Project Daily Driver 77 K10

[MTCK]

This is about the time I started REALLY thinking about the next step. I was single when I bought this truck and it was a back up toy rig. It's roll changed throughout the course of this thread, and about a year ago it changed again. When my wife got back from PA school, we bought her a new RAV4, and I started driving her 1996 Toyota Tacoma. The Taco is a great truck. It has just under 210k miles, is a V6 auto extended cab with an auto start, cruise control, and A/C. Oh and it gets 15-20 mpg in mixed driving.

The return of my wife from school has been great. We are camping and fishing and getting around the state quite a bit like we did before grad school. We also got a great little puppy this spring. All the changes have relegated the K10 to work truck duty, which it has done well. We have also taken it camping. The 4.10 gears and no OD are fine around town, but make for long road trips with frequent fuel stops.

This summer we took a trip out to the old Nebesna Mine, and my sister in law wanted to join us, which was awesome. We ended up taking the K10 AND the Tacoma. My wife and dog and I don't fit in the cab of the K10, so it actually worked out well. We justified it by bringing a ton of firewood and having bonfires every night

The K10 also needs paint and a fair amount of body work. The previous owner did a pretty good hack job on some replacement panels. I'd also like to get rid of the aftermarket EFI and get something stock that is a little more reliable and doesn't require constant header bolt tightening and scorched cap and rotor replacement. So to recap I need the following to get the truck where I want it:

A different motor
Overdrive trans
1 Ton axles installed
Traction devise (don't want to keep the gov-lock)
Paint
Body work
Tires
Shackle flip to go with 3/4 springs
More space.........

See where this is going?

[MTCK]

I actually made up my mind about the K10 before I ever stumbled across this 1991 V3500. Honest. 99k miles, stripper with the fancy front end. TBI 350, 4L80E, 205 with vss, Dana 60 and 14 bolt, both open with 4.56 gears. Sweet graphics and wheels didn't cost any extra. It's rust free and cost me 1/2 what I paid for my K10, not to mention the next 15k I dumped in it!

I put her right to work and hauled two loads of topsoil today. It runs pretty well and the transmission shifts great. It actually doesn't feel too bad. With the 4.56 gears and short tires it bangs right through the gears and is in OD by 45 under normal load.

After the K10 finds a new home, plans include:

Lift
Tires on factory steel wheels from the 74 I parted
Some sort of step so my wife can get in!
Fix any mechanical problems I find
Detroit locker for the rear
New seats (suburban maybe?)
Go through the drivetrain and service everything
Repower with something newer, larger displacement, that came in front of the 4L80E in some applications...

The guy I bought it from owns an auto body and custom shop and part of the deal is I get a little discount on a paint job if I ever decide to get one. It has the standard early 90's peeling paint...

That's all for now, I'll post a link when the k10 sails off into the sunset and I start a build thread on this bruiser. Thanks for all the support and following along my wanderings!

[quadzero]

The Dana looks great, like its brand new. I also like the idea of using LED's in the dash, that's a mod I plan on doing someday unless I can save up enough to replace all the gauges. I think you will like the STT's, at the shop where I work we sell a ton of those and everyone is very happy with them.

[Greenlee]

Nice score on the 91' v3500! Those are hard to find!

Someone is going to end up with a nice k10.
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[MTCK]

Heck of a run, Green Chev. I think we found you a good new home.

[tip]

Always hard to see them go, but I'm excited to see your next build thread!

[Greenlee]

Yep, looking forward to more pics of the crew crab.

[aotte1]

Marcus,
Nice truck, understand winter fun w/your truck in the cold, former Fairbanks resident in the 1960's and 70's. Had 1973 chevy truck back then along w/surburbans. 1968 Lathrop and 1973 U of A graduate, grew up on Gilmore St. in Fairbanks. Back then we raced our Ski Do's on the streets at night in the winter, with one hand on the muffler and then to your face to keep it warm at 50 MPH.

Les

[MTCK]

Thanks Les. You guys did it for real back then when it actually got COLD and you were all driving rigs with points and carbs!

[akdg87]

lookin sweet marcus.

[MTCK]

Thanks Derek.

Crew cab updates are coming soon, Greenlee.