1970 cst lwb project "Cheap Build"

[Hottrucks]

well here goes I'm going to try to keep up here but with the time I have to build this thing and amount of $$$ which aint much I'm going to try to tranform a truck dug out of the woods to a LOW DD that will be the equal to a shop truck......

SO here goes the truck got there yesterday on a flat bed.....it was pulled out of the woods with a 1945 John deer but thats another story

Yesterday I cleaned out all the trash and dirt, 3 garbage cans full!!! and started evaluating what would be next which should have been a no brainer.....MAKE IT RUN........

this morning I headed out bought a battery $65 ( 850 cca) a pair of radiator hose $21...was home by 10 am and the work started

put a Hei igntion I had laying around ($0)and fought with it a bit but got it close to #1 ran the wires over the top of the lifters since I had pulled them to check for oil flow ...its only temp any way...
I had a Q junk that I had laying around till a buddy showed up with a edlebrock 500 in a baggy it was clean so I swapped them out ($0) and temp pumbed it..
after fighting poor cranking and a starter that sounded like sh!t I tore that out yea you guessed it had one laying in the shop ($0)
Well primed it up and the little 327/283 ( not sure yet havn't run the #'s) was awake after a 6 year nap and burping flames from the ram headers so we shut it down
next I hooked up the new 4 core rad that came with the truck pumbed up the tranny lines and added 3 1/2 quarts of fluid to the tranny put the valve cover on and set the timing.

I have to say that even I'm impressed that little mouse motor has good snap!!!! did I mention it's still running on 2003 gas thats in the tank...lmao!!
I drove the old truck down the driveway about 1/2 mile ( with open headers ) tommorow I hope to get it up on a trailer and down to a buddies where I'm going to let it have it with a steam jenny

I'm sure I left out alot of stuff but I'll try posting pics so you can see whats up

[Hottrucks]

I can't seem to get pics uploaded tonight but I'll work on it
I'm beat and need a shower

[Hottrucks]

ok todays progress. took the bed off and steamed cleaned 40 years of crap from everything.....when I got it back home I couldn't help myself and took out the tourches and stripped the frame of all the old hangers and bolts I may have gotten carried away when the old bump stops ( I'm saving them to weld in later) came off... well after that the springs came out and I started preping the frame for a C notch which will be made by a 5" piece of pipe and a piece of flat stock to box things up the shocks are gone too!! the rear frame rail is about 11" off the ground with nothing done to the front yet!!! and the cab corner is 8"

tomorrow I plan I getting the extra front clip that came with the truck, I need to replace the left side top A arm since it has a rot hole in it??? I'm also going to take the lowers and get the materails to cup the lower A arms for air bags and I can template up and make the top plate too, so when I tackle the front end I'll have everything ready to just assemble.....looks like I better start looking for some air bags used would be great ( I have and old air system in the garage too yea!!) I can't start painting the frame ( rustolium satin black $5) but I got 1 1/2 quarts from my buddy who did his old 66 ford with half a quart.....I plan on doing the bed bottom,the new floors,underside of the rockers,cab corners and the orginal floor in and out........

sorry I still can't post pics if someone could help??

jeff

[Hottrucks]

Ok day 3
I ground out 2 quarts of bondo on the ds fender to find 3 small hole the size of a lighter patched up those holes built some patches for the DS cab corner and rockers...I thought I was done but got to puddering and cleaned out the floor vents and removed the lower windsheid apron and vacumed out all the crap

I would post more but I'm whipped

Jeff

[VA72C10]

Sounds like you're making good progress...to post pictures, either start a photobucket account (best option) or upload them from your computer. With photobucket it will let you post a lot in the thread and is better for the board...simply click the square icon with the mountains in it and copy and paste the link to the photo in photobucket. If you're posting from your home computer...go to post reply (can't use quick reply) and use the paperclip icon and browse/select your photo. If you're getting errors, the picture or file is too big. You can use an editing program to shrink it, or simply open up the free paint program that comes with your computer, insert the picture, and stretch/skew it to 25% of it's original size or so and it should work. If you have any other questions pm me....I'm far from an expert but will try to help.

[Hottrucks]

sorry I have been busy the last few on the truck
I used the board and got the wiring dia and got that straightened out along with the heat/ac controls.....I was killing time till my panels came and and you guessed it there here...I bought my panels from Napa because of the easy of everything including returns here's the list of stuff.....
drivers footwell and edge of seat to cab corner ( i'M GOING TO RETURN THE INNER ROCKERS i BOUGHT SINCE THESE PANELS HAVE THEM BUILT IN) pass cab corner and the 4 cab supports and a pass rocker which I'm going to exchange for a patch panel......again why I went to napa

today I was fitting some of the panels and they look SWEEEEEEEET !!!!! a few clamps and some long pop rivets keep things in line ( not pulled just as a locator) till I weld them

I also pull the doors apart to get a look inside since I picked up 2 other doors a tailgate a full exhaust and a glove box liner yesterday

tomorrow I plan I picking up a quart of bondo and some paint for the inside of the doors...I'm so looking forward to getting the cab in primer!! then the bed which I'm not sure how fancy I'm going to get with it till I get a better look at it, but I still need to cut my C notch before that...wouldn't want to forget that!!! Once I get the bed on it then I'm going to put on my exhaust so I can be sure when I cut it, it will exit in front of the rear wheels because the way it looks now theres no room over the rear axle???? but that need more home work...I would like it out the back?? but??

I'll reg it and start putting on miles while I hack at the spare front suspention getting it ready for a set of something hopfully air bags all the way around then I can pull it one weekend and swap out the stock stuff

[Hottrucks]

well today I got the driverside done.......... 2 cab mounts a front floor and the panel that goes from the front floor section to the inner rear corner also the inner rocker...not a bad job but If I had to do another ( like tomorow) it would go alot quicker...... the welding is almost complet but I'm sure I'll tach them a few more million times tomorrow....I ran out of wire tonight so I'm on break until I run to home cheapo for more wire for the welder in the morning

[VA72C10]

Cool...we gotta see some pics soon!

[Hottrucks]

If I spend time trying to figure out how to post pics that means that I'm not working on the truck..so Back out to the garage.......................

[Spray-Bomb]

[Hottrucks]

and updates

[Hottrucks]

well after 8 months...holy crap!!...I have learned my way around the sight and should throw thanx out to about half the board memebers....I'm going to try to post some build pics from the begining

these are what I started with and don't be fooled the pics make it look better than it is with the bed remove I hauled it to a buddies for the Power washing I also sanded out the cab and shot the outside with a quick coat of Napa primer....I'm looking for those pics and the cab rocker work

Pleasae let me post all the pics before you chime in I'll note the last one it will prbably be my avatar

[Hottrucks]

these are some shots of the rockers and floor section..the last one is starting the reapairs...

[Hottrucks]

sorry thye aren't great

[Hottrucks]

this is by no means my best work when I started this project it was just going to be a beater....I will say the next one will be much cleaner work

you will also notice the frame has been painted

the first pic I hope you notice the front wheel height to the wheel well...surprising what a cupped lower and a set of bags will do..keep in mind that the same tires 235/75's where on the truck till the other day when I blew a cord out of one...... the rears are now 255/70's instead of the 31/10.5 all I did was a tire swap to get them on the rallies that where squited with Hammered grey/black rustolium out of a rattle can...I have also rolled the same paint ( satin black )onto the inside of the bed that I used on the frame it sure cleans things up on the cheap and wears like Iron...the last pic is a bit ahead but it shows the same profile after the cupped lowers and c Notch where put in plus a couple of the lowers before they where installed

the bed is pretty crappy the floor is full of pin holes both wheel well lips are shot and the head board is pretty rusty ( but I have plans ) but the paint on the inside and a rubber mat hide alot since this truck was JUST A BEATER..who was going to care ..so much for that I never thought it was going to be a DD

[Hottrucks]

a cheap gallon of primer goes a long way to bringing it into looking like something I can drive

also some stuff I didn't post pics of are the inner wheel wells are now sitting out by the shed (plans for fabbing something this winter) I also dont have any pics of cutting in the C notch it's hard to hold the torch and take a pic but it was built with a piece of 5" pipe cut in half ..since the springs where gone it made it easy to trace the axle on the frame where it needed to be liberated...the 2 1/2" c notch is just enough to get the pumpkin to get tight enough that if you bounce on the bed floor you can feel it though the junk floor..I need to keep the floor flat in some later pics you'll see why just keep in mind at this point the truck is getting its own personality and I need to keep on track that this is JUST A BEATER to haul trash, bark mulch and junk I don't want to haul in the truck I'm stll making paymnets on another thing that has been done is if you notice the rear shot the axle is to one side I cut the stock panard bar slid a piece of pipe over it slide it back over the 2 pieces got the truck to ride height and welded it back together what it amounted to was adding 3/4" to the bar to get it even between the frame rails

also notice the air tank I was feeding the front bags with no valves just so I could roll it around the tank is now mounted in that location with the valves mounted to the cross supports this keeps alot of raod crap and water off them.... I ran trailer wire to the dash to control them 2 runs of the flat 4 wire works great it's neat and since there are 8 valves you only have to run 2 4 pair wires all color coded nicey nice the guages are mounted into a radio delete panel so I never cut the dash ...I should get a better pic of that but heres where the interior is now more plans for this like mabe carpet..lmao

[Hottrucks]

ok had to look back at my pics if you notice the rear rallies are on....so home for some more of that primer stuff to get it one color..and do the tire swap

the first one is at drop on stock shocks that where holding it up.I out the monroe 5758 ( off a 50 chysler ) and they give me full travel and fit in the stock shock location..the rears are still in the stock location and bottom out the same time the axle hits the frame

[VA72C10]

Very nice....the altitude adjustment and primer have really helped it.

[Hottrucks]

ok here we are..these are some of the things I have done that again no pics

added the center consol for the radio..it also holds two 5" speakers ( heres 2 6x9's zip tied to the seat springs waiting for a box this winter it sounds good for zip ties) and when you open the lid to the box, against the seat I closed off a 1 1/2" section put a plate across the box 1" down and have the air ride switchs in there,this keeps them hidden but vey easy to get to all I do is open the lid enough to get my fingers in

I added the front air dam from a 99 F truck for a lower look

tinted the windows added a mexican blanket and a golf ball to the shifter since the OEM one was missing added a swap meet tach and covered my stock door panels with the same material I covered the consol with ( it was laying around from a previous project)



things I would like to do

plan on putting together a better bed

install the E brake cables I have had for 6 months

DS front fender and hood need to be replaced there not bad but...easier to change then fix and add some inner wheel wells

going to pull the front clip and pull the motor out I have been fighting a leaky motor and am sick of it...it also burns a little to much oil for my likeing so bearing rings a small cam then rattle can the block and clean up the intake..it will also get a bit of head work..hey I'm there..then fresh gaskets and a little surprize for my buddies and a fresh dist.cap & wires

the trans will get cleaned up with a new pan gasket

I was hoping for a set of pro streets but we'll see the set I had a deal on went south

disc brakes and power ..I have the booster hangers and stuff for booster while I'm there the fire wall with get a bath and some fresh paint..probably during the inner fender project so its all the same color??

I need to collect the parts for the A/C and rad supports

I also want a carpet but not new it would look out of place

heres some of the things we have done this summer..did I mention I finaly fixed the speedo a cpuples months ago and it shows over 5000 miles I figure I have about 8 or 9 on it since I pulled it from the woods.....yes this truck was pushed into the woods for junk/parts if you look back you can see that the top half of the motor was stripped for parts

[Hottrucks]

and we had a little fun along the way I'm looking forward to the spring time when she rolls out wih a fresh coat of primer and all cleaned up ready for spring yard clean up and a few loads of bark mulch ....yea its going to stay JUST A BEATER...

[Hottrucks]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Very nice....the altitude adjustment and primer have really helped it.

you didn't read my first post today did you??? snuck one in the middle of my pics...LMAO

yea the truck has got its own thing now who would have thought that this thing would be my DD and I would love driving it as much as I do..I think the power disc breaks will bring it right out of the stone age as far as using it to tow/haul which is about all I use my other truck for.. I need to thank the owner of this truck for insperation most of us know who he is

the others are just freebie's next to the work horse
hope you enjoy..I'll be trying to up daye as soon as I take it apart again...LMAO...

[VA72C10]

Sorry, saw the last post was at 6:30 and it was almost 7 so thought you were done

[mr48chev]

Looks good and I can't figure out why I never saw the thread before.

I like the idea that you were able to dig through your stash of pieces and find almost everything to make it work. At least to get it up and running to see what you had.

I've been wanting to thin my parts collection out for a long time but everytime I get rid of something it seems that all of the sudden I need that very same part for one of my rigs.

[Hottrucks]

yea 48 as soon as the truck was done I turned it around backed it up to the garage and scrapped 2180 pounds of left over stuff from 10 years of building cars/trucks in the garage funny even the plug wires where on the dizzy and now there on the truck thats why this winter some of the parts..all good..but need some cleaning and fresh paint....one thing I have learned from building alot of vech. is to run them in primer for a year..it allows things to settle and twist into a postion it wants to live..then go back readjust every thing and paint it...this one probably wont ever get paint it would take the truck out of it...

[Hottrucks]

well I was looking for my build post to help out anotehr memeber and relized that I scored some parts.....the A/C hardware and yes a new carpet...dam it!!.. but I bought it from a member here on the board I think he tried it in his truck only to find out he has a high humpand it layed around his place for awhile...I'll concider it used..it make me feel better...Nothing to good for my beater

Oh I snagged a head board for the bed and a better tail gate I plan on learning to pin stripe so I think it will make a good place to start..maybe a big TRAP STAMP on my tail gate...lmao....a dream would be to lay out some pistripe outline flames over the primer for a bit more attitude or I was thinking a barb wire pin stipe not sure which