Post your best budget mods! ($50 or less)

[lakeroadster]

Here's one for the stepside guys....Radiusing The Rear Bed Rails.

I saw this idea and decided to give it a try. I used long radius 1-1/2" pipe elbows, $20 each.

The radius looks good 'cause it is visually similar to the fender radius. Look at the last 2 photos on post 114, see how the roof radius, fender radius and now the bed rail radius all look similar... makes it look like something GM should have done, back in the day, IMHO.

[big_al_71]

Replacing the side markers that look like goldfish eyes for some van side markers total price $0.00 got them for free and two minutes of my time......

[big_al_71]

couple picts of markers

[PanelDeland]

Did my entire engine bay for about $30.00.Just cleaning and paint.Even painted the new inner fenders(outside of the budget deal) with the same paint.

Did my steering wheel with a $5.00 syringe of Epoxy and some brake cleaner and paint.The leather steering wheel wrap brought it in at about $30.00

Did the interior for about $30.00 in supplies.I did have to get a bit spendier on the dash pad.Seats set me back another $50.00 and the bracket steel was liberated from other junk.

Drip rail seam sealer.

Pulled 68 door panels and padded them with thin packing foam and made liners of rubberized cloth(Liberated from the workplace).

I think I paid $17xx for the sway bar at Pull-a-Part,with brackets and the rubbers are useable.I haven't installed yet but think paint and bolts and I can do it for about $25.Another $8.00 or so for new rubber if I decide to.

I's pooor so I does cheap stuff when I can but each of these was an improvement over what it was.

[dubds10]

Just took off the old carb and put on a brand new Edelbrock 550 4b with a nice chrome air cleaner that was on my buddy's caddy engine lol Also put on a Flowmaster 40 with dual outs. Total cost was $20 for the extra fuel line, hose clamps and fuel filter and a few hours of time. All major parts were FREE and the truck has come alive again and sounds great. Just going to go buy a new edelbrock manifold for it though and take off the stocker and put the stock manifold and 4brl carb onto my burb to get it going.

Should probably go clean the engine bay while it's not raining out though so everything looks new lol

[JORGIE95961]

lol

[brad_man_72]

fill up the gas tank.. Oh under $50... Start with 1/4 tank

fresh paint on a set of ralleys really dresses up a truck, or painted bumper, trim ect.
paint everything behind the grill black, makes the grill pop. Nothing shiny distracting you from the lines of the truck. Black is great for hiding stuff.

[eightbanger]

This one is an unfinished mod & may stay that way, tried to make a taillamp that had an orange blinker by cutting into two spare housings & welding them together (a friend did that for free) then buying two clear lenses $20 cutting & gluing them together, and all I needed was to mod the wiring a little after that...but then, I had a DOH! moment, there was no reflector anymore

[tantrumpipeline]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Here's one for the stepside guys....Radiusing The Rear Bed Rails.

I saw this idea and decided to give it a try. I used long radius 1-1/2" pipe elbows, $20 each.

The radius looks good 'cause it is visually similar to the fender radius. Look at the last 2 photos on post 114, see how the roof radius, fender radius and now the bed rail radius all look similar... makes it look like something GM should have done, back in the day, IMHO.

You wouldn't have a more in depth write up on this would you? the box as a whole looks great and although mine is a 68 I am going to follow this route now for sure with my series stepside

[Roadmarks]

I did a homemade radio delete plate out a piece of an old road sign I picked up by the side of the road for free. I cut it to size with a hack saw and a piece of angle as a guide.
I did the rest of the edge finishing with a saw and sandpaper. I did some pseudo engine turning with a 1/4" power drill and some little wads of steel wool. I have a power plug for a GPS and a passenger's side light and switch on it. Total cost about $5.00! Next I'm going to do the inside hood release.

[crazy longhorn]

1 full ring off the front coils(free 2 " drop) A little fab work , nothing special, & a set of front shock relocaters for under 20 bones. A 1 ton sway bar(free from a free parts truck), & a new set of bushings & bolts(under 40 bones, & a nice addition to the old truck). A variable ratio box , from a free 84 Burb parts truck, & 30 bones in hoses. Axle flip at the rear, & relocate spring hangers, for a 4" drop(a little welding required on the spring saddles & rear shock relocators).....still under 50bones A set of old school slapper bars,also under 50 bones. Rod ends on all of the clutch linkage.....a great improvement, & still under the 50 dollar limit. I could go on & on, the old longhorn WAS basically a low bucks build , untill it came to the drive line crazyL

[mightymouse]

i like powder-coat I've had several items coated for less than 50.00 brackets' hinges ' pulleys etc. and its very durable...

[gferris5]

underhood light from any dodge caravan in a junkyard, find one from a Jeep and you can have an extendable magnetic light. Pretty darn useful.

[gferris5]

and don't forget my best thread ever, the junkyard shopping list (though it kind of died...):

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=248607

[Indyuke]

Speaking of radio delete... PO had cut my dash so I made a radio delete plate out of a piece of .063 stainless. Masked of a little chevy symbol, painted the plate and then peeled the masking off leaving a shiny bowtie. Several pieces of 3M double back sticky tape and it's still firmly on after 3 years of daily driving.



While I had the double back sticky tape out, I put up some home depot heat reflective headliner to cover up the ugly left behinds of the stock headliner till I can get to it later. Trimmed it out with aluminum tape so the edges look pretty nice. It sure makes a difference in the winter, I can actually feel the heat bouncing off and keeping my head and shoulders warmer.

[Longhorn Man]

here's a couple of the ones I've posted that I like...
Cleaning rust off the body... LINK

My clear roof mounted marker/ID lights... LINK


The already requested frenched marker lights... LINK To stay within the guidlines I posted, you could use a file, or a dremmel tool instead of the air cutoff that I used.
(texanidiot25's pic is better than mine)


Plywood bed floor LINK This may come in over 50 bucks now, but with a sn=maller bed, or cheaper plywood, it can come in under 50 bones.


No thread, but junkyard van tilds are always a favorite mod of mine. I have never paid more than 35 bucks for one (bought 10 or so over the years).

Washing and a full detail inside and out is always time well spent IMO, and it's hard to spend 50 bucks in soap and wax, use an old T shirt for an application rag if you get to the $50 limit.

I could probably go on and on

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Here's one for the stepside guys....Radiusing The Rear Bed Rails.
[INDENT]I saw this idea and decided to give it a try. I used long radius 1-1/2" pipe elbows, $20 each.

The radius looks good 'cause it is visually similar to the fender radius. Look at the last 2 photos on post 114, see how the roof radius, fender radius and now the bed rail radius all look similar... makes it look like something GM should have done, back in the day, IMHO.

This only comes in at under 50$ if you already have a welder, or at least access to one.

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by tantrumpipeline

You wouldn't have a more in depth write up on this would you? the box as a whole looks great and although mine is a 68 I am going to follow this route now for sure with my series stepside

Check out my build thread link in m signature. Always glad to help, feel free to PM also.

John

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

This only comes in at under 50$ if you already have a welder, or at least access to one.

Uhmm, about every modification on here assumes you have tools.... are we splitting "long"hairs???

[sjarrett71]

FREE sway bar is my best mod to date. Of course I had to buy the bushings for $17.00 and nuts and bolts for about $5.00. I also upgraded to a CS alternator using a FREE alternator and a $2.00 resistor from Radio Shack. The headlight relays are the next mod I'm going to tackle.

[fair1138]

I built this console for under 50 bucks. Im just an average guy and gave this a shot. Never did anything like this before. Already had the gagues and shifter. The MDF and fabric was cheap. The fake diamond plate I picked up at Home Depot. Hope you enjoy.

[FLDBRED]

Originally Posted by Indyuke

Speaking of radio delete... PO had cut my dash so I made a radio delete plate out of a piece of .063 stainless. Masked of a little chevy symbol, painted the plate and then peeled the masking off leaving a shiny bowtie. Several pieces of 3M double back sticky tape and it's still firmly on after 3 years of daily driving.

[IMG]http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/indyuke/P1040272.jpg[






















While I had the double back sticky tape out, I put up some home depot heat reflective headliner to cover up the ugly left behinds of the stock headliner till I can get to it later. Trimmed it out with aluminum tape so the edges look pretty nice. It sure makes a difference in the winter, I can actually feel the heat bouncing off and keeping my head and shoulders warmer.

That's nice! "the radio delete" I am going to do the same thing.This is a great thread,keep em coming boys!

[ricks71pu]

i got on this site, got a lot of good ideas, cost, free. people on this site, priceless!!!

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Uhmm, about every modification on here assumes you have tools.... are we splitting "long"hairs???

I would say that a welder is beyond what most would consider "tools" to the average guy.....but I take your point (to some degree)

[Already Gone]

ttt

[mrhino]

replaced the straps with cables less then $20 at the parts store and 2 bolts from a dodge dakota in the salvage yard.