Project Charity Case

[brn agn]

Originally Posted by jb1016

Love the truck. And The Service Station is a pretty cool idea. Have you thought about doing Service Station signage on the doors, shop-truck style? That would be pretty cool.

And I had to laugh when I saw your "loaded" pic...I did the same thing. I've got an itch to lower my truck some more, after seeing it with a bed full of snow this winter

I have considered putting "The Service Station" logos on the doors...I have just not fully convinced myself to do it yet. When I was a kid, my Dad had a Sinclair gas station in Missouri. I have also considered doing a logo with the name of his gas station and a silhouette of the Sinclair dinosaur. I still remember his old phone number (9-2332), so I would put that on there too.

I think I am going to buy some 6" springs for the rear first.

[wwhijr]

Truck looks great. I like the rake much better than the loaded pics. If you are going ot use it as a truck the rake might be a better choice to keep from dragging the bumper on the pavement epically if you tow a car behind it.

[aboyer]

Originally Posted by brn agn

A few people have asked me about the specs on the wheels and tires I have on this truck. I am putting the specs in this thread not only as info for other people but also as documentation for myself, since I am slowly losing my memory.

I am running 17"x8" wheels on the front with 4" of backspacing. The tires are 255/50/17 Nitto NT-450's. I have not observed any rubbing.

On the rear I am running 17"x9.5" wheels with 6" of backspacing and 275/50/17 Nitto NT-450 tires. The rear axle is from a 72 model, so it is wider than the 1969 rear axle. There is only about 1" of clearance between the back of the tire and the fender well on both sides. If I had to do it over again, I would use rear wheels with 5" of backspacing as a cushion and to bring the wheels out closer to the bedside for a "nicer" look.

Great build information, I read through your build, but didn't see what type of rims your are using. Are they Coy's?? Where did you get these through? Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

[brn agn]

Originally Posted by aboyer

Great build information, I read through your build, but didn't see what type of rims your are using. Are they Coy's?? Where did you get these through? Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

Sorry about that. They are American Racing Torq Thrust II's. I bought the two rear wheels from my local Craigslist. They were used. My brother in law, who lives 900 miles away, found the front pair on his local Craigslist and he picked them up for me. The two he found were brand new, but were much cheaper than new.

You can purchase these wheels from Summit Racing, Jegs, and any of the major wheel shops. I hope this helps!

[dandansuperman]

Whats your width on the front and rear wheels? Truck looks good, I love it. I was thinking of going with 17x7 on front and 17x8 on back. What do you think?

[brn agn]

Originally Posted by dandansuperman

Whats your width on the front and rear wheels? Truck looks good, I love it. I was thinking of going with 17x7 on front and 17x8 on back. What do you think?

These trucks will accommodate decently wide wheel without any modifications. I have 8" wide wheels in the front and 9.5" in the rear with no rubbing. There is room to fit a 10" wheel in the rear as long as the back spacing is correct. Personally, I like the widths that are on my truck now. Since the last pictures were taken, I have dropped the rear another inch, so I have a 4.5" drop in the front and 6" drop in the rear.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by brn agn

These trucks will accommodate decently wide wheel without any modifications. I have 8" wide wheels in the front and 9.5" in the rear with no rubbing. There is room to fit a 10" wheel in the rear as long as the back spacing is correct. Personally, I like the widths that are on my truck now. Since the last pictures were taken, I have dropped the rear another inch, so I have a 4.5" drop in the front and 6" drop in the rear.

now, you know better than to say that and not have pictures....how about this...I post the 72 patina truck's new front drop and you post your rear drop...deal?

[72BlckButy]

Originally Posted by brn agn

... I have dropped the rear another inch, so I have a 4.5" drop in the front and 6" drop in the rear.

Now that's what I'm talking about, but... where are the pics?

Glad to see you made it back home safely.

[brn agn]

Hmmmm...pictures are going to be difficult at this time. Give me a few more days and I will see what I can come up with. Deal? Ha, ha...

[oldblue1968chevy]

cmon man wheres the pictures?!?!?!?

[jbclassix]

subscribing

[brn agn]

Here is a teaser for you. I will get better pictures soon.

[sourkraut]

ah come on man, dont do that to us! from the angle i am looking at the drop looks awesome!

[mcbassin]

Truck looks great!

[cable666guy]

Great build-up...really good work on the rust repair, too!! IMHO, trucks need rake!!

[yukon ratrod]

love the look of your pick up! I sold my 89 a few years back and have not yet replaced it with a daily driver. Ive had a soft spot for these forever! My lady has been trying to convince me to get one going. I have a 72 that is screaming to be put back on the road. not enough time in a day! lol I have a 48 on an s-10 chassis, but its not quite scratching the itch for a 72!

[brn agn]

I have a little update on the truck for those that are interested.

A couple of you asked about pictures of the truck after I swapped the 5" rear springs for 6" springs. So, here it is...this is 4.5" drop in the front and 6" drop in the rear.





I personally like how it looks. As you can see, it still has a little rake, but nothing like it did with the 5" springs.

I also have been doing some necessary engine work this summer. Earlier this year, I noticed that the engine was using A LOT of oil (2 quarts in 300 miles), but the compression was good and it only smoked on start up. I suspected that the valve guides were worn. I also had a slight hesitation at cruising speed that I could not fix, so I decided to pull the heads. I found two valve seats that were sunken due to the unleaded fuel. I had been running lead additive, but the damage was likely already done when I bought the truck.

My plan was to put the engine back as cheaply as possible, so I took the heads to a local shop to get them rebuilt. The owner talked me in to finding a better casting, because the 307 heads do not have great flow characteristics and have tiny intake valves (1.7"). So, I found a set of rebuilt 305 heads. They were from a early 80's Camaro and the seller had already installed 1.94 intake valves, Z28 springs, new valve seats, etc... I realized that the stock camshaft was not going to let these heads breathe like they should, so I chose a camshaft that had good low end torque to match the heads. I also threw in a new timing chain set, gaskets and a fresh coat of paint. Here is what the engine looked like today right after I broke in the new cam:



The engine seems to run much better now. I still have a few bugs to work out, but overall I am happy.

On a side note, half way through the head replacement, a friend called me because he received a 1970 LWB on trade for a car he was selling. I looked at it and it has a decent sounding 327. It has a fairly radical camshaft, headers, single plane intake, double hump heads and a holley carb. I pulled a valve cover off and it was obvious there were some new parts inside the engine. The previous owner said the engine was rebuilt, but had no paperwork. He also thought it was a 350, but the casting numbers confirm that it started life as a 327. I bought the truck and may swap this engine over into my truck. I need to think about this one some more.

[VA72C10]

engine looks great! Sounds like you have a tough decision on swapping out the other but either way you now have two nice engines!

Oh, and the 6" springs complete the drop perfectly! Love it!

[72BlckButy]

Much better running the 4.5/6" drop IMO... man that looks good!

Diggin' the engine mods as well.

[gcburdic]

Nice work Jesse....love the 4.5/ 6 drop....I think it looks awesome on our trucks!!!.....let's ssee some pictures of that 70LWB!!!....That see thru passenger rocker is AWESOME

[brn agn]

Geoff, I didn't want to post pictures, because I knew you would be jealous over the wheels that are on the truck. Honestly, the only good thing on the truck is the engine, doors, hood, a few interior parts. The cab would be good for patch panels. I haven't decided if I am going to part it out or just swap engines and sell it complete. Here are some pics. Bring on the envy!!!!

[oldblue1968chevy]

swap it lol nice truck, looks like a lot of good pannels still!

[gcburdic]

There you go making me all jealous and crap....dang I want those wheels!!!

Glass looks good in the cab...I'd be interested in it if you part!

Are those helper springs

[brn agn]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

There you go making me all jealous and crap....dang I want those wheels!!!

Glass looks good in the cab...I'd be interested in it if you part!

Are those helper springs

I knew you would be lusting after those fine wheels.

The glass (factory tinted) is in good shape. I will let you know if I part it out.

Those springs are a factory option (RPO G60). Have you ever seen anything like that? It was new to me. The truck came from Nebraska and it appears that it was a service truck of some type. It is hard to see in the first picture, but there is a huge "N" painted on the hood and smaller ones on the doors. I think it stands for "Nice Wheels".

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by brn agn

I knew you would be lusting after those fine wheels.

The glass (factory tinted) is in good shape. I will let you know if I part it out.

Those springs are a factory option (RPO G60). Have you ever seen anything like that? It was new to me. The truck came from Nebraska and it appears that it was a service truck of some type. It is hard to see in the first picture, but there is a huge "N" painted on the hood and smaller ones on the doors. I think it stands for "Nice Wheels".

Never saw those springs before, but I believe that is what I've seen others call "helper springs"?!?!?

Was it a big red "N"???....That is a University of Nebraska Cornhusker truck....surprised it isn't red!!!...Ironically, my Dad actually played football there, so my family grew up as Husker fans!!!....That's awesome!!!