Project Coca-Rustola: '67 C20 Longstepper

[Saclandman]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Very cool ole Coke truck. Let's see some pics of the powerplant

Ask and you shall receive. Just missing the snorkle on the air cleaner.

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by Saclandman

Ask and you shall receive. Just missing the snorkle on the air cleaner.

Very cool! I really dig these old trucks in their vintage state. I hope to find a survivor hidden some day.

[Saclandman]

Wanna see my crack?

[Saclandman]

Since I found the crack in my current 283 block, I've been looking around for a replacement. A cheap replacement that I could just drop in and run. Found a few non-running 350s, but nothing I wanted to spend money on. Last night I was cruising Craigslist and found something I couldn't resist: A 20,000-mile rebuilt 283 with 4 bbl carb and aluminum intake, all for $300.

Went and looked at it this morning. Nice and clean, bored .030 over, and complete. The guy pulled it out of his hot rod (very nice) because the plugs were getting fouled with oil. He got a good deal on a crate 350 from Summit and swapped it out.

I couldn't walk away from this. So now, I have a broken-in rebuilt running 283 to drop in to my engine bay. Just gonna swap over a few things and I should be good to go. Not too worried about the oil fouling, but open to suggestions on a fix. I'm so excited.

PS: Ignore the "350" stickers on the valve covers. PO just swapped his aluminum finned covers to his new 350, and threw the crate motor covers on this engine.

[swamp rat]

Before you drop it in check to see that it has Umbrella valve type guide seals, if it doesn't you should get them installed, i don't know if the heads need to be machined for that or if you can just remove the springs one at a time and install them, depends on the head.

Read this:

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/sh...hp?tid/187482/

[Saclandman]

Ran the numbers on the heads and they appear to be the original heads. I'll check into those valve guides. Thanks for the info.

[mcbassin]

I think the heads need machined to run the girdle/umbrella type. Much better design than the old O-rings. Looks like you will be back in business soon. What was story on the crack? Frozen and cracked at some point?

[Saclandman]

After almost a full year sitting at my FIL's place, I rented a trailer and pulled the truck to a place not too far from my house. Now it's 10 minutes away instead of 45 and I don't have to hear my FIL ask everytime I see him "When are you getting rid of that thing?"

The old boy started right up on the first crank, and drove right up onto the trailer. However, it's was a bit heavy for the trailer. At 4000+ pounds, it maxxed out the trailer rating (6k combined). I couldn't go over 40 mph before the back end would start fish-tailing. So spent an hour on the Hwy 50 freeway from Shingle Springs to West Sacramento going 40 mph. I'm sure all the other drivers loved me. It was a very exciting drive.

Anyway, the old boy is in his new home atleast for now. And maybe this will motivate me to get going on it since it's so close to home.

[swamp rat]

That ride would have made a great Youtube video!

Your list of things to do listed getting it titled and registered, did that ever happen? maybe i'm tired and missed it somewhere, but i'd hate it if you spent that money and found out you couldn't.

Cant keep it at your house?

[Saclandman]

Yep, got it titled and registered non-op. It was completely out of the DMV system, so went very smooth. I'd would love to have it at my house. I do have a 3 car garage. But with my Tahoe, my wife's car, and all the other crap we have in there, there's no room. Plus, the boss said no way in hell.

[Saclandman]

Visited my truck today out at the storage yard. Since I was there and had picked up some new brake hoses earlier this week, I decided just to go ahead and install the new hoses. Went pretty smooth with a minimum of cussing. No blood loss either. Decided since I got that far, I mind as well try bleeding the brakes. Luckily I still had a bottle of brake fluid in the truck from my last attempt. All four corners bled easy after the new hoses went in. Brake pedal now nice and firm. Went to fire it up and give it a spin around the yard, and out of gas. No testing the brakes today. Dinner time. I'll bring a gas can next time.

[Saclandman]

Also, made it out to the big Sacramento Swap Meet today. Picked up a nice original SB 4-bbl intake for my new engine. Need to start putting it together so I can do the swap this summer.

[Saclandman]

Finally got something productive done on the truck today. Pulled off the cowl and driver's side fender. Spent the afternoon with hammer and dolly in hand, trying to straighten the fender out. Much better than what it was, but some tears in the sheetmetal are going to need to be welded up. Once it's welded up, I'll work on smoothing things out a bit more. Got a look at the original ivory color under the fender emblem too.

I also painted the aluminum intake for my engine swap. Looks purdy. I'll bake it in tomorrow.

Before I pulled the fender, dumped some gas it, and he fired right up. Drove it around the storage yard a bit. Brakes seem to work fine now that I replaced the hoses and bled them. For having a cracked block that won't hold water, the engine runs great. It's too bad I gotta pull it.

[keh27]

looking good, man....can't wait to see a coke machine in the back

[swamp rat]

Keep at it. Nice progress.

[Saclandman]

Thanks fellas. Painted out my valve covers and my cast iron intake today. Also bought a engine stand so I can finish doing what I want with this engine. I'm a pretty strong dude but I think I'll need a hoist to get it onto the stand.

[Saclandman]

Today's project: Headlight bezels. Stripped and repainted.

[Saclandman]

Spent the weekend stripping, mudding, sanding, and priming my damaged front fender. Not perfect, but turned out pretty good. Much better now. Gotta get some color on it.

[Saclandman]

Need to get my clean white fender back on the truck.

[keh27]

very nice

[Saclandman]

Front fender is back on the truck. Old boy fired right up after sitting for the last couple of months. Bit by bit, piece by piece..

[Saclandman]

Speaking of piece by piece, thanks to wreckedchevy and Eric in Montana, I now have a long bed step side spare tire mount for my truck on its way from Montana. Thanks guys.

[67chevy1series]

Nice work on the fender! Are you going to recreate the coca cola lines on the fender? Don't know if I missed this earlier in your thread or not... Anxious to see the 283 in the truck. What color are you going to paint the engine?

[Saclandman]

Originally Posted by 67chevy1series

Nice work on the fender! Are you going to recreate the coca cola lines on the fender? Don't know if I missed this earlier in your thread or not... Anxious to see the 283 in the truck. What color are you going to paint the engine?

Thanks. Thinking about trying to match the color and patina on the repaired pieces and keep the Coke theme. The new 283 block is black but the intake and valve covers are Chevy orange. Not what I planned but I like the orange on black look. Going to paint the timing cover and oil pan orange too and give the pulleys a fresh coat of black. I just have to get off my ass and do it.

[Saclandman]

I'm also going to give it a red nose so the white grill hoops and headlight bezels stand out.