I slowly worked on it when I could. Started by painting stuff and fixing the bent core support.
Then I pulled the engine to see what was going on with it. I got it running once I got the truck, drove it off the trailer before I cut it up. It was making some sweet noise. Revved up fine but just wasnt right. I knew I wasnt going to put any money into that motor so I pulled it. Found the head gasket blown in between 2 cylinders. Which expanded those 2 pistons and messed up the bores. Pretty much trash to me at that point. Err scrap. Expect for a few parts.
I used the flywheel, crank, cam, and timing chain to make a stand for a bench grinder I found at a yard sale.
So now I needed a motor....Well what should I run...Well duh I need a 6.0L. Picked one up from pacific fabrication. A 6.0L next to a 6.0L for another daily driver build. Yeah I have 2 daily driver builds going on at that same time. Both 6.0Ls. I dunno how Im going to drive 2 truck daily, still working that out.
in between welding in patch panels for the rockers and floor to the new cab...yeah it wasnt rust free. Oh well. But I didnt get any pictures of the cutting and welding of the floors and rockers. It was a lot of work. Oh yeah while doing that I dropped the new engine in.
To get the engine in I used one of pacific fabrications x-members
A keen eye might also notice that I converted to a hydraulic bell housing while I had it all apart. Since I cant leave well enough alone I decided to build a set of custom headers.
Never did get a picture of them done, but they are installed already.
Next thing to tackle was how the rear sat and where the axle was in the wheel well. I dont know why it was so off after doing the frame chop, but I dont know what the springs where and since everything was bolted on to the frame someone before me had messed with stuff. Not to mention the other bed was on there.
I drew up some parts in CAD and wanting to do all this at home laid it out to cut on the bandsaw.
After some cutting, bending, and welding I had my own set of shackle flip brackets.
All installed with some 63" springs from a newer chevy truck
That looks a lot better
fish plate on the frame Z
Modded a newer hydroboost unit to fit the truck
During down time and rainy days and nights I stripped the grill
And got some color on it. not bad for a rattle can eh?
One of the other things I wanted to do was run a newer gauge cluster in the truck. Since Ive parted several trucks out recently, I had some spare clusters.
Rough in
How it sits after some sanding and bondo.
And in the truck, minus gauges
And that pretty much bring this thing current. Even with the fisheye lense I bought.
