Originally Posted by Rust-O-Matic
I don't wanna sound like a negative Nancy, but this is a pretty ambitious list considering your budget. I know the feeling though, my budget is typically closer to $0 haha. Here's my 2 cents:
I appreciate your two cents, and thanks for the compliment, I always try to remain ambitious, ha ha ; )
1. Gaskets, waterpump, and tune-up are cheap and easy, and worthwhile investments in my opinion. However, a new 4bbl manifold and carb are in the neighborhood of $600. That's enough money to buy 3 junkyard 350 V8's here in Missouri. Then you will need a $300 set of headers, dual exhaust, and a lumpier cam to actually make use of it.
I agree on the gaskets, etc. I'm not partial to "new" on the rest of it, and I'm ok with decent condition & I'll rebuild the carb. For this, I do have a 650cfm Edelbrock carb, some sb & bb chevy iron heads, a 70 chevelle front bumper to trade the right person(s) & this upgrade can be done later, or I can raise some funds & jump into the turbo'd version later down the line. Perhaps for now a 2 barrel may be better than the Carter YF 1 barrel on fuel economy & drivability? I have a single tip exhaust with a flowmaster now... i can redo the exhaust if need be, but I'd try to score headers at a swapmeet or fab some up myself, but that seems like a pain.
2. Automatic trannies have a ton of parts inside them, and usually require special tools and specific knowledge I do not possess to rebuild. Unless you are a pro (and maybe you are, I'm not trying to question your skill level or intelligence) this is usually best left to the pros. For a 6 cylinder driver, a 200r4 or 700r4 either one would probably be just fine, and a decent junkyard unit with new clean fluid in it would probably last for years as-is.
Yes, they look intimidating, but my wife's cousin (mechanic) has rebuilt them & is familiar with the process, otherwise my friend also has a shop & he's going to help if a rebuild is necessary, but in an ideal world I just find a trans that is in good shape.
Question, if I put the 2004r in, can that be put in without having to modify the drive shaft?
3. Sounds pretty straightforward. You may find that boneyard brake parts aren't in the best of shape though, and may want to figure in the cost of new rotors, calipers, etc.
Does anyone know what vehicles I can snag disc brakes from & what size rim I need to clear them? I currently have some 17" wheels that were on the truck when I bought it. Thanks for that heads up, ideally I would want fresh calipers & cylinders, but may have to slap them in & replace what doesn't work if money gets tight.
4. Rewiring an entire truck correctly will likely eat half of your budget or more. You can hack something together with $20 worth of wire and house wire nuts (like the previous owner of my truck did), but in the long run you get what you pay for. If the whole truck burns to the ground on the freeway, you didn't really save much. I would look at pre-made kits, or replace a portion of the original harnesses one at a time.
[U1Irewired my 72 Chevelle with a "painless" wiring kit before & have a degree in electro ics, so I'm up to the task, but this time would make up my own harness to save some dough, the only thing is that the colors won't be spot on, but I'll mimic original as best as possible. No wire nuts!!! That's crazy.... Solder & heat shrink & automotive connectors only, ha ha![/U]
5. Not sure what's up with the windows. Sounds like maybe the bottom channel piece that holds the glass rusted out or something. Wouldn't cost anything to take the door panels off and check em out.
I haven't looked into the windows yet, perhaps the guy I bought it from just placed them in...
5.b. There is much debate on tank location, but in my opinion the cab is the safest place in the vehicle, and as long as the original isn't leaking or spewing fumes inside, there's no reason to spend unnecessary money relocating it.
Ya, i think I'll throw on a new cap, new hose, check for leaks and flush it out, then slap a clear fuel filter in line until I can get a custom tank or something... In the long run I'd like the fuel away from my body : )
6. Power steering should be easy if you can find the brackets to mount the pump to your 6 cylinder. The rest of it is just getting an adapter plate from someone like CaptainFab, modifying the steering shaft, and bolting up a newer style gearbox, etc.
I can fabricate bracket, my buddy with the shop has a mill & all kinds of tools for that, I'm also a welder if any of that is required, so we're not noobs, but I just want to cover all my bases & run it by folks with the same vehicle... For example I have no idea what later model vehicles I should pull so.e of that stuff off of to have an easy and doable swap. Power steering seems to be the easier of these.'
Not trying to discourage you with any of this stuff. Just saying if it were mine I'd focus on replacing the stuff that doesn't work for now, and make it reliable. Then I'd start saving for upgrades once it's on the road.
I appreciate your feedback, I don't get discouraged very easily, I'm a sleuth for solutions : )
I agree with your last statement, I just wanted to takle anything I can right off the bat, like the tranny, since I have no interedt in driving another stick shift vehicle in L.A. EVER
THANKS A BUNCH, if anyone knows what compatible vehicles to pull from, that would be super helpful.'
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