Project C7 SS

[Problems]

So I’m building a truck and decided opening a build thread would be a good way for me to be able to look back at how long this takes and how much work went into it. Basically the truck is C4 Corvette suspension steering rack and brakes with a C10 body and the short bed is being shortened 2” more to center the wheels. So I figure half a C10, half a C4, and a super short bed = C7 SS.

A little about the truck, picked this up off of craigslist about a year ago for $8900. It was someone’s started project that they gave up on. It came with a custom chassis, I was told it was built by Caged Motorsports in Wisconsin. Using a Flat Out Engineering crossmember for the suspension. Everything measures straight and looks to be quality work. I also got a perfectly clean ‘70 cab 2 truck loads of parts and enough body panels to make a 2nd truck.

I was in he middle of a frame off rodstoration on my wife’s ‘69 firebird convertible when I bought it so I mainly spent the last year selling off parts I don’t want and stocking up on parts I need while it sat in the corner waiting it’s turn. But the firebird is at the painter so I rolled it onto my rack and got started Over Christmas.

Right now with all the parts I sold and bought I’m into it for about $11k. I’d like to be into it done for <$30k and have a LS swapped autocross truck pushing about 500rwhp on the road for 2020. So a ton of that budget will be in the motor. Luckily I have just about everything else sitting on the shelves now.

Reading this when I’m way over budget and it still isn’t done in three years should make me laugh.

[67-72C10]

Your project is looks like it is going great.Nice job...

[Problems]

So first thing was ditching the step bed and getting a fleet. I bought a new one because I’d rather deal with figment issues than rust. And I’m going to cut it up anyway. It actually went together really well, only had to Oogle two holes in the rear sill on the passenger side. Amazingly all the other holes were where they belonged... Yeah Taiwan your moving up in the world.

[Problems]

Next was dealing with the cowl mount hood hinges, I figured it would be easier with an empty engine bay. They went in super easy it was maybe a two hour project including a few trips to the fridge.

[Problems]

This weekends project was getting a motor and trans mocked up. I have a 6.0l LQ4 with a 4L80 out of a 90k mile short bus. Not sure I’m going to use the motor but it will work for mock up.

The frame was set up for clamshell small block mounts so I got LS adapter plates and gave it a shot. Well the frame side mounts were crooked so I had to cut them off and weld on straight. Not a big deal just a little extra time. Finally got it all in and then on to fabricating a cross member.

Here’s where it got interesting the C4 diff is mounted really high and dead level. So to get the angles right even with a high hump there are clearance issues to the floor. So we looked at 3 options.

1) lowering the engine in the frame, this was ruled out as it only has 3/4 of an inch clearance on the steering rack and I want the oil pan above the scrub line.

2) my buddy said I could space the body up. I looked at him a bit cross eyed and said aren’t body lifts for 4x4s?

3) Then I grabbed a cut wheel and went at the floor.

I’ll have to build a new tunnel next weekend but the trans cross member is built and everything is lined up parallel.

[cornerstone]

Homie don't play! This truck will definitely be a one of a kind track beast. I hope you meet your personal deadline. Heaven knows I didn't. Looks like you have a great space to work, plus the huge benefit of a lift. Heres to getting a bunch of work done before the wifes Pontiac gets out of paint jail Cool project name too!
Brian

[72 tigger]

Nice project- following along

[Old_Gold]

I like it, nice build so far!

[Problems]

So tonight I made the room for the trans and drive shaft. You can see how high the trans needs to be in order to match the pinion angle. I thought it would take a few hours it took 8. Guess I’m not very fast at fabrication. I cut the back off my high hump, and sectioned a low hum I had laying around to make an extra long high hump. Then I cut the floor out behind the hump and raised that too.

When my wife wakes up in the morning I can finally measure for a drive shaft. Next is taking 2” out of the front of the bedsides I can’t wait to see how long that takes me.

[72 tigger]

That will look good when it’s all put together

[buddylee]

Can you post more detailed pictures of how the reared was installed
Thanks in advance

[Problems]

Sure, here are the pics of how the rear suspension set up is mounted.

[Problems]

Well I didn’t have much time to work on the truck this weekend. But I did get 1 bedside shortened 2”to get my rear wheels centered in the opening. I moved my cab 1” back to get the front wheel wells centered and also allow the motor to move back as far as possible. Of course these trucks never had the wheels centered in the opening from the factory but since this isn’t a restoration I figured why not fix that.

I decided to z cut it to get the outside cut as close to the front as possible and still keep the front body line on the inside. First pic is how I taped it, the duct tape is the 2” I removed, so I cut along both sides of the tape and at the bottom of the blue tape. Then just welded it back on tack welding and skipping around to keep heat down. The other pictures are of it welded in before grinding smooth.

Hopefully next weekend I can get the rest of it finished and back on the truck.

[Problems]

Well the bed shortening is done. I’m happy with how it all turned out, it looks way better, and I’m not sure anyone’s ever going to notice the beds 2” shorter than a stock shortbed.

Next is getting the whole body aligned on the frame and mounted then making the raised bed floor.

[Andyking1203]

Tru ls looking good!!! When you moved the cab back, I'm taken you moved the mounts on the frame, correct?

[Problems]

Originally Posted by Andyking1203

Tru ls looking good!!! When you moved the cab back, I'm taken you moved the mounts on the frame, correct?

It’s a custom chassis so they really weren’t “moved” but yes the cab and core support all mount to locations that would be about 1.25” inches back from a factory truck. That allowed me to move the motor pretty far back and still have plenty of firewall clearance.

[Andyking1203]

Originally Posted by Problems

It’s a custom chassis so they really weren’t “moved” but yes the cab and core support all mount to locations that would be about 1.25” inches back from a factory truck. That allowed me to move the motor pretty far back and still have plenty of firewall clearance.

I knew it was a custom chassis.. I like what you got going on!!!

[Problems]

Well I ended up taking the whole body except the cab off the chassis. I then squared up the cab, and mounted it. Then I re-hung and gapped the doors and worked forward to the grill. Then I made bed mounts, so the whole body is actually bolted down and square with reasonable gaps.

I’m going to have to go back and weld some rig rod in the door gaps to get them perfect, but I’ll do that as I do finish body work. I guess next is either fabbkng up the seat mounts, or building the raised bed floor. We will see which sounds like more fun next weekend.

[gringoloco]

Looking really good. She sits just right

[88Stanger]

Great start!!

[Problems]

Well I haven’t been posting but I have been working. Bed floor is framed out mostly, waiting for my new Boyd’s tank to finish it. Boyd’s is making a few changes to their EFI tank to make it work in my custom chassis, since my tank needs to sit on top of the frame rails the mount plates needed to be moved.

I have the headers and steering all figured out. Speed engineering headers give me plenty of frame clearance and steering clearance with the corvette rack.

Last I have all the sheet metal fitted and in epoxy primer for the engine compartment. I got it from Vannatta fab and I think it looks great.

My painter finished the firebird so my C10 is going back into the corner for a couple of months while I put the glass and interior back in that.

[70 shorty]

awesome work on both vehicles. I'll be watching this truck build closely. Keep up the great work!