73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Members Rides => Topic started by: silvrbreez on December 30, 2008, 09:22:08 am
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Just realized I've been browsing the site for a while now and never started my own ride thread. Here it goes...
I picked up this '83 Stepper from a guy locally for less than $3000. It was kept in really good shape and runs strong. It came with 2" drop shackles out back to level it down, rally wheels with center caps, and beauty rings. He was prepping it for paint and sold it to me with a black primer coat. Primer looks good but some of the panels could use a tad bit of TLC. All that will come later when it gets ready for paint (late '09 or early '10). Truck has a 350/TH350 setup that isn't original to the truck but runs nicely nonetheless with an Edelbrock 600 carb and a dual 3" Flowmaster setup.
Purchased: October 2008
Done so far...
All new gaskets (valve cover, oil pan, timing cover, rear main seal, differential cover)
Radiator Flush
Replaced Turn Signal Switch
Replaced all door felts and rubber
Freshened up door panels with black Krylon Fusion
Replaced power steering box, lines, Pittman arm, and idler arm
Replaced air filter with K&N
Removed funky S10 rear bumper and trailer hitch
Removed tailgate chains and just put in bolt/nut
Removed lower front valence
Replaced vent window assemblies and installed locking latches
Replaced master cylinder
Short Term Plans...
I basically want to get the truck a little more comfortable and stylish for daily driving. With a baby on the way (wife due in April), I've got a timeline to try and get alot done before priorities shift and the truck takes a back seat. I want to get it to a point where I can take it to some local cruises and shows and get some looks. Overall, I want the short term look to be reminiscent of an Old School Hot Rod with the flat black paint, subtle chrome accents, and lots of character. It should be fun.
(purchased and waiting to be delivered)...
4/6 McGaughy's Drop (spindles, coils, flip kit, notch)
Belltech Street Performance Shocks front and rear
New Upper and Lower Control Arm Poly bushings
Reproduction grille assembly
Chrome Rear Bumper
Chrome Front Bumper
67-76 Tail and Backup Lamps
New headliner
New headliner moldings
New carpet
New kick panels
New door sills
New seat belts
Spider Caps from Moon Eyes
Sparkle Red steering wheel with Bullet Horn Button
4" Bullet mirrors
New sidemarker lamps
Replace hinge pins in driver's side door
Probably paint the wheels red???
Long Term Plans...
I want the truck to still be very drivable and useful. I see the truck ending up in a pewter/gunmetal finish coat with some brushed aluminum five spokes (probably 20"s), big disc brakes front and rear, and probably on Air Ride (but that's a maybe based on dependability). The interior will likely be all black with red accents with brushed accents in the cab and under the hood, and I'll probably tap Rod Doors for the seat and door panels. The bed will probably have a steel floor, be bedlined, and have a Bruce Horkey show deck to lay in when I go out to local shows. I plan to replace the side saddle tanks with a single rear frame mounted tank. I also hope to do a Cadillac Deville tail light conversion into the stake pockets (should be interesting). I'll probably keep the 350 and do a mild build.
Here are some pics from the day I bought it. I'll be sure to post pics as I install everything up above. I'm going to have a busy few weeks ahead of me.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/08-09-28002.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/08-09-28007.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/08-09-28016.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/08-09-28018.jpg)
and a Photochop for good measure...
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/truck_bubba.jpg)
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Hey Silver, nice lookin stepside.
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Nice truck. Love these trucks in matt/flat finishes...
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Hey man that is a great looking truck! I think the finish paint color you are planing would look awsome with some 20" grey center Coys 8) Keep us posted with your progress.
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Sounds like a good project. And congrats on the baby coming in April! I'm waiting for my wife to hatch ours any day now. ;D
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That last pic rocks.
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Thanks for all the compliments and I'll definitely keep you guys posted in this thread with the progress. I'm partial to the last pic too; the truck was showing it's true colors. Thanks too for the congrats on the baby. We are very anxious for our little girl to arrive.
More than half of the stuff I ordered should be here by this time next week. My wife is going out of town with friends that weekend so I'll be pulling wrenches to get things done while I've got the garage to myself.
69Byrd: These are the type of wheels I was picturing (pic below). The are made by a company called Boze and the model is Stinger. The face of the wheel is satin/brushed/machined/scotch-brited or whatever you want to call. I'd be getting the staggered. But bear in mind this is a couple years away unless I get a windfall (these ain't cheap), and whose to say they'd still be making them. Anyway, this is the style I like....simple fat five spoke.
(https://www.newstalgiawheel.com/images/inventory/new/FW_1285_500.gif)
The Bonspeed Intense 5 and Huntington models are also favorites of mine.
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Nice truck those will look really good on it.
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Thats a great looking wheel also, they will look great on your truck. When you say staggered do you mean 20s and 22s?
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Thanks. I've seen the 20/22 and 22/24 setups and it doesn't seem like my style. I really like it on cars, but it's never won me over on trucks just yet. My plans are to keep 20's all around, but something like 8.5" up front and 10" out back.
This truck has a nice 20/22 setup that almost has me second thinking my definition of staggered though...
http://www.streettrucksmag.com/content/view/30/36/
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I have the magazine with that truck in it around here somewhere. That is the same truck that got me wanting the 20/22 setup. ;D The only thing I don't like about that setup is how little the 20 looks compared to the 22. But with the right stance and the right wheels it can look good.
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While waiting on all my parts to come in, I got carried away and did a little quick Photoshop.
Possible future plans with the Cadillac Deville lights in the stake pockets and some white walls. The original pic is the second one in the first post.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/CaddyTailscopy.jpg)
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;D I like it!!!
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I like it too, looks good. Those caddy lights will look awesome.
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While waiting on all my parts to come in, I got carried away and did a little quick Photoshop.
Possible future plans with the Cadillac Deville lights in the stake pockets and some white walls. The original pic is the second one in the first post.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/CaddyTailscopy.jpg)
Photoshop is great idea, wish I had thought of it. Personally, I like the last photo from your first post :)
Seriously, looks like you've planned this out well. Look forward to seeing your progress pics.
Good Luck!
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Your Mater looks great ;D Definately like your last Chop with the Caddy lights, but personally I have been more of a Redline fan for anything built newer that '69.....
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Your Mater looks great ;D Definately like your last Chop with the Caddy lights, but personally I have been more of a Redline fan for anything built newer that '69.....
I know what you mean. I've been contemplating the wide whites for these 15" wheels and then getting some 20" redlines whenever I pick up a set of 20" wheels.
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I've been dealing with a pesky Brake Light on the dash that just popped up. All the brakes work fine and I haven't seen any leaks anywhere. Nonetheless, the brake system is the only main part of the truck I haven't gone through and looked over yet.
I decided to just dive in and replace the Master Cylinder. I figured it was pretty cheap (~$25) and it would give me a chance to take all the wheels off and look at all the brake components since I'd have to bleed it all anyway. My hopes were in the process I'd identify what the problem was that caused the light and take care of it.
I replaced the Master Cylinder and the light was still on. I bled all the lines, checking things out as I went, and everything looked good. Wheel cylinders, brake drums and shoes in the rear, pads and rotors up front...all looked good. Then I figured it might be the brake signal switch under the dash. I found one for about $7 and just decided to give it a shot. The truck brakes fine now and I'm almost certain the Master Cylinder didn't have any problems at all. Anyway, at least now I've got a baseline that I know for certain with the brake system. I'll let you know if the switch takes care of the light. If it doesn't, I'll probably just undo the bulb from the cluster. ;D
Also, the big list of parts I just ordered should start showing up tomorrow. I'm psyched!!! :o
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I know what you mean. I've been contemplating the wide whites for these 15" wheels and then getting some 20" redlines whenever I pick up a set of 20" wheels.
Mmmmmmm 20" Redlines!!!!
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/dragon9c1/DrlnHmr.png)
DOH! Got out of hand there Sorry ;D So why are you going to wait ???
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Yeah, I found some 20" Redlines here...
http://www.widewhitewalltires.com/pricelist_18_20.htm
They ain't cheap, but should definitely set it off.
So why are you going to wait ???
Time and money. I'm cramming the Short Term Plans with the budget I've got before April. My wife and I are expecting our first child in April and then priorities will undoubtedly shift. I'm trying to get it show worthy with an old school look before then. After that, I'll be pooling overtime money and extra cash for my truck fund. With that, I plan to do all the Long Term Plans.
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Unless you make bank, everything is a long term plan if it's not for the child. If you have another one, then your plans turn into after college plans and so on. I've got two rascals and with soccer year round for one and ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop for the other, my plans are definately delayed. I wouldn't trade them for the world though.
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Unless you make bank, everything is a long term plan if it's not for the child. If you have another one, then your plans turn into after college plans and so on. I've got two rascals and with soccer year round for one and ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop for the other, my plans are definately delayed. I wouldn't trade them for the world though.
I hear you man, and I'll take that as words of encouragement. Sounds like my mind is in the right place then. I'm looking forward to it.
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LONG weekend is just about over. My wife went out for a girls get away weekend, leaving me the house and garage to myself. I was off of work Friday and have been wrenching since she hit the road Friday. So far, my list from this weekend is as follows...
New grille installed
Painted headlight surrounds and grille trim to match new graphite colored grille
New rear bumper brackets installed
New chrome front and rear bumpers installed
New License bracket and light installed on rear bumper
New mirrors installed
New steering wheel installed
New rearview mirror installed
New taillight brackets and taillights installed (60-76 stepside lights)
It all went pretty well, but was a little tedious with the bumpers. Some of those bolts are a pain to get to. Also, I'm still working out something with the taillights. The drivers side is acting wacky.
I'm going to try and post pics of everything tomorrow.
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Sounds like you had a busy weekend. Can't wait to see pix.
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Here's some pics...
Front shot showing new chrome bumper, new grille section, and painted headlight surrounds and grille trim to match new grille. Also check out the license plate fasteners....little bullet heads...kinda cool I thought.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11001.jpg)
Closer shot of grille, headlight surrounds, and grille trim.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11002.jpg)
Closer shot of headlight surrounds and grille trim.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11003.jpg)
New mirrors and bumper bolt to fill lower stock mirror bolt hole...just temporary until a paint job comes.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11004.jpg)
Closer shot of mirrors.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11005.jpg)
Shot of new rear chrome bumper, license plate bracket (with more bullet nuts), and 60-76 stepside tail/backup lights.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11010.jpg)
Shot of new steering wheel. It's a Grant Classic in Sparkle Red...just the retro touch I was looking for in the cab.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11013.jpg)
Closeup of the steering wheel grip.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/09-01-11014.jpg)
I'm still working out a kink in the taillamp wiring. I'm thinking I got a bad taillamp from a vendor.
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Lookin good Silvr. :D
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Looks good I am really digging that steering wheel 8)
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Thanks!
Picked it up from Moon Eyes. They have lots of colors here...
http://www.mooneyesusa.com/Store/index.php?cPath=188_74&osCsid=f459474f5c9776d4181a9368ee696dde
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Nice truck, I like the look.
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Well that looks cool got alot done over the weekend. Enjoy that free time it all goes away when the baby comes.
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Its a little hard to tell from the picture but is your rear bumper tucked up against the body?
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If you think it does, then I'll say yes. ;)
No it isn't. I just wanted to get it put on this weekend and get it out of the way. I'll probably be tucking it in sometime in the future though, probably using your post on it as a go by.
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Its not all that hard just make a few measurements,drill a few holes and trim a little off the inside bracket. Its time consuming but you could do it in a few hours. If you were closer I'd help you out.
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I'm tackling my suspension drop and restore this weekend.
Here is a rundown of everthing that's going on...
Front
Upper/lower ball joints
Inner/outer tie rods
Inner/outer wheel bearings
Upper/lower control arm bushings
McGaughy's Drop Spindles
McGaughy's Drop Coil Springs
Belltech Street Performance Shocks
Rear
McGaughy's Flip Kit
McGaughy's C-Notch Kit
New stock rear shackles
Belltech Street Performance Shocks
So far I've got the flip kit on and have begun cutting on the frame for the notch. I'm hoping to have the back wrapped up tonight and possibly get the from torn down so I can start working on swapping the control arm bushings and ball joints.
My wish is to finish the back tonight and get the front done tomorrow. After that, my plan is to keep the truck up on jack stands and spray the wheels red.
Any pointers on removing the balljoints and bushing would be greatly appreciated.
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UPDATE:
Rear is completely done. I think that the frame may have sagged slightly when I cut the notch. It's hard to tell now with only the rear sitting on the ground, but I may have to shim the front of the bed to make it level again.
The front is completely broken down. I've reassembled one sides rotor, wheel bearings, and drop spindle. I've got a buddy taking the upper/lower control arms to his shop today to swap out the old and in with the new bushings and ball joints. I'm hoping to reassemble the front with all the drop stuff either tonight or tomorrow.
Should be ready for an upcoming show this weekend.
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Sweet, did you take pics along the way?
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Not as many as I should have. The underbody was filthy and I might have broken the camera with all the gunk on my hands. My wife took a goofy pick of me after I made the first cuts on the frame. That's about it.
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Glad to hear its progressing along, I cant wait to see it. Sometimes its hard to take pictures while your working, just dont think of it until your done.
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UPDATE:
Should be ready for an upcoming show this weekend.
I know the feeling we bolted on my bed, front clip, bumpers and bled the breaks on Thursday night and took it for its maiden voyage around the neighborhood around 9:00 that night. On Friday went and had the frontend aligned and buttoned up everything so we could go to a show on Saturday. We had a blast and you will to. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything so enjoy every minute of it.
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UPDATE:
Should be ready for an upcoming show this weekend.
I know the feeling we bolted on my bed, front clip, bumpers and bled the breaks on Thursday night and took it for its maiden voyage around the neighborhood around 9:00 that night. On Friday went and had the frontend aligned and buttoned up everything so we could go to a show on Saturday. We had a blast and you will to. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything so enjoy every minute of it.
that about sums up my life, never genna forget the night i finished my trucks 350/4spd swap, went up to the local strip, it was a warm summer night and i felt like i was someone out there ripping threw the gears
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This thing just keeps dragging on and dragging on....
So I got my upper/lower controls arms back from a buddy yesterday with the new ball joints and bushings pressed in and assembled. I thought I was ready to go. I get home and install the upper control arms and hook the brake line bracket back up to them. Then I roll under the truck to start hanging the lower arms up by those U-bolts and find out that they must have bent slightly when I took them off...they won't go back in the freakin' holes. The U-bolt at the threaded end appears to have widened, and this is the case at all but 1 of those U-bolts. I sourced some new U-bolts out and I'm going to pick them up today. Hopefully tonight I can get the lower controls arms hooked back up, install my new tie rods, and then mount the new springs/spindles and install the rotors and new wheel bearings. Should go smooth once I get the lower control arms bolted up. (***crosses fingers***knocks on wood***)
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I ran into the same thing on my tan truck with the lower arms. I have learned in the past that when the ubolts arent tightened up evenly, they have a tendency to spread like that. Put the nuts on them, and chuck them up in a vice to bend them inward. Just a little at a time, it doesnt take much, but can be done.
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Are you photoshopin for money? I'm a gimp with that and would love to see my truck gloss black, fully dropped with the caddy taillights in the stepside fenders
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I was able to beat the u-bolts in and they straightened out.
The entire front end is back together now except for the tie rods being hooked up to the spindles. I'm having a buddy who has done plenty suspensions before come over and give it a good look over for me to make sure things look good. When I get the thumb's up, all I have left to do is tighten down the spindle, tie rod, and caliper bolts/nuts and slap on my steelies. I'm getting anxious. Hopefully an alignment tomorrow.
As for the photoshop, I usually don't charge people as I enjoy doing it in my free time...but my free time has been few and far between lately...and shows no signs of opening up with my wife due with our first child in 4 weeks. Lots of people say I should charge, but I never have. Send me a good high resolution photo of your truck and I'll see how long I think it might take and get back to you. If the photo is good enough (angle, clarity, resolution, background), it should be pretty simple.
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I don't have my stepside bed on yet... still rockin the fleetside. Let me see if I can find a good rear 3/4 pic of a stepside. Good luck with the free time, I know that is a precious comodity best spent workin on personal projects.
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Been awhile since my last post on this...
Had trouble with an alignment...to say the least.
Took it to one shop, got 3 out of 4 wheels right (all except the front passenger). They didn't charge me and recommended me to another shop. The second shop said my frame was likely bent, but said they couldn't fix it and wouldn't be able to align it. Took it to a body shop to get the frame looked at and they said the frame seemed fine. Took it to a third alignment shop who said the frame was likely offset to the rear on the passenger side. We look and saw that both wheels on the passenger side are slightly offset to the rear about 1" or so, the front bumper is slightly closer on that side, the rear bumper is slightly farther on that side, and the bed is slightly farther from the cab on that side. All of which is only noticeable if I pointed it out to you. BUT, he said he could still get the alignment right. They took it for a test drive and my brakes locked up. >:(
SOOOOO...
I redid my entire front brake system last week with new hoses, calipers, and pads to get rid of the locking problem. Truck drives true now, doesn't pull when I brake, and seems to track fine when I let go of the wheel. The frame situation is still there but doesn't affect the driveability at all. I will definitely address that before painting the truck or trying to get the body nice and lined up. I've gotten an estimate of about $500 to straighten everything out.
I'm more than happy with the stance and all for now. The front wheels rub at full turn, but nothing a lower set of tires and nice wheels won't fix. :P
Pics on the way.
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man cant wait to see pics i want to do mine so bad. so what drop are you at? hows it feel?
Danny
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Pics below. Better ones coming as soon as I have a nice day outside. :-[
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1064.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1071.jpg)
I'm dropped 4.5" up front with 2.5" spindles and 2" coils (McGaughy's) and 6" out back with a flip kit and notch (McGaughy's) and Belltech Street Performance shocks all around. The drop rides nice, a little stiff but not bottoming out. Nice to me, just what I wanted.
You can see it has a bit of a rake to it, which is okay. I need to pull some measurements to check that exactly. You can also see it looks like I need to shim my bed a bit. You can also see my spider caps in these pics. Front passenger wheels looks deceptively close to the back of the fender in that pic...it ain't that bad.
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Hi ho Silvr, that looks awesome! What a change! That is the same drop i'm interested in when the time and money allows. I've been pricing it out. What size tires and wheels are you runnin? Are those the truck ralleys with spider caps?
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Check out eBay for the best pricing on that kit. I picked up the shocks from Stylin' for a decent price. They are always running sales too.
I'm running the stock ralleys (15x8?) with 235/75-15 wheels. Yep, ralleys with spider caps. Picked up the 5on5 spider caps from Mooneyes.
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Thanks Silvr, I'm lookin for the deep truck ralleys for my 85. Maybe a 15x10 rear and a 15x8 or 7 in the front unless I find a cheap set somewhere. It has 15" wagons on it right now(came with them) with the 235's on the front and 255's on the rear. Hopefully i'll be able to squeeze the kit, wheels and tires in this year. I'm diggin the stance!
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Man that looks great. 8) The drop really changed the looks of it.
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looks a lot better with the drop
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Thanks guys. The bed not lining up with the body line on the cab is bugging the heck out of me. I might have to pick up a box of shims sooner than I planned to try and get that leveled and lined up.
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great truck
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Snapped a few shots today before I listed it on some local sites. Here are the latest pics from today of the truck as it sits now...
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1555.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1559.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1551.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1554.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1557.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1566.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1562.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1563.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/DSCN1564.jpg)
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Truck is looking great!
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truck looks great. Thats the look Im aiming for, only in a gloss black. About how much would you say you have in the drop, if ya dont mind me askin.
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Tight look you are schemin there! I Like the heck outta that!
FYI - another wheel option if you wanna keep the "old school" theme like in the pic would be Stockton Wheel - you can get chevy C10 Rallye's in several diameters and widths... ( I got 15x6's and 15x12.0's from them for red truck...) I am pretty sure they do the 20 plus diameters too...they are super friendly and willing to do alot of things not listed on their website....
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Thanks guys!
The drop is a McGaughy's kit that I picked up from a seller on eBay at wholesale price. It's the kit with spindles, drop springs, flip kit, and the notch. I'll leave the research to you (the seller is still letting them go for the same price). Besides that, I've got Belltech Street Peformance shocks all around.
As for wheels (if I were to keep it), to keep with the old school look, I'd likely pick up a set of Centerline Smoothies in maybe 17" or 18" and throw a set of white walls on there for nostalgia. I've seen a set of staggered 15" stockton rallyes, powdercoated in a bold in a classic truck magazine. They used the same drop I did and it looks sweet. Believe me, that build got me thinking.
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Did you shim the bed up in the front?
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Not yet. The droop is only apparent when viewed broadside on the passanger side. I've pulled dimensions to points on the front and back of each side of the bed, and it's almost like it's been bent/twisted such that the back is pretty well even but the passenger front is lower. Weird.
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I've decided to keep the truck, for now anyway.
Moving back to the bed shim situation...
I still haven't pulled the trigger on trying to line it up, but I did a little more digging and apparently this is a problem that a few other '83 c10 guys have on another forum. I think it's just been more obvious to me since I lowered the truck. My plan for now is to fab up a series of different plates that will sit between the frame and the mounting bracket and around the mounting bolt. Hopefully, just a handful of 1/8" th. sheetmetal shims can do the trick.
Other stuff...
I've also been trouble shooting my A/C lately. Seems like I had a leak at the pressure switch on the accumulator. That's been changed by a local shop, but now I worry it may be leaking from that switch. Took it back once already and they said it had completely drained all the R134 overnight. They charged me back up and tried to identify the problem with no luck. The system seems to have held freon through the weekend, but now the compressor clutch comes on sporadically. Worry it may be leaking down again and is close enough to too low that the compressor is about to shut off. I have about 1/2 can of R134 at the house I'll have to throw in tonight to see what happens. If the compressor clutch stops acting funny, then I know I'm just low...if not, back to trouble shooting. The compressor comes on whenever I bypass the pressure switch and runs like a champ, but I don't want to do that too much if the pressure is actually off.
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Glad to hear your keeping it!! :D
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Figured I'd post up a few shots of the truck as it sits now. Still haven't taken the time to shim up the bed, but I did freshen it up with an oil change, new cap/rotor kit, plugs and wires. No pics of that yet though. Enjoy!
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/2009_08_09_0602-1.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/2009_08_08_0521-2.jpg)
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w126/silvrbreez/83%20C10/2009_08_09_0599-1.jpg)
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Those old skool Stepsides look so awesome when they have a huge lift and mud tires though man :D Especially when they are painted a camo and have loud open headers.
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nice lookin ride man...hope someday i can get to that point on my own project trucks
love the low murdered out look
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Truck is still looking good!
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Well I had a head gasket blow on me last week. The truck is sitting up in my garage, torn down to the block, while the heads gets rebuilt. I wish I could just pick up a set of Vortec heads and an new intake, but unfortunately funds don't permit for that kind of splurge while I can easily afford getting them resurfaced with all new valve seals. Nothing much to take pictures of now, just an update on the progress.
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I wish I could just pick up a set of Vortec heads and an new intake, but unfortunately funds don't permit for that kind of splurge while I can easily afford getting them resurfaced with all new valve seals.
That's too bad. Now is the perfect time for it.
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It's been slow going, but the truck is running again, but not without questions...
I've had the heads checked for cracks (all was good) and resurfaced and all the valve seals replaced, replaced the head gaskets, torqued them down to spec, tightened the rockers down in sequence, set the timing, cranked it up, checked for leaks, and all was well....except...
When I first cranked it up, it spit some coolant/water out the driver's side tailpipe. This is the side that had the blown head gasket. When it did this, it blew white smoke out as well (customary with coolant in the cylinders). I'm banking this was just leftover coolant that I wasn't able to get out the block that was just burning off.
I continued to run the engine for awhile and forgot that I needed to change the oil since it was milky and evidenced that coolant/water had gotten into it during the mishap. So I changed the oil and ran it again in several intervals, each ranging from 5-10 minutes.
The oil appears to be pretty clear and clean now, but I'm still blowing white smoke out the driver's side when the engine gets up to operating temperatures (say 180-185 on the original elec. gauge). No more coolant/water is coming out the exhaust, no leaks near the head, the coolant level is holding steady in the radiator, and the temperature never appears to get over the common operating temperature (doesn't appear to be overheating). I still haven't taken it on the road, but when I start it up, I finger the throttle at the carb to cycle it through the rev range..
I'm at a loss for what could still be causing the smoke, but I have a few thoughts...
1. Maybe the cylinders that experienced the entry of coolant water during the failure are still somewhat coated and just need to burn it off.
2. Maybe the exhaust manifold and exhaust pipes on that side still have some coolant residue coating that needs to be burned off.
3. Maybe I have coolant sitting in the muffler that smokes white whenever it's heated up and the exhaust gases blow by it.
4. Maybe the problem continued deeper and I have a crack in the block.
I'm hoping for any of 1-3, and praying that it's not 4.
Experience and advice is welcome. Let me know what you think.
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EDIT: Drove it to work today...no more smoke. I took it for a test spin last night, and after some minor adjusting of the carb/throttle return springs, things seem to be running quite well. I'm going to keep an eye on my coolant levels and temp. gauge over the next several days to make sure all is well there, but it fell good on the way to work this morning.
Now onto the next thing...think my power steering pump has develoed a leak, ::) and I need to change my transmission pan gasket and filter ::)
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Glad to hear everything is ok.
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favourite truck on this site so far..it's similar to mine and done in a style i like..i have spider caps and i'm saving for whitewalls..
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Very Nice I'm doing something very similar on my 77 step
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Thanks guys!
UPDATE....
I've swapped out the power steering pump and replaced my cracked coolant overflow reservoir. I hope to get it out for a test crank and drive either tonight or tomorrow to check for leaks again. Man, I hope I've gotten it down to a managable amount of drips again. Feel like a cat chasing it's tail over the past month and a half or so. I'm just ready to get it back on the road as my daily.