K20 basket case resurrection
 

What's up everybody,

Here it goes.....While parts hunting on Craigslist I came across a ’72 K20. I had always wanted a K series and a few weeks before seeing this ad I had actually almost bought a K10 that was down the road from me. It was a running truck, but the price was too high for the condition in my opinion, and the seller wouldn’t budge so I moved on. In the meantime, I had sold my motorcycle a Suzuki SV650 and increased my available budget. The K20 showed up and I decided to take a look and ended up buying it. There was no one sane reason for buying it except that these trucks are cool, the price was right, and why not? That's three great reasons.

The last time was registered was in 2001. The truck had been disassembled about 11 years ago. All the major parts were still “there” and most of the smaller items bagged and boxed and had been stored in the previous owner’s (PO’s) shop. The truck came with the engine, trans and transfer case. Only major part missing was the windshield because PO said he broke it when taking it out. The truck had sat outside for a couple of winters and the PO decided it was time to let it go since he was interested in some other projects. The truck had been his fathers-in-law at one point, and he had bought it from him.

The cab was decent on initial inspection. First once over showed it needing driver side rocker and cab corner and floor panels. Passenger side was “completed” by the PO and looked OK. The overall value for me was in the running gear and the frame. The fenders were in good shape and the bedsides were not too bad either. The bed floor was rusty and so was the tailgate. I liked the fact that the tuck was stripped down, and the parts boxed up. I realized there could be little things missing as I work through the project, but the PO appeared organized with the teardown and storing of the parts. I paid the PO, we signed the title and set a date to return the next weekend to pick up the truck. I took as many boxes as possible and totes worth of parts that I could and would get the rest next weekend along with the rolling hulk.

All the boxes and totes I brought home I inventoried and wrote down what I had. I figured if did that I could refer to the list later and help figure out what I needed to find that was missing as I got to the point in time when whatever it is, I’m looking for needs to get back on the truck. Parts will sit in boxes for a long time and I will forget what I saw before I stash it away again.

My goal is to get back into running condition as a capable daily driver and use it as a truck. It will stay blue and maybe a slight lift, wood bed and stock wheels unless I find something I really like. Since it’s a basket case I’m not going to be a purist. I’ll keep it within the realm of possibility for the era, but I am not opposed to building it like I want it to be. I’m decent with and turning a wrench. I have had a C10 in the past and have another one now, but they were/are running trucks. I have not undertaken a project of this magnitude like this ever, but I am willing.

This board has been a great resource to me that I wanted to contribute to the content and document the journey. Maybe something I show will help someone else just like all the posts here have helped me. In addition, I will appreciate some advice and wisdom from those that have prior experience to keep me motivated and learning.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Love it!!! :metal:

In to see it put back into service.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Looks like a nice project

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Heck yea! Looks like a solid start! If the tow hooks are still there you’ve got it made. Come visit us in 4x4 land sometime! I can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Thank you for the interest gentlemen. Unfortunately, the tow hooks were not included.

Despite how eager I was to start wrenching and working on the truck it was a couple of weeks before anything significant happened. I shuffled parts around since I had crammed everything into the garage. I thought about my approach. I gave the hood which was beyond repair to my friend Ike. He used it to cover up firewood. The grill surround was really beat up too but it's close to 50 years old.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I took the bed off which was loosely bolted on from the PO’s prior efforts. I built a jig out of 2x4’s, some eyebolts and chain to hook to the engine hoist. I found several variations of the same general idea here on the forum and from searching the net. I spent too much time getting fancy with the angled brackets for the cross members. I have no idea why I thought that was necessary. Simple upright brackets would have been fine in the first place to hold the 2x4 cross members.

Full disclosure – I started to lift the bed and I had about two feet of rear end of the truck still in the garage. I almost got it high enough before the lift arm started hitting the garage door. I had to lower it, align it and set it – used some blocking, then move the truck out farther and start all over. Great practice. Good learning point.

I was doing this by myself so it is possible but not optimum. 4 eyes and hands could help out a lot better in this type of situation so I put on my safety glasses and a pair of gloves.

The bed lifted almost level when raised, the jig was limited in how far deep into the bed towards the cab that it could go by the jack piston housing contacting the rear bumper. I was a bit skeptical this would work out but it did.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The jig worked great and the end of the center beam rested against the engine hoist arm and was very stable, a kind of unexpected surprise outcome. I put the bed on some sawhorses that rested on top of a dolly I built a few months earlier for another project. The dolly was lower than the height of the hoist legs so I had to block it up and then lower it then use a jack to lift up the dolly...you get the idea.

With the bed off I got my first real good look at a prior patch job on the back passenger side of the cab. I know it will be hidden when the bed is on but it bugs me and I will have to dig into it later to see what’s going on.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I’ll jump aboard for the ride. Nice buy and good luck with the build. The rear end should be an HO52 with 4.10 gears - not the easiest to get parts for but they are available. I’m presently hoarding spare parts for mine.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Before I bought my truck I wanted a K series but I realized I would never (ever) have my restored truck in a situation to use the 4x4.

The PO did some work to the cab with the bed off, which in my experience shows some dedication. The PO of my truck did cab corners without taking off the bed or removing any of the rusted remnants of the original cab corner.

Looks like a cool project.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Jumping in to watch.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I totally understand. I don't think I will ever be in a spot where I need to use the 4x4. The closest might be some forest service roads but highly unlikely I will need 4WD. I only picked it up because the price was right, time will tell how I feel about that!

Watching your videos and seeing your level of dedication and skill soon your truck will be right as rain.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Thanks Deadhead. It's turning out to be an adventure. How do I confirm that it's a HO52 without opening it up?

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

It's been awhile. This happened a few months ago......Next was to get the bed taken apart. Grinding the bed bolts off was a long task but easier than drilling them out. I didn’t have decent drill bits and the ones I did use I ended up breaking, so it was the grinder that did the job for me.

The bed floor was decent in spots and wasted in others. It looked like it had a liner in it at one point trapping some water so it rusted heavily in spots. The rear sill was swiss cheese or baklava depending on your preference, maybe a croissant with a light flaky crust. At this point I decided on going with a wood bed in the future mainly because the shipping is outrageous on the steel bed floor. I put the steel floor on CL and someone bought it because they were converting from wood to steel.

After watching Craigslist someone ended up selling all the wood bed supports. I showed up for the supports and for the price of the supports I ended up taking home two decent bedsides and a tailgate the guy threw in the deal. The guy was putting a steel bed floor. He had a nice project going in his garage.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The truck sat for awhile as I was busy with other things and I finally got back to it and started to look at the cab and what to do. The cab was decent for Northeast project material. I priced panels for everything that it looked like it would need replacing and based on my low skill level with welding it was out of budget in both the skills and money department.
I kept an eye on Craigslist and a decent 72 AC cab appeared that was a good compromise. I picked that up and brought it home and tucked it away into the ever shrinking space available in the garage.

I'm hoping these pics are rights side up this time...I fixed with the edit, Thanks Richard!

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Meanwhile I decided to practice welding on the blue cab. The PO had cut out the driver’s side floor and the rocker was missing. If I were to lift the blue cab off the frame, I was afraid I would flex the cab out of alignment, and it would be a pain to get back into shape for someone else if I decided to let it go.

Before I post any more pics I need to find out how to get them right side up. They are saved on the computer right side up.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Looks like a fun project. Keep at the welding practice is what it takes. For your pics. If using windows, right click on pic (file) then click "open with" paint. I usually reduce view to 50% so I can see the whole thing. You can rotate if needed, resize, crop etc. Leave alone if happy with it. Even if pic did not need to be rotated or edited click save. After uploading to post you can use preview to see if it turned out okay. You should be able to edit your posts and add the corrected photos if you want.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Very nice project truck you have there! The K trucks are my favorite and I'd rather have one and not use the 4wd than have a 2wd. I'm not sure why, that's just how it's been since I saw my very first one as a kid. :lol:

Very nice cab! It is getting super hard to find a decent cab for these trucks.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I'm determined to get better at the welding, definitely hours and patience.

Thanks for the info on the pics, I got it to work.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I braced the cab on the driver’s side. When the door was shut it lined up decently and I checked it against my C10 door gaps for reference.

Satisfied with the gap tolerances I shut the door, placed a clamp from the gas filler hole to the door to draw it in slightly more and the crawled inside and welded some square tubing across the door opening to keep it aligned. This was the first thing I welded on the truck.

I started with driver’s side kick panel and I think for my first attempt it at cutting and welding a body panel it came out decent.

Keep in mind I have not done this type of work before. I just wanted to learn and get some experience.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I soon learned that the PO’s inside rocker patch job was about a half inch short of where it needed to be, meaning the outside edge was a half inch too short from where it needed to be.

I had an idea that it was off when I was test fitting the rocker a while back, the PO had one attached with sheet metal screws for mock up but the gap was off in the channel between the rocker and the floor edge.

I checked and rechecked this dozens of times by measuring my C10 from the seat mounting holes and some other reference points.

I chopped of his work and started on my own journey. The replacement panel was originally intended for the C10 but it volunteered for practice.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I got it in and tacked up. The rear portion of the floor was really thin and had so many welds and patches from the PO that I ended up putting in some intermittent patches.

I knew full well this was not going to be final and since I had the patch panels on hand, I decided that the learning was worth it and all the measuring, cutting, grinding welding, grinding, welding, grinding, welding, and more grinding would be a good learning experience even if just to get the blue cab in a more rigid state before moving it.

Suffice to say I learned a lot and I realize I still have a lot more to learn. Of particular interest to me is the gap between panels prior to welding. The gap with the panel clamps almost seems too big to me, it might be my beginner’s technique but I think a closer gap would get better results. I had lots of gaps to fill after grinding.

I was even doing little circle patches. Why not. It was good practice.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The rear cab support was tedious and a challenge for me. The PO had cut it off at about the halfway point and matching the patch panel to it was difficult. I eventually made a template and then used that to place against remaining cab support material and get a good measurement that would let me transcribe it to the patch panel and then cut it for installation. This is not my preferred method, but I was up for the challenge and wanted to get the floor braced up.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I installed the front cab support and the only thing I had an issue with was the gap from the top of the front cab support to the bottom of the floor pan. It is at about a quarter inch gap. I have some learning to do about that and how to overcome that issue. Not sure what I did wrong, the support fit in nicely at the floor support brace by the mounting hole but as it drops outward toward the rocker it does not follow the contour of the floor pan. You can barely see it in the picture.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Measure twice, cut once. I did not do that and wound up with a big gap. Luckily, I had the rest of the panel and was able to cut out the patch and keep practicing……

I can definitely see the value in using a full floor pan to speed up the work and minimize the welds. If I keep this cab, it will get a full floor. The time I spent on stitching just the driver’s side up and knowing I would have to correct the passenger side - it would make sense for me to do a full floor.

I got the floor pan in tacked and then stich welded and that was satisfying but there were fitment issues with the corner by the accelerator pedal and firewall. I called it good knowing I was pulling the cab off for covered storage and it was solid enough to lift off the frame without flexing and distorting.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The PO had done some work and after pulling the cab off I was able to get a good look at what I knew I would have to redo. I can’t really criticize and critique his work since mine is not much better.

He left a lot of open holes, and the front cab support is a slip on.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Here are some pictures of the roof rust issues. It is fixable but not by me. This is out of my skill level range.

With the floor issues, the rear passenger side repair with a half inch of filler and the roof issues it was telling me that we were not going to be spending a lot of time together.

This cab went to long term storage, and I located a replacement.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The Ochre cab looks like it can get away with rockers and kick panels and some floor patches, nothing on the scale of the blue cab but it does need some work. I won’t know until I really dig into it and get some of the paint and undercoating off. It's stashed and dry. Next focus is starting on cleaning up the frame.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

With the frame naked except for the running gear I started cutting four non factory brackets off that were under the bed. On one of these the cutting wheel shattered on the grinder and the change in the force threw the grinder into my face but I had a full face shield on and filter mask so I was OK but it makes you take notice of safety precautions.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Then I cut off the exhaust system. I realize none of this is extremely exciting, but I always like looking at the other board members pictures and seeing what’s going on. It’s like a story. So here’s the pile of pipe that’s going to the scrapyard. One step closer on the Rustoration.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The frame does not look bad anywhere and no major structural rust. Mostly surface rust. I was thinking about getting it sandblasted but that is a whole other logistical project and I think I can strip, clean, and paint the frame at the house. It is in decent shape and I am not looking to build a show truck. Just clean up what is there and make it serviceable and presentable again. I figure the money saved on blasting I can put into something else on the truck. I was quoted at $900 for blasting the frame and axles.

I pressure washed the frame but it didn't remove as much as I thought it would, but I didn't use oven cleaner or anything like that, just water. So I started scraping the sludge and caked on grease and dirt off the front of the frame, transmission, and transfer case with a putty knife. I figure that If I can get the big chunks off it will assist me later on as I get the frame stripped down further. I don’t plan on taking any rivets out, but I will disassemble the bolted frame pieces.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I took off the brake and fuel lines. I saved the hardware. The brake lines were toasted. The fuel line looks like it’s reusable at first look. I’ll save it. I bagged all the hardware and put index cards with notes in the baggies. For past projects I wrote in marker on baggies and after a while grease and dirt and time obscure what you wrote on the baggie. The index card lets you write as much as you need to.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I lifted out the transmission and transfer case. I’m running out of room to store components in the garage so I plan to keep everything in the same footprint of the frame by putting the trans and T case on dollies and storing under the frame that will be eventually raised on some sawhorses. Then when I get the axles off the frame they will be on dollies, and I can keep them under the raised frame and move them in and out as necessary. The dollies allow me to work on the axles when I get to that part.

I lifted out the trans by using some eye bolts, chain, and a snap ring to make a 3 point lift rig. There were only two bolts holding the trans to the adapter and both were on the passenger side. Top bolt was easy to get out. Lower bolt was more of a challenge, not much room to work with.

Once the bolts were out and a little wiggling the trans separated from the adapter and it was up and out of the way. I got it set on a Harbor Freight dolly and resting on 2 each 2x4’s that run long wise on the dolly, the flange of the transmission pan rests on the 2x4s and it’s well supported and easy to move around. I wrapped the tail up in some plastic bags and taped it down to keep it clean while it rolls around the garage.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I have tons of respect for the forum members that have documented their projects. It takes a lot of work to take pictures, upload, and post. To do that consistently is a great effort so I appreciate everything people do to share their progress, challenges, solutions, and encouragement. A lot of this is done for the love of the hobby and most of us I think are doing this in our spare time. Keep it up everyone and thank you for sharing.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The transfer case came out decently. Everything I read on the forum and online about removal is right, it is a heavy and unwieldy beast. I used a floor jack and some scrap to stabilize it when I removed it. Lifting from the top was easy compared to thinking about doing this from below on a complete truck. Hats off to you that have done that.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I got some sawhorses built and put them on casters so I can move the frame around, in and out of the garage so I can do the dirty stuff outside. More of a trestle. The wood prices are ridiculous with the pandemic effects. Last year a 8 foot 2x4 was less than 2 bucks. These 2x4's were just shy of 7 dollars each.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

I have been slowly wire wheeling the frame after work with a 4.5 inch grinder. There is no way that a drill would have the power or leverage to do the whole frame. There are a few spots that I need to get a smaller wire brush into. I estimate that it have about 20 hours into it so far. I think total hours to get the frame wire wheeled will be around 30, with cleaning the axles probably close to 40 hours. Every so often I think about the sandblasting. I may change my mind if I can’t get some of the hard to reach spots. I’m not giving up yet on the manual removal effort.

On a few places I applied the Rustoleum Rust Converter but I found that it does not penetrate through the dirt and grime that is mixed in with the rust. I think in select situations it is a solution for bare rusted metal. I’ll keep wire wheeling.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

On the rear where those welded on brackets were welded on, I stated to clean up the remnants of what was left. I used the 4.5 inch grinder wheel, but I think a die grinder with the ball burr will allow me to remove more remaining weld material on the bracket and eventually get it to pop of the frame without gouging the frame too terribly.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

The step bumper was welded on with some half inch plate steel brackets that I needed to get removed. I used a carbide burr to grind down the welds. I want to use a stock bumper with the hidden hitch system. If I didn’t remove the leftover brackets, I won’t be able to use the original bumper mounting holes.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Next I removed the axles. This is where those sawhorses came into play. I loosened the front leaf spring attachments and raised the frame up from the axle assembly with the engine hoist. I rolled the axle out of the way and raised the frame high enough to get the sawhorse under the frame. Then I did the same with the rear axle. I am able to keep it all in the same footprint of the frame and be able to move the frame to wire wheel it outside of the garage.

Re: K20 basket case resurrection
 

Watching your transfer case come out brought back some small nightmares for me. Congrats on the progress!