Driver on a budget.

[Zane M]

Great truck!
Kudos on the build.

[TchncnDen]

We had some incredible weather for November here this week so I took a couple vacation days. Among other things I got a little done on the truck. I finished putting the bed wood in. I still need to install all the bolts in the field but I need someone to hold them from the top while I do that. After I had the floor in I loaded my new mountain bike that cost half what I have into this truck and took it to the mountains to finish dialing in the suspension. In the land where Subaru reigns supreme I must say I was the coolest in the parking lot! I drew some attention. On the way home I put in some gas and my homeade filler took it in at full throttle, nice. I need to make a box to cover that on the inside.

I also made a couple of great contacts. One is a dealer that specializes in hot rods and exotics. I always wanted to stop by there but he is open by appointment only. While driving by I saw his door open so I stopped in to ask if he does appraisals. (I want one even though my insurance company says they don't go by them) He does, and gave me a tour of his incredible shop and multiple rides. He also told me about a guy that could help me tune my LS so I stopped by that shop. Another great guy that wants me to fix a few minor things before we tune. He had a radical LS turbo 50 chevy in the shop he is building for a customer so I'll take any advice he gives me. I must say it is really nice when people in the know compliment your work and I made the most of our 70 degree week just before more snow.

[MYKG C10]

looks real good bro any updates
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[67c10rustbuket]

Thanks for the info I'm still playing around with the wood floor idea but I cant see paying silly prices for bed sills and other parts. I have cnc sheet metal machines and a real nice press brake at work so I can make my own. Making all the wood strips the same width is a good idea I hadn't thought of that. If you need anything, maybe a cover for that fuel filler in the bed let me know. Later

[TchncnDen]

Originally Posted by Zane M

Great truck!
Kudos on the build.

Originally Posted by MYKG C10

looks real good bro any updates
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Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

Thanks for the info I'm still playing around with the wood floor idea but I cant see paying silly prices for bed sills and other parts. I have cnc sheet metal machines and a real nice press brake at work so I can make my own. Making all the wood strips the same width is a good idea I hadn't thought of that. If you need anything, maybe a cover for that fuel filler in the bed let me know. Later

Thank you guys!! And especially thanks for the offer to bend up a box for me, if I lived closer I would definately take you up on that. I went out today and mocked up a cover in posterboard that I will bend up old school with a vise and hammer. I would have done that today but I'm out of sheetmetal and it was too fricken cold. What a difference a day makes.

[TchncnDen]

I don't remember what thread I read this in, but a while back I saw where someone built a box to cover something in the engine compartment and bent the metal by scoring with a die grinder and bending in a vise. It looked really good so I gave that method a shot and let me tell you it is a winner. If I didn't know better I might think my gas filler cover was made with a brake. The flanges were bent in my vise but the bends in the middle were too deep so I just bent them over a wood work bench. I've tried to make stuff like this before without scoring and the results were very poor. SCORE!

[TchncnDen]

I had a performance tune done on my pcm and all I can say is wow, what a difference. I highly recommend J and S Performance Tune for anyone in the Denver area. I went to the junkyard today and got some seatbelts and a horn from an 89 blazer. The late 80's early 90,s Blazer's and S10's have the old style buckles that don't look out of place and are self retracting three point. I cleaned them all up and they are drying now before install.

I should have done this a while ago but here is a before and after pic about a year apart.

[TchncnDen]

When I first started this project there were a few things I wanted and one was to put a Cadillac Northstar engine in. There were a couple of reasons I didn't, but the biggest one is that it is just plain easy to put in an LS. Well, this weekend I picked up a crate motor Northstar with zero miles for a screamin deal. I have no idea what I'll be putting it in at the moment but I do know it will have that wow factor under the hood. I mean, just look at all those cams!!

[brn agn]

This build just got MORE interesting. I'm looking forward to see how the engine performs in a truck.

[Steve-W]

That engine is the icing on the cake..I think you should rename this thread to:"Driver on a higher budget than anticipated"..or how about:"Driver on a budget the wife is unaware of"

keep up the good work!

[cjohnson6772]

Originally Posted by TchncnDen

I installed the modified engine harness today, it lays down nicely on the engine. I didn't really plan out where to mount the ECM when I made the harness, and with the factory AC stuff there isn't much room. About the only place there is room is the glovebox compartment, there might be enough space for my registration after everything is back in. There's also a picture of the truck AC compressor installed with the modified bracket.

I may have missed it, but what is modified about the A/C bracket? Also: amazing work on such a tight budget. I am probably gonna have as much in my swap as you have in your entire truck I am finding that these swaps get waist deep in a hurry and then neck deep shortly thereafter.

[TchncnDen]

Originally Posted by cjohnson6772

I may have missed it, but what is modified about the A/C bracket? Also: amazing work on such a tight budget. I am probably gonna have as much in my swap as you have in your entire truck I am finding that these swaps get waist deep in a hurry and then neck deep shortly thereafter.

The bracket just had to be trimmed quite a bit to clear the motor mounts. I'm sure it depends on what mounts you use and the position you want the motor to sit. I used adapter mounts from TransDapt that keep the motor in the stock small block position. Also, neck deep is ok as long as you keep your head above water!

[TchncnDen]

Originally Posted by Steve-W

That engine is the icing on the cake..I think you should rename this thread to:"Driver on a higher budget than anticipated"..or how about:"Driver on a budget the wife is unaware of"

keep up the good work!

Originally Posted by brn agn

This build just got MORE interesting. I'm looking forward to see how the engine performs in a truck.

Thanks! The motor is not for this truck, in fact I have no idea what I'll be putting it in at the moment. It may be a truck, it may be? It was just too good a deal and way too pretty to pass up. I've always had a picture of a hot rodded 80's station wagon rattling around my brain.

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by TchncnDen

I've always had a picture of a hot rodded 80's station wagon rattling around my brain.

caprice estate?

[TchncnDen]

I think that's what they were called, something along the same lines as my old el camino. (scanned picture, not the greatest)

[shok]

Well that's a g body elco which they did have a wagon version of. I think they called it a Malibu, anyway that's the smaller wagon of the era, they also had the BIG version that looked similar which was the Caprice. I think a Caprice wagon would be really coo but hard to go wrong with either.
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[ta2ed]

Hey Brian what did you end up doing for gauges?
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[TchncnDen]

I haven't done anything to my truck other than drive it. I still have to make a cover plate but I'm using the same truck gauges zip tied in place and they work fine, other than the mileage/gear selector that I fried. I have plenty of punch list items but the truck is basically done. Have you made any upgrades to yours lately?

[502ms]

Very nice work! I was going to say yay #teamstepside...but you did great work on that fleet bed
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[chevy88]

Just read through your whole build, excellent job for the amount of money you spent.
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[ta2ed]

I haven't done anything to the 69. I am starting another build its a 72swb I'm doing a 5.7/4l60e just exploring all my options & was wondering how your truck came out. Right now I'm just hanging out at the house recovering from sinus surgery. Lemme tell ya this ain't much fun! Lol
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[67c10rustbuket]

I like the looks of that northstar engine. What is it from? is that a fwd or rwd engine? I guess you could adapt it no matter what. That would be sweet. Love the dohc. Great job on the in tank pump write up. I may have tried that if you wrote it a year ago

[TchncnDen]

Originally Posted by 502ms

Very nice work! I was going to say yay #teamstepside...but you did great work on that fleet bed
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I like stepsides too, but I like the bigger area for "trucking" better. Thanks for the compliment.

Originally Posted by chevy88

Just read through your whole build, excellent job for the amount of money you spent.
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Thanks, I still wish I could have come in below 8 but I think I'm closer to 11. Still not bad for what I have.

Originally Posted by ta2ed

I haven't done anything to the 69. I am starting another build its a 72swb I'm doing a 5.7/4l60e just exploring all my options & was wondering how your truck came out. Right now I'm just hanging out at the house recovering from sinus surgery. Lemme tell ya this ain't much fun! Lol
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I know others that have had sinus surgery and it is a miserable week, but they all seemed to heal quick so I hope it is the same for you. I'm five weeks out from knee replacement at the ripe old age of 45 and getting stronger every day. Get better quick Frank, I'm pullin for ya!

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

I like the looks of that northstar engine. What is it from? is that a fwd or rwd engine? I guess you could adapt it no matter what. That would be sweet. Love the dohc. Great job on the in tank pump write up. I may have tried that if you wrote it a year ago

It is the RWD version with variable cams, I should be able to run it with a Megasquirt. I also bought a 60* 700r4 to go with it later the same day. Both guys wanted to know what I was going to put them in and I told them, " I don't know, I just gotta have it." After doing some research as near as I can tell is that it is a pre production motor that was only run on a dyno or was in a car for no more than 1000 miles. I still don't know what to do with it, but worst case scenario I could sell it on ebay for a small profit.

[TchncnDen]

I decided to get my interior redone and it came out great. I also scored an escalade gauge cluster cheap because it had a burned out mileage area. It was the easy fix version and these gauges really flow with the truck better and I also finished the mount. I really like it. It's hard to get a good picture of the dash and as you can tell from all the pictures my camera isn't the greatest, time to get a new one.

[Xeen]

The truck turned out really nice.
I'm very interested in the 5.3L Vortec swap because I'm getting ready to do the same thing to my truck.
What did you do about engine perches/mounts and did you use the stock exhaust manifolds, also did you have any clearance problems with the frame and if so what did you do to resolve it?
I bought the CPP LS tubular perches with 3" forward adapter kit, I haven't tried to stab the 5.3L Vortec into the truck yet but I'm hoping there wont be any issues.