My 79 C20 Silverado

[1979C20]

I picked up my truck for $300 in March of 2010. It had sat for 10 years, I was told it needed a fuel pump and a starter and it would run. I installed those and when I got it started, it had a spun bearing. I pulled the engine, rebuilt it, got the truck running decent and started driving it. So, I decided to begin some body work while my truck is sitting until I get my license back. So far I've removed most of the most of the trim, tail lights, headlight bezels, grille, trim clips, and wheel well arches.
You can follow some of my build here: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=19648.0
Here is my HID conversion: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=19132.0
CD player install here: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=20413.msg166401#msg166401
And this is what I would like to do for my 4x4 conversion!: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=20989.msg171540#msg171540
Here's my plans, what I need to do, and what I've done.

Done:
Engine rebuilt
Trans resealed
Back brakes replaced
Open element air cleaner
Removed smog equipment
Installed HIDs
Stereo system including CD player, amp, 2 6x9s behind the seat, 2 tens behind the seat(both of them blown now) 2 6in components in
     the doors with the tweeters on the kick panels, amp behind the seat for the 10's soon to be under the seat
Installed manual Water temp and Oil pressure gauges in the stock locations
Installed headers with glasspacks dumping under the cab
Ladder rack with 4 KC lights, but it has been removed and sold
may list more....

In process:
Right now I'm working on the body. I removed the grille, the headlight bezels, the front chrome trim, the taillight lenses, and all of the fender clips. I Found a set of reproduction doors on craigslist for 40 a piece and I picked them up for 50 for the pair. They are CobraKing brand doors. I'm looking for power window regulators and door panels and power door lock actuators for them. I'm going to paint them before installing anything on them. Should I paint the inside and outside of the doors? I'm thinking about taking apart my interior and spraying it black throughout. I'm going to mask off the engine bay and the top of the core support so I can spray the hood "jamb" I guess you could call it. Im masking off the headlights, I removed the marker light lenses and will mask off the housing, mask or remove the side marker lenses, mask of the the taillight assembly, mask off the door jambs along the weather stripping to not get paint in my interior, mask all windows, mask gas caps, I'm leaving the inside of the bed brown for now, but I want to bed line it and the tailgate. I began sanding the body tonight. I need to remove the fender badges and the ones behind the doors, need to remove the rear window chrome band, weld all holes on the body, remove bumpers, I might unbolt my bed and slide it back to paint between the bed and the cab, but I'm not sure yet. And tomorrow I will hopefully finish sanding and begin the body filling. My dad wants me to sand the WHOLE truck with 1200 grit paper once its in Primer. So, I will be investing in a car cover for my truck, or a BIG A** TARP since it is monsoon season. Also, I need to straighten out my Infamous hood bend, and reinforce it. Tomorrow I will probably swap the doors. Heres some pictures!

The color I have chosen is "Iridescent Purple" but I may do some form of a 2 tone, maybe with pearl?



I had quite the trouble with these riveted trim clips, I tried getting them off with vice grips, But I didnt want to bend up the body
     so I took a grinder to the outside of the rivet in the middle of the clip until it was flat, then popped the clip off. I then used a
     soft grinding wheel and ground the "peg/rivet" flush with the body and pushed it through with a hammer and punch. I also
     cleared the paint off for a nice welding surface to weld the holes.





Whoop! Found some Bondo!!! Looking into getting a new fender now.


Heres the doors when I brought them home. Not a good pic, but Ill take lots of pictures tomorrow of anything I missed.


Plans for the future!
My brother and I are kicking around the Idea of starting out own customization/restoration shop. Just a little freelance job/hobby. (more info Here: http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=21234.msg173951#msg173951) So here is what I want to do to my truck:...
Convert my truck to 4x4
Rear 56" springs up front with custom hangers
Preferably Dana 60 up front to match my 14b rear
Built 350 or 383, SM465, NP205 split shifter
About 8 inch lift with 38's?
Custom interior, black leather dash pad, door panels, black paint, nice (preferably) black leather Bench seat 60/40 with fold down
     console, Digital guages, Ice cold AC, I'd love to integrate a 99+ truck interior into my truck dash and all, tinted windows
OR......
5.3 Vortech, Turbo charged, 4l60E+transfer case, Custom fab 99+ Independent Front Suspension onto my frame, with the interior and lift mentioned above. But thats a Dream inside a Dream!!!!

My brothers plans,
Slam and bag his truck
Shave everything
A nice running cruising engine(not a powerhouse)
Tinted windows
Custom interior, Black leather dash pad, plush and chrome door panels, diamond plate dash trim, diamond plate floorboards, stereo,
     digital gauges, amazing AC, and more to develop.

Now, our trucks will be the Symbol of our business. I want them to be more or less matching. Like, same paint scheme and kind of same interior design, but his is a street rod and mine is a 4x4 beast. So, I will keep everything updated. This is our dream and we are taking control and making it Happen! Wish us luck!! I will post more soon. Thanks for reading.

[1979C20]

Ill start off with some more pictures!

All the trim clips I removed from the body.


Sanded the bed




Removed front bezels and chrome


Heres the interior and the new seat cover


Theres a gnarly crease in the bed behind the passenger rear wheel

I got it hammered out pretty good. Just have to do some fine tweaking.


Removed all trim and badges, just need to remove side marker lights.



Im going to fill this hole. The PO cut out a hole to install a FM antenna since the windshield was cracked and it didnt work any more.


Removed the front bumper


The bondo is like 1/4 to 3/8ths inch in some areas.


I think you can kind of see the marker lines for my rough sketch of my paint scheme idea.




Im going to do a theme like that, but better obviously. The purple is going to be on the front clip inside the "goop" and the rest of the
     truck will be pearl white. The interior will be mainly black with purple and white accents.

And here is one of my new doors. They are in great condition!

Door handle support

Outer skin, its just dusty.

[1979C20]

Heres a teaser of my paint scheme. I think it came out pretty good for just some gray primer.

[1979C20]

Quick update and a question.
were my posts for mine and my brotgers truck moved from the projects to the rides section? I looked for it in projects where I posted it and had to find it in my recent posts.

Update!:

Wednesday, August 8th:
   My dad welded up the holes on my front clip and cab. Going to finish prepping the rest of the holes and grind the welds flat to prepare for bondo shortly.
   I repaired my lower evap core line where the orifice tube resides. And I started replacing some orings. I am going to flush my ac lines, evap core, and condensor hopedully soon. I need a blower motor relay for my AC to work, and I need to finish assembling everything to prepare it for vacuum/fill.

Working hard every day. Work till 4:30 or 5:00 every weekday to fund my adventure and work on mine, my brothers, and random friends vehicles till night(10, 11 if its quite work due to noise ordinance). I will hopefully get pictures of all of my work, my ac repair that I hope wont leak, and get nore work done tomorrow. My dad night teach me how to weld too!

[1979C20]

Jumped on craigslist looking for some parts. Found this guy with some 79 K5 parts, so I texted him about prices and heres my results
12in lift springs front and rear 150
front axle no springs 45
2 front fenders 40

I asked him how much he wanted for the 2 front fenders and the front axle and he said 85 bucks. Its complete from hub to hub and I think it has steering linkages on it. This will start off my 4x4 conversion. I'm going to pick it up today. I needed the fenders because the passenger one has like 1/4 inch of bondo and its really wrinkled under it so Its a pain to try and sculpt back out. And the driver side behind the wheel is bent up from the tread that ripped off my tire. So I'm just gonna replace them.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/pts/2540945703.html one of his links
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/pts/2540950683.html This axle and everything, minus the springs. Its 6 lug, But I'll see if I
     can find some 8 lug rotors somewhere.

[thirsty]

See if he has anything else from that 4x4. Maybe you will be able to score some more parts that you need for your conversion.

[1979C20]

I tried to, all he had is what was listed. I asked if he had the engine crossmember or soring/shackle hangers but no go. Ill probably end up getting the shackle hangers from pickapart and fab my own spring hangers. The guy sounded clueless about what parts are what. I was texting him about the engine crossmember and the hangers and he called me and goes "so what were you wanting? You said somethin about an engine member ir something? But I dont have an engine for sale". So thats probably why im getting such a good deal.

[1979C20]

Well call me a liar. Im only getting the fenders now. I found a k10 running with a stroker motor and a clean title for 500 and me and my dad are going to pick it up now. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/pts/2550965755.html

[beastie_3]

how do you know its a stroker? thats the only thing id worry about

[1979C20]

Well ill be a double liar. Went out and looked at it. Waaaay too much work. The whole front clip is off, exhaust is off, all the steering was off, the inside was covered in rat crap and grass because hey moved in. the engine had really small valves so im thinkin it was a 305. But! It wasnt a compkete loss. I told them id give em a hundred for the front axle and he mentioned there was one behind the truck on the ground. Its an 8 lug 10 bolt. He said 50 bucks and I got it. Its nissing the ahoet axle shaft, spindle, and hub/rotor assembly. Idk what the gears are. Ao im going to get the parts for.it and freshen it up.

[bake74]

     Well I can say you have your work cut out for you, keep it up and keep us updated, nice pics of progress.