83 GMC K30 CC SB

[SmokeShow]

I thought I had already created a thread about my truck here but apparently not. 

I have a 1983 God Made Chevy (GMC  ) K30 crew cab (3+3) srw truck that was converted to shortbed by the previous owner and has the 91-style 4-headlight front end on it w/ a steel cowl hood.  I purchased this truck almost 2-yrs ago from a guy in PA that used it as a sled pulling truck and that will be it's primary purpose for me as well.  I purchased it w/o the engine as a roller and it currently has the GM pass. side drop D60 front with lockrite locker, an SM-465 4-spd transmission backed by a NP205 transfer case and a 14bff srw welded rearend out back.


Plans:

Engine:  Duramax engine out of a complete 2006 wrecked donor truck I have bought.  Just to get the conversion done and the truck running, the engine will be stock.  Eventually it will be built with billet connecting rods, large injectors, dual cp3s, custom charger setup (charger will be behind pass. headlight instead of in valley like normal for duramax), stage 2 heads, yada, yada, yada.  I have a gentlemen that is going to modify the stock harness so that it's virtually a 5-wire plug-n-play setup to have the running engine.  Once built, the truck should make 750-800hp at the wheels. 

Transmission:  I have purchased a zf6 6-spd manual transmission to run behind the duramax.  I have also already purchased a TRIPLE disc clutch from South Bend Clutch for sled pulling with!

Transfer Case: I am trading parts off the donor truck for a NV261XHD transfer case (same case as in the gmt-800 trucks with dmax).  They have proven to hold up very well on the track behind trucks that make more power than I will.  Good enough for me.  As some may know, this is a DRIVER'S side drop transfer case.

Drievtrain: FRONT - Since the transfer case is a driver's side drop, that means my perfectly good pass. drop GM D60 is useless to me in this truck.  I'm hoping to find a 78/79 Ford front HP D60 since they are virtually a bolt-in affair.  They are getting harder to find and are uber expensive when you DO find one.    If not the ford hp d60, the next likely option is a front axle from a 94+ Dodge and maybe try to utilize their coild spring linked susp. front setup.  The newer for d60 is hardest to use due to spring perch placement being way off from GM width and they won't mate up good at all.  REAR - the donor truck is a DRW truck.  I'm probably trading that rearend for a SRW rearend also from an 06 truck.  The AAM rear has proven to be just as tough as any other rearend on the track with good axles in them.  Unfortunately, the old 14 bolts just don't last behind the torque of the diesels.  That's a shame because unlike everything else diesel related, the 14B would have been much cheaper to build.  I'm also going to try and get the longer gmt-800 63" rear springs under the shortbed for ride and ease of mating to the AAM axle.  We'll see if they'll fit or not. 

Interior: Due to the truck being a pulling a truck, it doesn't currently have any interior in it except one bucket seat for driver and four mismatched door panels.    It will have matched door panels, new carpet, and power locks and windows.  I'm also going to put the seats and gauge cluster from the 2006 donor truck in it.  The donor truck is an extended cab truck and I'm going to make every effort to put that back seat in the crew cab.  I think I can get the back to attach to the cab wall like they do on the newer trucks.  We'll see.  All the HVAC controls and ducting will have to be put back in as well since they were also removed previously but came with the truck.  The class I'll be pulling in requires the trucks have complete and functioning interiors which I want anyways.



There are a LOT more details that I have worked out logistically but I'm tired of typing  and I think you have the gist of it now.  I'll try to get some pics thrown up later on and as I go along.  I'm hoping it'll be converted and running by mid-summer.  We'll just have to see how things pan out I guess.  The last couple years were spent collecting information and data so that once I started, I wasn't held up with something missing.  I have everything but the front differential now I hope.  Once I sell my GM D60, 4-spd, np205 and 14bff, I should be able to buy a front end to put under it.  Once I get the front end under it, I can know how/where the engine can go and the ball should roll pretty quick from there.



C-ya

[1983stepside]

sounds like you got a good plan there, make sure to post pics and dont be affriad to ask questions, there are alot of good people on here who will help you keep us posted

[SmokeShow]

Really the only pic I have on the work computer...

[SmokeShow]

Donor:


Back for now... would like a chrome blazer bumper or sport bumper...


Looking down the side... nice n straight!


Inside driver's side:


Above Qtr shot.  Please pay no mind to the totally awesome wheels it's rocking at the moment. 


Inside from pass. side.  Fuel cell will not be there anymore. Haha


Pass. side from rear qtr:


A 6" stack mocked up... it's just sitting in there.  It'll be shorter and hopefully straighter.  This pic shows the color of the truck a little better too.


For the time being, I plan on running these wheels on it. 16x8 eagle wheels.  I think their style matches the era of these trucks pretty well.  Eventually I want to run 10" wide wheels though.



That's really all I have for now.  I could post some pics of the parts going in it but it'll hafta wait til I can get those pictures.


C-ya

[team39763]

Are you building this as a weekend toy or as a driver?  Sounds like it'll work awesome as both.

[1983stepside]

wow man thats a nice truck you have cant wait to see you start building on her, its nice and straight and no rust it looks like you got a real good truck, be sure to post lots and lots of pics when you get started

[SmokeShow]

Pretty much just a weekend toy.  Might drive it occassionally in nice weather or to some of the local diesel club meetings.  If I get tired of sled pulling with it, it'll probably get more street time.  It's a bit of work going from street setup to track setup.  But nothing will be permenant on it.



C-ya

[beastie_3]

Nice!

[Got Smoke?]

Pretty much just a weekend toy.  Might drive it occassionally in nice weather or to some of the local diesel club meetings.  If I get tired of sled pulling with it, it'll probably get more street time.  It's a bit of work going from street setup to track setup.  But nothing will be permenant on it.



C-ya

Hello Mitchell 

[SmokeShow]

What's bud!  Had no idea you were on here too.

Gettin ready to get started on your old square body?!?!

[Got Smoke?]

What's bud!  Had no idea you were on here too.

Gettin ready to get started on your old square body?!?!

Well with the way things are going with trying to get the puller ready by next month, I'd be better off to start working on the 79 and just sit this year out.

[SmokeShow]

And a couple years later it's finally about to start...




Thats both trucks loaded on a 40' trailer being pulled by an 05 zf6 dmax.  He's gonna help with the conversion for some parts off the donor. So excited to finally actually get this thing going.  We're gonna try really hard to have it together for a pull here in Dec. if they'll invite me.  The final verdict was to do a body swap, not put the drivetrain in the 83 chassis.  The main factors in deciding to do that is (1) the much stronger 06 frame compared to the 83; (2) the engine, ZF6, transfer case, and rear end all BOLT INTO the 06 chassis and (3) making body mounts is hopefully gonna be a great deal easier than making engine and trans mounts and stiffening the 83 frame.   So, the 06 cab should be off by the end of the weekend.  The allison et al already has a purchaser.  06 seats are going in the 83.  Then we'll fit the 83 cab to the 06 chassis while the harness gets modified.

[Got Smoke?]

ABOUT dang TIME!

[Captkaos]

Is it a long bed extended 06?  I assume keeping the IFS also right?

[SmokeShow]

Well, true to form, it's likely that there's gonna be a change of tactics.   Now that the cab is off the 06, it is pretty evident the 83 body is not going to mount up to the 06 chassis very well.  Although both frames have the step up in the back where the bed mounts, the "step" is a good bit higher on the 06 frame as compared to the 83 frame.  That would make the 83 body way too high off the frame if the bed were mounted directly to the frame.  The amount of frame showing on our trucks is enough, it would practically all be showing under the 83 and that'd just be fugly so that's not gonna happen.

So, we're most likely going to go back to the plan of putting the 06 drivetrain in the 83 chassis.  I'll just have to see if the frame needs any additional bracing once it's put together and hooking.  If it's flexing too much, we can pull the bed back off and box in the frame if need be.  Only real option to still keep the conversion a body swap is to get the rear step in the 06 lower.  This could happen if I sectioned the frame in the middle of the step to get the wheel base the same as the 83.  We'll have to do some measuring to see if enough frame would be taken out in the step area to draw the wheel base tighter AND lower the rear section enough to get the bed low enough that the frame won't show so bad.


Progress to date....





capt,  yes, the 06 is an extra cab long bed truck.  No, the IFS won't be staying.  The 06 is a 2wd now.  Either way, a 2nd gen Dodge D60 is going under the front.