My new build thread. 1977 C10 shotry

[BADAZ chevy guy]

I went and got my truck yesterday. A 1977 C10 short box Heavy half. All I've done so far is get rid of the tires I got with it and put on stock wheels and tires. Priority 1 is to get it running so I can drive it while I hunt for parts.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

So, I got it home yesterday and had fun doing it aside from all the trouble I had getting it here. My friend Chris went with me and this is how it went.
Step 1. Replace the aluminum wheels with stock wheels and tires that would fit in between the fenders on the tow dolly.
Step 2. Pull the drive shaft so it wouldn't spin the transmission all the way home.
Step 3. Drive the truck onto the tow dolly.
Step 4. Realize that you can't DRIVE a truck with the drive shaft removed!
Step 5. PUSH the truck onto the tow dolly with a Kabota tractor.
Step 6. Start the long drive home.
Right out of the gate I broke one of the tie down straps on the tow dolly, and had to improvise a new one. First Left turn I discovered that the fender on the dolly was going to try to tear a hole in the truck fender. (Just a minor dent.)
Once we got home we just needed to back the truck off the tow dolly. (See step 4.)
Step 7. Go to Autozone and buy a new universal joint for the drive shaft because during the trip I lost some of the bearings out of one side cap.
Step 8. Go to Chris' house because I don't have a press to install a new universal joint.
Step 9. Install the drive shaft... in the dark... in the cold.
Step 10. Discover that all the transmission fluid has leaked out and now the truck won't go into reverse to back it off the tow dolly.
Step 11. Go back to Autozone to get transmission fluid.
Step 12. Make a funnel out of paper because the transmission funnel is missing.
Step 13. Curse myself for ever buying the truck in the first place.
Step 14. Back the truck off the tow dolly and park it in the car port.
Step 15. Apologize to Chris for getting him involved and promise to take him and his wife to dinner to make up for it.

[Slammed84]

Looks like a decent start man. Some nice rims and tires and a solid coat of primer will go a long way!!

Moderators will probably move this thread to the build section though.

I'll keep an eye out on your build, probably start a thread for mine too.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

I didn't know there was a thread just for builds. I'll have to re-post it there if they don't move it.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Just a few more pics.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

I think I've decided the cruse control is going away. I've never really liked cruse anyway.

[77c10]

I dang near soiled myself reading the steps above!

Looks like a solid foundation to build on.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Originally Posted by 77c10

I dang near soiled myself reading the steps above!

Looks like a solid foundation to build on.

Glad you enjoyed the list. lol The truck has some minor issues. Stumbles a bit and the PO left the carb half built. Missing screws and linkage that wasn't hooked up. I got the carb back together and next on the short list is plug wires, plugs, cap and roter and valve adjustment. That should smooth out the roughness. Unless I have a cam lobe, or two, worn out. I'll know for sure when I put a dial on the rockers during valve adjustment. This engine is just temporary for now anyway.

[79Betty]

When you ditch the cruise KEEP IT TOGETHER! Guarantee someone on here would like to have er. Looks solid what color? Original blue?

[91V3500]

Originally Posted by BADAZ chevy guy

My friend Chris went with me and this is how it went.
Step 1. Replace the aluminum wheels with stock wheels and tires that would fit in between the fenders on the tow dolly.
Step 2. Pull the drive shaft so it wouldn't spin the transmission all the way home.
Step 3. Drive the truck onto the tow dolly.
Step 4. Realize that you can't DRIVE a truck with the drive shaft removed!
Step 5. PUSH the truck onto the tow dolly with a Kabota tractor.
Step 6. Start the long drive home.
Right out of the gate I broke one of the tie down straps on the tow dolly, and had to improvise a new one. First Left turn I discovered that the fender on the dolly was going to try to tear a hole in the truck fender. (Just a minor dent.)
Once we got home we just needed to back the truck off the tow dolly. (See step 4.)
Step 7. Go to Autozone and buy a new universal joint for the drive shaft because during the trip I lost some of the bearings out of one side cap.
Step 8. Go to Chris' house because I don't have a press to install a new universal joint.
Step 9. Install the drive shaft... in the dark... in the cold.
Step 10. Discover that all the transmission fluid has leaked out and now the truck won't go into reverse to back it off the tow dolly.
Step 11. Go back to Autozone to get transmission fluid.
Step 12. Make a funnel out of paper because the transmission funnel is missing.
Step 13. Curse myself for ever buying the truck in the first place.
Step 14. Back the truck off the tow dolly and park it in the car port.
Step 15. Apologize to Chris for getting him involved and promise to take him and his wife to dinner to make up for it.

LOL That's about how everything I have done to my truck has gone recently!

[BADAZ chevy guy]

I'm going to take the Cruse control off my truck. I'd like to sell it, but I'm not sure of the procedure here for selling stuff. Plus, I'm not really sure what it's worth. There's a photo here on this page.

[rusty76]

Good looking start. Oh what fun old trucks can be....Nothing is easy as it should be. If it were everybody would be doing it.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Originally Posted by 79Betty

When you ditch the cruise KEEP IT TOGETHER! Guarantee someone on here would like to have er. Looks solid what color? Original blue?

I will be selling the cruse, complete, once I get it off.
Truck is going to be Yellow w/black interior.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

disappointed today. Got looking under the truck and discovered it has a 350 transmission. The spec sheets I've looked up say most of these had TH400's in them.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Took the truck for a short drive yesterday. I discovered the radiator has a sever leak. It's at the radiator shop today, have to wait until tomorrow to find out if it can be repaired or if I'll need a new one. I also think I have the wrong TV cable. the transmission wont up-shift under throttle. I lengthened it as much as I could and it made it a little better, but I still need to back off to make it shift smoothly.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

While waiting for the radiator fix, I decided to pull the plugs and do a comp test. I wasn't running all that well anyway. 1-120, 2-142, 3-123, 4,130, 5-126, 6-130, 7-130, 8-135. There's a 22 pound spread, but considering it's a 37 year old motor I'm happy for now. Truck build will include a rebuilt motor anyway.
Plugs that were burning all looked fine, but 2 of them had no gap what so ever. That was probably most of the stumbling problem.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Just found another sweet deal. 1980 2WD SWB frame. All the front & rear suspension including a 12 bolt rear axle.
Wait for it......














$200.00...
DELIVERED!!!

[rusty76]

That's a pretty good deal if the frame is straight. I hope so. 200 bucks I'd take it.

[bohmankid]

I look forward to seeing progress. Maybe your build will motivate me to actually touch my build.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

I need some Encouragement.
I'm turning 56 this October and I'm disabled with back & knee injures. It helps that I'm living with family, but I still only get $800.00 a month from SSDI. So, finding money to do this build is hard and doing to actual work is sometimes even harder. I know this will be my last build and I want it to be right. I just sometimes wonder if I've taken on more then I can do?

[SkinnyG]

Sounds like you may need to sit down and figure out your priorities with this truck.

While there are a lot of awesome threads and builds on here with fantastic work, not all of us can do that kind of work, or pay for that kind of work to be done, or afford all the fancy bits that make it what our dreams are made of.

If this truck is your only vehicle, I would recommend first making it a driver and sort out the mechanicals. Make it reliable and a solid runner (also: I think your motor is not original - the dipstick is on the wrong side).

Then pick the stuff you ~can~ do, and take your time on it. Don't put yourself in the poor house over a truck, it's just not worth it. It's just a truck. Good/Fast/Cheap - pick two.

I did a full rebuild on the 350 in my '77 and I regret it. It would have been cheaper to swap in a 5.3, and I'd be getting much better mileage too (though the 350 sounds wicked).

I painted my '77 with Tremclad and a roller. It looks good from a distance (quite a distance), but it ~does~ look good, and it's good enough. Cost about $50 in paint. Is it show quality awesome? Pffft. But it works. I would love perfect bodywork and perfect paint, but I do not have the time/effort/willingness/money to go down that road.

If anyone on the board disses you for not going "over the top" with bling and awesomeness, ignore them. They are not you, nor are they in your shoes.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[naphtali5725]

Originally Posted by BADAZ chevy guy

I need some Encouragement.
I'm turning 56 this October and I'm disabled with back & knee injures. It helps that I'm living with family, but I still only get $800.00 a month from SSDI. So, finding money to do this build is hard and doing to actual work is sometimes even harder. I know this will be my last build and I want it to be right. I just sometimes wonder if I've taken on more then I can do?

i'm in the same boat, too many paratrooper falls, LOL... it's been 2 years+ and counting on my build... but i've done all the work myself, i got stuff a little at a time before starting work, that way i had enough stuff to do, while i was getting more parts here and there... it has allowed me to always have something in the pipeline so i didn't get discouraged.... hang in there, you can do it!!

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Sounds like you may need to sit down and figure out your priorities with this truck.

While there are a lot of awesome threads and builds on here with fantastic work, not all of us can do that kind of work, or pay for that kind of work to be done, or afford all the fancy bits that make it what our dreams are made of.

If this truck is your only vehicle, I would recommend first making it a driver and sort out the mechanicals. Make it reliable and a solid runner (also: I think your motor is not original - the dipstick is on the wrong side).

Then pick the stuff you ~can~ do, and take your time on it. Don't put yourself in the poor house over a truck, it's just not worth it. It's just a truck. Good/Fast/Cheap - pick two.

I did a full rebuild on the 350 in my '77 and I regret it. It would have been cheaper to swap in a 5.3, and I'd be getting much better mileage too (though the 350 sounds wicked).

I painted my '77 with Tremclad and a roller. It looks good from a distance (quite a distance), but it ~does~ look good, and it's good enough. Cost about $50 in paint. Is it show quality awesome? Pffft. But it works. I would love perfect bodywork and perfect paint, but I do not have the time/effort/willingness/money to go down that road.

If anyone on the board disses you for not going "over the top" with bling and awesomeness, ignore them. They are not you, nor are they in your shoes.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

That's good advice, SkinnyG. I was going to make it a daily first anyway, but I was also going to try to find a frame and do full resto by swapping parts from my truck after I made a rolling chassis on the new frame.

I pick: Good and Cheep. I wasn't really going for fast anyway. I had my share of that when I was younger. I guess what's bothers me is that I hurt so F'n bad when I try to do much of anything to it. This evening I replaced a few parts in the tilt column and I'm done for the night. 2 hours work!

Originally Posted by naphtali5725

i'm in the same boat, too many paratrooper falls, LOL... it's been 2 years+ and counting on my build... but i've done all the work myself, i got stuff a little at a time before starting work, that way i had enough stuff to do, while i was getting more parts here and there... it has allowed me to always have something in the pipeline so i didn't get discouraged.... hang in there, you can do it!!

All I can say to that, is Thank you. Not for the encouragement so much as for your service. It's because of men like you that I can work on my truck in the first place.

[Trekster]

Just keep at it and do what you can, when you can.

Good luck.

[BADAZ chevy guy]

Looks like I'm going to have to fab a set of windshield washers to satisfy the inspection. The current hood won't except the old washer nozzles. I'm thinking of going with later model wiper arms with the washer nozzles attached. Just need to figure out how to run the hoses. Maybe a couple of holes and grommets in the cowling.