'85 Silverado Resto

[85Bowtie]

I recently decided to finally start working on my truck after years of driving/sitting.

I got this truck when I was 16, first vehicle, and have had it now for almost 12 years without touching anything on it except headers, distributer and a Holley carb. It's completely original, but was at the point where it was just bad enough to have to do a resto on it. I haven't drove it for the last almost 4 years and it's got rough, mostly with mold and algae than anything else. It's almost entirely rust free except for 2 small spots at the lower cab corners.

This last weekend I began stripping the truck, all trim, lights, front end, most of the interior etc have been removed. My plan is to do a complete frame off resto on it with a few mods. These include a 2"/4" drop, Torque Thurst 15" chrome wheels, Autometer Cobalt gauges, mild 400 SBC, performance suspension, 3.08 or 3.42 rear w/posi and a few subtle things here and there.

This will be a fairly slow build as I plan on doing it right and when I have the money. I told myself I would never buy parts in "advance" anymore in the event they won't work I can send them back. Plus I have other "projects" going on all the time, but this will be my main one.

I'll post pictures as I get them. Stay tuned.....

[BruthaMan]

Sounds like a good plan. It will have special meaning, in that you've had it for the past twelve years.

It's a lot of work. Just about finished with a frame-off myself and never, ever, ever imagined how much work it would be. Just don't give up, even when you get to the point where you want to, DON'T! Try to do something, anything (even remove a bolt) every day, and put all your nuts and bolts into zip lock bags and label them. All of them, because it's not hard to forget! Take lots of pics too, not only for posting on your build thread, but as evidence of your restoration down the road and reference for when you are trying to figure out where something goes.

Good luck, look forward to seeing the progress!

[85Bowtie]

Thanks. I've been bagging everything into zip lock bags and taping masking tape on the inside with which bolts/screws/small parts etc are in it along with boxing stuff up.

For some reason I can't get my flashdrive to work so I can't upload any pics at the moment. I'm at a standstill right now anyway. Can't go ahead until I get the truck in the garage. My plans to build a garage have come to a hault so all my stuff is at my dad's. He's building an addition to the side of his to put a few of our cars into, then I can pull my truck in and have at it.

Here's some pics of what I started with. The square body in the background of the first pic under the tarp is my brother's '85 that got wrecked when 2 girls in a honda ran a red light and hit him in the drivers fender. It's long gone now. I saved what I could.

[85Bowtie]

Well I haven't got nearly as far as I had planned I would be by now. The addition to the shop is just now got to the point I can move my other cars into along with my dad's. Hopefully it will stop snowing by Sunday and I can move my Charger and Satellite in the new addition and open up a spot to pull my Silverado in.

This is what I've done to the truck so far, not impressive I know. Anyone can dismantle a truck to this point, but I was out of space until now. Only progress I've made was boxing up these parts and labeling them. Also got a set of Autometer Cobalt gauges for Christmas, just need the speedo and tach now.

A couple of these are just pics I took to reference where things go, I have a ton of pics like that. Besides the jack mount, washer res. etc are all stripped off now. Just waiting to pull it inside....

[STOCKISH]

Thats going to be a sweet truck. Looks like it would clean up really good with just a good scrubbin' Good luck with it.