1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

After talking to my son about what he wanted as a first vehicle he decided he wanted a 67-72 Chevy or GMC truck. So I set out searching and came across a 71 C-10 Cheyenne sold new in AZ and lived it's life in SOCAL until Sept of 2014 when it came to Kansas. The body is solid or at least it is for what we see here in the midwest.

It's a factory A/C 402/th400 truck that had not run in 12 years when we bought it. Deal with my son is he helps pay and work on it, If he's not in the shop I don't work on it.

We have replaced everything that was required to get it to be a running/driving truck which has been mainly general stuff like belts, hoses, W/P, ALT, fluids, brakes, ball joints, etc. It came with mis-matched tires and wheels up front and some rusted one time chrome wagon wheels with 31" tires on the back.

While the list of things to do is long we started with getting it running and driving, then picked up some stock 15' steelies, and some new tires in the same height as the planned 18" to come in the future and fix the stance "issue" as he called it. We blasted and painted the wheels, then installed a Western Chassis 4/6 drop kit which is how it sits today.

Next up is a 5.3/4L80E/9" swap as I had these already around the shop, after that is 18" wheels, new interior, short bed it, and paint.

First pick is the day we brought it home the other two are as it sits now.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

That's s cool truck. Where did you find it? I just ask because I'm in Kansas City area too.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Great looking project, I'll follow this!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thanks Joesjunk I was searching for trucks on Craigslist and a guy up on 12th and Central in KCK with a smaller auto repair shop had an add for a 68 GMC that was rough. As I zoomed in on the picture to get as good of look as I could I saw this in the background.



Thanks
Scott

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thanks jlsanborn,

Going forward I'll take pics, this go around was just trying to get it running/driving, and lower.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Things are moving forward, we spent the summer and fall driving the truck and taking it to some local cruise night/car shows.

As winter came we started to tear it down for the next phase. The firewall is smoothed and the 5.3 is mocked up in place. I'll finish the drive train mounts today then we will pull it all back out to paint he motor and frame. One change in the plans is there is now a T56 6speed manual instead of a 4L80E auto. Plan is to have it back on the road by middle to late April.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Cool!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Nice! How about the interior?? Looks like you got a red head steering gear. You will have to let me know how you like it over a reman gear box! Looking forward to seeing the transmission install as I plan the same!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

That is my favorite color combo. Nice truck, and even better that you get to work on it with your son.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Did you have to notch the rear with a 6" drop? looks great!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

The interior is a project for this fall but for now its gutted and getting a pair of PRP Daily Driver bucket seats. This fall it will get sprayed with an insulator and sound material of some sort. I'll post pictures when the seats arrive. I spent a number of years as a tech in a diesel pickup truck shop and we installed a number of Red Head steering gears along with a few others and I have found nothing better than the Red Head. The one I got is the quicker ratio one.

Thank You, spending time with him and seeing him learn and get new ideas is really cool.

With out a notch it had about 3" of up travel and rode on the factory bump stops. We put about 300 miles on the truck without notching the frame and you sure knew when you hit a bump. It will be notched before it hits the road again.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

sweet!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Truck sits perfect. Love the color combo too

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

way cool truck!!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Very cool!!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Do you still have the 80e? I am in Lenexa and would be interested in taking it off of your hands :lol:

-Nick

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Yes I do have it. I'll PM you my number.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Motor and trans are in and the seats showed up.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Brake booster and master cylinder are on as is the clutch master cylinder which is a Tilton series 75 7/8" bore. The linkage is a 5/16 heim joint and a swaged radius rod form Rod End Supply.

Rebuilding the steering column is the current project along with repainting it. This weekends plans are column done, installed, make the seat mounts, and if there is time put the front clip back on.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Looks good!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

what size tire are on the 15" wheel

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Lots of progress! Looking really clean man, nice work!

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thanks guys, got caught up watching basketball and Nick had baseball practice today so we only got the column done, filler neck patch panel in, and new body mounts in. Still hoping to get the seat mounts done this weekend.

Tires are 225/70/15 which are about 27" tall which is the planned height when it gets 18" wheels.

New addition being added since the plan went to a 6spd is the rear end is getting 4.56 gears and a posi.
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Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Looks like a great project & some father- son bonding too! Nice the you found a solid truck without a long drive. Those crazy 80's mirrors have got to go!- they look great on the trucks they were made for but not so hot on these! Keep up the good work- thanks for the pics

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

What did you use for a brake booster bracket to get the booster so close to the firewall? Where did you buy the new booster /master combo ?

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thanks, it is good to spend time with the kid. You think the mirror looks bad in the pictures you should see it in person. It is terrible, we have a factory replacement 71 mirror going on it.

It just looks like the booster is close to the firewall, in fact it is not close at all. The bracket is just like the factory one.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

More work done over the weekend, with now having a clutch pedal to push my son needs the driver seat moved forward while I do not so the driver's seat is getting a slider. Once it's mounted we'll mount the passenger seat to match the furthest back point of the driver's side. Steering column is rebuilt, painted, and installed, along with a start on the front clip. The replacement grill is silver and my son vetoed that so it's getting painted black this week.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Passenger seat mount is done, waiting on the slider for the driver side. Ordered a Griffin LS swap radiator last week and it showed up with a defect so the replacement will be here tomorrow. Got the grill insert painted black and started working on the rear end. It is a factory posi 3.07 set up. We are rebuilding the posi with a little more aggressive clutches and springs and installing a 4.56 gear. The harness and ECM left today to the guy who is cutting it down and doing the tune.

This was a fun one for me to show my son how to tear apart a rear axle and posi as it fits my skill set much more than body work.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

There is a clear coat out there that is tinted to make something that looks like black chrome. You might have your son check that out for the grill that might look kind of cool.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

I'll look into thank, I really like black chrome. Thanks for the heads up.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Kid is into the low gloss black thing so we stayed with that.
Grille installed and a few pics of the ring to mount a factory fuel module for the 5.3.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Radiator showed up. I need to modify the upper mounts to make it fit better.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Seat sliders showed up.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Rear end rebuild is done. 4.56 gears, all new bearings, more aggressive clutch pack shimmed tighter, and 400 lbs springs in the posi.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Picked up the driveshaft yesterday. Went with a one piece, 4" .083 wall, 1350 series joints. With a fixed output on the t-56 the slip yoke is in the driveshaft so the tube it's self is 54.5" weld to weld. I went this route due to the high RPMs the shaft will turn with the .56 6th gear and 4.56 rear gear. Now we are working on modifying the cross member and floor to clear this thing.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

I have the same radiator set up. I synched mine down and after a couple of thousand miles it leaked. Griffin stood behind it but I had to send it back for them to redo it. I learned the hard way that there should be play up and down as well as side to side for it not to crack. It has epoxy and will crack if you flex it.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thanks for the heads up. I used the factory mounts after I modified the the uppers to put less pressure on the radiator. I can wiggle it in all directions so I hope its ok.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

A few updates, gas tank bent up and tacked together, driver's side seat slider and front mount, seat mounts with tabs, modified stock crossmember, and t-56 shifter.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

What a cool truck! subscribing.

Re: 1971 C-10 Cheyenne
 

Thank You,

We missed our completion goal by a lot but it is further along that the pics I've put up. My son making the HS baseball team, playing on the HS summer team, a summer tournament team, going to Philmont Scout Ranch and Scout summer camp cut more into our garage time than I though. Baseball is over and he is not playing any Fall Ball as he is going to focus on finishing his Eagle Scout. I'm going back on my plan to not work on it if he's not out there, as long as he is doing school work and maintaining his grades and/or working on his Eagle Scout work I'm going to push to get his truck done. I want to get plenty of road time on it as we are planning to attend the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2017 and run the entire trip.

The tank is at my buddies getting tigged, the frame pass throughs for the exhaust are done, the eaxhaust is run just waiting for hangers to finish it up, we have started to thin out the factory underhood harness, and we have started to wire up the fans, headlights, fuel pump, etc. and we have all the parts to complete the fuel system once the tank is done.