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12-12-2015, 12:57 PM | #1 |
Hey Y'all!!
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Bay Minette, Alabama
Posts: 1,755
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My '53 "LS-10" 6.0/4l80
Well guys, I'm new to this side of the board but not to the site. Used to spend ALOT of time on the 60-66 side but with life happening my '64 project was lost in the shuffle and mothballed. Still have it, just no progress.
Anyway, on to the current moneypit with a little back ground. I bought a '53 project a couple of years ago from a guy in Oklahoma. It was already mounted on an S10 chassis with functional brakes. I picked it up with the idea of throwing it together in just a few weeks as a driver and then begin working on my '55 sedan (yea, yea, I know...too many projects, not enough time). I had stated on the '55 and it needed WAY more sheetmetal work than I thought prior to having it blasted. I realized it was gonna be a long time before I could get it together so the '53 made sense as a "quick" project to enjoy while I built my '55. I got it home and threw a 454/th350 setup in it and thought I was on my way--until I tried to spin the big block over. It had locked up on me while it had been sitting. Got a little discouraged and didn't mess with it for a while. When I went back to it I removed the stock 454/th350 and installed an old 454/th400 that I rebuilt back in the '90's that had been removed from my '55. Dropped it in and busted it off--Woo Hoo!! I took a promotion at work and my spare time was mostly gone. Spent the entire summer last year, with what time I did have, building a small shop behind my house. It's still not completely finished inside or painted outside but it was time to get back on my truck. Well, once I decided this, there were cut backs at work and since I had accepted a salary position 6 months prior and was junior person, I was let go. Sooooooo...the job search was on and all projects were dead!! Found another job, got some spare time again and a little motivation to get back on the truck. I wasn't really liking the idea of a cammed/stalled big block in the truck as I wanted more of a fun driver that could be used as a daily if I wanted to. Well, I had a 6.0 that I had picked up to have as a spare for my '01 Z28(bought new, daily driver since '04). The Z has 165K on it so I was planning to upgrade when the time came. I had also picked up a good 4l80 over the last couple of years. Wanted to do a turbo 5.3/4l80 in the '55. The wheels started turning and I decided to remove the big block and use the 6.0/4l80 in my truck. I pulled the cab, removed the motor/trans and dropped the LS setup in this morning. Need to sit the cab back on and see how it fits, either today or tomorrow. The cab had already been modified with a trans tunnel but I decided to cut it out and redo it. The previous owner was going the rat rod route and had used an old sign for the floor. It looked pretty cool but it had been placed over some of the old, rusty metal. Here in the deep south, this would rust out and cause more grief in a few years so it would just be easier to handle it now. I have already cut out the tunnel that was there so once the cab is back on I can decide how it needs to be modified and move forward from there. Once the cab is on and I get everything lined up, I plan to remove the cab, level the motor and install a tranny brace(doesn't have one now). From there the motor assembly will be removed and everything will be cleaned. My current plan is to get the truck together where it will yard drive and then decide, for certain, what path to follow. I am leaning towards a flat color with decent interior but no definitive path at the moment. Just trying to piece it together, make it dependable/fun to drive and then use it like a truck for a while. Who knows, I may not even worry about any color at all for a while and run it like it is. Hope to stay on this one long enough to get it going and then move on to something else. I know you guys love pics as much as I do but I don't have any on this PC. I will get some up when I get a chance. I apologize for the long post but just wanted to pull everything together as to how it came about. Now it's back outside to sit the cab on the chassis...
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Just hopin' I live long enough to finish something!!! |
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