73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Members Rides => Topic started by: chevn-up on December 24, 2017, 07:42:56 PM
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Here is my build. Been working on it a couple years. 1985 Silverado.
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Some pics of what I've done. 25 gal. tank, relocated the battery to this drop-down box behind the cab,
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The buckets are from a 93 Toyota Corolla, Auto Meter's
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Hot rod louvers, and disc's in the rear.
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8)
Coming along nicely!
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Looks good, how low are you going?
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1984....... sticking with a static drop, 4 1/2 and 6".
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Been a while since last post. "Life is what happens while we're making other plans". >> John Lennon. Just a few pics of things. Changing the wiring around a bit. Deleted the A/C box.
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another
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Relocated the blower resistor into the A/C plenum, as well as moving the blower relay inside, up under the dash too. Really cleaned-up the engine compartment of all the spaghetti.
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ok.
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While at it, added this "secret switch". Grafted it in between the truck's ignition switch and starter. Need to keep the folks from steal'n ma horse. It is described as a tamper proof ignition switch. 2 position, from a HD......Harley Davidson that is.
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The led lights craze is sweeping the nation, thought I would get on board too. Before...
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After
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After
Super cool
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Nice work man!
I'm digging into a 1980 C-10 right now, I like what you did with the LED's.
Why did you remove the AC? Do you live in Cold Country?
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Original 305, rebuilt. mild cam.
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Got the rear disc's plumbed.
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another
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Been busy upgrading my tunes. This will help.
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Big day when the engine is back between the frame rails.
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Some scrap wood, a little ingenuity, and Bam! the front porch is now a cooler place to hang-out.
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Got my new shoes today. Been eyeing these for some time to go on sale. Staggered set, 275/40/20 245/40/20. My wheels of choice are a different story. Everyone I have checked with are out of stock. The last guy I talked with called the manufacturer directly and they told him the wheels are 90 days out. That's cool. Meanwhile, the house smells like a rubber factory.........That's cool too.
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Time for new gear oil for the diff.
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The oil-fill plug on my differential is seized up. I heated it up, and even used a hammer and punch, without any luck. So, I opted to get a cover with the "oil fill plug".
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There are lots of covers on the market advertised as having the "oil drain" plug. Be careful selecting which one you purchase. This pic is the factory cover showing the original oil line in the diff.
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I used a straight piece of metal rod to show the cover advertised as an "oil fill" plug. You can see this cover will allow me to fill the diff.
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Nice work! I like your attention to detail. When I saw those perfectly bent brakes lines I knew. Also liked the Lennon quote, have the same thing tattooed on my ribcage. Keep up the good work
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Got the shifter re-installed.
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Also replaced the dime-store battery disconnect that was in the truck with this unit.
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flexplate cover installed.
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yep.
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get'n there
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Very nice, I appreciate the attention to detail!
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
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Finished with the heater blower install. This blower box is made of fiberglass. I knew that simply attaching the motor with screws would lead to breakage, as the holes are close to the edge.
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I used 18ga. metal to fab a couple rings to reinforce the mounting location. Then I used silicone rtv on each side to "sandwich" the rings onto the box. It kinda glued it all together, super strong now.
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again
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Works like a champ.
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Nice work man, looks like you cleaned up the firewall as well! Can't believe how bad they came from the factory- dented, smacked around, gross spot welding surfaces!
Why did you remove the air conditioning?
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Bent-up the fuel line today. Replicated the original best I could.
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3/8" aluminum from Speedway Motors.
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A little Turtle wax and it polished-up nice.
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Almost forgot to mention, added this fuel filter.
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Connecting to the Rochester is a bit of a challenge. Many of you might recognize this throttle cable bracket.
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I didn't like it, so I made my own.
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10ga. metal, and two points of bolting it down.
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Should be ok.
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Keep it rollin' brother!
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Yep Shifty, getting closer to rollin"
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9 1/2" rears and 8" fronts.
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one more.
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Picked these bad boys up today. I carried 'em down to my local shop for a re-build.I swear these guys have been in business over 40 yrs. I can remember as a kid going to them with my dad and getting HIS stuff. It's nice that there are still some old-school boys out there hot rod'n it up. Want ta give a shout-out to Zip's in Conyers Ga. Thanks fella's
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Sandblasted the Hooker's.
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My blaster. Over the years I've replaced a couple of the ball valves, as well as the water filter. She's been a good girl.
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KBS coatings was the choice for paint. 3 coats of their high-temp primer, and 5 coats of high-temp color. How long will they stay pretty......?
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A little eye candy
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........
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This pic shows the 3" drop tranny crossmember. Plenty of room for the exhaust.
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Now I finally understand your copper plumbing! Nice touch... 8)
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thanx JP
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Completed all the vacuum lines. PCV hoses.
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At the carb.
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Brake booster...
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And the charcoal cannister. The original can was trashed. Got this NOS unit off the internet. Modified the mounting bracket to keep it tight on the frame.
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All very nicely done!
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She's going to be too pretty to drive!
Trailer Queen?
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Exceptionally well executed!
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Ok, moving on to the front suspension. To start, I'll be using the Jeep steering shaft, and a steering gear re-build kit.
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Fine work! 8)
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Now THAT'S a nice firewall!
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Disassembled the gear box, then, a complete solvent cleaning. Happy to see very little to no sludge inside, (considering it's age).
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Brave man...what with all those o-rings :o
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Found some old photos, then re-sized. The buckets are the same size as the bench.
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Then made the base
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Kept it low as I could.
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....
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I even fabricated the original seat belt bracket, (Toyota) to accept the GM latch.
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Looking Nice, I like alot of what you have done.
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Thanks. When the truck was my dd, I would slip and slide on the vinyl bench seat. After the buckets install, with the cloth and side support, there is so much better control of the vehicle.
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Picked this tranny cover from a 77 K10.
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Sandblasted for a quick clean-up
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I needed the cover for the ginormous hole in the floor, plus it looks really cool.
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Made this transition piece to "blend" into the floor.
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Cool. Control for my 350C, which was another can of worms.
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My tank relocate was fun. Just be sure to level it at ride height. It's a 25 gallon, although I had to use the 31 gal. straps to get it low enough in the chassis for the filler tube to be ok. Gravity is a wonderful thing.
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The filler door.
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another shot
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The filler tube is from a suburban. I believe the 81-87 tubes are a different size than previous years? Be aware of that.
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Ordered this flexible connector hose from across the creek on the internet. 17 pounds, which equals 37 US dollars. And yes, it is for fuel.
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And last is the cover. The red one was the best I could find, until I found a new one. Guess which one I'm using......
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I love that tank relocate/filler door! 8)
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Very nice work and your attention to detail very evident. Wish I had your talent! Its going to be a great ride when your done.
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Thanks all. The tank mod was like the #1 thing I wanted to do.
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Here's one for ya. The balance weights on one of my wheels just fell off the rim. Double-sided sticky tape is what is used now.
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After re-balance these are the weights. (same wheel)
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Now I am no expert, nor have I ever operated a wheel balancing machine, but WTH? So for piece of mind, I will take all four wheels to a third party tire shop and re-balance the lot.
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Back to the build, filled-in the stake pockets on the bed. Easier to buy 'em than make.
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again..
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Just makes sense to me to remove the front pockets.
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I like this look better.
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Are you using a bubble balancing machine?
If yes, there is a method of getting the best result. LMK
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Here are the last of my re-sizing old pics. To get the louvers punched, I first removed the inner panel of the hood. A reciprocating saw worked to remove the glue.
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yes sir.
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I chose to remove the spring hinges, and use a hood-prop rod. A piece of angle was first affixed to the radiator support.
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Then to the salvage yard. This rod is from a 2002 S-10 truck. Looks factory, and no problem with the hood closing.
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ok.
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Looks killer but, where's those sweet rims?
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Been busy renovating half of my house. The truck has been put on hold for now. These are a few older pictures that I'm just throwing out here for ya'll. When I get back on it, oh yea, the rims will be the new version truck.
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last one..
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Finished up with the steering gear. The re-build was easy.
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Adjusted the sector shaft and the input shaft pre-load. A spanner wrench makes it simple. I didn't have one, so I improvised. Worked out great.
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I went from this original shaft...
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To the Jeep shaft, no doubt.
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Happy, Happy.
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8)
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Okay, everything blasted, painted, and pre-assembled. I won't bore you with all the details. Ya'll know how these front ends go together.
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A weekend of wrench'n. Some highlights are 3" dropped spindles, 1" dropped springs, offset upper control arm shafts, (for more camber), aftermarket upper control arms, and raised stabilizer bar brackets.
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Also added this door hinge spring that was missing since I've had the truck. Wow, the door stays open now.
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8)
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Problem with the front brake hoses. The tall line is for my year truck (85). The "shorty" line is for a 1980 C10. I can't use the tall line because it hits my aftermarket spindle, making it impossible to install correctly. The other fits just fine. Problem solved. Just a heads-up, hoping this helps others.
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Glad this worked out
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a shot of the brake hose
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And for sure the MC. 4-wheel disc corvette style.
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If you ever replace the booster, this is the bracket and hardware that attach to the brake pedal. DO NOT lose any of these. They are irreplaceable.
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up next is this
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Nice work man! ;)
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Looking good!
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Wow, been awhile posting anything. Good to be back on my build. Here's a warm-up pic to get things going. It's a section in the building I work at. SQRBDY'S rule!
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8)
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Might as well add a "tow-away zone for non-square body's". ;)
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Some pics of my progress.... new radiator. anxious to see if the engine runs cooler vs. the 'ol scool one.
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..
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Got the tranny cooler bolted in as well.
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My air-cleaner box idea worked out well.
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Filter loads in from the back..... simple
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You do nice work sir! Looks great! 8)
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Thanks Shifty. I see my digital camera takes lousy pics. Gonna use my android from now on. Starting to look like a truck again.
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Whatcha got going with the heater hoses? Do I see copper pipe?
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yep. just moved the hoses inboard a bit since I am not using the inner fenders.
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I figured it was something like that! ;)
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Great Progress!
What is your thinking on not using inner fenders?
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JP.. it's what I want to do.
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the replacement radiator
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mocked-up the intake today. I believe it will work.
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another
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That looks really good. Very clean and professional.
I think you will find that intake elbow on top of the carb to be restrictive. I built one similar for a stockish .305 and ended up ditching it because it choked out the engine at mid-upper rpm. Cant even imagine if I tried to put it on a 350 with some performance improvements.
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MrD. You are right. I have read the articles/reviews on this carb plunium. With my 600cfm carb and 273 rear gears, I won't be hitting over 4,000 rpm very often. Nothing that can't be changed if needed. Thanks for the input.
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I get it- why hide all the beauty you created? BUT, you'll rue the day you drive through a mud puddle. :(
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Yep JP. Hard to get it pretty, harder to keep it pretty.
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So you went with a shorter radiator to allow for the Air Filter box? In the pic it looks shorter but I could be wrong.
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same size, single row...29x20 core, overall length 33 1/2. plastic ends. Took a little searching the net to find. Matches the rubber bushings and upper brackets also.
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Installed the front side lines of the cooler. Used NBR hose. Should be ok.
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Also, finished with the front wire harness. All new bulb sockets. Everything soldered, as well as dielectric grease and shrink-wrap on all splices. Pert near new again.
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Now to start on these.
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ok, all fab and painting done.
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wow, guess I need to figure-out my camera /re sizing options.
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here it is, I hope
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..
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turns out the camera more work than truck. sorry
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bagged and tagged all the bolts and shims, so it should go back together ok.
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Looking good brother!!! ;)
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Excellent! 8)
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Finished grafting the front wire harness back in..... It's alive!
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got everything to finish the front, in due time
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Time to get these back in. Delivered the driveshaft to my local driveline shop for new parts and a speed balance. Gonna finish up with the radiator install, and then I will fill her with fluids and maybe putt around the neighborhood.
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..
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The original shroud is in great shape, so I will re-purpose it.
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What are the seats out of?
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93 Toyota Corolla. non power.
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They look as if they wouldn't jam my gut into the steering wheel, or pop my head out of the skylight...
Can you tell/show us the bottom side, and what you had to do to adapt to a square?
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Sure. Used 2 x 1/4" flat bar. First welded the perimeter, then welded floor supports, using the flat bar at the four corners of each seat. Ground off the Toyota seats mounting brackets, welded on my own to match the base. Made the supports for the center console. Fabricated the seat belts holsters to work with my GM belts. Drilled through the floorboard at the eight floor support locations. Ran the bolts up from under the truck and welded the nuts to the flat bar. Used grade 8 bolts and thick fender washers. The entire system can be bolted/unbolted. Only drawback, if any is ya got to get under the truck. One last note.... none of the original seat bolt mounting locations were used. I just put the factory bolts back in those spots. Go to page #5 and 6 of this build to see some pics. Total cost... $47.00 for material, $50.00 at the pull-apart for the seats, and $100.00 for the console.
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Getting under is a piece of cake in my truck, it's the welding skills/supplies I lack. (I really need to change this, and learn...it's been since high school in 1982)
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Cool. one last thought on the seats. Toyota used these seats from 92-95 in their four door Corolla's. These are the low-back seats. All of them are the same, just different stitching.
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picked-up the driveshaft this week. Anxious to get it back in.
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I also re-installed the fan cluch. I had purchased it new, like just 3 months before parking the truck. Some dollars saved. Oh ya, I have been ordering parts more often on the internet. Seems my local stores are not stocking parts for vehicles as old. Anyone else noticed this ? Maybe you can see.... no radiator hoses.
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Looking very clean!
Just a thought on the gunther fan/clutch/shroud: why?
When I ditched mine I noticed an instant boost in HP.
Along with a 'quieter' truck.
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Ya Chevn, it's getting tough out there now that china is our biggest supplier...they don't really consider older vehicles much.
(I've been selling parts wholesale since 1983)
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JP, never given a thought to my alternatives. Got ideas?
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Yeah, a single or double electric fan is that much better. My wife drove the truck after the change out and said "she seems more peppy!"
I don't know exactly how much hp it takes to drive that fan but it definitely made a difference.
Also, the howl that it produces is gone... ;D
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Ok, time for show n' tell. Got the upper and lower radiator hoses. Name brand, but the lower did not have the internal spring in it. The common belief is the spring is necessary so the hose does not collapse. GM installed them out of necessity. I believe this theory to be true.
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I removed the spring from the used hose, happy to see routine maintenance has kept it clean and rust free. Ran a pull-wire through the new hose, squirted a little soapy water, and with my lovely wife pulling, and me pushing, installed it into the new hose. Easy cheesy. This falls under the "better safe than sorry" category. Hope this helps others.
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Nice project - looking great!
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The fluids. Been awhile since the truck was street worthy. Confidence is high.
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Waiting with baited-breath....I know, I know, stand closer to the toothbrush.... ;)