55.2-59 57 Fleetside C4 build

[57FleetsideC4]

Hi All, I figured I should start a build thread since been a member for a while. I picked up a 57 big back window custom cab with 58/59 fleetside bed that has been converted to C4 suspension front and rear. This was a started project by the previous owner. I have done a half dozen body off restos on 67-73 olds 442's and this will be my first truck. I know the truck looks pretty good in the pictures but the front floors, cab mounts and cab step areas needed work. I have been working on it the last 5 months and will get the thread up to date. Thanks Steve

[57FleetsideC4]

This was the teardown just after getting it. I came with a lot of parts including a LT1/4l60E that I am not using. There is at least 5 different trucks that parts were collected from. Steve

[57FleetsideC4]

After looking everything over and coming up with a plan I got started on the cab first. Someone had install step plates over the original, mudded over holes in the hinge and lock pillars and installed some pretty ugly floor patches. I will be installing, front floor patch panels, front cab mounts, cab steps, lower "A" pillars, Lower "B" pillars, right lower plenum and inner and outer cab corners. Plus made some patches for pieces not reproduced. Steve

[57FleetsideC4]

Starting to patch up the cab in the left plenum, A and B pillar and step area. My welding is not the greatest but will not fall apart. Steve

[57FleetsideC4]

While I was patching the cab up I was thinking about what powertrain I was going to use. I settled on a 6.0 LS with a 4L80E trans from Just Chevy Trucks in Maine. This is one of there Hypermax builds in which they install rebuilt 5.3 heads on a 6.0 for more compression, new roller cam, lifters, cam bearings, oil pump and timing chains. They dyno the engine, tune a pcm to your specs with a stand alone wire harness. My engine made 472 h.p. at the crank which should move this truck good. They also supplied the 4L80E completely rebuilt. They did the engine, trans, harness and all associated parts like pcm, fuel pedal (mine will be DBW)and gaskets all for $4500 delivered to my door which I think is a good deal. Steve

[57FleetsideC4]

After getting the engine and trans settled went back on the cab. First was finalizing the B pillar and inner cab corner I test fit the step which did not go well. The step rocker was at least a 1/2" below the cab corner. Should have known when the inner cab corner was to high and cut it down. someone had done cab corners and put them in to high on the body. After replace the out cab corners was able to get it aligned much better. The first test fit of the right door went well an gaps not too bad. Steve

[washington blue]

This is going to be a fun truck, good job. Have you set your radiator and electric fan in place? I had to alter my firewall a little and move the engine back about 2" so I have lots of fan and shroud room. Some radiators are thicker than others and some fans - shrouds are thicker/thinner too.

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by washington blue

This is going to be a fun truck, good job. Have you set your radiator and electric fan in place? I had to alter my firewall a little and move the engine back about 2" so I have lots of fan and shroud room. Some radiators are thicker than others and some fans - shrouds are thicker/thinner too.

I have 7" from the face of the core support where the radiator mounts to the front of the water pump pulley. The radiator fan combo I am looking at is 6.75" at its thickest point. It has 2 offset fans and hope where the middle of the assembly is shorter than the thickest part to make more room where the water pump is. Steve

[Kevin_C]

looking good. we are running fairly similar setups. Im hoping to tack in my motor mounts and test fit the radiator this week. Do you plan on running either front or rear sway bars?

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by Kevin_C

looking good. we are running fairly similar setups. Im hoping to tack in my motor mounts and test fit the radiator this week. Do you plan on running either front or rear sway bars?

I wasn't planning on running sway bars. The guy I bought this from does a lot of these and he wasn't running sway bars on his builds. I don't know if you could get the stock corvette bars in there. Steve

[slammed57]

nice work!

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by slammed57

nice work!

Thank You. This one is really testing my skill set! Steve

[OKGMC4]

Like the way the build is turning out. That really was a smokin engine deal. I'm always surprised how many of us are doing C4 swaps on these trucks. Amazing there are any C4 corvettes still out there!

Originally Posted by 57FleetsideC4

I wasn't planning on running sway bars. The guy I bought this from does a lot of these and he wasn't running sway bars on his builds. I don't know if you could get the stock corvette bars in there. Steve

I've driven mine both with and without a front sway bar. May be personal preference but I felt it was such an improvement that I'm actually upgrading the tiny stock bar to a 1.25" aftermarket bar. Without out a bar on it, my 2008 Ram 4x4 turned better!

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

Like the way the build is turning out. That really was a smokin engine deal. I'm always surprised how many of us are doing C4 swaps on these trucks. Amazing there are any C4 corvettes still out there!



I've driven mine both with and without a front sway bar. May be personal preference but I felt it was such an improvement that I'm actually upgrading the tiny stock bar to a 1.25" aftermarket bar. Without out a bar on it, my 2008 Ram 4x4 turned better!

Thanks for the reply. I don't know if I can get bars on there the way it is now.

I have another question. I am farming out the sandblasting on this job so will be transporting the cab on the rotisserie to the blasters. I am wondering if the bouncing on the rotisserie during transport will hurt it. It's around 10 miles to the blasters and will be using my 10' utility trailer. I will go slow and take my time just a little concerned on the bouncing. I am working on a brace to the step brace just not sure. Does anyone have any opinions on this? Steve

[OKGMC4]

I’d probably make some more square tube adjusters that are longer. I would want the cab as low as I could get to stop it from wanting to tip. Maybe make some wood spacers to set between the steps and the trailer floor? Could add more stability. Otherwise strapping that thing solid will be problematic.

[57FleetsideC4]

Test fit a second set of headers. I tried the shorty set from speed engineering and the #5 tube was too far in the way of the steering shaft. I bought a set of long tube headers from speed engineering and they fit perfect other than having to trim the right ear on the 4L80E trans and flexplate cover.

Another problem I am trying to figure out is the aftermarket front fender alignment at where the fender meet the cowl near the windshield. It fits good at the back but is high at the front. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Steve

[slammed57]

I had the very same issue with the aftermarket fenders. It took some time to cut and weld to fix it to get it right... after all that work I still ended up going with originals just because the originals were a thicker gauge metal. but you can fix it... just time and patience

[57tailgater]

While it seems there's some definite fitment issues with the reproduction schtuff, I recently came across a good video showing how to align TF's panels. Maybe this will help some.

https://youtu.be/RgUwd9PdWiA

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by 57tailgater

While it seems there's some definite fitment issues with the reproduction schtuff, I recently came across a good video showing how to align TF's panels. Maybe this will help some.

https://youtu.be/RgUwd9PdWiA

Thank You.

[_Ogre]

imo you got a smoking deal on your motor/trans setup, the more people getting into that type of tuning/conversion the better the pricing gets. i spent that much just on my ramjet 350
nice headers, i wish i had gone thru the trouble to find nice long tubes vs my block huggers

have you figured out your shift linkage yet? the left lever gives you more room but your going the wrong way. i can tell you what i did

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

imo you got a smoking deal on your motor/trans setup, the more people getting into that type of tuning/conversion the better the pricing gets. i spent that much just on my ramjet 350
nice headers, i wish i had gone thru the trouble to find nice long tubes vs my block huggers

have you figured out your shift linkage yet? the left lever gives you more room but your going the wrong way. i can tell you what i did

I figured that out. I am putting in a ididit column when the time comes. I never saw a column with the shift arm on the left side like that. It came out of a 89 chevy van I think. thanks for pointing that out. Steve

[slammed57]

heres a video from Jodaddy that really helps with the fenders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vwg_loea5w

[87Lowrider]

VERY nice build! Great work.

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by 87Lowrider

VERY nice build! Great work.

Thank You

[57FleetsideC4]

Originally Posted by slammed57

heres a video from Jodaddy that really helps with the fenders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vwg_loea5w

I had watched that video before. Very informative. Thank You.