Budget Build 1985 K20

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Definitely looking good!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by rodstored-72

JJH JIMMY,
very nice & clean! I like it alot... nice job!!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by youngrodder

It looks great Josh. if you need a hand to get you over the hump to make that show in Indiana, just give me a shout. It will provide me a break from bathing in transmission fluid.

Marc

Thanks! I plan on working on it all day on Saturday. Stop by if you are looking for something to do!

[youngrodder]

Thanks! I plan on working on it all day on Saturday. Stop by if you are looking for something to do![/QUOTE]

I just might. I need a change from messing with the trans.

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

Been a busy few days. Got the side molding on and my doors back together. I did a quick clean up and dye on the door panels because I probably won’t see the ones from USA1 for a while.

Also the got the vinyl on the grille center molding. First pic is the first attempt and it didn’t match very well. The second pic is the next attempt. Better but not perfect so it will have to do for now!

[JJH Jimmy]

It is close. Got about 200 miles on it the last couple days. Got the A/c charged this morning and working out a couple of gremlins. The biggest at the moment is the hydrobooster is leaking out of the center oring. Thinking I may have pinched it when I rebuilt it? It will probably have to come out and torn apart.

It is scheduled for a spray in Bedliner on Friday!

[JJH Jimmy]

A couple more.

[Willowrun]

Very impressed with your workmanship and how fast you got everything done. Beautiful truck!

[TKCR]

Absolutely Beautiful!

[OutlawDrifter]

Clean execution!

[youngrodder]

Man Josh, this look sooo good. Man your fast.
I love the look of the cab lights. Bravo

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

Very impressed with your workmanship and how fast you got everything done. Beautiful truck!

Originally Posted by TKCR

Absolutely Beautiful!

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Clean execution!

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Man Josh, this look sooo good. Man your fast.
I love the look of the cab lights. Bravo

Marc

Thank you!

[SBTork]

Originally Posted by JJH Jimmy

Getting closer. Chasing some small gremlins at the moment. The biggest one is the retro sound radio will get real bad RFI at times on FM but Bluetooth works fine? Shut it off and then turn it back on and it is good for a while. I swapped out the alternator with a junk yard one I had laying around and no change. I am thinking that there is something wrong with the radio.

I am trying to get this thing done by the end of the month and drive it to the squarebody farm show in Indiana. Not sure I am going to make it!

Did you get the radio issue figured out? The reason I ask is that the last 3 squares I've owned, my '85 C-10 Suburban, '83 K5 Blazer, and '90 GMC Suburban have all shared the same issue. The only thing that fixed it finally was on my '85 Suburban, I rewired where the radio gets it's power from on the fuse block. It had an aftermarket head unit, the other 2 had stock radios. I've never heard of others having similar issues but that may be the source of yours unless you've already figured it out and it's something else.

Either which way, your "budget build" is way awesome, great work man!

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by SBTork

Did you get the radio issue figured out? The reason I ask is that the last 3 squares I've owned, my '85 C-10 Suburban, '83 K5 Blazer, and '90 GMC Suburban have all shared the same issue. The only thing that fixed it finally was on my '85 Suburban, I rewired where the radio gets it's power from on the fuse block. It had an aftermarket head unit, the other 2 had stock radios. I've never heard of others having similar issues but that may be the source of yours unless you've already figured it out and it's something else.

Either which way, your "budget build" is way awesome, great work man!

I have not. i have been using the bluetooth and it works fine so i was starting to think that there was something wrong with the radio. I used the original power wire (yellow i think) for the radio and ran a separate wire from the fuse block for the constant power. I will try to run a wire directly from the battery and see if it makes a difference. I appreciate the tip!

[LT7A]

Wow the truck looks good! At first it looks like it's right off the showroom floor and then you realize that it sits a little higher and has got more rubber underneath it. I would expect you will have many offers to buy it when you are out and about.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Wow the truck looks good! At first it looks like it's right off the showroom floor and then you realize that it sits a little higher and has got more rubber underneath it. I would expect you will have many offers to buy it when you are out and about.

Thanks! I already have had a few offers but I have trouble selling stuff!

[JJH Jimmy]

I drove 200 miles each way to the midwest truck nationals in Richmond Indiana this past Saturday. Awesome show with a ton of square body’s. There was anything from rusted out mudders sitting on 44’s to trailer queens and everything in between. The truck ran great and got about 13mpg!

[JJH Jimmy]

A few more from the show.

[youngrodder]

Looked like a nice show. Glad you had 0 issues.

Marc

[TKCR]

Looks like it was another fine show! But again, couldn’t make it. Maybe next year

[JJH Jimmy]

I had a blast the last couple months driving the old K20 around. About 2500 trouble free miles going to car shows, cruise ins, commuting to work and even doing a little work. Sadly it looks like it is about time to put it up for the winter. I have a couple winter projects to get done on it like adding a winch, fixing the high beam indicator bulb and figuring out the radio. But that isn’t going to take me all winter. Looks like I need another project!

[JJH Jimmy]

Well look what followed me home. 1983 Scottsdale K20 350/400 combo. A deal too good to pass up. It’s kind of crusty but it is all original with about 100k on the clock. It looks like it has never been touched. Wire harness is in great shape interior just needs to be cleaned, dash pad doesn’t even have a crack, all the emissions crap is still hook up. The Frame is in excellent shape, really straight body with only a few minor dings. It needs a driver side rocker, both cab corners, parking brake cables and some carb work. It has the usual square body rust behind the rear wheels and in the wheel arches.

Not quite sure what I am going to do with it but the initial plan is to fix the cab and do the minor mechanical repairs needed and just have an old farm truck………..but………that’s how all my builds start out! May be this time I can stick with the plan. Stay tuned for project Turd.

[OutlawDrifter]

Look at all that free stuff that came in the bed!

Nice find!

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Look at all that free stuff that came in the bed!

Nice find!

Haha! I know! The guy i bought it from said i had to take all the junk with it. I cleaned it out yesterday and found about $8.00 in beer cans, $3.35 in loose change, 2 fence posts, a 18" pipe wrench, a spare drivers side fuel tank, box of Remington 12 GA sabot slugs, a bunch of empty Skoal tins and a few dead mice and a bunch of other crap the went in the trash.

Surprisingly there was a rubber bed mat under all that stuff and the bed floor is in really good shape!

[aotte1]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing your build, lots of great information.

Les

[cdub2010]

Great looking truck you built. Hows the ride with the Bilstein shocks? Ive had them on 2wd pickups and sports cars but never 4x4's. I have some OE spectrum shocks on my k20 and its so bloody awful to drive im thinking of selling.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by aotte1

Very nice! Thanks for sharing your build, lots of great information.

Les

Thank you!

Originally Posted by cdub2010

Great looking truck you built. Hows the ride with the Bilstein shocks? Ive had them on 2wd pickups and sports cars but never 4x4's. I have some OE spectrum shocks on my k20 and its so bloody awful to drive im thinking of selling.

Thank you! I think it rides really well. I have Tough Country EZ ride springs on the front and the stock springs with blocks on the back so i think that helps. If you are using Rough Country springs or stiff springs i dont think any shock will make it ride good. In the past i have used the shocks that come with the lift kits and have also used Rancho R5000's and have not been impressed with either.