1990 V3500 5.7 Crew Cab Build

[lightningtruck]

Thought - I need to start a project thread and introduce myself. Then I can bombard you with questions! Bought the Crew cab a few years ago. Cheyenne model, no options. Long bed 4x4. Might be lifted slightly. Don't really know. Then I bought a 1990 suburban. I am taking the front clip, A/C, Power window and lock doors, cruise, tilt column, and all upgrades I can get and putting them on my crew cab. Was going to be done last summer but I had a health issue and just got back to work on it. It will also be repainted (same color scheme) as I go & new interior. I love the metal interior with rubber floor. But I want the other stuff too. I built an '88 crew 454 in the 90's but sold it because it was a 2wd dually. Hooked on crews ever since.

I hope to swap all the wiring out. Just gotta figure out the 2 fuel pump relays vs 1 in suburban. Maybe use all three, jk.

More to follow!
Mike McGinnis

[Greenlee]

Nice truck!
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[Car'n'Guitars]

Awesome truck!

[lightningtruck]

So do I just post pics and updates in the project thread and ask questions elsewhere? Also how do I make a signature line, or whatever it is called? Like my name and a link to my project thread. Thanks! Mike

[lightningtruck]

I thought I would share some updates. Looking at other peoples progress motivates me to keep working. Hope mine will do the same.
I couldn't believe it was 8 months since my 1st post!
Over the last few months I got back into working on the truck.
The fenders and liners and hood from the suburban are like new. Liners and core are painted. Core is in and engine is back together. Serpentine swap, valve covers, timing cover, oil pan, alt, A/C compressor and all air intake parts from burb done. Actual A/C system swap is next. I thought this would be difficult and I started to work on rockers!
Here are some pics of what I found. Laugh with me! No metal at all on driver side. Spray foam with bondo over it. And the pass side as I started to grind fell off in my hand, fiberglass blob 1 small lower patch in bed and all else looks good. bed almost all primed and body work done. Good thing I already robbed the perfect inner and outer rockers from burb.
Anyway! Hood is stripped, fenders in primer, doors are jammed, outside doors done in prime ready to hang.
I will do rockers, strip interior and hopefully get interior primed next week.
More pics on camera to upload over next weeks.

[y5mgisi]

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[91V3500]

Nice!

[lightningtruck]

Work seems to be moving slowly. Rockers are gonna take time to get right.
Seat belt bolts in floor of cab are not backing out. I HATE these star head bolts. BIG bolt, small little driver. Suburban had real bolts with big heads you could torque on! I may have to drill out 8 of them!! I will replace them with the suburban bolt ones! My luck one is prolly metric. I used pb blaster and heat. Any ideas?

I need to get a lot done on the cab in the next few weeks. I can alternate between busting knuckles and hours of mind numbing sanding.

Can anyone tell me. Were the interior parts of the cab painted in base clear or single stage?

91V3500 Your interior looks great. Have you used the disc brake conversion yet? If so how is it? Do you have an emergency brake?

I need to order some por 15 so I'm off!
Here are some pics, Thats a well used seat!

[Greenlee]

Nice work Lightening! I can't believe that "body work" by the previous owner.

I just noticed in your first post you had a question about the wiring. The extra relay on the firewall of the truck is the kickdown for the TH400 transmission.

I used the wiring harness from an 89' Suburban in my truck. It's actually not too hard to figure out. Each system such as power windows, AC, cruise etc. has its own little wiring harness that just plugs into the fuse box for power.
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[lightningtruck]

Well time flies. Between holidays and bad weather progress is slow.
But, I have finished tearing down the suburban. Finally! Parts I needed, parts to sell and scrap metal gone. Feels kinda good.
Anyway, I am collecting some parts and working on body slowly.
Rockers are moving forward and bed got more primer and more blocking.
Pictures say a thousand words.

Greenlee, Thanks for the info on the relay! I picked up a 1990 dealer electrical diagrams and diagnosis manual. R/V,P all light trucks! Should help. Anyone needs any info from it just ask.

If anyone has upgraded to disc brakes on the rear of a one ton please refer me to a good thread or 2. I want to do this but I want it to work and have a park brake.
Thanks for looking!

[Devillusion]

Good start, sub'd.....

[Zane M]

Looking good.

[DBLSPRT68]

Great job so far! Keep it up, it's going to look great

[Greenlee]

Nice Work! Those old Suburbans really can save you a lot of $$$ on parts.

[oldgymnast]

Not sure how to link you to the trhread but in Build #2 Crusader post #50-#65 take you through putting disc brakes on a one ton. The person also gives you where he bought the parts and what he paid for them. He did not do a parking brake but tells how you could in post #65. Hope this helps and keep up the good work.

[MR6X6]

Truck looks good keep the photos coming,

[MTCK]

Cool truck I'll be watching this build.

[lightningtruck]

OK So it has been a while, but last month I started working on it again.
The seat belt bolts never gave up. They are all broken off in the floor. Bad design. I have drilled and used an easy out on a few. I will get them all out at some point. On a good note a lot of body work has been finished and we may paint it in the next few weeks! I am going to shoot that Eastwood undercoating underneath cab and the rust preventative inside the pillars and rockers. First we will paint inside the cab, I have a few holes to weld up 1st. Then we will paint the silver 2 tone stripe. Finally the upper and lower blue. The 2 tone actually makes it easier. These trucks use a bunch of paint!

[y5mgisi]

Good progress!

[lightningtruck]

Some more pictures. I hope to add many more over the next few weeks. Thanks for the suggestions and comments, I hope to get the rear discs, A/C, PW, PL, CC and tilt column worked out after paint. This site inspires me to get this thing done and start enjoying it! Parts will get 1 more coat of clear. Hood painted to see how color looked. Turned out good. Now I have to figure out what silver to use for the center of the 2 tone.

[lightningtruck]

Another pic.

[lightningtruck]

One more, I need to re-size in the future.

[y5mgisi]

Looking awesome!

[NorCalAnthony]

Nice progress! I love those square crew cabs

[lightningtruck]

I took some pictures of some drive line stuff. I want to know if I have an NP 205, 14 bolt 10.5 " rear and a Dana 60 up front. Do the pictures suggest that?