77 longbed "overbudget" build

[hotrod_991]

finally got it in the truck!

[hotrod_991]

workin on youtube letting me finish posting the video of the first start up then ill post the link.

[hotrod_991]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOkA8VTZdMw here is the video link. i kinda lose my composure when it fires hahaha. scared the wife holding the camera too

[MrBeast]

Man looks like you are going to have a nice little long bed on your hands.

[hotrod_991]

yea she is coming along slowly now. ran outa time in Montana so still needs to be retuned and the carb rejetted for the elevation she running really rich right now and loading up, next is short plugs to get the wire boots off the headers already had one get melted.

[hotrod_991]

thought i would share my fun pic. made the ford do all the work from MT to TX. pulled nicely tho.

[Scootin 81 C20]

Hey hotrod, glad the bezels got to ya in one piece. It's like a deja vu moment for me. Look at your front end, then look at mine.



And the last time those bezels were on mine.

[hotrod_991]

minus the chevy emblem its the same haha. It has really grown on me with the black and silver. Thank you for them now I just need the correct bumper with the signals in it and toss my bent sport bumper. Have a new tranny issue too now lol. Brand new motor and the only fluid it doesnt leak is washer fluid haha.

[Scootin 81 C20]

LOL. Can't wait to see more updates.

[hotrod_991]

ok reviving the build thread everyone. Its been awhile since i updated. Nothing crazy new done to the truck othere than chasing leaks and swapping cam and lifters after i took alil off the bottom of one. Got moved to THe new house in central TX now and finally have a garage so work will progress alot faster now. so far I have gotten the rear frame mostly painted started removing 30 years of road grime and grease off the rear axel and basically getting it all cleaned up first. here are some pics i have so far. sorry for the crappy camera phone quality.

[hotrod_991]

and the last one is a shot from today at DQ just had the lights ziptied to the top of the bumper so i could get it to the car wash and autozone

[hotrod_991]

heading out to the garage today to clean and repaint my spare door panels grey to match my interior. Finally getting rid of some of the fabric in the cab. Ill post before and after pics soon as Im done. Then tomarrow or later today I am going to try and use the gloss black enamel paint on my inner fenders. looked awesome on my frame hopefully will be as nice

[spudz]

lookin good, I hope you atleast had the 4.0 in that ranger when you were towing it lol, if it has the 3.0 or 4 banger, I bet you were taking your time haha.

[hotrod_991]

haha yea the ranger is the 4.0 4x4 version it actually did amazing. towed from Montana to El paso TX then again from el paso to here in central TX damn thing just wont quit and pulls like a champ haha.

[hotrod_991]

here are the door panels before and after. I think they turned out nice lil more shiney that the rest of the grey interior but best i could do with walmart spray paint.

[hotrod_991]

well this afternoon im painting the rear end and leaf springs so I can get ready to put the box back on the truck tomarrow when my buddy comes over.

[hotrod_991]

got the axel and the the leafs painted. PITA to get all the cracks and creases of the deff with a paint prush but it turned out nice. I used rustoleom gloss black and it looks really clean and neat now. was going to do the front end also but after closer inspection looks to be alot of stuff that I have to take off to to the properly so will have to wait till this winter. At same time i might pull the cab and doi that part of the frame also. I am tryn not to get it too tore apart at once cause alot of times people tear em down too far and it takes so long that I have seen projects that never went back to gether cause they lost motivation. i figure if I can keep it a running project for the most part will be easier to keep on keepin on. Will be post ing picstures later this afternoon.

[hotrod_991]

here is the rear leafs and axel its done for now I have to get her put back together tomarrow and make some room in the garage.

[hotrod_991]

took video of the truck running with the new tune and of the frame work ill get that and the pics of it back together this afternoon after the guy shows with all our funiture. Thanks

[hotrod_991]

Going to look at a rebuild TH350 with a shift kit and 2400 stall in it. Found on craigslist today. Hopefully it turns out that as nice as the guy said it was. Only about nine miles away so very hopeful. Ill post pictures of it tomarrow if I pick it up, Also going to the local budget pick and pull in the morning to show the wife the beauties of the parts playground lol. If all goes well will find a good set of inner fenders, and possible an 12bolt posi with 373's. wish me luck

[hotrod_991]

ok so i was under the truck today and tried the turn the wheel count the drive shaft turn to estimate the ratio and for one full tirn of the wheel my drive shaft didnt even make 2 full turns!! just a hair under two so im assuming I have like a 199 or 208 gear ratio. I mean i dont have alot of get up but it will scream down the road. Deff time to swap out gears motor and stall hates those gears lol

[hotrod_991]

well the trans turned out to be what I was hoping for. Its clean, and the front and rear seal seem to be newer and dont leak. ALso what lil fluid was left in the trans was very clean no burnt smell so im veyr happy with my $200 buy. the stall is in very nice condition aswell.

Now tomarrow i am going to pull the old tranny out of the truck and look at renting a cherry picker cause i think I iether have a rear main or the back rubber oil pan gasket out. Im also changing cams cause mine wiped a lobe off from me over tightning the rocker and not knowing enough about oil to add the zinc additive so im getting the new cam in a few weeks. Im going to pull it all out and clean and repaint the block and get everything nice again them reinstal the engine and tranny as one unit this time.

[hotrod_991]

went out and started getting the motor ready to be pulled today. Got all the accessories off the front and dropped the headerse and all that getting prepped so now im in the proccess of pulling the old trans out just got the bell housing bolts left now. Picking up my engine stand this week then finding a place to rent a cherry picker so hopefully by this weekend it out and on the stand then its swapping cam and lifters, clean and repaint motor and trans. Also ditching the fuel hardline that runs from the pump to the carb and going with hose and maybe braided sleeve. New u-joints in DL and swap the rear end for the GM 4 i found at the pick and pull. I looked up the specs and says GM 4 has 3.64 gears not quite 373 but ill be happy.

[benoit454]

frame looks great what'd ya use rustoleum in a can brushed on or what?

[hotrod_991]

I used the brush on stuff from the can. back half and axle only used about 1/2 of a quart. Really nice one coat cover didnt have to keep going back over it alot. Im not all that good at painting so I made a good mess on the drop cloth in the garage but with some skill and more patience than i have wouldnt be all that messy.