'72 K10 - "No Problem"

[TwoFiftyShifter]

Hi! I'm new here to the board, and I will be spending the majority of my time in this section, so I figured I'd post. I'm 17 and am starting (or should be soon) my truck project.
The truck is rough right now - It costed my dad $450 a few years ago with a working meyer plow. I started to get a true appreciation for older trucks, and started to want one of my own.... I saw that truck sitting in the back yard and saw potential. It's our plow truck for now but after this winter, I'm gonna make it a driver. Here's what we have:
The truck runs and drives.... It has a 350 (non-original) with a 4-speed creepr gear. The drivetrain is in need of some serious work, Body is rotted, and it has no brakes or powersteering. It's an original PS truck, so you can imagine it's fun to steer, and ever more so to plow. The plans are as follows:

1. Get the brakes working.
The front shouldn't be too bad, it needs calipers. The rear is goning to be a bit tougher, but at least I get to learn how drums work....
2. Get power steering working. It needs a pump and we have one laying around, so when we do finally get this thing in the garage.... that'll be done.
3. Pinion bearings are shot in the rear, that will need to be fixed.

The Cab is rotted to hell - Rockers, floors, roof and cab mounts are all cancer-ridden. It has to go. I am in the hunt for a cab as we speak. The front end I will most likely keep. What I'm not sure about is the bed. Right now there is a '88-'98 stepper on there.... I might use it to get it on the road, but after that I may look for a correct stepsid bed as I'm not sure the newer bed is a good look for this truck

A good amount of work is in store, I plan to start on the bigger stuff after this winter, I hope to have a cab by then too....

[jrdv]

Welcome to the board.
Looks like a good project to start. I'm not too crazy about the bed and pumpkin rims, BUT it is a shortbed 4x4!

The board is a wealth of info--you might even find an orginal bed on here.
There are patch panels for most of the rusted out areas, but you might be able to find a good cab.

Have fun.

john

[mycool72]

Good luck with the build!

[msgross]

welcome... my truck started out as an upstate NY truck too... I like your motivation but be careful taking that one apart... It wont' go back together cheap... ask me how I know...

I would try to keep that running and just get it more road worthy, if you pull it apart then you might not have a plow truck next winter...

what's your budget for this build? You don't want to know what mine has cost over the past two years... and i'm doing it on a tight budget...

[TwoFiftyShifter]

Budget? Uh-Oh.... Well, the stuff I have planned isn't going to be too costly, but I guess someone with more forsight than me could say it's the unplanned that gets ya.... I work part time and will be funding the project by myself, so i'll be spending money as I go along, there isn't any particular sum right now.

If you don't mind, how do you know gross?

[msgross]

how much do I know about????

check out my build thread for some insight as to what you are about to encounter...