Over 25 Years Later, Finally My 71 C-10 Truck Build

[72blue]

Love the work you have done, makes me wish I had done the adhesive thing myself to my rig. could have saved some cash.

[hgs_notes]

Spent some quality time with my Makita grinder and a wire wheel yesterday. Cleaned up the new gas tank some. It really looked a lot worse than it was and it did not look too bad. It had been sprayed with undercoating. It has a few dents in the bottom, but inside looks great. I got a couple strips of galvanized steel from a local HVAC guy (free, gotta love small towns) to use for tank straps. I had to buy another can of undercoating, I ran out. I will need to get a can of black spray paint too. I thought I had some, but didn't. That will finish off the asthetics of the tank.

Before:


After:


I will need fill line, gas line, vent lines and some bolts to finish the job. I'll probably wait till the bed and rest of the body comes off and the chassis gets blasted and painted. I'm hoping to get that far before Memorial Day. Wish me luck.

[hgs_notes]

I really dove in to it today. I've got pics but will have to post them later because my daughter took the camara. It's her first prom tonight and I sneaked a picture of her in the background of my tore apart truck.

Anyway, my son and I got the front clip off, the bed and doors. I might be able to get the cab off tomorrow yet. Then drain the fluids and pull the engine and tranny soon after.

Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it.

[hgs_notes]

Here's the $125 rolling chassis. The only problems I could find with it was a loose wheel bearing on the front driver side spindle and a repaired upper shock mount for the same corner. I fixed that up a little because the repair looked like crap. I'll take care of bearings, bushings, etc later. I should be dropping this off at the blaster thursday or friday and get it back monday or tuesday.


Here's a test fit for the new gas tank. Just looking at where that rear cross member needs to be moved to.

[hgs_notes]

After sleeping on it, I've decided to just use my frame and swap out the rear axles. The other axle is a 3.08 rear end and mine is a 3.73. Without an overdrive, it's revving at about 2700 rpm on the highway and I've been wanting shorter gears for it for a long time. My front suspension was already worked over some with new brakes, lowered springs and changes to the control arms for the lower ride hieght. I didn't really want to do that over again.

We've had rain the past couple days, so I did not take it over to the sandblaster yet, maybe saturday it'll get done if I'm lucky. Once the axles are swapped, it's a short ride down the street.

I ordered new bushings for the track bar and rear control arms, tranny mount, Gas tank felts and a new O-ring, new cab mount bolts (I already have the rubber mounts), and rear fender braces. That'll keep me busy for a few days. I also have a lock-right to install in the axle. I'm hoping a few more of my items sell on ebay so I can buy more parts, mainly headers and exhaust.

[hgs_notes]

I finally got the chassis over to the sandblaster. Should be done before next weekend. The axles are swapped so I will have a 3.07 gear now. I had to cut the rear brake line to get it off, oh well. No other major issues.

I sold enough stuff the past couple weeks on ebay to cover the cost of some new headers. I'm probably going to use the summit ceramic coated ones. But also was looking at a pair from hedman I think. It depends on how durable the finish is, I want to avoid the rusty header look.

I also figured out a simple way to make an adjustable pan hard bar. I need to check on one part of it before I post how it's done. It's so simple I can hardly believe I haven't seen it here before.

[nuke1]

Glad to hear that she is off to the blasters, and i do the same thing, sell parts for parts, it works!

[hgs_notes]

Back in Black.





Somehow, it just doesn't seem like progress when I don't do the work myself. It is progress, I know, just different. Like I told my wife today, "a weekend to tear it apart, a year to put it back together." And I might be too optimistic on that. At least I have some parts on hand to work with and keep me busy for a little while.

[hgs_notes]

I worked all day outside, and it seemed like I was getting a lot done. But as far as the truck goes, all I did was replace the rear control arm bushings, remove the spring plates for the helper springs, cleaned up some spilt oil from the steering box and repainted some spots that needed touching up. Oh yeah, I also reworked some fuel plumbing for the carb. I'm going back to using my fuel pressure regulator, and I plumbed the fuel pressure gage off the regulator discharge and gave it a fresh paint job. I'll need to make a bracket for it and I need to see if I can get a fuel filter with threaded ends that I can plumb direct also.

I did a little cleaning in the garage, fixed a couple things on the lawn mower, and other stuff. Where did the day go? If I check LFD's burb thread, he probably fabbed up an engine mounting plate and installed his 5.3 and invented a new doodad that makes it run on water.

We all have our talents, such that they are.

[hgs_notes]

I got the lock-right installed today. That went ok. Simple enough to install. The hardest part was getting one of the brake drums off, so I could slide the axle out a few inches.

[hgs_notes]

I just got a new rear brake hose for the rear end today. So maybe I'll get the brakes buttoned up in the next few days. Other than that, I've been freshening up the engine and tranny a bit. It's almost ready to set back in the frame.

[hgs_notes]

I got the fuel regulator and pressure guage ready to mount. The oil pan was off to attempt another fix of the timing chain cover to oil pan leak. That's already back in place. I switched where the temp probe goes into the intake so it is not squished under the radiator hose. I replaced the tranny dip stick O-ring and I have a new rear seal for the drive shaft yoke on order. I have new tranny and motor mounts for it too. I'm thinking about replacing the harmonic balancer because that little one is hard to judge the timing on so far from the tab. And I think I'm going to get new alternator brackets for it also.

I think it turned out pretty nice so far.

[lyrikz]

Im gonna respond and say your doing a good job.. Keep up the work... What you will notice as your doing the build is you seem to just be getting deeper and deeper with no end, then you will round the corner and the finished poduct will start to appear....

Im also responding because it sucks when you put up pics of your build and no one responds to them ..... like mine.


Good job yo.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

Im gonna respond and say your doing a good job.. Keep up the work... What you will notice as your doing the build is you seem to just be getting deeper and deeper with no end, then you will round the corner and the finished poduct will start to appear....

Im also responding because it sucks when you put up pics of your build and no one responds to them ..... like mine.


Good job yo.

Thanks. I know I'm not really doing anything revolutionary here, so I don't expect a lot of input. It's a good record for myself. I am doing some things I haven't seen here before though, like panel adhesive, and I think most people will really dig my new track bar, might have that on here in a day or 2.

I'm actually surprised how easy it's been so far with the cab off the frame. It's not that hard, but seems like a huge step. Just have to have the space for it and the patience.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Thanks. I know I'm not really doing anything revolutionary here, so I don't expect a lot of input. It's a good record for myself. I am doing some things I haven't seen here before though, like panel adhesive, and I think most people will really dig my new track bar, might have that on here in a day or 2.

I'm actually surprised how easy it's been so far with the cab off the frame. It's not that hard, but seems like a huge step. Just have to have the space for it and the patience.

Kinda in the same boat... Im not doing anything fancy, but am doing a lot it seems... I didnt really do much of anything until i got this truck... I have done some body work, but not welding in new panels and all that stuff... Dont let it get ya down like i do if no one responds... You got alot of lookers and we all love pics.... Maybe go post on my page so i dont feel so alone. AHAHHA

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

Maybe go post on my page so i dont feel so alone. AHAHHA

Done.

[msgross]

lot of work there... more than i've done in the last year... do you have a deadline?

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by msgross

lot of work there... more than i've done in the last year... do you have a deadline?

Are you crazy?! A deadline? Personally, I think that as soon as a deadline is set, a project is doomed. What I have is motivation for the time being. That and I'm not nearly broke every payday like for so many years in the past. These things will nickel and dime you to death. For instance, I bet I spent $20 in paint, $10 in brake cleaner, $10 in small fittings, $13 for oil pan gaskets, $20 in new fuel line, $221 in sandblasting and paint of the frame, over $20 in a brake hose and I still need to fix the steel line it connects to, I probably lost a gallon of tranny fluid, that was new about 100 miles ago, the list goes on. That's just the past week or so. I'm selling parts to help offset stuff, but still need to buy headers and exhaust pipes, an electric fan control, alternator brackets and new belt, my throttle cable is messed up, my kickdown cable doesn't connect because the bracket isn't right for the edelbrock carb. I also need to get the gas tank filler figured out, I'm sure that won't be free either. And these are just the things to get the engine back in, done right and looking good. This was a running, driving truck a month ago.

I'm hoping to have the engine setting back between the frame rails by this weekend. Then work on the radiator support and exhaust. Hopefully I can put the cab back on in early July and get the bodywork rolling on that. Realistically, if I can have this ready for paint by next spring I will be thrilled beyond belief. If I can drive it in and out of the garage by fall, that would be awesome. If neither of those things happen, so be it. I just love working on this stuff.

[hgs_notes]

There is one thing I really need help with. I want a set of headers with heavy flanges, 1-5/8 primaries, heavy wall tubes, long tube or shorty style that fit well and don't cost over $300 for coated ones or about $150 for non-coated.

I've spent hours searching this board, sent PM's to members who I thought did this and had nothing but dead ends so far. Everyone I contacted that posted that they installed what I want to install said they changed it later or don't remember what exactly they installed, no part numbers.

One guy says a certain header fits great and someone else will say it won't. The ones that everyone says will fit great have all been 1.5" primaries or thinner flanges, or chrome (I don't want chrome) or the finish doesn't hold up well, or any number of things. I would get painted headers and get them coated by a local shop if needed. I don't even care if I need to clearance by the frame a little. I just want access to the spark plugs, don't want them hanging down to far, and not cost $500. Is that really too much to ask?

[my67chevytruck]

looking good. keep at it....

[heavy71chevy]

I totally understand about what you mean when the truck has a no soul after a point when it comes to switching cabs...that actually why I decided to rebuild my rusty original..roof rot and all>I wanted it to still be my truck..not a franken truck

[hgs_notes]

I'm back from my work trip to Mexico. It went well, but I'm glad to be home again. Reviewing 4 major plants in 5 days ain't easy, and now it's time for the report writing.

Anyway, I got some time sunday for playing and I set the engine back in place.




I also set the radiator support back in, but need to replace the bolts before I tighten it down. So I will be spending some time this week just reconnecting some lines, painting some pullies, replacing hoses, etc. and also plan on putting the gas tank in and routing the new line for that.

I'd like to be able to focus on this project only this week, but I have to finish stripping parts from my 2wd parts blazer this week so the remainder can be scrapped. The city is complaining about where it's sitting (not my property) and the owner of the property needs me to finish it this week. Not much left there to do, no problem.

[hgs_notes]

It's not much, but it is one more thing off the to do list. Replaced the rear brake hose and repaired my cut rear brake line. I also got the ebrake cable re-connected. Next job on the chassis is the track bar and gas tank.


This is my fuel regulator and pressure guage. I also got the flywheel dust cover cleaned up and painted and put back on, no pic of that though. I'm going back out to do some more detail work on the engine.

[hgs_notes]

I figured out how I'm going to put in a gas filler. I got one from a parts blazer I just got last weekend. Instead of going through the bedside, I'm going to cut it and reverse the direction 180* so the fill opening is in the rear corner of the bed. It'll be out of the way and easy enough to make a sheetmetal cover to go over the hoses and make it look like it was made that way.

I got the new motor and tranny mounts on. The power steering pump brackets have drying paint, so I'll finish that tomorrow. About all that's left for the engine is finding the correct starter bolts, painting the pulleys and getting some better alternator brackets, all of which can be done easily with the engine in the frame.

[lyrikz]

I had to replace that exact line the exact same way few weekends ago.. Mine had rusted through. ahaha. My little kid used it as a step stool so he could climb on the tire and it popped.