The restoration of Mr. Land ('85 Silverado)

[Metalshapes]

Let me paint you a picture. It was late April 2007 and I was running a small automotive repair facility here in OKC, it was a slow day not much going on and we had the doors open, I was under the hood of some Japanese piece of crap replacing a timing belt and I heard the unmistakable sound of a spun rod bearing pulling into the parking lot. Out stepped Mr. Land, he saw me and started my way, I met him halfway, and he said to me "I think my ol truck done give up the ghost" The truck in question is an "85 Silverado half ton long box with a 305 th350c and every option but the 8 hole 15x7 aluminum sport wheels. My shop had serviced and repaired this truck since it was new. (way before I worked there.) I took his keys and told him I would put together an estimate with a salvage yard engine and an estimate for a new engine and let him decide what he wanted to do. We jumped in my GTA Trans Am and I drove him home. Mr. Land was in his 70s about this time so it was pretty hard for him to get in and out of my car. I told him to call me or come see me the next day and we would hash it out.
Mr. Land was at the shop right around lunchtime the following day and as promised I had both estimates ready to present. I greeted him and he said something I will never forget. "Mama won't let me spend any more money on that ol pick up." I said "that's too bad." to which he replied, "you wouldn't happen to have any use for that ol truck would ya?" I said, "sir I have plenty of use for that truck but I have no money to take it off your hands." He said, "That's not what I asked you, let me try this another way, if I were to give you the title and the spare keys would you take it?" Naturally, I told him I would. I was as giddy as a child on Christmas morning, I couldn't wait to close the shop that day, that and it was Friday. I jumped in my new truck and drove that rattling thing home. (I only lived about 2 miles away from the shop so I figured if I took it easy it should make the trip.) I got it into the driveway opened up the hood and got started. I had and engine scattered all over my shop that I was going to put in my GTA, by scattered I mean completely disassembled, so it was crunch time. I had sold my GTA to fund my wife's engagement ring and the new owner was going to take delivery that Monday, so I had about 48 hours to get the truck right. I dove right in and by Sunday around 3:30 pm I had the new engine in and was setting the timing and tuning the carb.

That's where this saga starts........