77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

ok So i been lurkin around here for some time now and have finally got home from the dessert so its time to start my build thread. I'll start with a few pictures of how it started when I bought her then the slow progress up till now. Thanks for looking at the thread.

The day i paid 700 for her from my dad.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

here is the 350 that was installed when i got it. not bad motor just a cam and a 4bbl.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

that was as far as I got before i went back to Iraq for the remainder of my tour. Now that I have been home for a few weeks I have had a change to do a few things to it. Ill start with the engine build last saturday.

It was like and auto x-mas all over the garage lol.

here is my 650 edelbrock, and some pictures of my crank after being installed and cleaned up.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

some parts pictures.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

quick picture of part of the parts pile on the shop floor

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

and the heartbeat starts to come together. its was about 50 outside and lil colder in the shop saturday so me and my dad were lil bundled up. it was really nice being able to build my first motor with my dad we made a pretty good team. Other than a few new school VS. Old school thinking lol. well enough talking on to the pics.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

the finished product minues the accesories

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

I also did alittle work to the rallies. I sanded and repainted tehm and think they came out really well. Also took the paint off my caps. What you all think?

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Also bought a new center grille piece and put in the headlight buckets i got from a board member. I kina like the silver and black not sure yet tho. I think it looks good and kinda matches the wheels. The last picture i just thought look neat out on the ranch pullin parts of one of my other trucks.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

That is all so far. future plans for next week are solid back window, get the new motor installed aswell as the 350 tranny also bought from a board member, hand new x pipe and thrush 2 chambers, new front tires, swap dash out for a nicer one, and install lower gears and some trac bars. The truck is in Montana and Im stationed in TX so its all when i can get back home.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Nice looking project you have there. Thank you for your service to our country!

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Looking good! I like the longbed projects.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Thank you we do it for those at home. And yea I am a longbed fan dont see alot of em round mostly people doing short beds.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

so just got a call and was informed that some one decided they like my extra set of 8" rallies more than i did so they relieved me of em. Gotta love it when that happens so its now time to hunt for a nother set.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

This is my first time through your thread. First of all, a genuine "thank you" again for your service. Secondly, good looking truck. I really like how that new motor looks. I like the black accents. Good work to you and your dad. Keep us updated. I think I am gonna like it a lot.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Thanks you for the support and nice comments. This board, and the members of it have had a huge role in me finally starting the project and the drive to continue working on it. Hands down the best group of truck people on the web.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Keep up the good work! I'm following what you are doing as I'm just starting my build in a few weeks once I get the garage here ready for it and pick up a few odds and ends off of Craigslist & Kijiji.ca

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

well made it to Montana yesterday. Had to spend time with the wifey but today was all me and my mistress. Got out to the shop around 9 am and got the old motor pulled and spent an hour cutting the old exhaughst out. PITA!! two cuttof wheels later its in pices on the driveway. spent the rest of the day buttoning up the new motor. The first pictures i posted were from test fit. now its all bolted down for good.
We ran into a few snags building it. I dont want my wires running over the valve covers and the 8mm set i bought are not long enough to go around the back of the motor so had to pick up a set of build to fit ones so that is on the list first thing tomarrow. Also did not know that new headers are not sent with new header gaskets. Think that is kinda idiotic personally. same with carbs not coming with the throttle post wich i still have to scrounge tomarrow. Also the motor mounts i bought were not the whole mount just the bushing so I have to take my mount a part with a chisle and a drill lol. got em all changed tho. And finally. The transmission if bought from a board member is not going to work in my truck. Its got the plug for the wire harness that runs the electonic lock up. I dont have any of that stuff, and i have a new 3000 stall NON lock up convertor so we are sticking with the TH350 that is already in the truck. saved some time but still kinda bites. So will be selling the new tranny to fund the rebuild of the old one. On a good not tho the old one is a GM Universal mount wich is kinda cool.
Tomarrow we will be fininishing up the motor while i prep the truck and clean a few things. Then stab start and tune. Should be driveable by tomarrow evening hopefully if not then saturday. Well enough yacking ill post the few pics I took. Not alot today was really focused and working but will get more detailed ones of the instal and motor finish.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

sorry guys something came up had to take off. here are the pictures.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

the last one is my cousins corvette that my dad and him built. just repainting the nose and doors cause of some chips and such.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

I, like everyone else want to thank you for your service, it really means a lot. Now for this truck I love the color. The green and gold goes well together. That motor is bad a$$. Keep up the good work and keep them pic coming.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

I, like everyone else want to thank you for your service :flag: , it really means a lot. Now for this truck I love the color. The green and gold goes well together. That motor is bad a$$. Keep up the good work and keep them pic coming.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

Thanks for the support guys. And I have more pics of the truck just have to find time to upload them with tryn to pack up the wife and get her moved to TX and all. For an update tho I did get the motor all hooked up and running. Ran into more than our fair share of issues already tho. Chased down water leaks, fuel leaks, and oil leaks and seems like everytime we get one fixed something else leaks lol. We finally got her all sealed up and i dorve it to town. Enjoyed it for the evening then the next day could hear the rockers doing the loose dance under the hood :(. So back out to the shop we go to adjust.
once I get the tho house and we pull the valve covers and try to roll the motor over we find that the bolt running through the middle of the crank pully into the balancer is striped out and i can pull it out with my fingers :O. Dad ended up having another one. (it always seems like he has every bolt you could need in a bin some were). While dad was adjusting rockers i was installing the new tach, fuel gauge and the floor shifter.
Got all the rockers adjusted and the polly locks tight and went to put the valve covers back on. Enter the new problem: now the covers wont seal! This is the third set in two days and the last ones were sealed so perfect it pained me to have to take em off to adjust the valves. So this morning I ran a bead of red RTV gasket maker around the cover to try and fix the leak. Its not the right way to do it but I have to leave for TX tomarrow so hopefully it will work till i get home then ill change the gaskets again. Well all of the work we did on the truck yesterday was the most fun because the shop had the vette in it getting painted so we were out side working through a rain storm. I took a tarp and laid ot across the open hood and drapped down over the bumper turning the from of my truck into a tent and that actually worked perfectly and we kept on truckin.
I will have to get a few pictures of the exhaughst to post also. Its 2.5 straight sticks into 2 chamber THrush fully welded mufflers and dumps right before the axle lol loud as all hell that for sure but the cam makes of sound bas a$$!! Cant keep the wife from starting the truck all the time haha. Well I will quite blabbin for more look for pics in the next few days guys and god bless.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

ok well made it back to texas in one piece. as promissed I will be adding the photos from the last weekend with the truck.

Re: 77 longbed "overbudget" build
 

here are the pictures as I promised.