Project: Green Machine ~ 1970 Build Up

[Green Machine]

Well after reading all the other build up posts here on the board I thought that it is my turn for a build up thread. Lol

Well it all started about 2 years ago when we started looking for some parts for a project 67 we were thinking about fixing up, until the guy that owned the salvage yard we were looking through turned to his partner and said, “Should we show them the truck in the shed?”. Well, we went to look in the shed with him and we found a 1970 Chevy ½ Ton. It had a 250 Six Cylinder with a 3 speed Saginaw and a 3:73 open rear end. This truck had been sitting in the shed since 1992 (12 Years) when we bought it in 5/5/04.
This guy bought it off an estate auction 12 years earlier and had parked it in plans of fixing it up someday. But he decided that he had too many projects and he decided to let it go, (he is a former body man and has a bunch of old 60s 70s and early 80s Buicks and he had a thing for old chevy trucks so he had quite a few sitting in his yard). So after leaving his place we pretty much decided on the way home that we really wanted it because we would be kicking ourselves if we didn’t snag it up. So the next day we headed down with a truck and trailer, paid him the $850 dollars, loaded it up, and that is where the fun started.

Below is a picture from the morning after we rescued it. From there we drove the truck and trailer to the local carwash and we spent about an hour and a half and a whole sh*t load of quarters, lol, and we finally got it acceptable enough to park it in the driveway. The truck looked as if they went and drove it through a muddy field and then they parked it.

Sorry about the picture, it was before we invested in a digital camera, lol.

[Green Machine]

Here are some more pictures after we cleaned it up a little.

[Green Machine]

More........

[Green Machine]

Still More........

[Green Machine]

After we had cleaned the truck up we had started to diagnois the truck and determined that the 6 cylinder wasn't worth the time or the effort in order to make it work correctly so we decided to put in the v-8 that was in or 1967, now parts truck, in the 1970 with a New Process A833 4 speed overdrive tranny out of an 86 Chevy Pickup.

The engine we just basically resealed it with a pan gasket, front and rear main, intake, etc, basically all but the head gaskets.

The tranny we just washed up, checked the fluid, and installed

Installing this we had to grind of 8 rivits with a drill which helped support the old bellhousing in the six cylinder poisition. We also had to track down and Automatic crossmember and a automatic drive shaft which we installed new hanger bearing and u-joints.

Pictures..........

[Green Machine]

After we had done the engine and tranny swap we were done with this truck for a bout a year while we finished up the restore on our 1968 Chevy 1/2 ton 307, 3 speed. But after we had pretty much finished with our 1968 we decide the pour old Green Machine needed some attention so we quickly found a bodyman and started In about October desmantling the truck in about a month or month and a half. It started by us first pulling off the bed and straighting the bed and knocking out as many dents and dingers as we could and we also got it as clean as possible with a powerwasher. We then took all the chrome, tailights, talgate, anything that could come off besides the bed sides, front panel, fenderwells, and crossbraces. Then we hoisted the bed back on to the truck, fastened it with 4 bolts, hooked up temporary tailights and drove to the body mans shop, which is about 20 miles from here one way, and we dropped of the bed so that they had something to work on.

So now starts the disassembly of the front end and cab. We pull the front clip and then take that clear apart every nut, and piece. Then Out comes the engine, doors, seat, tank, all the way down to the bare cab as to where we could not take out one more bolt or screw even if we wanted to. Next off comes the cab so that we can clean the frame and remove any unwanted or unused brackets. Then we took out the rear end and trailling arm assembly. We discovered the it had leaky axel seals so we pull the axles. We then discover that we have one rusty axle bearing so we decided to pull both of those and replace then also. So then we get curious and decided to see if we have any unwanted problems in the carrier so we take the carrier out only to discover a rusty carrier bearing. So what the heck mights as well pull the pinion, and guess what we found, a rusty bearing. So then we start thinking then BINGO! We remeber that we have a 3:73 Posi in the corner with a everything. So we check it out and find that the bearings are just fine so we have a lagitament excuse to install a posi. So we did and we replaced axle bearings brakes and all new stainless steel brake lines from Inline Tube.

So back to the frame. We procced to strip the fram of little things such as brake lines and fuel lines and paint that also with Eastwood Rust Encaplsolator. Then we install new brakes and stainless brake lines and then we are ready to put the rearend assembly back in to the truck along with a newer set of springs from LMC. Now on goes the cab with ne mounts and of to the body shop it goes.

Pictures...........

[Rokcrln]

Not a bad place to start! Looks like you lnow your way around those long beds LOL

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[kansas city cheyenne]

It looks like you have been busy. Looking good so far.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Good Lord man! You've done more in one day than I've done in ten years!!! Great looking project!

[tkeduk8r]

hey fellas, thanks for the numbers info in the pm.... Im looking forward to seeing this one parked next to the red 68!!! and possibly goin for a ride in it to see what the a833 is like... I still havnt gone out to grab the one i was talkin about in SD, but i am planning on it soon!!! looks great!!!!
--Mike

[Green Machine]

Finally some paint on the outside of the cab today, inside already painted, doors and fenders are supposed to get painted tommorow. It is getting closer !!!


<=== Note : Avatar is a before pic !

[71swb4x4]

Looks good!! Keep the pictures coming.

[centsless]

Excellent work!!! Love the color!!

[wibilly]

i love that color, is that dark olive?

[Green Machine]

Originally Posted by wibilly

i love that color, is that dark olive?

The truck used to be dark olive originally, but that seemed a little too
muddy/brown to us. The dark olive also used a gold metalflake with the green. I don't remember the paint code we are using right now, but it is from a newer GM vehicle. The new paint is more of a true green, without any brown/gold in it. It uses a silver metalflake, but overall I think it is a similar shade of green as the dark olive, just better looking in my opinion.

We debated the color choice on this for months, going back and forth considering many colors. The choice was always go back to the original dark olive which is very nice, but changed our minds when we saw this newer color.

[bucket]

you know its going to be a good project when it starts out "should we show them the truck in the shed?"

[byrd]

Looking great!!!!! I really like the color. Can't wait to see it finished

[Hart_Rod]

Nice color! Keep the pics a comin'.

[krue]

Very nice work! Can't wait to see the finished product.

[70C10Toejam]

Looks great. Mine is the Dark Olive also. Think I'll go with something darker though. Saab used to have a great color "Midnight Forest Green", looked black unless the sun was shinning on it.

[PanelDeland]

Didn't you say you were just going to tune it up and change the oil?

[Green Machine]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

Didn't you say you were just going to tune it up and change the oil?

Yep, thats how it starts, then while we are at it we might as well fix this then that and ......

Corn, yeah it was supposed to be finished in March, been there since November, have been riding him pretty hard to get in gear, all of the rest of the major parts are in primer, just need sanded again and final checked before painting, should happen next week, cab was on the frame today when we stopped by. I don't remember a NAPA near there, but could have been.

[corn]

And I could have swore you told me it would be sitting at the body shop for over a year! Got a 16 year old keeping it a little more on schedule? Lookin good Tom...corn

[corn]

Hey, where was your body mans old shop at? Seems like Ive been there before. Strange. Did it happen to be attached to the old NAPA store down town?

[Green Machine]

Here are a few more progress pics, slowly getting there. Body shop is just going to hang the major pieces, we will be assembling everything else soon I hope. Had to take these pics with an old camera, our good one is broken, so the colors are off a little, the previous pics in the paint booth are actual color, but you can see the old tailgate in the background for reference.