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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
As many of you know, my stepside is a longbed frame that was shortened the "wrong" way by the PO by slapping on a leaf spring rear end and moving it up and cutting off the fear of the frame. I worked hard to get all the kinks out of it, except the fenders were cut too and that is alot of $$$ to get those puppies smoothed out. A 73-87 bed and a 69 Shortbed frame presented itself to me for cheap last month, so here we go with a longbed to short bed conversion on this really short bed truck
![]() Here are a couple of teaser pics, the full gallery is here: http://www.grossepointegothic.com/71stepside/FrameSwap/ New Frame and Bed: ![]() Shorty Arrives! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club |
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#2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Kingsport TN
Posts: 4,641
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Looks like fun. That pic with the front end off the ground is great.
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Earl 68 2500 4x4 GMC Burb |
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#3 |
laying low
![]() Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Searcy, Ark. USA
Posts: 13,284
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
So Thomas. What finally made you decide to put er back to stock wheelbase? It was.......different.
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Boog 69 Chevy stepside, 358/T350, 4.11 posi, 4.5/4 drop, rallys, poboy driver primer is finer 91 Chevy sportside, Tahoe, Yukon & GMC Crewcab All GM..'nuff said. I stand for the flag and kneel at the cross |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
I wanted the truck to look good and the cut up rear fenders didn't look good, and these items presented themselves, so I went this route. I think getting the fenders smoothed out would have been alot of $$$ I also like the way the 73-87 stepside beds look, and I am wanting to do a Blazer tank which I couldn't do with the old bed. I thought it looked cool as hell, but this will still be unique and more my style.
I forgot my camera but Kelly took some pics so I'll post them soon. We got the rear end on today and laid the bed on it and it looks cool. I wish I would have painted it by now so I would know how cool it is going to look. We tried to get the new engine started and we are pretty certain that it is TDC and firing right. It ran for a couple of seconds but not good. It kept spitting gas through the carb and my buddies feel it is an intake valve not closing. ![]()
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club |
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#5 |
laying low
![]() Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Searcy, Ark. USA
Posts: 13,284
|
Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Yeah, I don't blame you on the bed swap. It was unique alright but stock length will look better and ride better. Get out that hotrod flat black before you mount the bed!
This is a fresh built engine right? Well bump the engine over and check all the valves and back off any that feel too tight. It will run if they are too loose but won't run if they are all too tight. Once it starts adjust the timing to best idle and slow it down and readjust the valves and it should be good. I once got the solid lifters too tight on my sister's 57 chevy. Ran good in the shop but about 4 miles from there it just shut down. Too tight. Lesson learned. ![]()
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Boog 69 Chevy stepside, 358/T350, 4.11 posi, 4.5/4 drop, rallys, poboy driver primer is finer 91 Chevy sportside, Tahoe, Yukon & GMC Crewcab All GM..'nuff said. I stand for the flag and kneel at the cross |
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
|
Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Yeah, this is the first time this engine has been turned over. Talked to the rebuilder and he says the same about checking/resetting the valves too. Gonna try that first. He also said that the engine may not have run long enoughfor the lifters to pump up, it ran for around 10 sec. Going to post a separate post for something related to that too.
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Picked up the new driveshaft this morning. I ordered the adjustable Track bar, and lower Coil spring cups from GMC Paul's today as well. I couldn't find from any of the regular places a Track bar bracket for a leaf spring rear end that doesn't have the mount in the axle housing. I finally located one using a search here that was available from Air Ride. It wasn't in the catalog but I called and they had a billet one that was $100 for the dumb thing and stud... I got the trackbar for $59! It will be here tomorrow and the bar will be here Sat.. I'm taking Friday off to do as much as I can and hopefully get it running too.
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club Last edited by 2bits; 10-11-2007 at 03:07 PM. |
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#8 |
Tot Roddin'
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mid-MO
Posts: 24,461
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
That thing has come a long way! Love the last pic above with the sparks-a-flying.
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-Nate ![]() 1969 CST SWB - Project Blank Slate (4.5/6" ECE Static Drop, 6-lug disc brake upgrade (manual), Billet Specialties Vintec 20x8.5 255/40 (F) 20x10 295/40 (R), 250 I-6) 1960 AMF Skylark - Tot Roddin' (Lowered with custom frame; soon to include custom push bar and interior) 2008 Silverado CrewCab 1LT (5.3L, 3:73, 4x4, LT1, Z-71, Towing Package) |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
I updated my truck pages, here is the link from last weekend to this weekend.
Friday was a fiasco. Air Ride sent me a bracket for a 12 bolt and I ordered a 10 bolt. They just pulled the year model and ignored everything I said. The track bar never came until Monday. We couldn't get the new engine to run either. Need to readjust the valves and see if that helps ![]() Got the truck trailered back to my house and I let it sit all week. Then I took off the bed, mounted the coil springs, and painted the top of the frame, I'll paint the underside tomorrow, it was too dark by that time. I got half of the bedside bolts out, I will be able to get most of the others off, but a couple I will need a little sawzall action for. http://www.grossepointegothic.com/71stepside/Oct07/ ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club Last edited by 2bits; 10-20-2007 at 09:42 PM. |
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#10 |
laying low
![]() Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Searcy, Ark. USA
Posts: 13,284
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Hey Thomas. Looking at that track bar bracket. Wouldn't it have been cheaper to use the adjustable track bar from ECE? That one runs across to the right side and bolts to a bracket under the axle housing to trailing arm bolts.
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Boog 69 Chevy stepside, 358/T350, 4.11 posi, 4.5/4 drop, rallys, poboy driver primer is finer 91 Chevy sportside, Tahoe, Yukon & GMC Crewcab All GM..'nuff said. I stand for the flag and kneel at the cross |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
I looked at ECE (I thought) but I thought it bolted to the factory location. I will check their site right now, I would love to do that because I have no solution at this point because I hate that expensive billet piece. I just want to paint it black anyway haha... Thanks again!
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club Last edited by 2bits; 10-21-2007 at 07:39 PM. |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 504
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Re: Shorty's Longbed to Shortbed conversion
Found it Boog! Thanks!
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_______________ Thomas '78 Silverado '74 Monte Carlo '47 Teardrop Trailer East Texas Classics Local Club |
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