Project Short Bus 1976 Crew Cab

[LEEVON]

Look, squirrel! Project Green Bean was 95% done, so why not start another before it's 100%

I have been on a crew cab kick for a couple of years. This is the third one I have owned this year, and hopefully the one. I found this truck up in Wichita and it was a single owner until it passed through a small dealer to me. 1976 C20 3+3 Camper Special Silverado, 454/400, A/C, tilt, cruise with 80k original miles. The body isn't perfect but good enough for a cruiser with some rust. The bed/tailgate are super straight and the interior is very nice for original. It starts and runs, but needs a carb rebuild, exhaust, a tune-up and some leaks addressed. Basically had been sitting since 2002.

I scooped it up sight unseen in the same week I had an appointment with Chad at Coyote Customs to do a short bed conversion. I hauled it straight from Wichita to Sand Springs, Oklahoma where Chad did his thing. I had him replace the driver side gas tank, delete the passenger tank, go through the driveshaft and do a notch from Tinworks Fabrication while he had the bed off.

From there I brought it home and started a 1/2 ton conversion with parts I had collected for another one of the crew cabs. First I put my new-to-me hot water pressure washer to use on the chassis so I could start with a clean slate (that thing is amazing 10/10). All of the front suspension and steering components were replaced consisting of new upper control arms, 2.5" spindles, stock Moog 2454 HD springs with 3/4 coil cut, new 1.25" rotors, calipers, hoses, etc.

I am currently working on the rear suspension. After removing the 14 bolt and 56" leaf springs including rear hangers, I cleaned up the rear a little and made room for sport bumper brackets by removing (for relocation) the rear crossmember. I have brand new 52" 1/2 ton springs, a flip kit, drop shocks, new diff brake lines and a donor 12 bolt 3.73 unit with brakes already done.

The look I am going for is 4/6 to 5/7 drop on these Weld Laguna 22's. I realize that short bed crew cabs look a little weird. To be honest I agree, also...so do long beds...so be it!

After the drop and wheels, exhaust and brakes are all settled, I will begin addressing the drive-ability stuff like carb, tune-up, etc. Will be back with more updates soon!

[LEEVON]

Chad @ Coyote Customs is a magician

[LEEVON]

1/2 ton 5 lug conversion with new suspension and steering. The yellow hue is CRC Corrosion Inhibitor, it's a clear/yellowish wax that I fogged everything with, good stuff. Short Bus was a "5/8 ton" for a week...

[LEEVON]

Here we go on the rear. Eating rivets in the heat, always a good time!

[Shifty One]

[LEEVON]

Project Green Bean donated it's low mileage 12 bolt 5 lug rear differential from when it was a 2wd. It already had new brakes, fluid/gasket and was pretty clean so I just gave it a good wash and rattle can restoration. My next goal is to have the rear all together in the next few days and see it sitting on 22's this weekend.

[spr85gmc]

Lookin' good. We need more pics

[rodstored-72]

leevon, really cool start & great progress. I like the idea you have. question... what is your opinion related to the C-Notch kit? I am looking for a kit for my '86 C10. I think your kit is a TinWorks kit?

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by spr85gmc

Lookin' good. We need more pics

Thank you! I am so ready to see this on the weld wheels...won't be long.

Originally Posted by rodstored-72

leevon, really cool start & great progress. I like the idea you have. question... what is your opinion related to the C-Notch kit? I am looking for a kit for my '86 C10. I think your kit is a TinWorks kit?

There are so many notches out there for the c10's but I don't have any recent experience. TinWorks is one of the few makng c20/c30 notches. It seems to be quality.

Got the rear hangers moved forward and bolted up so that means I am pretty well done with busting rivets and hard labor stuff. I was surprised to find that there were three holes that lined up in the right place, just had to drill one.
I drilled them all out a hair to 7/16 so new grade 8 hardware would fit tight. Got some new stainless hard lines from inline tube installed on the diff. Should be back on the ground this weekend!

[LEEVON]

Well, dangit I was too cocky about my square body interchange knowledge and failed to realize that the leaf spring mounting width/center is 40.5" on the c20/c30/ and 42.5" on the c10. So my differential will not mount up unless a) I replace all the spring hangers with the wider c10 version or b) remove the differential mounting pads and re-weld them in the correct location. I'm going to see if I can dig up a set of hangers first (I just scrapped the frame this differential came from ugh). If not then I'll modify the diff mounts. Why is it old truck law that you never need the stuff you keep and you always need the stuff you toss!?

[Advanced Design]

Very cool truck and project! I have the same problem with parts, which at times turns me into a bit of a hoarder…I might need that.

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Very cool truck and project! I have the same problem with parts, which at times turns me into a bit of a hoarder…I might need that.

Thanks!

I banged my head on a wall for several days looking for the correct spring hangers with the wider spacing. First place I looked was LMC (apparently not well enough). Then I searched the depths of the internet...and struck out. I posted a want ad in the Missouri C10 Addiction FB group and some guy pointed me back to...LMC Oddly you will not find them anywhere else, I can promise you that! Couple days later they were on my doorstep.

Anyway they're great quality but I had to knock out 12 more rivets, and drill ALL but two of the holes. So I've been sweating my face off on that! Very ironic that I am working on the ground in 95 degrees behind my 40x80 air conditioned shop with lifts (they're occupied). My wife came out because she heard me raising hell and she was like "what's IS ACTUALLY wrong with you!? There is air conditioning 10' away!" Yeah, yeah babe I'm not the smartest ok you've known this for 29 years.

[LEEVON]

I also gave up a couple days working on the suspension for a side quest. The engine in the truck seems to run well, but there is a concerning noise. It's pretty greasy too, and needs all the seals and gaskets. So when this 1978 454/400 combo came up on Marketplace I went after it for backup. A low mileage well-maintained unit from a motorhome. Un-touched, pretty dry and ran when parked for $800 with transmission, accessories , air cleaner and everything else.

There was only one catch, the guy said he needed a hand yanking it out of the motorhome. Everything was "ready to go" he said. Well, 5 hours later, on the side of a hill in the gravel and weeds, with basically a slip joint pliers, a couple wrenches and sockets and a sawzall it was ready. It came out the front, chained to a cherry picker with me riding it for ballast, chained to a 4wd truck pulling hard in a steep ditch. It was sooooo hot we both almost tapped out but I wasn't going back again. Bloody, dehydrated, bruised and covered in 47 year old fiberglass I did finally claim victory and dragged it up onto my trailer. I set the transmission aside and will be cleaning this old hunk of low compression up for "just in case".

[SCOTI]

Waiting & watching.....

[kwmech]

I've been looking for a 3+3 dually 4x4 for years now. When I come across one it's going to snagged up real quick. I've always wanted one