Captain America 68 short/fleetside

[gottattooz]

Just a quick update. I've been chipping away at the little details, hoping to fire the engine and drive down the road. I've got the engine and trans mounted, new driveshaft, fuel pump installed, with new lines run. My favorite is the air suspension. I mounted the compressor behind the cab on the driver's side, The air tank is nestled inside the frame, opposite the exhaust. I installed an air ride level sensor, so no matter how light or heavy I load the truck, the ride height will stay the same. No sagging ass end, even with a loaded trailer. The fuel pump wiring is the next obstacle I have to tackle.

-Josh

[bruceman1968]

Nice work Josh, engine looks great and the grill you did is super slick. I really like the grill. Can't wait to see it in person.

[gottattooz]

Well, the captain is up and running. I did three test drives, each one a little longer than the next. Feeling good about my progress. Still have to wire up the wiper motor and clean up the cabin area inside. Bad news, i took the ignition key out, and now i can't find it. It figures as soon as i get her up and running, I lose the keys!!

-Josh

[FL71C10]

Looking good, Josh. You got that motor installed and wired up pretty quickly!

[orngsikL]

get rid of all the evap crap. you can tune it out.

[Operatorfailure]

You can get rid of the evap in the tune, it's easy. Also you can pull apart your cluster and resolder the bulbs for the abs and stuff. That's what I did on my Camaro cluster.

[NastyBuzzard]

Very nice! That is very similar to what I want to do! I want to use the oem instrument cluster from the 2001 silverado as well as the steering column and wheel.

I also want to take the gas tank from the 2001 silverado and put it in the spot of my driver side "saddle bag" tank and remove the passenger side one.

I am also going to take the rearend from the 2001 silverado and put it on my 87 so I can have rear disc and the 3.73 gear w/ the posi. I will aslo be trying to take the master cylinder and stuff off the 01 so my proportioning valve will all be correct.

I want to use as much as I can from the donor vehicle.

My plan is to take almost the entire wiring harness from the 01 and put it on my 87 so everything will be wired to the 2001 fuse panel.

CaptainAmerica is looking sweet!!!

[gottattooz]

Thanks. I'll get pics of the steering column and fuse panels soon.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hadley-Heigh...f0349b&vxp=mtr

For those of you who may be curious about the leveling valve I'm using, I posted a link to one I found on ebay. The air supply and delivery lines are 3/8 o.d. There's a built in dump valve that's 1/4 o.d. Supply air to the dump valve, and a shuttle blocks the supply air and drains the airbags. Release te dump valve air supply, and the bags fill to the height you've set.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

No pics of the steering column setup yet, but I did put the old bed back on and wired up the lights. I'm loving the stance.

-Josh

[NastyBuzzard]

Good job!! Looks 10X's better!! I wish I still had all my fabbing tools!!

[colgad]

Wow that's an improvement. I would have most likely warped the roof.

[gottattooz]

I picked up my spare bed from my friend Charlie, the fabricator. It looks amazing, minus the hand prints I put on it while loading and unloading it. My friend Todd and I will make a Tonneau cover for the bed out of aluminum parts we use to reskin trailer roofs. Also, we will be installing E-track around the perimeter of the bed, and along the floor so I can strap down cargo.

-Josh

[NastyBuzzard]

I'm so happy to see you are getting back on this!!

[colgad]

He did a great job on the lights, looks super!!!

[NastyBuzzard]

Anything new with the Captain?

[gottattooz]

My friend and i are building a tonneau cover for the bed. I'll post pics as it happens. Right now, it's a pile of scrap aluminum. Not very photogenic.

-Josh

[NastyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by gottattooz

My friend and i are building a tonneau cover for the bed. I'll post pics as it happens. Right now, it's a pile of scrap aluminum. Not very photogenic.

-Josh

So I am getting closer to my swap. You used entire wiring harness from donor right? If so, you attached it to the headlights, tail lights and all right? How hard was that? Did you just use butt connectors?

[gottattooz]

Originally Posted by NastyBuzzard

So I am getting closer to my swap. You used entire wiring harness from donor right? If so, you attached it to the headlights, tail lights and all right? How hard was that? Did you just use butt connectors?

Label EVERYTHING!! I'm serious. From left headlight plug, right headlight plug, etc., to ABS connector, fuel pump. All of it. You might remember if you swap within a day or so, but rolled up in a ball somewhere, thank me later. The only trouble i had was extending the wiring for the fuel pump and the fuel hoses. I'd never dealt with plastic fuel lines before, so it was just nervous tension.

I used all the wiring from the donor truck.

-Josh

[Operatorfailure]

I'm interested in the aluminum bed cover, I'm thinking about doing the same thing. What thickness are you going to use?

[gottattooz]

Originally Posted by Operatorfailure

I'm interested in the aluminum bed cover, I'm thinking about doing the same thing. What thickness are you going to use?

I'll post pics as the build progresses.

Keep in mind, we're using scraps groom reroofing trailers.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Update time. Been busy with the rear section of the Captain. I wet sanded the tail lights with 1200 grit, masked off the centers and blacked out the edges of the taillights to match the bed. Then I used the nightshades to black out the taillight lenses, then wet sanded it so it was safe to drive with. Plus sanding them too the shine off, so the taillights are flat black like everything else.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Then I mounted the taillights and swapped beds.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

And here's how they light up. I have to make a spacer for the hitch receiver to clear the new roll pan. Also have to make the fuel fill just a tad longer. I frickin love the lights on this truck!!!!!!

-Josh

[colgad]

Well you can't complain about that!