Got My Truck Back!

[slammed79]

My sister in law and I don't really get along, I'll just throw that out there, but right now I love the woman. She made my brother sell me back the 74!

I picked up the truck in October of 2009 for $800. The kid I got it from had the bed filled with trash, front to back, 3/4" from the top of the bed rail. I spent two hours at the circle k in Globe, Az cleaning out the bed so I could drive it home. From there, I ran two gallons of simple green through my buddies pressure washer trying to get the oil out of the bed. We followed that up with gutting the interior to clean it out. I came up on 50 bucks in change under the seat, as well as a few snap-on wrenches and sockets. We spent 6 hours that night cleaning it out and making it habitable, I threw away the old seat when I got home the next day and put in the one from my nephews abandoned 77 project. Next was to junk the white steelies and shot tires for something that looked a bit better. I then re-wired the truck nose to tail, there were splices and shorts that I couldn't figure out what they went to, so I found a cherry harness in the junkyard for 35 bucks, and spend the weekend installing that.

After a week or two of driving the truck I was trying to figure out why the titanic had better turning radius than the truck, and I found the frame was cracked and the rivits holding the front most crossmember had worked loose. That crossmember isn't goin anywhere anytime soon, it got welded back into place and the cracks in the frame were welded up. I put a stereo and a windshield in it in November 2009, and then changed the rearend for a 3.73 from a 4.10.
 
  The 3 finger pressure plate went out in Feburary of last year, that was replaced with a updated unit and I've had almost zero issues with it since then, at least nothin that took any longer than 5 min to fix.

So, now I got mah baby back, and all those things I wanted to do before are now back on the table. First thing is going to be fix the steering box, which just needs an input shaft seal. Does anyone know the partnumber? (I thought I read it on here a while back but can find it.) Next will be tires and exhaust.

 I wanna swap in a 5 speed, and thats gonna get done before I lower it. I still have a door that I need to bodywork and prime to throw on it. Also the bed is pretty hammered, so I'm lookin for one of those too, but I do have a shortbed in storage, anybody local wanna help me shorten this beast?

Ideas abound... Here's some Pics:

As found in September 2009




New Shoes in October 2009




Back at home tonight

[slammed79]

Couple more pics:

Needs carpet



Dirty Engine Bay, thats definetly on the list stat!



Bed Box

[zieg85]

Nice, but why did your brother end up with it in the first place???

[slammed79]

I wasn't driving it very much, since I had my 96 Yukon, and my brother needed some wheels since his motorcyle was in the shop. Since I was and am still unemployed I needed the cash I sold it to him.

Well, I got my tax return and still have the check from totaling the Yukon over thanksgiving weekend, so I was able to buy it back.

[zieg85]

Sounds like a happy ending to me.  I'd throw a highway gear under it if it were me.  Great looking 74

[bake74]

    Nice thing your sister-in-law didn't like the truck so you could buy it back.  Good luck on your list of projects.

[slammed79]

Well I'm lookin on Craigslist for 5 speeds, it may happen sooner than later. I'm ordering my new bfg's tomorrow after I go to the bank. 255/70/15s for the rear and 245/60/15's for the back.

I'm excited to get goin on this again,  plus I've got wheels again.

[bake74]

Well I'm lookin on Craigslist for 5 speeds, it may happen sooner than later. I'm ordering my new bfg's tomorrow after I go to the bank. 255/70/15s for the rear and 245/60/15's for the back.

I'm excited to get goin on this again,  plus I've got wheels again.

     Did you mean the 255/70/15s for the front ?

[slammed79]

Sorry... the 255/70's are goin out back, the 245/60's are for the front. I've got 255/60's on the back right now and want something a touch taller.

[87454westernhauler]

nice truck

[slammed79]

Well I haven't updated anything on the truck in a long while, and its long over due. A month and some change ago I got a swb frame for it as well as bushings, ball joints and some Eastwood chassis paint. I was going to have the frame sand blasted but work ground to a halt and money is just not there. So the new frame was power washed and shoved into storage. I'm looking for a new job, which always sucks but the foreclosure business is in the gutter and I hate being broke. I'm currently trying to get a blazer tank off a buddy of mine so I can go back to work on the truck, I'll post pics when my internet is working, I don't have any on my phone.   

[slammed79]

It seems that I get about one thing done a year. I picked up a set of Dodge 20" steelies tonight and mounted them up.

$425 for all 4 wheels, tires and adaptors. I'm very happy with how they look, but the 35 series rubber needs to get swapped or for some 45 series or better.

Better pics coming tomorrow.

 

[slammed79]

A couple better pics. Lowering is now really high on the priority list!

 

 

[Mike85Silverado]

How is it not having carpet on your floor? Is it really loud or anything? My carpet is all torn up with insulation coming out and I was thinking of ripping it all out and just have nice clean paint underneath

[87454westernhauler]

ive been driving my 78 k10 for the last month with bare floor and it is louder but not unbearable.