Project Budget Build
 

Ok ive been a member for a year now and I think its about time I start my build Thread. I originally found this truck... actually pair of trucks on Craigslist on the other side of the state. I had a 71' Long Fleet about 10 years ago that sadly ended up crushed when I left it in the care of a friend of mine when I moved out of state. Ive always wanted a Short Fleet though.

Now fast forward to this past April. I was bored scavenging craigslist for a good deal on an old farm truck (those are cheapest), when I came across an ad for a 70' Short Box C10 WITH a parts truck for $700 Hell Ya! Done! So I called the guy up and got everything set up. Next issue I had to tackle was how to get both trucks 350 miles back home. A month back I had just sold my Lifted 85' K5 so I had nothing to tow them with and I dont currently own a car trailer let alone a car trailer that will haul my TWO Short Box Pickups. So I put an ad on craigslist and an hour later I got a response from a towing company willing to do the hauling for about $300. Sounds like a sweet deal right!?... On paper Yes. Well I found the trucks in april, Dealt with the shipping company for almost THREE MONTHS! Mid july comes around and the guy I bought them from is getting ancy about when Im going to pick them up (already paid for them back in april). I explained the situation and He says hell call me back.

I get the call and he says hes coming to where I live for business anyway and hes got a friend with a cummins and a 36' trailer that he can borrow and he'll be here tomorrow. I told him id do the $300 the shipping company would have charged if he delivers to me.

Long Story... Long I now have my dream truck and for a pretty good price. Even better now is I ended up parting out the parts truck and made over $1000 so the parts truck paid for everything. Thats kindof where the title came from.
Im Married, with a toddler (and we just found out last monday 1/31/11 weve got one on the way), a cheap ass, stingy, and resourceful. As it sits right now Im probably not even $400 into it out of my own pocket and that includes a new cab I just picked up the other day With a title for $50, and the complete 350 bored .040 over that i snagged for $125, headers Patriot shortys off ebay less than $100

Its gonna be a slow build until summer comes. I have no garage and no previous experience restoring,welding, or otherwise. Im just good at takin stuff apart and making it a little better. I look forward to all of your advise along the way and please feel free to offer any personal experience and suggestions if you think im doing something wrong or it could be made better.

As always Thanks in advance guys and I hope you enjoy my build.


This pic below Is the day I brought her home July 17th 2010. I met the guy at a truck stop nearby so we had room to unload the trucks then I towed them home. The truck is lifted up high because I was changing the front driver tire. He delivered it with 2 flats...

Re: Project Budget Build
 

:chevy:Forgot to add my plans. Its a short fleet with a rotting steel bed. I picked up a pickup box trailer with a short step bed thats in better shape than my whole truck for $100. I pulled some suspension parts off to get the truck rolling safely and Ill use the trailer later. Im very undecided on which style I like better so as of right now Im planning on making some kind of quick release under the wheel wells so that I can quickly switch between the fleet and the step. Anybody ever done anything like that? Oh the step side box is wood bed and I will be converting the fleet over to wood too. I will be lowering it JUST a little. I only want to level it really. The new cab will be getting a shaved firewall including the master cyllinder and the truck will be loosing anything that is not necessary. I want it as simple and clean as it can be with nothing bolted to the body. The more lights and stickers and markers and... stuff attached to it the better chance of rust forming there so it will all go. Ultimate goal is a weekend show worthy daily driver. It will be driven year round none of this trailer queen stuff or caged up in the garage all winter.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Fellow South Dakotan here, where did you pick these up at? Such a killer deal on TWO SWB TRUCKS! I always keep my eye out for em but these ones musta squeezed past me. I'll be followin this build sounds pretty slick

Re: Project Budget Build
 

The guy was 10 miles south of Souix Falls. I emailed him the day he posted them on craigslist.

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Are there any other members out there from South Dakota?

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Isn't South Dakota still just a territory?

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Haha something like that. I moved back here so I could finish up at the Engineering school I started back a few years ago. After that I think its back to Cali.

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Whooaaa! Don't go all crazy on us and move to Kalifornia. That's the land of fruits and nuts.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

So are you going to Mines? I toured the school, seems real nice. And yeah there are a few more SD members on here. California sure sounds nice, especially right now...

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Yeah I was going to school of mines for Mechanical Engineering. I had to stop because It was hard to find a job that would work around my school schedule and still give me enough hours to pay the bills and eat and all that not very important stuff. Hopefully Ill be starting up again this spring maybe next fall.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

So I will hopefully be pulling my bed soon. Do you think I have anything to worry about with my frame?

Also this was the trailing arm that was on the truck when I got it. I pulled the good one from the parts trailer that I mentioned Earlier. I limped it to a local shop with the good trailing arm on and kindly told them I would pay them in cash if they could only loosen up the nut on the U-bolt so that I can switch out the bad for the good. I got turned away. Nobody wanted to break the u-bolt Soooo...
I made a stop at Advance auto parts and picked u a 24" 1/2' breaker bar for $15 then stopped by menards and picked up a 1/2" impact socket set for $10 and headed home. As it turns out that 24" bar still didnt give me the leverage I needed to break the bolt. Sure I could cut it but it didnt seem necessary at the time plus I didnt have a grinder or cutting wheel. I also dont own a compressor or an impact gun. So I pulled out my trusty cheater pipe which was another 24" and went to town in it! That d@mn nut was stuck on there so good It never even turned a 1/4 turn. I spun the whole end of the u-bolt off 1/4 twist at a time. It took me about 45 min and all the energy I had but when it came off there was a big loud *Bang* and I was relieved to finally be done with the d@mn thing.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Heres some pics of the new one next to the old one after I sprayed some rust reformer and some undercoating on the new arm. I cant be certain, because I bought the trucks without ever having seen them first, but if I had to guess I think this truck may have been sitting in standing water for a little while. That whole side of the truck is pretty bad.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

:jdp::jdp::jdp:
Yikes!

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Yep! and when I did my walk around the truck I missed that. Must have been to excited to drive her. I actually drove it to work for a few weeks that way.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Trailing arms are expensive if you buy them new!

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Thats why I pulled this one off the pickup box trailer. Ill repair the old one as best I can and put it back on the trailer so I can move it around for now.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Heres an old thread where Ram-Man built his own for about 65 bucks...

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Wow I just looked up his build. Superb quality! I think Im going to do the same once I decide on a welder.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Notice I forgot the thread!
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=trailing+arms

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Well I ordered my new valve covers tonight. The motor should hopefully be done next week!

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Thats cool you are going to Mines. Keep at it! I have 2 nephews from Denver attending Mines.....one Mechanical, the other Petroleum. Wow, I'm getting old.....
And sweet valve covers!

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Thanks.

Didnt make any progress today but tomorrow I maybe doing some brake line work, trimming the frame a little bit, and repairing some old headers if I cant get the new ones to fit. Its supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow and I cant NOT take advantage of the nice weather! Especially since I dont have a garage or shelter of any type.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Im on a tight budget right now so I only have room for one thing. What is more important in this stage? A Welder or a Soda Blaster? Help me decide!

Re: Project Budget Build
 

I like the build and back story!!!

On the welder vs soda blaster...have you priced out how much to farm out either? I have done two projects with a local guy who welds parts in for me and then I go behind and grind them down....his cost for the two builds is less than I would have in a welder and supplies...much less getting it set up in my garage and having to buy gas/wire, etc...


So it might actually be cheaper to pay someone to either do the welding or the blasting....

Depending on if you find someone cheap...and reliable (I Know...not usually found but I have found one locally)

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Well currently I am looking at good old harbor freight. 40lb soda blaster is on sale for $149 and a 110 90 amp wire feed is currently on sale for $149. I have only had the chance to price out sand blasting so far and the place I talked to said they wanted $200 to blast my frame. At that price I could buy a blaster but I dont know if thats a good rate or not. This is my first restore.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

You have to consider all the media you buy and the cleanup afterwards as part of the 200...plus your time that could be spent on other aspects of the build. What else would you blast?

Also, whatever you decide...there has been a $20 off anything over 100 coupon posted on the site...think it ends soon but it's worth looking into...

Re: Project Budget Build
 

Well Today was amazing! It was 70 degrees here and I got all kinds of stuff done! I got to wear shorts for the first time in 4 months, I got the bike started and went for a ride after not even maintaining the battery since october. I got my rear brake line plugged up so I can at least move it until I get all of the rear lines replaced. I went to the Hot Rod Institute and talked to the guy whos building my motor. I test fit my headers on his truck (66' lwb) He agreed that to use these headers I would have to notch my frame. Not ideal but it works for now. Then I hopped back on the bike rode home and notched my frame a little bit. Before and after pics below. Then I actually got to drive my baby for the first time in a few months! Let me know what you think of the new headers.

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Headers look like they fit great. I wouldnt worry about that little notch at all. Looks good!

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Sorry those are the old ones. The collector and about 2 inches of pipe were all blown out beyond repair. They fit perfect but I dont know what make they are and I cant find them. Heres a pic of the old and new together.

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Heres the new ones installed.

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Is amazin how the corrosion deteriorates the steel...!!!!!!! Its a good sample of a corroed part.

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Well I picked up my cam today. After spending some time at "The Speed Center" (our local hot rod shop) I settled on an EPR mc1713. The guy tells me this should make the truck sound real nice and getbup and scoot just fine. Well see. Anybody currently using that cam?
.050 duration
intake 223
Exhaust 223

VALVE LIFT
Intake 447
exhaust 447

Ill recap what I have for the motor now too.

Its a 79' 4 bolt main truck motor, with stock heads fresh valve job, hardened valve seats and new exhaust valves. Block is bored. 040 over. I have an edelbrock performer rpm aluminum intake and im planning to run an edelbrock 1406 carb. Flat top (eyebrowed?) Pistons. Also Have HEI and Im going to be doing an MSD 6A Box

Is there a way to calculate horsepower without using a dyno based on the specs I've given? Finally, now that I have a new cam should I change the springs? They're all very tight. Thanks in advance everyone!!


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Re: Project Budget Build
 

So I ordered the carb (Edelbrock 1806) and water pump today. Hopefully Ill pick up the motor from the machine shop tomorrow. Just need to pick up push rod bearings and plugs and wires and It should be fired up by the end of the week!! According to "Desktop Dyno" I should be pushing 300hp and 400 ft lbs of torque. No idea how accurate that is but it sounds good.

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Well I just talked to the machine shop a little bit ago and they said I can pick up the motor tomorrow morning! I also came across a coupon in the back of a maxim magazine while at work the other day for a welder from Harbor freight for $89! its a 90amp 110v wire feed Chicago Electric. Also Also came across a 27gal 5hp air compressor on craigslist for $90 so In a few weeks (weather permitting since I have no garage) Looks like I should be well on my way to making some good solid progress! Ill post pics of the motor as it comes along.

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cam's mighty small

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Really? My understanding was that it was pretty big for running stock heads. What is considered a "Big cam"?

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Well I picked up the motor from the machine shop today. Didnt realize it but the heads didnt have the rockers on them any more and one of my pistons looked exactly the same but was different than the rest. That is I had 7 cast flat top pistons and one aluminum... Ill be heading back to the shop to pick up the correct parts tomorrow morning.

Re: Project Budget Build
 

So I picked up new pistons yesterday. http://www.jegs.com/i/Sealed+Power/844/H617CP/10002/-1

I have 78cc heads so it should run pretty nice. The guy at the machine shop estimates that i should be sitting right around 380hp and just north of 400ft lbs of torque with my setup. I now have all the parts I need and The hot rod institute will be building my motor starting this afternoon. In fact Im leaving now to go drop off my new water pump, new HEI distributor, and aluminum alternator bracket. Pics coming soon!

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Carb Came in today. Edelbrock 1806 electric choke. The motor is half assembled as of this evening. Ive got to pick up a few random bolts im short on and maybe I can get this thing done by tomorrow night... Well see.

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Well Im missing some head bolts so the build is on hold until monday when I can go pick up the new head bolt kit. Until then heres a look at what shes starting to look like. Its gonna be chevy red/orange and all aluminum.