My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 12:22 AM

I've already spent a little over a year on this project and it's going to take me a while to get this thread up to date. Mostly because I didn't organize my pictures too well. For now, I'll say that I never got the truck inspected. Kept getting in deeper and deeper and going a step further. Over the next few days, I'll get this all posted, but today, I've got the chassis pretty close to done and started on the body. Here's how it looks now. Too much invested now to give up, so this is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead and start a thread.

bilfman · 03-01-2013, 09:08 PM

Looks like a great start, I'll be watchimg this one!

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 09:15 PM

Truck ran, but not very well and it was hard to keep running. Somewhere along there, with inspiration from WhiteElephant's thread, I decided I needed to make the truck somewhat reliable, as well as safe. The truck needed new tires to pass inspection and I wanted a bit of a lift so I could go a little bigger. Long story short, I pulled everything off in front of the cab.

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 09:23 PM

Found even more rust than I expected in the front sheet metal. Some shots of both fenders, inner fender and core support.

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 09:35 PM

I'm not thinking "frame off" at this point, but since I had it stripped down, I at least wire brushed the easy to reach parts of the front frame, cross members, etc. and spray bombed them with Rustoleum Hammered Black. I'd also got a 4" Tuff Country EZ-Ride spring lift and installed the front springs.

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 10:11 PM

Cleaned up the Dana44 and hit it with hammered black also. Wish I'd read WhiteElephant's thread a little earlier so I would have thought to replace ball joints and oil seals at the diff housing, but I didn't. Once I knew better, I didn't feel like pulling apart the brakes, hubs, etc. I'd already replaced. Hopefully, that won't come back to bite me. Anyway, here is a before and some afters. I did replace the steering arm with the drop arm that came with the Tuff Country kit. Also, new drag link, cross link? tie rods, steering stabalizer, shocks and engine mounts. Steering gear box is cleaned up and painted, but not rebuilt. Far as I know, it doesn't need rebuilt - we'll see. At this point, I'm really starting to realize how much time on this kind of build is spent on just cleaning parts!

Not really planning to redo the hard lines for the fuel and brakes, so they are still on the truck at this point.

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 10:17 PM

Also cleaned up and painted the sway bar and installed with new Prothane bushings.

**rgunlock** · 03-01-2013, 10:21 PM

Not too crazy about this rake

03-01-2013, 12:22 AM	#1
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble I've already spent a little over a year on this project and it's going to take me a while to get this thread up to date. Mostly because I didn't organize my pictures too well. For now, I'll say that I never got the truck inspected. Kept getting in deeper and deeper and going a step further. Over the next few days, I'll get this all posted, but today, I've got the chassis pretty close to done and started on the body. Here's how it looks now. Too much invested now to give up, so this is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead and start a thread. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 09:08 PM	#2
bilfman Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Regina, SK, Canada Posts: 622	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Looks like a great start, I'll be watchimg this one! __________________ 1979 Chevy Dually Crew 4X4 454, D60 Tru-trac, D70 Detroit Locker, 3.73, 4L80E/NP205 1971 GMC 3/4 Ton 4X4

03-01-2013, 09:15 PM	#3
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Truck ran, but not very well and it was hard to keep running. Somewhere along there, with inspiration from WhiteElephant's thread, I decided I needed to make the truck somewhat reliable, as well as safe. The truck needed new tires to pass inspection and I wanted a bit of a lift so I could go a little bigger. Long story short, I pulled everything off in front of the cab. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 09:23 PM	#4
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Found even more rust than I expected in the front sheet metal. Some shots of both fenders, inner fender and core support. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 09:35 PM	#5
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble I'm not thinking "frame off" at this point, but since I had it stripped down, I at least wire brushed the easy to reach parts of the front frame, cross members, etc. and spray bombed them with Rustoleum Hammered Black. I'd also got a 4" Tuff Country EZ-Ride spring lift and installed the front springs. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 10:11 PM	#6
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Cleaned up the Dana44 and hit it with hammered black also. Wish I'd read WhiteElephant's thread a little earlier so I would have thought to replace ball joints and oil seals at the diff housing, but I didn't. Once I knew better, I didn't feel like pulling apart the brakes, hubs, etc. I'd already replaced. Hopefully, that won't come back to bite me. Anyway, here is a before and some afters. I did replace the steering arm with the drop arm that came with the Tuff Country kit. Also, new drag link, cross link? tie rods, steering stabalizer, shocks and engine mounts. Steering gear box is cleaned up and painted, but not rebuilt. Far as I know, it doesn't need rebuilt - we'll see. At this point, I'm really starting to realize how much time on this kind of build is spent on just cleaning parts! Not really planning to redo the hard lines for the fuel and brakes, so they are still on the truck at this point. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 10:17 PM	#7
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Also cleaned up and painted the sway bar and installed with new Prothane bushings. Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500

03-01-2013, 10:21 PM	#8
rgunlock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tomball, Texas Posts: 1,592	Re: My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble Not too crazy about this rake Attached Images __________________ Rick 78 GMC K15 SWB, 350/NV4500/NP205/4.10s Project Hazel 71 GMC C25 350/TH400 - Project Angie 59 Chevy SWB Stepside (next in line? Not sure now ) 2001 GMC Sierra K2500



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