Dirty Dianah (No)... Bagged 72 Stepside/LSx/T56

[502ms]

I know...I am so far behind on doing this, and many of you have asked. This thread will document the beginning to present of my current C10 love, Dianah. She is a 1972 c10 stepside that is currently bagged, and has begun surgery to become a 6.0L LSx recipient with a 6-speed manual for gear selection. I toyed with this combo or a while, and it is happening. Stay tuned for pics and more info!
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[Rusbuilt]

Bout time buddy!

[67cheby]

alright....you know better then to start a thread and not post any pics !!

[502ms]

I know.......here I come
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[502ms]

My goal was to be able to lay frame, still keep the truck drivable and usable as a truck when needed.

To get the front down low, we did a Z in the front, boxed and gusseted for strength. The long tube headers that were on were ditched for Sanderson Shorty Headers to make room for the laying low...


In the rear, a mild c-notch and custom trailing arms/4-link suspension were created.




The finished product at the time:

[502ms]

At some point, I began contemplating where I wanted to go with this truck. I originally was going to do motor/transmission upgrade, then consider the bags...but I thought that the bags were more fun....and did them first. I then decided it was time to require the truck for ease of use and efficiency. So I drove the truck down to Summit Racing, and bought The Painless Wiring (18 circuit kit), and all of the gauges that I needed: Tachometer, Speedometer, Fuel, Water, Voltage and Oil. I had the typical three gauge cluster under the dash that most people had, but I wanted to remove the three hole cluster, and fill it with these Autometers...and that is what I did.
I wanted to get rid of this under hood situation, and be ready for the day I do my engine upgrade.

Here is what I had to deal with first:



The solution:

[502ms]

So, when I bought my C10, I still had my 70 C10 and my 72 GMC C1500. At that point, I was at 9 cars and trucks, and my wife said I was getting crazy....so I had to slim the fleet down some.

Here is my C10 the day I brought it home.

[502ms]

Of course I knew that the bed was not right, but I did like the look of it being a stepside. I would find the proper bed for it once I got further along. To me, first things first - get it running the way it needs to (adjust carb, new brakes, and a tune-up....oh yeah...get it one color in preparation for its altitude adjustment).

[502ms]

At this point, I could deal with it. I was hoping to bag this one, and then bag my 72 GMC as well...but Operation Slim the Fleet was in effect...sold the Porsche, two Bimmers and my GMC.

[502ms]

Shortly thereafter, I began the debate on if I was going to do a static drop and some 20 or 22" Coys, or just bag it, and run whatever wheel I wanted when I wanted to. I started doing the numbers, and the parts for the static drop were looking mighty close to those of the bag pricing. I figured at the end of the day, I may not be happy with the stance of the static drop, and after putting coilovers on my BMW, I liked the option of adjustability...and feared if I had a load, or got stuck in my driveway, etc...that would be an issue. So BAGS it was.

[502ms]

I decided that I have plenty of cars with computers and whiz-bang cool stuff in them...I wanted to keep my truck as simple as possible. This helped a lot when I was driving and I would have to replace the alternator or voltage regulator or a power steering belt....these things were fixable on the side of the road with simple tools. So, as much as I liked the AccuAir ads (I watched the GMC one at least 3x a day), I was going to use switches, and set it up in a way that would not have side-to-side transference of air when in turns, and would be quick enough for up and down action. I was not trying to hop my truck (even though it can do that). I decided on 3/8 lines and valves, 2 ViAir Compressors with a 5 gallon tank and Firestone bags.

I did the aluminum tank instead of chrome

[502ms]

Ok, I have a lot more of this information to share with you all...but I need to get ready to head to the office. I will pick up where I left off later this evening...

[67cheby]

looking forward to the progress !

[daves72C10D]

Can't wait to see more.

[Rochlow]

Always liked this truck.
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[502ms]

Thanks guys! I will be posting more shortly!
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[502ms]

As I mentioned before, here are the AutoMeter Gauges that I bought. 5" Speedo and Tach, 2 1/16" Fuel, Water, Voltage and Oil.

[shawno72]

Looking good man, I am glad I am not the only one to start a build thread a year after I was into it Can't wait to see some pics of the bag install??

[Katrina/10]

looking forward to updates

[bigblock68]

lookin good

[502ms]

The aforementioned Autometer Gauges. This and the Painless Wireless kit are some of the best money spent on this project.

Removed seat, and began prepping the dash for the installation of the new gauges, as well as trimming the original hole for the fusebox. It is significantly larger than the stock eyeball damaging glass fuse box.









New gauges are a beautiful thing. I decided that I would do something fancy with the housing later - just depended on where I go with the theme of the truck. For now, this was a step up, because the original speedometer was broken (guess it wrapped around 80 a few times and snapped), and I needed clean and functional vs. beauty.

[502ms]

Now that the gauges are set the way I wanted, I butt-connected everything, zip-tied and taped them nice and neat for the installation later.Complete with inline fuses. I chose amber since I have been driving BMWs for the last 10+ years....



These are neatened up once I get them in. Just run long enough so that I can test them before securing everything.

[502ms]

Now that I have removed the wire loom from the wires under the hood, I really was not happy with the 40+ years of adjustments made by the PO. Here is what I got rid of (wires that change color a few times over)



I ripped them all out. #Freshstart



Below, I am mapping out exactly where everything is going to be routed. This was a little intimidating, but I looked at it like eating an elephant. #onebiteatatime

[502ms]

Great news!

Got the engine and transmission married up, which psychologically is a great step, as well as seeing them in place!

Took measurements of the engine mounted to the transmission, and from there to the center of the shifter, and that relation to the cab - we have a perfect fit. The shifter will be right where I need it in the cab. We will have to create something smooth to use as a shifter, but otherwise, it is coming along nicely.

[502ms]

LOL!

Yes, more pics are coming. I accidentally posted the thumbnails up there. I have a lot more to post...stay tuned