Project Ginger - '78 C10 Shortbed

[lost honda pro]

Hi everyone...

I'm a new C10 owner and figured the best place to introduce myself was with a build thread. I can't put a value on all the info I've learned from forums like this, so I'm also hoping I can pass on some of my knowledge and experience to new car guys out there.

My name's Tim, I'm a 28 year old mechanical engineer working in Tampa, FL. I grew up working on imports, and built my first Honda motor when I was 17. I sold the EK hatch when I got it just right (and got bored) and moved to the off-road group. I had a '97 Jeep XJ for ~3 years that I eventually traded in for an '05 Accord (current DD). I got the itch for another project, and came across this truck in Ft. Myers...

It's a 1978 Chevy C10 shortbed. It originally came with a 305 V8, but somewhere along the line got swapped for a 350. It's got long-tube headers, an Edelbrock aluminum manifold, and a Holley 600 carb. There's a decent amount of rust, lots of squeaks and rattles, cracked dash, etc., but I wanted this more for a project than a buy-and-drive, so it's no surprise.







I'll be updating this thread as I go. I've actually had the truck for a couple of months now, so I've made some progress already. Feel free to ask any questions, and if I can help or provide clarification I will.

-Tim

[lost honda pro]

Before making any modifications, I wanted to get it running reliably. The PO said there was a coolant leak, which I had noticed, but he didn't know where from. So once I trailered it home (thanks to a buddy with a Duramax) I traced the leak to a pinhole in the original copper radiator core. So I started to pull it out...



I got the fan and busted shroud out, only to find that the rusty brown layer over the whole engine bay wasn't Georgia clay, but rather rusty coolant that the OE fan was spraying everywhere.



I quickly decided that the only way I would feel comfortable driving this truck around would be overhauling the whole cooling system. So in went a new Duralast water pump, 180*F thermostat, and main cooling hoses. I also picked up a Summit universal aluminum radiator, pair of Perma-Cool electric fans, fan switch, relays, and a sheet of .030 aluminum to make a shroud from.











The only mistake I made is that the 180* thermostat closes before the fan switch turns off, so once then engine gets up to temp the fans never shut off. Not a big deal as it's mostly city driving anyway, but I have already bought the 160*F thermostat which should allow the coolant to circulate enough that the switch will shut the fans off on highway drives.

I'm not certain how accurate the temp gauge in the dash is, but it gets a little below 1/2 before the fans kick on, and they pull it down to 3/8 and it sits there. Never gets hotter. Hasn't overheated either. I pulled a 4,000 Whaler with it and it didn't budge. So I'm happy.

[lost honda pro]

Two quick comments:

1. I know I'm not wearing safety glasses in the pic, but I'm usually really good about PPE. I've been lucky not to be seriously injured working on all the cars I've touched, but safety is not something to screw around with.

2. The wiring for the fan circuit is rough. I'm aware. There are still some issues I'm chasing and haven't gone through it to clean that up yet. But I will.

[lost honda pro]

This truck's got the HD front discs (1.25" rotor) and the SD rear drums (2" wide, IIRC). I had a wheel cylinder leak on me, so off to Autozone for a $9 fix. I will eventually be putting together a rear disc swap (with parking brake), but in the mean time I need to stop.

[Leedogg]

Love the stock dog dish hubs and painted steelies.

Nice work on the fan shroud.

[lost honda pro]

Couldn't stand the tacky chrome trim, so I pulled it all off. I may eventually replace certain pieces, but these are torn up & half are missing...



Had some spare time & decided the hub caps need to be on. But they were so faded I spent 20 minutes with some paint and I think it looks better...

[lost honda pro]

Originally Posted by Leedogg

Love the stock dog dish hubs and painted steelies.

Nice work on the fan shroud.

Thanks man. I can't take credit for the wheels, but I like the way they look. And the fan shroud was a first for me; I haven't done a lot of fab work, but it came out OK. I riveted it to the lip on the radiator and it's worked pretty well so far.

[lost honda pro]

So once I had the cooling system pretty close to done, I started driving it. Short distances around town mostly, which was AWESOME cuz nothing rides like an old Chevy truck.

Unfortunately, the next problem was a starting system that left me near stranded a couple times, only to stop starting entirely. What to do? Replace everything. No weak points.



Duralast battery, reman Autozone starter, new posts with screw terminals, homemade ground wires, reman 12SI (94 amp) alternator... Now it works great. I do have a question for those who've done alternator upgrades: with my 12SI alternator, the voltage (according to the dash gauge) dips below 13V when the fans are running. They are supposed to only draw ~15 amps a piece, but at idle, I know that's a fairly significant load. I have toyed with the idea of going to a CS130, but wasn't sure it was worth it. Opinions?

[Low Elco]

Bigger gauge hot from alt to batt is always good. Fans through relays, I'm sure? Big cleanup on all grounds. Universal thermostatic adjustable fan control, $49 at NAPA. Looks ugly, works tits! Fan will hardly come on. An engineer with a truck? Shenanigans must ensue! Neat little project!

[Yezzi]

nice

[Gator Alum]

Unfortunately he hasn't been working on the truck as much as of late since he's been helping make mine road worthy for the season!

We'll get some pics of Ginger with the 59 here soon!

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[67-72crazy]

Looks like a good truck. I still can't believe my dad sold his.