Please remind me why I bought a 1980 C10...

[xtreme80]

Ive dumped 5 grand that I don't have into this piece of crap.  I'm done with it.  The body was straight, but I've replaced the top end on the engine, the carb, and just recently paid to have the tranny and torque converter rebuilt when the thing blew up on the freeway.

So today, I'm on my way home, and I throw a rod going down the freeway at 65...

Engine ran for a few minutes when I got onto the shoulder, but seized up again when I tried again.

Another $150 towing bill, another $1500 into the bottom end.  

Why do I still own this piece of @#%$?  I love this @#%$ truck, but I can't seem to get a break...

[VileZambonie]

What happened? Were you doing 65 in 1st gear?  If you think that is a lot of $ to spend buy a newer car. Just maintinence alone costs more then your whole engine on many cars now!

And instead of rebuilding the engine by top then bottom a complete R&R overhaul is the way to go. I'm sure you've heard the expression pay me now or pay me later.

And the reason you keep pumpin money into that piece of crap is because you love it! Just like the rest of us 73-87 freaks

[Blazin]

Yeah you could have a new Ford explorer like a budy of mine, and when you drain the trans and change the filter thats when you figure out it does not have a dipstick tube which = no way to fill it back up!!! Called the ford dealer, " oh you need the special Ford tool number FI7CDN7FH874HF769RB7BF BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!! " Called another one they said the same thing but one of the techs. said you can use a suction transfer pump. Adapt a fitting to thread into the drain plug hole.  in anothwer words you fill it the same place you drain it! So I asked how do you know when its full? " After every quart pull the hose off your adapted fitting, if it runs out fast and heavy its not full, if it comes out in a paper thin trickle its full " We put 8 quarts in and it still poured out like a faucet! Dumbest idea I have ever seen!!!

[VileZambonie]

Ahh Chevy is just as guilty my friend....

[Nikodemus]

I've had quite a few problems with mine from day one...and I do get @#%$ and think "@#%$ i just need to buy a new truck" but then later on I look at her and think that's a nice looking truck.  

[Blazin]

Oh yeah I know, all the new junk has some pertty stupid engineering!

[shaved80]

wasn't it because you wanted to be like me?

since it's down and you're pulling the motor, i think now would be a good time for a Zed front end...*coughcough*

[Tire Burner]

Alright, i have to jump on this one too. I have a 1986 Chevy Truck that i paid $1200 for. When i bought it, the engine Smoked VERY VERY Badly. The Exhaust was wired up with Coat Hangers, The Dash Lights didn't work, The Transmission needed a Rebuild, The Tires were 235/60R15s (More like S10 Tires than C10 Tires), It used to be a Standard on the Tree, but when they Changed it over to Auto, they Reused the Old Standard Column by welding the Arms together. The Brakes in the back didn't work at all and it was later found out that the wheel Cylinder was Broken in Half and one of the Brake Shoes was Dangling in the Drum. The Seat was shot, there was no Radio and the Door Panels didn't match, But i love this thing. $5000 Later, she's a Solid Dependable truck, but still is lacking. When you buy an old Chevy truck like these, you're buying a toy. It's like a Hobby. Keep in mind that the 73-87 Trucks are getting harder to find as the years go on. It's a VERY popular Body style and it's VERY VERY easy to work on. Keep in mind that you can put an In line 6 To a 454 Big Block in them without much Trouble. Cars and Trucks have a Personality. You just have to get to know the persona of the Truck that you have. Bond with it. after a while, after you've dumped a bunch of money into it, you'll know when the slightest thing isn't right with it and that is when the bond will be complete.

[xtreme80]

I hear what you guys are saying.

I pulled the oil pan today.  It looks like it spun a main bearing.  When it did, it also broke the main cap, bent the rod, and broke the piston.  I screwed it up bad.  I pulled the cylinder heads off too, and it looks like those are in good shape still.  They better be, they only have 2000 miles on them.  

I almost bought a car from my mom this afternoon, a 96 maxima in excellent shape.  Then I got to thinking, that I'd probably rather spend that money to get my truck running good again.  I got a bond with this truck, like someone said.

I'm working on getting a SBC bored .040 over, balanced crank, 280 cam, etc. right now from a buddy.  This truck should be coming along very soon!

[ChevyGuy]

I got my truck handed down to me in the family but when i got my 76 it as a rust bucket and a basket case. My dad had put a 267 in it because the old 350 was worn out for my grandfather to be able to drive it around. My uncle had bought this truck brand new and few years later bought a jeep and his last ford. My dad ended up giving me the short block out of his roundy round car and I still have the motor in the truck 8 years and 70,000 miles later *cough cough*. I spent alot of time and money to drive it but the funny thing is that in the 8 years i painted it twice and spent just enough time to make it look ok for a daily driver is that its been the most dependable vehicle i have ever owned. The motor if it had problems never left me on the side of the road unless it was something minor. In high school I broke a couple of pushrods and rocker arms having fun in the thing but always managed to change the oil every 3000 miles. The only thing that went wrong on it was the unilite module in the distributor after I got it back on the road this last time. The truck has over 300,000 miles on the original chassis and I wouldnt trade it in for a newer car or truck. Beats having payments and i rather pay alittle more in gas instead of payments. Also I found out that the thing gets just as good of gas milage that my 2003 Chevy work truck does.  

[Blackstone]

Why not drop in a warranteed GM shortblock, then transfer your top-end goodies? It would cost a ton less than rebuilding the existing powerplant and almost guarantee a reliable setup.

[Qship406]

Some vehicles just tend to have issues, has nothing to do with brand or model (well not always).  Got my 74 Stepside C10 about 4 years ago and the only problem has been it lost all electrical power while in the drivethru (@#%$ these things are heavy), power came back on its own and I have never found what went wrong  

Mine came with a fairly fresh Goodwrench 350, I installed a 700r4 out of a 91 GMC van and have been driving daily since.

Edited by: Qship406 at: 4/1/07 10:45 pm

[exitnextright]

Tire Burner, your words ring true to me!