Cannibalizer project diary

[fun in dirt]

For the past 14 years I've had a Blazer "The Bucket". I still love it & we have countless hours worth of work in it! There is nothing that can compare to exploring backroads, topless on a beautiful summer day. It performs flawlessly in the mud & has never let me down... So what the hell am I doing?!
Well like most of you reading this, I have a problem … I get to thinking about a truck project and next thing I know we're dragging something else home that we really don't need

[flashed]

I dont see the Problem .

[fun in dirt]

So here's the plan...
This is a '72 C20 truck that has very little rust & a good title, but is pretty much just a hull. But all the drivetrain in the Bucket is in near perfect condition with less than 5k miles on it. Pretty much everything will be transferred over to the truck, making it a K20. There is no way I can afford an already built K20 like I want, so will go this route to build one. I want it to ultimately perform & be dependable and tough like my Blazer, but have the inside super nice & comfy. I have visions of green/white 2 tone paint; the outside nice, but not so nice I'm scared to blast down the gravel roads in it & use as a real 4wd occasionally. It will take a good bit of time in work, but can hopefully do without spending a whole lot of $.

And here we go...
We've tried to take advantage of the vacation time here around Christmas to get a start on it all. First step was to get it cleaned out & see what was needed & missing that I didn't already have on the Blazer. My husband, the FabMaster started fixing a few rust areas that do exist (there is always more than you think, but not near as bad as others I've seen) & patching the cutout doors from previous (and also missing) auxiliary tanks. I got the bed disassembled, so can get a plan for reassembling it.

[68Gold/white]

That bedside looks nice!!!

Best wishes of getting it done!!!

[fun in dirt]

Still working on rust repairs. Outer rockers have been a real PITA to get to fit correctly.

[fun in dirt]

Much closer on the metal work. Finished new replacement panels in cab corners, parts of inner & both outer rockers, bottom of both doors. It seems like the rain will never stop here; maybe we should be building an ark! But the few sunny days we have taken advantage of with blasting & epoxy primer inner areas of cab & the repaired metal backsides.
Discovered the Black Diamond coal for blasting, instead of the playground sand, and it works so much better - fewer health hazards, less heat/warpage potential to panels & no pre-sifting needed.
(sorry for sideways cab pic; I can't get it to show straight even after rotating)

[GerhardH]

Hey cool Lady.
Earlier or later everybody met his C20😂👍
Remember well the garage of the Fabmaster

Go Lesli go

[fun in dirt]

Originally Posted by GerhardH

Hey cool Lady.
Earlier or later everybody met his C20����
Remember well the garage of the Fabmaster

Go Lesli go

Hello my German friend!!! Was wondering if you were stranded on one of those Coronavirus cruise lines ... hope all is well with you & the family!

[fun in dirt]

Things were getting real by the end of the day Saturday ... it's no turning back now

[fun in dirt]

After lots of measuring & lining up center marks with a laser, the front end is now married onto the truck frame. Set the motor & trans/xfer back in so could build a new xfer mount (didn't like previous mount on Blazer). Have also gotten the rearend/suspension out from under Blazer. Only thing left to get off it is the hydro boost & a few switches and wiring.

[fun in dirt]

Lots of "working from home" happening here the last several weeks with all the shelter-in-place orders because of coronavirus, so trying to take advantage of it. Rear spring hangers fabbed & all that mounted. Frame blasted & epoxy primed. Fuel tank mounted & about to run all the hard lines for that.
Dug out & cleaned up the slots so could get a good look view of it all with the sun shining today!

[fun in dirt]

Doesn't take long for a shop to become too small. So did some reorganizing under the shed outside for all body parts to be together now & make more working/walking around room inside the shop.
New crate 383 from ATK Performance finally arrived. Very happy with #s on the dyno sheet: 474 HP & 505 Torq
Still had brand new torque converter bought several years ago from PTC (specifically built for this type motor) so swapped the stock type converter for it to go with 400 transmission out of the Bucket.
Now motor, trans & xfer all back in the chassis this weekend.

[SIXTY9]

Like your Shop!!

[Ol Blue K20]

Looking really good.

[fun in dirt]

Got most of the exhaust finished this weekend.
Keeping the 2.5" manifolds I ran on the Blazer. Have had several vehicles with headers, but these manifolds are so easy to change plugs & such with. A box full of bends & straights from Summit was the ticket. Will finish the tailpipes after get the bed set back on frame, so can get them placed so exiting just right.
Did alot of mods on the swing bearing cross member. Plan on running a 1 piece driveshaft so needed so clearance, but wanted to keep there for frame strength. The pass-through for exhaust is my favorite part.
(What is up with pics turning sideways when posted???)

[fun in dirt]

Ordered Vintage Air system, but saying it will be at least 4-6 weeks before delivered as they are so far behind. Need compressor so can make motor bracket for it, but did get bracket made & moved alternator to driver side of motor.
To the point where not much else can do to frame, so went for setting cab on. First cut out the floor & welded on nuts for high hump tunnel, painted the firewall satin black and set new Energy Suspension bushings all around.
When set the cab, floor board behind high hump was hitting on transfer. This was not even close to an issue with this combo in the Blazer, so not sure as to why in this truck. Motor/trans/xfer & rear pinion are at angles the y need to be, so just did a little more cutting on floor. It will all be under the seat & carpet anyway so not a big concern.
Hung door, set radiator support & front fender so get a clearer idea of cab shimming that will be needed ... yeah it's got to have some
Sooo much more work to be done, but it is encouraging to get a glimpse of it looking like a truck again!
AND NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH OUT SUCH A TALENTED HUSBAND, WITH SO MUCH PATIENCE TO PUT UP WITH ME!

[fun in dirt]

Still working on it!

* Finally got all the panels fit up & shimmed.

* Facebook Marketplace score on some Hummer 17" 8 lug wheels & then later found good used tires too. As much as I love my 16.5 slots & TSLs, reality is that I can actually buy tires that I can balance good & roll faster/smooth on these. Very little difference in physical size from 36x14.5x16.5 TSLs to 315/70-17 Firestone Destination MT2.

* Brake system completed - Copper/nickle lines are so much easier to bend & flare! Ended up replacing all the calipers too, even though only about 6 yrs old, they were pretty crusty around the piston from those years of mud & water. Lever lock, just like on Blazer, plumbed for an emergency brake since all that stock emergency brake went away with the rear caliper conversion; and it's super handy when winching someone else out.

[fun in dirt]

* Fuel system completed - No tank behind the seat, went with a factory type Blazer tank between frame rails. Modified fill neck with a Tanks Inc short neck & cap. There will be a stainless access door in bed floor.

* Refurbished an original '69 grill to go in it - many hours in stripping, repainting, polishing; but worth it as they are hard to find & stupid $ for a new repop.

* Shift linkage fabbed from steering column to transmission. It was totally missing. Thought about the Lokar cable conversion but hated the bulky arm they have that attaches to column. And it is a straight shot, so saved that $ and fabbed one.

[May70]

I really like that lever lock system, ive never seen something like that used in light trucks.

I would like to put my boat in the water with my truck and this looks like a better alternative than working the pedal e brake, clutch etc all at once.

Im looking online for them and I see I can get it through Oriellys as a special order for $340. Is there a better way?

[Ol Blue K20]

I like the lever locks. I always had them in my tow trucks. I have one that will be going in Ol Blue.

[fun in dirt]

Originally Posted by May70

Im looking online for them and I see I can get it through Oriellys as a special order for $340. Is there a better way?

Yes they are super expensive, but very well made & should last forever. Can find on Ebay for around $300. They used to be $200 new when got for my Blazer 6+years ago & that hurt my feelings too. It usually 5-10yrs between our big vehicle projects like this & it always amazes me at the increase in $ for parts.

Options:
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...gs,387282.html
from Speedway a $30 alternative, but no experience with them ... may be all good but maybe cheesy & from Chiner. Considering the consequence of truck rolling into water I'd about be scared to risk that.
Also, I've heard they came on old bread trucks or commercial van body things like that or wrecker like Ol Blue K20 said; may luck up & find one in a junk yard somewhere.

[fun in dirt]

Still making progress ... restored old valve covers & trim.

[fun in dirt]

Rear tubes & bracing for jerking & pulling.
Cleaning up interior pieces - found some perfect textured Rustoleum paint for the door panels, glove box, & instrument cluster.
Body panels all back off for more blasting, epoxy priming & final body work.

[fun in dirt]

They amount of body work on a long wheelbase truck is insane ... even one that starts out being relatively straight! (We have concluded that cars are easier to restore than trucks.) So thankful for the many, many hours my husband has put into this already.

Some smaller pieces finished like emblems repainted & turning the cargo light into a 3rd brake light. Seat belts, out of '96 Chevy truck that were gray, dyed. I've learned that lots of time mixing colors to get the perfect brown of Rit dye & then using an aluminum pot will make them green. So green they are & green they'll be!

Big stuff done like bed re-assembled again for 3/4" marine plywood cut, fit & holes drilled, then taken all back apart (the reason cars are easier than trucks). Also epoxy painted it black in prep for future bedliner on it.

The biggest thing done - cab is painted! Painted the white roof & top of doors, then center strip. Waited a week & taped all back up to paint the green. At same time cut in & painted back side of bed panels so all that can be reassembled before final outter paint. This Sherwin Williams G2 paint is the shizzle; lays out slicjk & beautiful!!!

[fun in dirt]

more pics...