Re: Shucks First Build
 

I appreciate all you guys's inputs! Very helpful.

So I have a pretty good mechanic in the family and he's going to help me rebuild this rear end. He told me how to accurately measure the gears and to find out I actually have 3.07 gears. He and I figured up some parts and sounds like I'm going to be doing all new bearings, ring and pinion and a LSD cage. Won't be for awhile because he's pretty busy right now, but none-the-less I'm going to help him out and learn how its done!

Before this happened I took a video of my new exhaust and how its ran. I couldn't find much information on the best way to run an exhaust on these trucks, so I figured I'd make a video on how I did mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQOB...ature=youtu.be

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Your truck is looking great. Sorry about the disappointment on the 5.3. Regarding interiors, you could do brown with your truck, but the lighter the better. In fact a tan would look great. One of the distinctive things about these trucks is the number of interior colors that were available back then. I like a black interior as much as the next guy, but it's been done a lot, and has become more and more common since that era. With that high-powered blue exterior, neutrals are your best bet - grey, tan, taupe, oyster. Any blue would need to have a high contrast with your paint, so a pale blue or a dark blue are possible but not great options. Any red or green or strong color is going to wrestle with that bright blue paint you have.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Well I went ahead with a full rebuild. Found out I did not have 3.73s, I had 3.08 gears. Which I learned that 3.08 with a 700r4 is pretty gutless. I went ahead and ordered a limited slip diff 3.73 with all new gears, bearings and seals. Went pretty smooth actually!
https://i.imgur.com/xeheB01.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/Wsp126k.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/DUl708H.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/ZcfiBsC.jpg?1
Crushing this sleeve was a real pain.
https://i.imgur.com/rmBbWD3.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/ObE3XeW.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/5xbcIPs.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/pxTxnqd.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/v0oST9a.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/5Glvg3h.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/1ll2PYG.jpg?1

Re: Shucks First Build
 

That gear change will really wake your truck up!

Re: Shucks First Build
 

I see a new set of rear tires in your future. Nice job.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Yessir! I'm real excited about it. Just ordered a disk brake set up in the rear so when that comes in then I will get it back under the truck.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Got it in yesterday. Still waiting on my brakes, they’re taking their sweet time...
http://i68.tinypic.com/2mhd8xh.jpg
http://i68.tinypic.com/sl5ml2.jpg

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Looking good!!

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Well we are back in business! Love this brake kit from Little Shop MFG.

https://i.imgur.com/fomwzH0.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/n7pk4Ix.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/3UvfASW.jpg?2
https://i.imgur.com/CIsDyGl.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/ScASBsk.jpg?1

There may or may not be a pair of tire skid marks on the highway out of my drive way...

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Did the new gears wake it up any?

Re: Shucks First Build
 

It's a night and day difference. I took it to an intersection and tried to do that "360 burnout" because my old set up wouldn't do it. When I tried it yesterday I about got whiplash, so there's that! But yes the truck scoots right along now off the line!

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Man that thing looks good! Sure has came a long way. I got a flip kit like that in the picture for mine, but it wouldn't work on my 12 bolt. It was like it was to short to reach into my perch pads. Also I'm digging the brakes! I really need to do something with the brakes on my junk.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

So after all the blood, sweat and tears, money and time.. I think I’m going to put this truck up for sale. I’m 22 now and a future is what I’m looking forward to right now and I can make a decent amount on the truck that can be used for a nice down payment on a house. It scares me to think that I’m considering this but I think the time has come to part ways. It needs more and more money put into it to get it 100% the way I want it, and the way I look at it, I’ll never get that money back so why put it in my truck? It’s hard for me to fully enjoy it when in my eyes it’s never done. I love the truck though, it’s just expensive to own and keep up with.

Maybe someone could steer me in the right direction but right now I’m pretty set on letting it go.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

You are thinking like an adult, pretty rare for a 22year old these days and not a bad thing at all. The sooner you can swing buying a house the sooner you stop paying for someone elses with rent. There will be future projects and when you are my age you will not remember all the vehicles you owned since you were 22. I remember the houses though as there were only two.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

I think it’s a great course of action! I would have never done that way at your age!! With your kind of thought process, you’ll have an outstanding future!! Mike

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Did you have to replace your diff carrier to go from 3.08 to 3.73?

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Thanks guys, I have the truck listed right now and it’s getting a lot of attention, pretty scary to think it could be sold today.

As for the carrier, I believe it has to be changed. But for me I went and bought a new carrier with everything in it because mine was so rough. But it made the installation a breeze.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Good luck with your future endeavors. Sometimes the right decisions are hard to make. You are very young and will have many opportunities in the future.
Beautiful truck.

Re: Shucks First Build
 

Regardless of what you decide to do, it does sound like it would be good for you to focus your attention elsewhere. Not sure how long it took you to save up to build this truck, but obviously that's how long it would be for you to save up to buy a house. When I was your age, whenever I talked cars with old guys, like I would have thought of myself at the age I am now, haha - they nearly invariably told me about their first car that they would have kept. That caused me to keep my first car, my first hot rod which I still have. I've owned it more than 30 years, but I don't have the money into it that you have in this truck. Financially, it is always great to get into a house as early as you can. And you're way ahead of the curve by thinking about that. There may come a time once you've made that goal that you may realize you would have been willing to set aside the money that you got from the truck if that would have allowed you to keep it. I don't disagree with the previous posters, but I think that once you're established, You may wish you still had this ride. It does seem it would be good for you to focus elsewhere so that you don't feel like you have to keep spending money on it though.