My 1967 Chevy K20 Build Thread

[Chaparralman1974]

1/20/2023 - 1/21/2023
Frame and Front Axle Cleaning
I had left the front engine crossmember bolted to the frame for the sandblasting operation. The same went for the rear spring mounts at the rear of the frame. At some point, the mounts were removed and gusseted in the back. I imagine that something broke at one point in the trucks’ life and repairs were made. I had looked for replacement mounts, but the ‘67-’68’s seem to have oddball stuff here as well. The mounts are not available in the aftermarket, so I will continue to use these. I did run a flap disk around all of the areas that were missed by the sandblaster (namely the engine crossmember and rear spring mounts), so now the frame is ready for paint. It has been pretty cold here the past 2 weeks, and I need to be above 50 degrees in order for the chassis saver paint to stick, so I will wait for the weather to warm up a bit.
I moved my attention to the new front axle. Basically, I took it all apart for a good cleaning and inspection. As expected, the calipers, rotors, bearings, and likely one of the spindles are toast. The brake backing plates are a little beat up, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a hammer and dolly. The steering knuckles and inner axle ujoints seem to be ok. I will will however be replacing the ujoints for good measure since I am already this far in.
I also did a deep clean on the Spicer HubLoc’s. They look in excellent condition, and with a good cleaning and some fresh grease, should last another 50 years.

[Chaparralman1974]

Here are some more pictures of the front axle work.

[Chaparralman1974]

1/24/2023
Springs Done and New Engine Parts!
I got a call from Dunbar Springs saying that my springs were ready to be picked up. They ended up being more expensive than I was originally quoted, but I think that they turned out ok. I had them completely rebuilt with all new bushings, spring bolts, etc. Additionally, I had them re-arched to 1” over stock to allow for a slightly corrected stance on the truck when all done.
Today I also ended up finding a great deal on a 327 motor. This 327 had been rebuilt, but somehow water got into the motor and messed things up a bit. All in all, the block is in great condition! I am hoping that all the cylinder bores will need is a good honing, but at most I am thinking that it will only have to go .040 over bore. The heads are basically brand new. They are 1.94/1.50 64cc 3947040 castings that are the same as the coveted “Camel Hump” heads. From what I understand, these heads were only used for about 2000 miles and were swapped out in order to provide for a later model serpentine belt setup. They are in excellent condition and are “bolt on ready”. This should save time and money down the road when I get the motor rebuilt.

[Chaparralman1974]

1/282023 - 1/29/2023
Chassis Painting
This weekend finally saw the painting of the chassis. I was able to paint the frame, front axle, and the leaf springs. I decided to go with Chassis Saver as a base coat and then followed up with 2 coats of Rustoleum in satin black. This should make for a hard finish that will last for a long time.

[Chaparralman1974]

1/30/2023
Leaf Spring Issues
Well, to say that I am pissed off is an understatement! Upon closer inspection of the leaf springs, it would appear that all Dunbar did was push in new bushings and spray some paint on the outside. The hardware was not replaced and neither was the teflon wear pads despite being told that they would be changed out. I decided to take one of the leaf springs apart and sure enough, it was rusty on the inside. They didn’t take them apart at all. It looks like I will be calling them to see what happened.
Additionally, I found that the driver side rear leaf spring hanger is bent. I noticed that the spring appeared slightly twisted when looking at it from the front and rear. I took a measurement from the frame to the outside of the hanger and noticed that it was ¼” different than the passenger side, so it looks like I will have to source new hangers.