Just bought a 1977 3/4 ton, 4X4.

[fishead]

Hey all. 

So a few years ago, I met my wife's paternal grandfather (her dad's dad), and saw his truck.  Beautiful truck.  1977 (I was born in '77), 3/4 ton 4X4 that he bought in 1979.  Well, I had fallen in love with this body style of Chevy several years ago when I rode to work with another guy in his 1/2 ton, so of course, I expressed interest in grandpas truck.  As it turns out, his sons (my father-in-law and brothers) think the old man is stupid for putting so much work into the truck.  They feel he should have scrapped it years ago and bought a new truck.  Long story short, who do you think he thought of when grandpa decided he is probably never going to drive again?  I gave him $1000 for it because I didn't want family political problems if he gave it to me.




One of the things grandpa recently did was replace all the body panels except the box deck.  He painted it himself, so it isn't the cleanest paint job, but it is nice that there is virtually no rust on it.  The interior is all original, and shows it's 30 years, and the engine has issues.

The story with the engine is that it came with a 400.  At 265,000 miles the 400 packed it in, and someone convinced grandpa that this 350 with RV cams would be better then that 400.  Well, grandpa was never happy with the 350.  Last summer while pulling his 5th wheel on the Coquihalla highway (mountainous highway) he overheated and blew the heads (oh look, the temp guage doesn't work...)  He took the heads in to be rebuilt, and the guy said "but these are 305 heads".  Weird.  Grandpa went home, measured the cylinder bore, and it is a 350 block, but had 305 heads (I am not THAT mechanical, so someone tell me, is this even possible?).  So grandpa got the heads on, and set up the valves by the book, but it ran real rough.  So, he messed around and got it to run half decently by adjusting the valves (out, in, I don't know anything about valves...).  He strongly recommended that I find a new block and put the new heads on the new block.  So that's what my plan is.  I can't afford to drive it right now, but hey, she looks purdy in my back yard!

Yesterday morning I was surfing the web looking at Chevy's while my son was watching disney's "Cars" right next to me.  It was at that scene where Mater says "You know, I once knew this girl Doreen, good looking girl.  She looked just like a Jaguar... only she was a truck!" and it dawned on me... I'm naming my truck Doreen, and I am going to try score a Jag hood ornament from Ebay.

My long term plans for Doreen once I get her running a bit better (and gas prices drop!!!111!!eleventy-one!!!) is a 4" lift with some 33" tires.

I'm also selling this as a father/son project for me and my 5 year old son!  I'm a robotics technician, so I am good at figuring things out, but haven't had an engine bigger then a lawn mower apart before.  Should be fun.

[hotrod24]

nice looking ride you got there and welcome

[lowriderbowtie]

very clean truck!

The idea of putting 305 heads on a 350 engine is to bump the compression up.  usually the stock 350 heads have 76cc combustion chambers and the 305's have much lower (64cc)    This can work well if your timing is set and you run the proper octane fuel (higher compression engines have detonation problems with low octane fuel)

I still think its best to use 350 heads on 350 engines and vise versa. 


I want to so the same kinda paint scheme on my truck eventually, except darker blue on top and bottom, and the white in the middle

[Blazin]

Welcome from New Hampshaa. Nice truck! I would ditch the full time hubs though. Its awesome that you are keeping it in the familyeven though the family could care less.
Where ya from?

[Fordeatinz71]

nice score!  should make a great project for you and your son...i'm sure it'll make your wife proud to see it come around as well...welcome aboard!

[fishead]

Thanks guys.  Interesting to know about the 305 heads on the 350 block.

I am in Vernon, BC, Canada.  A few hours inland from the west coast, and about 3 hours north of the Washington, British Columbia border.

As far as the hubs are concerned, I have read about a mod to the NP203 (or is it easier to just put in a 205?) and then the manual hubs.  It's all about money though.  We are new home owners (last year) and all my disposable money is going into carp like flooring and stuff.

Thanks for the advice.

[Bitzer!]

Evening from the UK