Project "Just Wing It". 1970 C20 LB

[UMDSmith]

Hello everyone, I figure my first post will be my build log where I can share my problems and all the mistakes I have made and am bound to make.

The truck is a 1970 C20 Longbed. I bought her for $3k, but probably grossly overpaid given what I have had to do. The truck.





This is after I replaced both the wheels and tires to a more standard size. It still had the original wheels on it that were harder to find tires for.

The very first day driving it the 2 hours back to my house, the truck wouldn't idle, and stalled out at every stop. It turns out that the fuel pressure was too high and was making the holley carb that was on it unhappy. Not being very experienced with carbs, I first replaced that with an edelbrock 650cfm, as I prefer their ease. Still not having much luck, I added a fuel pressure regulator and got it running fairly well.

[UMDSmith]

My other vehicle, which is behind the truck, is a 2014 Mustang GT track pack, which is next to useless with even a dusting of snow, so I figured I'd use the truck this winter if there were any inclement weather. That is until I found out the heat didn't work at all.

So, called up LMC, ordered pretty much an entirely new heater system, as the plastic heater box was cracked, and took everything apart. Low and behold, rust (it is a common trend).



So, having a crappy farmhand 125 mig welder, I cut some sheet metal, did the best job I could, welded it up, and put all new heat in, which works like a champ!

Forgive the lack of some pictures, I take them when I can.

[UMDSmith]

About 2 months ago, I drove the truck to work, and as I was leaving, a co-worker noticed I didn't have reverse lights. Ok, no biggie. WHen I got home and was backing up the truck, I noticed I also didn't have working brake lights (but did have running lights).


That of course is a problem. Since my column shifter was pretty much shot. I went ahead and ordered a new column shifter, and brake petal switch. The steering column was a nightmare to put in with that stupid park lockout, and I doubt the reverse will ever hit the contacts properly, but the park lockout does work as do the new brake lights. I also replaced the rear wiring harness.

While I had it in the garage, I wanted to put all new weather stripping in the doors as the windows would rattle horribly. I did the passenger door, but when I took the old molding out of the driver door, I noticed the door was rusted badly through the bottom.



I am NOT a body man, but I've never been afraid of projects, and $50 ish for some patch panels vs $350 for a new door, I figured what the hell, so I decided to cut the door in half and put a whole new bottom on. It was more complicated than I thought, and took quite a while. I also shrunk the metal some so I had to use a bit more than a skim coat of bondo. I'm no welder, nor a body man, but it came out pretty damn good I think.

[UMDSmith]

While I was working on the door, I was debating constantly with my wife on replacing the bed, or building a custom bed.

Completely replacing it with new parts and a metal floor would run $3000 (pretty much every part needed to be replaced).

Here is the bed, and removing it by myself wasn't really that bad.






So, based upon my estimation, a custom built bed would only run $1500. Knowing the amount of welding I'd have to do, I went ahead and bought myself a Hobart Mig 140 as a christmas gift to me.

[UMDSmith]

After the bed was off, I noticed the panhard bar (chevy calls it a tracking bar?) had a lot of play on the axle side. I ordered new bushings, but when I finally got it off this saturday (man it was on there tight), the right side didn't have a single bushing, and it looks like someone welded washers to each end. I am in the process of cleaning it off, or will be this weekend.

I also have the rear gas tank and some fuel line to fab up, as I am moving the gas tank between the frame rails, and a new set of longtube headers from summit that I will be adding to put on some custom exhaust. No pictures of all that yet.

I was attempting to find a new panhard bar, but apparently finding the 3/4 ton bar for the eaton rear isn't as straightforward, so I'll just re-use my bar.

I did install a new rear bumper as well.



More pictures will be uploaded shortly of the progress on the rear.

[UMDSmith]

As this thread currently has nothing new, I figure I'll post something that I haven't seen others do too much.

Since I decided to build my own bed from scratch, I had to make sure I measured and set it up properly, as I don't have a full metal shop in my garage, and will be ordering the steel online and having it delivered.

Having some experience with 3d modeling using sketchup, I figured I could design a bed.

Here are some 2d renderings of my design. It will be 14ga steel rectangular tubing for almost all of (some 16ga). The floor will be made of composite decking. The cross rails are 12" on center.

The bed floor wood is 8' long, and it is 6' wide from wall to wall. The sides are 20" tall and it will sit 7" above the rear tires, which gives plenty of suspension travel.

I am still working out how I'm going to bolt it to the stock mounting points without creating a sheer force, as I still want it removable. I also think I have worked out the tailgate. The sides will either be sheet steel, or diamond mesh.





I'll be keeping a parts list and this file for anyone that wants to duplicate it when I am done, assuming it doesn't turn out like complete crap.

[UMDSmith]

This weekends projects are:

Panhard bar bushing and re-installation.
Cut the passenger rear corner of the cab off and test fit patch panel.
Finish wire wheeling the rear frame in preparation for epoxy coating.

[UMDSmith]

More updates, though I don't know why I bother. People on this board seem to enjoy talking down to younger people, or telling me to "rethink my hobby".

Good way to make future people not want to get into chevy trucks.

[Saclandman]

Nice work on the bed.