Hi everybody, I am a 55 year old from the Adirondack mountains of Upstate New York. Course up here you need a 4-wheel drive vehicle and if you have property you need a pickup truck. I always have wanted my own truck, but family and business matters always came first. I was looking for a mid 80's 3/4 ton forever, ever since I saw the light blue Silverados from way back. I got the truck from a guy that was moving to Florida, he got it from a paving company that did plowing in the winter. It's an '86 Custom Deluxe, 350 4bbl Quadrajet, heavy duty brakes and front springs and HD shocks, TH700 trani, dual fuel tanks, trani cooler, winter climate package. In other words....perfect! The paving company kept the body in excellent shape; all, and I mean all the body parts are new! The cab has been worked over, but the inner and outer fenders, hood, 8 ft bed, tailgate, fuel tanks, windshield are new.
I drove the truck with the transplant engine for a couple of years, and then moved to Lake Placid when my company went out of business. On the last trip, the transmission blew (plowing is really hard on a transmission), so had the transmission re-built. I figured that I may as well replace the Chevy Nova engine and got a good deal from Advanced Auto Parts for a 350 short block. Well, money and the fact that I don't have a garage here has slowed the process down. Year before last, I sandblasted the frame and the underneath and brush painted it with Chassis Saver; took me the better part of 2 weeks but I got it all.
Anyway, it's such a long story isn't it? This winter I am finally setup to get going on it again. I am bringing the engine to finish up in my apartment (Edelbrock Performer manifold w/EGR) and I am going to re-build the Quadrajet there also. I have already replaced the front disks and calipers, the rear drums, brakes and cylinders and shoes, new tires, and the locking hubs have been replaced. All I want for now is a nice clean driver. I like it the way it is.
My other vehicles are my sweet queen '95 Harley FLHR Road King, aqua paint, lowered 1 & 1/2", spoke wheels, S&S carb, Samson turn downs. Other than that, stock, a head-turner. And I bought a 2000 Jeep Cherokee for my girlfriend's cleaning business, that I have come to like very much myself.
Can't wait to get started with the truck again. I have some pictures, and of the bike also. I just moved, so they are in with with jumble of boxes I call my life now. I love these trucks, can't really express it without going on and on...... I haven't even wanted to get the radio going on it, I could go for hours just listening to the drivetrain whinning and the music from the engine. That's all. I have a few questions. Seems like a great group here.
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