Project - "The under funded dream" / phase III

[68GMCCustom]

Well, after completing phase I and II w/o one....I thought maybe it might be a good idea if I finally get around to starting a build thread.
I should clarify....its the "underfunded dream" because it was going to be a much bigger build, with custom IFS, air suspension, Dana 60, etc. etc. but do to real life issues it will be a simple rebuild with a new drivetrain. Some day....I'll upgrade with phase IV, phase V, etc.

This phase is going to be a bit different as I'm only only partially charted territory. Phase I took my fairly straight and clean 1968 GMC C15 and mated it with a '72 C10...and spawned a '68 C15 on a '72 C10 chassis.

Phase I
The '68 GMC when I got it. I kept the frame when I moved the body to the '72 chassis and sold the drivetrain.


my '72 C10 that donated its chassis. I sold the body off.



swap in progress:



Phase II was simple...just a motor swap. The '72 chassis had a good turbo350 in it, but a weak, weak 305. A buddy had a 383 stroker he needed to get rid of so we put it in my truck and I got rid of the weak, oily, nasty 305.

the 383:




and as it looked before I just recently started pulling it apart:


interior before painting dash pad, visors, and door handles black:



Phase III:
never run genIV 2008 LY6 crate engine that will be going in - think LQ4 with L92 heads and VVT (which will be removed)


built for 500+hp 200-4r:


old frame after stripping:


boxing both sides of trailing arm crossmember and body mount points


new parts are always fun:


and one of the best parts of doing it yourself...buying new tools and hardware!


and where it sits now:
old frame painted with POR15, truck disassembly started:




and the bed stand I made so I could work on the frame without the bed in the way, after seeing something similar here on the site: