Something to tinker with...

[okndn]

I am in for the build

[Big Daddy Bear]

Pulled the fenders and started removing stuff from the firewall. Almost ready to move it inside the shop, just have to give it a good scrub down to get rid of the oil and grime.

All things considered though, I have had engine bays in much worse condition to start from.

[Big Daddy Bear]

First round of cleaning the gunk away, a little Dollar Store spray on oven cleaner and a few blasts with the pressure washer.

[Big Daddy Bear]

In the shop now and out of the weather!! YEAH!!!!

[Big Daddy Bear]

Half-price holiday weekend sale at the Pick-n-Pull....Scored!!!!

1989 grill, dual headlights & turn signals, and a pair of bucket seats to adapt inplace of the bench seat.

[HipToBeSquared]

Awesome build! I will be following. I had a 92 W/T1500, same color with a 4.3. It was an awesome truck, I wish I still had it. The interior was almost perfect. For here in Illinois it had very little rust but had the bad primer and the blue was flaking off. I didn't want to mess with stripping down to bare metal and repainting. I eventually sold it but wish I had it back.

[Big Daddy Bear]

Originally Posted by HipToBeSquared

Awesome build! I will be following. I had a 92 W/T1500, same color with a 4.3. It was an awesome truck, I wish I still had it. The interior was almost perfect. For here in Illinois it had very little rust but had the bad primer and the blue was flaking off. I didn't want to mess with stripping down to bare metal and repainting. I eventually sold it but wish I had it back.

Thanks!

[Big Daddy Bear]

Sold a few parts off the latest parts truck and used that to pick-up a TH400 tranny from a 70's 3/4 ton truck.

Needs some cleaning, but the fluid is good, still red and not burnt, so hopefully will be a good starting point. If not useable, I would have not had a core should I needed to buy a rebuilt one, so now I do.

May even try rebuilding it myself...

[Big Daddy Bear]

Been awhile and not a lot going on due to other things requiring my attention.

But I did sell the blue bench seat and sat the buckets in to see how they would look/work.

Other than a little adapting needed at the mounting points, I think they will work just fine.

[Big Daddy Bear]

Also had some bad news from a close family friend and, long story short, the husband is in an extended care facility and due to the seriousness of his health issues is not coming out.

So have been helping her around the house, hard part about that is it is an hour drive away, so really eats up a day.

I am taking the one-owner, 1973 K20 Chevy truck that he bought new in 1972, but has been in disrepair and sat for several years.

So it has some gray whiskers and age lines...not sure what the plans are for it right now as I have been helping with several other vehicles which are in various states of non-running condition, trailers and a boat.

But for now it is out of her driveway and tucked away here till I get time to mess with it.

But I had a small window of opportunity when a fellow wanted to buy the bench seat, so at least a little was accomplished.

Anyway, just took a few minutes for a quick update as I had actually done something in the way of progress.

[Palf70Step]

Sorry to hear about your friend. What did the bucket seats come out of? They look pretty good in the truck.

[Big Daddy Bear]

Thanks, it is a sad deal, but trying to do what I can to take care of the stuff she can't.

They are from a Honda Passport.

[Big Daddy Bear]

The previously mentioned 1973 K20 pick-up. The cab has way too much rust through to really do anything with, so will set it off to side while I decide what to do with it.

Going to keep a few parts for future use, but going to wait for summer weather as it will have to live outside as my shop is full.

[Big Daddy Bear]

Oh yeah, and the reason my shop is full, is because this came home with me as well...

[diveplane]

wow nice

[LT7A]

Sorry about your friend. Good of you to help. I like the '73 and the '57 looks good.

And with your steering wheel: those are bottle openers then?

[Big Daddy Bear]

Bottle openers....that is outside the box thinking at its finest!!

The 57 is in extremely good condition, very small rust through in just a couple places I have found so far. The trunk floor is flawless, so I am hoping the floorpans are the same!

The 73 has some severe rust through I noticed in the A-piller and the canopy is just waiting to go to the dump.

The motor I can get to run till the carb empties, the filter fills but has a severe leak, but the rest of the running gear is sound. It has been parked for 4 years or more, so there is alot needing done just because of that.

This summer I will pull the motor (it may end up in the 57 after some freshening up), I will be keeping the winch and then likely part the rest of it out. But it is so far down the to-do list that anything done to it is literally months away...

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Bear

Bottle openers....that is outside the box thinking at its finest!!

The 57 is in extremely good condition, very small rust through in just a couple places I have found so far. The trunk floor is flawless, so I am hoping the floorpans are the same!

The 73 has some severe rust through I noticed in the A-piller and the canopy is just waiting to go to the dump.

The motor I can get to run till the carb empties, the filter fills but has a severe leak, but the rest of the running gear is sound. It has been parked for 4 years or more, so there is alot needing done just because of that.

This summer I will pull the motor (it may end up in the 57 after some freshening up), I will be keeping the winch and then likely part the rest of it out. But it is so far down the to-do list that anything done to it is literally months away...

Check the hose coming from the hard line on the frame that connects to the fuel pump. The one on my 78 K20 got soft and the gentle bend it had from the factory turned into a kink that caused it to starve the carb of fuel when the engine compartment warmed up. Your fuel pump hose could just be soft with age and doing the same thing all the time. Hard to see with all the grime that is usually all over the area.

Great project too by the way. I did something similar for the same reason. 2wd RCSB trucks are just too rare up here and the ones that are around are too expensive to justify buying as a starting point for a full on truck build.

I started with a bare cab shell with nothing but the rear glass in it and sourced everything else with the options I wanted in the finished truck. Mine is on the road now but still needs painted and is using the high mileage TBI 454 & T-400 from a couple donor trucks still. It sure feels good to drive it though after putting so much work into building it from nothing. Can't wait to get it torn down & painted and to rebuild the engine & trans so it's got shiny paint that is all one color and it runs & moves as good as it stops & handles.

[Big Daddy Bear]

After several unsuccessful attempts to move them on to another hobbyist, needed to clear up space so I decided to knock them in the head and send on down the road.

Can now focus on my 57 Belair and I will hang on to the 73 square body for maybe something great in the future...

Thanks to all who offered tips and suggestions and encouragement along the way, this is a top notch forum!!