Project: FRANKENTRUCK

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

I am new here and finally can show my truck thanks to Photobucket being back up again!
Here is the only surviving picture of the 1981 Chevy Shortbed Stepside that served as the skeletal framework for this truck project of mine. This truck I bought for $500 and the right side had been wiped in a wreck. The rest of the sheet metal was rusted to death from 20 years of just sitting under pine trees.






Here are pictures of the two 1987 doors and hood that I found in a junkyard. There are FEW parts on this truck that came from just ONE donor!



Here is the 1985 M1008 bumper the day that it arrived. Those 1981 bumpers were a JOKE!! Might as well be cardboard.



Here is the bumper after I attached it AND the new 1984(?) fender.



Another fender. This one came from a 1984 Scottsdale I found on Ebay. I had to install those aftermarket turn signals since the 1981 bumper I replaced contained the OEM ones.



Side view of the truck before the wreck-damaged bed was replaced.




Here is a rust-free bed from a 1985 donor truck that I drove to Georgia to pick up. I also got a GREAT rear bumper and vintage 80s mag wheels off the same truck.



The front clips on the 1981-1982 Chevrolets are probably the UGLIEST that GM ever made, so here is my new one from a donor 1986 Silverado. A much needed improvement!



The front clip as it appears today. The aftermarket turn signals are history since the front clip came with the correct OEM ones.
The saga continues...

[cory d]

right on dude, its even more miss-matched then mine

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

The cab-donor truck for this project had an inline 6 cylinder motor. I had it rebuilt and drove it until an IDIOT mechanic drove it 60 miles with a bad oil pump and FRIED it. I mothballed the project for 2 years then had another 6 cyl motor from a junkyard installed. It leaked fluids everywhere, so I bought this brand new 350 and like it much better. I also had a 700R4 transmission installed and LOVED it, but sadly it was damaged when I towed a trailer across the state. So I had the original rebuilt 350 turbo transmission re-installed back into the truck until the day the 700R4 is rebuilt. I was trying to sell this 350 Turbo after getting the 700R4 since I figured I no longer needed it, and I was very lucky that no one bought it because I would have been left with NOTHING.








Here is one of the wheels that I removed from the donor truck from Gerogia. I have all four on the truck now.






Here is a class 3 trailer hitch that I found on Craigslist along with the bumper I removed from the Georgia donor truck.

[bk2life]

nice project. id ditch that itty ditty coolin fan and put a real fan and fan clutch on it.

your by the sea. .cali?

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

Originally Posted by bk2life

nice project. id ditch that itty ditty coolin fan and put a real fan and fan clutch on it.

your by the sea. .cali?

Nope...the Carolina Sea! I would not have driven from California to Georgia for a truck bed! I was lucky to find it so close to home on Ebay though. I have considered another fan, this one has NO clutch!

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

I recently removed the old cracked dash pad to begin some under-dash projects. Here is a NOS heater control box that will be installed.




Here is a tach gauge pod that I bought from gmachinz and am waiting to arrive. (picture courtesy of gmachinz and used with permission).

I hope to get speakers installed in the dash before I buy the new dash pad.