What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Please let us know what you've done to your trucks that turned out to be your favorite change. And of course, post those pictures!

I'm on a budget so I'm curious about the less expensive things but I'd love to hear about all of them and live vicariously through you guys too. :lol:

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Power disc brakes ,PS and new seats are pobably even in the "happiest with the upgrade" department.I don't have any pics on this comp.For semi non functional changes I would say the lowering made a big difference in looks and helped some with lowering the CG for handling.HEI is up there too.Some changes were mandated by other also.I had to change wheels for the Disc upgrade and I'm pretty happy with the rallies but wish I could run a "snap on" hubcap.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Well, I'd have to go with some 'elbow grease' upgrades starting with wheels. I've seen trucks with old/dirty rims and no hubcaps suddenly 'jump' in appearance just by cleaning, sanding and respraying the rims white and adding some quick chrome poverty caps.
The next would be cleaning and detailing under the hood and cleaning the interior including adding a seat cover.
Costs for the above are almost nill.
All Good
Coley;)

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

HEI and dropped spindles

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

2004r was a nice up grade have under 500 in it rebuild and all
158 dollar ebay ss headers were a suprize worked out good too

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Installing the 700r4. Interior upgrades are happy upgrades for me as well because I get to see them all the time as I drive, but the 700r4 probably went the farthest to make my driving experience more wonderful.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Power disc brakes, 350/700R, blazer fuel tank (HATED the gas smell), and A/C!!!

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Front sway bar install.... Around $80 using a sway bar from salvage yard (73-87ish bars mount right up). Pull the bushing clamps with the bar and buy new bushings and bolts. Couple of hours and you're good to go. Great improvement in the handling!

Search the forum for "sway bar install". There is an excellent write up somewhere.
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Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

T5, bar none :) But then again, I still haven't done the disk brake job yet either.... I'm expecting that will run a close 2nd place for me, maybe even 1st.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Disc brakes on my 70 stepper& installed a cam&ratio rockers in my 71 (way too much cam for the converter) the sound just makes me stand there like the mental defective I am! cheers, Pat

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

New carpet and dash pad.

In my V8 Vega, the T56 transmission. No question.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Swaybar #1 for me

Disc brakes are up there as well as the headlight relay mod

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Thanks guys and keep going!

I am ordering a wooden steering wheel from LMC maybe tonight. I've been thinking new carpet and seat cover would come next, glad to see a few of you guys are happy with those. I have power disc (on the front) so I'm glad for that! Now I gotta find out what this headlight mod is all about?!

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

KY Colonel,
Don't forget a layer of Dynamat underneath the jute and carpet. It'll quiet the interior down quite a bit. I'll be doing the same in my '69 SWB, as well as putting Dynamat in the doors and behind the gas tank.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

The 2 best and cheapest upgrades I ever made to my old 69 GMC were a power steering pump and gear box ($20) from a junkyard, and power brake booster ( $40) from a swap meet.
It is amazing how much better it drives when you can steer it and stop it.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

GM HEI, and aftermarket tow hooks front & rear (they have been used a lot, mostly for firewood). And probably the 2.5" front Softrides -- kinda had to though since the OEM springs had sagged so badly. And the headlight relay upgrade.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

wheels, and vintage AC/Heater unit

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

As far as the cheapes my under dash lights... I have a ton of things that make me smile but nothing more thatn my air ride!!!
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Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Keeping the 292, putting in the T5, and the gauges.

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Did a 4 bbl conversion on a 283 in a 66 GMC I used to have. I could barely chirp the tires with the 2bbl, did the swap and laid a 60' patch pulling out of the driveway..

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Undercoating the frame,and semi gloss painting under the hood/frnders,etc..and painting the block/intake,chevy Orange/red... Cheap ,fun and big improvement
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Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Biggest bang for my buck? I think the chop top I did on my old truck...out on the open road she would run 15-20 mph faster, with that 4 " lop, & laid back pillars;) The sweet part was that it only cost me $600, & 60 hrs of my time that week! I cant say it was cheap, but that Richmond overdrive, really put the icing on that ride:chevy: crazyL

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

I will go along with the steering wheel upgrade. The factory 17in. steering wheel is just uncomfortable to drive with if you have power steering, a tilt column, and long legs like i do! I would also say any lighting upgrades and brake upgrades. Joseph

Re: What upgrades/fixes gave you the most bang for your buck and makes you smile??
 

Sway bar, handling is night and day, mine came off a later tow truck someone was breaking, added a set of drop brackets from ECE and new poly bushings.