53gmc build! With pics!

[av8tr33337]

you are making some good progress. Keep the pics comming.

[53GMC]

Figured out why i had enough clearance:

1) firewall cut out a little and tranny tunnel
2) my cab is sitting a little higher than other people's trucks.

I plan on using the stock S10 radiator and mounting my latch to a fabbed up support to the front of it so i decided i would sit my cab to the level needed to see how high it would have to go to clear it and mount the hood latch to it. it is sitting on blocks right now....

It sits 6 1/2 inches off the frame but because the S10 frame is a 4x4 and has the larger S10 4x4 tires, it does not look so high up in the air....it sits like 49Zr2's truck and has that nice 4x4 look and not a jacked up in the air look.....

needless to say, the rear shackle mounts and S10 mounts will not be able to be reused....but oh well now i have to get creative
here's a few pics of the cab....tell me what ya'll think... sorry they are a smidgin blurry

[49ZR2]

[QUOTE]I plan on using the stock S10 radiator and mounting my latch to a fabbed up support to the front of it so i decided i would sit my cab to the level needed to see how high it would have to go to clear it and mount the hood latch to it. it is sitting on blocks right now....

It sits 6 1/2 inches off the frame but because the S10 frame is a 4x4 and has the larger S10 4x4 tires, it does not look so high up in the air....it sits like 49Zr2's truck and has that nice 4x4 look and not a jacked up in the air look...../QUOTE]

53GMC -- I remember when I was where you are right now planning on using everything I could from the S10. I gave up on the stock radiator and went with one from summit. I didn't move my 4.3 back I placed an electric fan in front of the radiator.

My truck cab is about 4" off the frame at the front cab mounts. I can measure them front and back if you like.

Instead of shortening the frame like many on this forum have done, I followed Bluejeep and started with a long box and shortened it to match the rolling chassis I have. I finished it last night and plan on taking pictures this afternoon. I'll post the before and after pics on my build thread.

Keep reading what others have done and take lots of notes..... your project is coming along well.

[53GMC]

Thank you for your help 49ZR2. Where did you find a radiator that had a built in transmission cooler...i found one before but it did not have the same placement for connections to the trans cooler...did it connect up the same way the stock one does?
thanks again!

[50adrod]

Originally Posted by 53GMC

Thank you for your help 49ZR2. Where did you find a radiator that had a built in transmission cooler...i found one before but it did not have the same placement for connections to the trans cooler...did it connect up the same way the stock one does?
thanks again!

you can use an external cooler mounted to the frame, it will work better than one in the radiator also. one like this http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Alumin...oler,6768.html

[49ZR2]

the radiator I used was from summit Summit SUM-381324 - Summit® Aluminum Racing Radiators

With trans cooler
• $209.95
• Radiator, Universal, Aluminum, Dual Row, Crossflow, 22 in. Wide, 19 in. High, 2.25 in. Thick

Pasted from <http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-381324/>

I found it on Jeffs51chevy build. I mounted mine differently than he did. Probably because of my 4x4 frame.

[53GMC]

thank yall so much for your help! ill keep you updated with what i decide to go with

thanks again!

[53GMC]

Hey everyone...I got my brake booster and my pedal assembly constructed...

I showed how i made my custom pedal mount in a thread titled "custom brake pedal mount" and I won't go into too much detail here, but in short i actually used the hood latch from the S10 (with some supporting built in of course) and fab'd that metal to make a mount...so here are a few pics of the booster and pedal....

I was also able to move my ABS system around and re-bend some of the lines so that they would work to fit where I needed them to be....

opinions appreciated!

I'm about to finally get a break from a long fall semester of college in the teacher education program so more pictures and work on the truck is soon to come!

[53GMC]

just wanted to update and let everyone know ....I HAVE A RUNNING MOTOR IN MY PROJECT!!!

i was so pumped when i cranked it up for the first time in the old body!!!

[63 & 64 Bowties]

wow, you're really making good progress. Great build. Great work.

[1952ssr]

Great news to hear. I'm in the process of wiring my LT1 into a standalone unit. Just not much time to work. Hope to hit mine wide open after the first of the year. Planning to make it to April Rod Run crusin' in the '51.

[nickp51chevy]

Slow down! Your making some of us (me) look bad.

Your making awesome progress! Good work, and keep those pix coming.

[53GMC]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement...it's what keeps me going!!

haha yeah right nick - im not makin anybody look bad......it just runs....never said it looked pretty

[nickp51chevy]

Well I've actually been busy with my '71 project, trying to get that thing runnin good. I haven't touched my '51 for a while. priorities i guess. But, I'm hopefully going to have the '51 done next year.

[53GMC]

thats sounds awesome...killing two birds at one time!! i wanna see pics of the 71(what my grandad had at one time) when you get done!

[53GMC]

Got my steering finished today -

For those of you who are working with STEERING - i used a link off of a 1996 Chevy full-size truck to finish my steering off -

instead of using tubing and getting too crafty, i took a joint (from the knuckle down to where it inserts into the steering connection) from a 1996 chevy truck - it was approximately 5 inches longer than the one that comes in an S10 and i was able to extend my steering on out to the length i wanted it to be

For those of you doing the S10 swap using the stock steering, i would suggest using the section from the knuckle down off of a full-size chevy truck around 1996...made my life so much easier!!

[nickp51chevy]

I don't remember what I used but the junk yard is a great place to find what your not looking for, and what you are looking for some times.
Do you have any pix of you install? You know how we love pix here.

[53GMC]

nick - i dont have any pictures at the moment but i will get you some over the next day or two....

[bjcaldwe]

Nice tip on the steering parts. My frame has an s10 clip and that info will come in handy.

[49ZR2]

I used the stock 49 column. I cut the inner shaft from the stock stearing box, added a stock John Deere bearing at the lower end of the column to center the inner shaft and fitted it into the stock S10 tube, drilled a hole and added a blot. Works fine.

[53GMC]

I have mounted my front end back in place...though it is not painted yet....with the motor in its final location....the pictures below will show how i made the BIG BOX for my AC and heater on the S10 into a much smaller box for just the Heater. I used the existing box but used only one side of it and closed the other side in....havent mounted it yet but when i do i will post those pictures

[53GMC]

pictures of motor and piece of diamond plate, although it is a little rusty, i made to cover the floor (plenty tough 1/4" thick)

[nickp51chevy]

Lookin' good!

[53GMC]

Hey everyone,

got some more done on my truck this weekend...a few before and after pictures to make myself feel better about buying a not so solid truck which i found out more about after time!

I was able to straighten up my grille some this weekend...the previous owner was rough on the body of this truck so i am spending a lot of time filling holes and knocking out dents...

But, I got the grille in more straight than in the old picture....not a huge gap on the right side of it...

Then, I took my doors apart, basically, and lined up the door latches and took out the vents and windows so i can decide if i am going to make the swap to single windows without vents or not..some generous people on here have given me some tips how to do so, so i might just go for it.

then finished my day screwing down and cutting new sheet metal for the floor and reinstalling the section i cut out for a tranny tunnel. below is a before and after picture..

I was able to drop my cab down from 6" off the frame to around 4" with some cab shifting....here are some pictures of the truck...resanded so that i can SPRAY the primer on next time and not streak with a brush the first time was just to cover up that RUST!!


And my girlfriend played with photoshop with the pink truck....dont worry though fellas...not in a million years! haha

[53GMC]

Here's an after shot of the floor....the above pictures are the before...can't wait to lay down some primer on the floor and then some sound deadening mat to make it all look so much better...

and my girlfriend's imagination