64-72s The Best looking Trucks to Customize? Dreams, Goals for your ride.

[palallin]

Ah, Dreams!

Well, the ultimate goals:

Frame-off. Box the frame. I may do a lift, 4" highest, more likely 2". New springs, no blocks. Poly-U bushings all 'round. My custom rear-bumper/hitch combo stays, though the bumber will be "finished-off" with diamond-plate. I will keep the 6-bolt drums, but I will replace all brake hardware and lines, using SS where ever possible. Max tire size: 33". I want the rims to look as stock as possible. I will keep my closed-knuckle Dana 44 and Corp 12-bolt; I'll go to 4.11 gears if I max my tire saize.

The body will be rust-free (talk about dreams!) and all metal. The fleetside bed is due to be replaced with the stepside (should have that home in a little over a week). New wood in the bed, of course: oak. The strips will be painted the bosy color: white. The interior will remain light green. New wiring throughout. I already have a '72 front bumper in place to augment the lighting. There will be additional lights up front--fog and aux--plus lights on a cab-mount rail and an extra pair of back-ups in back. The overhead console will hold additional speakers for the factory AM-FM and a CB (along with controls for the lights). There will be a high-amp alternator w/ welding set-up under the hood to handel the electrical load. As much of the wiring as possible will be in conduit. The tach-dash (w/ air gauge) is being prepped for installation right now (thaks again, HYPERMAN); the air compressor is ready and waiting. There will be a tank with fitting hard mounted front and rear for air and electricity. The spare will sit on the left step fender; there will be a tool box on the right; I hope to make provision for two jerry cans aft of the fenders.

The ultimate engine wil be a tall-deck (med-hvy truck) 427 built for grunt BUT with a tri-power intake I can't improve on the SM465/Rockwell combo, but I will contemplate providing for a PTO winch to make better use of it. naturally, the dual exhaust will empty through stacks behind the cab.

The interior will be essentially stock (other than the electrical mods): the bench seat on these trucks is the only vehicle seat I've ever found that my back will tolerate for lengthy drives (and I've driven some pretty expensive seats). The floor will reamin uninsulated and covered only with the rubber mats for easy cleaning. The tank will remain in the cab, out of harm's way. I already have West Coast mirrors on it, and I will not leave home without them

I have a grill guard already and a bug shield. The CB antennae will mount to the bed; there'll be a spot-light on the overhead rail. I will find/convert/engineer an aluminum shell for the bed, but it won't be permanently mounted.

One last detail: my hood ornament: it is a boat bow-light, and it makes a distinctive glow on the road at night. It is mounted via straps to the underside of the hood: no holes on top.

My truck's name in Cynehelm /kin-uh-helm/: from Old English, it means (more or less) "the great protector." (My '67 was Cynewulf: "the great wolf.")