My 69 Chevy LWB Junker to hopefully Beauty

[caminokid]

I got this 69 from a guy that had lost his license 5 years ago. It had sat all this time. 350 3 on the floor. Posi rear end. 2nd gen Camaro buckets...sitting on 2x4's...bolted to the floor. Not the brightest idea ever. The cab needs replaced. A tree fell and hit the right top of it and caved it in. The top started rusting there. Went thru to the inner panel...and rusted that too. The cab corners, rocker and floors are shot. the cab braces and mounts are almost gone. Mechanically this truck is in great shape. It has been a driver. Manual steering, brakes and trans make this a great truck for me. I always have had a truck with manual trans. Just dont feel right for me to have a truck with and auto in it. i will be replacing the front fenders and tailgate. The grille surround will be straightened. the grille itself needs to be replaced. The hood is savable. The hood is savable. The rear bumper is junk. The front bumper will be replaced. The doors are savable. The only glass that needs replaced is the windshield. it looks like it has been shot by a bb gun. The sending unit for the gas tank is bad. All and all I have alot of work to do. I dont think this is goiong to be a over night thing...it will be awhile.

This is what it looked like when I got it home.

[caminokid]

The interior.




















Got to love the Hurst car shift...NOT!

[caminokid]

The Motor






It has Hooker super comps. Nothing anymore special

[caminokid]

Under the truck. This is after I changed the shifter.















The guy replaced one side of the exhaust but not the other. He did put new tips on. The bad thing is...the right side rattles when it is running.

[caminokid]

Things replaced so far.

To keep this truck running smoothly...I had replace that Hurst shifter. It was alway hanging up. If you left it in reverse...shut off the truck...plan on crawling under it to get into neutral. I bought a Mr. Gasket 3 speed shifter. The next thing was the distributor. The points were floating and causing the motor to backfire thru the carb at high speeds. I found an HEI and dropped it in. The next thing that happened was the brake master cyl went bad. It also took out the front brake lines. Temporary fix on the lines. the truck had to be running so my g/f could drive it to work till I got her Firebird back together....long story there.

[caminokid]

The truck wasnt being driven everyday. I could start doing things to her. I started by cleaning the motor and under the hood.

[caminokid]

Continued







believe it or not...this is what I used.



It worked really good. The Cub foods here had it in the bargin bin for .99. I bought all they had.

[caminokid]

So the truck didnt look so bad...I spray bombed it with black primer and paint til I get a new cab and parts. Then the truck will be taken down to the frame. Powder coat everything under the truck. Stainless exhaust. Trans swapped over to a Muncie 4 speed. I have that in my garage. Disc brakes. New wheels and tires. Them awful Camaro seats tossed. Maybe a more updated seat. Hidden stereo. Factory put back in its place. I will leave the tank where it is. I need a new cab. I want the truck to look stock. but under the hood and under the truck it wont be. I will leave it with no power anything. No A/C. I dont want any of the power robbed from the motor. I am going to rebuild that motor or find a big block the rebuild and replace it with that.

I named her Fade To Black.

[caminokid]

Heres the exhaust tips.

[caminokid]

The truck went out on its first long trip. I had to go and pick up a guys bike 40 miles away. Since I work on bikes now....the truck has to stay together for a little while longer. So a 80 mile round trip wasnt bad. I didnt expect anything to go wrong...but you never know. I know I dont have the original motor. So a 73 motor sits in its place. I dont know how many miles are on the truck or motor....but the odometer turned 86,000 today. It could be 386,000 for all I know. But there a back with no problems.

[brianthelion02]

Persistance will pay off,keep chuggin away!!!!!!!

[caminokid]

Heres the plan for this weekend. I bought a 77 Chevy that for the life of me cant get it running. I have tried everything. So...it has a nice rear chrome step bumper...a seat...a Pioneer stereo (old School) It has 5 lugs on all four corners...rally wheels...disc brakes. So I am going to swap out the spindles for the disc brakes. I am going to grab the rear axles and brakes and backing plates. It has manual brakes so I dont have to swap over to power brakes. I do not want anything to rob power from the motor. The Camaro seats have to go. Even though I will be swapping out cabs...til then those seats have to go. The rear bumper on the 69 is a big POS. So this nice shiny diamond plate rear step bumper complete with a 1 7/8 ball on it will be perfect.

[caminokid]

Well today I decided to go out and work on the truck. The 77 lost its stereo and its seat. I checked the stereo to see if its working and it is. Old school Pioneer super tuner. I went to the 69 with crow bar in had and removed the 2nd Gen Camaro seats. Since they were held in with nails and 2X4's. I put the 77 seat in...not bad. It sit about and inch lower than stock...but it feels right. The shifter doesnt hit it. Pics later when the batteries are charged.

[caminokid]

Here is the pics so far....


This is the way the seats were held in. 2X4's bolted to the floor...seat rails nailed to the boards.



This is the 77 seat sitting in it.


Here is the bumper that is going on to the 69. It needs cleaned up...and straightened a little on each corner.

The cab is temporary. It will be changed. Its in way to bad shape. I measured the brackets on the 69 from frame rail to frame rail...they exactly the same. The 77 bumper has several holes in the brackets to accommodate the 69.

[caminokid]

I got a good look at the rear ends today. Both 12 bolt. Cant tell the difference between the two. So tomorrow I am puling the axles out of the 77...backing plates and so on. I have a posi under my truck now. Dont want to lose that. I will pul the front spindles and all that after I put the 6 lug crap back into the 77 so I can push it around.

[samwise68]

nice progress!

since i haven't commented, first i'd like to say nice job on the new 3 speed linkage.

second. it's amazing what one single color can do for the image of a truck.

third...thank you for putting in a real seat. haha. 2x4's? wow. i've done some dumb things..but..wow.

good score on the 77. that bumper should look really good on your '69. the chrome in contrast with the black. i dig it.

keep at it!

-Sam.

[drivethechevy]

looks like your project is coming along great!
that cab isnt really that bad compared to a few on some of my parts trucks but i deffinately understand the desire not to have to deal with repairing a cab in that shape, but for me that sometimes is the only option cause finding good cabs around northwestern minnesota is really becoing a task, but like anything if u keep your eye open youll find a great cab to put on your truck, i been loking for a good cab for 2 years now andi just found one last week, good luck in your search for a nicer cab, dont let tht 77 go to waste sell it theres bound to be someone out there looking for some parts or a truck to make a mud truck out of haha

[caminokid]

Originally Posted by drivethechevy

looks like your project is coming along great!
that cab isnt really that bad compared to a few on some of my parts trucks but i deffinately understand the desire not to have to deal with repairing a cab in that shape, but for me that sometimes is the only option cause finding good cabs around northwestern minnesota is really becoing a task, but like anything if u keep your eye open youll find a great cab to put on your truck, i been loking for a good cab for 2 years now andi just found one last week, good luck in your search for a nicer cab, dont let that 77 go to waste sell it theres bound to be someone out there looking for some parts or a truck to make a mud truck out of haha

My cab is in very bad shape...rockers corners braces mounts floor board roof and rusted the inside panel to the roof. I have the gas pedal screwed down to a license plate ...cause there is a hole big enough there to put my size 10 thru it.

When I am done with the 77...not going to be alot of it left. Motor wont run. The tail gate is being sold tonight. The bed is shot. Windsheild broke. Cab needs repair not as bad as my 69...but not far from it. The hood has been bent like alot of the 73 to 87s did. Grille is cracked. Not alot left there to work with.

Thanks for the compliments.

[caminokid]

Well the back bumper is on. The rusted POS is off awaiting to goto the scrap yard. There was a small problem the the 77 bumper...the brackets was off about a 1/16th of and inch. Nothing a sledge hammer couldn't fix!!! It took awhile to get the old bumper off. I got a piston looking shift knob at OReillys this morning. I thought it looked cool. I went there to get 80/90 for the rear end. And a differential cover gasket. I pulled the axles and backing plates off the 77. Not a hard job....but a torch would have helped heat those bolts up.

[caminokid]

Continued






Some good advice here...Thats a Craftsman motorcycle jack. Great for lining up doors and bumper. Best 69.95 I have ever spent.

[caminokid]

And it continues more

[caminokid]

And more!!!





Tomorrow I will start pulling my truck apart to start putting the % lug on the rearend.

[Luvlegs]

Was the block taped to the clutch pedal for the lil' lady? If she was driving it to work you should of took a picture for the "Good Question" thread. I still can't get mine in mine...

[caminokid]

Originally Posted by Luvlegs

Was the block taped to the clutch pedal for the lil' lady? If she was driving it to work you should of took a picture for the "Good Question" thread. I still can't get mine in mine...

Yeah she couldnt get the pedal depressed all the way down. So I taped it there so she could get to work. I leave it there for now cause...never know when that Firebird is coming back home on a flatbed.

[caminokid]

Well it looks like my project is going to be on hold. My girlfriend just told me to leave. I wont have a garage anymore. So this kinda screws me.