'72 C10 LB to SB and more...

[Peepaw]

OK guys, gonna have some fun with my latest project. It's a '72 C10 402 Turbo 400, 12 bolt, LB.
I have decided to turn her into a SB as my first real mod to her. Not really quite sure where it will take me in the long run (454? 496? LSx? Naturally Aspirated? Turbo? Blower? Gear Vendors OverDrive? T56? Road Racing? Drag Racing? Classic Hauler? Cruiser?), but I do know it will never be "done", and always evolving/changing.
I'm not a huge fan of Yellow, but Yellow is the original color of the truck, and my wife and kids like it....but we'll see where that takes us as well.

So, here are some progress pics of where I stand as of today. I have the 8" chopped out of the back of the frame, and the 8" taken out of the bed side behind the rear wheels.

[Peepaw]

I used both a Sawzall and cutoff wheel on my grinder to cut it off. I used some 2x3" rect tubing across top of bedside as support system, and a way to measure perfectly down side of bed side for a straight cut. I used painters tape to help guide my cuts.

[Peepaw]

[Peepaw]

I'm assuming most of you guys have either read about the conversion, or done it yourself, is why I skipped over all the details such as where I cut, and what I measured from.
Best I can tell, most measure from rear stake, and move forward @ 8-9" (seems 8 3/4" is pretty popular measurement. Then measure 8" from that spot forward, accounting for cutoff wheel thickness.

My next step is cutting out the 12" in front of the rear wheels, BUT I do have a small dilemma.
Im thinking of doing a backhalf on the truck, but not sure just yet. Obviously just whacking 12" out of the frame (under the cab), is the easy way to go about it, but I have never been accused of doing things the easy way, or logical way.
So, it's POSSIBLE I just whack the 12" out of the stock frame, and then build a backhalf for it at a later date.

Either way, the 12" part will come up in the next couple/few weeks, as the truck unexpectedly became my daily driver.

I've got a '03 Dodge Cummins 1 ton dually, that I have converted from 2WD to 4WD, and from stick to auto, so my daily driver became my '01 Suburban. Well, my wife's 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee dropped a valve few days ago, so she is driving the Suburban, and Im driving the '72.
Once I get my wife in another vehicle (or I finish the conversion on my '03 Cummins), then I can finish the 12" portion of this modification.

[Peepaw]

Question for you guys:

Once I'm completed with the conversion, I'll obviously need a driveshaft. I want to go one piece (I'm not even sure the SB came with a one piece...did they?)
Either way, I am sure someone out there has done this conversion, and used a 1 piece....anyone have a measurement for a driveshaft?

I would like to be able to have the driveshaft ready to go once I get the frame hacked and back together.

Thanks

[Peepaw]

No one with info on the driveshaft?

[Peepaw]

Still nothing on driveshaft huh? I know SOMEONE out there has info on it


I got lowering springs ordered from No Limit, waiting for those to show up, as well as some new 3" Flowmasters.
The 402 needs to breathe. Right now exhaust is 2 1/2", with a set of 1 7/8" Hooker headers.
402 has been punched .030", TRW forged pistons, flat tops. Compression comes in @ 9.5:1 with a set of ported and milled closed chamber 802's, stuffed with 2.19 and 1.88's tickled by a Comp Cams "too small of a cam for me" 218/224 @ .050, .500/.500 112LSA
ARP main studs, ARP head bolts, ARP rod bolts, internally balanced, Weiand aluminum water pump, Tilton starter.
Has an Edelbrock Performer intake, along with a vac. secondary Holley 750 (needs a mechanical sec 850), and all MSD ignition: Billet Distributor, coil, 6A Box, and wires.

Built Turbo 400 with a Hughes converter, sending it all back to the 12 bolt with 3.73's and a limited slip.


Im in the midst of lowering it some because of the stink bug stance. Before I started the LB to SB conversion, it already had a pretty noticeable bed high stance. Once I started taking some weight off the back end (was a dealer installed, solid steel, bumper...@ 60-70LBS), section out that 8" of bed and floor, as well as the 8" of rear frame that was shortened, the rear of the truck just keeps getting higher and higher (have 6" clearance from top of rear tire to fender lip).
Oh, I also put a slightly shorter front tire on it (has 30" tall rear tire, and now has a 28" tall tire up front).
So, the rear end is WAY high, and that needs to come down.


So, we'll lower it, finish up the bed shortening, and GET THE RIGHT LENGTH DRIVESHAFT, right guys?
Get the exhaust done, and take care of some more of the "little stuff":
Drivers side rocker panel needs replacing
Need to figure out if gonna do a roll pan, or put stock rear bumper back on, or another style rear bumper???

Still thinking of doing the LSx swap...I've got a built 414" I have thought about dropping in, that's just sitting in the corner of my shop looking for a home.
BUT, the 402" (minus the heads and top end) is original to the Truck, and that DOES mean something to me.


So, guys....whats the length driveshaft I need again?

[STOCKISH]

Someone has info on the driveshaft length. Come on fellas.

[WIDESIDE72]

I have a factory swb and when I swapped a 700r4 in, I found a one piece ds out of an 85 swb and it bolted right in.

If you get rid of the LT tires and wagon spoke rims, it will not look so high.

BTW, I saw in another post where you thought my brother was the original owner. He was the second owner. He bought it from a guy who had a cabinet shop near Austin, with 17k miles. Also, the bed on the truck is not original, as well as the radiator support, ps inner and outer fenders. THey were all rusted. We found a good used bed and were able to go the Henna Chevrolet and buy thinner outer fenders and rad support! (This was in the early 90's.) Also, the yellow paint on the truck, if it is still the same paint job, was Corvette Yellow, not the pale yellow it came with stock. It looks like it faded some.

[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I have a factory swb and when I swapped a 700r4 in, I found a one piece ds out of an 85 swb and it bolted right in.

If you get rid of the LT tires and wagon spoke rims, it will not look so high.

BTW, I saw in another post where you thought my brother was the original owner. He was the second owner. He bought it from a guy who had a cabinet shop near Austin, with 17k miles. Also, the bed on the truck is not original, as well as the radiator support, ps inner and outer fenders. THey were all rusted. We found a good used bed and were able to go the Henna Chevrolet and buy thinner outer fenders and rad support! (This was in the early 90's.) Also, the yellow paint on the truck, if it is still the same paint job, was Corvette Yellow, not the pale yellow it came with stock. It looks like it faded some.

Same truck....yeah found the bed to be off of a blue truck, once I stripped out the bedliner.

[Peepaw]

Got the lowering springs (5") out back:

[Peepaw]

Now Ive got to get the lowering springs up front, thinking 2", MAYBE 3".

Do that DS rocker panel, finish shortening the bed/frame, and FIND THE RIGHT LENGTH DRIVESHAFT, LMAO!!!!!

[Peepaw]

Wideside 72, the truck was repainted about 10+ years ago, a slightly different shade than when your Brother had it.

The paint is starting to show some age, and thinking of doing a different color. My kids however, are INSISTANT that I leave it Yellow. So, we'll see. Either way, it will need some paint at one point.

Still undecided if Im gonna do the LSx transplant, or keep rocking the BBC. We'll see.

[WIDESIDE72]

I remember the bed was in fact light blue. We found a red one but it was a wood floor and was going to cost even more due to that.
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[WIDESIDE72]

Btw i have a 69 or 70 swb coil spring frame if interested. It would make your swap to swb easier than cutting your lwb frame. It is in Edna Tx. Pm me if interested.
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[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by Peepaw

No one with info on the driveshaft?

I have swapped 700r4's into two swb trucks and used the stock ds out of late 80's swb chevy trucks both times.
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[El Campo]

I have a house in Pearland and am there most of the time if you ever need any help. I have a one piece driveshaft on my 72 but it has a big block and turbo 400 that I moved back 2 inches. Ill be happy to measure the driveshaft if you want or even could bring it and could test fit it for length if you wanted as I have it off the truck right now.
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[El Campo]

I have also cut a long bed frame before if you need any input on it or someone to just drink a beer with while I watch u do it lol.
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[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I remember the bed was in fact light blue. We found a red one but it was a wood floor and was going to cost even more due to that.
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Yep., you are right on the color...it's a light blue. I'll get some pics up of it. Not a whole lot let of that paint (best I can tell, bed was hit up with some sandpaper, in preparation for spray on bedliner, or was just pretty thin in the paint area to begin with, but there is plenty of smaller area's of the blue)


EDIT: DOuble checked, and some pics above, show the blue in the bed....

[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

Btw i have a 69 or 70 swb coil spring frame if interested. It would make your swap to swb easier than cutting your lwb frame. It is in Edna Tx. Pm me if interested.
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I appreciate it, but Im ok with cutting this frame. Thanks for the offer though....much appreciated.

[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by El Campo

I have a house in Pearland and am there most of the time if you ever need any help. I have a one piece driveshaft on my 72 but it has a big block and turbo 400 that I moved back 2 inches. Ill be happy to measure the driveshaft if you want or even could bring it and could test fit it for length if you wanted as I have it off the truck right now.
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Where abouts in Pearland are you...Friendswood side, or Silverlake side?

[Valhalla]

Very nice start ! I've often pondered the short bed conversion
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[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I have swapped 700r4's into two swb trucks and used the stock ds out of late 80's swb chevy trucks both times.
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Thanks for info!

[El Campo]

I am on Silverlake side. Only about 2 miles from Bass Pro. Offer stands if you need it!
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[Peepaw]

Originally Posted by Valhalla

Very nice start ! I've often pondered the short bed conversion
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Thanks.

I should have more pics with recent work done.

What happened was, RIGHT after (in fact, no sooner than I cut the bed to begin conversion), my wife's '02 Jeep Grand Cherokee ate a valve seat, and knocked it out of commission. It forced her into my Suburban, and the 72 into DD status. So, I had to stop the work, and get 72 back on the road double time.
Well, after driving 72 for month+ as my DD, I was able to locate a cheap alternative, as well as more reliable with WAY better fuel economy and AC. I picked up a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix supercharged GTP and that is now what I am driving daily, so the 72 can go BACK under the knife and I can finish up my conversion.

I've got a '03 Dodge Cummins Dually, that I am converting from a manual tranny over to an automatic, and from 2WD to 4WD.

I chopped the front section of the frame off my 1 ton, and found a flood damage 4WD frame for sale (but it was only a regular cab, so wheelbase was different than my crew cab) so I had to chop front section of frame off of it, and weld it onto my dually frame.
1 ton frame is THICK, and to be extra careful, I made sleeves that I slid INSIDE the 2 sections of frame, so I when I put the 2 sections of frame together, they had the inner sleeve for extra stability, and I plug welded them to the actual frame. Once frame was butted together, it got fully welded, and THEN I added some fishplates to that.
For absolute overkill, I then placed an additional crossmember at that location.
It was A LOT of work, but it came out nice and was well worth it.
I don't get real attached to vehicles (I've lost track, but I've owned 25+ vehicles over the years), but this Cummins I have owned longer than ANY vehicle (8+ years now) and for some odd reason, I grew attached to it and is why I did what I did. Obviously, selling the truck, and buying an auto/4WD would have been MUCH cheaper....but, I love my truck.

Kind or weird actually, because I have owned a lot of, well, "more desirable" cars over the years, and managed to sell them and move on.
I have owned a couple Big Block 71 Dodge Challengers, few Camaros (all small blocks), couple Trans Ams (small blocks), A LOT of Mustangs (early and late model, small and big blocks), 67 Chevelle (396/4speed), etc...and really, only car I regret selling was my 1st car...one of my 71 Challenger's.


ANYWAYS, as you can see, I can ramble sometimes....and I'll have some more progress pics up soon...