Another OLD BLUE Build Thread - 71 Chevy

[OldBlue71Chevy]

I got my '71 last February and have been lurking this site for over a year now. I have already stolen waaaay too many ideas to not repay the favor.

I will repost a bunch of my posts from Pirate4x4 forum to get up to date, then start from there.

If there are any details I missed, you can go HERE for the detailed thread.








I TRADED THIS:

Crazyblaze Build Thread

The CraZyBlaZe was pretty much topped out unless I tore it totally apart again to go full buggy. To go wheeling anywhere near KC it is at least a 1.5 hour tow. Most of my friends had gotten out of wheeling/camping or moved away so it just wasn't as fun as it used to be.


One last hug




FOR THIS (plus some extra parts):







Specs copied from his sale thread:
1971 Chevy short bed. nice truck but needs some paint and little body work to be super nice. Runs strong, motor and tranny have maybe 300 miles on it.

Dana 44 front, open 4.10
14 bolt ff rear, open 4.10
Turbo 400 custom built for motor and truck from phoenix transmission
Np 205
37"x14" iroks 99% tread
16x10 imitation welds

Engine started life as a 2 bolt 454. now solid roller 496
Bored .060" with torque plate
Decked
line honed
milodon splayed billet maincaps installed
Eagle 4340 forged 4.25 stroker crank
Eagle 4340 forged h-beams 6.385"
SRP forged pistons .230 dome 10.6 to 1 comp. ratio
File fit moly rings
King race bearings
Fully balanced to less than a gram
Milodon hv/hp oil pump
arp main and head studs
Howards solid roller cam and lifters 285/290, Lift .660/.675
Pro comp 320cc rectangle port aluminum heads
Fel pro mls head gasket
Stainless steal roller rockers
gear drive
heavy wall comp cams pushrods
edelbrock vic jr 454r intake
Pro form 950 race carb
Dynoed 565 hp @ 5500 585 ft/lb@ 4500
Made over 550 ft/lb from 3000 up
Hooker competition headers, dual 3" with flowmasters







If you look closely in the bed of the truck above, he included a complete chevy DRW D60. Also included was a full hydroboost unit.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

So that brings us to tonight, when we finally got home from Denver where we traded.

Pulled it off the trailer and took the wife for a ride around the block. The truck starts OKish but honestly runs like ****; hissing, popping, and backfiring throughout the whole ride around the neighborhood. You can tell deep down at it's heart it is a race quality engine, but everything that surrounds/connects to it pretty much needs redone. On a side note the tranny works well and shifts firmly, though it is missing the torque converter shroud.

Well, after getting back home I quickly discovered what I had gotten myself into. I didn't get a pic of the two spark plug wires that were burnt through, but I will let the pics do the talking.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

This is the one that scares me




Don't get me wrong, I am not dumb. I knew what I was getting into, but DAMN this is going to be a lot of work

I want this to be a DO IT ALL vehicle. Reliable daily driver, drive down the highway, take it to mud drags, go to the dunes, and kill some mustangs (If I don't win the race I will just have to lock the hubs and run over them :flipoff2

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Couple more pics:




Issues:
Engine needs tuning and all new spark plug wires
None of the dash lights work
The turn signals have a mind of their own
The brakes suck
The steering wheel can move 1/4 turn without doing anything
all of the doors/door handles are essentially non-operational
The radio doesn't work (not that it matters, you wouldn't hear it over the engine :smokin
The seat is only bolted down on one side
There are enough electrical gremlins to keep me busy for years :shaking:
It's LOUD!!!!! Kinda cool at first, but for it to be multipurpose, it is doing to have to be tamed significantly.


The initial plans:
Get the engine running right
Clean it, top to bottom (this will make a HUGE difference in itself)
Fix all of the door handles so I can freaking get in and out like a normal person without reaching through the window.
Disk brake the 14 bolt
Drive it.....a lot.....

Later Plans:
...I don't want to give away all my secrets :evil:


It will be a pretty slow build on a small budget and not a lot of time after life,work, and my masters. I will be building everything myself when possible/feasible.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Well, I got some time to work on it yesterday and fixed a lot of problems.

1. There was 1 ground wire from the alternator bracket to the battery. It now has 3. Frame to Engine, Engine to Batt, and Body to Batt.

2. The thumb handle on the drivers door handle was missing. I ran down to LMC Truck since it is 10 minutes away (:smokin and bought a whole new handle kit for 30 bux.

3. I put clips on all of the window cranks and inner door handles so they don't fall off every time I close the door (35cents each)

4. Got the radio working. There was a separate wire going from the radio to the battery that was laying in the fender. All I did was hook it up.

5. Installed a quick disconnect on my battery. This way it wont burn to the ground in the driveway and take my house with it.......

Put new windshield wipers on. Normally I wouldn't include a picture of something this mundane but I was impressed.




Took the seat out after removing the 1 bolt that was holding it in


After power washing it

[OldBlue71Chevy]

The radio is partially functional now. Everything works until you turn it up over 1/3 volume then the amp cuts out. Wonder if this has something to do with the custom ground wire



Bonus wires:




I need some help from you guys with the carb. It currently has a Proform 950 on it with no choke or provision for a choke. I haven't tried THAT hard, but it has been 30's-40's out lately and this thing refuses to start.

Has this carb on it: http://www.proformparts.com/product-...ategory_id/181

So my question is, I want to put a "more normal" carb on this thing so it will freakin start without a team of people. I have been looking at street avenger 870's. Would this one work well, or is there something that would be more suited to my application like a truck avenger. Problem is the biggest truck avenger is a 770 CFM if I remember correctly.

This carb: http://www.holley.com/data/types/pic...A_IntoZOOM.jpg

[Tinkermc]

COULD not help but notice you did not mention where you are located and how many post from the 19th? Truck is comming along nicely. I like the idea of driving it while you fix a lot of stuff and you deserve KUDOS for the wiring nightmare that you got through. I did think the customer service on the wiring kit was awesome.will check in later

[bonnieclyde100]

try some pop rivets for that switch

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Originally Posted by bonnieclyde100

try some pop rivets for that switch

Got some little brass bolts from ACE Hardware. Didn't get a chance to install them yet.


Ol' Blue went to her first car show yesterday. It was just a cruise in, but if there were awards given I think I could have gotten "Worst Paint" and "Tallest Vehicle" :homer:


The Ol' lady and the Mistress (I won't say which is which)




Finally got around to installing new carrier bearings and replaced one u-joint for the D60. The other joint was already a Spicer and in pretty good condition.


Finally sold my ProForm carb, soooooooooo I might have just ordered one of these for the 14 bolt:


4wheel parts is having a weekend sale of 20% off until monday, it is a pretty good deal.

I was going to use the money on some ruffstuff leafspring perches/plates etc... Guess I'm going to have to build it all now

[OldBlue71Chevy]

No updates on the truck but Gertrude helped me build a cart for my tig/stick/plaz yesterday. I still have to add the bottom shelf and something to hold the bottle a little tighter.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Added a custom skid plate in case I encounter any harsh terrain in the garage :homer:

The valve setup makes it so I can switch between argon and compressed air without any tools.


Worked on the D60 some more. Installed my new Bobby Long HDPE spindle bearings.

I did notice though that the OD of the bearing is 1/8" bigger than the original copper bearing, which makes the lip of the metal dust cover hit on the bearing.

Should I just run it as is and let the plastic get a groove in it or should I take the time to grind down the metal dust cover?

[Low Elco]

What a Mess! I used a NAPA adjustable thermostatic controller. about 45 bux. has a bulb that goes in the rad, and you use your gun and set it where you want it. It'll sit there forever and idle in 100 deg heat. Cool build!

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Originally Posted by chris1972

do u got any pics of the cab mounts ...and axles left ..thanks chris

There are some pics sprinkled through the thread that have the cab/bed mounts in them. They are really simple. The axles that I took out are already sold and gone, and I already used half of the proceeds to buy my new toy below.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

What a Mess! I used a NAPA adjustable thermostatic controller. about 45 bux. has a bulb that goes in the rad, and you use your gun and set it where you want it. It'll sit there forever and idle in 100 deg heat. Cool build!

Thanks. I have used those temp sensors in the past and they seem to work pretty well. For some reason I feel a little better having it actually touch the coolant. I have the sensor and the adapter, but just recently found out that they have different thread pitches. So, that project is on hold for a bit. I can just manually turn the fan on with a switch for now.



Brought my new toy home today

A buddy helped me drag it into the basement. Right now I have it plugged into the dryer's 240 outlet, but I am in the process of running a separate line that way I can run the plasma and compressor at the same time.

This is the first time I have ever had a *real* air compressor. I am pretty stoked to start using it. It is probably 1/3 as loud as my pos oilless compressor.



Got the D60 mostly put back together today, still a lot to do...

Harbor freight vehicle dollies with harbor freight jack stands welded to them make great axle movers.

[gdavis]

scrap goes for 9.00 a 100 lbs now.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Picked up some goodies this week.

I have been thinking about this entirely too much, but I think I have a plan.


To keep the front suspension as low as possible and eliminate the interference between the headers and upper shackle bolt, I am going to build "leaf spring slider boxes".

Tim at LII has the best design HERE, but that is too easy and more $$$.

My goal by the end of this build is to have the tools/ability to be able to build just about anything in house.


So, I picked up a sheet of UHMW earlier this week. ~$60 for the whole sheet from a local supplier, it was an odd ball already cut sheet so he gave me a pretty good deal. I'll get specs on size/thickness next time I am out in the garage.

Only a small strip of it will be used for the leaf spring sliders, the rest will be used for skid plates.

[gdavis]

good idea there.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Originally Posted by gdavis

good idea there.

Thanks man. I still gotta get my crayons out and make some "engineerd drawrings". I have a scanner at home now, so if I am not too embarrassed of them, I might post them.


Got some progress done on the motor mounts. Still have quite a bit to finish on these.

I tried to figure out a way to incorporate a x-member as one piece, but I just couldn't make it all work. At this point I think I am going to use the two bottom bolts from the motor mount plate on the frame side and build an x-member that incorporates them. Another challenge to this is that my front suspension is not built yet and I am not sure where the bump stops and axle housing will end up. Most likely the x-member will have the bump stops attached to it to keep the stress on the frame as low as possible.



I should have a chance to work on it this weekend. I hope to get the motor mounts done and the front suspension at least mocked up.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Finally finished my motor mounts today.

Managed to work on them in-between Gertrudes mandatory "chuck-it" breaks :homer:


I have a bad habit of not waiting until the paint dries before installing new parts...adds character I guess...


As discussed earlier, I will be adding a crossmember once I get the front suspension set up to reduce some of the stress on the motor mounts/block.


Buddy came by in the afternoon and we celebrated progress by cracking our first home-brewed bottles of Black IPA. Came out really good considering it was our second batch ever.

We also brewed a new batch of Espresso Stout tonight. Which is now aptly named "Galaxy Stout" because I was trying to take a picture of the mash process and managed to drop my phone in the pot.... My phone is now getting the bag of rice treatment, I think I picked it out quick enough though.


Hope to start on the suspension tomorrow.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

So much for getting anything done on my suspension today...

The DD Ram wouldn't start today. So it took priority. Replaced coil/plugs/wires/cap/rotor, now she starts right up and runs way better than before. The plugs I took out had ~.055-.060 gap and the spec was .040, way overdue.

Bad part is, I am now totally out of motivation to work on the Chevy.

Went up to World of Wheels today. Dad had his Deuce up at the show and opened up for all of the kids to climb on/around. There was a line of people all day to get up in the cab.



Got to look at a bunch of ~71 era Chevy trucks that were waaaaay nicer than mine.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Engineeerd Drawrings


These describe my plans, I will probably change a couple of things as I go.


The thought is with the tube sleeve, I will be able to crank down on the leaf spring bolt without affecting the preload on the UHMW bushings or limiting suspension travel.

Picked up the 1/2x1/2 square and tubing today. The only tubing that they had in the size I needed was chromoly. I think they overcharged me for it, but it was such a small amount that I spent <$20 for 8 ft of 1/2x1/2 and 2ft of the chromo.

Total so far, is up to ~$80 and should have leftover materials.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Progress!

Got the front body mounts made and welded on. NOT made out of 1/2" steel, I bet these are a quarter of the weight of what I took off.




Got plates cut out for the bump stop brackets. Getting close to mounting the bump stops and shocks.


I'm also planning on plating the frame above the shackle sliders all the way up to the shock mounts after I figure out where those will be.

Also, I held the remaining pieces of exhaust that I took off up under the truck and it looks like I will be able to reuse most of it with just a couple of angle changes.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Gettin close!

Made some poor-man limit straps

$9.99 each @ Northern Tool and I had a $5 off coupon. Wrap the nylon in multiple layers of aluminum foil and weld in small amounts, allowing to cool in between.


Finished product



Got Shocks fully mounted and bump-stops mounted and gusseted. The limit straps I am planning on having bolt to the lower shock mount and make a 3 hole bracket on the frame so it has some adjust-ability.


I actually got to cross some things off my list yesterday, it was very satisfying.

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Finally got to mark some more stuff off the list.

Front limit straps are done and I made some gussets for the front Shackle slider mounts.



Limit straps in action


Gettin close!

[OldBlue71Chevy]

Got some more stuff done over the last couple of weeks.

Driveshaft is ready to go back in. It will be very close to the right length, but I might have to shorten it by 1" or so.

Massaged the CV in multiple places, good for an extra 5* or so.


Gotta build a new engine crossmember. I thought about it for a while and was going to make some kind of square tube thing, but decided that I needed to make myself try some new things.

I think it will turn out good.


As far as I got before I ran out of motivation. I will have to notch the front plate on the passenger side a little for the pumpkin. The two crossmembers will be connected together with a plate and lots of speed holes.

The taller front plate will tie into the two main motor mount bolts.


Gertrude and I sat in the truck for a while and made engine noises while pretending we were on a cruise. She was very disappointed when we had to get out and hadn't gone anywhere yet...

[OldBlue71Chevy]

I'm hoping to get it out of the garage by Sunday afternoon. My list is dwindling, I will get a picture of it later.

Lunchtime update from today

My secret to making mostly accurate drill holes is to put a dab of white lithium grease (the kind in the tub) on the ends of the bolts then line up the plate and press it against the bolts. This leaves a nice grease mark to center punch, then drill it out.


Told you there would be speed holes

Free online cookie for whoever can guess what manufacturer that oval template came from.


Not too bad for freehand with the plasma cutter.


Waiting for the paint to dry, gotta go get a tire patched on the wife's car in the meantime.


More updates tonight.