81 SWB Project "Eleanor"

[rball716]

Here's the start of a slow build thread. Little background. I'm currently a college student studying Engineering, also working 25 hours a week and have projects I'm working on for school. So this will be a lengthy process.

The name Eleanor comes from "Gone in 60 Seconds" because this has always been the truck I've wanted to get and after 4 attempts at other trucks I finally got her. It didn't come without a fight though. After agreeing to a deal on the truck I had to wait a week before I could go pick her up. The day before I got a call that he couldn't sell it because his truck broke down. Fast forward a week and he finally got back to me that he worked things out and could sell it. I was there the next day and drove her 125 miles home.

I've grown up around truck my whole life and this project will be mainly my own but with help from my dad who owned numerous squarebodies in his life.

THE PLAN:

I don't have the patience for a frame off full restoration, nor the funds, right now. Luckily the truck is in great shape considering the New York winters it's lived through. This will be a summer truck and with the engine running beautifully I can tie up the rest of the truck before diving into that. First and foremost I'll be stopping all the rust I can. Hopefully pull the bed and cab, probably separately, and por15 the frame. Clean up all the rust I can get to. Along with that I will be getting everything mechanically sound, all new front suspension and bushings all around. Brakes rebuilt. Also, the interior is pretty rough but its all cosmetic so that will be buttoned up before summer. Paint hopefully by the end of summer.

THE PICTURES!























The she is. Gonna be a lot of work but definitely gonna be worth it. It's got a 305 from a 1985 impala with a 700R4 transmission. Starts right up and goes straight to idle. Purrs. Next winter will likely be a 350 or 383 stroker build.