Project Phoenix

[Danny Bost]

Hi

This is my first time posting to a thread like this but here goes. I am taking on a large project that has changed a lot over the years. This truck has a lot of sentimental value to me. In 2003 my brother in law, who was about to pass away, gave me this truck. It was pretty nice at the time and it ran great. I drove it for a few of years, then I parked it. Then in 2008 my son and I got it back on the road so that we could drive it and build it together. He was driving it one day and it started smoking from the hood. To make a long story short, before he could get the hood open it broke out into a full blown fire. The truck burned to the ground for all practical purposes. I then drug it around through several moves and a divorce. I have since got remarried and my new wife bought me a parts truck for Christmas so I could start the re-build. She doesn't mind the project truck, but she cant stand seeing nothing happen with it. Anyway the project has now moved in a bit of a different direction. I am going to use the cab and front end off of my 68 parts truck and the bed off of my 71 SWB. I am unsure of the drive train as of the moment. I also have a 91 Cparice that was built as a cop car. It has the posi rearend, the fuel injection and it just happens to have the same track width and wheelbase as a short pickup. I may put the body on the caprice frame, I don't know yet. I have included a few pics if the two trucks and I will update the sight as things change.

[vegaschevy]

Looks like a great starter project!!

[michael bustamante]

hey neighbor, keep up the thread. Id like to see what you decide to do

[Scott Webster]

This is interesting. I can't wait to see more on the Caprice option. Sounds cool.

[Danny Bost]

Thanks for the comments. I am really leaning toward the Caprce option. It gives me a 12 bolt posi, a 5.7 TBI and a 700r4 all at one shot. The problem is that the Caprice is my daily driver at the moment. I have to get something else to drive first.

[chevy_mike]

Caprice option would be cool as you get some good parts all at once.

Keep in mind the 12 bolt in the car is not the same as a truck 12 bolt. Will make a difference if you go to buy parts for a "12 bolt".

[Slick67]

The new wife is a keeper!!! Hope this takes a turn for the best, sounds like it has had a hard life for the past few years.....and kudos for you hangin on to it!!

[GREASEMONKEY72]

nice to see you kept it istead of just throwing it away

lookin forward to seeing what you do with it

[RickBost]

I finaly found the thread dad sorry about the burn but i bet you get yours going before i get either of mine on the road for obvious reasons. Well maybe my/Mollie's 67 lwb will get running faster but not done. one day we will park em next to each other.

[Danny Bost]

Just a quick update. I haven't really had a chance to get much done on my truck lately. Working 2 jobs and trying to raise a family seems to get in the way. I have been working on my son's Jimmy a bit and I hope to have it completed before he gets out of the service anyway. I did decide to stick with the truck frame and I sold the caprice. There was just too much work in the swap to be worth the benefits that I would get from it.

[Danny Bost]

OK, time to update the project a bit. I have had a lot going on the last year and a half, so the truck has basically just sat. Now we are getting ready to move about 200 miles and I don't want to take the parts truck with me. My wife's cousins came by this weekend and they helped me to remove the burned out cab and put the new one on. About 2 months ago I took an afternoon and got the engine to run. At least we are finally starting to see some change. My new place has an oversize one car detached garage, so hopefully I will be able to get the truck running under it's own power sometime in the next month. Anyway, here are some pics of the progress.

[Danny Bost]

Here are some more pics. And yes, I am going with the 68 front end.

[Danny Bost]

OK, I got the truck moved up to Aztec with me. Here are a few more pics of it with the front end kind of on it and being loaded on the trailer. I have most of the parts that I need for the motor to get it running again, and I plan to work on that this weekend. When I was getting ready to move I had a scrap metal guy come by and take some of the scrap metal that I had around the yard and he took my 68 radiator support (no he wasn't supposed to). Is there a way that I can adapt the 71 support to work with the 68 front end? I know it pushed the headlights out and I will need to remove that bracket. Is there any other problems that I am looking at, or should I just be looking for a 68 support? Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics.

[Danny Bost]

t has been a long road, but I actually got to drive my truck again today for the first time since it burned. Here is a link to some video my wife shot. The end of the video is just there because we thought the camera was off.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....27448736&saved

[thelonerife]

I noticed you had a 71 core support and need to modify yours to a 68. I did this on one of my trucks that I had. Its pretty easy. Look at post #333 in this thread. Thats where I started doing it.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...285347&page=14
I have since sold the truck and the new owner wanted a 72 support so I kept this one for my 68 GMC. I added GMC bucket holders to this same support. see post 253.I did all this because it was rust free. I wonder what truck it'll be on next lol.
http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...374892&page=11


Hope this helps you out. Chuck.