Most/Least Favorite Modifications/Upgrades

[Barnfind46]

My favorite mod was when I got rid of the old rear end with 5. something gears in my 68' C-20 and went with a 14 bolt with 3.73 gears. Totally different truck!

[BC10]

Favorites:
1. Redhead steering box
2. Front sway bar
3. Meatier tires on rallyes, 255 70 15
4. Moog coil springs, front and rear
5. 3.08 to 3.42 rear diff

Least:
1. Smaller tires, rode like crap with less meat on them
2. Peep side mirrors, couldn't see squat, and when I did, everything was shaking, looked cool though
3. Body work, I should of left it patina

[sick472]

Favorite upgrades (or additions).

1.) 72 steel bed to wood conversion with bedside and tail gate inner wood panels.
2.) Custom DIY bedside edge protectors
3.) Wooden interior components.
4.) Under bed spare tire hanger.

Least Favorite upgrades to perform...

1.) Drive shaft mods to accommodate the Pontiac 400. Most due tothe fact that there is not a decent shaft builder near me and the logistics are a pain to get them to KC and back along with the needed info to get them right...it was a cluster.
2.) Stainless brake and fuel lines. This takes alot of practice and the expensive line working tools.

[j_cst_10]

My current truck is a result of my past mistakes.

Favorite upgrades:

- Cummins Turbo diesel w/5spd manual in 72 C20

Least Favorite upgrade:

- 4/5 drop on my 70 CST/10

It took me years of truck ownership and many hours in the garage to realize I didn't like lowered half ton truck!! Turns out I like HD stuff. News to me.

[sfont66]

This was a great thread years ago, now that changes have been made to my truck, my favorite mods have changed.
Have yours?

Current most favorite modifications:
Ls swap
T56 Magnum 6 speed


Least favorite thing is not really a modification, it’s the rust
I’ve replaced the inner and outer rockers, and passenger side fender cup (typical)
I may need to do a roof skin, the seam sealer has been cracked and mostly missing for years

[wesmigletz]

Originally Posted by j_cst_10

My current truck is a result of my past mistakes.


Least Favorite upgrade:

- 4/5 drop on my 70 CST/10

It took me years of truck ownership and many hours in the garage to realize I didn't like lowered half ton truck!! Turns out I like HD stuff. News to me.

I made the same mistake with the 70 2wd K5 I'm building. Went with a QA1 front end, blown LS drivetrain, and am in the processing of having a late model Camaro independent rear installed. As soon as I started the rear, I realized I ruined the Blazer for what I wanted to build.

The QA1 and LS are easy enough to undo, but I think I screwed the pooch with the rear.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Not an upgrade, I just restored the A/C, thermostatic air cleaner and choke warm-up, and hub caps, and love it. It's very cool to see the air cleaner damper in operation.

[body bolt]

My '71 Custom Deluxe.

Likes:
not cut up, mostly original
emission controls still work (for me a sign of being well cared for)
Factory A/C
350/350
PS/PB
wood floor
tinted glass
Stuff I did::
HEI
internally regulated alternator
replaced Quadrajet with Holley 4360 Economaster

Not favorable:
Replacing the Quadrajet with the Holley. That carb works very well but I prefer original where possible.
Fuel consumption

[Joyridin]

Most:
L83 engine & 6 speed auto trans
A/C
Full power leather bucket seats

Least:
Crappy Flaming River tilt column
No-Limit Engineering front end that keeps eating bushings

[RonWT]

1) favorite: converting to power steering and power disk brakes,

2) least favorite: going through hood hinges trying to get the hood to fit and sit like it should.

[coldrider]

Favorites:
LS Swap
Tru-trac posi
Altman Door Latches

Least:
Fighting to remove the 3rd u-joint from power rack and pinion steering

[Sheepdip]

Best Mods No Particular Order:

1976 1-Ton 14 Bolt Cab and Chassis 4:10 Rear Differential

1976 HD 1-Ton Front Disc Brake Set Up

GearVendors Overdrive Tachs 1950 @ 55

Gooseneck Hitch

Converting to 175 Amp Internally Regulated PowerMaster Alternator, And Losing about Another 5 Pounds Of Wire In The Process Of An Almost Complete Rewire From the Firewall Forward.

Champion Aluminum Radiator With Dual Electric Fan System That Performs Flawlessly Without A Hint Of Over Heating Even On 110 Deg. Days, Windows Up, A/C On.

I Have No Worst Mods, They Are All Good.

[BROWN 70]

70 gmc came with drum brakes. changed to 72 discs and 1.25 sway bar. huge!!!!! difference. now I do like the remote spare tire lift. chuck

[Already Gone]

Looking over my list I've done 35 changes/upgrades to my truck since I bought it in 2014. There is not one change I do not like but one I wish I hadn't for practicality purposes. I pulled the bench and installed buckets and console and although love the buckets and console as I said for practicality I should have kept the bench seat.

[Sheepdip]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Looking over my list I've done 35 changes/upgrades to my truck since I bought it in 2014. There is not one change I do not like but one I wish I hadn't for practicality purposes. I pulled the bench and installed buckets and console and although love the buckets and console as I said for practicality I should have kept the bench seat.

Either way a nice looking truck. I have had the thought of bucket seats with a console pass thru my mind.... and practicality always wins.

Right now me, the wife and Molly Dawg ride just fine on the factory bench seat.
If I went to bucket seats the wife would have to stay home!

[D.B]

Originally Posted by Sheepdip

Either way a nice looking truck. I have had the thought of bucket seats with a console pass thru my mind.... and practicality always wins.

Right now me, the wife and Molly Dawg ride just fine on the factory bench seat.
If I went to bucket seats the wife would have to stay home!

That is too funny !!

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Other then restore, I think my favorite is for 30 years EVERYONE short my painter and his wife said DONT PAINT IT OCHRE. Those left say glad it was, whatever. My mom said it was proof im colored blind. She'd ask me, what color do you see..... ha. My least favorite of the project was a write up on the subject. More time on that and researh than building it. That and little wires flying off dremmel brushes.

[mm1077]

Most :
-Progression Ignition Distributor upgrade
-3.07 to 3.73 gear swap (around town)
Swapping from Thumpr cam that was in the truck when I bought it to the xe268
-Sound deadener
-my ‘temporary’ rattlecan paint job- I actually kind of like it and I get a lot of compliments on it : ).

Least:
-Adding AC - I should’ve just spent the $$ on 700r4 upgrade instead . I don’t even use the ac that often even when it’s hot and really like the 3.73s everywhere except over 60mph
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[68 C10 Driver]

Most favorite:
Lizard Skin sound and thermal coatings
Unity spotlight
65 El Camino steering wheel
Under dash A/C unit
Easy Latch upgrade
Moved gas tank to under the bed
Hydraulic Clutch
Muncie M20

Least favorite:
Having to remove the dash for rust repair
No others at the moment, but I am still working on my build.

[jaros44sr]

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EFI out of '75 corvette, plus coil near plugs

[sloGMC]

Favorite, in no particular order:

4L80e, Carplay/touchscreen radio, roof lamps (they just look so cool), trailer brake controller, headlamp warning, hummer wheels....

Least Favorite:
1) Deleting the in cab fuel tank neck. Never had the tank myself, but converting to EFI with saddle tanks will be harder and more expensive. Not that I'll ever convert to EFI anyways.
2) Wasn't super impressed with the easy-latches. They're okay, marginally quieter than the stock ones, but I think the door alignment and gaskets have more to do with doors not closing easily than the stock latch setup being the problem.

I also really like fixing everything that was broken/ not working ideally. My original ignition switch would require 5-10 minutes of jiggling to move from 'off' to 'start', so replacing that was a great value add. Not really a mod though.

[dmjlambert]

I've enjoyed seeing what everybody likes about their trucks. I've prepared about 6 responses to this thread for my favorites, and ending up just deleting. I was being too verbose. So here goes.

Here's what I like on my 69 CST/10 long bed fleetside with body, paint, and rust by Chevy, God, and Time, and almost nothing done to it except:
Rebuilt original 350 and TH400 and A/C system, stock height spindles and manual front disc brakes from a 71, rebuilt stock combination valve from a 72, reupholstered bench seat with houndstooth cloth period correct although incorrect for 67-72 and with other assorted custom upholstery, under bench seat custom speaker boxes with powerful speakers and bluetooth amp, shortened and rebuilt non-tilt steering column with 66-one-year-only standard steering wheel.

Least favorite: the things where I didn't know what I was doing or bought cheap Chinese crud parts and had to do it twice.

Next things on my list that will make it even better: I have a dash repair section and regular stock working AM radio ready to install.

[Accelo]

Least favorite:
Aftermarket Rear sway bar.
Truck would sway side to side when the tires lost grip.
Bad enough to almost wreck the truck. (Removed and it went back to tracking straight)

SS brake lines that were "plug and play". Not even close and the seller knew it but sold them as Plug-n-play any way.

Crappy small front disc brake conversion calipers. (Just saw a set of CPP large calipers and they look great and work well) Unsure if they were available 2 years ago?

Best:
LS1 with 4L60E.
Vintage Air conversion.