My Big 10

[oldpurple]

Fairly new to the boards, new to posting anyways..

I haven't had this truck for long but I've done a fair bit of work to it in the short time I've had it. Picked it up after my first car got stolen (got when 16, I'm 19 now) from the people that live across the street. It had just been sitting there for a few months so we went over and talked, $300 later it was mine!

1979 Chevy Big 10. 350/SM465 4 speed

The engine that was in it was pretty much done, 0psi compression in one cylinder and smoked really bad and fouled plugs real fast. Got a way healthier 350 from my stepdad for free and put it in!

Here are some pictures:

when I first got it





cleaning the "new" engine up







dirty old engine bay





powerwashed engine bay, a lot cleaner now



engine ready to go in! modified the wire looms to go upwards instead of stick out

[oldpurple]

in and running!





then I got bored and decided it needed some scallops!








So far I've got well under $500 in it and it runs very good now, short of needing the carb rebuilt and a few little tweaks here and there that still need addressing. I think it will be a fun truck, and I'd like to lower it slightly some day but I'm in no rush.

Manual transmissions are fun, but not so much this one. The new motor has a bit of a cam and some other things done (I'm not sure what, really) but it hauls pretty good in first, but the RPM drop into second is horrible so I can't really get it goin' too quick. We've got a TH400 around, maybe some day I'll swap it in.

Thanks for looking!

[swb85]

Great progress so far! Get rid of that old sm465 & stick a car 4 speed (muncie, T10) in it's place. You'll grin from ear to ear. Is that a turbo buick I see in the background???

[oldpurple]

Originally Posted by swb85

Great progress so far! Get rid of that old sm465 & stick a car 4 speed (muncie, T10) in it's place. You'll grin from ear to ear. Is that a turbo buick I see in the background???

Would I have to find a different bellhousing or clutch? Or would it just swap out, what about driveshaft lengths? Crossmember relocation?

I wish it was a turbo regal! It's an '87 regal limited with an olds 455. It's pretty fun

[MylilBowTie]

Got anymore pictures of the choke setup on the carb?

[oldpurple]

Originally Posted by MylilBowTie

Got anymore pictures of the choke setup on the carb?

No, but I will go take some for you right now!

It is the divorced(?) style. Has the separate thing attached to the intake.

[MylilBowTie]

Im not sure but it looks like the one I just picked up. It looks a little odd to me.

[Srubydo1986]

looks good

[Walts_restoration]

his carb setup is no longer correct for a big ten, if anyone needs any info on big tens especially the correct style carb i have about 10 of them off different trucks and my dad knows as much as he can find out about them. I have two 77 big tens.

[oldpurple]

As requested:







Blocked off vac line goes to the thing in the air cleaner snorkel.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q..._1278Large.jpg
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q..._1277Large.jpg
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q..._1275Large.jpg

I can also email you the fullsize ones if you desire.

[oldpurple]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

his carb setup is no longer correct for a big ten, if anyone needs any info on big tens especially the correct style carb i have about 10 of them off different trucks and my dad knows as much as he can find out about them. I have two 77 big tens.

No?

It's just the one that came on the truck when I bought it.

[turbo350]

Looks great! Its neat to make a go of it on a budget. I've got a '78 Big 10 just waiting for a motor.

[dswancutt]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

his carb setup is no longer correct for a big ten, if anyone needs any info on big tens especially the correct style carb i have about 10 of them off different trucks and my dad knows as much as he can find out about them. I have two 77 big tens.

I have to disagree with you there, that choke style is exactly like the one on my 78 big ten, and my 78 k-10. It is correct for a heavy duty federal emissions truck. My truck until I had to rebuild it had never been apart and it is a numbers matching engine and truck.

[oldpurple]

17058213

The carb number, say's its for a '79 with a manual trans. I'm not really sure what you mean by it's wrong?


Carb # Application

17058213 CHEV 78 GMC HD Truck & '79 Canada HD

[Walts_restoration]

AH, sorry, i thought you had an electric choke on there, thats what i thought i saw. Thats the right carb setup, excuse my comment. It seems i need to get my eyeballs checked haha

[Morgsie]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

It seems i need to get my eyeballs checked haha

I think you need to get more checked than just your eyes...

[longhorn71]

thats a good lookin truck for that price


Just remember just cause somethings on canadian built trucks are different then the usa built one it does no mean it is not right or stock.

There were several canadian only vehicles that gm made.Pontiac beaumounts(chevelle spin off)(s/p?)pontiac Acadians(chevy 2 and chevette spin off),and the ventura's(yearly 70s nova spin off) pontiac Astre (here they started in 73 and shipped to the states for 75-77)

There was also some candian only trucks.1976 some gmc serria grandes were called "oylmpic edtion "white truck with olympic rings in red on the rear quarters,hood emblem was also the oylmpic rings.INERTIORS were all red inside.
we also had the wrangler trucks that had a two-tone paint and special stripping on them.



GM was not the only for the big three to do this.Ford made the mercury trucks,mercury monarchs,and the Alberta edition ford pickups(there was one other ford car in the late 50sor early 60s as well.Dodge had the fargo pickups but there car line the dodge monacos (also in the usa)but the canadian made ones had a total different body style to them.

other canadian only make that no longer exist.frontiac ,durant/star(yes William durant moved north arfter starting chevrolet and gmc and getting the boot from the companys.Studebaker lasted two years longer in canada


first two are a 68 beaumont
60s acaidan
venturas
wrangler pick up(more color combos then brown just the best pic i could find)

[longhorn71]

I know its a ford but here is a pic of a 57 mercury truck

merc truck were made from 41-68 here

[oldpurple]

Well I picked up a carb kit tonight so probably tomorrow I'll take it off and get it soaking, should be 10x better with a carb that works well.

[MylilBowTie]

Thanks for the pictures but is that a different carb? I was talking about this one.

It looks like a hot air choke I think.

[Walts_restoration]

thats a different carb, that must of been the one i saw, i knew i wasnt wrong.

[oldpurple]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

thats a different carb, that must of been the one i saw, i knew i wasnt wrong.

Haha!

I was wondering how you could even see the carb, but I forgot about that picture. Yes that is a hot air choke one, I didn't use it. I used the one that was on the truck. That one was wrong for my intake anyways, nowhere for the tubes to go.

Sorry about that! I don't know how those kind of carbs are setup for choke, but I believe you can convert them to electric choke easy enough and get rid of some clutter.

[swb85]

Originally Posted by oldpurple

Would I have to find a different bellhousing or clutch? Or would it just swap out, what about driveshaft lengths? Crossmember relocation?

I didn't have to modify/relocate my stock crossmember or driveshaft. You can use the truck bellhousing with a car 4 speed, but you must use an adapter ring for the input bearing retainer since the truck bells are bigger. If you want more info, pm me and I'll show you where to get the adapter. I don't remember what the input shaft spline count is on a sm465, so I can't answer the clutch question for sure. My m21 is a 10 spline, but some were 26 spline. As long as they're the same between the two trannys you have, you can reuse the clutch.

[Pyrotechnic]

I agree, get a car 4 speed for it.

[oldpurple]

PM'd

Yeah I'm not sure of the spline count on the sm465 either, but it's definitely low.