Project 72 Diesel Hauler

[hicktownhotrodder]

this is my 72 chevy one ton dually flatbed. 350 4-speed 4.56 ratio






My plan(i am in high school so you can call me crazy) is to either find or build a longhorn bed, attach stepside fenders to the fleetside box and convert the front sheetmetal to GMC. then( this is probaly the part where ill get kicked off the site for) drop in a 93-98 Cummins Diesel backed by a 5-speed and slide in a 14 bolt diff instead of my eaton. Paint it all black add a little chrome here and there(nothin tacky like a billit fuel door) and pull our antique tractors to shows in the summer.(and piss off the EPA by makin lots of smoke)

[74 C-30]

nice truck! I have a 74 C-30 with a stock 350 and the four on the floor! being in high school and wanted to do a similar swap and researched this myself i'll ask somes q's...many people have done the Cummins swap, have you got any plans on how to do it? any experience to back up your plans? plenty of cash to throw at the motor? Have you thought about the 3.9 4BT? (its a 5.9 but missing 2 holes) they put them in chevy bread trucks and you can buy the motor mounts and an adapter to hook the GM tranny to it. just a thought

oh and WELCOME! from NH!

[hicktownhotrodder]

hey thanks! yeah i know a guy who did the swap in is truck and ive been in love with it ever since(72 chevy 1/2 4X4) i have crunched some numbers for the last year or so and it keeps costing more and more everytime i sit down and do it. i want the big six motor with the Bosch inline pump and a NV4500 five speed. i am going to swap in my 14 bolt rearend (has a 3.21 ratio, i think thats to high) so i can actually get ring and pinon parts. i have had the vison for this truck since i was 13 and am really ready to tear into it. ha, i am gettin tired of being "the s***ty old orange truck". and loud pipes in the school parking lot dont save lives

[Skirkpat]

All thats already been done by guys on here, I am not a fan of fender flares (personal opinion) I think this (72freak's) is one of the nicest Dually's on the site. As far as a Dodge Diesel, good luck...I hope you make more than I did in high school, or are very talented at fabrication, Why not a 6.5 turbo diesel?

[hicktownhotrodder]

ha ha i think i make more than i do if i saw your pic right do you have duals stuck up under the std. box? i havent done enough research on the 6.5 but i have thought of it. i dont know how much computer stuff is on there if any

[Skirkpat]

That's not mine, but yes they are under the bed.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...highlight=mutt

The 6.2/6.5 would be close to a bolt in deal, and would keep the chevy like the General intended, ALL GM ? I would love a Cummins in mine though.

[hicktownhotrodder]

holy s**t! that has got to be one of the coolest chevys i have seen, the best dually. i tell myself ill do one thing, my wallet will say another. i am really thinking about not doing fender flares now. thanks

[nuke1]

Hey, you have a great idea for your truck and do not let anyone get in the way of your plans, and as long as you the majority of the build your self, it will keep costs down alot. Way to go.

[hicktownhotrodder]

thanks!. it wouldnt be any fun to let someone else deal with all the headaches

[hicktownhotrodder]

well let the headaches begin! i tore my truck down and (typical for illinois) its really rusted in the frame. but before i get to that ill show you the begining

the truck when i bought it in april 08, then after a buff job and some chrome, then a gmc bumper

[hicktownhotrodder]

then i was done for a while when i got to here
Attachment 471573

[hicktownhotrodder]

but then the rear end grenaded so it was time to tear her down. this is what i got
(my helper didnt do much more than that right there)

(thats a screwdriver in one of the five holes in the frame)

heres the flatbedafter i stripped the diamondplate off

[Skirkpat]

Are you going to put a truck bed back on it?

[hicktownhotrodder]

ha. my plan is to put a pickup box on it. but i live in illinois so there arent very many good ones around

[hicktownhotrodder]

Alrighty ladies and gents, its been a while and there has been quite a bit of progress. i actually did most of the work over the summer but finally got everything painted last week. i started cutting pieces out of another truck i had to fix my holes in the frame and got that all fixed up and looking like it was almost factory. then i got my disc brake kit and after about seven trips to NAPA got it to look like this



i ran into an issue with clearance for the dual wheel rims so i bought the 3 inch billet spacers


here it is all painted and pretty

[hicktownhotrodder]

thats a 14 bolt GM with 3.21 ratio by the way. now i put my goose hitch in


heres the whole rig with my heavily modified trailer fenders i got to fit in the wheel arch



heres the rusted out box with an aluminum skin over it


let me know what y'all think

[hicktownhotrodder]

here she is doing work on the farm

[67 c10 guy]

awesome looks great. does it have a gap between bed and cab on first pic? it looks flush with tha cab on the rest.

[eagleuh1]

Looks like a great work truck. Good job. Wish I had one of those when I was in school. Instead I had a 61 Mercury Comet with batmobile wings. Good job.

[hicktownhotrodder]

Originally Posted by 67 c10 guy

awesome looks great. does it have a gap between bed and cab on first pic? it looks flush with tha cab on the rest.

yeah it does. its a 133 inch wheelbase and that is just a standard 8ft box. i need a longhorn box real bad. you got one?

[74 C-30]

make a tank to go between the cab and bed for diesel fuel, or a tool box. if your good with metal try to make some filler pieces from and old bed

[hicktownhotrodder]

ive thought about the fuel tank idea but between my headache rack(which mounts to the frame) and my future exhaust stacks there is very little room. i have another junk box(imagine that) that the front parts of the bedsides are useable to the point i can scab them on there. but thats for a later date.....

[67 c10 guy]

no sorry i dont have one

[Walts_restoration]

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/1600373229.html

bet you would hate to buy a whole truck for a bed, but theres 1.

Good luck on the build, glad to see young guys like myself out working on this rigs.

[hicktownhotrodder]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/1600373229.html

bet you would hate to buy a whole truck for a bed, but theres 1.

Good luck on the build, glad to see young guys like myself out working on this rigs.

thanks, theres been alot of time fixin junk on er. but that truck must of sold already, "deleted by author"