Three Of My Trucks

[illinoisk30]

             Finally I figured out how to resize my pictures and load them on to this site. I have five trucks altogether (thanks to my understanding wife). The first here is a 1977 Chevy Cheyenne K30 DRW Camper Special with automatic bought in Nevada in 2008. It originally had Flex Steel bucket seats in it with a flip down console that was falling apart so I put the seat out of another one of my trucks in it for now. It is in very poor condition but better than the bucket seat with the steel bar digging into my bottom.
             This truck came with Alcoa wheels and six tires that did not look safe at 20 miles and hour. I installed the factory wheels after they were powder coated along with new BFG mud terrrains.
             The paint on the hood was completely burned off, so I sealed it to keep it from rusting. The body is not to bad but will need some work or a good used cab. It does have a optioned 4.56 gear in it. The tach is factory as well. The option label in the glove box is still present as are all of my trucks except the '77 K10. Please ask any and all questions.

[illinoisk30]

Pictures are still a little big. I will have to do two at a time.

[illinoisk30]

This next truck is a 1978 GMC Sierra Grande K35 SRW. It came factory with a 400 small block and 400 automatic trans. The previous owner said the fire dept. put the hurt on the engine and blew it up but I think the hurt was put on by the kid I bought it from going by the water line on the core support above the headlights. It was pretty sad to see that such a clean truck was put through such a mess but each person to there own.
             I bought this in August of 2013. It was a brush truck from Coloma WI and I think I am the third owner. The guy I bought it from had replaced the bed with one off of a 1979 GM and had a fuel door on it. I found the correct bed in south western Illinois from a guy that bought it in Texas. I brought it home sandblasted the bottom, sealed and painted it black before I installed it.
             The entire frame suspension and axles were sandblasted, sealed and painted satin black as well. I bought some front inner fenders from Arizona and gave them the same treatment before installing them too. The front outer fenders are NOS GM that I bought for $200.00 for both, what a deal . Found the 8.25x16.5 wheels just over an hour away from me and then bought the Kumho Road Ventures to put on them from ebay. It has a 4" all spring Skyjacker Softride suspension lift with nitro shocks.3
              I replaced all u-joints but one. The brakes are completely new front and rear including frame brake line and rear axle brake lines from Inline Tube. Trans lines and fuel pump to carb lines were replaced with new from Inline Tube also. All the lug nuts are NOS GM too. You can't put old nasty lug nuts on nice new powder coated wheels .
              The seat was not to bad but have a donor out of a parts truck for now. I do have replacement cushions from American Cushion and the original seat cover material from Original Auto Interiors. The floors are not bad but do have small holes at the kick panel rocker area. Seat belts are good plastic is cracked a little bit. Dash will need to be replaced later, fire dept. had something mounted to it on top drivers side.
              The grill I bought on ebay and repainted the original paint scheme with silver on the outside and dark grey on the louvers. I do need to get a cab and do some paint work. Mechanically it is great and goes down the road very well.

[zieg85]

Love those rims on the 2nd truck.  Love the full time 4x4

[illinoisk30]

The third truck is a 1980 Chevy Custom Deluxe K30 SRW. I bought this truck in December of 2004 and was on a farm I believe its entire life. I actually remember seeing this truck on the road when I was on the school bus not knowing that it was a K30. My dad has 1977 Custom Deluxe K20 he bought new and I thought that was just the truck of all trucks. I did not know there was a unit that was a little bigger than that. I give him a hard time for not getting a K30 all the time. Anyway, I told my friend I was looking for a heavier truck and was interested in a K30 if I could find one (preferably 77-80) and he said a guy we went to school with would probably sell me his. I remembered him when I saw him and the truck. It had a flat bed on it because the bed rotted off and a tree limb had fallen on it and broke the windshield. We came together at $500.00 and  I brought it home.
                      I did all the body work and paint myself. It is not perfect and I will never put that much time into a cab again but it turned out ok for a welder. The paint is #43 Emerald Green and everything on the truck is factory including engine oil cooler. The interior is all new with as many NOS parts as I could find like the door panels which I purchased on ebay once again. I sent the old door panel to a place called Just Dashes to match the color and they turned out great. I washed the panels a few times, scuffed with scotch brite pad and then put two coats of adhesion promoter before applying multiple coats of green dye. I did dye the kick panel covers too. The dash is original with no cracks. I do not know how that survived but it is very nice. The seat has had the cushions replaced and seat covers in the original hounds tooth material purchased once again from Original Auto Interiors.
                      The trans (SM 465) has been rebuilt as of a couple years ago. The engine (350) needs to be replaced. It is a very tired, smoky leaky mess. I am not driving it until it gets replaced. It is embarrassing to drive such a pretty truck with a smoke trail behind you . Wheels are powder coated 8.25x16.5 with stock hub caps. The tires are 33x12.5x16.5 BFG mud terrains. Gears are 4.10's with G80 limited slip in the rear. The front lock outs are NOS GM units that I bought here there on ebay when I could find them. Grill is NOS bought on ebay as well.
                  Ebay is not the best or cheapest site to buy parts for these trucks but sometimes I am left with no other option. Sometimes you do okay. I usually get the part number first and try to find it somewhere cheaper and if not I will do my best to win it. These trucks are not perfect but done to the best of ability with the skills I have .

[illinoisk30]

More pics 1980 Chevy K30

[illinoisk30]

Spicer lock out Dana 60 1980 Chevy K30

[zieg85]

Tilt, tach, 4 speed and AC, I am in love nice attention to detail!!!

[illinoisk30]

Here is a picture of my 1978 GMC Sierra Grande and a 1979 GMC Sierra that I was told belonged to the city of Chicago? Kinda looks like it .

[illinoisk30]

Tilt, tach, 4 speed and AC, I am in love nice attention to detail!!!

Thanks zieg85, for a Custom Deluxe it has some unique options.

[LTZ C20]

Those are all very nice trucks. Your 80 K 30 has the same grille as my truck. I bout it from Craigslist NOS brand new. I love that grille. I noticed you have a thing for the stock hubcaps lol I like them alot too. You really know how to search for parts also. Good for you, great job. I'm actually jealous, I would like a few more trucks, a dually(preferably a crew cab), a blazer and a suburban.

[DanMcG]

Nice collection of trucks! I especially like the 80

[Irish_Alley]

the green is different but its a good different like it. but i think i like the bumper sticker the best lol. oh yeah what happened to the rear window of booger?

[illinoisk30]

Those are all very nice trucks. Your 80 K 30 has the same grille as my truck. I bout it from Craigslist NOS brand new. I love that grille. I noticed you have a thing for the stock hubcaps lol I like them alot too. You really know how to search for parts also. Good for you, great job. I'm actually jealous, I would like a few more trucks, a dually(preferably a crew cab), a blazer and a suburban.

Thanks for your comments I appreciate it. I do have a thing for the stock steel wheels with factory hub caps especially the wider wheels. I just wish that the trucks I have would have came with them factory. I have a magazine with a 1979 Chevy K30 that they are road testing and one of the options were those deep dish wheels. The cost was $415.00. Kinda steep for the era.

[illinoisk30]

the green is different but its a good different like it. but i think i like the bumper sticker the best lol. oh yeah what happened to the rear window of booger?

Did you call my green truck, booger? Jeez I thought we were friends . The rear window on the '80 is out. I installed a slider but since sold it and returning to a solid window. I have A/C so going back to original. Good eye Irish.