"Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Well I been on this site for 5 years and I'm finally getting to my third truck (well its not for me) anyway I'v been fortunate to have this forum to share my work and learn as I go as well. So I hope you all enjoy seeing another AD truck back on the road.

For those of you that have followed my last two builds, this one is going to be different, which I planned on doing this same exact style (but with bags) on my next truck "Prison Bound". Money is too tight, so I'm taking on a build for a friend.

Nut shell... I named the truck Geronimo because my friend is into Indian stuff kinda, plus I think its a cool name. Truck originated in NM most its life, headed to salt lake city and now to us here in PA. Its in waaaay better shape than Im use to seeing. So I think I can save hundreds of hours on this build.

LS engine (still locating a lower mile one) we don't want to tear it all down and rebuild. I am however carbureting it. Always had mixed thoughts on that, but I think it will save time, poss a little money and really just keep it simple. If you look at any carb vs EFI dyno results, they aren't that far apart. EFI will get you more consistency and MPG's but not much more. I figure the trade off being, if something goes wrong a carb with less wiring is easier to fix.

Stock frame with CPP IFS (its on its way) they use Heidts crossmembers I do believe. Just keeping a static drop on this one. I'm debating on 4linking the rear or doing a leaf spring conversion of some kind. I want to use better springs in the rear incase he tows with this.

Patina is staying of course, interior will be painting as will engine bay, he wants AC (damn expensive and PIA if you ask me)
Picked up a blazer disc rear end already, full stainless exhaust, all new brakes, fuel system etc.

Here is a crude moch up I did so you can get a feel for what I'm going for.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Looking forward to it.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Sounds like fun. I'm sure we'll all enjoy tagging along.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Here are a few pics with some of the other trucks I have. Got more cars and trucks than this actually! The dump truck in the pic with Geronimo is actually a 54' as well all original. The green patina truck is a 54' which is a friends truck I was suppose to build also, but that isn't happening now.

You can see I re arranged the trucks a bit, the 51' is going in the carport where I had my "Lost at Sea" truck 52', so its back outside unfortunately. The 51' was parked in the big wooden garage which was so insanely stuffed with crap. So I'v spent well over 60hrs rearranging around the compound, reworking garage, doing some wiring etc. all this stuff shoulda been done a while ago, but "49Hardtimes" just kept beating me up.

So from left to right will be hardtimes in metal garage, 51' in carport, Geronimo in big garage. I'm almost done enough to where I can pull Geronimo in and get this 4x4 look taken care of.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

So I'm sure some of you noticed it has a 47-53 front end, which I prefer, and its a 5 window. So its pretty unique. Owner likes the rear bumper, I'm not too into it though. Dash needs some repair (flashback from hardtimes dash!!)

Couple pics of the garage art, trying to get a good vibe going. One thing Im fortunate to have is the land and somewhat space to work (very tight though). However I'v overtaken my moms yard and garage and build some of my own garages. I'v spent years doing fencing, adding driveways, gravel, adding roofs, collecting vehicles etc. I'v never had a nice clean organized workspace. Even my garage I built hardtimes in, I never had a change to set it up right because I was thrown into building that truck. I built my 51 mostly in my neighbors garage 5 years ago. So in the midst of all my chaos with clutter, poor mans budget and not even owning a real tool box, I'm happy to start feeling like I have a space to kinda work and be professional about my work space. anyway stay tuned.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I am in and looking forward to the build 99.

It is a lot of work to move things around and get organized. Wow, you have a lot of cool iron there!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

my wife loves those hoarder shows like buried alive and I just roll my eyes. but I tell ya, I would watch your episode! unlike those guys that save wrapping paper tubes or used cat litter, I can see you ranting to the camera about value and me agreeing with you and my wife rolling her eyes haha.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

a reality show couldn't handle me cause I wouldn't dare do their scripted BS. kinda like how jesse james can't get a network to pick up his American craftsman series he created. Networks don't want shows that have any "how to, or real explanation". I do like Pickers cause they are down to earth dudes. It shows the public like hey old stuff is cool and has value and best of all history. So tv shows are good and bad IMO, just my rant.

Yah I don't hoard old cat liter hhahahaa, just old iron. I got lots of spare parts at my shop in Pittsburgh and a lot here at this compound. Next year I'll have more fencing up and all my vehicles organized. Its coming together just very slowly. Having a family now makes it harder for me to obtain any new iron. That's why I hope to sell hardtimes so it will get the ball rolling on funding more builds and saving more of these from the scapper.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, I'm along for the ride. Some nice stuff you have statched away, for future builds. Glad your able to put more of these on the road....Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I am in.......looking forward to following another one of your builds.!!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Looking forward to this one!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99 great looking truck to start with. I'm with you on the back bumper, it has to go! It might work for a dually tow truck, but not here.

Hopefully the owner will agree at some point. Along for the ride.....

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I'm in. Loved your last builds...

Bill

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Sub'd, in, along for the ride, on and on!! Can't wait to see you get Rollin'! Agree with everyone, a lot of nice metal there

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

I've always stumbled onto one of your builds 7-8 pages after you started. It was good to sit and be entertained for a long period of time. Here we are on page one, now I have to wait for everything! Oh well, I'm here just the same. Go for it!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

well, this one shouldn't take me almost two years so it shouldn't be a 30 page thread like my others!! body is in really good shape, I won't know what to do with myself. Sux winter is here (well kinda, been pretty lucky so far) but.... it makes simple things like stripping and coating or painting parts almost impossible, which messes up plans. Gotta have a plan and def need to plan around winter. I'v been through enough winters on my builds and here we go again! almost done with my new work space, prolly another weekend or so of prepping, then onto tearing truck down and getting it in garage.

Got a few things in the mail and waiting on the IFS to show up.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

If we all do our part to save what we can these trucks will be around for another 60 years. Imagine that the year 2075 and our trucks are still on the road. :metal:

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

definitely gonna ride along for this one looking forward to the carb'd ls setup.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

12-12 Well figured I'd get a jump on this truck bf January like I planned. Got most of the IFS in from CPP. Seems pretty decent from what I see so far. Can't wait to get it installed, however.... Of course my LUCK, noticed the frame has had prior welding done to it, the effected zone doesn't look square at all. So now I gotta get frame squared up bf I can put the IFS, so right off the gate, big curve ball.

Garage is filling up real fast, already need to move stuff around and can't even fit the front clip in. But its what I got to work with so I gotta deal.

Hopefully have something decent to post soon, prolly going to be inconsistent posting with nothing too exciting for a while. I still need to run 220 over to this garage for the welder.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

you can see the frame is shifted inward about .25" I still have to get is all leveled up and take a million measurements. Prolly taking cab off now and getting this all ironed out, make sure the whole frame isn't toast.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Seems par for the course for your builds :lol:
You said 1/4 inch? heck that might be within build specs!!! I know you'll get it right.

Looking forward on how you'll remedy this in your A+ fashion.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, hope it's not to bad...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

yah I'm really hoping this frame isn't twisted in other places, don't have time to wait for another. I wanted to have the IFS in first thing (still waiting on spindles, rotors and brakes from CPP) then onto the rear suspension. I think I'm going to try and mount up some s10 springs since I have them sitting around. (need to rebush them) and buy/ make some shackles. CPP and TCI both sell conversion kits, but I really don't want to drop 500 on them, might as well just build a 4 link and get coil overs if I'm spending 500 on leaf springs.

What will eat up some time is (MID WINTER at that) is loading up a finished frame and taking it to get aligned to make sure its all kosher, not to mention if I get it blasted and Powder coated. Just trying to avoid taking the frame all over this filthy earth.

Once I got the IFS in, I wanted to get the engine moched up, make some mounts and start the exhaust and steering to get that out of the way. I also have some metal work to do on cab, not a whole lot but some.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

A little cutt'in and weld'in and she will be mint! Know you can do it. Heck I did!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

This is how it begins. "since the cab is off, might as well do this......and that!"

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Lookin forward to your build. I've seen your prior builds, you'll get it worked out.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Never nice to find surprises. Probably some farmer 40 years ago found his frame was cracked and hit it with the stick welder (just for now).

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

12-14 Well got about 5 hours in today. Took doors off, took seat out, gas tank out, got steering column out, steering box off, cleaned out cab, got cab off, cleaned up frame a little, swept up pounds of dirt, got frame preliminarily leveled. I wanted to see how bad the frame was out, which I needed another hand in helping me measure, from what I could do myself it didn't seem that bad.

The front xmember is so beefy, I think it kept things together up where it really mattered. So I'll iron that out. Once I get my 220 line ran over here I can do some welding. I'll weld steel tubing legs to the frame so it doesn't move.

Hoping to fix frame, and get IFS tacked in by end of month. also going to put all new s10 leaf springs on here. Just ordered up some new shackles and poly bushings so hopefully I can get it all to work. already cracked my shin off the running board brackets, prolly the only thing I don't miss about the removable ones I do on s10 frames!!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Good work for a day by yourself!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Moving right along 99.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

12-9

Spent about 3 hrs tearing down the 5.3 engine I had (planned on using for my own build) but since the search has been killing me for almost a month, I decided to try and use my engine. Well its froze so I'll use it for a moch up block for now. I did moch up the intake and you can see the MSD box that will control the timing for the coils. I got some fittings on the way so you can use mechanical gauges. I am suppose to pick up a nice 5.3 tomorrow with LS6cam and get this.... its a fresh take out and is already painted almost exactly how I planned to paint it myself. So that should save a lot of headache, crossing fingers for tomorrow.

Not much else to show, I did run my electric for this part of the garage so I can weld. Hooked up my Hobart over in this bay. I spent a while welding up braces all over the frame. I then put some steel tubing on the floor (since I don't have my frame table hooked up yet) I leveled the steel on the floor so I can measure upwards and make sure the back, center and front of frame is all equally leveled that way. So when I cut the bad patch up front, the frame moved, I then made sure it was squared up front and also back and forth, as the frame rail wanted to dip down when I cut it.

This is just the first weld to keep it in position until I can plate it up. Which will be a big PIA since there is all types of stuff in my way. You can see in the pic I have a thick piece of tubing tacked to the top of the frame and to get the bad section of frame straightened out, I put a scissor jack in there. Basically the frame most likely wasn't ever hit and where it broke, just folded the frame a little in that area, it did very little moving.

Once I get the IFS tacked in, I'm going to start on the rear leaf conversion, I got some s10 shackles and poly bushings, seems like it might work out. I gotta get the leafs in here and see how they differ from the stock leafs. Its all in my head, but not yet measured out!
I'm hoping Monday to possibly get some more patching done and or start moching up the IFS. I gotta tear more of the front apart. Should have a plasma cutter showing up Monday, so not sure if I'll have time to hook it up, but really could use one right about now (why I bit the bullet on getting it).

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Well, got snuffed on the engine buying again. Turns out the 5.3 is actually a 4.8 and the engine was all tore apart when I showed up, the fbody pan was swapped out, he took everything that was for the car off the engine. I couldn't justify buying this one, he had heads off and all tore apart, list goes on. If I'm gonna buy something that isn't ready to take on the new intake and go, then I'd rather rebuild engine from ground up (which I didn't plan to do on this build).

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Too bad about the engine! Sounds like the seller wasn't accurate with his description.

Hope you enjoy the plasma cutter!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

That sucks! One will pop up.

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

yah can't wait to get the plasma. as for the engine I just want something I can hear run and clean up, put my intake and carb on etc. But if one doesn't pop up by spring, I'll just get whatever I find, tear it down and rebuilt it. I wanted to have this truck done in a timely manner and rebuilding an engine to me is fun and I like it, but takes 50 plus hours to get, tear down, rebuilt, clean and plum up on start stand. For me that's over a months worth of work. Time will tell

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Plasmas are nice wish I had one.
Good luck with the motor hunt. You will find one!!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

12-21 making a little progress. Got front suspension tore out, cleaned frame up a little. coated the inside of frame with chassis saver also the back of the boxing plates. I got my rotors, spindles and brakes from BO and they look sweet. CPP has a really nice kit for the price. But.... I don't really haven instructions, so I printed out TCI's awesome instructions.

Took forever making sure things were lined up and then trying to level the dang xmember by myself sucked. you gotta be on your center of frame mark, the center of your frame rail marks, gotta be level side to side, then level front to back (I'm told they have rake build into the xmember, so I'm assuming I keep frame at zero deg and also the xmember, awaiting confirmation on that)

Didn't have time to get the top hats on. What I'll do and learned a cool trick from the web, is put a lower control arm on upside down and measure off the grease fitting back to the rear axle, that way I know I'm as square as can be.

got my plasma, but I need to buy the right receptacle for it. had to change welding wire right as I finally got xmember lined up, first tack and boom no wire, hoping I don't run outta gas at a bad time!!!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Looking good there 99...Jim

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

99, the joys of working by yourself when leveling something...frame, crossmember...ugg. Been there.

I have several small bottle jacks that I use for levelling. Don't know how they would work for a crossmember, though they work great on a frame with one on each corner.

That is some nice looking weld bead!

Re: "Geronimo" 54' 3100 LS built in PA
 

Nice work 99. Welder and plasma not 220?