80 Chevy k10 build

[Walts_restoration]

your truck had a 79 or 80-only base model front, the parts truck is a 1980 deluxe due to the square headlight. Both have the trim around the turn signal and around the lower steel piece, 78 and older did not.

[Mattman2010]

I dont have many scrap yards around here, none of them just let you walk into them. I will have to call around and see what I can find, should a 77 light bezels and grill bolt right up to the 80 core support? I also need to find some new fenders while i am at it also.

[Mattman2010]

So should a 77 light bezels and grill bolt right up to the 80 core support? I would assume so because a lot of the stuff Chevy made is interchangeable between the years.

I finally got my headers all cleaned up and put my first coat of paint on them. I went from this:


to these:


(Yes those are spark plug wires I used to hang the headers with)

Once I get the headers installed I can install my power steering pump because part of its bracket mounts to a exhaust manifold bolt. Then I am really close to dropping it into the frame!

[Mattman2010]

The engine is pretty much ready for me to install the tranny and drop it in the frame.







I still have to rebuild the carb, install belts, get heater hose and radiator hose.

Is the top part of this bracket for AC?

[1985-GMC]

Yeah that's a ac bracket. Do you have a spacer between the ps bracket and the header? Are you rebuilding a Quadrajet?

[Mattman2010]

I did not run a spacer, but I did use a stud and some nuts to hold it where I wanted.



I am rebuilding the quadrajet, you can see it on the trailer behind the cab on the 3rd picture.

[Mattman2010]

I got the transmission mounted up, and dropped the engine into the frame today. I need to connect some of my tranny lines up, then paint the bottom of the cab and then mount the cab up!

[Mattman2010]

Yesterday morning it was nice out, so I went down and cleaned up my firewall some. Undercoating is really a nasty thing, and a paint to clean off the firewall. I bought a carb rebuild kit, and a manual choke kit for my carb today. Planning on getting my carb started on the rebuild tonight.

[Rodms]

Originally Posted by Mattman2010

Yesterday morning it was nice out, so I went down and cleaned up my firewall some. Undercoating is really a nasty thing, and a paint to clean off the firewall. I bought a carb rebuild kit, and a manual choke kit for my carb today. Planning on getting my carb started on the rebuild tonight.

I hope you get a few months out of the carb rebuild,Those carbs don't like being new,I also saw you had mech fuel pump blocked off,If you do that and go electric pump why not go electric fans on radiator?i WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE INTAKE regardless!!

[Mattman2010]

Why do you say they dont like being new? I have seen tons of people say they rebuild them and they work fine. I am going the electrical fuel pump way because my parts truck has a electric fuel pump on it that I am going to use. I am just trying to get it running now and I don't see a reason to go to electric fans when I already have the stock one. The intake, I didnt feel like getting a new intake for this engine, like I said I just want to get it running. I have plans for building a none stock 350 for it later on down the road. I am just a college student so funds for the project are low with school starting next week.

[1985-GMC]

Have you seen "Muscle Car's" quadrajet rebuild http://www.spike.com/full-episode/qu...-rebuild/33035
Ive always liked mech fuel pumps better.

[Mattman2010]

Thats cool. The mechanical pump on the 350 was not working all that great, so they put a electrical on it. We will just have to see how it works.

[Rodms]

Fan cost about 20 bucks on ebay and your done,I redid the carbs for 25 years and they ran great for a year or so but you can figure your budget however you want.I know a new carb is high Thats why I'm telling you to be looking for a deal on a used one and not ROCH,orEDEL your not gonna like it.Tell you what if I give you a carb will you build it?

[Mattman2010]

I am just going to use what I have for now. Its $20 for the rebuild kit, vs the $300-$600 for the carb and intake. I plan on just running this stock setup for now, and then building up another engine later on.

[Rodms]

Originally Posted by Mattman2010

I am just going to use what I have for now. Its $20 for the rebuild kit, vs the $300-$600 for the carb and intake. I plan on just running this stock setup for now, and then building up another engine later on.

Oh well I offered you a carb and can't do nothing else.

[Mattman2010]

What kinda carb is it? When you said build it you confused me. Do you mean rebuild it, or buy a new intake and mount the carb you offered me?

[Mattman2010]

Well I got the bottom of the cab painted, so I am ready to install it after I clean out and paint the gas tank, and fix my cab bolt problem. I'm hoping to be able to start the truck in a week or two.

[Mattman2010]

Well I have been pulling my front clip apart to get the core support ready for paint.





Still need to disconnect the A/C components from the core support.

I also bought all new fuel hose, and radiator/heater hoses. Hoping to be able to fire it up within a week or two.

[1985-GMC]

Your making more progress than me. Did you ever go look at that crew cab?

[Mattman2010]

I got my core support painted. Now I just need to finish up some of the electrical, and some of the vacuum lines, throw the cab on, and the core support, and hook everything up, time the engine and then I should be able to get it running.

[Mattman2010]

I got quite a bit done today. I got the core support mounted so I am ready to start hooking up stuff. Put my light harness on and I found out that I need to replace a bunch of wires in it.



I know people say they like the round lights better than the square, but I have square lights on my parts truck and both light bezels are good, so I am going to just use the lights and bezels off of the parts truck.

I have a bunch of stuff I need to paint black before start putting it all back together, but if I keep up the work I think I should have it running by next weekend.

[MTCK]

Good looking build! I like the 1980 trucks with the square lights on the 70's style front clip. That's the only year like it! If you use the electric pump just make sure the pressure is right with a gauge or you'll have a heck of a time getting it to run right. Good luck with the build.
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[1985-GMC]

Lookin good! Did you ever get that Q jet rebuilt?

[Mattman2010]

Yeah, I got the QJet rebuild the day that I got the kit. It is already installed. I think I am going to try to get the cab set on the frame tomorrow. I am hoping to go look at, and maybe get a Lincoln 180C Mig Welder tuesday. The floor needs replaced on the drivers side of the cab, but its not that bad. I will wait to replace the floor till I am getting ready to paint the truck.

[Mattman2010]

It is starting to look like a truck! I got the cab mounted. Still need to hook up stuff, but its setting on the frame! (Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics)

This is how I lift my cab.


I forgot to take a picture of the truck with the cab on before I put it back in the shed.


Still need to paint some stuff before I get it running, but once I get everything wired up, and get all the fluids in, I am going to start it up!

Getting the thing actually painted will probably be a few months. I am just trying to get all the pieces I want black painted for now, then later on I will paint it the color I want. Plus I am getting a Mig Welder tomorrow (Lincoln 180C), and I want to fix the little amount of rust before I go about painting it. But for now I just want to drive it because I have not been able to sense I bought it haha