11-23-2010, 02:35 PM | #1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: MD
Posts: 417
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My '73ish K20 Project
I bought this '73 K20 back in September to replace my '74 with spun bearings and major body rot. The more I mess with it the more I realize it's a '73ish. First thing is the grille is out of a later round eye the doors came out of a newer truck since they are power windows and that wasn't offered in '73. The fender emblems don't look like the right style for the year assuming they should be similar to my '74. The dizzy is an HEI which wasn't in '73s. The glove box door has the RPO codes for a 1ton dually...obviously not what I have. When I bought it the p.o. gave me a run down of what he had done in the 2 years he had owned it. He rebuilt the rear end (new gears bearings wtc.) and rear brakes, new radiator hoses, belts, tune up, valve covers, air cleaner and new hitch. The p.o. to him put in a NP203 conversion kit, so it has 2wd as an option. The fenders and hood are in good shape, the inner fenders are fixable and the doors are rusty along the bottoms but shut like a new truck. The cab floor has 2 spots that need fixed as well as the rockers, cab corners and the front cab mounts as well. The p.o. had bought a 4" Rough Country lift kit for it but only put new springs on the rear and removed the old shocks, I put rear shocks on the back last weekend I'm debating if I really want it lifted or not. It still needs power steering hoses replaced, transmission is leaking from the dipstick (I think), the carb needs rebuilt it runs nice except when the 4 barrels kick in it sputters and backfires. I have a spare cd player that will fit in the hole the p.o. cut for his stereo. The seat will eventually get reupholstered. At some point I'm going to get the exhaust redone it's currently just duals w/o a h pipe and mufflers that look like flowmasters dumping under the bed before the rear axle...it has a horrible resonance to it.
My goal is to have it reliable for the winter in case of snow and in the spring and summer start tearing into the body work. Once reliable I will try to run it to work once a week just to keep it from sitting too much and the issues that go with that. Long term goal is to get the body good and to have a solid reliable truck I can use to haul if needed one day and to use as a secondary vehicle if the wife or I would need it as well as well as a truck to take hunting or fishing. It won't ever be a show queen or off road trail buster.
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2006 Silverado Crew Cab 1500 4x4 5.3L automatic 1986 M1008 CUCV 6.2L Detroit Diesel TH400 4.56 Detroit Locker rear NP208 1973 K20 "Silverado" 350ci, HEI, TH350, NP203 with 2wd conversion, A/C, power windows,tilt wheel, dual tanks. My '73ish K20 thread My 5yo son claims it as his. 1987 V20 Custom Deluxe 350 TH400 NP208 "farm truck" getting parted out. 2016 Nissan Altima grocery getter/commuter |
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