20 years

[78 Chevyrado]

8-2008 lift kit.  Lifted the truck while rebuilding the front end by installing 454 front coil springs (I have a small block) and adding 1.5" lift blocks in the rear.  Had to get a new steering box because the hit was hard enough it wrecked that too.  Far int he future but now it has 275/70R18 tires on it that fit with no scrubbing.

[78 Chevyrado]

Lift Kit Part 2

[78 Chevyrado]

Lift Kit part 3

The splash shields for the disc brakes were so nice i just cleaned them and they still had the galvanizing visible.  now you know how they looked factory.

[zieg85]

Thanks for the reminder.  I loved your restoration build.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope to continue on my 2 builds with write ups.  Life gets in the way and even though I built my dream shop it is so packed I can't work on either at the moment very easily.

Dang that was a long time ago.  I guess Chris's site has stood the test of time.  Best Chevy truck site on the web.

Life has a way of getting in the way.  I've had 3 cars since I got the truck, one crashed, ones my fav daily driver ever and one is my new project.  But the old truck just carrys on.  Only been towed twice in 48 years.  not a bad record.  one for a frozen brake caliper and one for the fuel lines rotted so bad the engine was sucking air.

After I got my 85, I found this site in 2004.  Someday I will get around to finishing my frame on restoration.  Meanwhile it is sitting out of the elements and last time I checked, no foul odors from varmints.  First picture is the day I brought it home.  The second was in 2010 after an encounter from a deer.  I started collecting parts and soon after I took it out of commision.  Someday I will make a post but it will not hold a candle to yours.

[78 Chevyrado]

Thanks for the reminder.  I loved your restoration build.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope to continue on my 2 builds with write ups.  Life gets in the way and even though I built my dream shop it is so packed I can't work on either at the moment very easily.

Dang that was a long time ago.  I guess Chris's site has stood the test of time.  Best Chevy truck site on the web.

Life has a way of getting in the way.  I've had 3 cars since I got the truck, one crashed, ones my fav daily driver ever and one is my new project.  But the old truck just carrys on.  Only been towed twice in 48 years.  not a bad record.  one for a frozen brake caliper and one for the fuel lines rotted so bad the engine was sucking air.

After I got my 85, I found this site in 2004.  Someday I will get around to finishing my frame on restoration.  Meanwhile it is sitting out of the elements and last time I checked, no foul odors from varmints.  First picture is the day I brought it home.  The second was in 2010 after an encounter from a deer.  I started collecting parts and soon after I took it out of commision.  Someday I will make a post but it will not hold a candle to yours.

Thank you!   You'll get it done.  You'll have lots of candles just like mine one of these days.  I had an edge on mine.  I was out of work for 3 or 4 months back then and had the freetime to do all of it at once.  that's a rare thing.  I'll never get to do that again.  That's why my camaro is taking so long to finish.  The truck just works.  Havent had to do a lot to it in all this time.  My big problem now is i have to raise the bed to replace the rubber hoses to the fuel tank.  They rotted through after 20 years and are sucking air.

Camaro needs just a water pump.  I've had the parts for two years but haven't had the time to fix it yet.  maybe this year I'll get it done...lol  I hope so.  I miss driving my fun car.   I also have a rebuilt 3.73 rear end to swap in it to replace the 2.73 worn out rear and an aluminum driveshaft as well as a full UMI stage 1 suspension for it.  I have everything but life keeps getting in the way.

My Daily Driver 2018 Impala Premier keeps me going while I play with the old car and truck. 

We'll all get everything done one day.

[78 Chevyrado]

Weird thing I never noticed before.

I got the truck on 6-25-2006

I got my Camaro on 6-25-2016

That's weird as can be.  never noticed that until yesterday.


Truck pic is first day I got it out of grandad's garage.

Camaro Pic is it in Florida when I went down there to go get it and bring it back to GA.

[78 Chevyrado]

Old Truck video from way back then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eVsD9ph3rk

[78 Chevyrado]

2008 or so...  New Thrush Welded muffler

Truck always started like this cold whether it was 20 degrees or 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAi-Yw7ZQoM

[78 Chevyrado]

2015  Playing with the gopro for the first time.  All I can say is Look how straight Scott got my truck at the body shop!!!

Camera mounted in two different positions.  Now ya know how good a job Scott did for me.  Dang he got that old truck straight!!!!

I don't know if this is allowed but...
Brown & Brown PRO Custom Paint & Body Shop at 44 Midland Ct, Winder, GA 30680  Painted my truck in 2007 and made it this gloriously smooth on a longbed!!  Ask for Scott!   Best Part about Scott was the entire time I wanted all these expensive lil upgrades and stuff and he did his best to save me money and shoot down my grand ideas about paint n body that I didn't need.  He was the real one!

I know some of you remember when this was a new thing.  Well photobucket ruined it for me and everyone else when they broke the internet that one time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ziWjC4MK8&t=18s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ5mVrgsMS8

[78 Chevyrado]

buy the expensive fuel pump and be done with it.  Don;t be afraid to buy "racecar" parts if they're more reliable.  I have a lot of so called "racecar" parts on my bone stock 1978 350.  you get what you pay for.

There is swearing in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HWAccynrA&t=1s

[78 Chevyrado]

Recent Rambling on front accessories info i figured out the hard way.  Sometimes the "racecar stuff"  Is what you need no matter how stock your engine is.

 There is swearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnQho4m91Z0