1968 C10 Project "The Twin"

[regan wilson]

Very nice.

[Danyo492]

Where did you order the seat covers from? That color is great!

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by Danyo492

Where did you order the seat covers from? That color is great!

Ricks Custom Upholstery
https://ricksupholstery.com/

Be prepared to wait though. It took like 6 months to get the covers, but they were prompt and upfront with the wait time and hit the date they set. Very good service.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Well nothing really to report lately. Been spending the summer driving the wheels off since the bucket seat swap was wrapped up. About to get started on the new motor though that is gonna go in. Picked up a 68 327 last year and have been collecting parts to finally send it off to the machine shop this fall. Mainly just needs to be flushed out since the cam had 2 bad lobes when I tore it down. Already have the heads done. Motor had a set of 69 Z/28 factory 2.02 heads on it that have been really ported and cleaned up. Based on what I can tell the cam when bad during break in or improper break in wiped the cam as there is still fresh hone marks and zero ridge in the cylinders. Now the question is to swap the 4 speed for a tremec 5 speed when I swap motors.

Some pics of the summer adventures so far...

[72Teeroy]

Beautiful truck and work love the bucket swap,I would love to do that to mine but boy talk about expensive.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by 72Teeroy

Beautiful truck and work love the bucket swap,I would love to do that to mine but boy talk about expensive.

yeah I was not fully prepared for the amount of money I was going to spend on the buckets, even with going the "cheap" route. I love the results, but I dont think I would do it again.

[MS66]

Excellent build! Love the Med. Blue Poly color(same as my '68), and off white pieces. Go ahead and pull that wallet out again and go with a Tremec 5 speed. Just remember to go easy on the cam because cruise rpm is likely gonna be 2k or under with the 3.42/5 speed OD ratio. Go roller cam so you won't get caught with your pants down when you can't afford the correct oil to run a flat tappet camshaft these days. As you're finding out with the 327 that you bought, flat tappet cam sets are hit and miss lately, sad thing too. Great truck!

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by MS66

Excellent build! Love the Med. Blue Poly color(same as my '68), and off white pieces. Go ahead and pull that wallet out again and go with a Tremec 5 speed. Just remember to go easy on the cam because cruise rpm is likely gonna be 2k or under with the 3.42/5 speed OD ratio. Go roller cam so you won't get caught with your pants down when you can't afford the correct oil to run a flat tappet camshaft these days. As you're finding out with the 327 that you bought, flat tappet cam sets are hit and miss lately, sad thing too. Great truck!

The oil is not the problem as my 68 Camaro and 33 Ford pickup are both running flat tappet cams. I keep plenty on hand, lol. I have a L79 cam that I put in my Camaro ran for like a year (maybe 300 miles) and then pulled out for something else. I kept the cam and lifters in a marked box so I can put it back together and that's the plan for the truck motor now. I've had buddies now having trouble with brand new rollers eating themselves due to poor part quality.

Based on my math with a couple different calculators and I should be 2200/2300 with the OD, plus swapping to the 5 speed I can give my grandfather back the 4 speed to mate up with a 396 he just picked up.

[MS66]

Originally Posted by CAMAROBOY68SS

The oil is not the problem as my 68 Camaro and 33 Ford pickup are both running flat tappet cams. I keep plenty on hand, lol. I have a L79 cam that I put in my Camaro ran for like a year (maybe 300 miles) and then pulled out for something else. I kept the cam and lifters in a marked box so I can put it back together and that's the plan for the truck motor now. I've had buddies now having trouble with brand new rollers eating themselves due to poor part quality.

Based on my math with a couple different calculators and I should be 2200/2300 with the OD, plus swapping to the 5 speed I can give my grandfather back the 4 speed to mate up with a 396 he just picked up.

Actually, I was getting at when they stop putting oil on the shelf that we can use in our flat tappet engines. They're getting sneakier by the day. But yeah, I hear the same stories about poor quality rollers too. Flat tappets are worse and worse, good thing you have a good, matched set of older cam and lifters.
FWIW, the last 6 Chevy 350s that came in with wiped cams were all running the 151 cam, and it was #5 lobes worn off, mainly exhaust lobe. One of those was in my '70 Camaro. But a lot of that was because the guy I got it from had the wrong springs on the heads. All the others were running basic GM Z/28 type springs. I have a Goodwrench motor coming out now with the same cam, same #5 cylinder wiped cam.
Your grandfather is cool.
For the time being, I'm going to try to stick with the 250 6 banger in my '68 as long as I can stand it. BTW, Nice truck.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

that is odd that its always the same lobe going. I run Z/28 springs as well in all my other motors. My heads are 69 factory Z/28 2.02s that have been had a little port work but otherwise nothing really modified on them.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Well getting started on the next upgrade for the pickup. Picked up this 68 327 a year ago from a buddy. He bought a 68 Camaro and pulled this motor to do a LS swap. He didnt even really look at the motor closely. It had a rattle in it, but I recognized the head markings straight away as 186 heads so made a deal on the motor.

When getting it home, pulled the heads off in the trailer as I could not wait to see what valves were it it. Heads were indeed 186's and 69 casting dates. Pulled the first head and was ready to see the common 1.94s but hit the jackpot and found factory 2.02s. The heads were off a race car at some points as they have been heavily ported and polished, had screw in studs and guide plates added at some point. Also had stainless valves already too. I had my machinist check them over and to see if they were 1.94s converted to 2.02s. There is some runner differences that Chevy did when finished the heads originally between the 2 and found that these were indeed factory 2.02 heads.

Also found the rattle pulling the heads and tearing the rest of the block down. One flat cam lobe, one rocker had backed off on a different cylinder than the flat lobe. Also found the oil galley plugs on for the lifters and cam had been replaced and one had fallen out so one bank we getting little oil pressure.

Block had been bored 40 over and based on the signs during tear down I think the motor was a fresh rebuild by someone and cam went flat within 500 miles. Cylinders still had hone marks, bearings looked like new with very little wear. No clue when that galley plug got shoved out.

Had the block hot tanked and the crank polished, heads cleaned up and now about to start putting the long block together. I'll be swapping over all the intake and front accessory stuff off the 350 once its out.

Along with the swap to the 327, I have also decided to make the change from the muncie 4 speed to a TKX 5 speed. With the last 2 summers now of driving it, I have found I am doing more out of town stuff and could really use the overdrive, plus my grandpa would like the 4 speed back for his big block he is putting together. So gonna be a busy winter doing the swap, but truck will be ready for long hauling next spring.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Today made some forward progress on the new 327 for the truck.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Heads I am running are 69 Z/28 186 heads. Factory 2.02's, some very heavy port work, stainless valve, guide plates and screw in studs.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

The new TKX showed up today as well while wrenching on the 327.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Weather held off long enough today here to wheel the motor out and get it all painted. Pretty much done with it until I get the motor and trans out of the truck to start swapping stuff over.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Started pulling the motor out of the truck today. Got the 4 speed out and got prepped to yank the motor tomorrow. Then onto detailing the engine bay again while swapping stuff over to the new 327 and making the adjustments to make the tremec fit.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Got the 350 out today and cleaned a few things up and now moving onto swapping stuff over to the 327 and doing some measurements for the new TKX 5 speed.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Making some more progress. Got the offset dowel pins in and the got the final runout ran and all set for the tremec. Then got the new clutch installed.
Also this past week got all the stuff being moved over from the 350 to the 327. Just a little more cleanup in the engine bay and this motor will be ready to drop back in to the truck.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looking good

[Shifty One]

I see a nice white C5 fanny poking-out of one of the pics....

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by Shifty One

I see a nice white C5 fanny poking-out of one of the pics....

yep that was my grandpa's latest purchase. Super clean low mile 01 6spd Roadster

[Shifty One]

Originally Posted by CAMAROBOY68SS

yep that was my grandpa's latest purchase. Super clean low mile 01 6spd Roadster

2000 Fixed Roof Coupe here....

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Got the 327 back into the truck today. Now to start getting the tremec fitted and everything back onto the motor. Another week or two and it should be running again.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Got everything hooked back up on the fresh 327 and got it fired up. Now waiting on the shortened driveline and can start doing a few test drives with the new combo and work out any bugs.


http://youtube.com/shorts/Y2wXICz-to...rwgOA7IufepgYR

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Went to a local cars and coffee of the weekend. First drive farther than around the block with the new motor and transmission. Everything worked great and I got caught by one the photographers at the event.