71 C/10 "Rat Rod Tow Truck"

[Just Yourshadow]

I figured I'd start a build thread to keep track of my progress. I bought the truck in August 2014 from a gentleman in Iowa who bought it just for the motor. He had it listed for cheap and I figured I needed a project since my 84 M1009 project had just kicked the bucket due to extensive frame damage. I figured I'd swap the 6.2 diesel in but was sure. Pics from the ad and the day I brought her home









Over the next couple of months I moved a few times so not much work got done but I decided to just get a SBC since that s waht the trcuk was already set up for. I found a really good deal on a 350 out of a 73-75 K/10 that came with everything but a power steering pump and bracket. I had to change a few things like the starter and flexplate over to manual trans parts but that was no biggie. I swapped the stock Q-Jet for a 800CFM Q-jet I had laying around. Here's a couple pics of a buddy and me dropping the motor in.







After that I got everything I need for the power steering, welded up and exhaust, wired up the motor, and extended the shifter. It was originally a 3 speed column shifter but one of the previous owners converted it to a floor shifter. Here's a pic of the shifter extension.



After I got everything running, I had to get her road worthy. I replaced the turn signal switch, installed some mirrors, replaced some bulbs and took her for a spin. God what a day that was. I painted her flat black using the finest $0.98 walmart spray paint until I could figure out what I could do with her next. A pic of how she sat.



After changing jobs and moving a few more times I was talking with a co-worker during lunch one day about old trucks and I made a joke about how both of us should get a tow truck. He suggested that I should make my C/10 a tow truck and we both thought that it was a cool idea. So I began searching around and I was hard pressed to find any pictures of a tow rig in the back of a fleetside bed until I stumbled on this.



I knew right then that's what I want to do with my truck. So I searched craigslist to no avail for a few weeks until I found someone in KY selling a wrecker bed that appeared to be an early 70's Holmes 440. We emailed back and forth and I decided to make the drive to go get it. Unfortunately my Blazer tow rig was out of commission (rear diff carrier bearing went) so I had to grab my mom's Equinox and a u-haul 6x12' to go down there. Boy I wish I had my Blazer for that trip. The bed didn't seem that big from the pictures until we went to load it.









After an exhausting trip back I had a mini panic attack when I couldn't figure exactly how to get the bed off the trailer. Luckily I know some one with a skid steer who helped me get the bed off the trailer, cut down enough to drop in the bed of my truck and helped put it in the bed.



Now It's not sitting right because I have to raise it up a little and cut holes in the bed of the truck for the frame attachments to come down through. I did some trimming yesterday of the floor of the wrecker bed so the it'll sit flush once I drop it down.







That's as she sits today.

My To-Do list as of right now

Finish installing wrecker bed
Relocated winch power box
Recable winch
Run power to winch and for lights
Grease everything
Install Lightbar
Install Work lights
Install Hydroboost
Install Dual Alternators
Install Dual Diesel Batteries
Find Tailgate
Find Radio
Find SM465 & driveshaft
Get Cam, Intake, and Heads
Swap Long tube headers for Mid length headers
Possibly Drop Spindles
Get measurements for custom springs
Get Hitch & Brake Controller
Electric Fans
Replace Tach
Do all wiring

And I'm sure the list will grow from there

Bonus pics