77 Silverado Build thread

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Originally Posted by hotrodred

I dig this truck. I wanna do a similar style to mine.

Thanks, I like the 59.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Well, not much progress. Pretty much flat broke so transmission is holding everything up. Tough couple weeks. Probably going to have a TransGo Stage 1-2 shift kit installed on the tranny whenever the funds are available.

Did get some vinyl decals for the center caps and repainted all of the cab trim.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Well, since I can't afford to get my transmission done just yet I've been trying to do some things that I can do for the time being.

I picked up a nice 73-74 grill for $18 dollars of CL.
Painted the backs of those bumper guards I got since they were rusty.
Pulled all of the front trim off including lower valence.
Pulled bumper and bumper brackets off for painting.
Going to sand back of bumper and paint silver since it's rusty.
Going to install grill brackets (newly painted)
Going to change front support bushings and paint the frame horns

Sanded part of the frame where the tranny sits and painted, I should have sanded both because I couldn't sand the other side until the paint dried on the first side.

If you notice, in those pictures there are several cans of Rustoleam "Hammered" paint. Black for frame, silver for back of bumper, and gray for grill brackets. I tried this on my sway bar and it is really tuff stuff. It doesn't seem to want to show the textured "hammered" for me (since it comes out smooth) but it's the toughest spray paint I've found so far...so I'm still using it.

That's all I could think of for now but I'll be working!

[truckzilla]

That's it Michael. Keep going with what you have; even the little things all add up and are done when you need to do the big stuff like the trans repair! The point is to do what you can with what you have. Time will bring the other stuff.

Now if I can just get something done on my POS instead of having to use what little time I have, helping my buddy build his hot rod! But then, I'm in that same lack of funds situation as well!

Keep after it and keep posting them pics!

[JRANGER]

looks good

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Got the bumper sanded/painted.
More dissembling eventually got the top support off.
Sanded, cleaned, and painted the from frame horns.
Got the front support sanded but only got to paint one side.

There was more surface rust behind everything on the core support than I thought. The next time I'm up at the shop I'll have to sand it down and shoot some paint on it.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Spent three hours last night trying to get the core support to line up with the fenders with the new bushings installed. Eventually went home and asked on the board how to do it. Apparenltly I can jack it up together (core support and fenders) so this morning I went back up to the shop and removed the bushings so I could put it back together. After I jacked it up and let it just fall back on the new bushings...took like 20 mins total. Wasted a lot of time last night.

Also masked off the fenders (outside) so I could shoot some paint on the engine bay and core support but had to come home early cause mom wanted to put up Christmas lights.

Didn't get a pick of the core support sanded, but here is one I did get. Amazing how simple some things could be.

[JRANGER]

haha i do stuff like that all the time Good job man

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Got the core support primed on the front and back. Got the front of it painted with some black satin. Back didn't dry fast enough so I'll shoot some paint on it later.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Well just placed a SUMMIT order for almost 300$. Christmas came early.

Picked up:
battery support (old one junk)
SUMMIT 1103 cam
assorted lubes
new tach
tranny cooler
flexplate
assorted hoses
radiator bushings
and a couple of other things

Talked to dad and Performance Transmission down in Kennedale and going to pick up a new street/strip th350 with a new torque converter (the one they recommended when I described my engine) in like a week in a half when my dad gets paid again. Altogether the tranny and converter is going to be like 800-900$ out the door.

This project is really coming together. I've picked up some more primer and paint so I'm going to be working all week on cleaning up the fenders and firewall along with painting the frame.

[JRANGER]

hell yeah man...Sounds good

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Yet again I didn't get any pictures but I have the backs of the fenders primed along with the firewall. I have to de-grease the frame and paint that before I'll want to paint the others though.

Wiring and assorted looms are hack. I'm going to have to grab some loom and see if I can't get them looking much better. 34 year old plastic literally disintegrates when you touch it.

[JRANGER]

ahh pictures....

[truckzilla]

From Keller to Kennedale is quite a little trip! I've been past that transmission shop before on the way south to the wrecking yards. Hope I goes well for you. I probably would have gone with Phoenix Transmissions in Weatherford. The TH350 is pretty much fool proof, but I'm guessing that it won't be long before you're wishing you had a fourth gear! Keep after it Michael!

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Didn't get anymore painting done. I got distracted re-organizing all of my wiring with loom.

All of my parts came in today. Cam, flexplate, lubes, radiator hoses, radiator supports, tachometer, and battery support.

Got some ideas. For some reason I only get good idea's when I'm broke and can't afford them. Story of my life. Anyway, I want to add a small interior fuse box (like 6 fuses) so I can power all of my interior acc. This would include tach, extra gauges, radio, etc...and it would be run directly to the fusible link on the firewall. That's another like 40$ project.....and I just spent like 20$ on new wire loom! Oh well, another day

[truckzilla]

Originally Posted by THE "10" SILVERADO

well, another day

That's why a lot of guys throw in the towel when they start seeing the money hole that some of these projects can become, so they never see their project finished, as if there is ever really a 'finished'.

Unless you're building something for SEMA or some so called reality show, there's no reason to think it has to be done overnight.

Michael, I sense your Jedi truck building force is strong!

[Fixwhataintbroke]

Are you going to blast this when "Black Betty" is all done?

Ram Jam - Black Betty 1977 - YouTube

Loving it so far

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Originally Posted by Fixwhataintbroke

Are you going to blast this when "Black Betty" is all done? Ram Jam - Black Betty 1977 - YouTube



Loving it so far

Probably! Haha that's actually one of my favorite songs!

[JRANGER]

I was supposed to be "Finished" when i replaced the floor panels......lol

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Originally Posted by JRANGER

I was supposed to be "Finished" when i replaced the floor panels......lol

I know that feeling! I was supposed to be done with the engine bay once I installed the trans crossmember.....I ended up painting the core support, in process of painting frame, painted firewall and fenders, replaced bushings, and re-organized all of the wiring with new wire looms. The trans crossmember isn't even in yet.

Had a final today so I got out early and spent 6 hours up at the shop (man this is time consuming ). I upgraded to a bigger wire brush (toothbrush size to this) and I LOVE it. I was able to degrease half the frame and the crossmember in about an hour and shot a coat of paint on them. Now the other side and I'll about be done for the engine. Got my carb all ready (re-jetted and put in new metering rods), went to put a water neck on my intake and sheared a bolt off . Then I mounted a small tranny cooler. Then I got a bright idea to take some steel wool to all of my hard metal lines (fuel, tranny cooler, tranny vacuum module) and they turned out real nice and shiny but I didn't get a pick. Hopefully more updates soon!

[JRANGER]

looking good man

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

got the grill back from my dad. The outer chrome is coming off, it's noticeable so I don't know if I'll leave it or paint but the emblem is cool because a guy made it out of brushed aluminum. If you don't know I love that look and made my interior out of brushed.

I also sheared a bolt off in my intake so I gotta fix that now

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Got the firewall and fenders painted. Just waiting for the paint to dry to bolt everything up. Started mounting the overfill jug and battery tray and man, aftermarket battery trays SUCK. I had to use a BFH to beat parts of it to fit. The bottom piece was at the wrong angle and put everything in a bind. Started re-routing the wiring, more loom is needed for the passenger side and I need some more of those clips that hold it together. Motor mounts were on and shot some more paint over the area because the twisting bolts pulled some paint off. Having some crossmember problems but once I get that taken care of I should be ready for the new drivetrain. Have my tach to mount on the steering column but I have $0 in my wallet so I can't buy the $2 worm clamp at the home depot! might check the couch cushions tomorrow though.

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

More stuff done today. Center brace in. Got the bumper and bumper brackets installed. Such a pain in the butt when you are doing everything alone. Made sure to lube the shiz out of all of the bolts because I didn't want to break another bolt.

[truckzilla]

Originally Posted by THE "10" SILVERADO

Such a pain in the butt when you are doing everything alone.

Tell me about it! On the bright side, at least you get to work on yours indoors as opposed to me having to work on it outside and then drive out of town to get to where it is at and then only on Sunday's after church!

This is going to take a while!