Re-Bertha: 71 C20 to 72 K20

[PeterHall]

Originally Posted by inrustwetrust

truck looks amazing! will be an awesome project. basically the k series everyone would want!

Thanks. It will certainly be the truck we've always wanted but could never get around to building. The bed and fender came from a member on here that I bought like 3 years ago. They're super clean. This truck will be 100% rust free when its done.

[PeterHall]

We're trying to figure out emblems and trim right now. Thinking of adding the 4 wheel drive emblem to one of the fenders and have custom 20. Also have the trim that runs across the tailgate since the holes are there for it.






Has anyone used the projector hid headlights? I installed bixenons in my bmw and they were a huge improvemant. My dad did the upgraded relays and wiring in the old truck and they improved it but not that much.

[PeterHall]

Paint looks killer in the sun! The metal flake really pops

[steelhorse]

Subscribed.

[PeterHall]

The old foam was in decent shape but had lost all its bounce. The seat was held together with more duct tape then vinyl. The seat cover we got when we bought the truck was in great shape so we reused it. Had a local shop cut new foam and install heaters too. Used black vinyl on the bottom and back instead of burlap. The whole thing turned out killer.

[PeterHall]

Painted the rear bumper today. Had to paint outside but all the junk should sand and polish out. The plan is to get the top and everything on the back rhino lined.

[PeterHall]

Man the paint on the bumper is still soft. Maybe it was the slow reducer or the temperature we've been at latey. I feel like the front bumper hardened a lot quicker.

Drilled the dash for tweeters. We mocked up all the speakers in the old truck and everything sounded really nice. We kicked around the idea of putting them in the doors but this seemed cleaner.

[sduckworth13]

Looking good. Keep up the nice work!

[PeterHall]

Powder coated the bench seat sliders.

[sduckworth13]

Looks good!

[PeterHall]

Mounted the doors to check for fitment and so I can drill holes for the rubber loom for speaker wires.

[Farm Shop]

Looking good! Maybe I missed it, but care to share more details on dropping the 454 in place?

[PeterHall]

Originally Posted by Farm Shop

Looking good! Maybe I missed it, but care to share more details on dropping the 454 in place?

454/480le/np205 combo. Used an adapter to connect the transfer case to the transmission. The adapter was 1.5 inches and the trans .5 inch longer. It pushed the motor forward about 2 inches enough to clear the firewall. Retained stock driveshafts and transfer case cross member. Then we used electric fans to make up for pushing the engine forward. Plenty of room!

We also used small block engine mounts. Flipped the engine cross member 180 degrees and ground down the outer edges to fit in location. Drilled new holes. This made a ton of room for oil pan. Added tiny spacers on the engine to raise it up a tad off the mount. We fired up the motor and everything seemed solid. We'll find out how it holds in the years to come.

[PeterHall]

We cut and rewelded the peg for the shifter. Hopefully we can make stock work for us. In the old truck, when we had a new transmission installed, they installed straight heim joints. The shifter would bounce on the uneven freeways we have here. Stock always worked for us.



Also the bed liner didnt stick to the inside wheel liners. It stuck better to the old undercoating then it to the epoxy primer I laid down. I'll have to go back to the shop and talk with them. At least the material is nice and thick at about 1/16 inch.

[msgross]

nice build, those dash speakers are made to be within a certain distance and plane from the mid ranges that they came with. With tweets bouncing off the window it will changes the sound. Of course that 454 will probably mask the stereo anyways. I'd weld up the center speaker hole or put some mid range speakers in that area.

[PeterHall]

Originally Posted by msgross

nice build, those dash speakers are made to be within a certain distance and plane from the mid ranges that they came with. With tweets bouncing off the window it will changes the sound. Of course that 454 will probably mask the stereo anyways. I'd weld up the center speaker hole or put some mid range speakers in that area.

Plan is to put two 4 in speakers in the center, 6x9s in the door, tweeters in the dash, and a 8 in powered sub under the seat. None of that should matter with the cut out valves open but it should be better than the 2 5inchers that were in the old truck.

[msgross]

I'd add some hushmat as well

[PeterHall]

Still sanding the cab, nothing exciting.

Got the rear bumper rhino lined.





Also installed the door rubber wire looms.

[PeterHall]

Messing around with some seam sealer.

[PeterHall]

Well I was about to spray some color on the cab, but then my dad showed up with this. He had a friend make it based off the oem heater delete panel. We then decided it should be welded on.

[PeterHall]

Got the cab in color! Wish I had the room and time to paint everything at once, but this gives dad the chance to start wireing it while its on the frame.

[PeterHall]

Messing around with the exhaust before plopping the cab onto the frame

[PeterHall]

Powder coated the master cylinder, installed and got fluid in the system.

[Wide Open]

The truck looks like it is going to turn out pretty amazing.

Are you using a 4L80E or 60E? The pictures look like a 60 is the reason I ask. What adapter did you go with? Does the adapter take the place of the one on the front of the 205 (the thing with the crossmember mount) or does it bolt between it and the transmission? I can't tell for sure from the picture but it looks like the original transfer case piece stays and you simply use the new adapter in place of the original tail housing piece?
I am putting a 6L80 in mine and have just started researching the adapters.

[PeterHall]

Originally Posted by Wide Open

The truck looks like it is going to turn out pretty amazing.

Are you using a 4L80E or 60E? The pictures look like a 60 is the reason I ask. What adapter did you go with? Does the adapter take the place of the one on the front of the 205 (the thing with the crossmember mount) or does it bolt between it and the transmission? I can't tell for sure from the picture but it looks like the original transfer case piece stays and you simply use the new adapter in place of the original tail housing piece?
I am putting a 6L80 in mine and have just started researching the adapters.

I think its a 60E. I may have wrote 80E earlier. I have no idea what adapter was used. We dropped off our old transmission as a core and the np205 and asked the transmission shop to make it worked with the new 60E. The adapter bolts between the transfer case and the transmission, which was good in our case because it pushed the big block away from the firewall. I can snap a picture when Im in front of the truck again