Greetings from Dallas

[paniolo]

Hi all,  just joined up and wanted to introduce myself.   I have a '81 C20 Suburban Silverado with factory towing pkg, 454, TH400 and 14bolt rear end.  I picked it up about '04 down in Austin when I needed a tow vehicle to get my 4x4 to and from the trails.   I bought it from a drag racer that used to tow his Camero up to Dallas.  He got a new 2500 from work so this was surplus.  It was basically ready to roll.  He said he put an early '90s 454 in it and had the Turbo 400 built for towing.  Judging by the paint and condition on both that seemed reasonable.  Only system not working was the cruise that wasn't hooked up after the engine transplant and the a/c that had been converted to r134, but slowly leaks out.  Interior was adequate.

I didn't do anything to it but fluids and filters and use it to tow my junk around 1-2x a month.  It towed like a monster, pulling my 6,000# with ease at 70 and was able to pull up long grades right with my bud's Cummins.  Then my son got in over his head in traffic and ran the drivers front into a concrete wall.  Pushed the fender and bumper back into the tire and bent the radiator support.  Luckily the hood was fine.  Was able to hook the bumper and front end up to the back of my 4x4 and pull it out enough to be drivable.   

Then lost my job when the company went bankrupt, and moved up to Dallas for new job.  Parked the burb in the driveway and it seemed like a good opportunity for my son to learn how to work on cars with the damage he caused.  But I was working 6 days a week and not able to supervise much, he got everything off, but didn't do a good job of keeping track of where things came from.  Then he moved off to college.  So it sat in the drive way for 4 years.  I knew I could put everything back, but also knew it would be a big jigsaw puzzle.   Well finally got off my rear this spring and got a junk yard fender/inner, radiator support, bumpers installed.  Then continued and got it in running condition again.  The master cylinder had failed and a wheel cylinder seized.  Changed flushed all the fluids including the gas tank.  So it's running good again and I'm working on the list of improvements I had meant to get to years ago.

Looking forward to seeing what you all have done to your trucks.

ps sorry for the length, I can be long winded   I'll post up some pics, but all I have right now is repair shots.

[zieg85]

Welcome from NW Indiana, formerly Red Oak, TX

[RCCoors]

welcome from a fellow North Texan!

[paniolo]

Welcome from NW Indiana, formerly Red Oak, TX

Hi Zieg85 ... I grew up in Carmel IN and IU grad. 

[69byrd]

Welcome from Tn

[DustyRusty]

Welcome from Alaska.

Send us some of your hot weather, we're a little cool up here.  lol

Rusty

[bake74]

     Welcome from California.

[big bear]

welcome from northeast ohio. sounds like nice truck.

[slammed79]

Welcome from Arizona!

Rusty, you can take some of my hot weather, I want some cool so I can work on my junk!

[1979C20]

Welcome from Arizona!

Dusty, you can take some of my hot weather, I want some cool so I can work on my junk!

X's 2!

[paniolo]

DustyRusty- I'm tempted by the offer ... but I figure you would want to reciprocate this winter, so I'm good!

big bear - I lived in your neck of the woods too.  I was in Cleveland for a few years working for GE back in the 80's.   I know we had a plant in Ashtabula at the time.

[big bear]

small world man.  ive lived in ashtabula a majority of my life.  im out in cleveland everyday with work and   ect.   very cool.   

[paniolo]

small world man.  ive lived in ashtabula a majority of my life.  im out in cleveland everyday with work and   ect.   very cool.   

All my friends from the area didn't like it, but I thought it was a great place to live.  The lake is awesome and I enjoyed the weather.  The only thing I didn't like about winter is my car was parked outside.  When I went to work it was dark and had to scrape ice.  I worked in an enclosed area, so by 5pm it was basically dark again and had to scrape ice to get home!

[big bear]

haha  yes, thats very common. most people from here or around the area hate it here.   i love it as well.  its great being by the lake and its more laid back.   thats my style living. quiet ect.    as for winters.. dont get me started hahaha.  but it comes with the territory.