1977 Chevy K30 Crew Cab Build

[my4by2]

This one's kind of at an odd angle - basically looking back along the frame rail at the brake line junctions.

[MrBeast]

I wanted to chime in on the back bumper, this is a back bumper I made for my old 85 CC dually.



The main bumper is 3"x6" .250" wall box tube, the bottom piece is a piece of 2x4" .250" wall box tube, and the center was 6x1/4" flat stock, it was mounted to the frame with 3 1/2 x 3/8" flat bar.

The bumper worked really well, as you can see from this video, it was nice and strong too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OGmaVbZSFc

Tore that building right down.

[my4by2]

That's a nice one for sure!!! I can imagine that thing was PLENTY strong!

Still waiting for Keven to get some time on the Solid Works program & see what he designs - that way we can view it in 3D without actually cutting anything. He's got a good eye & knows the general look I'm after so we'll see.

[MrBeast]

He is doing a nice job building your truck. I am really wishing I had not sold my square, but at the time I just did not have the time to keep working on it, and could not afford to do what I wanted to it.

Also it was a 2WD and I really need a 4x4.

I am hoping to build a reg cab 4x4 dually for my next. I had looked at the 6.0 but think I am going to go the Cummins route because I will be doing a good amount of towing and cross country trips with it.

[my4by2]

Yeah, I really wanted to do this one as a diesel (specifically a 4BT), but every time I went through the process I ended up "over-doing" it like I did with my Dodge.... I scared my wife & kids every time we went out driving it 'cause I end up racing it & crap!

Plus I wanted it to be easier to get parts for in the future as needed. Happy with the direction I ended up going, but that diesel itch still gets me here & there....

[Dieselwrencher]

It's definitely an itch that won't go away!

[my4by2]

Am hoping Chevrolet pulls its head out of its behind & starts building some diesel equipped small cars... I'd love to get me one like that for a daily driver & use my truck more for nice weather & shows. Time will tell that though....

[MrBeast]

yeah it is unfortunate but GM has gone to HE double hockey stick in a big hurry over the last 12 years. I'd honestly buy a new dodge with a cummins before I bought a chevy, but really I think I will be much happier sticking to my old junk!

[my4by2]

Well that's what I had - an '07 Dodge Ram 3500 - last year of the 5.9L & had the 6-speed manual too.

But as I already have a truck, I'd like a small car for a commuter to go back & forth to work with - less risk for wrecking the truck!!!!

GM's coming back pretty strong in my mind though. We're pretty much exclusive to GM as far as our vehicles go - the Wife's got the new Volt & she absolutely LOVES it!!! They're supposed to be making the new Cruze available with a diesel, just not sure if it'll be available with a manual too....

That's what I really want - a diesel powered small car with a manual transmission!

[MrBeast]

I almost bought a Golf with the TDI a while back.

The problem is a6 6'1" 275lbs I felt like getting in and out of it I would look like the circus was coming to town! lol

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by MrBeast

I almost bought a Golf with the TDI a while back.

The problem is a6 6'1" 275lbs I felt like getting in and out of it I would look like the circus was coming to town! lol

That's my same issue. That and those little and mid sized cars kill my knees because I have to bend my legs to drive them. I stick to trucks and eat the fuel bill.

Is the ETA on your truck still decent, or is it getting closer to bust? That seems that's the case with most of my projects.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

That's my same issue. That and those little and mid sized cars kill my knees because I have to bend my legs to drive them. I stick to trucks and eat the fuel bill.

Is the ETA on your truck still decent, or is it getting closer to bust? That seems that's the case with most of my projects.

Right now I am looking at buying a 79 4x4 dually reg cab that is a running driving truck and working on it. My 72 needs so much work right now and I am going to college full time, I am just not sure how I am going to finish it all.

I am looking at this 79 thinking I could yank the cab, tear it down fairly quickly have it sprayed black with imron, put it back on with a new set of body mounts, and since it doesnt currently have AC install that, get it tuned up and running good, then I can have a truck to drive that isn't going to take 3 years and 15 grand to build.

The downside is it has a TH400 and NP203 I have a 94 Chevy NV4500 and the AA bell housing, it wouldn't take much to stuff that in it and a NP205 so we will see, I might even go nutty and buy an atlas.

I still have not fully committed to it yet.

[my4by2]

Unless you're planning for serious off-roading, you don't need an Atlas transfer case.... The NP205 is PLENTY tough - toughest made of the New Process family anyhow & all gear driven.

That project sounds like quite a bit of work & not quite as quick as you make it sound... Does sound like fun though!

[my4by2]

One last pic - another slightly different angled view of the brake hoses & junction area on the frame.

Ready for the new week to start already.... Weekends may be fun for those of you back in the States, but to me over here it's just agony waiting for more work to be happening!

[my4by2]

Keven's ordering the under-rail bed LED lights this week to get them wired in. We're going with the kit from Recon, but think we're going to use this switch from Watson's StreetWorks to activate it - hiding it somewhere in the rear of the bed to access it only when needed.

He's also ordering the toolbox finally as he needs to have it in there to see where the lights will actually be placed.

Still hoping the Guard Dawg module makes it back early this week so he can verify everything with it & hopefully inch closer to getting it fired up!!!!

[my4by2]

Things must be moving along pretty well! Got several emails from Keven today - one regarding getting the transmission & transfer shifter arms designed & fabricated - the other about the rear view camera system I had purchased.

The camera uses a standard A/V type cable, which unfortunately isn't long enough for a crew cab long bed like mine... He's having a hard time finding a longer cable & also the camera mount set-up is kind of "cheesy"... So it looks like we may source a different kit from the local stereo shop which uses a better camera mount & easier to mod wiring.

The shifter arms will look a little like this, but probably won't be "curvy"... He'll do up some "pool ball" type shifter knobs with the shift patterns engraved - the whole set-up should be machined out of aluminum & match the rest of the interior trim I'll be going with.

[MrBeast]

Nice Shifter.

On my wrecker I ran a Pioneer backup camera.

On night I accidentally sliced the cable. I wound up soldering the wires back together, wrapping some foil tape around it, and then heat shrinking it, never had a second issue with it, and that camera lived a very hard life on the boom of my wrecker. I probably towed over 1000 cars with it after I had done the fix.

I was also amazed at the picture quality, even when it was dark the thing could still pick up the blue in the sky, it was a great camera.

[my4by2]

Not sure what the brand is Keven was talking about, but he said the camera actually mounts to the license plate bolts & only sticks out about 3/4" so it'd be pretty slick. Guess the one I bought had like a 2"x2" mounting bracket & was kind of bulky...

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by my4by2

Not sure what the brand is Keven was talking about, but he said the camera actually mounts to the license plate bolts & only sticks out about 3/4" so it'd be pretty slick. Guess the one I bought had like a 2"x2" mounting bracket & was kind of bulky...

The camera bracket is your best bet. unless you accidentally kick it or back a trailer into it!

[MadManAndrew]

The license plate mount ones are too easy to steal IMO.

[my4by2]

True, but somehow doubt a bracket hanging down below the bumper would be any more difficult....

[jbclassix]

Originally Posted by MadManAndrew

The license plate mount ones are too easy to steal IMO.

Originally Posted by my4by2

True, but somehow doubt a bracket hanging down below the bumper would be any more difficult....

educate me... is a BU camera useful without the video screen? Why would anyone steel just the camera?

[bucannon]

the camera is really not worth more than 20 or thirty bucks new so i doubt anyone will try to steal it. your more likley to get rims and tires stolen or the entire truck than just the back up camera haha.

[my4by2]

^^^ AGREED ^^^

And video screen is in the rearview mirror, so it won't be visible in the cab really.

[nekkidhillbilly]

on the camera get some of the amplifier patch cables from walmart they come in up to 20 foot lengths just pull the wires apart since you dont need 2. works great just remember to seal where the plugs are together with heat shrink.