Build #2 Crusader!
 

11-11-11 sounds like a great day to start a build.

The Project: My wifes 88 GMC Crew cab SRW 2WD. the truck is a old Municipal truck from someplace in Tenn. Its about as plain as you could get a truck. Bench seats, rubber floor, no interior trim, no headliner, and no radio. something is wrong with the brakes or the hydroboost. When we got the truck it had a hydraulic lift gate on the back, so it sat low in the rear from the weight. It rides awful, it dont stop for $h!t and its like riding in a tin can. the engine is tired, it burns oils and smokes. It's been well used and is kinda ugly. Not the sorta thing most women would want to be driving. But my wife loves it. I think mainly because its her's and she gets to decide what she wants the truck to become. (for the most part anyway)

Our plans for the truck: rebuild the front suspension and steering, add new wheels, convert the 14 bolt rear end to disc brakes. Rebuild the 5.7l engine do a few tricks for more torque and better fuel mileage. My goal is to get 20 mpg it will be tough but Im up for it. repaint the truck, and add some bling. Completely redo the interior, something more fitting for a professional women. front and rear power leather seats from a Tahoe, might do the trick. carpet might be a plus.. ah will see. I have been thinking about making it a short bed, I like the looks of the short bed conversions. and I think it would help on turning plus it would be a few pounds lighter. only problem is here in Northern Indiana there are no shortbeds if you can find one they are very expensive. but ill keep my eyes open.


Just like the last project "Silver Dollar" Me and my family will be doing all the work. this time I hope to have more pictures of the build along with better discription. it should be entertaining as well, as Im sure me and the wife will have a few "difference of opinions". Because this is actual my wife's truck (Debbie) she will be involved in it a lot more. she will be the one putting the engine together, sanding body panels, installing weathersrtipping, and anything else I dont want to do. LOL! She also has her own account on the thread and would be able to comment as well. So subscribe to the thread and follow along.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Looks like a great start! Nice truck!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Im sure this one will turn out killer also..

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

It will be interesting to see ideas become reality. At least if you two disagree on something it looks like the Shop Dog will be there to help out!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Looks like another great project. looking forward to following along.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Kind of ugly?? that thing is fricken beautiful!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

can you make that lift gate raise up and spin or something, its got all the hydraulics and all ....LOL....i am an old minitrucker !!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

oh and by the way , i can pick you up a nice shortbed for 4-500 here in arkansas

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Nice project, cant wait to see the progress. I am doing a 2wd ccswb/srw myself.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Looking forward to seeing the progress!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

shop dog, thats funny. that dog is hers everything about that dogs exsistence is for, and about my wife. It growls and carries on everytime I come in the house, and we've had it about 5 years

I guess that proves beauty is in the eye of the beholder

nope it went up and down, kids had fun riding on it. i put a ad on craigslist and it sold right away. after taking it off it really jacked up the alignment, it will were out the inside of the tires in no time. so that needs to be addressed.

I might take you up on that.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

LOL...i was just kidding about the tailgate

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Definetly looking forward to see how this truck evolves....Congrats on the sale of your other truck!!

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

That's so funny! We have two dogs and, while they really like me, life is all about their "Mom"! One of them is right on 75 pounds and loves to get up in her lap when she's laying on the couch. It's quite a site! Well, good luck with both the Crusader, and the dogs! lol

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Now that I have gotten a few years older. its getting harder to see what im doing, So I put up some florescent lights last weekend. Wow! was it dark in there. I never realized how dark until put those lights up. I dont know how Iv built a hand full of cars and truck in the dark and they turn out as nice as they do. Amazing. I have plenty of light now, should be know excuses.

Today I got the garage clean up, seams like its been years since it was this clean. The garage is 681sf and After each project I get a few more shop tools, which of coarse take up more valuable real estate. This time I will have me a acetylene torch. I'm sure that will be one of those thing I wont know how I did without. Tomorrow's big task is to get that truck in the garage. a quick measure of the truck. and it comes to 21' the depth of my garage is 21' and some change. That should be interesting. Ill have to get it in as far as I can then slide the ass over with my jack.

Deb says I need take a picture of it clean, cause she says it will be a nother 5 years before it will be clean again.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I'm sure this project will have plenty of "bonding moments"- looking forward to following it! Still think you should have your own reality show

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Oh, I have no dout of that. I don't think we fight enough for a reality show. maybe after this build we might.

well I was hoping to get the truck in the garage the last few days but a problem with the wifes car. delayed that for a day. With that taken care of yesterday I came home from work to find my oldest is seperating from her husband and all her $h!t is filling one side of my garage. Awesome!. Now! Her life would make a one hellva reality show.

hope to get that cleaned up in the next day or so and continue on.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

testing

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

alright I finally got all the vehicles fixed that need fixing for the winter. moved all of the daughters stuff to the basement. then last week I bought a winter beater. My little short bed truck just aint gonna make thru the winter. I found a 87 silverado POS, but its got good heat and it shuts off when i turn the key off. hopefully it will start everytime I ask it to. I really dont try to buy all vehicle the same color it just works out that way. I like to name my rides and this one ill call $h!t-streak

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went to the indy swap meet yesterday, got some good deals. found me some pistons to use in this truck. $20 cant beat that with a stick. more on those at a later time

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also little premature but got some wheels for my little shortbed. u got to jump on deals when they come, ya know. ill give u guys a little sneak peak

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i also got a few other odds and ends, ill need down the line. But the the best news of all is: I got the big truck in the garage today. cant say I have a whole lota room but it is in there. Hope i have a enough room to pull the motor and trans. Being that today is cyber monday I went a head and ordered as much stuff as im gonna need to do the rear disc conversion and redo the front and rear suspension. my engine block and crank are at my machinist. and he is not in any big hurry but thats a story for another time. in the next day or so i will start fitting the front leather seats and catch you guys up on what I did in the back.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Finally started working on the seats. got the front bench out. 23 years of nasty dirt and funk.
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under the rubber carpet. is a pretty solid floor.


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Threw the front seats in, just to see how much modification its gonna take to mount these babies in. the Seats are from a 03-04 Tahoe, they are power with up n down, back n forth, pitch and yaw, plus lumbar support and heat, everything else but massage. They should be a nice addition if I can get them in. At first glance it looks pretty straight forward, but after sitting in them, you quickly discover they are way to high.


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So I cut the the little tabs of the bottom of the seat bracket hoping that would do it.

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after cutting the tab off they still sit a little to high. u cant get your legs under the wheel.
So I had Deb jump up in there and I measured her, then compared it to the other trucks in the driveway and I come up with the seat sitting about 1.5 inches to high.

I had taken a newer leather wraped tilt steering column from a burb in the junk yard this past summer and thought now would be a good time to throw that in before i got the seats measured out. I got it mounted up and the whole damn thing was just flopping around right at the tilt. Turns out its just four screws inside the column that work themselves loose over the years. I found a real good thread on the forum on how to tighten it up and had it done in a evening.


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The column didnt come with a key so now was a good time to put in a new lock and cylinder. it looks kinda intimidating but it was fairly easy. plus now we have Delay wipers. its amazing! After we got rid of all our modern cars and trucks and went back to all this old junk. The simple things are what you miss i.e. delay wipers


Back to the seats as much as I tried to make these work, they are not going to unless I cut the floor. Deb says she wont drive it unless those seats are in there. even after begging to keep the old bench seat. Once I figure out how and where to cut the floor Ill post up some pics.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Man I wish I had taken pictures when i put my seats in I lowered the floorboards 3 inches. I basically took the raised part on each side out and made them even with the small ridge that runs from the transmission tunnel to the raised area. I cut mine on the front and 2 sides then pushed them down and pulled and bent everything to meet up and then welded it all together I mounted the seats on a piece of 4 in flat metal and then bolted that to the floors . My seats were out of a 2005 Silverado. There are a couple of not very good pictures of the seats installed in the truck.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I always wanted a crew cab square body but never could find the right one, and as for the buckets please post some pics and measurements possibly of the whole floor lowering and stuff this is the one thing i plan on doing but have no info just a bunch of pictures lol

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Looks like some good progress Mike! Are those Boss 338's like you had on your other truck in the sneak peek?

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Perfect! i didnt think of doing it that way, but I think thats the way Ill do it. (what?) that raised part looks to be at the right height. I figured I would cut around the hump to remove it but couldnt figure out how I was going to cut the back part. now I know. thank you.


I will certainly try. my biggest problem is I get moving on doing a task, and forget to stop and snap some photos.


they are Ridler wheels I hadnt heard of them till the swap meet the other day. but got a real good deal and aside from them being glossy in the center and a larger polished lip they look pretty much the same. oh and they should fit with out modify the rotor. I should buy a few more sets before the rest find out about them and jump the price like the boss.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

It seems to be that small raised area is the right height at least for mine it is I just lowered the seat humps to that point. I just took a level and decided where I wanted the new top and drew a line around it using the level and a marker then cut the line with a sawzall


This is the same problem that I have

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

That's funny, I have almost the same crew cab and have picked out the same wheels!
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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I'm very interested in these wheels. I like the look and prices look pretty reasonable too. No mods to the rotor might just be the best selling point.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Looks like a great project Mike. Looking forward to watching this built take place. I get out to the Elkhart area several times a year and these old trucks are pretty rare out in the salt belt. The nice thing about the Elkhart area is the access to a lot of new take off parts that the RV and conversion companies prune off perfectly good vehicles. I stopped by a few of those take off peddlers over the years and found a bunch of nice stuff (bucket seats, steering wheels, wheels, etc). Just too costly to ship most of it to the west.

I’d love to come see your projects some time. I work for a motorized stripped chassis suppler to the RV and stepvan industry and get to your area way too many times a year. Usually stay at the Hilton Garden Inn off 19 at the toll road. It seems the people at Texas Roadhouse across the bridge from the hotel in your town recognize me more than my own neighbors here at home do. :lol: I’m well connected with the crew at Naquin’s if you need a contact for GM parts.

I had to laugh when I read the part about the steering column as I just picked up an ’89 Suburban that needed the same work. All 4 bolts in the tilt mechanism were backed out and actually tore up the upper bowl. Such a common issue on those old Saginaw steering columns.

The Silver Dollar turned out great! Can’t wait to see what you do with the crew cab. Momma will be proud to cruise that around.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

It does sounds like you've been here before. I also work for a RV supplier, in fact Im the delivery driver, so I get to go into a lot of manufactures and see a lot of different stuff being built. even get a lot of new ideas. let me know the next time your coming to town and maybe we can get together.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

So deb sends me a link to a craigslist add for a 71 shortbed that looks pretty decent and says we should go look at it. Does she not know Im a little busy! she also know I have a weakness for those old 67-72's like some people and lost dogs I feel the need to rescue and save everyone I come across. So i called the guy and im going to take a look today. If I get this thing Im gonna have to abandon my little 86 c/10 shortbed project. Ill let you guys know how it comes out.


oh and by the way yousesteers cutting the floor is certainly easier said than done. I stared at it last night for about three hours tiring to figure the best way, how much and where to cut it. so it would fold right back down on itself. Im sure there is a mathematical equation for this, but I dont think I'm smart enough to figure it out. so im just going to cut it by eye and hope for the best.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I kinda eye balled it and decided where to cut then ran a level around it and cut it out with the sawzall. I cot it all pushed down then took some self tapping screws and screwed the floor boards together then took a hammer and persauded them to fit together. After I had the fit like I wanted I ground the paint off and welded it all back in you are right it is easier said than done I wish I had taken pictures to help you guys out but I never think of it until I am done. I just made sure they were level when I got done. I am no body man some guys on here would cringe if they had seen what I did and how I done it but I am more of a practical guy and on the floor board no one is going to see them after the floor mats are put back in.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I looked at the 71, man was it bad. The guy tells me it was 1 of 26 trucks that were in a estate sale and this was one of the few that didnt sell. that in itself should have raised a red flag for me. Anyway this thing was bad, not a usable piece on it. He wanted a grand for it. Even the chassis had tons of rust holes in it. The whole roof was rotted out, and if that wasn't bad enough it was full of old nasty spray foam. Can somebody tell me what is the purpose of the spray foam? what are people trying to accomplish by doing that? Oh well, I didnt need another project at the moment any who.

We got back on the truck today, me and the youngster tore apart both sides of the front end. Im going to change ball joints, tie-rods, brake hoses, shocks, springs, and etc. I was going to change control arm bushing too but they feel pretty good the PO must have had everything greased regularly. like your suppose too.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I wish I could say i got a lot done on the crew over this holiday break but I didnt. me and the boy took the front end apart, and now he is in the Bahamas. So I guess he is will be missing out on all the fun of putting it back together. (sucker). After everything got cleaned up. I put in new upper and lower ball joints, coil springs, shocks, idler arm Pittman arm, plus new steering box.
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I want this truck to get the best mileage it can possibly get for a big 1 ton. So the plan was to use amsoil fluids everywhere, and that includes wheel bearing grease. The grease seams a little thicker and denser than other grease iv used in the past. in fact it was the exact opposite of how I thought it would be. Heres a pic of me hand packing them pushing grease though the bearing until it starts to squezze out the other side, and then sealing them up in the rotor with a new seal. I have used Amsoil products in the past (although not any grease) with very good results.

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The brake pads were almost wore out so I put on some new pads, the brake hoses were cracked and split so on went new hoses turned the rotor and since all the braking was going to be new, including the M/C. I opted for some new front calipers too.

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when I was all done with the front end. I put on the trucks new shoes. WOW! what a attitude adjustment. Deb seams very pleased with the look as well.

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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Nice progres Mike! It's amazing how that series of pictures makes rebuilding a front suspension like a snap. I know how much time and work goes into it. I think your son is pretty smart to bail on the hard part:)

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I agree with all said.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

I got my engine block back from the machinest the other day. He hot tanked it, bored it .30 over and polished my crank. I went to throw it up on the stand, and there is that broken bell housing bolt I forgot to deal with months ago when I tore the engine down. I tried drilling it but Im sure it was a hardened bolt and I couldn't even get a small hole in it.
When I was at the swap meet a few moths back I bought a Harris cutting torch and regulators new in the box and have been tring ever since to find some decent used tanks at a good price. well no can do! So I bit the bullet and bought some new tanks and a cart. from the local welding supplier.
When I was in high school shop class about 20 years ago my shop teacher showed me how to burn out broken bleeder screws in calipers. I must have been pretty good at it because I can remember doing quite a few of them. most of the dumb @ss kids in class would break em off when we would rebuild calipers. Anyway I figured it should work the same on this. So I fired up my new torch and had at it. I had that broken bolt out and on the floor in a pile of molten metal. I tapped the hole and had it on the stand in a matter of minutes. That was almost worth the price of the torch and tanks. Almost

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with the block on the stand, I painted it cast iron gray and oiled it up so it can sit in the corner of the garage until I get the rear disc conversion and the seats done. I also got my $20 swap meet piston hung on the rods.

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some of you will notice: that is a pretty big dish. and you would be right 21.5 cc
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Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

Cool truck, am I going to see this truck around town?

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

The motor looks good. I like the torch tip too. I have had my share of broken bolts too. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

more than likely. this one Im doing for my wife and with my wife.


Fortunately I dont break to many. It takes less time to remove one slowly than it is to break one off real quick.

Re: Build #2 Crusader!
 

This what the shortbed looks like that the guy has.;)