1972 C-10 - Project NVR-ENUF

[SMKN TA 95]

Over 2 years ago now, I picked up this 1972 C10 from Wisconsin via good old Craiglist. I had been on the hunt for a while, even browsing this forum even before I was a paying and now a supporting member.

It was owned by a younger kid and his father, and the kid needed to sell it before moving out of state. In the end, I ended up getting a great deal on a turn key truck. Its a 1972 C10 Cheyenne Long bed. It came with a nice 355 with World Products heads, Comp cams valve train, built TH400 with a B+M 2200 stall converter. Truck has most of the factory options etc.

The truck was repainted/partial restoration in 1998-2000, and repainted with a pontiac hunter green metallic color. Interior of truck was re done too, but still keeping the original paint. Overall a very solid truck with hardly any rust (a couple small bubbles in the paint) and a great driver. I put about 600 miles on it during the fall of 2014, then started taking things apart.

As for what this build started out as originally...we took a wrong turn some where and headed to a whole new destination....What started as a mild cam only 5.3 swap with cheap lowering kit....turned into a full Pro-touring build.

Quick list of items to get started. I am alot farther along than what I am starting with here for pictures, but I will keep posting until we are caught up. The truck will be going back to a two-tone color scheme. It is being painted 2016 Corvette Shark gray metallic, and Viper GTS Blue. On a normal two tone truck, the white area down the middle and white cab roof etc, will now be the Shark gray metallic. The rest of the truck will be painted the Viper GTS blue. We also are putting all of the original factory trim back and moulding back on.

Other Items going in....

- Full Frame off resto, with a 5"/7" drop arrangement.
- ZL1 LSA Engine combo, with CNC heads, custom valve train, blower mods, etc. 650-725 rwhp....
- Built 4L80-E trans with 3000 rpm stall billet converter
- Scotts Hot Rods Complete Bolt in Front IFS System, and power rack
- Ridetech Coil-overs up front
- Willwood 14" 6 Piston Brakes up front
- Porterbuilt, Custom Longbed Inner frame stiffener
- No Limit Rear Trailing Arm suspension setup, with Ride Tech Coil-overs, and 2" drop blocks.
- Custom Midwest Chassis Fab 9 rearend housing, with Strange 35 spline axles, posi and 3.70 gear
- Wilwood 13", 4 Piston brakes out back
- Coys C57 wheels, 20x8.5 up front, 20x10 out back.
- Vintage Air
- Dakota Digital Analog/digital dash
- Hydraboost
- Rhodes Race Cars C1- rear mount gas tank
- Aeromotive Phantom Flex intank fuel pump setup, 8AN lines front to rear
- Custom leather bucket seats with a matching jump seat in the middle.


Onto some pictures before and after teardown!

[SMKN TA 95]

After these pictures were taken, the truck sat like this in my other shop for almost another 18 months.....with nothing being done. Projects take time!

[SMKN TA 95]

Now, fast forward 18 months and here we are today after working on it for the past 1.5 months...

I finally brought the shop into my new shop at home to take it all apart, then off to the body shop it goes. Here you can see we are getting close to having it all stripped and down to the bare frame.

[SMKN TA 95]

Now the Cab is off at the body shop, and the frame gets to come home with me for the time being. The body shop wanted to get started on the cab and body pieces while I am working on the frame.

[SMKN TA 95]

After a few weeks, the body shop asked me to bring the frame back so we could get remount the cab, bed, fenders and core support with my new bushings. We wanted to check fitment with the new parts, and get panels lined up so we could install the all the trim and moulding BACK on the truck. The previous owner welded all the holes shut and threw away the trim....so Classis Industries got a call...and $1200 later we have ALL trim and badging reayd to go.

It took us all day with 3-4 guys to get all the upper and lower moulding on, rear tailgate trim, tailgate badge etc. LOTS of holes...but easier to do it now rather than on a fully painted truck.

[SMKN TA 95]

After the trim and moulding were fitted, we pulled the body parts back off and brought the frame back home. Now its time to strip the frame down....I had everything sold off of it...so it was just unbolting parts and using a torch on a million rivets.

I didnt want this mess in the new shop, so I took it all apart on the trailer...

[Hart_Rod]

Love the motor and the build!

[RRR18]

Looks like fun.

[SMKN TA 95]

Small update here as I have had ALOT going on with my business along with having a newborn at home. I finally got some free time today to work on the truck. I ended up getting most of the front suspension mocked up. I ended up going with Scott's Hot Rods complete bolt-in IFS system, with power rack, ridetech single adjustable coil overs, Mustang 2 forged spindles, and sway bar. I ordered this with a 4-5" total drop, so we will see how it looks at a later point.

[SMKN TA 95]

Also received a few quick pictures from the body shop...he's making headway much faster than I am with the chassis I will be going to the shop Monday or Tuesday to get some better pictures of the truck. Can't wait to see it!!

[mooseknuckles]

cool build!

[builtbyKane]

Great progress on the chassis. Absolutely love the new color combo. Going to be a head turner for sure.

[roushinator]

Nice work!

[Trackman101]

That Scott IFS looks clean. It's making me second guess my Ridetech set up.
.......subscribed

[SMKN TA 95]

A few more updates from the previous couple of weeks.

We finished the install of the following,
- Mockup of Wilwood 14" 6 piston front brakes
- Installed Porterbuilt Inner stiffener
- Welded in the Porterbuilt Stiffener frame mounts
- Notched Motor mounts to clear headers.
- Installed my mockup LS engine/4l80e for fitment issues
- Installed my new Headman 2" LSX headers
- Installed No Limit C-notch kit
- Welded in the C-notch with a few bolts. Much stronger this way
- Installed the No Limit Trailing Arm and coil over rear suspension setup.





The directions from No Limit were for a short bed truck, so a few of the bracket measurements didn't work out for my long bed truck.

[bigdog55]

sub. I like the direction that your going.

[Trackman101]

Do the headers hang below the frame? Will you be able to work the exhaust around that brace?

[SMKN TA 95]

Originally Posted by Trackman101

Do the headers hang below the frame? Will you be able to work the exhaust around that brace?

We will be able to get the exhaust around the inner stiffener brace up front as we moved the collector back in the header. Instead of having 6-8" of straight 3" pipe on the end of the header, we cut all that off and installed a v-band clamp at the end of the header. And no, it doesnt hang below the frame, see pictures

[Advanced Design]

Cool build! Tagging along....

[Oregon 1967 GMC]

awesome. really wicked build. Hate it when I get bad instructions. So what are you painting the frame and suspension with?

[SMKN TA 95]

Originally Posted by Oregon 1967 GMC

awesome. really wicked build. Hate it when I get bad instructions. So what are you painting the frame and suspension with?

I don't like it either, but 95% of c10 builds like this are done on shortbed trucks. So I expected some short comings when it came to my long bed project. Oh well, not a big deal though. We got it figured out in short order .

The entire chassis will be going to powder coat by the end of the week. The frame, inner stiffener, and cross member will all be powder coated satin black. The bolt on items like a-arms, trailing arms, pan hard bar etc will all be done in charcoal. Slight color contrast to match the charcoal on the truck. Hopefully be back rolling with the real LSA/4L80E combo in a couple of weeks at most.

[SMKN TA 95]

And the truck is now back from the chassis shop too! Eric at Midwest Chassis Inc (www.midwestchassis.com) is very well known in the Camaro/Firebird area for his chassis work and custom rearend packages. Ive been friends with him for years, as he has done all the chassis and fab work for my 6 second drag radial car. He wanted a new challenge in building a Fab 9 for the truck, so I brought it to him.

4 days later, I have a new Fab 9 with 35 spline axles, Strange Engineering Pro Nodular center with a 35 spline posi and 3.70 gear. He also fixed the drive line angles, lowered the engine 1/2" up front and ending up raising the transmission 1.5" from where Porterbuilt had it.

He also added a 2x4 steel frame rail in place of where the old, rear upper shock mount cross member was. And no, there is no interference with it and the driveline.

The truck is real LOW right now as I just used some old spare tires for the rearend and some old corvette rallys up front. Neither of which will be used after this

[Stickman]

Good Morning
Awesome build, frame will be easy on the eye when you get it back from powdercoat. Curios as to why you went with the No Limit rear trailing arm as opposed to PB etc ? I'm seriously considering purchasing his set up and we all know Rob knows how to make one handle for sure and it looks like a great product.
Thanks
Kirk

[Trackman101]

.... using some serious parts! Amesome
Obviously judging by your numbers you know what your doing.

[SMKN TA 95]

Time for some more updates...

Frame is back from powder coat now, and assembly has started. I just recently picked up NY new Strange Center section too. I went with the Strange HD Pro aluminum Center, with a 3.70 gear, 35 spline axles with an HD 35 spline posi, Billet front bearing support and Billet yoke.

Onto the pictures...