72 C10 for my 25th wedding anniversary

[sfont66]

My story is this: nearly 5 years ago my wife bought me a 72 C10 for our 25th wedding anniversary. I had a 68 GMC project at the time, however due to space we chose to let the 68 go and to focus more on the 72.
Most of the progress on this project tends to happen in the spring when it warms up a bit(shop is currently unheated and needs concrete floor).
Each year since I received the truck I have tried to do a few things to improve it, and make needed repairs, at the same time trying to resist the temptation to pull it apart and do a complete restomod. The 68 GMC was an example of what can happen if I pull it apart to far too far all at once....
I will try to add some pics and backstory from a few years ago, but honestly I didn’t think to take to many photos early on.
Here’s a few pics from the Craig’s list add and first few days.( yes those rims are still on it) hopefully can change them out this spring!

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by sfont66

I have tried to do a few things to improve it, and make needed repairs, at the same time trying to resist the temptation to pull it apart and do a complete restomod. The 68 GMC was an example of what can happen if I pull it apart to far too far all at once....

First off, congratulations on finding a wife like yours! I'd love to be a part of the encouragement team to keep you rolling whether it be slow and seasonal or full steam ahead. Forum junkies like myself love it when the updates come in either fast or slow, but one thing is certain... we all want to see pictures! Your sound approach to the 72 is wise. I'd love to know the facts on how many intended improvement projects turn into full blown piles of parts that never find their way back together.

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

First off, congratulations on finding a wife like yours! I'd love to be a part of the encouragement team to keep you rolling whether it be slow and seasonal or full steam ahead. Forum junkies like myself love it when the updates come in either fast or slow, but one thing is certain... we all want to see pictures! Your sound approach to the 72 is wise. I'd love to know the facts on how many intended improvement projects turn into full blown piles of parts that never find their way back together.

Thanks for the kind words, i have a great wife, supportive and even likes to go to car shows with me. She even wants a C10 of her own, that one would have to have an automatic transmission and a/c .
I will take all the encouragement I can get, I admit sometimes its tough to get up off the couch and tackle a project when it’s a bit cold in the shop. Next winter should be different, I hope to finish the insulation and get the concrete floor done.

[sfont66]

Spring of 2016, again I wish I had taken pics of the progress now.
One of the first things I did that year was to install Cpp 2.5” drop spindles and cut one coil off the existing springs, this lowered the truck 4.5”. The brake hoses needed attention, so I ordered a set from Lmc, part number 34-4415. Next I replaced the rear coils with Cpp 4” drop springs, adding new retainers at the same time. I followed that up by installing Cpp shock relocation kit, and thru research and info posted by fellow members I was able to measure for the correct shocks and order them local from NAPA.part # 94038.
More to come.

[sfont66]

At this point it’s still 2016....
Pics show the truck lower, this is now March of 2016.
After lowering the truck, and getting the stance a bit more to my liking, I was in the need for more power out of the aging 350.

[sfont66]

Next on the list was to install a new cam to try to get more power. So I ordered a comp XE268H cam, double roller timing chain, and a set of mid length Headman headers. Using a 4” hole saw I then bored 2 holes in the trailing arm crossmember for the local muffler shop to pass the new 2.5” exhaust thru.
I should add that the PO of the truck had just installed a brand new edelbrock performer eps manifold and the 1406 600 cfm carb
Just a few pics of the engine back then. ( looking back it really was a greasy lump).

[jimbosprint]

Nice truck!

Save that toolbox bedside. Someone will pay good money for it. It took me a year and a half to find one for my C20.

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

Nice truck!

Save that toolbox bedside. Someone will pay good money for it. It took me a year and a half to find one for my C20.

Thanks
I sold the bed sides a couple years ago to a fellow member, I just didn’t have the space to keep them at the time

[sfont66]

In the spring of 2017, I removed the engine to clean the 45 years of grease and grime from the engine bay. While the engine was out, I had thoughts of engine and trans swap, I didn’t truly have the funds at the time to do the swap I really wanted, along with all the supporting components. So I decided swapping to better heads was fair compromise. The old 882 heads had small valves and low compression 76cc combustion chambers, hardly ideal, as this truck is a toy, a hotrod. I choose to install a set of Brodix IK 180 aluminum heads, hopefully boosting compression a bit, and letting the engine breath better too.
With the engine at TDC I found the pistons to be .025 in the hole, not great. Using the recommended multi layer head gasket was not going to allow for the best possible piston to head clearance (quench). Research showed others had used the Fel-Pro 1094 steel shim head gasket. I was willing to try it since it provided the ability to achieve an ideal quench of .040.
I ordered heads, Fel-Pro gaskets, ARP head bolts, Comp magnum roller tip rockers. After bolting the heads on I was able to check for The correct push rod length and order push rods. After adding new motor mounts I was able to plug the engine back in the cleaned up engine bay.
The heads helped wake the 350 up quite a bit. Burn outs and tire smoke come easy, still I want more......

[sfont66]

Spring 2018, since I had a radio delete plate, I needed to finish that out by also deleting the antennae hole in the cowl panel, so that was welded up.
While I was at it, I sandblasted the inside of the doors and epoxy primed them.At the same time , the corners of the doors had some pin holes, so that was cut out and patches welded in, along with the old holes for some mirrors that were long gone. After a little body work, blocking primer, and epoxy primer as a sealer,I painted the doors back to a medium bronze. I’m not trying to fool anyone with fake patina, just trying to make the truck all one color for now. Eventually this truck will be hugger orange. With that said, the color match is not even close to the original paint. The guys at the local O’reilly auto tried to match the old color code but said they were having trouble matching the old formula. Well swing and a miss! I had a can of old paint from 15+ years ago from a mini bike project that matched better!

[sfont66]

15+year old can of paint from another project, matches better,

[jimbosprint]

More nice work

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

More nice work

Thanks for the recognizing the effort it takes.

[sfont66]

In October of 2019 I was shocked to find damage on the rear of the truck one morning I failed to notice a day before. It was dark when I drove home late from work the night before. A dock truck driver, an employee where I work had cut the corner too close where I was parked and clipped the back of the truck! He never said anything to the office! I had not noticed until the following day when it was daylight. At first I didn’t know what to think, just thought I was out the $ to fix it. As a sick feeling grew in my stomach, I began to think, I had only driven to work that day, no where else. Then it dawned on me what had happened, I grabbed a tape measure and my phone with camera and took photos of the damage on the truck, then went back to work to try to prove my theory of what caused the damage. Pics tell the rest of the story.

[sfont66]

The proof......pics show the black primer and paint transfer at the same height on the dock truck. Our company office manager agreed with my findings and filed an insurance claim on my behalf. In order to protect the drivers driving record, no fault was admitted, as there are 3 drivers hired to drive .
I was happy with the insurance adjusters estimate of repair, he seemed like a “truck” guy. final settlement was $3300

[cornerstone]

Although unfortunate, with your skills and that fat insurance check, I'll venture to guess your truck is now all the nicer because of it. Sometimes what appear to be tragedies turn into bonuses. Back in the late 1990's my wife left her curling iron on top of a stack of towels which in turn gutted the house with fire. We were headed home from church and followed the firetruck right to our house, talk about a sinking feeling... The cat lived and all the termites didn't. Insurance check for roughly 64k fully remodeled the little house.

[curtisb]

cant wait to see the roof repair, i may have to do that later on also

[sfont66]

Update: the current engine in the truck sounds like it has a bad rod bearing, not Good timing! The engine lived a hard life under my right foot, so not completely unexpected, but I still had hoped to get 1 more year out of it. So now I will have to contemplate, do I order a new short block or try to put together the $ for a 6.2ls and 6 speed. If I decided to go with Ls swap I almost certainly would not have the truck back together for next July and the Street machine Nationals, (haven’t been in 2 years now, hate to miss again) or any other event, much less any cruises. Much to consider. Still plan on cutting the truck this winter going from long to short . I will try to post a video of the engine noise if I can.
Ok so not sure how to post video

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by sfont66

Update: the current engine in the truck sounds like it has a bad rod bearing, not Good timing! The engine lived a hard life under my right foot, so not completely unexpected, but I still had hoped to get 1 more year out of it. So now I will have to contemplate, do I order a new short block or try to put together the $ for a 6.2ls and 6 speed. If I decided to go with Ls swap I almost certainly would not have the truck back together for next July and the Street machine Nationals, (haven’t been in 2 years now, hate to miss again) or any other event, much less any cruises. Much to consider. Still plan on cutting the truck this winter going from long to short . I will try to post a video of the engine noise if I can.
Ok so not sure how to post video

Sorry to hear about the engine trouble. I couldn't figure out video either, so I upload to YouTube and post a link.

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

Sorry to hear about the engine trouble. I couldn't figure out video either, so I upload to YouTube and post a link.

Thanks, and thanks for the info, I couldn’t find any information on how to post video. And nothing for I pad either. I may have to try YouTube, like you suggest. Many times it would be easier to post a video of a problem, rather than trying to explain in words

[sfont66]

Update.
Finally after 4 years, I have concrete in the shop. I could have had it done years ago, but we are trying to pay cash as we go, by the time we decided to have it done back in September every contractor was busy. One had promised to fit us in on a rain day, and quoted us what we figured was a fair price. After contacting him many times, and hearing many excuses over a period of several months, he promised to show up the first week of January. When he still did not show,we decided to go with another contractor, that had previously been too busy. The price was more, but he had fiber added to the 4500# mix . He also had additional cost involved with winter heat for the aggregate and hot water in the mix. The building had been heated since October, so he was able to have his crew pour the slab last Wednesday January 20th 2021.
I had prepped the slab for a 2 post lift, adding rebar and mesh and large footing pads. The concrete under the areas where the posts will be are 12”thick, the remaining slab is 4.5”
Very soon I will be able to work on the truck again, this winter/spring will be a whole lot more comfortable in the shop.

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by curtisb

cant wait to see the roof repair, i may have to do that later on also

Sorry I missed your post, and thanks for the interest. My plan was to start with the long to short bed conversion, and if I still had time before good spring driving weather, tackle the roof repair. But now with my engine troubles, I may be down for longer than I had planned. Not all bad, it may force me to work on the roof sooner rather than later.

[MDPotter]

Nice that your frame has two sets of holes for bumper brackets - seems to be a later years thing. Your frame looks to be in pretty good shape too!

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

Nice that your frame has two sets of holes for bumper brackets - seems to be a later years thing. Your frame looks to be in pretty good shape too!

Yeah, I actually didn’t notice about the holes being in the correct location until after I had cut the 8 inch portion off the back end of the frame, and measured to check. They measured out perfectly.
Frame is very good I think. The truck was from California, so that helps. The trucks here in Minnesota only last maybe 8-10 years before the salt and winters take their toll. It’s a shame, a guy barely gets a new vehicle paid for and it’s looking pretty tough. If you want to keep something nice it needs to stay in the garage for the winter.

[sfont66]

Some parts have arrived, I thought the truck oil pan may pose a clearance problem on a lowered truck, so I chose to replace it with one from Top Street Performance. This particular pan had good reviews, I didn’t necessarily want the polished version, but the satin version was out of stock, and I have learned that during Covid-19 it is best to take what is in stock, rather than take a chance on back ordered items....
I was able to replace the old truck pan, the rear main seal and cover gasket, and oil galley plug, as well as bolt a new flywheel in place. Doesn’t seem like much, but progress is progress.
Still waiting on more parts to arrive like headers, engine mounts, gaskets, seals etc, but I have a lot to do while waiting for them to arrive.