Project Burro Viejo

[steinepstein]

I've been a loyal follower of this site for many years now and have learned a ton from the followers and contributors and feel like its time for me to give a little back and share my project. This was originally a NM truck that had an Olds 455 in it. Most of the exterior trim and marker lights were shaved and it was lowered about 2 inches in the front. The truck was very cool looking when I bought it, but the more I started tearing into it the more problems it had. I decided it was time to go completely through it and update things, and have some fun. In the last two months I have moved the truck from NM to Chicago.

Exterior shot on the trailer

[steinepstein]

The motor is a 383 sbc with vortec heads and a Holley 950 commander. Instead of using the Holley computer I wanted to go with a Motec M48 because I have some previous experience with these and they are very adaptable. The trans is a 700r4 with all the goodies.

[steinepstein]

Many changes to come, but for now my main goal is to get the engine running, which is not easy. There are a ton of fittings and parts that need to be created to adapt.

[Puropedo]

Sweet project! I like the project's name, is your truck a GMC?

[steinepstein]

Yea, 1968 GMC 1/2 ton. That blue on the fenders is the color when I purchased it 15 years ago. It's still a great color, but I feel myself leaning toward something else, maybe a Porsche gray.....

[GASWAGON]

Nice truck! I like the welds. Is that a GM performance parts acc. drive set-up on the front of the engine?

[big_al_71]

One of the Favorite parts of it so far is the name of the project....

Keep the picts coming.....

[steinepstein]

Yea, GM deluxe serpentine kit on there. I'm going to have to figure out how to adapt that AC unit to a Vintage Air setup.

Hooker headers with ceramic coating. I was originally going to go with a carb setup and had exhaust scavengers welded in there. Those will have to get capped off.

[mcbassin]

Project Burro Viejo? Please translate for me? It's not a donkey? Looks like a good start! 15 years in waiting?

[CheyenneShop]

With a name like that how could anyone go wrong.

[steinepstein]

Oh yea, definitely a donkey. Hard working, durable, and stubborn, no doubt.

I bought this thing in college and it moved from garage to storage unit to garage to storage unit. Whenever I had spare cash or time I was always burning my cash on it. Now it sits in Manteno, IL, in a garage where I can work on it and have plenty of space. I should have this thing running by the end of the year.

[steinepstein]

Couple updates:

We have spending a lot of time wiring. Going to need five relays to run nitrous, radiator fans, fuel pump, ignition system, and FI system. The Motec system will run the radiator fans at a requested temperature and dump more fuel when I request nitrous, pretty trick. The other relays are used for safety/redundancy.

I also purchased an Entropy radiator from ebay. I am quite pleased with the quality and price, but will have to fabricate new brackets or do something new. The serpentine belt drive plus the radiator fans makes for a tight fit. I feel like that engine could go back a few inches, maybe more.

I also purchased a set of mild notches from Porterbuilt, nice quality, gotta bring this donkey down a couple more inches and stuff some big meats in the back. I'll be switching over to a trailing arm setup also.

[Ronm909]

nice project, subscribed

[steinepstein]

Picked up an ART kit from VA72C10, did some mock up last weekend.

Have to pull the engine out because I dented the oil pan during install and I need to make sure no damage has been done and the oil pickup is not pressed against the pan.

A lot of the dirt and dust buildup was bugging me also, I want to get everything cleaned up, painted, and tightened down for final install, so here I am.

[steinepstein]

I got the engine out and on a stand via forklift, actually pretty easy.

I have an old sprint car aluminum block that is supposedly sold. I decided to mock it up in the frame with the engine back further, before I get rid of it. I really wanted to build an Al SBC with a dry sump setup and put it in the Burro Viejo but the block is leaking between the cylinder walls and my engine builder didn't recommend it.

I really don't like how far the engine sits forward in these trucks, this is something that is bugging me, I want to get it back as far as possible, without making drastic changes to the firewall. I talked to the HAVOC owner and he did a little welding and fabrication to get the engine back against the firewall, I will probably be doing the same, thanks HAVOC!

You can just pick up that Al block and stick it right in there!

[steinepstein]

I had Rad Rides by Troy weld up those exhaust extensions and install bungs for the O2 sensor and the exhaust temp sensor. The cars in that shop are unreal, absolute perfection, you can see them on their website.

Quick shot of the front suspension crossmember with the ART plates marked up and ready to be drilled.

[sourkraut]

great looking project! what kind of wiring harness are you using?

[VA72C10]

Looking good!!!

[nuke1]

NICE TRUCK!!!! I like your thoughts and how your are going about everything, Motec huh? we have played with megasquirt up here some. That is what i want to use for my truck, but may consider the motec yet.

[steinepstein]

Nuke,

I used to work for a guy in Dallas, Bob Norwood, Norwood Autocraft, that used Motec a ton, he knows it backward and forward. I was able to play with the software a bit, it's a good system. The M48 is an older version, but still fine, you can find them on ebay once in a while for a lot less. I don't know a lot about Megasquirt, but I know a lot of players are making big time power with Big Stuff 3. BS3 seems to be the best out there from a hardware standpoint.

[steinepstein]

sourkrat,

Using a EZWiring harness with 21 circuits. Wanted to get as many as possible because of the extra relays on the FI harness. Since there is so much custom wiring already, I wanted to use a basic harness, since an exact fit harness may have gave me problems and cost much more.

VA72C10,

Thanks, going to get my crossmember drilled up today! I'm excited to go full bags.

[Hart_Rod]

Nice project. You could always use 6 cylinder motor mounts to get your motor set farther back. They should bolt right to your frame and crossmember without any modification. That's what I've got in my 68 S/C truck and it sets the motor about as far back as you can go with a SBC.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

This is gonna be one killer truck when done..

[mcbassin]

Looks like some serious ponies under the hood!

[steinepstein]

I've been asking a lot about how to get the engine back further I will try the I-6 mounts, thanks.

I've got a set of vortec heads on there with 2.02/1.6 valves and bowl work completed by Rehrer Morrison out of Dallas, TX. The cam should idle nicely and take it up to about 6500rpm, so I'm hoping to make north of 450hp. It also has a nitrous relay that will automatically dump more fuel into the motor when I hit the switch. Good mule motor.