71 Cheyenne Rooftop Build

[cebra]

I have not been working on the truck much lately since the rewire as that was painful but I ordered my new short bedsides and started cutting down the bed. Due to my workspace/no power issue, I am cutting the rear and leaving on the long bedsides. Then I will pull the bedsides, cut the front, and install the SWB bedsides. This will leave me with a 12" gap between the cab and bed until I can secure a place to make this cut. I am fabricating a new rear cross sill out of 2x4x6-1/8" thick box steel as well because mine is rotten. I plan to cut 8" off the back since my bed is rotten back there and tip the bed over and weld to the cross sill similar to another thread on here.

[cebra]

One other small project I have been working on is fab'ing up a new battery box for the PS (mine is in too good of condition to hack up) so I can run a stock LS airbox on the DS.

I also finally found my NV3500 after searching ~20 junkyards across 5 states and searching ebay/salvage yards online for countless hours. I had to order it from PA and had to pay for it but I did get a shifter and driveshaft as well. I could have got a 4l60e for ~1/4 of the price and in my search I only found one low'ish mileage trans (110K) up in VA and it was $1,100 for the trans only. I have found plenty in the junkyards that cost more than a reman from Rock Auto including eating the core costs too which is nuts.

[Pdub1972]

[QUOTE=cebra;8362838]I also keep having overheating issues I was working on previous to another issue popping up. I have reset the timing a couple dozen times and replaced head gaskets, thermostat, radiator hoses, heater core, and this pic is when I replaced the flex fan with an original fan with new thermal clutch. Still didn't cure my issue so I will get backcheck bottom radiator hose to see if it is sucking flat , it should have a big spring inside to keep that from happening!
Posted via Mobile Device

[cebra]

I cut my frame rails 8" and rear part of the bed 7.5" for my SWB conversion. I plan to tip and weld the extra 1/2" to the cross sill I am building. Most of my bedside bolts are stripped so I am working on removing those and then moving to the front cut.

[jocko]

Best ignition bezel tool ever. Keep up the great work.

[Jason7121]

You won't regret the Ls swap I love mine. Great work on everything thus far.

[cebra]

Originally Posted by Jason7121

You won't regret the Ls swap I love mine. Great work on everything thus far.

Do you have a build thread? Truck looks great.

[cebra]

I got my bed chopped down 12" (11.75") in the front and have the bedsides bolted in for now. I need to drill holes and install the front panel and finish up fabricating a rear cross sill as mine was in pretty rough shape. I also need to fabricate the rear bed floor corners to make them look stock. I will be rolling with the 12" gap between the cab and bed for a bit until I can find a workspace to cut my frame down and drop in the LS/NV3500.

[Jason7121]

Yes my build was called 71 c10 6.0 build

[cebra]

Originally Posted by Jason7121

Yes my build was called 71 c10 6.0 build

Read through your build, high quality stuff.

[cebra]

Got the header panel on the bed and bedsides lined up. I also got my toolbox mounted again to the header panel. Working on the rear cross sill and back part of the bed and tailgate now. We had a sunny day so I painted my NV3500 as well. Next up is more bed work, installing clutch/master and relocated battery tray, and firewall painting in preparation of the LS swap. The next good weather day I get I will install my 5" rear drop springs, shock relocation brackets, panhard bar, and trailing arm bushings.

[cebra]

I have about $5K in my swap parts now for a dang 4.8L but I have everything I think need less the last 4 feet or so of fuel line and fittings. I spent extra on BP harness and Dingo sliders to hopefully make the installation quicker but the real cost was I am $1,700 into the NV3500. It took months to find, I had to pay $850 for it plus yoke, shifter, flywheel, clutch, hardware, hydraulics, etc. added up. I could have been all in on a 4l60 for $350 locally. Oh well, I think it is worth the extra for stick. I am working on prepping the engine for paint, doing maintenance items, and removing what I don't need for the swap. I also am slowly working on installing the clutch master cylinder and plumbing. Other than that, I am getting close to pulling my 350 on the roof of my parking garage and dropping the LS/NV3500 in (weather dependent). My truck is still goofy looking as I have not cut the frame down yet. I made a brothers style kit for $50 so I can bolt it up and drive somewhere to use power to weld it up.

[72 tigger]

Doing a fine job!

[cebra]

Still plugging away. I am planning to pull my 350 on the roof of my parking deck this weekend if it does not rain or snow. I have been pulling all the stuff off the LS I don't need and have painted it. I also changed the thermostat, installed EVAP/EGR caps, and an oil pressure gauge adapter. Many runs to the junkyard have been made for many missing parts (accessory drive, starter, etc). I have to work mostly at night since I don't have a garage so pictures are sporadic. It still looks awful right now as the drip rail/rockers are primer, the bed is black, there is no tailgate/rear bumper, and there is a 12" gap between the cab and the bed. I will post a detailed list of swap parts when done, I am $5,296 in now which is way more than I planned. I keep every receipt and a spreadsheet of parts for the project so I know exactly what I spend. I am $13K in parts thus far with paint (shooting it myself), front suspension, wheels/tires, bed trim, and vintage air left to go..eek.

[cornerstone]

The hard work that you have done will soon pay off! Hats off to you for doing such an in depth amount of work with no garage... It makes me feel like a cry baby because I gripe about having a garage with no lift.

[cebra]

Here is a breakdown of my LS swap costs in case anyone is curious, it went up quick but I plan for this to be my DD and I put 25K miles per year minimum on my vehicles. The last big expense I know of is driveshaft shortening and a handful of $20 items here and there.

Motor Related:
Baffled Gas Tank/Straps 131 Summit
Fuel Filler 17 Junkyard
Gas Cap 12 Autozone
Sending Unit 33 Rock Auto
Gas Tank Hardware 81 Tractor Supply
Filler/Vent Hose 19 Autozone
Tank Hardline/Fittings 37 Autozone
SS Line/Fittings 88 Jegs
Dirty Dingo Mounts 158 Ebay
Swap Headers/Gaskets 295 Speed Engineering
Stock Airbox 24 Junkyard
Mass Air Flow Sensor 34 Junkyard
Silverado Battery Tray 13 Junkyard
LS Intake Manifold 29 Junkyard
GM Muscle Car Oil Pan 230 Jegs
Header Flanges 8 Jegs
EVAP Block off Plate 11 Ebay
EP381 Fuel Pump 65 Rock Auto
Paint 37 Autozone
Gauge Fittings 40 Speedway
ECM 33 LKQ
Alternator 30 LKQ
Mass Air Flow Sensor 22 LKQ
Engine Cover 10 LKQ
Battery Junction 3 LKQ
4.8L LS Engine 831 LKQ
Plug Wires 60 Speed Engineering
ECM Reflash 138 BP Automotive
Standalone Harness 513 BP Automotive
Starter 76 Rock Auto
Valve Cover Gasket 12 Rock Auto
Tensioner 19 Rock Auto
Idler 14 Rock Auto
O2 Sensors 42 Rock Auto
Coil Pack 22 Rock Auto
Thermostat 19 Rock Auto
PCV 3 Autozone
EGR Block off Plate 13 Ebay
Steam Vent Connection 6 Ebay
Drive Belt 20 Rock Auto
Radiator Hose 13 Rock Auto
Alt/PS Bracket 30 LKQ
Battery Cable 13 LKQ
Valve Cover 25 LKQ
PS Pump 72 Rock Auto
Starter Bolts 12 Ebay
Fuel Lines 87 Jegs
Fuel Filter 29 Jegs
PS Pump Pulley 11 LKQ
Fuel Rail Fittings 28 Ebay
Throttle Cable 27 Ebay
Transmission Related:
Speedo Swap Template 30 C10 Forum
96' S-10 Speedo 35 Junkyard
Trans Crossmember 54 Jegs
C10 Clutch Pedal 15 Junkyard
Clutch Master Cylinder 64 Speedway
Clutch Line/Fittings 53 Speedway
Clutch Bleeder 27 Speedway
NV3500 Trans 825 Junkyard
NV3500 Driveshaft 75 Junkyard
NV3500 Shifter 50 Junkyard
Throwout Bearing 39 Rock Auto
Clutch Kit 160 Rock Auto
Flywheel 65 Rock Auto
Trans Mount 7 Rock Auto
Clutch Pedal Pad 6 Summit
Trans/Flywheel/Clutch Bolts 40 Ebay
Flywheel Cover 8 Rock Auto
Trans Paint 7 Autozone
Clutch Master Bracket 161 Forum
Total Swap Cost 5,316

[cebra]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

The hard work that you have done will soon pay off! Hats off to you for doing such an in depth amount of work with no garage... It makes me feel like a cry baby because I gripe about having a garage with no lift.

Thanks for the encouragement...at times I feel like I won't get there but keep pressing on, do you have a build thread?

[cornerstone]

No, not yet. I have considered it. My problem at this point is I’ve got pictures in all sorts of places and to get them in order to make cohesive posts it would take an act of congress. I hope to get to it though.

[62chevy302]

Wow. I think you have done an amazing job so far. I would like to know how you mounted the clutch master cylinder to your firewall.

[cebra]

Originally Posted by 62chevy302

Wow. I think you have done an amazing job so far. I would like to know how you mounted the clutch master cylinder to your firewall.

It is not mounted as of yet but I bought captainfabs kit ('67-'72 Power Brake Booster Bracket With Hydraulic Clutch Conversion) with the flat bracket as I didn't want to move my booster. I am near complete cutting the "rib" off the inside of the firewall but I have a POS cordless dremel so it has taken me a few weeks as the battery dies in less than a minute. The struggles of not having a power source linger. I have the bracket on the firewall so once the rib is cut it should go on pretty quick.

[cebra]

My lift was way too small to pull the motor and trans over the core support so I had to pull the front end but she is out and safely tucked away in my apartment. Now I have a transmission fluid mess to clean up after work.

[cornerstone]

You are bound and determined to knock this thing out in a hurry! How about a pic of the front clip in your apartment? That would be priceless.

[cornerstone]

Any word on your displaced project?

[cebra]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Any word on your displaced project?

No word, still sitting at the shop I took it to once I got busted for the mess I made on the roof. I think he will get started on it in about 2-3 weeks. He is going to do the LS swap and cut/weld the frame for me too. Once it comes out (assuming my trans and motor are ok) it should be ready for finishing up the bed floor, tailgate, bumper, etc., drilling the bed for trim, and other body work (both lower doors, back of DS cab corner) to get it ready for paint. Unless I have to wait a long time to get it in my Dads garage I will leave it at that before paint.

If it takes a long time to get it up to PA to paint, I still need to install the lower suspension, install vintage air, build the speedo, and throw on some wheels.

[cebra]

Nothing happening with the truck as of yet but I did finish dropping off my parts today. Hoping to be driving the truck as a proper LS/Stick/SWB by the end of the month...we shall see. I ordered all of the SWB bed trim, they sure are not giving that stuff away. I shouldn't have too much left to buy though, front suspension, vintage air, and paint. Wheels will come down the road as I have new tires on the Rallys and I think they look ok.