Cheapskate 1970 C10 LS1/4l60e swap

[WIDESIDE72]

I have been on here a few years now and this is my third truck build. The first was a 71 GMC swb stepside “farm truck” a 250 six, 3ott radio delete. The second was a 72 chevy swb stepside (prifile photo) “hot rod” with a 350/ 700r4, static 3”/4” drop, vintage air 20” boss wheels tilt wheel tach factory style bucket seats and console. Both were frame off and both were sold. I came across the current project almost ten years ago when looking for parts for the 72 chevy. It is a 70 C20 Longhorn with a 400/th400. Even though I had no plans for it at the time (which hasn’t stopped me yet!) I bought, mainly because it was almost 100% rust free, and a steal ($1,200). The seller was originally asking $1800 but due to the front end damage, we negotiated. (He didn't need to know that i had the parts to fix it from trucks i had parted out!) the story was he bought it from a guy who had bought it in California for the big slide in camper it had mounted to it. The front end damage occurred on its way to Texas. He said he was selling because he didnt have the time or place for a “project” and was going to try and find something already done. It ran and drove and had fairly new tires but i did a few things like install a correct gas tank and replaced the dangerously installed electric fuel pump with a correct mechanical one. I also installed a new rubber floor mat, found some used aqua arm rests and visors, installed aftermarket aqua three point seat belts, new dash pad, door seals, resealed the rain gutter, and other small projects.

[WIDESIDE72]

A few weeks after i bought it, the p.o. called and asked me if i would be interested in selling the wheels and tires and big rear bumper. He offered me $400 before i could say what i would want for them. Needless to say, I sold those all back to him! The truck had a propane set up on it, which i sold for $200. ($1200-$400-200=$600 total investment, minus the floor mat seatbelts, etc above.) i would say around $1000 all in so far.

[WIDESIDE72]

A few years after the purchase of the Longhorn, a friend from high school in south Texas who i was friends with on FB saw some of my truck related posts there and said he needed to clean up some land his family had for sale. He had a 68 swb stepside truck he thought i might be interested in. My dad and uncle went and looked at it and said it was too rusty to save any of the body (with the exception if the tailgate which had been replaced with a nice one from another truck). Due to this and him having no idea where the title was, he sold it to me for $200. Another FB friend saw the pics i posted if it and said he was interested in the 6cyl and 3 speed trans. I told him if he would strip the body off he could have the engine and trans. I picked the rolling chassis up a few weeks later. Since i had a few nice tailgates, I sold the one iff this truck locally for $100. Due to the fact that i had a 71/72 lwb chassis from another truck I parted, as well as a set if 15x8.5 5x5 slot mags, a 5lug swap was a given. I stripped the drum brake front crossmember and rear axle off and also got $100 locally. A little math should show a $0 total investment. I had a sandblaster near my dad look at the chassis and he talked me out of blasting it. We decided for a driver, the best (and cheapest) route was power wash the frame, clean any loose scale and use rust converter. I did so and followed with Rustoleum gloss black with hardener added. I am happy with it so far

[WIDESIDE72]

You can probably see where this is headed. Due to the fact that I personally like swb trucks, even though the longhorn is fairly rare, this, along with the fact that although the 400 runs, it is going to be the basis of my swb build. I plan to hang on to the longhorn chassis, though, and maybe even clean it up and paint it once the cab and front clip is removed. I may be using the 400/400 in a 5700 3600 NAPCO 4x4 i picked up over the summer. It has a utility bed and i plan to set an old lincoln sa200 welder i have in it (my later father was a pipeline welder) and make it a “ranch/ fence/ utility/ work” truck, so even the tired 400 should be ok for that use around the place. It had a later model sbc in it at one time tha a p.o. Had swapped in but no engine now. (That is a whol other project/thread, though!)

[WIDESIDE72]

Fast forward to september of 2016. Unfortunately we got word that my “middle” brother (i am the youngest of three and i have one older brother) who was living in Virginia had passed away from a heart attack. He had been working on a 71
Le Mans Sport convertible that he was going to make a gto judge clone. I brought it back from Virginia, (along with a truckload of other stuff). I originally thought i would finish it, but it is just too much of a project for me, so I decided to pull the drivetrain he was going to use, a 1998 Trans An LS1/4l60e. (The le mans is for sale. Pm me if interested). I used a pair of 73+ C10 frame stands and motor mounts i had on hand along with a pair of $55 adapters from ebay to set the engine in the swb chassis. (The first photo is of the ls1 sitting in the lemans)

[WIDESIDE72]

I wasnt sure that the f body exhaust manifolds would clear, so i removed them for the first test fit, but the clear, pretty close on the passenger side, but still adequate imo. The ac compressor is mounted low on the passenger side and it won't clear the motor mount of frame so it was also removed. I have found a high mount bracket for a sanden compressor at alangrove.com if i ever get that far. The ac uses a seperate belt, so there is no issuing running without it until i get to that point. The alternator is mounted low on the driver side and is really tight. I plan to trim the frame slightly there. There were no oil pan clearance issues.

[WIDESIDE72]

My brother was originally going to use all of the emissions equipment and trans am body control module/ harness, but i decided to leave the body harness and strip all the non essential components from the engine harness. I was familiar with the website lt1swap.com, so i went there for guidance and deleted the nonessential functions from the harness. I found a fuse box and other related parts on ebay and got the harness finished this week. Photos to follow soon.

[WIDESIDE72]

From my research, i have decided on using a fuel tank from an 87-90 jeep wrangler ($75) and straps ($15) from rockauto.com. It seems it fits between the frame rails and it is baffled which a blazer tank like i used in the maroon truck in profile pic is not. Blazer tank also has a smaller hole for sending unit not compatible with electric pump senders. Im also going with a 92-94 S10 blazer sending unit ($50) and 96-97 sliverado ep381 fuel pump (already have).

I didnt figure this all out on my own. I came across it here: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=741298


Another $60 or so for push lock ptfe lock fuel lines,

$55 (listed for $62 or make offer) for corvette fuel filter/ regulator with 6an adapter

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F123973725180

and $30-40 for fittings/ adapters.

[WIDESIDE72]

Due to the circumstances, i believe I am around $1000 invested in the whole project so far, truck engine and swap parts. I sent the ecu to lt1swap.com yesterday for vats and emissions delete. That is another $75. That is where i am currently on the project! Im Waiting for the fuel tank, sender fuel lines and fittings to arrive before i can do much more.

[WIDESIDE72]

I almost forgot, the only other “detail” is a bed! I scored a swb stepside bed a couple of years ago at the New Braunfels swap meet for $60(sixty!). It has a few rust holes in the curved portion of the bedside, but has a decent tailgate. The front panel was rusted out so i swapped one from a lwb stepside I parted out. Not sure if i have a photo of it or not. I will try and find or take a few. Im not sure why the guy was so cheap on his price. I had to ask himtwice and couldn't get my wallet open fast enough.

Ironically, all of the projects i have had have been stepsides, even though my “handle” indicates otherwise. I had a couple of Fleetside beds that I sold over the years, for good profit, but i should have hung on to one! Both of the previous trucks had perfect stepside beds, with no spare tire cut outs, so i went with them. One of the possible projects i might undertake after this current swap project is done would be to use the front and rear bed panels bed strips and wheel tubs from the donor tuck and buy some aftermarket swb bedsides and build a swb fleetside bed