Frosty's 1976 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe C10 (project page)

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Hi there! I'm new to the forums and was recommended here by a fellow enthusiast, hope you guys like my ride.

The project is almost complete, im planning on painting or replacing the door panels, might even just replace the doors completely... but once that's done i'm gonna paint the whole thing gloss black (shell and all, aside from chrome trim)

All opinions welcome

NOTE: This is more of a customization vs a restoration, as many parts I have upgraded on this truck are not from the same decade as the truck itself, I have bumpers from the late 70's, aftermarket grill, 90's chevy wheels, 80's dash cluster, aftermarket seats, etc.

Vehicle Info:

Purchased: November 2010 w/75,689 original miles (second owner) for $350

Engine: 4.1L I6 250
Carb: Stock 1BBL
Intake: Ram-Air style intake w/K&N Filter (air-tight, uses the air ports in grill next to radiator for forced airflow - baffles blocking the ports are removed)
Exhaust: Magnaflow 3" (mandrel-bent, welded, no catalytic converter - was not required in '76)
Suspension: KYB GR-2 Shocks, stock springs
Tires: Wild Country XTX (P235/75 R15 LT)
Transmission: 4-speed w/Low Gear (Low Gear, 1/2/3)
Differential: Chevy 12-bolt, 4.11
Drivetrain: 2WD
Wheels: 90's era steel Chevy 15x8 wheels (5x5 pattern) w/Dress-up Trim
Gas Tank: Dual Tanks w/Manual Switching Valve (aftermarket)

Left to do:

Replace doors
Replace fenders
Replace bedsides
Paint (gloss black)

Pictures (in order of upgrades from the date the truck was purchased):

Stock (slide-in camper included when purchased, cracked windshield and bent rear bumper... needed new brakes, but turned over and drove just fine after sitting for 20 years)





New front/rear bumpers (from '78 Silverado)



New aftermarket billet grill





New Magnaflow 3" (mandrel-bent, welded, no catalytic converter - was not required in '76)



New alternator, starter, radiator, battery, intake (K&N w/custom Ram-Air), master brake cylinder, wires, plugs, cap, coil, vacuum lines, fan belt, heater core fan, valve cover gasket, rear-main seal and differential cover gasket

NOTE: Transmission/Differential fluids replaced.



New dash cluster (from 80's Silverado) w/New Digital RPM Gauge (inductive)





New shell w/carpet kit (original 70's era shell and kit)







New KYB GR-2 shocks, new brakes/drums/rotors (front disc, rear drum), new u-joints in driveline



New 90's era steel Chevy 15x8 wheels (5x5 pattern) w/Dress-up Trim



New Chevy grill emblem (pulled from '83 Chevy van, bracket modified to fit aftermarket grill), also external antenna has been removed (using built-in window antenna)



New tan leather/felt seats (non-Chevy) and new weather stripping



New Euro-style (Altezza, as some may call them) tail lights and replacement '87 Chevy tailgate w/mounting brackets replaced for compatibility



New Class 3 towing hitch, frame-mounted w/2" ball hitch (used to tow my boat)



Current look of truck as of September 2011

[tucsonjwt]

Nice truck. That third pic is where my big block spends most of its time on the road.
Make sure you keep those big ol' hood hinges oiled up so you don't get the folding hood crunch you see on so many 73-80 squares.
I envy anybody with a straight 6 - you can almost step inside the engine bay to work on it. With a big block you need to have midget hands to get anything done.

[njlimbaugh]

My '74 has a 6 and I HAVE to step in to work on it. I'm too dang short to just reach in! Then comes the fun of trying to get out. Oh, I also have arthritis. One of these days I'll have to call for help to pull me out. See what you younger guys have to look forward to?

[elwoods76]

Good looking truck and I like the story that comes with it! It really sat for twenty years? I like the upgrades so far and the carpet kit. Oh and welcome!!!!!

[Your41Plague12]

I like everything you did but the euro tail lights. I'm a fan of the original tail lights on squares, but that's just me. I like the direction you're going with it so far, keep it up!

[rwhit57]

Good job. A half ton with a 4 speed, I would love to find one. I saw you mentioned new doors, fenders, and bedsides. All of the patch panels are available to fix the rust issues, and yours look pretty straight. I can tell you from experience that unless you can find good used parts you are better off fixing the original parts because they just fit better. There is some decent aftermarket body panels out there but none of it compares to the factory parts. Besides patch panels are cheap. Keep up the good work!

[old Rusty C10]

looks great! Welcome aboard! i moved your thread here because its more of a progress thread and its easier to keep track of that kind of thing here! let us know how we can help you!

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Originally Posted by elwoods76

Good looking truck and I like the story that comes with it! It really sat for twenty years? I like the upgrades so far and the carpet kit. Oh and welcome!!!!!

LOL yep it sure did sit for 20 years unfortunately... the previous owner (best friend's grandfather) purchased it in 1976 and used it only for camping. He drove it until about 1989, at which point he was no longer physically able to drive and parked it for the remainder of his life. It was sold to me in November of 2010 by his son, which is my best friend's father, due to no interest in the family to keep it.

They turned it over and drove it around the block twice a year for 20 years just to keep it running, but that is about it.

Originally Posted by Your41Plague12

I like everything you did but the euro tail lights. I'm a fan of the original tail lights on squares, but that's just me. I like the direction you're going with it so far, keep it up!

Yeah, i'm still kinda undecided on them. They look pretty flashy, and they definitely improve visibility at night and also much improve my reverse lighting, but ultimately I don't think they match very well either with the current paint job and the body style.

Hopefully they look better with the gloss black, but i'm starting to think they are just a bit much at the moment lol.

Originally Posted by rwhit57

Good job. A half ton with a 4 speed, I would love to find one. I saw you mentioned new doors, fenders, and bedsides. All of the patch panels are available to fix the rust issues, and yours look pretty straight. I can tell you from experience that unless you can find good used parts you are better off fixing the original parts because they just fit better. There is some decent aftermarket body panels out there but none of it compares to the factory parts. Besides patch panels are cheap. Keep up the good work!

Oh man I had no idea patch panels existed in such an abundance for these vehicles! I'm definitely going that route instead, as my neighbor is a professional welder (designs and builds CM beds), so those will be a much better option for me.

Thanks for the heads up!

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Does anyone have any experience with H4 headlight conversions?

I've seen quite a few kits on eBay lately, the majority of which seem to be 85w or 90w H4 bulbs (Bosch), and I am very interested in converting over to halogens.

My question is this... i've heard of people replacing their harnesses with new relay harnesses as part of the lighting upgrade, but these H4 kits are supposed to work directly with the factory wiring...

So are the relay harnesses just a fail-safe, or should I really worry about melting my factory wiring if I just install them direct?

Is there a safe wattage range on the halogen bulbs for stock 1976 wiring? Would the 85w or 90w bulbs be risky?

Here's the link to one of these kits on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/7-BOS...#ht_1747wt_708

[notyo_cheez]

My $0.02, use the new harness/relay for an HID upgrade and save yourself the grief of doing major rewiring if you don't. HID technology wasn't around in '76 so you must accomodate it by retrofitting with the new wiring. It's not that difficult and they should give you a diagram to make your life easier.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Originally Posted by notyo_cheez

My $0.02, use the new harness/relay for an HID upgrade and save yourself the grief of doing major rewiring if you don't. HID technology wasn't around in '76 so you must accomodate it by retrofitting with the new wiring. It's not that difficult and they should give you a diagram to make your life easier.

Awesome, thanks for the info. I will definitely look into a harness then before upgrading the lighting.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Here's a question for all you boost guys out there... with the appropriate fabbed mount and tubing/pulley, would it be possible to safely apply boost to my I6 250 with stock internals?

I'm thinking of using a Vortec V1 Supercharger and playing around with pulley sizes to push around 5 pounds of boost, but i'm not sure how well the stock cam/crank/pistons will tolerate the boost...

Would it be necessary to make any cam or piston changes to allow the boost to perform without issue? Would an intercooler also be necessary?

I was thinking of using the Vortec V1 as a pull-through with the stock carb, and just a mild boost of maybe 5lbs...

The engine has about 100k on the clock, and has had no issues internally at all.

I've never boosted an engine before, but as far as I know most stock engines will tolerate mild boost as long as it is done correctly...

[SledBurban]

Originally Posted by FrostyTheSnowman

Here's a question for all you boost guys out there... with the appropriate fabbed mount and tubing/pulley, would it be possible to safely apply boost to my I6 250 with stock internals?

I'm thinking of using a Vortec V1 Supercharger and playing around with pulley sizes to push around 5 pounds of boost, but i'm not sure how well the stock cam/crank/pistons will tolerate the boost...

Would it be necessary to make any cam or piston changes to allow the boost to perform without issue? Would an intercooler also be necessary?

I was thinking of using the Vortec V1 as a pull-through with the stock carb, and just a mild boost of maybe 5lbs...

The engine has about 100k on the clock, and has had no issues internally at all.

I've never boosted an engine before, but as far as I know most stock engines will tolerate mild boost as long as it is done correctly...

While I can offer no advice on whether your stock internals can handle it or not all I can say is that it would be very cool to see an I6 Boosted!

[notyo_cheez]

Originally Posted by FrostyTheSnowman

Here's a question for all you boost guys out there... with the appropriate fabbed mount and tubing/pulley, would it be possible to safely apply boost to my I6 250 with stock internals?

I'm thinking of using a Vortec V1 Supercharger and playing around with pulley sizes to push around 5 pounds of boost, but i'm not sure how well the stock cam/crank/pistons will tolerate the boost...

Would it be necessary to make any cam or piston changes to allow the boost to perform without issue? Would an intercooler also be necessary?

I was thinking of using the Vortec V1 as a pull-through with the stock carb, and just a mild boost of maybe 5lbs...

The engine has about 100k on the clock, and has had no issues internally at all.

I've never boosted an engine before, but as far as I know most stock engines will tolerate mild boost as long as it is done correctly...

If it were me I wouldn't do it without tearing it down completely. If you have no experience with machining engine pieces find a competent machine shop in your area. Whenever you add anything to improve power you add stress to the OEM tolerances, and run the risk of blowing it up. I'm not saying it WILL happen but the risk is there.

If you want more power look at an Offenhauser I6 4bbl intake with a 390 CFM 4bbl carb, it's a simple bolt-on app and you won't have to tear down the engine beforehand. JCWhitney has them in stock.

A booster will build friction from a higher volume of air moving through the engine, therefore additions like titanium valves and an intercooler become necessary. A 4bbl bolt-on will give you more boost without adversely affecting the engine's tolerances.

Just my $0.02

[Your41Plague12]

Originally Posted by SledBurban

While I can offer no advice on whether your stock internals can handle it or not all I can say is that it would be very cool to see an I6 Boosted!

I agree, I'm eager to see how this works out. I'm sure there is someone out there who knows about superchargers and such. I'll be keeping track of this one.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Originally Posted by notyo_cheez

If it were me I wouldn't do it without tearing it down completely. If you have no experience with machining engine pieces find a competent machine shop in your area. Whenever you add anything to improve power you add stress to the OEM tolerances, and run the risk of blowing it up. I'm not saying it WILL happen but the risk is there.

If you want more power look at an Offenhauser I6 4bbl intake with a 390 CFM 4bbl carb, it's a simple bolt-on app and you won't have to tear down the engine beforehand. JCWhitney has them in stock.

A booster will build friction from a higher volume of air moving through the engine, therefore additions like titanium valves and an intercooler become necessary. A 4bbl bolt-on will give you more boost without adversely affecting the engine's tolerances.

Just my $0.02

Wow that is an awesome intake! I didn't know they had simple bolt-on intakes in a 4bbl for this engine, i'm getting both that intake and the carb in a 4bbl for sure!

Not to mention that the supercharger will work a lot better with a 4bbl intake and carb too, which will only improve the whole set up

Hopefully I can have that intake and carb on my engine in the next 2 weeks

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Just installed new chrome wheel well trim

[notyo_cheez]

Nice. Got that classic Grandpa's fishing truck look going for it. I like it.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

New chrome windshield visor

[mcboomport]

OH man! What did you do with that factory seat!!! That thing was clean!!

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Originally Posted by mcboomport

OH man! What did you do with that factory seat!!! That thing was clean!!

LOL, actually it was falling apart on the driver's side... there is a 10" tear in fabric/pleather between the seat and the door.

I didn't sell it or trash it though lol, it's just hanging out in storage with the rest of the stock parts I have removed.

[mcboomport]

wew... I was hoping ya didn't.. I have the exact seat, and mine isnt perfect, so I'm going to try to find the factory material (may be impossible)..

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Newly repainted door panel (tan/brown two-tone)

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Just a few pictures on recent updates... I needed to clean up the dash a bit by properly mounting my Pioneer deck in the center of the dash, using a din adapter plate from a Peterbuilt truck. (old owner hacked up the dash a bit to install a CB radio back in the day, they basically just cut a hole in the center of the dash... looked terrible.)

I repaired the circuit for the shell's dome light, also installed a second deck and a pair of sealed 4x6 speakers in the bed on top of the carpet kit's 'center console' and added another 12v receptacle inside one of the storage compartments in the carpet kit itself, used simple quick disconnects for the wiring to allow easy removal of the carpet kit/shell when necessary.

I'm planning to install a second battery in the engine bay running it's own isolated circuit that will feed all the dome lights (front/back), 12v outlets (front/back) and also the radios (front/back) sometime in the future.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Where'd ya get that fender trim for? I really like it and could use some! lol...looking good.