1969 Chevy Stepside Restoration/Build up

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

I love the new SPID sheet! It turned out great and I love how you put all the actual options on there.

Thanks, I thought that was a nice touch, it obviously didn't come with half of those when it was new!

Originally Posted by seldomseen65

Matthew; classic parts and lmc have a new clear lens now for the inside cab lite ,,check it out when you get a chance

LOL hmmm I replaced that with one from classic parts when I restored the truck? It's still like new!

Originally Posted by spike38

Very nice added touch!

Spike

Originally Posted by Pop's C-10

nice work

Thanks guys! But there is one flaw in the SPID.... someone, cough, needs to learn how to spell better!

[matthew20061]

Watch the video of it running!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VYgq_zHlMA

[67C10BUB]

Beautiful truck!!! I hope my swap turns out as well.

[DavidB]

Nice I have a lq9 in mine and am very interested in doing the head/ intake swap. Do you know how much power difference there was over your 5.3? Do you know your compression, deck heads or not, ptv clearance? I like your solution to the throttle cable. Very clean truck I can definatly appriciate the time and money put into it.

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by DavidB

Nice I have a lq9 in mine and am very interested in doing the head/ intake swap. Do you know how much power difference there was over your 5.3? Do you know your compression, deck heads or not, ptv clearance? I like your solution to the throttle cable. Very clean truck I can definatly appriciate the time and money put into it.

I'm sure there will be a big power difference from the 5.3L! The 5.3L was probably making about 300-350 rwhp (just a guess) with the cam and such that it had. The 6.0L with L92 heads and LS3 Intake and Comp Cam should be making 460 rwhp! The heads are not decked or milled, PTV clearance is good with this cam but I have heard that some cams can have issues with PTV. I had seen this cam used in an Fbody with an LS2 and these heads so I knew I would have PTV clearance with the LQ9. The compression is probably around 10.8:1 or 11:1 depending on the head gaskets. Thanks!

[68GMCCustom]

wow.....sweet build! Love the motor!

[mcbassin]

Your motor sounds great! Love the video!

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

wow.....sweet build! Love the motor!

Thanks! Your's should too!

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Your motor sounds great! Love the video!

Thanks!

[legendary]

great build! very nice

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by legendary

great build! very nice

Thanks!

[matthew20061]

Installed the AEM Wideband O2 Sensor into the exhaust system today, bank 1 on the drivers side exhaust pipe after the header and before the Y pipe. I haven't decided if I want to permanently mount the gauge yet so it just sits in the cup-holder. The aux output of the gauge is feeding into the EGR Sensor position on the PCM so I can log it with HP Tuners. Should work great for dialing in the tune.

[68GMCCustom]

So are you going to monitor only one side?

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

So are you going to monitor only one side?

Yes typically from what I've heard Cylinder #7 (band 1, drivers side) is famously the leanest cylinder so that's why I'm only monitoring that side. It's not necessary to monitor both. The factory O2's do that.

[68GMCCustom]

Sure, I was just curious as to why it would be there instead of in the y-pipe. In my situtation...I need to know what both sides are doing. I'd love to add FAST's (or was it Innovate?) newest 4 channel system.....allowing a/f readings on every cylinder (w/8-02 sensors) with just 2 boxes linked together... and I think maybe even set alarms for specific parimeters on each channel?

[RCbowtie69]

sweet!!!

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by RCbowtie69

sweet!!!

Thanks

[RCbowtie69]

sounds great, u have came a long way with this build & keep up the hard work. The truck has turn out really nice, keep on truckin''

[matthew20061]

Well I got bored tonight and I was icing to do something with my truck. Originally earlier in my build I used CPP 2" front drop springs, the problem with them is they didn't really seem to lower my truck at all what so ever it was the exact same height basically as stock. So I still had the stock spring so I cut a coil off of them, sand blasted and painted them and these where the results. (Note I need to take out some homemade rear spring spacers on my rear 3" drop springs)



Original spring cut and installed.

The CPP Springs sitting next to the cut off parts of the original front springs.



BEFORE:


AFTER:

It's hard to see in the pictures but the truck is probably sitting about 3-4 inchs lower in the front, next I'm planning to add sway bars and drop out my lift blocks I added to the rear to level the truck with the too high front springs and the drop springs in the rear.

Front Fender to ground, 30-30.25 inchs


Rear Fender to ground, 32.25 inchs


I'm very happy with the results, tomorrow I'll get the rear lowered back down and install the CPP adjustable trac bar I've been meaning to install for ever. By the way, started the truck up today after it had been sitting for a long time outside and it fired right up and sounded awesome!

[67chevylongbed]

Looks great!

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by 67chevylongbed

Looks great!

Thanks!

[matthew20061]

I continued on with the lowering project late into the night last night! Pulled out the lift blocks I had made and dropped down the back end, wow what a difference in the way the truck looks, just amazing! I also managed to finally remove the seized in trac bar/panhard bar, the bolt where it connects to the frame was fuzzed to the bar so I had to cut the bolt out of there with a sawzall what a pain.

[Sonicman]

Just finished reading your entire thread in one sitting. Man I'm inspired. I want to put a LS engine in my 69 but I know absolutely nothing about computer controlled engines or wire harnesses. Is it as complicated as it looks? Sharp truck bud!

[matthew20061]

Originally Posted by Sonicman

Just finished reading your entire thread in one sitting. Man I'm inspired. I want to put a LS engine in my 69 but I know absolutely nothing about computer controlled engines or wire harnesses. Is it as complicated as it looks? Sharp truck bud!

Thanks I'm glad your inspired it definitely takes some inspiration to do one of these trucks! As far as the LS motor swap its not really too hard, when I started I didn't know a ton about the computers but there is a ton of information to be found here that's how I did it basically. If you buy a pre-made custom wiring harness for the engine it will come with basic battery connections, ignition hot wire and starter wire so its a simple 3 wire hook up as they call it which makes it much easier. Depending on what LS engine you go with you will have to have the computer reprogrammed to delete the emissions, and VATS security system otherwise the engine will not run. Another thing to watch for is Cable vs Electric Throttle. So overall not as complicated as it looks but not as simple as a Carb'd 350.

[matthew20061]

Well when I restored my truck I bought a 2/4 spring drop kit from CPP, anyways I'm not sure if since I have a aluminum headed LSX motor that its much lighter than a SBC 350 or what but the front of my truck with the 2 inch front drop springs sat way too high while the rear was nice and low. This was an issue so at the time I just jammed some lift blocks under the rear springs to bring it back up. I finally decided fixed it!!!

So I found my original front springs, and cut off a loop, sand blasted and painted them and removed the lift blocks in the rear, and installed the adjustable CPP panhard bar. This is a before shot:


This is how it turned out after I cut the front springs and installed the rear CPP springs without the spacers:




Keep in mind the front tires are smaller but from the top of the wheel well to the ground its 30.25 in the front and 30.75 in the rear.

Some teaser engine pics, I absolutely can't wait for the month of May to come around so I can take the truck for a drive with the new motor!

[68GMCCustom]

Lookin' great and I really like those GMPP LSX valve covers!