little progress and motor question
 

Pulled the Q-Jet off of the intake, getting it ready to clean up. That's about all I did today. Still tired from late night in shop last night.

Where is the best place to buy a master rebuild kit for my 396? I might end up getting it from my machine shop, but would consider buying from board vendor if someone will recommend vendor with good price/quality. I want pistons, cam, the works.

Couple more pice for y'all.

i got my rebuild kit from kitpros.com........ very reasonable, talked to customer service on the phone they shipped exactly what i asked for...didn't try to sell me stuff, and answered almost every question i had

Wow, let me chime in to say awesome truck and great progress!! Those pictures remind me of the 454 I am building for my blazer right now. Please continue to keep us updated. I read through the entire post and just wanted to reinforce the sand blasting issue that was brought up and not completely discussed. I know you are doing the mechanical right now which is great, but please do not touch any sheet metal with a conventional sand blaster :no: Take sheet metal to a professional to be stripped with a soda blaster or other material that is comparable. A regular sand blaster will work great on the frame and heavier metal, but it will completely destroy (warp) your thin and very nice sheet metal. I learned a very hard lesson with this, lets just say there would be one more very nice 69 front clip in this world if I had never purchased a conventional blaster :( . Lesson learned... hard way, sorry for the long post but really wanted to save you a headache......

Keep up the AWESOME work!!!!

Thanks for the advice CF! That's the kind of help I need, a guy with previous experience. I'll check prices on having someone do it, but I'll probably end up sanding it all by hand or with an air sander. I did all the tins on the m/c I just restored and that went pretty good. I had just seen how nice sheetmetal looks when you have it (media) blasted and it looked WAY easier and quicker that sanding blocks and disc sanding. Knew it couldn't be that easy.

lOOKS LIKE THE PROJECT IS WELL UNDERWAY CONGRATS ON THE PROGRESS..

i would get the kit thru your machine shop.he`s probably well educated where,and what to get you,especially if there is some type of piston/cam/whatever options you want to go with.he would be the person to talk to for options,plus he will need some of the parts to finish machine work,or to press pistons on rods.

Just a quick line to say thanks to all of you who respond to my thread. Been in Charleston a couple of days and just got back to see the latest updates. This project wouldn't be nearly as far along without y'alls input and enthusiasm. Still a long way to go, but it's the journey, not the destination.
I'll keep you updated at every turn!

Just wanted to say, I look at the message board daily, looking for your updates...I am enjoying reading yours, as my project is at a stand still(waiting parts and such). Anyways, just wanted to say, I look forward to reading "every turn" as you say, and keep up the good progress....

Big Blocks..... Love 'em
 

Toss the 6 cyl and replace... :burnout:

LF... :confused:

i dont get it either. you have a big block

Finally have more progress to report. I dropped my engine off at the machine shop today. Should be back late next week or early the week after. Hope all goes well there. Between now and then, I will work on removing the bed and cab from the frame. Also will start cleaning up the tins and intake. Was going to have the machine shop do that too, but the whole idea is to do as much of this myself.

Keeping you updated,
SB_in_SC

gotta luv the original hand brake! thats what my truck has and it's so weird having that thing in there. i keep thinking i'm going to eject myself or something! LOL SOLID looking truck!

Happy Mother's Day
 

Getting a little work done to the '68 today. Every project should have a name, so I have dubbed my truck the "Blue Bel Special." "Blue" for the original color(we used to call her 'Ole Blue' around the shop) and "Bel" because our shop was Belvedere Amoco in Belvedere,SC. Anyway, here are a couple of pics.

SB_in_SC

I'm enjoying the progress pics. Pretty interesting. Thanks for taking the time to show all of us.
Thanks!

:agree:

maybe you should have a screen name change to "Blue Bel Special" :hm:

end of the day
 

More progress. Had to get my wife to help me lift the bed off the chassis. She's a pretty understanding gal.(Lucky for me!)

That's it for today. Got to take my mama out to dinner!!

SB_in_SC

Very nice project you have going. Being that I am in the middle of a project
also it is nice to come to the board at the end of the day and see the work
other folks have done on their projects. I will surely continue to watch your
progress on the Blue Bel Special.

Don

Hey all,

That is an awesome looking truck and you are making some great progress!! I hope that when I get my truck into the right state I can make the same kind of progress that you are!!

Good Luck :metal:

Super

Not much progress last week. Spent the week working on my tractor and the weekend at a horse show with the wife. The machine shop called and said my motor's ready, so I'm picking it up tomorrow. Hope to get it together in the next couple of weeks and back in. We'll see how it goes. Going to Bike Week at the end of this week, but hope to get some progress made anyway. Probably nothing until next week.

Keeping you posted,

SB_in_SC

Happiness is...
 

...a freshly rebuilt big block! Got her back from the machine shop today.(Even talked'em out of a free t-shirt!) They were also nice enough to save all my old parts. Only one little hiccup, had a bad head. They had a good core in stock and cut me a deal on it, so all in all I'm satisfied. Beats the hell out of finding out you've got a busted block! Can't wait to get it in and hear it ROAR!

SC_in_SB

what, its not assembled??? ;)

It's an assembled long block, but I need to get the intake, tins, oil pump,etc. on it. I'm going to try to get the cab off to replace rubber mounts, get frame sand blasted, and all the front end stuff, like tie rod ends and bushings before I put the motor/tranny back in.

Rumors of my death...
 

...have been greatly exaggerated. Sorry no updates, but b/c no progress. Been vacationing a little and catching up on my bush hoggin' around the farm(just bought a new tractor!). Hope to get back to work this week. Gonna pull the cab off next and get the frame ready. Also stumbled across some BB parts at a friends house this weekend. Some valve covers and a Q-jet intake. Willing to trade for original air cleaner and rear chrome trim pieces I need.

More to come!

SB_in_SC

I have one too!!!!
 

Hey i hvae a 68 GMC half-ton long box with...well the same options and a few more. i ahve pwr steering, pwr brakes, factory tinted glass, factory ordered sport truck, z84 fackage i think??? if anyone can clue me in on that one?? factory tach, fact. wood deck. one tone paint. fact. beer buckets. 396BB and i hvae been told that....it has something else rare with it like..either its a low hump or high hump can someone help me with that too?? and its going to be finished in 3 weeks, frame-up resto. i also have all the original info on it and it has been BC its whole life actually in the same town. so if there is anyone who can fill me in on more info about rareity and options that would be cool. thanks.....and your truck is tight.

Still no more progress. Just thought I'd check the board and see what's up. Decided that I'm having too much fun at the lake this summer on the jet ski's and the houseboat. I'm going to start work on the truck again in mid-Sept.
68 396 Noel...Cool truck. I also have PS and PB. No factory tint, but mine's a SWB. Low hump or high hump has to do with whether or not your tranny is short shaft or long shaft, I think. Can't remember which is more rare. Ask CPNE, he'll know.

Welcome to the board Noel. All big block trucks and all 4X4 trucks came with the high center hump. Your truck sounds loaded with options. Not quite sure what beer buckets are? We gotta see some pics.

You're making great progress, still haven't started mine after 6 years.....I have a 70 GMC 402/T400 SWB with 66K miles that is waiting on a restore, love that BB sound.....also in SC.

also 4 speed trucks :)

I should have known that, my c-30 is a 4 speed :dohh:

SB_in_SC,
How far away from Charleston are you? Let me know when you're in town, maybe we can set a spell and talk shop. I am currently looking at a 69 swb stepside that a guy tore apart to restore and never finished. It's rough, but do-able. The price is right too. I'll try to get pics and post them with some info. Heck, if I buy it, maybe we can start a whole new thread classification! "Project trucks".

In His service,
Wes

I'm about 2 1/2 hours away in Edgefield, near Augusta, GA. I get down that way from time to time. Got a friend who's a CPA down there. I'll give you a holler when I'm down there. Got to get working on the truck again so we'll have something to talk about! Tired of seeing that BB sitting in my shop and not in my truck.

BB SWB Truck
 

That first pic is just awsome! That would be an incredible restore.

Very lucky to have such a ride. Get er Done. then show some Pics with the Blower standing tall................

Beer buckets are bucket seats with a middle jumper seat with a lid that you can lift up and its almost like a cooler to hold your beer.

Re: How rare is a 68 c10 w/396/TH400?
 

New year, new start. I'm back on the project. Oiled down my big block and gave it a few turns to keep it loose. Started cleaning the intake up and am going to start cleaning up the tins this week. Hope to have the engine assembled by the end of the month. The folks bought me a welder for Christmas, so I hope to order some patch panels and do some body repair after that. It's good to be back!

Re: How rare is a 68 c10 w/396/TH400?
 

Oh man...that's sweet - a tach too!

I'm envious...what are your plans? Straight resto or...?

Re: The engine teardown
 

Oh dude...and it's a 4-bolt, too (see that HI PER cast into the block)?

SWEEEET!

Re: How rare is a 68 c10 w/396/TH400?
 

Hi-per cast into the block makes it 4bolt?

What years?

I have a 1971 2 bolt main in my garage right now, with HI PER cast in...

Re: How rare is a 68 c10 w/396/TH400?
 

Still following progress on this one - looks like I'm not the only one who's having real life beat the hell out of my ability to work on my project :)