Silver Dollar
 

Silver Dollar: is a Project I started last year in December, I am About 90% done with it. When I first started I wanted to do a nice restoration on a truck over the course of a couple of years, instead I set myself up by doing a full on custom restoration, for $6500 and in 6 months. Needless to say That didnt work! I have worked on it every day feverishly for the past 9 months ,Over my deadline and way over my budget. I was still plugging away until last month when I got it running for the first time. As soon as It started and ran, It seamed like a world of stress was lifted off of me. and Now for what ever reason I Dont want to spend any time on it. It seams Iv lost my motivation.

So im going to restart a build thread from where I started Back in December. and hopefully in a few weeks this thread will be caught up with the build and I will have the truck finished.

A little about the Truck: It is a Hybrid of 69-72 parts. It is a short bed, (the bed was cut from a long bed). the chassis was lowered 4/6, Porter-built rear trailing arms, 4 wheel disc brakes, a 02' 5.3l, 4l60e, Custom House Of Kolor Paint, Ultra leather interior, and a lot of little custom stuff here and there.

I did manage to take pictures along the way. so here we go!
In December I bought a junk 69 shortbed, the only thing worth keeping was the chassis. unfortunately the bondo infested bed and rusted out cab became scrape money.

Re: Silver Dollar
 

The Chassis was completely strip of anything that I wasn't going to use or was unsightly, I Removed what seamed to be like 400 rivets and every damn one fought me, all the way out.

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once everything was striped off I had the Frame Sandblasted.

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Then I coated the frame with KBC Coatings semi gloss. http://www.kbs-coatings.com/

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more

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Picked up a set of 18" Boss 338 wheels. Have to machine the rotor hub down for them to slide on. But they look great



http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3432.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3435.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3439.jpg

Re: Silver Dollar
 

Started the front streering and suspension, 2.5" drop spindles, 2" drop coils all new bushings, tierods, ball joints, piman and idler arm

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3467.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...DSCF3470-1.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3550.jpg

Steel braided brake hoses, and Classic Performance Tubular engine mounts and crossmember
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3544.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3546.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3560.jpg

Re: Silver Dollar
 

looking really nice!

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cleaned up the 12 bolt, added rear caliper brackets, slid it under the frame and mounted it up with a set of Porterbuilt rear 3" drop trailing arms, Classic Performance adjustable rear panhard bar, 3" drop springs and Bolt in C notch.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3512.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3488.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3569.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4206.jpg

I ran the rear brake hoses through the frame to give it a nice clean look

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4207.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4210.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4211.jpg

Re: Silver Dollar
 

Nice! Love the PB stuff!

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I scored a 02" 5.3l and a 4l60 from a guy who was going to put it in a S/10 but couldnt finish it. I came with solid engine mounts and Sanders Headers. cleaned it up with easy off oven cleaner (I saw a guy on the forum used so I thought Id give it a try. works great).Put new gaskets and injector O rings in it. Then I painted it Chevy orange.
I wont be using the soilid mounts instead I bought a pair plates from a ebay, and used a set of stock engine mounts from a late 70's truck. The engine fell right into place just like it came from the factory.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3469.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3490.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3472.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3481.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3486.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3592.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3582.jpg

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The engine mounts I wont be using. for sale if anybody is interested. $25


SOLD

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Yea me to. I saw those and knew I had to build a truck for 'em!

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looks awesome man! subscribing:metal:

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Looks awesome !! Cant wait to see more

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Nice
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Re: Silver Dollar
 

Awesome Project! Subscribed.


Oh by the way, who modified your rotors? I had to go through that too.

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A local machine shop. he put them on a lathe and turned it down. I had to take a little off the spindle as well and flatten the cap out. it was a little extra work, but for the price of the wheels and how good they look I would do it again, and probably will.

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Fortunately for me I have access to a full machine shop and I did my own. HERE Your right about the price it was hard to beat for great looking rims.

Now let's see some more pics of your build!:chevy:

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Lookin good..

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I see you actualy cut the cap and welded back together, did tou still have to take a little of the spindle or would it clear? did you use the 1-1/4 rotors or the 1"? I was on that boss 338 wheel thread and am surprised how many people would shy away from these wheels. even though several others have described exactly how to do the modification. Unfortunately for me I bought the wheels before I knew they wouldn't fit. So I had to figure it out on my own, before I found the thread. Ill gets some more pics up in a little bit.

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with help from Brendan at lt1swap, I did my own harness. All you need a good work station or a unused pool table. and some alone time so you can concentrate. I spent about 10 hours on it over the coarse of a week. it was pretty simple. His web site has the list of the wires you need to keep and what you dont. http://lt1swap.com/index.htm
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3477.jpg

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3476.jpg

Just cut a few of the connectors off.
remove the wires you dont need from the connectors and pull each unused wire out of the harness

retape everything your gonna keep.

the pile on the right is what I had taken out.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3498.jpg

I also installed a completely new wire harness in the truck using a mini fuseblock.

I check all my connections with either a multimeter or the battery charger.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3727.jpg

making sure I have the wiper switch hook up right

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3733.jpg

and this is the panel I came up with. it has the fusees for the power wires for the engine harness plus all of the relays I am going to use. It should be a little cleaner when its finally done.http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3753.jpg

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Yes, I did have to trim some off the spindle shafts and did have to use silicone to hole the center caps on. I didn't like that part of the swap. Yes they are the heavy 1.25" rotors too.

My kid has been driving his truck everyday since we installed them with no issues and they look great too.

Great job on doing the harness yourself! I am hoping to try to do my own too. Hopefully, I can. Who did your computer?

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Brendan from Lt1swap. I had it back in a couple of days. I had a few issuse at start up (Injectors stuck from sitting)and I contact him and he help me out.

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Nice look'n good
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What did you do to un-stick them?

When you worked on the harness, did you remove most of the loom for easier access?

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It might be easier to go to this thread to see what i did with the injectors, has some good suggestions plus what I did and pictures.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...00#post4258000




Yep, I pull off all of the loom, but waited till got to each branch before cutting it open
First I took all the wires out of the blue and red PCM connect that I was not going to use. Then one at a time pulled untill I had them back through the harness till It came to where the harness would branch off. then work on that branch untill the the unwanted wires pulled out with their pigtail. Taped that branch back up to keep it together. (check out all the orange tape on the harness) Then move on down to the next branch and so on. hope that made since.
I wish I had better pics of the harness before and after it was done, but I dont.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3499.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3500.jpg

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Fuel tank install. tried to use a blazer tank, but found it hang down to low. I would have been draging it across speed bumps. I couldn't afford a Custom made one for $500 or more. so after searching a came a across a jeep tank. made it fit. its only a 15 gallon tank., but with the 5.3 getting 20 some miles to the gallon it shouldnt be a problem. And it doesnt hang low in fact with the bumper on you can barly see it.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3586.jpg
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3589.jpg

Ran pressure hose from the tank all the way to the engine, using push lock AN fittings at the rail and back to the tank for the return line.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3578.jpg

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3599.jpg

Put the cab on to start the mock up process. had to add the fuel level sending unit for my classic instrument gauges.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3684.jpg

the tank hangs 10" from the ground.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF3623.jpg

Re: Silver Dollar
 

Nice job. looking like a truck again :chevy:

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Great job! Where did that "jeep tank" came out of?... A cherokee? Did you use the stock jeep tank fuel pump?

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Ditto?^

How is it mounted in there?

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Subscribed this looks interesting and your doing helluva nice job.

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Nice look'n good anymore info on the tank what year and type of jeep did u get it from
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nice man! I cant wait to see it!

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That Jeep tank was a great idea. I wish I'd thought of it. It could have saved me some $$$.

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Your doing a great job! Keep at it.

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What size tires are you using? I am trying to decide between 18" and 20" wheels right now.

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looking good! I like the new motor in old truck. should run good. good to see another person from indiana doin a project

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After doing tons of searching, I came up with 87-90 jeep wrangler tank. it is a fuel injection tank so it did have a baffle inside. it measures 25x 18.5 x 11. it fit in the rear area there with no cutting or modifying of the frame. I did however have to use a piece of angle iron across the back to have something for it to rest on.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4356.jpg

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...DSCF4358-1.jpg

There is a flange all the way around the tank about a inch wide, so I drilled 1/4 holes in each corner and just bolted it in place.

There were a few problems with putting this tank in. when I put the tank in I did it with the bed off and because it went in from the top when I put the bed on, the it hit one of the bed braces underneath. so I had to trim that back a little. Iv since concluded if I had mounted it from the bottom it most likly would have cleared. The fuel fill is only 1". and it is was right where the cross brace was as well. The only place I could find a 1" fuel fill hose, was McMaster Carr. (one could always just have a new fill welded on.) Anyway it worked out for me, but could be a problem for other installs.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4314.jpg

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4429.jpg

The sending unit is a stock GM I think I used one from a 85 c/10. I of coarse had to modify it to fit my fuel pump and sock on it.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/DSCF4354.jpg





By the way thanks for all the encouraging compliments, I appreciate them!

Re: Silver Dollar
 

18's all the way around, fronts are 245/45 18 and rears are 255/45/18. take a look at my profile, there is a photo of my last truck(the blue one) I had 20's all they way around on that, and I didn't care for it. I thought it rode like crap.