My new truck...

[khan1369]

So at the moment, I am out to sea for month 7, and my wife decided to get me a little present. A 1970 GMC C15 LWB!!! She payed 2500, and the only rot she found was in the drivers side floor...

I have the most badass wife ever, just sayin'.

Unfortunately because I am in the middle of the ocean, and certain web sites like photobucket are blocked, I am unable to post pics at the moment. I can only attach them. if anyone wants to help me out, I would appreciate it.

My plans are
- 5.3 (Stroked to 383)
- NV4500 or T-56 Swap (NV4500 for the granny gear for towing.. it is a truck after all)
-Re-upholster the stock bench seat
-Under bed fuel tank
-Air bag suspension (mostly to tow, I have no desire to lay my frame... at least not yet...)
-Custom stereo system.

I will start a build thread when I get home in a few more months...

[RANDY COX]

If that's the only rot,then I'd say you I mean your Wife did Ok..I wouldn't know how to act
If my Wifey bought me a truck...Btw I couldn't Imagine being out to sea for 7 months..
That leads me to think that your in the military.If so Thank you for your service...If not
then hope your not sea sick...LOL..Any who bet you can't wait to get back to tinker with
your new ride..

[daves72C10D]

Yea, nice truck and you must have a keeper of a wife if she gets you a truck.

[khan1369]

Originally Posted by RANDY COX

If that's the only rot,then I'd say you I mean your Wife did Ok..I wouldn't know how to act
If my Wifey bought me a truck...Btw I couldn't Imagine being out to sea for 7 months..
That leads me to think that your in the military.If so Thank you for your service...If not
then hope your not sea sick...LOL..Any who bet you can't wait to get back to tinker with
your new ride..

The wife is definately a keeper.

I am in the Navy, 13 years and counting. I joined before it was cool. Being away for 7 months sucks. 9 months sucks more. Doing it twice in less than 2 years even more. I appreciate your thanks. Believe it or not, its not always common to hear. As for being seasick, been in some pretty rough seas and haven't puked yet. The biggest problem is being 6'4", and sleeping in a 6' x 3' rack.

I hope that is the only rot, but I won't know until I get home and do a deep inspection, and possibly bring it down to bare metal for a repaint. I am on a pretty tiny budget so that may take quite some time. Still need to get a welder and teach myself to weld.

Some other issues.. The PO cut holes in the doors for 6x9 speakers, so that will need patching, and the dash has been cut for a modern stereo. Another patch job must happen. And I am not sure how it is lowered yet. If the springs are cut, I will want to replace them with drop springs and spindles.

All in all, from what my buddies back home are telling me, its a solid truck and an excellent start. I am pretty stoked. Best part is Kristin (my wife) wants me to teach her about cars and she wants to help me restore/modify it.

[68Stepbed]

First off, let me say thank you for your service.

Next, you have a good solid start for a project. Congrats to the wife for picking it out for you! It's also good to see you have made a solid plan to work on it. Your current plans aren't hard to do, and still keep it driveable as you do them.

[OTIS HURTS]

Nice truck and good wife it sounds

[LockDoc]

-
Good on the wifey, she's too cool!

Does she have a single, identical twin sister?

Oh, and thanks for covering our butts for all those years.

LockDoc

[Shyguy]

Thank you for your service.

The truck sure looks like it will be a good starting point for which ever way you want to go with it.

Being at sea away from your family for long periods of time is sure, how do I put it, a pain.

I know because I went on two long West Pacs on an air craft carrier in the mid 1960s.

Again thank you for your service.

[khan1369]

lockguy - she has a sister. but her sister is not even in the same ballpark. sorry bro.

shyguy - thank you for your service. we merely follow in the footsteps of those who went before. I am on an aircraft carrier now, usually I work on Cruisers and Destroyers.

Anyone know how big of a fuel tank I can fit under the bed easily? I am thinking about getting a tank from a 2000+ Silverado because it already has the correct fuel pump and sender. would make the 5.3L Swap that much easier.

[msgross]

I'm away for 12 months and hoping that the wife doesn't sell mine! That's pretty cool that she bought it for you, better check the jewelry box box when you get home because nothing is free!!! Haha. Probably some nice new earrings for herself, still a good deal for you.. Good luck
Posted via Mobile Device

[khan1369]

12 months is too long. Anytime away is too long. Good luck out there.

yeah, took a while to get her into muscle cars and older trucks. But she likes it almost more than me. As for the jewelry box, I took care of that with a very expensive anniversary band for our 10th. Cost almost as much as the truck did.

[sdwolff98]

wish my wife would do that for me lol. I just bought a 66 4x4 suburban in olympia a few months ago. Thank you for your service in our armed forces. My son is nat guard. When ya get in town come on down to tacoma to my garage and bring the beast wid ya and we can get into some trouble

Sean

[khan1369]

sdwolf, sounds like a plan. I got some family down there in Tacoma, and some in Lacey. Can't wait to get home.

[yuccales]

That's a nice lookin' truck. As for teaching yourself to weld, start hanging out with whoever is keeping your ship afloat. Our Navy must have at least one welder onboard. Thank you for your service to this country.

[khan1369]

we got some good welders. we got some crappy welders. I got a good one teaching me. The problem is there are no mig welders onboard so I gotta learn to stick weld. I will have to get home, get a mig, and practice. wire feed speed... that will take a bit of getting used to.

[808_67C10]

Looks pretty damn cool!
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by khan1369

So at the moment, I am out to sea for month 7, and my wife decided to get me a little present. A 1970 GMC C15 LWB!!! She payed 2500, and the only rot she found was in the drivers side floor...

I have the most badass wife ever, just sayin'.

Unfortunately because I am in the middle of the ocean, and certain web sites like photobucket are blocked, I am unable to post pics at the moment. I can only attach them. if anyone wants to help me out, I would appreciate it.

My plans are
- 5.3 (Stroked to 383)
- NV4500 or T-56 Swap (NV4500 for the granny gear for towing.. it is a truck after all)
-Re-upholster the stock bench seat
-Under bed fuel tank
-Air bag suspension (mostly to tow, I have no desire to lay my frame... at least not yet...)
-Custom stereo system.

I will start a build thread when I get home in a few more months...

Looks like a decent foundation you can tinker with and fix as you go

Sounds like you have a cool wife, that's filling her time with stuff like this, instead of another dude (which you hear of far too often in this scenario). "What did you expect? I was LONELY".


Posted via Mobile Device

[tommys72]

That's awesome bro, my wife bought mine after I got out....now I'm going back in again, I miss it! What ship are you on? I caught a "ride" to Kuwait in 03 on the BATTAN to go to IRAQ....BE SAFE man, and congrats on the truck
Posted via Mobile Device

[scrappy]

Definately a cool truck(& an equally cool wife), I dig the ralley's. If you get good at arc welding than mig will be a breeze. Stay safe out there & thank you for your service.

[khan1369]

Well, I am home now. Surprised my daughters at school yesterday, it was on the news last night... talk about awkward... stoked to be home. drove my new old truck for the first time too. runs good. looking forward to wrenching on her soon. but first things first. family time.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by khan1369

Well, I am home now. Surprised my daughters at school yesterday, it was on the news last night... talk about awkward... stoked to be home. drove my new old truck for the first time too. runs good. looking forward to wrenching on her soon. but first things first. family time.

Congrats on being home, thanks for being out there in the first place. Now have a great time with the family and the truck!

[Fatkid1983]

welcome home! and thank you for your service! have fun with your new project and keep the pics coming.

[khan1369]

Just an update, for sake of updating.

Got a 5.3L off craigslist a few years back. Had a blow head gasket. had the heads resurfaced, put on new head gaskets... and ran out of time. I was changing duty stations and only had about 2 weeks to get the 5.3L in the truck as I had sold the 350 to a buddy to get his C10 moving again. So I redid my harness myself, got the engine shoehorned into the truck and put a blazer gas tank in the bed (temporary) and ran some lines. I picked up a 4l60e from a 1998 V6 blazer, got it in, had the driveshaft shortened and got her buttoned up enough to drive for a bit. Then it became my daily diver out of necessity... It did not run correctly at all, but it ran. I was getting a lean code on bank 1... so I cleaned the injectors, searched for eternity for a exhaust or vacuum leak and just couldn't figure it out. eventually the truck just wasn't driveable... backfiring, no power, etc... so I parked it at my moms house and bought a beater truck to get to and from work. Thinking maybe I screwed up the wiring harness, I bought a new one at PSI Conversions and got it wired in enough to drive it to my house in Oak Harbor.... got 1/2 way there and she backfired and died... towed it the rest of the way and there it sits. the transmission leaks fluid like crazy.... I can start it, but it makes a strange screaming sound... So yeah. I plan to get her moving again, and I hate looking at her sitting there in the garage unable to drive. So I am getting my motivation together and hopefully soon I will have her back on the road.

[kehstr]

sorry to hear you have been having troubles, it seems that is how all projects go, you have those quirks you have to work out. Hope you can work them out soon and drive the wheels off of it!!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by khan1369

Just an update, for sake of updating.

Got a 5.3L off craigslist a few years back. Had a blow head gasket. had the heads resurfaced, put on new head gaskets... and ran out of time. I was changing duty stations and only had about 2 weeks to get the 5.3L in the truck as I had sold the 350 to a buddy to get his C10 moving again. So I redid my harness myself, got the engine shoehorned into the truck and put a blazer gas tank in the bed (temporary) and ran some lines. I picked up a 4l60e from a 1998 V6 blazer, got it in, had the driveshaft shortened and got her buttoned up enough to drive for a bit. Then it became my daily diver out of necessity... It did not run correctly at all, but it ran. I was getting a lean code on bank 1... so I cleaned the injectors, searched for eternity for a exhaust or vacuum leak and just couldn't figure it out. eventually the truck just wasn't driveable... backfiring, no power, etc... so I parked it at my moms house and bought a beater truck to get to and from work. Thinking maybe I screwed up the wiring harness, I bought a new one at PSI Conversions and got it wired in enough to drive it to my house in Oak Harbor.... got 1/2 way there and she backfired and died... towed it the rest of the way and there it sits. the transmission leaks fluid like crazy.... I can start it, but it makes a strange screaming sound... So yeah. I plan to get her moving again, and I hate looking at her sitting there in the garage unable to drive. So I am getting my motivation together and hopefully soon I will have her back on the road.

Is it a mail order tune or did you have someone local do it for you. I'm betting that is the problem. If you haven't already, cruise on over to the LSx Forums on here and start a thread about your problem. Include as much info as you can. You will get some ideas to try from those guys....

LockDoc