtime? Was it something like you'd air it up at the gas station before you went cruising or did you have an onboard compressor?

the 86 had roughly 11+" lift. I welded the exterior shock mounts on after determining max lift. had a cheap plug-in compressor I carried.

Check out this vintage MTX Terminator I found on eBay. Made in the USA! Matches a pair of 10" MTX subs that came with the truck and I never used because I don't know squat about car audio. More of a Giants baseball, lo-fi college radio (KALX 90.7) and NPR guy myself.

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I wonder if there's anywhere to find NOS or reproduction Baker external mounts -- I'll go to Suicide Doors if I have to but I'll try to get the genuine article.

More pics of some beautiful old school amps, all American made I bet. Love the graphics and details on these old amps, especially the Precision Power unit. Imagine how much extra time and money it must have taken to hire a designer to draw the graphics freehand and then scan and edit them on a Silicon Graphics or Apple workstation, just so it looked nicer for the customer. And a 1-800 number for support answered by an American tech. Can you imagine a car audio company caring about quality and craftsmanshiplike that today? No, all these companies care about is rock bottom retail price and the cheapest labor in some Communist hellhole. SELL OUTS. Best Buy garbage amps aren't repairable and won't last forever like these tanks.

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I guess I'm interested in this old school stuff because everything seemed to be made so much better looking and better made back then. I'm relatively young and I can just barely remember when things were made well in the US, Japan, Germany, etc. Like my first Sega Master System. Made in Japan. Still works perfectly. And I remember you could call Sega USA tech support down 880 freeway here in the East Bay in Hayward and some guy would, like, answer the phone after it rang. No phone tree.

I'm so sick of this shit from Wal Mart and eBay. Like that gd fake Weber I got conned into buying. It still makes me angry seeing others in this community get tricked into buying it. "Genuine" my ass. It's awful and takes the fun out of this hobby.

I just want it everything to look good and work right.

/rant

Tell us how you really feel Noahwins...