68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

After 20 years I’ve sold my cummins powered K20, the new owner has wanted it for 15 years and will be here to pick it up 2 weekends from now. He even paid already so I had to get to work on finding a replacement.

Over the last month I’ve found a truck(small block hydraulic brakes, and working dump), acquired a ton of parts, made big plans, and have started work.
This is basically a catch me up as I’m just going to be short on descriptions and include pictures to get this current.


Pictured below is my general idea but sitting l at the height I have now and obviously a larger cab.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

These are actually the pictures I took and sent to a friend in December of 2024 after passing by it for months. So kinda crazy after knowing about it over half a year I ended up with it.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

The day I got it home. Didn’t even try to use the fuel that has been sitting in it. Went Vise Grip garage style with an electric pump and drove it home. Quite slow and carefully might I add.

I didn’t get a picture with the bed all the way up to show how high it goes. But let me say these 3 stage cylinders are beasts!

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Then the parts collecting began, pulled this off a farm it had been sitting at for 8 years. Brought it home, new battery cables, battery, and a jumper wire and runs perfect with no smoke.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Found a steer axle from a 2010 international 4400 with hydraulic disc brakes. Had my welder buddy take 5” out of it and then redrilled the mounting holes for the leafs.
Oh yeah I had since acquired some wheels and tires.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

In the meantime I pillaged a c60 that’s been at a local yard for as long as I can remember. I figure any patches I need to make will be easier with donor parts.
Also it was a 366 truck so I got the complete intake and hood vent which I’ll turn into a fresh air intake.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

And then I massacared my 1st of two burbs I acquired. This one was so bad I didn’t make any cuts at the floor and still got all the panels off.

Saved the B-pillar, doors, and the chassis as it’ll be my jig to build the crew cab body off the C50 so I have minimal downtime.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

And let’s see, hit a top kick gear box to eliminate the slave cylinder type power steering the truck had from the factory.
Built an adapter to run an F-600 master cylinder 1.75” bore master with a square body hydroboost. Same hydroboost I run on my K20 so I know how it works already with the pedal travel.

Picked up some stepside fenders to add to the bedsides I already have.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Cut down the cab donor. Trying to keep all the pieces I won’t need cleaned up. Don’t want piles of chopped up parts laying around.

My adapters for the rear showed up, and mounted all the rear wheels and tires.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Front drums are no more at that point, width couldn’t have been any better.
And after way too much research I found a dragline from a Chevrolet workhorse works perfect combining the semi size tie rod at the steer arm to the smaller gearbox tie rod opening.

Funny thing, the international brake hoses I mounted in the factory holes on the frame and the hardline is the same size so they hooked right up with Zero modifications

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

And up to date as of tonight. Old rear end out and new one slid under to verify I didn’t weld my spring perches on wrong.
Made some 6X6 cribbing due to not having big truck sized jackstands but they are still 3 ton.

Pulling two of the smallest supporting leafs to soften the ride and lower it ever so slightly. I prefer air bags instead of overload springs so I’m not too concerned about payload capacity

As for the rear axle it’s an 11.5@ AAM 3.73 ratio from a Duramax. Combine that with the 36” tall tires and cummins with overdrive. Should make for a good driver.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

And rear axle swap done

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Drove it to work today, drives great with 1 finger on the wheel.

Anything over 55 MPH isn’t happening, the cummins will be going in sometime this month coming.
My center caps came in for the rear, between that and cutting down the stake sides it’s looking so much better. Plus it’s easier to back into the lean to now also.

Lastly, ADMIN can y’all move this to the regular 67-72 truck board please

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Looks great, I’m jealous of how quickly you’re progressing.
I alerted another mod to move this thread

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Thank you.
And the truck progress is going quickly due to almost necessity. I think next weekend the K20 will be getting picked up so I’ll have to use the envoy and trailer for anything truck related till I get it where I want.

I have to say I was surprised with the brakes. Even with the so k master of less than a 1” bore it stopped so hard everything in the bed was moved to the front when I checked them hard.

Tomorrow I’ll probably rip into the cummins donor and possibly get the clip off the C50. The swap won’t be done by the time I lose my old truck, but I’ll have it mobile I hope.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

neat looking ride. Looking forward to the updates

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

So today I needed to get the junkyard clip out of the back so I could load up the old front and rear axles.
I figured he’ll why not bolt it to the burb body to get it out of the way and get a laugh.
It’s funny because you can see how much further back the front wheels sit on a C40-70.
I did take my third set of running boards and lined them up. Once I cut them and weld them together I’ll have full length boards


Then I decided to start ripping the dodge apart, or atleast getting it ready to pull into the shop and pull the motor.

I hope I’m in a good mood after work tomorrow and come home to get the drivetrain out.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

I'm diggin' this one!
I love the C40 & up truck bodies getting updated chassis & drivelines. I'll keep watching for your progress.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Well the donor is now dead

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Go figure, I bought a 2 Wheel Dr. transmission because the truck will be 2Wheel Dr. After figuring out the only way to keep the PTO engine driven was to use a four-wheel-drive set up with a transfer case that has the PTO provision.
Not so easy to find a correct 4wd overdrive housing but hey it’s ready now. This weekend maybe, by next weekend for sure I’ll be swapping the gas burner out.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

No idea if or when I will use them. But I strip the front end of a bus today.
Definitely going to use the GMC grill

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

The black example truck you posted is a nice looking rig. Wonder if anyone has ever done up a suburban like that. I think it would be a neat look.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Badass project!!
Those front fenders should make a nice bed outer wheel cover if you add a bed, for a better flow front to back.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

That’s a negative. The wide front fenders are harder to come and I may use them up front when I do the crew cab conversion.
I’m going to run a true dually style bed and do full length running board/steps from the front to back

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

I’m only $100 into the bus front end, I would have paid that just for the GMC center which is why I really wanted it.
For the hell of it I loosely put the wide fender front end together for a direct comparison. No difference in height or fender opening. Quite literally only the width which in turn gives a flatter arch. I’ll ponder on it and make a decision after I build the crew body for it.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

That looks like a really fun project. What happens to the dump bed when you put a crew cab on it?

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

I'm in to watch. This looks like a cool project.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

I’ll be cutting the dump bed down and using the floor as a bed floor. I’ll be building an 8’ fleetside with stepside fenders on it.
So I’ll have an 8’ pickup box that dumps.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Had to clean up the shop and move some vehicles around. But tomorrow when I get home from work, it begins.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Ok it’s official. I like working on medium duty trucks more than smaller trucks now

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

I would have updated but for a few days straight everytime I tried to come to the sight I got hung up on some security verification crap so I said to hell with it.

Anyways. Motor and trans are mounted, transfer case I’ll put in tomorrow. I have a gear on the way for my PTO because the transfer case uses straight cut and the SM465 had angle cut gear. Once the new gear comes I’ll mount the pto, then I have to move the pump because it’s too close to the pto output now.
Also have the driveshaft already made, mocked everything up early this week and was able to get the measurement for the shaft, going from 3 piece to 2 piece.

I’ll be happy to start hooking things up and get it mobile again.

Making the engine crossmembers, mounts, eliminating old stuff, and clearancing was way too time consuming.

As I was uploading pictures, realized I didn’t mention the turbo. Was hoping it would sit low enough to clear but nope, even with the manifold flipped like my last truck not enough room. So I got a later model manifold and flipped that.
Having the turbo almost directly over top will make the air intake a lot easier because I’ll be pulling air through a big block hood that has a vent in it

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Slow progress, but that’s what happens when you have no need to rush. Got the radiator mounting taken care of and left a perfect place for the intercooler. Next I think is time to change the steering column so I get my shifter for the auto conversion aspect. Driveshaft is in, transmission crossmember is done. Honestly getting to the piddly type stuff to wrap it all up.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

And tilt wheel time. Had to modify where the column goes through the firewall because it actually had no support as the 40 and up trucks it goes all the way to the gear box.

It’s a summit scratch n dent special so I still need to clean off the label.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I can make a 10 minute job last 3 hours just because. ;)

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Well hell. Had cracked exhaust ports. Not sure from my error or previously cracked and I finished them off.
So time to upgrade injectors and put studs in. That combined with my 60 psi gauge I have every excuse to turn it up

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Neat project!

Could you not have used a clutch pump to run the hydraulics? Probably pretty high volume with twin cylinders though so a clutch pump might be really slow.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

This project is so cool. Keep up the awesome transitioning!

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Sucks that the motor is already wanting (needing) attention.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Looks like a fun project. My 95 yo neighbor has a rust free 62 C60 grain truck that has been stored inside all its life that I have been trying to get to make a truck hauler out of. She won't sell it though bc it was her 1st grain truck. Maybe one day.

Re: 68 C50 crew cab daily driver (capable)
 

Cool project!
Following along