High School Sweetheart

[Earl Junior]

So I finally got off my lazy behind and decided to do something with my first love. I bought this 1968 Chevy SWB from the second owner in 1993.

At the time she came to me someone had swapped in a 350 and a four-speed from a Camaro (I think). After my third junkyard Muncie I upgraded to a Tremec 5-speed. The 3.73 posi, my hooligan friends, and the fact that I worked for a tire store/gas station allowed me to literally smoke away entire paychecks.

This is the truck saw me through a lot of firsts: I used her to take my wife on our first date. Got my first speeding ticket. First Friday Night Drag at Spokane Raceway Park. First reason to buy quality tools (three clutches, four trannies in five years). First vehicle.

I'd sort of semi-retired her by 2000. The 350 was really tired and burned as much oil as gas, rust was starting to eat away at all the regular places these trucks tend to rust, and the rear end had this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad noise.

So I took her down to the frame and started to fix the things that are wrong.

Just off the top of my head here are the things I've done:

2-inch drop spindles, upgrade to discs in front
4-inch drop springs all around
New sheet metal upfront
Shaved firewall
Rebuilt the rear-end and swapped out to a 3.42:1 posi unit
Shaved door handles with door electric poppers, shaved gas filler hole
Blazer tank relocate
New body mounts and suspension bushing all around
One piece windows
Bucket seats and console from 2002 GMC pickup

500 CI Cadillac engine swap
VT28MT10 MT#10 grind Cadillac performance camshaft
Gross valve lift: intake .531 exhaust .538
Duration at .006 tappet lift: intake 262 exhaust 270
Valve timing at .050: intake open -3 btdc close 41 abdc, exhuast open 44 bbdc 0 atdc
These specs are for cam installed at 112 intake center line.
Duration at .050: intake 218 exhaust 224
lobe lift: intake .3090 exhaust .3130
lobe separation 112.0

EP-64KB+30 500 Cadillac piston +.030 overbore, Keith Black performance piston
EP-67+30 Rings, moly Cadillac 472/500cid +.030 over bore
EP23 Roller timing set 3 pcs.
EP02+10 +10 Crankshaft main bearing set
EP03+10 +10 Rod bearing set
EP63 Cam Bearings
VT21 Lifter, performance type hi-rev hydraulic
425EP-52G oil pump, G, heavy duty cast iron housing

EKVT01 Spring insert .060" thick
VT03 Seal, valve stem for use with any MTS spring kit
VT04 Valve lock, S/S, use with Street/Strip valvetrain
VT05 Retainer, Street/Strip
VT06 Spring, S/S valvetrain
VT41 .030" Longer than stock pushrod


Edited: My pics aren't showing up. Show here's a link to my Flickr feed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9732720...57629131647661

The hood is on it now and I've got lots more pics somewhere. I'll post more as I get them loaded.

[jeffg1010]

pics arent showing up. But it sounds like a great project!

[Earl Junior]

A little progress this weekend.

Got the interior put back together:
Jeg's brand sound mat/heat shield. Easy stuff to work with. Great price. So easy a five-year-old can do it.

New carpet from Custom Auto Accessories. Preformed, jute backed, nice edge. Took a day to lay flat after being in the box for who-knows-how-long. And the seats put back in place.

[Earl Junior]

Custom dash. Gauges are Autometer American Muscle series, blue light is for high beams, green for blinkers. Actual dash started out as a glove box door. I started by cutting the back (inside) off, laying out my design and drilling my holes. After I tried to put it all together, I started over. Remember kids: Measure twice, cut once.

[Earl Junior]

Was a busy weekend for the grinder. I spent most of Sunday smoothing the stock exhaust manifolds. I didn't take any pics before I put them back in, so you'll have to make to do with these.

[fakerwade]

Real nice start, looks like you have some real good help!