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[70Longhorn]

Howdy!
Well, I've been a longtime 67-72 owner, but I've just recently moved to Birmingham, AL and signed up on this forum. I'm a transplant from Oregon, but picked up the truck while temporarily in Minnesota.

Right, the truck. It's a '70 C20 Longhorn retired from farmwork in '04. But I promise its hauling days are not over. I don't know how many Longhorns were built in '70 (anyone?) but this is only the second one I've ever seen in person. Lucky grab for $400!

It came fully equipped with a 292 I-6 and SM420 4-speed, manual drum brakes, manual steering, no radio, idiot-light instrument panel, 3 styles of bias tires, and a seat and rocker panels you could see through. Then, for twice the money, I picked up an '88 R20 Crew as a donor truck. Today the 'horn is sitting on the '88's disc brakes, suspension, and power steering up front, carries the 5.7TBI with TH400, and I'm sitting on a bench seat that folds forward. I had a stainless tank built that fit the donor's fuel pump and sender and mounted that behind the rear axle. Then a buddy with another '70 tossed me his less rusty front fender and deluxe instrument panel. I put the '88 gauges in the new dash, and added a Summit tach to the center. Looks pretty good that way, but it's still pretty rough. As the picture shows, it's sitting low. It's on chopped coils and missing leafs now, but I wanted to get the stance right and take measurements before building the suspension.

My plan was always to build a 4-link rear, but after seeing some of the fine work on this forum I may be inspired to do more than just bags and spindles in the front. I don't want to slam it because I'm attempting to do the impossible - ok, very difficult. I want a good driveable street-rod/tourer... and still be 3/4 ton, 8-lugs and all. So picture the current stance with 18" wheels, 255/55's in front and 295/55's in the rear. Something like that.

One challenge, besides getting good retro-looking alloy wheels with 8-lugs in two widths for the same diameter, (I've looked, and have only found about 2 choices!) is that I'm having a harder time finding drop spindles for the '88 than I thought I would. I may have to see if dually spindles can be made to work, or see if all new balljoints will turn it into an '88-up C20. That's probably a question for the suspension forum.

Anyway, I'm writing a book here, and I'm sure I'm more excited about it than you are, but the next chapter is to get the body work done, then make the next impossible thing happen - For about twice the cost of donor truck I was able to pick up a new engine to replace the small-block. (Do you see this horrible trend of more money for fewer items?) Anyway, it's an 8100Vortec that's complete with the exception of engine harness, ecm, and accessories. It would be easier just to toss on a carb, but that wouldn't be as satisfying, no?

Anyway, it's a pleasure to be here, I can't wait to see more of the projects going on, and I know I'll have more than a question or two.