The 283 Rebuild Begins

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

What colors of serape did you get?

Pretty wild - neon colors. I'll shoot it tonight, along with the hump, so Tony has something to eyeball regarding my floor mat idea, and post them tomorrow.

[MacAttack]

New seat cover material.....

[MacAttack]

We're official now........

[4dranch]

Looks cool Mac, I really like the clean job you did on the floor cut out for your shifter.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by 4dranch

Looks cool Mac, I really like the clean job you did on the floor cut out for your shifter.

Yeah, I used a drilled hole to define the corners and a Radiac wheel to cut the straight parts out. Guessed where the shifter tower and linkage was going to land and was only off about 1/2 inch - forward. Cleaned everything up and installed the power-train, then towed the C-10 up to the transmission guy.

Unfortunately, they decided to use a massive pair of tin snips and hacked the corner closest to the driver - wanting to create just a bit more clearance. Cool thing was - they didn't charge me for leaving the jagged sheetmetal sticking up in two places!

I'll clean all that junk up before I put my custom boot on the goose-neck.

[jason65]

Wow! That thing is bright. I like that shifter. If my Hurst shifter ever goes out I think I'll have to look into one of those.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Wow! That thing is bright. I like that shifter. If my Hurst shifter ever goes out I think I'll have to look into one of those.

Thanks - I like the shifter too - especially after putting that .090 thick rubber sheet under the two linkage towers. Can barely hear the transmission any more, and that's without a floor mat and the shifter boot installed.

The shifter isn't cheap: About $235.00 from a local rod shop, but as I work in a machine/grind shop - I can tell you the hardware and fit are AAA.

[jason65]

I checked out your car club website. Looks like a good time.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

I checked out your car club website. Looks like a good time.

Yep - it's very informal, but quite a gathering most weekends.

The only things they get testy about is burn-outs, exhibition of speed and/or noise, and those damn thumping stereos. Ticking off the neighbors (home owners and businesses) is a major 'No-No' with the organizers, and you can hardly blame them for that.

Mac.

[daverod]

Good to see you driving. I'm still waiting for spring.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by daverod

Good to see you driving. I'm still waiting for spring.

What I'm enjoying now, that the rings are seated and the bearings seem comfortable, is 'going through the gears' with the old school shifter. Not anything radical - but enough to have fun building up speed pretty quickly.

Mac.

[daverod]

I've only put about 300 yards on my 3 speed since I got it fixed. Manuals are fun. I think thats why I had to get it fixed. Alittle to much fun.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by MacAttack

What I'm enjoying now, that the rings are seated and the bearings seem comfortable, is 'going through the gears' with the old school shifter. Not anything radical - but enough to have fun building up speed pretty quickly.

Mac.

how do the bearings seem comfortable or is it that you are comfortable with the way that it is running
ron

[jason65]

Nice pics Mac. Was that saddle tank door on your truck when you got it?

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by jason65

Nice pics Mac. Was that saddle tank door on your truck when you got it?

Yes Sir, both sides - with good sized tanks, which - unfortunately - had some severe rust problems. The fine person that ripped my truck off decided to pry the driver's side open with a big screw driver or something and sprung the lock, leaving the door to flop open every time I came to a stop.

He could have just laid on the ground to look under the truck to see what was there - but like the locking gas cap, for the behind-the-seat tank (which he wrenched off and ruined the neck), logic didn't seem to be one of the tools in his mental shed.

The door hassle was fixed with a very small diameter hole drilled through its edge and through the bed and putting a sheet metal screw (upper right-hand corner) into the damn thing.

On a side note - the boy was out all day on jobs and the truck got its first chance to stretch her legs on the 405 freeway for a good run. Kid says she ran like a top and got many a "Thumbs Up."

Does my old heart good to hear that.

[jason65]

I get those to. It does make you feel good.

[4dranch]

very cool Mac, thanks for sharing....and finding your camera

[MacAttack]

Finally got to dumping the initial Prestone 50/50 coolant load on Saturday.

Nothing unusual to report, but I did put some Permatex around the outside of the base on the thermostat's swivel housing. It was giving me an irritating weep of coolant after driving for a bit and anytime we'd park on a slant with the nose down, a small trickle of juice would come out.

"O" rings are wonderful things - when they work, but this one (got the aluminum neck assembly from Summit, originally) never seemed quite right. I didn't want to over-torque the thing to the old 2-barrel cast iron manifold, so I never went hardcore with the Allen wrench, and put just a dab of blue silicone on the bolt treads - on the initial installation.

This weekend I put a liberal layer of #2 around the base's lip - without getting near the thermostat. We've driven the poop out of the truck this week, in fairly warm weather, all without a hitch.

Took five gallons of Prestone (forgot how much that new radiator actually took) to refill the coolant system - good thing it was on sale at WallyMart for $8.00 a jug.

Mac.

[daverod]

Thats gotta feel good.

[jason65]

Thanks for the update Mac. I'm glad she is treating you right.

[jason65]

Hows the ol girl treating you Mac?

[MacAttack]

She's treating my boy perfectly - I only get to drive her to the Donut Derelicts every couple of weeks or so, as he uses it on his landscaping job nearly every day. He's driving bus part time for a local school district and using his little side business as fill-in.

Many folks out my way doing the same to help ends meet.

We've had a couple of very minor leaks here and there - but they were quite easily fixed and I think this little '283' rebuild is going to last a lot longer than my old bones.

My time has been taken up with my 65' Chevelle's maintenance, with some rather heavy oil leaks, P/S pump going away, swing-arm bushings squeaking like "Dueling Banjos" and old drum brakes getting ready to die. Motor's got 24,000 on it now (estimate - as odometer puked back in 2000), but still pulls like crazy.

I just hate having to use this car as a daily driver, but times being what they are - I just cruise along at 50 and pray nobody hits me.

Mac.

[protrash64]

Glad to hear your truck is doing its job!! I see a lot of them running around lately. I guess many people have figured out its still cheaper than a 20k new truck; provided you can put up with the little stuff.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by protrash64

I guess many people have figured out its still cheaper than a 20k new truck; provided you can put up with the little stuff.

Well, that's the thing. After all the bone-headed mistakes I made during the build (as basic as it is) and the $7,000 I spent on this ol' truck - the little things don't bother me at all!

We've got a little chalk board out in the garage for the 65' C-10 and the 65' Chevelle (both daily drivers) and we just put issues up on that, and come the next Saturday we hit them one at a time.

A year ago - these kind of things drove me up the wall, but now it's like water off a very old duck's back. Guess that's what comes with a bit of experience.

Hope that makes sense.

[jason65]

Glad to hear it Mac. You did a good job breathing some life into your ol pick-up.