Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
5 Attachment(s)
Going to start documenting the rebuild of this 71 Cheyenne SWB. My wife’s father bought it in 1981 and has owned it since. Came original with a 350/3sp combo, but a T350 was swapped in before her dad bought it. Manual everything besides that, no AC.
My wife grew up with it so it has a lot of sentimental value for her. It has sat mostly unused for the last 10 years and definitely shows it. We got it down to Florida in late December and I have Ben tearing in to it and rebuilding it since then. This is my first rebuild. Leaving Sevierville for Florida! Attachment 1924212 Little bit of bondo... Attachment 1924213 Attachment 1924214 Hoods in good enough shape. Attachment 1924215 Interior is a bit rough but not too bad. Attachment 1924216 |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
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What’s this? A wood bed?
Attachment 1924217 Oh, I wish it were a wood bed... Attachment 1924218 Attachment 1924219 Attachment 1924220 There’s the lovely wife sweeping out her truck Attachment 1924221 |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
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Original engine. Repainted a few times, it never opened up past the rocker covers.
Attachment 1924224 Bit of rocker panel rot Attachment 1924225 Attachment 1924226 An old pencil from the 80’s Attachment 1924228 |
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Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
Alright, anyone know what I did wrong in this last post?
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Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
Awesome project man. What a great truck to begin with - a 71 Cheyenne has the front end I like, it's a factory short bed, it's already 5-lug, it has sentimental value, and your wife is excited about it!
There is a ton of info on this forum and I've learned so much from it, just by reading through builds and asking questions. Are you sticking with the SBC or doing an LS swap? |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
LOL, it always helps when the Lovely Wife has enthusiasm for something like this. Never seen a bed floor like that!!! I'm parting out a LWB pickup bed trailer. Going to scrap the floor because of it's condition. LOL it's only pitted and has a few extra holes drilled in it, nothing like yours!!!
Another 71 or 72, you've got disc brakes, always a good thing!!! Carry on!!1 |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
Thanks guys.
As far as the engine goes, it's already been rebuilt, bored .20 over. Got a slightly hotter cam in it. The T-350 has been rebuilt with an updated shift kit, and the rear has been rebuilt with 3.44 gears and limited slip. Frame and drivetrain are completely back together and prep'd. Just need to get the body work and electrical done now. I've pulled the entire floor out of the cab and am going to start cutting the A and B pillars at the bottom this weekend to fix those. Going to try to reuse the doors, hood, tailgate, bed front and fenders. Not sure on the bedsides yet, they are pretty eat up with rust pitting. Obviously, I scrapped the entire floor, so I'll be ordering a new one. I can only find LWB around here, so just buying a donor truck is almost out of the question. I didn't post any more pics because they kept turning upside down like that last post of mine. I can't figure out how to fix that. |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
It sounds like you and I are in about the same spot on our builds. If I were you, I would buy a whole new bed floor if you can't find a shortbed (bed only) for sale. It's rare enough to find a factory shortbed, so it's even harder to find a SWB bed for sale.
I think the orientation of the pictures has to do with the way you hold your phone when you take the picture. With my iPhone, I have to hold it sideways (power button on top, volume buttons on bottom) when I take the picture. If I take a picture in any other orientation, it ends up sideways or flipped when I attach. |
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I save my pictures to my PC and then open them in paint. Turn them and save. Then post them here. It's a pain. I think you can trick your phone by taking the pictures with your phone turned sideways and then somehow they post correctly here, not sure. Love the project and that your wife is all about it. I just hope you get to drive it when it is completed.
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Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
Yeah, the problem is that all the pics I posted that are the wrong way are actually the correct way on my computer and on my phone. Something in the forum software is turning them upside down. I've noticed on some other threads that a lot of pics are sideways or upside down.
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I have read here, "Top Banana" had good quality sheet metal. Page 5 complete short bed fleet side for 71.. $984...good looking project ...
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Okay, I just loaded everything up to my Imgur account because I could not get the pics to display properly.
Anyway, here’s the beginning of the tear down: https://i.imgur.com/ImVF0Is.jpg https://i.imgur.com/5hC92sH.jpg https://i.imgur.com/TQfiSg2.jpg Engine was a bit dirty https://i.imgur.com/8Gyww7x.jpg https://i.imgur.com/FJCLC2a.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ZjUCSwE.jpg |
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Got the engine all disassembled and toted off to the engine builder. Guess BMWs are good for something!
https://i.imgur.com/dgrz7xT.jpg The lovely wife helping take the cab off https://i.imgur.com/cBMiCWL.jpg https://i.imgur.com/JFH5w4I.jpg Me taking a break on the chassis. https://i.imgur.com/dh9tupa.jpg |
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The truck has between 280,000 and 380,000 miles. The odometer had turned over a few times over the years. Well, evidently the center pin was trying to work it’s way out of the carrier for a while. Luckily it held over the years and didn’t explode going down the road.
https://i.imgur.com/Y2KQNTO.jpg Getting the frame ready to strip and seal. I wasn’t going to do a frame up resto originally, but the can had to come off due to the severe rust on the floor, so while I’m here might as well do it up right. https://i.imgur.com/px4jIpr.jpg https://i.imgur.com/9swMQza.jpg https://i.imgur.com/WKDCLAX.jpg |
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Here’s the frame with the suspension all back on. Went with CPP upper control arms. I replaced all the suspension components and re did the bearings.
https://i.imgur.com/8MSTzvG.jpg Engine all painted up after getting it back from the builder. https://i.imgur.com/5ZXWdPy.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Zt4lYD7.jpg |
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The cab mounted on the rotisserie I made. Drew up the plans and welded it all together myself. Not too shabby for not having welded since high school.
https://i.imgur.com/kGRPhMV.jpg The cab was pretty darn rusted up on the bottom. https://i.imgur.com/pTIawxh.jpg https://i.imgur.com/gEdvvTl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Q9u053I.jpg https://i.imgur.com/H0AqEE1.jpg https://i.imgur.com/pRGDw7C.jpg https://i.imgur.com/jb2gdcq.jpg And finally, got the floor completely cut out of the cab. Now to start on the a and b pillars and getting the new floor back in there. https://i.imgur.com/KsWSRnj.jpg |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
Great work so far! Where was the truck stored those 10 years?
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Looks like you're off to a good start.
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Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
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A little update:
Got the floor in and the lower pillar panels all replaced. Attachment 1963270 Also got to the rust under the inner cowl. Attachment 1963271 Attachment 1963272 |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
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Got the rust all cut out and welded back and primed. I did the driver’s side first. Got a little impatient on the passenger side, so it is a little tougher than the driver side.
Attachment 1963285 Attachment 1963280 Attachment 1963281 |
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Had a lot of rust holes to cut and patch on the rear window channel.
Attachment 1963294 Attachment 1963295 Attachment 1963288 Attachment 1963289 Attachment 1963290 |
Re: Dz’s 71 Cheyenne Build
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Finally got it the firewall and the roof primed.
Attachment 1963296 Attachment 1963297 Any good ways of getting out those dents in the roof? The previous owner used body filler on it. Held up really well and I couldn’t tell until I started stripping the roof. |
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