4 Trucks to make 3 Projects !!!

[hotrodpc]

Hello, I am new to this site. I do belong to other forums but since I have four 73-87 trucks, I thought I should certainly be a member here too. These will be on going projects and not anything done anytime soon. Hopefully its OK, to post as I go? So first, here's what I got.
1) 80 GMC Sierra Grande 1/2 2WD Long Bed. Was originally a 5.7 Diesel. That boat anchor Olds Diesel. The guy I got it from was the original owner, and had it coverted to gas. So it now has an 80 Model Olds 350 gas engine with the original T350. I am fairly certain it is a T350C. This truck was on the way to Pull A Part. When I seen the PAP sign in the window, I knocked on his door, and asked what PAP was giving him for it. He said, $100, so I offered him $200 and he took it, and I got the clean clear title signed off. He said the carb was bad, and the front brakes were bad, so it have been sitting for 3 years. Towed it home, charged the battery. It ran fine, with a bit of smoke at start up. Auto choke worked and all. Not sure how he figured it had a bad carb. Hydro boost that comes on the diesel equipped trucks was leaking. I was not paying $300 for a new hydro boost, so I went to PAP and got a Vac Boost now that it is gas engine, and solved that problem for $16 for the Vac Boost Unit. And it had a collapsed right front rubber brake hose, so that when you applied the brakes, the right brake stayed applied. New brake hose $18. That was it. I drive the truck occasionally and it smokes a bit. Has some rust issues, not severe. Still a good truck for the $200 I paid for it, and $34 to get it running.
2) 86 Chev Silverado 3/4 2WD Long Bed. My daughter called me up and said a neighbor was trying to sell their truck to a U Pull It place, but they would not buy it because her dad had the title in another state and asked me if I wanted to buy it. Told her to find out the year, any labels on it, like 10, 20, 30, Silverado, Cheyenne or whatever. She calls me and says it has a 20 and Silverado on it. I have been dying to get a 3/4 truck. I told her yes I want it. My daughter tells me it does not have a transmisison in it. OK, so what I can get a trans for it. Called me daughter back and asked if she'd find out what motor was in it. She calls back and says, it runs but they don't know what it is. Its 7. something. I thought noway. Told her to get the VIN. Sure enough, its a 454. I get to TX from OK to pick it up about a week later, and it does have the trans in it, it is just out as in broke down not working. Its a T400. 1 spot of rust on the passenger door about like a 50 cent piece at the door molding. Being that U Pull It was going to give them $100 for it. That's is what they wanted from me. I jumped ALL OVER that. Got it back to OKC and put a battery in it. After sitting 3 months, it fired right up. Runs perfect. Then I find out the motor was rebuilt probably 30,000 miles ago. Everything seems to work, except the trans that is apart now awaiting the rebuild kit, the power door lock switch on the driver side, and of course I have not been able to test the cruise control, but doubtful it will work. Its the vacuum type. It needs paint, cleaned up and minor stuff. I would really like to do a frame up restoration on this one since its all original and 99% rust free and leave it basically original as possible. I am also doing a Title 42 on it to get the title work handled. Its much easier on an out of state transaction.
3) 81 Chev. C10 Silverado 1/2 2WD. 305/T350C Missing most of the interior, bed and front clip. All power train is there with a rod out the pan of the 305, with a good T350C trans. Basically, a rust free cab and real nice clean frame with all the powertrain is what this is. I got it for $100 and clean clear title signed off. Since this one is so stripped, it will definatly be a frame up restoration, and it will be nowhere near original, so intend to make this one the hotrod truck. Not sure yet if I will go big block or small block, but I just want it to be a quick fun ride. Not necessarily fast, but a quick custom nice looking, riding truck.
4) 81 GMC 15 Siera Grande 1/2 2WD. 305/T350C. This is a complete truck. The guy did not ever get the title put into his name, but drove the truck for a year or so. He bought him a new truck, but could not trade it in since he did not have the title and it was not in his name. Being he got a new truck. He parked this one. That was 7 years ago. The truck ran when he parked it, but now the cab has started to rust fairly bad. The bed has just started to rust, and the front clip is great, just about as perfect as they come. BEing there is no title, I am going to use this truck as a donor to piece together the above 81 C10 Chev. I got this truck for $200. I pick it up tommorow, as I just went to look at it today, but did not have good tires with me. The tires are rotted from sitting for 7 years, so I have to bring tires off of one of my other trucks to be able to tow it home. I am doubtful the trans will work after sitting for 7 years, but I am certain I can get the engine running with new gas since he said it was running when he parked it. Strange, this guy has 2 other trucks too. Just a country boy, who gets a new truck and parks his old one out behind the barn.
So there are my four 73-87 model trucks and a bit of history how I acquired them. The 80 GMC I bought last summer, the 86 Chev 3/4 I bought about a month ago, and the 2 81's I have bought in the last 4 days. As I stated, I hope to have 3 complete trucks, all for differant purposes, out of the 4 trucks. Not such a bad deal to get 4 trucks for $600. It does pay to pay attention and keep your eyes and ears open. I am sure as I progress on these, I may have lots of questions, and any help will be appreciated.

[choptop]

Cool story, not a bad price at all for four trucks. Welcome from West Texas

[Just-speed]

Good job on getting some nice trucks. The 3/4 was the real bargin. 

[hotrodpc]

Oh, I know about the 3/4. I couldn't go pick it up for a week. That was a long week. I felt like an 8 yo waiting on Christmas morning. The funny part about it is, my son in law kept telling me how rough it was. But I didn't care really. Where can you get a running 454 for $100 if that was all I got out of it. Then to find out it was a recent rebuilt 454. To me the truck wasn't rough at all. It looked like an 86 model old used truck. He told me it had rust all over it. Knowing how bad some of these trucks rust, I expected it to fall apart as I was towing it home. I got there, it was surface rust on the hood and the top of the cab. No, its not a pretty truck, but you have to be able to look thru needing a paint job, then its a good truck. I am not fond of the homemade billy bob git'r done stop a freight train rear bumper, but I think its just bolted on and can be taken off. The 3/4 will certainly be my favorite. Unfortuneatly with the 81 C10 being just a cab and frame right now, that will be the first project after I get the T400 rebuilt and in the 3/4 to have it at least running. The 80 GMC is the only one that runs at the moment.

[oldyeller]

Welcome to the site.  It sounds like you got a really good deal on those trucks.  Most people are lucky to find 1 for $1000 and you got 4 for $600.  Awesome.  Can't wait to see some pictures.

[zieg85]

Awesome deal, even for real rusty northern trucks.  Welcome to the site from NW Indiana

[hotrodpc]

Thanks for the welcome. I was actually turned onto this site by a local guy who I met by craigslist. I am not sure what his name is here. I do belong to another fourm too. Nice group there too, but I see alot more info I can use here since it is mostly 73-87. Once I get this forum figured out, I will get some pics posted. By no means are these pretty trucks. But they certainly have potential. So it wouldn't be bad to post to pics for the before and after affects. Although, don't hold your breath for the after pics, cuz I can assure you, you will die waiting. Slow process. I just got back from picking up the 81 GMC 15 Sierra Grande. So I have to go play musical trucks and get this one situated in the back yard.

[oldwhity]

Welcome from Maryland. Can't wait to see the pics!

[hotrodpc]

This is the truck I got for $200 that was originally a Diesel. That old boat achor Olds Diesel. The original owner converted this one to Olds 350 Gas. This truck has some rust in the floor at the rocker panels, and some rust on the bed tops where the guy had a camper shell mounted. I like the 81-87 style better so this truck is just going to be pieced together from the used parts from the other trucks, like the carpet in 81 Chev is good enough for this truck, and the door panels from the 81 GMC will go in this truck. All is red, so the colors will match. I would like for the dash pad to be replaced, but I am not even sure I want to spend that much on this truck. And you know I will not find a good used one. I do not intend to do much with this truck except make it safe, sound and sanitary. I will drive it on bad weather days when I need a truck so I don't mess up my daily driver vehicle and my other trucks. Or trips to the dump or pick up engine blocks from the machine shop etc. Also if family members need to borrow a truck, this is the one they will get. Amazing when you have a truck how many frineds and family come out of the woodwork when they need a truck. So this is just going to be a beater truck. The 350 Olds engine is tired. I don't like 305 motors, but the 81 GMC apparently has a decent runnning 305. No sense in sending it to the junkyard if it runs OK. It may end up in this truck. I am sure not going to use it for one of my other projects. I will probably also take the time to paint the wheels to match, and find a set of factory hub caps for this one. For a junker clunker, I do not want to spend alot of money on this truck or alot of time either. I am probably going to rob the factory rear sliding window from this one for my 86. My 86 has factory rear slider so I want it to have it since its on the RPO label. Not a big fan of rear slider windows.

[hotrodpc]

This is my 86 3/4 ton Silverado that I got for $100 with a good running 454 and a trashed Turbo 400. This one has surface rust on the hood and the top of the cab. The only cancer rust it has on the passenger door where the door molding was. Not much to speak of and and easy fix being it is in the center section of the door. There is also a dent on top of the cab where someone had carried a long pipe and let it run over the cab and dented it. I am not good with dents, so I will have to pay someone to fix that one. The rest of the body work is minor, and of course it needs paint in a bad way. The interior is OK. Not fantastic. The carpet is good, but is faded, so I think I can have it dyed and it look like new again. The door panels are not so bad either if I get the remailing hardware to go with them. For now I just want to get the Turbo 400 rebuilt and be able to drive this one. This one is my favorite of all of them. This truck is 100% original with 175,000 miles on it. The engine has been replaced or rebuilt. So that is the only thing I am not sure of being original or not. The casting # to the block is year model correct, but that is a wide range of years, so I do not know if they had the orignal rebuilt or did an exhange. Evenutally I want this truck to be frame restoration project. Just not yet. I have to get the 81 Chev done first.

[choptop]

Both good looking trucks for projects. I have seen/had worse. Im not a fan of the sliders either, and somehow seem to wind up with several, but I have a couple a parts trucks with the solid window so Im ok. The 305 isnt a bad engine, just to real peppy. Good for cruising, not racing. May tan truck is the only 305 i have, but it runs like a top,even the cruise works, so Im not changing it. If it isnt broke, dont fix it till you have nothing else to fix.

[hotrodpc]

This is the 81 Chevrolet 99% rust free cab and frame. As you can tell it was stripped as a donor vehicle. I thought was pretty dumb. I seen the parts that came off and out of this truck. Very nice. All that was wrong with it, is a rod out the oil pan of a 305. Imagine that. Oh how it breaks my heart !!! NOT !!! Another 305 put out of its misery. But I would have just put a 350 in this truck and drove it. So I did get it with all the powertrain and rolling chassis. The trans, motor, rear end and driveline were not touched. They did do a good job stripping it. I only see the radio wires were cut. All the harnesses are OK and good.This one also has a clean clear title with a tag that expired Dec 2008. It was a Silverado originally, but I do not see myself putting it back to original with cruise, power locks and windows etc. My intention with this truck, is to take the cab off, blast the frame and paint it. And put the truck back together with a nice paint job, new body bushings, and all the new chassis parts. Basically and frame restoration since it is this far apart. Being that is will not be original, I want it to be a totally custom quick truck. Not fast, just a fun quick street/strip truck. Not much to show here execpt what I am starting with. Also a pic of the only rust on the truck. It is on top of the passenger side rocker. I think someone may have actually just spilled a chemical of some kind. I have never seen these trucks start to rust this way. It may even sand away and not be cancer. Not sure until I start working on it. Not even sure what color I want this truck yet. I may go with the solid orginal color of Dark Cardinal red. It is like a maroon color. It will not be a 2 tone paint job. I am not experienced enough in paint and body for that. I will do good just to get a good solid color paint job on it. Although I want it to look nice, I will be more concerned the way it runs than the way it looks. Just want it to be quick enough to spank the bottle ricers, mustangs, challengers and firebirds. That shoudl not be hard to do. And I want to beat them on the motor. No Squeeze. But I want to be able to add a little unit if I decide to later on, so it will have to be built with that in mind. Never hurts to have an extra button in the cab on occasion.

[hotrodpc]

Thanks for the respond Choptop. My 81 GMC does have a solid window, that will be going into the 81 Chev rebuild. 3 of these 4 have the slider. If this 305 in the 81 GMC runs, I may very well end up putting it in the junker clunker 80 GMC. Might even just put a set of rings, bearings and new gaskets in it to freshen it up a bit. I just don't want to spend alot on a 305. Actually when I was talking of putting a Chev 350 in it, a guy was telling me the Olds 350 is better, just not the one I have with windowed mains. So if found a good used Olds 350 I'd do it. I listened to him, and did a little research, I think he may be right. For a stock motor an Olds 350 have a better bore stroke ratio and actully provide good torque and hp in stock form. But I'd imagine the Chev 305 is fair on mpg too. So we'll see when I get it out and try to fire it up. If no smoke, the oil pressure is good and compression is good. I may just go with it as is. Wait and see.

[choptop]

Ive gotten 20-21 out of my tan extended cab. Thats better than my 08 extended cab. I have seen the 350s get the same mileage,some even better. If it runs, run it. If it hickups, 350 it. Rebuild parts for these engines are cheap.

[hotrodpc]

And last of the 4. This is the 81 GMC C15 Sierra Grande that I bought yesterday and brought home to day. This is the donor for parts on the on the other 3 trucks, most of it being for the 81 Chevy. The cab is rusted bad on this one. Frame is OK though, so I may have an extra frame. The front clip is nice. The bed has some rust issues, but I think they are workable and repairable. This truck has been sitting for 8 years. It was running when parked, the guy just got a new truck and parked it. He could not find the keys to it, so he took the steering column apart to pop the ingtion cylinder. Not happy about that. I can put anything together I take apart, but not so good at putting back things back that I did not take apart. And I need this column for the 81 Chev. Not sure why, but I think the 80 GMC has a T350C trans and I know the 81 Chev does, but this one has just a T350 which I like. Much stronger in the pump and converter. Not a big fan of T350C. It will be OK in the 80 GMC though. Strenght will not be an issue. I do like T350 better to make a quick truck, so this trans will be going in the 81 Chev after it gets a good rebuild with all the good stuff by me.