Got the first truck back, Finally

[SD'sGMCs]

I wrecked this truck 7 years ago ( rear ended a minnow truck ) and sold it to one of my friends. It was stock when i wrecked it he put a 98 front end on it the clear lights on the front euros on the back along with a rollpan. Had it repainted and put 18'' cragars on it, motor threw a rod about 4 years ago and it's been sitting out in front of his shop since. The paint is shot along with the motor but the body is straight i think i got a pretty good deal for 800.00, still trying to figure out what i want to do about the motor. It has a 4.3 and i've been looking at going with a 350 but i,m starting to lean toward rebuildind the 4.3 so unless i happen to find a really graet deal on a motor thats probably what will happen. Enough talking here she is.

[89muscletruck]

nah if your going to dream about swapping the motor, go big! Do a 454 or, even better, an LT/S 5.3 or 6.0L!

[benoit454]

paint doesn't look shot to me a good buff and polish makes a world of difference.

Be aware that with a 350 you're gonna need to change or move motor mounts, use another tbi and computer or injectors and computer, that is if it's tbi and if it's gonna stay tbi. if it threw a rod I don't think it's gonna be a simple rebuild, the block is more then likely junk and you know the rod if not more is, probably crank and all, it's gonna add up fast. I'd swap entire motors, another 4.3 or find a 350 to build.

[SD'sGMCs]

You can't really see it in the pictures but the clear coat over the whole front cap up the door post, top of the doors and the roof is gone ( Every where he had it repainted basically ).

[benoit454]

is it just flat looking or you can see and feel a line where it flaked off?

[SD'sGMCs]

It's flaking off on the quater panels door post and doors and basicly gone on the hood. I think it's just a victim of a bad paint job he told me that he told the painter that all he could spend was 250 so i figure he got what he paid for.

[spudz]

my vote is for a stock junk yard 350 tbi engine. Get a complete motor with the tbi and all the sensors still on it so you dont have to hunt down injectors, knock sensors etc. Get the motor mounts out of the same truck and the chip out of the computer. BOLT in your truck and back on the road...

[SD'sGMCs]

Well i finally got the motor out going to try and pick up the new one tomorrow. I didn't think i would ever get to it between the weather and the flu (one more reason getting a shop built is main goal next year). My drive way has a slope on it and i couldn't pull the cherry picker back and work the motor out so thats when the the wife and the john deere came in handy it was a cluster for a while but i finally got it. At least i can say i've done it now although i think i'm going to need some help to go back in with the new one. But thats what friends are for i hope.

[SD'sGMCs]

I also pic'ed up a sterring column at the local junk yard to replace the one they tore up trying to steal the truck a while back. I got lucky and found one with two keys so that saved a little hassle.

[SD'sGMCs]

I just got back from picking up the new motor. Will post pics later, I paid 600 bucks and it came with the engine stand an edlebrock preformer intake and a four barrel edlebrock carb. Going to call tomorrow and get the headers and the conversion plate for the tbi. Wish me luck the next learning project is taking the tranny off and hooking it back up.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Thats a pretty clean looking truck and welcome to the board.

[Pop's C-10]

You got that for a deal..slap a fresh filter & gasket in tha trans before while it's out..maybe even a shift kit..

[SD'sGMCs]

After two years I'm back on the project. I got the motor installed thanks to the help of my neighbor (He still cringes when I drive it into his yard. I just pulled most of the front cap off tonight going to get it sanded and repainted I know I should have done all of that while the motor was out but it is what it is. I'm thinking of keeping the red color up to the top body line and then going black above it and powder coating my wheels and grill inserts gloss black also and probably going with some dark colored euro's. I'm also going to try and build my own cowl hood so we will see how that goes. I will post pics as I go along.

[SD'sGMCs]

Just got the new hood from the junk yard fixing to start cutting on it to try and make my own cowl hood

[SD'sGMCs]

Got the hood cut and braced all I have to do now is add the fillers in the side. This would be so much easier if I had a better welder. Trying to upload pics but having problems

[SD'sGMCs]

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[SD'sGMCs]

Finally got some pics loaded. I got my filler pieces made today hoping I can have it painted by the time the weekend is over.

[SD'sGMCs]

Got the sides welded in finally. Time to get started on the bondo tomorrow. I have a little bit of oil can in the top of the hood but I think I can get it out with some braces tacked in on the underside.

[SD'sGMCs]

Started the bondo on the hood today but busted a bolt off in the manifold on my s-10 while trying to change out the flex pipe due to an exhaust leak(its my daily driver and has been driving me nuts for a while). So that's going to set me back time wise a little bit.