1980 Chevy Scottsdale K20

[93FatBottom]

So I dragged the truck home today, a 96 Tahoe, an 8 dollar harbor freight tow strap, and some air for the tires later and here she sits at home waiting for a new heart.

I got around to decoding the Vin, and the truck came from the Factory with a 400 small block. I had been planning on finding me a good 454 from a 70's pick up, but I am considering dropping in a 400 just to stick to my trucks homage. I'm waiting for an email back for a 454 from a 73 chevy pick up, and also an email about a 400 small block from another truck (unsure of the year) the 454 is a 4 bolt, the 400 is a 2 bolt, both are running, the 454 is still in the truck, both are 600 each. She sits on 40's, and I'm looking into a picking up a set of hummer 36's from a military surplus supplier nearby. I would think the 400 would be a good choice for the 36's, but for the 40's, well I've blown up enough small blocks for me to not want to even deal with it. I would much rather swap in a 454, a motor that has been tested true for me in my years, and be happy with plenty of power to spin those 40's, and be confident the motor wont ever leave me stranded. The truck DID come with a large amount of new parts for a small block chevy (New moroso oil pan, valve covers, doug thorley headers with air injection, and a brand new in-box Comp Cams Xtreme Energy XE250H camshaft) but I'm planning on listing all those up on craigslist tomorrow after I clean out the cab and bed and do an inventory, see whats usable, whats not, etc etc.

I'm not looking to run any smog equipment on my motor of choice, no air injection/smog pump, no cat converters, no nothing. I've driven a 454 with and without and the difference was ridiculous, don't even get me started on my air injection small blocks. I'm not looking to make ridiculous power, but I'm planning a strong build, one that will fry them 40's easily, tow my trailers and boat, as well as be fit for a rig recovery, as I make some serious dough from late night weekend recovery missions, especially during mud season.

Does anyone have a strong recommendation for my application, and some supporting facts to back it up? Whatever I choose, I'm going to do a cam and intake, some slight head work, and my cousin just completed a gear driving timing set on his small block in his 78 K10, and that sound was beautiful, so I'm thinking it would be a welcomed upgrade to whatever motor I choose.

Thanks in advance guys!

[sumran]

Nice looking truck. Looks like it is rust-free. You have described a big block's intended purpose. Since you have no conditions about fuel economy, the 454 should provide the durability power and low-end torque for your application.

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by sumran

Nice looking truck. Looks like it is rust-free. You have described a big block's intended purpose. Since you have no conditions about fuel economy, the 454 should provide the durability power and low-end torque for your application.

Thanks for the compliment. This truck has been hunted by many of my friends for years, but they couldn't afford what the owner was asking, but in the end, I ended up getting it for a bit more than a quarter of the price given to my friends. They're all pretty upset with me, it helps when your parents have been friends with the owners since high school.

I was pretty deadset on a 454, but I considered the 400 just because thats what came in the truck originally.

As for rust, theres a spot of rust below the drivers side of the windshield, surface rust on the grill and the tailgate cap, verious small places, but the only serious rust is that section below the windshield, about the size of a usb flash drive, but this truck is a toy for me, so I'm not worried about that, if I ever decide to do body work, I'll handle that then. Otherwise, the roofs clean, the beds clean, the entire under carriage, its all clean and rust free. I was very surprised myself.

During the tow, the steering was tight, the brakes were smooth, even the shocks were good, the only problem I found was a flat spot on the passenger front tire, and I could definitely feel it, but nothing I'm concerned with.

Well, then it's looking like its decided.. a 454 is most likely best suited for it

[space wrangler]

ground hawgs

[pat386]

Love that truck!
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[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by space wrangler

ground hawgs

Yessir! Plenty of tread, no weather cracking, except the passenger fronts got a crack, slow leak, and a flat spot.
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[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by pat386

Love that truck!
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Thank you thank you, so do I not gonna lie, my favorite part is the old school cabin vents on bothe sides of the dash, pretty freaking sweet.
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[bmchevy1979]

Truck looks good.
Have on question though how do you plan on driving it in Cali if you take all the smog equipment off Cali is one of the most stringent as far as emissions go

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by bmchevy1979

Truck looks good.
Have on question though how do you plan on driving it in Cali if you take all the smog equipment off Cali is one of the most stringent as far as emissions go

It will have arizona plates, certain counties out there there's no smog period. Registered an 80's suburban out there, never had a single problem. I also have a 1975 title and vin, but that's a little too close to illegal for me right now
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[Oilbrnr]

Even in Maricopa County (Phoenix) a 1980 K20 needs no emissions equipment. It was the last year as GM tweaked the spring rates to get around the Fed requirements.

Always a big debacle however when I take my K20 in for testing. A lot of head scratching goes on. I just sit in the booth and tell them to go get their manager and do their research.

PITA.

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by Oilbrnr

Even in Maricopa County (Phoenix) a 1980 K20 needs no emissions equipment. It was the last year as GM tweaked the spring rates to get around the Fed requirements.

Always a big debacle however when I take my K20 in for testing. A lot of head scratching goes on. I just sit in the booth and tell them to go get their manager and do their research.

PITA.

In lake havasu city, I walked in with my California title and plates paid 80 bucks walked out with Arizona title plates and tags, 1979 Suburban 400 small block. The truck doesn't require cats but it required air injection an all the crap. My buddies 79 K5 even has EGR. In California they wouldn't smog my Burban without air injection, so the following month I went to havasu to visit friends for a long weekend used their address and didn't even have to bring the truck in. Took 15 minutes, on a FRIDAY! I was so excited haha.
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[79k30dually]

A good set of oval port heads and .100 dome pistons make good power with a good cam, 93 octane gas but it's more fun than a flat top motor. Nice truck, Ron

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by 79k30dually

A good set of oval port heads and .100 dome pistons make good power with a good cam, 93 octane gas but it's more fun than a flat top motor. Nice truck, Ron

Thank you, Ron. That's what I'm Hoping for, but I got a friend with a 1993 cummins 12 valve who's trying to sell it to me for a grand, 160k miles, complete motor, so I'm torn between my love for cummins, and my desire to make my wheeler scream. It's about 50/50 right now, but I think I'm genuinely leaning towards the cummins over a big block, for mpg and ridiculous power. The thing that makes me rethink it is how expensive the Chevy adapters are, and how equally expensive a dodge trans swap could be, an A518 with a passenger drop 205 would definitu get me where I wanna be though. I'm actually about to buy a 95 cummins Dually for 4500, so this project was gonna be delayed but now I'm thinkin again, damn. What do you think guys, 454 or first gen cummins??
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[thinair]

I would love to put a cummings in my 82!

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by thinair

I would love to put a cummings in my 82!

I've been wanting to do a Chevy Cummins swap for years, I've assisted people with their swaps, which has just further filled me with envy, but I suppose thats why I'm bringing home a 97 12 valve with 90k miles on it home tomorrow night I'm picking up an 84 454 out of a motor home on the same trip, and on Friday I'm picking up a fresh rebuilt set of oval port heads for the 84, so I can throw those peanut ports on craigslist. The big blocks gonna get new gaskets a bottom end check and maybe an intake and carb upgrade, I'm considering a cam, but haven't decided just yet. The cummins is going on the stand to be checked, gonna see how the cylinder walls are, maybe a valve job, new headgasket, considering o-ringing and studding it, but otherwise shes just gonna get cleaned up with some degreaser, paint and seals and gaskets. It's about 80% that the cummins will go into a square body suburban, though if I find a crew cab for the right price I may consider it as well. Square body 8 lug 4x4 suburbans are quite easy to come by around these parts for a decent price, so it seems It would be easier to go with that.

Of course, leave it to me to find my way into a cummins 12 valve on my search for a used 454 haha.

[true74enduro]

i love the 73-87 4x4s. if i was you boss id but a media blaster they have whats called a speed blaster thatd work ok for your application. then id use tcp globals epoxy primer on it.

[93FatBottom]

Originally Posted by true74enduro

i love the 73-87 4x4s. if i was you boss id but a media blaster they have whats called a speed blaster thatd work ok for your application. then id use tcp globals epoxy primer on it.

I plan on waiting it Cummins Apex Red and their silver color, they sell it directly from their shop, no worries there.

Last night, the 454 came home, a 1984 454 out of motorhome, 30k miles on it, and it shows, no grease or grime anywhere but on the edges of the oil pan (a pan gasket wont kill me will it?) motor spins free, came complete with A/c and alternator and exhaust manifolds, should work nicely. I went to the junkyard to get the Flex plate, since the owner kept it for one of his trucks, and I also got the proper motor mounts and various bolts I was missing. It's very exciting. I'm searching for a set of long tube headers right now, that will fit between the exhaust and frame rails, and doing away with that AWEFUL air injection crap, though I will be keeping parts just incase a rainy day ever comes... I'm considering ordering an engine dress up kit, painting the block a vibrant silver, to aid in leak detection, and while its on the stand I was considering some main and rod bearings and a high pressure/volume oil pump, but its only got 30k miles on it, so I might even skip the bearings and just do the oil pump, and possibly a new double roller timing set, since I have both laying around. That gives me an excuse to do the pan gasket and check the main seals, and this way, I wont have to worry about problems in the near future. I'd be bumped if the oil pump wasnt working after sitting so long, just sayin'. I have an edelbrock intake and carb coming to me soon, and then possibly doing away with the peanut ports and acquiring a set of oval port heads off the motor I got the flex plate from, junk yard said both heads for 50, cuz its half price weekend. I cannot wait to get this thing on the road and I'm throwing all my dollars at it, I'm kinda sorta mad at myself honestly, but it'll be so freakin' worth it to have this motor out of the garage, giving myself room for the cummins and other crap, and getting prepped for the fun that awaits. I want this truck ready for an offroad adventure by the end of January.

[beamn7]

Be sure to check the end play on that 454. Mid 80's GM was swapping out Mark IV engines left and right in the "P" chassis' (motorhomes) for excessive end play. Did a fair number of them myself....
BTW, can you pull the paint code for that puppy? Dig the color. Thx