My 1980 restomod project

[80stepsideguy]

Hey everyone,
although i signed up last year i decided to come on and be a member of the forum here to show you my project.It started life as a 1980 chevy c10 w/a 350 th350 12 bolt 3.73 rearend.It use to tow our 25 foot tagalong camper very easily.Well the folks sold the camper and kept the truck.I wanted to redo it so bad but i finally got my shop up and built in 2006 and decided to tear into this truck finally and seen alot i wasnt really looking to repair.It had massive frame rot and the cab was trashed as well as the body.Well i yanked the drivetrain and kept what i thought was saveable and cut the frame up and the body and threw it all in the scrapyard.I went out and found a 77 frame and then a 85 cab and the rebuilding began.I painted the frame, rebuilt the entire front suspension, and rebuilt the entire rear suspension.I used the original 3.73 rearend and im going to use the original motor from the 1st stepside.Since then i`picked up alot of NOS pieces and had them all powdercoated, and the cab well thats another story.I removed the corners and got another 73-80 cab sections and modified the cab to accept these and coated the inside of the end caps with KBS coating.It had some rust holes in the firewall so i repaired the rust spots, welded the entire seam and removed the small areas where the washer jets once was on the 85 cab.I replaced the cab corners but the floors and rockers and inner rockers are rock solid.I removed the metal dash and bought a dash from a 76 as the 85 didnt have the washer switch and i needed to remove it to repair a rust hole so it was a good time to put the 76 dash in.Right now i`m still working on the cab, i just welded up the side areas where the door wiring once was and i shaved the drip rails off.I am going to mini tub the bed sides and use a set of inner fenders i got from another fellow 73-87 enthusiast.But here are some pics of it and i hope to keep you all impressed on my work.I been at it for 3 years now and im hoping to have the body done by tihis winter as i`m very picky on my work.I`m also going to use a rollpan and modify some cadillac taillights and turn them verticially on each side of the licence plate holder.I`m going to paint the truck a porsche blue called iris blue metallic.

thanks
pat
The start:

then:


firewall modification




I also like to add i put on a bell tech 4 inch lowering kit on the rear and put 2 1/2 inch drop coils and westin 2 inch lowering spindels on the front along with a factory swaybar,slotted rotors,shocks,braided lines,billett aluminum rearend cover.I`m going to be adding a polished fuel cell in the rear very shortly.

[80stepsideguy]

Here is a few more of the cab and the frame.



Sorry bout the dusty frame i been working alot on the cab and needto hose it down and cover it:



Aclean underside of the cab,`i`m going to herculine the bottom side before i put the cab on fir the last time.

.

thanks
pat

[80stepsideguy]

Sorry folks, here is a video if you like to check it out here as well.

thanks
pat

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb112/rams...

I was going to do a 454 but i got a nice 350 which is plenty of power for this truck...

[flamingbig10]

nice project

[80stepsideguy]

Thanks,
i seen your truck on another forum and it look
s real clean. Within a ayear mine should be in paint. I`m gonna probably shoot it myself as i paint for a living.

thanks
pat

[factory2wdblazer's]

sweet build. and you mentioned a 454 in the video is that what you plan on putting in it.

[80stepsideguy]

Originally Posted by factory2wdblazer's

sweet build. and you mentioned a 454 in the video is that what you plan on putting in it.

I was going to build a 454 for it but the deal fell thru and i`m going to go with a 350 i got sitting in the corner thats got a radical cam in it.It came out of the truck originally but it needs a good cleaning and i`m gonna paint the motor the same color as the truck, put a polished serpantine setup on it, and paint the 700r4 a silver and bolt it in.I`m hoping by summer to have that done and installed.

thanks
pat

[flamingbig10]

thanks, the blue metallic going to look sick

[80stepsideguy]

I was going to do it subaru WRX blue but someone already has that on their truck so i am going to go a different color.I always wanted to do my 83 blazer that blue in 1994 but i never did.Its a long overdue time to do a project in that color so this is that project lol.... Thanks for the compliment it will be a nasty looking truck once done.The woodin the bed i`m goingto try and go for like a maple wood or a cedar with like 10 coats of clear.Im going to try n get it painted next year for sure.I got alot of new parts and NOS doorskins to put on the doors i got so i`m saving alot of time there instead of repairing old metal.

thanks
pat

[JohnC]

Sounds like it's going to be a slick truck. Can't wait to follow the progress. Keep us updated.

[80stepsideguy]

Thanks john,
im hoping it will be.Its actually my 1st ever stepside i ever built and to be honest i never put as much work into a vehicle as i have this 1 here.Oh this forum as well as yourself will be seeing alot of the progress as well as completion and some burnouts once she is completed

thanks
pat

[menace121978]

hey pat! looking good man... nice progress on the cab and i love the video. this is where ive been hanging out the last few months. this is an awesome forum. lots of great people and loads of knowledge! i'm glad you started a build here. i'm getting ready to blast my frame hopefully by next week and start my own build thread. keep us posted. take care, Dennis

[80stepsideguy]

Hows it going everyone?
Well today i got back into doing some bodywork on the cab.I will say if you are looking for a cab to replace 1 you got .Try n look for a good 1 i realized solid floors doesn`t always mean its the best.I paid 600.00 for this cab in `06 and i`m still working on the dimples,dents,rust issues it has had. Here are some pics of the roof and the pass side i am working on.I just got some more supplies so i can get back to work.I will be hoping to have this done within the time i leave for ocean city maryland next month for the 4 day car cruise event.I been going for the past 3 years and hanging out with my maryland buddies.1 has a 71 SS nova 355 another 1 has a 68 rs camaro w/a 502, a 67 chevelle w/ a warmed 350, a 69 dart GT 340 and a 71 dodge dart w/a 340 also. Id take my 1970 cougar vert up there but its a long haul so i`m flying and hopefully in 2012 the truck will be up there at the show..
thanks
pat

[JohnC]

It's looking good Pat!

[tvblazer78]

Doing a good job man.. One question your not from FL are you? You got that up state voice going on..

Keep it up..

Trav

[80stepsideguy]

Your good TV your right im not from florida.I`m originally from rhode island i moved to florida in 2002. Lived in rhode island for 28 1/2 years .Although i like florida i love rhode island always have always will.I moved cause i had no strings attached so my moved with the folks and i bought my home here, and had a 40x40 steel building built in the back yard.

thanks
pat

[80stepsideguy]

Here is a clip of the cab bodywork. Thank god its done as far as bodywork FINALLY!!!!!!

thanks
pat

YouTube - 1980 chevy truck cab repair

[Stitch]

you live in fl but got a new england accent...it kinda threw me...anyways, that cab looks awesome...the attention to detail in amazing...nice build...

Chuck.

[80stepsideguy]

You are correct i am originally from new england. Rhode island to be exact .I hope all the work i do to this thing is well worth it.It has been a long process to get it this far.I find something else wrong while i`m working on it i have to just go the extra mile to get it done. Today i`m gonna pick up the cab, rest it on 4 sawhorses and put blankets under it so i can herculine the underside of the floors this week.Then for the last time put it on its resting place of the frame.

thanks
pat

[80stepsideguy]

Hows it going everyone,
I havent posted much here as i been working on the truck and been on another forum.But the truck is commin along nicely, i just put some door skins on these doors listed below.I bought a NOS doorskin and a door handle support for the 1 skin and a aftermarket skin from a great source for our trucks. I herculined the interior of both doors and fixed a couple of small rust issues with 1 of the doors.But by the end of the month i`m going to have the bodywork from the cab forward complete.And i`m hoping by next month to have the truck sent out to get primed, blocked ,reprimed and have the firewall and the interior of the panels and the cab painted.That way i can have them hang the doors and i can set the motor and tranny in and hang the front clip and get to work on the bed and have it done in time before i go on my trip to my hometown state of rhode island in september... Here are some pics of the herculined cab and the doors.

thanks
pat

[80stepsideguy]

Here are some pics of the cab w/o the floor coating and after a well as the metal dash






The underside of the cab

[80stepsideguy]

Afew more pics of the truck before i put the cab on for the last time.. And the rollpan i modified to work for the cadillac taillights. And a video of the truck as well..







Before the bodywork:



After:

[menace121978]

hey there he is! was just thinking about you yesterday... nice progress man!! and i love the time line you have. cant wait till im at that point... looking good!

oh yea, check out my build "finally silvers build thread" and let me know what ya think. always open for suggestions! take care, Dennis

[80stepsideguy]

Hi everyone,
i know its been about 6 months since the last time i replied on the project.Alot has happened since then, i got the truck in paint.I had a guy do some work n took me to the cleaners and ripped me off.I got the truck back and painted it myself,came out better then i thought.I got the motor in and the tranny, got the body all buffed out.Got the bed pre assembled, got all my parts powdercoated,and got the engine to the way i want it.I also got my fuel cell done and ready to bolt in between the frame rails in the back.I also got my coys wheels on and looking sweet.I am now going to cool it for this upcomming year as far as spending as i spent way to much as i wanted.But i`m hoping by the end of 2010 to have it just about done as far as mechanical and electrical.Here are some pics and the video i made before i got the cab all done..

thanks
pat





G]

[80stepsideguy]

And the video: sorry bout the language but you`ll understand the kind of temper i was in during all of this going on..

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb112/rams...