1965 C10 - Turbo LS Ratrod

[Gumby83]

Hey fellas, I Bought this truck in Calgary AB, Canada From FUNX automotive. It is a 65 C10 longbox stepside, 5.3L LM7 Engine, Performance world intake and 102mm throttlebody. Transmission is a 700r4 with a 2500~ stall converter and the rear end is a gm 12 bolt with a spool in it. 40L Beer keg as a fuel cell, and a BM shifter on the floor.

[Gumby83]

Full disclosure, at this point in my life the hardest mechanic~ thing i ever did was a transmission fluid change. But as i started digging into the truck i started to see what condition it was in. first thing i wanted to address was big ol rust holes in the window channel and while i am at it, take off those semi cab lights.






refilled the rain channel around the roof with liquid white flexseal after i cleaned everything out with a wire wheel
Cab Supports were totally gone
i stitch welded them on, filled them with A/B Foam, fiberglassed them in to seal it from water, then bed linered and undercoated with that thick tar stuff. (sound deadening)
in the corners inside the cab it was rotted out entirely, i welded in sheet steel, then fiberglassed over it to seal it as well.

[Gumby83]

Decided while i am at it, the keg has to go, its too small. so i picked up a 120L/34gallon(?) fuel cell, put a diesel sump kit on it and chained it down to the wood in the bed. I decided i was going to relocate the battery into a Milwaukee box in the back as well. after this i felt the side profile of the truck needed something. so i build a rollbar to hold the transmission cooler. I wanted some chop so i also put in a Comp Thumpr NSR Cam, i pulled the Factory GM ECM, threw it out along with the wiring in favor of a Holley Terminator X Max. I also pulled the 700R4 and replaced it with a 4L80e with a HD2 Transgo Shift kit and a 258mm Circle D 3400 stall lockup converter.












Work ended shortly after this, which is when i took it in to get a out of province inspection done, it failed.. and i rented a shop near where i lived and things snowballed. (i was working away from home, and spend my free time in the shop. hence the loader car-lift.. and no. i didnt go under it while it was suspended by the loader.)

[Gumby83]

When i got the truck to my new shop, i did a oil change and was greeted with Glittery Pancake batter. This is where things started snowballing. I found a steal of a deal on a 2003 LQ4 (6L) on market place. i picked it up for 800$. Originally i was just going weld a bung into the oil pan and throw a turbo on it. Then the "While i got it out" and "While i am in there" got ahold of me. so i stripped it down to a bare block and dropped it off at a machine shop to get honed .030 over and have the new crank/piston/rods balanced to the crank. (this took almost 5 months, so i had alot of fun things to do in the meantime.) I stipped the bed out (it was just decking, and screwed down with wood screws to the original bed) and i found some steel... lots of it. I guess the PO decided it was an easy way to get a lower ride height.. this plate was all 3/4" thick. over 300lbs if math serves. I also scalloped/plated the engine bay frame rails to make room for the turbo manifold and to stiffen up the chassis and reinforced the trailing arm crossmember, also added a hoop to the top to give the driveshaft more clearance.

[Gumby83]

so i turned my attention to building the Hotside for my turbo and mounting the intercooler (i jump around alot, either waiting on parts or having to do something in order so i dont fk myself down the road) While my block is at the machine shop, i am using the original 5.3 that came with the truck as a mockup engine. While doing this, i saw i had alotta room under the bed of the truck, between the frame rails... after taking out all that steel from the bed my truck had a rake to it, so i decided if i go with air ride suspension, so i can adjust my ride height to clear stuff like railroad tracks and i can go low. My buddy sean came by and decided to build the box to keep the air ride manifold/tank and compressors out of the elements while i figured out the wastegate.

[Gumby83]

Now it was time for me to finish prep for boxing the frame rails. I used 3/16 plate in the enginebay to compensate for taking half of the top of the framerail. the rest of the frame i went with 1/8" plate and in-set it about .2 inches from the lip of the framerail so i could get a good fillet weld. i put a 1.25 inch pipe over the parking brake cable so i could seal up around it on the framerail. but before i commit and weld it out, i have to finish the exhaust. its a 4 inch downpipe, which will go to a QTP 4" electric cutout (after it passes inspection, illegal in canuckia) then to a 4 inch to dual 3 inch splitter, to two Spintech 6000's then out under the passenger side step on the box.

[Gumby83]

I got to spend 6~ hours welding out my frame rails, 1.5 inches at a time. alternating sides and what end i was welding at to eliminate any chances of the frame being warped by the heat. But, after thats done, it was time to finally do something with the box. It was a hot mess, missing supports. box sides cut up etc. So i had to basically just wing it. i am not going to spend a boatload of money on a box kit when i'd have to cut into it for my fuel cell sump and battery box cables. So i cut the inner fenders in equal arcs, and mini-tubbed it. I went to the hardware store and picked up some 2x6's, carrage bolts and hinges. My buddy had some epoxy resin stuff they use for making tables. I tried to weather the boards so they didnt catch any attention/looked normal but the resin is shiney as sin.. least they are waterproof for life now.

[Gumby83]

With the frame rails welded up, i could finally run my air lines and electrical for the compressors/tail lights. Found these weld-on metal zip-tie holders which worked great. I relocated the coil packs to be hidden on the new engine, and routed the air lines before removing it all to paint the crossmember. also ran new brake lines to the rear drums. next on the snowballing out of control list is the vintage air kit... This install was easily the biggest pain in the ass yet, from wrong fittings, to wrong compressors (twice the vintage air guys pointed me at the wrong compressor) to the drier interfearing with the intercooler. Really wish i left this one in my shopping cart bth. But after that, my CPP order came in, i had lower control arms (9/16 ubolts), disc brakes and a hydraulic booster to put on.

[Gumby83]

After the front end was all together, i focus'ed on the cab (was tired of being under the truck constantly). I decided to Sound deaden the ever living hell out of it, and mount the computer and my regulator. after that was done, i got a phone call for my engine block. I quickly gave it a scrub adub dub, (all the galleys, anywhere metal could of gotten) and painted it up. then started on a journey of discovery and self inflicted OCD. I never built a engine before, i read about it, watched videos. talked to professionals and even bought a book which turned out not to be really any help over what i already knew. but i got the tools and went ham. First off was assembling the rods and pistons (Summit ProLS, -11cc dish pistons, 6.125 rods to go with their 3.622 crank), then file-fitting the rings. went with .028-.030 on the top ring and .030-.032 on the bottom ring. after that was all good, i ended up deburring the oil galleys that fed the cam bearings, then started hammering away on the bearings. I ended up mangling a bearing and had to order another set, along with a better cam bearing installing tool. then it was measuring for main bearings and rod bearings. i ended up going half and half (one std size and one oversize) to get to .0025~ on the rods and ~.0027 on the mains. Then it was time for the goodies to go in. BTR Stage 2 Turbo Camshaft, Melling 10296 oil pump, ATI Super Dampner, set of Trickflow 225 GenX CNC heads w/ Titanium Retainers, Johnson Axle Oiling Link-Bar lifters, Smith Brothers .116 wall pushrods (built to length), Comp Cams Ultra Gold 1.72 Roller Rockers and capped off with a Fast LSXRT intake, plumbed for direct port methanol injection from Pro Meth.

[Accelo]

Easy to dump big $ into a motor. But honestly it has never been easier to make 400+ HP.
Nice work. Will be fast.

[Gumby83]

Before the engine went in i mounted the Radiator and built an aluminum combo tank. Closest to the front is the windshield washing resevior, middle tank with a sight glass is the coolant overflow and the farthest tank is the catch/breather can for the valve covers (it has a drilled plate dividing the breather filter from the inlets, and its jammed full of 316 stainless steel wool to trap any oil) After the engine goes in it is just a endless amount of fiddly small stuff. I rebuilt the drums and rear end with a detroit truetrac, 3.71 rear gear and some moser axles and mosers brace to help it live. And this is pretty much where i am right now. I have the electrical done, fuel is plumbed. I just need to prime the engine with oil, prime the fuel system. check for leaks. fill the coolant and power steering then start the engine break-in.

[Gumby83]

Originally Posted by Accelo

Easy to dump big $ into a motor. But honestly it has never been easier to make 400+ HP.
Nice work. Will be fast.

This truck will be with me for life at this point.

[bnorth]

I'll keep an eye out for it cruising the N Okanagan this summer!

[Gumby83]

how do i edit my posts? it seems 75% of the pictures arnt working