78 K20 custom delux "modern meets vintage" build thread

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

What did you get for the turn signals LEDs? Switchback panels?

So I assume you figured out that I went to amber turn signal in the back.... so the "new" LED combination lights have 12 amber LEDs as turn signals, 12 red LEDs as tail/brake lights and 6 white LEDs as back up lights.

On the OEM tail lights, I added some white and some amber LEDs to the back up light housing, to have both finctions in there. But the back up is just way too dim that way. So I might try a switch back LED bulb that has white and amber in one unit. The stop/tail lights will be converted with a dakota digital conversion kit and the rear side markers use replacement Osram LEDs.
Hope this answers the question!

P.S.: to separate the stop/turn wire, I ran a completely seperate wire driectly from the white wire on the brake switch to the tail lamps. The original Stop/turn wires only funtion as turn wires now.

[kikkegek]

Cool. So did you build the led panels yourself? Or bought some?
Posted via Mobile Device

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

Cool. So did you build the led panels yourself? Or bought some?
Posted via Mobile Device

The LEDs in the bumper are units from Hella new zealand, so I bought those.
The white and amber LEDs in the OEM back up lights were bought units as well, but they are not bright enough to really be visible. So I thought about using one of the switch over 1157base LED bulbs. If that diesn´t work, then I´d have to make my own panel. The tail and stop funtion in the OEM light will be done with a Dakota digital unit, so something I will buy.

[K20chevy]

this is what the marker lights look in the dusk/dark:

[Stephen Watson]

How does the VVT work out with the manual trans? We're putting a L92 into a K30 with a full manual TH400 and our engine guy didn't like running the VVT without the corresponding auto trans talking with it. I assume he didn't think the cam phasor could keep up with a manual shift.

Of course your manual shift is not the same as a full manual auto. Maybe the tiny bit of extra time to shift a manual is all the engine needs to move the cam?

Cool truck!

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by Stephen Watson

How does the VVT work out with the manual trans? We're putting a L92 into a K30 with a full manual TH400 and our engine guy didn't like running the VVT without the corresponding auto trans talking with it. I assume he didn't think the cam phasor could keep up with a manual shift.

Of course your manual shift is not the same as a full manual auto. Maybe the tiny bit of extra time to shift a manual is all the engine needs to move the cam?

Cool truck!

Thank you!

To be perfectly honest, I don´t know exactly what changes on the programming have been made. Jared at Current Performance did all the computer stuff. It took us A LOT of tries to get it working though. I know we used a combination of an ´08 Escalade, an ´08 Denali truck and some custom tune.

Have you had the engine run yet? If not, the main hurdle is that the engine goes in a limb mode when ot is in Park or neutral. Without a trans computer, it always thinks it is in P or N. So then the RPMs are limited and it cuts power. If you programm it to be in drive, it won´t start!

I can ask Jared for some more specifics if you´d like.

All I can say, now that it works, it drives awesome. Unbelievable how nice the torque curve stays up. It´s a blast to drive.

Let me ask him Monday and I´ll get back to you.

What K30 are you putting it into?

[BBM3]

I saw this picture on the first page and thought to myself, Done. Why 7 more pages? Now I know.
As much as I like the original looking '78 your transformation is awesome.

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by BBM3

I saw this picture on the first page and thought to myself, Done. Why 7 more pages? Now I know.
As much as I like the original looking '78 your transformation is awesome.

Thank you!

[1985-GMC]

Those are bad ass!

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Those are bad ass!

Thanks! I´ll mount two more on the roll bar at roof level and maybe one on each side facing to either side. 360° of LED lighting! :P

[1985-GMC]

Haha nice! I need good backup lights

[CodyWorks]

This truck is amazing. I'll trade you HAHAHA!!!

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Haha nice! I need good backup lights

You don´t realize how much you Need good back up lights until you Need to hook up a Trailer at night or back up at night offroading! These are the SII from Baja Designs. They are realy good!

Originally Posted by CodyWorks

This truck is amazing. I'll trade you HAHAHA!!!

Thank you! The truck doesn´t want to trade the owner though! It just told me!

[1985-GMC]

Yeah I came to that realization a few months ago when I was backing my dually down to the lake at night and got stuck on top of a rock with my rear sway bar.

[youngblood78]

Beautiful truck i'll bet you can get down and move witht that ls3

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by youngblood78

Beautiful truck i'll bet you can get down and move witht that ls3

Thanks! Yes, it does go pretty good! It is not an LS3, it is an L92, so no Corvette engine, it is a Escalade/Denali truck Motor form GM Performance parts and has VVT, which the LS3 doesn´t have. So a way flatter and nicer torque curve!

[K20chevy]

OK,

finally did get a few more things done. A little winter work as well.

For starters, this is a reproduction with a little twist of the original Vic Hickey roll bars that were available for these trucks in the 70´s. The top line is not straigh though, I had it rolled to match the roof line. Looks more slick that way. Instead of thin wall 2" DOM, this here is made out of 1.75"x.120 wall chromoly tubing. It´ll tie into the frame, just like the cab cage will, when the new body is on. Oh and 4 9" offroad lights will go on top, for that truely vintage look!

enjoy:

[K20chevy]

Finally all the tail lights are hooked up and converted to LED. Looks amazing and works so slick!

OEM tail lights are converted with Dakota Digital LED kits, the side markers use 4000K OSRAM LEDs and the original back up lights now house amber OSRAM LEDs for turnsignals.

The bumper houses the HELLA all LED secondarry tail lights with amber LED turn signals, tail/brake lights and back up lights. The 3 marker lights are also LED as well as the LED lisence plate lights. I´ll post a cell video some other time.



Here are the LED backup/work lights from Baja Designs.

[slotard]

Very nice build. Do you have any more info on the rear brakes? I'd like to put discs on my 14FF soon, hadn't heard of using Dodge stuff before.

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by slotard

Very nice build. Do you have any more info on the rear brakes? I'd like to put discs on my 14FF soon, hadn't heard of using Dodge stuff before.

Thanks!

Ok, so where do I start. I did get rear brakes from a Dodge Ram 3500 single rear wheel truck (2008) with calipers, rotors and the whole backing plate/ebrake setup.

On a side note, the chevy brakes from a 2500 or 3500 SRW are easier to adapt, but they are smaller, so I went with the larger Dodge ones due to my massive F550 front brakes.

From the RAM backing plates, I made a template for the mounting flange and had a friend put that into a CAD model. Then I had it laser cut out of 1/2" steel plate. (I might still have the CAD file somewhere)

The wheel hubs need to be turned down just a hair for the rotors to lip over them. (my hubs were the drum behind hub deal)
Then you have to bolt everything together and mock up the position and tack the brackets into place on the axle tube.

Take it all apart, weld the brackets into place. I cut off two corners on the old mounting flange for the drums to make room for the ebrake cable. If I were to do it again, I would completely cut the old flange off. Looks better and gives you more room to work with.

two driver side ebrake cables from the dodge actually fit right onto the original coupler.

The only hard thing was to turn some small adamter rings to put between the hub and brake rotor hub bore to have them hub centric. Maybe I didn´t need to do that, but I just wanted to make sure the rotors run perfectly true. I had a local machine shop make them up for 10 bucks.

The soft line from the frame to the t on the diff is one for the chevy truck, the hard line is the ine from the dodge, as are the short rubber lines (haven´t found those in braided SS yet) that go to the caliper.

just make sure, when you do tack the brackets onto the axle tube to check over and over to make sure they are straight, it is hard to change anything when they are burned in all the way.

Hope this helps. If you need more info, let me know.

[K20chevy]

:d

[NastyBuzzard]

Do you have pictures of your brake setup or did I just miss it? I will be building up my 88 Crew Cab soon and I am looking into brake upgrades. My 87 1500 single cab 4x4 I put H3 hummer 4 piston calipers up front and a 01 Silverado rearend in the back to get rear discs and it stops a heck of a lot better than it ever did.

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by NastyBuzzard

Do you have pictures of your brake setup or did I just miss it? I will be building up my 88 Crew Cab soon and I am looking into brake upgrades. My 87 1500 single cab 4x4 I put H3 hummer 4 piston calipers up front and a 01 Silverado rearend in the back to get rear discs and it stops a heck of a lot better than it ever did.

The pictures should all be in here, along with the description of what parts I used. The only non bolt on thing was the brackets for the rear brakes, they were lazer cut. If you are using a regular D60 though, the front would need some kind of adapter too....

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by NastyBuzzard

Do you have pictures of your brake setup or did I just miss it? I will be building up my 88 Crew Cab soon and I am looking into brake upgrades. My 87 1500 single cab 4x4 I put H3 hummer 4 piston calipers up front and a 01 Silverado rearend in the back to get rear discs and it stops a heck of a lot better than it ever did.

check post #13 and #36.

[K20chevy]

Here is some more stuff to look at. Major updates will have to wait until May.

Some more night shots with the lights on...