What is Squid Brains To Do

[day1]

As I sit here trying to think of a good title for this post I'm also really pondering what the hell to do.
I have a 74 C10 that I inherited from my grandfather the week before he passed last year. I always wanted the truck and told myself I would have a whole lot more done by now.
What stopped me before was living in an apartment; problem solved renting a duplex currently TWO-car garage. Next stopping me,tha lack of expendable money. I try to tell myself there is plenty I can do without money, like cleaning up the frame, pulling it apart and getting the cab, bed and all else ready for body work, so on and so on. Next problem, I will probably be buying a house next May or shortly after, so I don't necessarily want my truck in pieces then. Lastly, I'm having a hard time bringing myself to take apart something that is useful to me and rendering it useless at least for the time being. I don't want her to rot into oblivion, but I don't know that I'm ready to resurrect her either. I worry way too much, over think everything, and just wish I had $20 grand to drop, do it right, do it now, and be done.

Wasn't that a nice novel?

[menace121978]

hey buddy! i know exactly how you feel! just wait and see how you feel when you do actually tear into it. dont tear into her until you have a place for her to be taken apart and be prepared on not using that area for anything but working on the truck for at least a year.

my best suggestion would be to start planning. example, what route are you going to take on the frame? paint or powdercoat. are you going to do it your self? start researching for a GOOD air compressor. then whats next? suspension, start researching and buying bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, ect... then whats next? brakes? again, research and begin slowly buying parts.

check out my build thread. ive done everything myself w/ the help of this awesome board. they even helped me w/ my air compressor purchase... and dont be shy just post up... good luck man ,Dennis

[babyJay]

Do like I am doing with the 79. Buy and replace things one at a time when you have the $, then when you think it's right where you want it, explode it off the frame and bust out the body work. Get it back together quickly, as you have already bought/replaced all the bad stuff on it. I have put over $2K in replacement parts on the 79, and have driven it less than 500 Miles in 3 years. Most of the time it just sits in the garage. When I need to pull it out to work on something else, I do, but I always try to keep it "moveable". I will not dismantle it tho, until I have it just the way I want it to be after body work. Does this make sense?

[81K5Blazer]

I am kinda of in the same boat. I drive a company truck most of the week but on weekends the K5 is my driver. For the most part my truck looks ok but the underside is pretty rusty. Maybe by next summer I will own a house with a big garage but for right now my 1 car garage won't cut it. For right now I have decided to just drive it until it looks crappy again, at that point I will either rebuild it or by a swb and turn the K5 into a trail rig.

[old Rusty C10]

Ive been in exactly the same shoes. I had a 76 that i took as the balance owed on a job and wanted to do some work to it but i was in between houses and i didnt have the parking spot for it etc. I was able to hold off until i got the house n NJ and then i started it.. Make the long and short money is always going to be a problem when restoring a truck unless youre a lotto illionaire so you have to set your goals and make sure that you set realistic goals etc with the mods and the timeframe.. Mine was progressing nicely for a while ( it was a father and son project) but it had been over a year since it had seen the road legally and was far from complete.. it was bedless, and the interior was bare but it did run and drive. You will also find that you will lose interest for periods of time..
I wound up with two projects out of it as while looking for a parts truck i found an 86 i couldnt part and ended up driving that one for a while..
Long and shot i ended up parting my 76 out as my son got into trouble and he wasnt getting this truck as a result..
Now i have an 82 that im doing for me and my wife.. Its been almost two years and it still looks like junk but hey im movng slowly but surely
Good Luck with your project and I would start with the small things first and go large later after you have the house and place to do the right job

[79gmcc15]

same here. Ive been doing a whole lot of small things. like doing some re-wiring for my radio, the right way. I installed a sway bar, I put a new-ish carb on, took out old carpet to find holes and rust, tried to fix/stop that, washed the truck, put a alternator on,oil change, lubed the front of truck, etc. there is, I am sure a lot of small things that add up to a lot that can be done. that would either make disassemble a lot easier or driving the truck a lot better.

[babyJay]

Originally Posted by 81K5Blazer

...at that point I will either rebuild it or by a swb and turn the K5 into a trail rig.

I wanna see that when it happens. plz keep us posted.

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

...You will also find that you will lose interest for periods of time...

Amen to this statement!

[day1]

I have done a lot of little things...
Edelbrock Carb
New fuel lines
Weind intake manifold
Inexpensive Headers
Exhaust
HEI Distributor
4 core Radiator
Brake master
Suburban bucket seats & console
Chrome front bumper
Removed the A/C (didn't work, don't need it)
Removed power steering (leaked, may replace)
Junk Yard TH350 as mine went out
Shift Kit when the trans went in
Cleaned up some wiring
Although that doesn't satisfy my need to restore the truck. The rust in the cab, needs new fenders, debating on the bed, cracked windshield and so on... All stuff that if I'm doing one part I might as well do what's attached. ie fenders to cab, cab to doors, windshield to cab, cab to bed...

Just wanted to vent and share. I knew I wasn't the only one.
Thanks for the replies.

[81K5Blazer]

Originally Posted by babyJay

I wanna see that when it happens. plz keep us posted.

I wanna see that when it happens too. Probably just wishful thinking. After being on this site for a few weeks now I almost want to sell the K5 and get a swb.

[dammitmitchell]

just remember next time your othercar wants to go to the big time detail shop for 40 bucks.. wasit yourself for 5! and then use the other 35 for your truck
basically dont waste money on things that could be useful for your truck....
and eventually you'll start noticing that you have mroe and mroe excess because you think "man this 20 bucks at MC'd's right now could be my new mastercylinder...
etc etc.. i quit smoking and chewing to start my project!

[babyJay]

Originally Posted by dammitmitchell

...i quit smoking and chewing to start my project!

I quit Memorial Day weekend, (3 pack a day smoker) and it didn't really free up cash for me. I'm wondering how I could ever afford to smoke.

[menace121978]

Originally Posted by babyJay

I quit Memorial Day weekend, (3 pack a day smoker) and it didn't really free up cash for me. I'm wondering how I could ever afford to smoke.

i did the same for 6 weeks of hell... and bought my air compressor. its not worth it and i dont recommend it.