6 Weeks away from owning a 1986 C10 Silverado.

[Barbecue]

Hi, everyone!

First of all, thank you so much for having me as a part of this wonderful group.

In early September, I will be purchasing my uncle's 1986 C10 Silverado. I have not yet seen the vehicle, as it is a day's trip away; however, my father has. I've attached a couple of pictures. Pardon the grime and average photography.

I do have a couple of questions for the group, if you'd be so kind as to have a look, but first, I'll outline what I know about the truck thus far:

- The body has approx 120,000 km on it.
- There is some rust in the inner wheel wells. No biggie, I've handled lots of body rust before.
- The truck came originally with a 305.
- At some point in the truck's life, somebody swapped in a 350.
- The 350 has approximately 40,000 km on it and has an "RV" camshaft.
- Transmission is a turbo 400
- Rear end is a posi-track with 4.11 gears.
- The paint seems to be in decent shape from the pictures, despite a fair amount of grime built up due to sitting for about 10 months.

As you can imagine, I'm incredibly excited to get my hands on this truck. I have a lot of experience resorting classic Mercedes but have always been around plenty of american muscle and am looking forward to getting my hands on some. Various members of my family own 1960's Oldsmobiles, a '66 Mustang, a '57 Bel Air, among others. My goals are to have a reliable daily driver, whilst at the same time doing some relatively minor street-level customizing to the truck. I would like to do this as financially responsibly as possible. Thus, I'll be opting out of such things as fresh paint in favor of a cut polish etc. I know that the 3 speed tranny, combined with the 4.11 rear end will be a bit harsh on my fuel economy, but I'm not too worried about it. I'm not concerned about having a smile on my face when I drive.

Here are a couple of questions, if you'd be so kind as to give them consideration:

First, I will be spending a few days giving the truck some much deserved maintenance; replacing all fluids etc. My first performance-based project will be to replace the exhaust system. I've researched options (with the great information hosted on this site) and will likely be going with 2 1/4" dual, with side exits before the rear wheels. I'll likely do this with my dad on his hoist. I would like to grab myself some used headers. What should I keep my eyes open for? Will any long-tube 350 headers fit in this truck?

Second, I would like to replace the rear bumper with a roll-pan. I've ordered a catalogue from LMC Truck as they seem to have a few. Is LMC a good company to deal with? I'm in British Columbia, can any Canadians inform me of successes and challenges in dealing with LMC (shipping rates)?

Third, and perhaps most generally, what are some things which I should look for when I first acquire the truck? My dad's got quite a lot of experience dealing with q-jets, so, assuming that's its current carb, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Are there any commonly fatigued parts which I should keep my eyes on?

Thank you so much, everyone. I look forward to being a part of this community!

Cheers,

Barbecue