My 54 s10 build

[joedoh]

always fun to mock everything up!

[BIGglaSS]

I spy a 68 442. Love those cars! And 54-55 5 window trucks too. Going to look great pushing gravel.

[Cuttin up]

So thanks to fellow board member, Fred n’ Ethel, I got a much need kick in the pants to make a little time for the truck. He wanted the original frame and stuff I didn’t need so we made a deal. I’m glad the old parts are going to be reused. But first I needed to get the cab off and onto the new frame. It’s been ready for it for a year or so, I just haven’t had the time. I’ll tell ya these things are heavy but with 6 of us we man handled it and set it on the new frame. I know there are easier ways to go that have been documented on here a million times but time was of the essence and I had a few friends itching to help. I now just have to measure and square it up, finish welding in the cab mounts, and bolt it down. I can't stop looking at it. Hopefully my next adventure with it won’t be with so much time in between.

[Erics51chevy]

That will be a bad mother right there! I love it laying frame. A couple minutes here and there adds up!

[Cuttin up]

While I was digging through some pictures, I finally found one of my winter projects I did for the truck. I found a 57 caddy steering wheel at the same yard I got the bed from. It was in rough shape but I figured I could save it.

First I sanded it all down with some 320 paper I had laying around. Next I fixed the cracks with some jb weld waterweld epoxy puty. This stuff worked really well for the big cracks. Then finished it with some light bondo to smooth out the transitions from the puty to the wheel. I then primed, painted, taped, and painted some more. I went with a white from rustoleum and a silver glitter paint (for the side accent pieces) from them as well. Then buried it in eastwood company's 2k clear. Its a 2 part clear in an aerosol car, its fantastic for small projects like this. I think it came out pretty sweet considering how bad off it was to start with. The only problem I see with it is I'm going to have to paint and spiff up the inside of the cab to go with the shiny new steering wheel.

[Fred n' Ethel]

Man, that thing looks cool !
You'll have to keep it down there in the flat-lands.
The belly will hang up on the ridges and the bumpers will dig in through the dips up here in the hills.

I'm subscribed to this one for sure.
Hope you're able to stay with it now for a spell.

Keep on posting, thanks !

[Erics51chevy]

Dont ever drive in PA either! ha.

[Fred n' Ethel]

Summers comin', days are gettin' longer, no need to heat the shop now, honey-do list all caught up, no more excuses ...... lets Git er DUNN !
Just checking in.
How ya gettin along there with that belly dragger ?
Cheers CP,

[Cuttin up]

I’ve got my game plan set. I’m itching to get back on it.

[Cuttin up]

Well after a year since the last post, I’ve finally made some progress. I’m battling some overheating issues now but it does run and drive. I’ll pick up where I left off.

Once the cab was bolted down I turned my attention fixing some of the cab problems, patch panels and whatnot. Dig the ice cream sign from a previous repair. I guess on the farm you used what you had.

[Cuttin up]

The dash was a little crusty but In good shape so I took the opportunity to change the color. I had a stronger one piece driveshaft made for it to do away with the small two piece that was original to the s10. Being as I want this thing ridiculously low, the long driveshaft has a little interference with the floor. To remedy that I notched the floor in a couple places to make clearance for it once the truck is aired out. While I was at it I put a driveshaft loop in just in case, made some sheet metal patches, and then covered the floor in deadener.

[NorCalGal]

I’ll follow along

[8man]

Nice patch.

[oldman3]

Looking good...Jim

[Cuttin up]

Thanks. I think it came out pretty decent being as it was the first time I’ve attempted that much sheet metal work.

For a column I used one from an 80’s era Chevy van a friend gave me. It’s a bit long and is tight on the header, but it’ll work for now until I can find something shorter or I may shorten this one. I’ll cross that bridge once I get the other bugs worked out. Sadly the caddy wheel doesn’t fit the van column, but luckily I had a 66 Chevy biscayne wheel and went through the same process to restore it as I did with the caddy wheel.

For a shifter I used a lokar 23 inch for a th400. It’s worth the money, it shifts smooth and installation was stupidly simple.

The seat is from a early 90’s full size Chevy truck. It’s from a w/t truck so it’s a full bench, not a 60 40 split. It sits on the original 54 sliders I just made brackets to bridge the gap from the original posts to the captured nuts in the bottom of the seat.

[Fred n' Ethel]

Lookin' real good !

Happy to see you back at it.

The stuff we got from you last year worked out GREAT !

Carry on, man

Kind regards,
Russ

[Cuttin up]

Thanks Russ, I’m glad I could help you out.

Next I moved on to air management. I made a tray from some angle iron, flat steel, and aluminum plate to set the tank, valve, and compressor on. Since I was a mini trucker years ago it’s all plumbed with 1/2 line. Saying it inflated fast is a understatement.

[Cuttin up]

Now on to the front clip. I trimmed and shortened the radiator cradle, test fit the radiator, and slid it on. My front mount is very similar to others by spanning a piece of box tube on the underside of the frame horns and attaching two legs upward to catch the bottom of the cradle.

[big_moss]

lookin good man ive got those same valve covers

[GMC Rodder]

Cool build, I have a couple of questions.

I'm just in the planning stages of my build (49 GMC 5 window) and I'm looking for suspension input.

I want it to be able to lay running board but I'd really like to avoid a notch and tunnelling the floor if I can. Do you think it could have been done that way?

Also, how does it handle? I want something low but adjustable but also decent handling ( can I have a unicorn too? lol ).

Thanks and wicked work.

[Cuttin up]

Thanks man. You can bag it and not notch the rear and get the running boards on the ground but to do it you’d have to lower the body over the frame. Right now my cab mounts are about 3 inches tall above the frame. The shorter the space is between the floor and the frame, the more cutting you are gonna do floor and firewall area. Mine is set up a bit lower than most that are seen on here because I wanted the front bumper legit flat on the ground (the running boards sit about 2 inches lower than the front bumper in stock form). I trimmed 2 inches off the bottom of the front fenders to get the look I wanted, and are going to have to modify the running boards to make them fit my set up. But also you need to keep in mind the lower the body goes, the shorter the space is for the radiator which can cause problems. In your case a small notch for your rear will help with travel and whatnot. I did the big bridge notch because I wanted it crazy low.

As far as ride, it rides like a dream and handles pretty good for something without a front sway bar. Once you get your air pressures figured out for your preference, it’s great. I hope some of this helps.

[Cuttin up]

Once I got it wired and plumbed it finally got to see outside again. It’s a really awesome feeling to get something that hasn’t moved in almost 40 years to move under its own power again.

[Rabid Anti-Dentite]

Can you post some more pictures of how you did your front core support? Specifically how you attached it to the frame?
Thanks,

[joedoh]

looking sharp!

Originally Posted by Rabid Anti-Dentite

Can you post some more pictures of how you did your front core support? Specifically how you attached it to the frame?
Thanks,

rabid it looks from the picture he welded a rectangle tube under the frame rails and used more tube from there to the bottom of the core support.

[Cuttin up]

Rabid, yep that’s about it. It’s rectangular tube attached across the bottom of the front rails. once I cut the bottom of the original core support I welded a piece of flat steel on the bottom to replace what I chopped off. I set the front end on and measured the distance between once it was close to the hood shutting correctly then made the uprights out of box tube. It may not be the fanciest way to do it but it works.

Joe, thanks man. I’ve followed a bunch of your builds and am always learning something new.