72 K30 Build

[7dee2]

And a couple more pics. I did sell all the take off do dads I wasn't going to use to a buddy that owns a car lot. Not much $$ but outta here.

[7dee2]

So a few more things I noticed during demo. Looks like the truck had something happen to the trans. tunnel. Kind of ripped it up on the right side and popped the RF body mount free (high centered maybe?). It was the only mount that had been opened up to put a nut on the backside. Also looks like they may have put a floor shifter in it at some time? Don’t know both the manual trans. & transfer case linkage openings look factory from the underside.

[7dee2]

The chassis shows a little luv also. It's got a busted u-bolt on the right rear and both lower rear shock mounts look like somebody gobbed on the welds. Thought we had gotten away without the frame being broke but found this one hiding by the fuel tank switching solenoid on the right rail. Pretty sure it’s fixable as this is very, very close to where it is going to be spliced anyway. So time will tell what is still hiding under the mud and yucka! Hopefully going start some initial mockup pretty soon! Would be nice to start building instead of blowing stuff apart..

[7dee2]

Here's what's been happening..

[7dee2]

Here is a few more mockup pics.

[coops714x4]

subscribed!! cool build, I'm gonna do a similar build but i'm starting with a 71 K20 frame and using a 80 dana 60 dually front end and a 77 cab and chassis 14 bolt rear and a 72 gmc c30 cab. haven't made up my mind if I'm gonna use the cab and chassis rear end or a dana 70 HD wide and make it a dually "pickup" Coop

[swamp rat]

Looks good! wIsh i had your shop too!

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by coops714x4

subscribed!! cool build, I'm gonna do a similar build but i'm starting with a 71 K20 frame and using a 80 dana 60 dually front end and a 77 cab and chassis 14 bolt rear and a 72 gmc c30 cab. haven't made up my mind if I'm gonna use the cab and chassis rear end or a dana 70 HD wide and make it a dually "pickup" Coop

Hey Coop thanks, I really really like the "dually pickup" idea! That would make a very cool truck in my book.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Looks good! wIsh i had your shop too!

Thanks Rat.. After building stuff outside in a carport and then later in a slightly oversized 1 level 2 car garage (spoiled us). We thought a 20x40 2 story job would be huge. It's not we just stuff more in it, not to mention the off site storage unit. Ha!

[86454k30]

I'd be willing to bet that floor damage was from the front driveshaft coming loose at the transfercase and beating the hell out of the floor.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by 86454k30

I'd be willing to bet that floor damage was from the front driveshaft coming loose at the transfercase and beating the hell out of the floor.

You know you are probably right 86454k30 good call. The front driveline has a sticker on it from a driveline shop in Texas.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice progress. The crack in the frame is nothing a grinder, welder, and a fish plae can't repair. The mock up is looking pretty good so far. That poor square body sure was used hard.

[coops714x4]

Brett, I think its cool too, it's been done before many different ways. what I want it to build it like GM would have if they would have made one.
kinda like this but tougher looking. Coop

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice progress. The crack in the frame is nothing a grinder, welder, and a fish plae can't repair. The mock up is looking pretty good so far. That poor square body sure was used hard.

Thanks Diesel, yeah the old square body has seen better days but is a peach for my purposes!

Originally Posted by coops714x4

Brett, I think its cool too, it's been done before many different ways. what I want it to build it like GM would have if they would have made one.
kinda like this but tougher looking. Coop

Great minds Coop, I only have a couple of pics of trucks with fleetside beds in my 4x4 conversion folder (most are flatbed) and I swear one is the same truck you posted with different wheels. If I built one and I have thought about it, I prefer the narrower rear like the GMC below.

[7dee2]

Really like the way everything is fitting so far a lot better than we originally thought (we will see if this holds true for the next phase of mockup). Check out the inner fender to frame contour, I like it and hopefully we can keep the body this low on the frame. Me and the miss’s are getting to be old farts so lower is better for us. Going to have to reposition all the mounts as expected.

[7dee2]

We are also finding where we can remove the extra 31.5” out of the 164.5" wheel base (133” goal) looks very doable. 21ish here and 9.5ish there.

[Dieselwrencher]

It looks like it will work out pretty nice. I really like the cab chassis DRW set ups with the tires tucked like that. I almost went that route with mine a couple times.

[7dee2]

That's the big reason for going a 133" wheel base is that we have the option for a longhorn bed. I'll tell you though I love my flatbed for actually using the truck as a truck. My C30 is the first truck we have owned with a flatbed and I really like it a lot more than I thought I would.

[Dieselwrencher]

It's hard to beat a flat bed for work. We're without one right now.

[7dee2]

It's time to see if there is any room for a big block? Thought it would be quicker to swap tail housings rather than trannies for this step. Found the K3500 trans was not a virgin it has a 2wd truck output shaft, oh well it worked!

[38 tow]

Speaking of flatbeds, did you scrap the bed that came on the square body?

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by 38 tow

Speaking of flatbeds, did you scrap the bed that came on the square body?

Yup, I was going to give it to my nephew but he passed so it went to the scraper weeks ago.

[7dee2]

So I was a bit worried the big block was going to be a problem because of the 4x4 engine set back. We want to use the RV Cheyenne Super/AC cab once the pass thru is repaired and making a lot of firewall mods would probably make running the factory air difficult. So minimal or no firewall mods is going to be the goal. In and bolted down and it looks great!

[7dee2]

It is a little tight oil pan to the front crossmember. The right motor mount is loose/broken which may let it settle a little more than it would normally. Right now the oil pan is touching the diff breather hose and its hold down clamp that is attached to the crossmember. I'll reroute that hose a little later and see how it sits. We didn’t move the motor forward so oil pan to diff is not going to be an issue. Next step is going to be getting the cab back on my earlier marks and see what is going to happen with firewall clearance.

[7dee2]

OK waiting on some turkey, so time to update the build thread with some more progress pics. I really like what I'm seeing, with the cab on my previous marks we have at least 1/2" clearance everywhere.

[7dee2]

I don't think the cab could go any further forward without really lifting it off the frame. We'll have to check and see if a GM HEI is going to fit?