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GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/20/19 8:41 a.m.

Yours is bigger and redder  

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid :

 

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/20/19 8:52 a.m.
Dusterbd13-michael said:

Ive done similar. With a straight 2x4 and a tape measure. 

Honestly, if it aligns, doesnt crab walk, doesn't eat tires, and the body gaps are good enough, send it.

Gm frames were only ever straight for a week from new anyway in that era. 

It is way out. I had to use a jack on the trans tail shaft to push it over enough to put the mount back on. The fan shroud fouled the fan on one side. I was hoping against all odds that somehow the motor mounts were twisted but that’s obviously not the case. The real clincher is the “hinge” in the vertical plane on the driver side. If it was just bowed out in a single plane I would give it a go, heck, I even do side jobs for a guy with a porta-power setup.  I have looked at it and shown it to some reputable experts and every solution basically involves a lot of money and or work. I did hope to eventually cut down Big Red to a short bed but that would be a complete nightmare with the frame that is not straight in any way. 

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/20/19 9:07 a.m.

I started looking around for a replacement frame for Big Red and sort of just to see what kind of truck options are out there. I like square bodies, really like gmt400s and am pretty psyched on the classics with the 50’s being so-so. A co-worker showed me a truck on the FB marketplace and...

 I spent my day yesterday getting the Big Red replacement witch is neither big nor red.  This is what feels like the best deal I have ever done. The truck has had bulk money poured into it and I scooped it up at minimum value unfinished project status.  Spoiler alert: it has a manual transmission   

1SlowVW
1SlowVW Reader
5/20/19 10:33 a.m.

In reply to GoLucky :

C10’s are so hot right now.

RossD
RossD MegaDork
5/20/19 11:21 a.m.

Those look great. What type of suspension do those have?

Floating Doc
Floating Doc GRM+ Memberand Dork
5/20/19 11:26 a.m.

In reply to RossD :

Don't they have some sort of weird torsion bar rear suspension?

Congratulations on your purchase Golucky. Looks like you got lucky!

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
5/20/19 12:09 p.m.

In reply to Floating Doc :

Some had truck arms, some had leaf springs 

xflowgolf
xflowgolf SuperDork
5/20/19 12:45 p.m.

I like where this is going.  

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/20/19 8:26 p.m.

In reply to RossD :

This one is truck arm rear

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/20/19 9:30 p.m.

Ok. It is in the garage at my house. 

Some of the goodness: T56!!! 4.8 ls, headers FiTech’s 500hp kit. AN fittings and hoses. Efi pump. Hydro e-brake. Brothers truck short wheel base chop. Drop spindles and springs /sway bars. Shocks. Power steering.  Power disc front brakes. 5 lug conversion. Custom driveshaft. 18s. Boxes of wiring pieces. Lots of extras...  All the stuff is nice pro-built mounts etc. 

It does not have bedsides or a bed floor. Also no radiator. Needs interior work. I am in it for more than challenge $ but not crazy much. Way less than it would have cost to do a budget build on Big Red. 

Next up: make it go! 

Floating Doc
Floating Doc GRM+ Memberand Dork
5/20/19 9:51 p.m.

Score galore!

SkinnyG
SkinnyG UltraDork
5/20/19 10:30 p.m.

Score Galore X1000!

More more more!

 

Crackers
Crackers Dork
5/20/19 11:00 p.m.

I hate you. Just a little. 

Can you show pictures of what's wrong with the square body? I'd bet some strategic pulling with a chain hoist and some 4x4's would straighten that lateral bend. 

The other sounds like a job for a grinder and a welder. 

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/21/19 9:27 p.m.

 

In reply to Crackers :

Easy to see in person, but if you look at the angle of the pulleys compared to the sway bar you can see how the engine sits cockeyed in the bay. 

From the back: 

some funkiness on the driver side poor pictures, but it rained all day and I didn’t want to roll in the mud. 

Bent down in front of the crossmember. 

It may not come across in the pictures but there is certainly enough shenanigans with the frame that it makes a terrible short bed conversion candidate. 

Could it be fixed? Probably? If the cab and bed were really nice I’d search out a good frame but it has been hit hard in the passenger side and redneck repaired (by me) it has Fred Flinstone floors and the driver s fender got toasted years back when the wheel came off and jammed itself up.  I was given this truck for free and am only $200-$300 into it;  I would rather let it go cheap and do something with the 6 other cars at the house. 

SkinnyG
SkinnyG UltraDork
5/21/19 11:53 p.m.

I shortened my C10.

And I straightened the frame using a variety of home-brewed unusual methods.

There may be a weird bend ont he bottom of the frame rail under the cab, driver's side, that is perfectly normal although it doesn't look it - the frame rail was bent down by the factory for clear the catalytic converter.

In my opinion, a knackered frame is a PERFECT candidate for shortening. And back-halving. And air-ride.

SkinnyG
SkinnyG UltraDork
5/21/19 11:54 p.m.

Except that "67" is way WAY WAY cooler.

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/22/19 8:50 a.m.
SkinnyG said:

Except that "67" is way WAY WAY cooler.

Exactly.

I did a frame and bed chop on this 63 this past winter and it made it pretty easy having a relatively straight start point.  

 

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/23/19 12:09 a.m.

Copart 5.3 tear down continues 

 

1SlowVW
1SlowVW Reader
5/23/19 10:05 a.m.

In reply to GoLucky :

Why are you tearing it down? It’s an ls, you’re  not supposed to rebuild you just replace. 

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
5/23/19 10:12 a.m.
1SlowVW said:

In reply to GoLucky :

Why are you tearing it down? It’s an ls, you’re  not supposed to rebuild you just boost to infinity

ftfy

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/23/19 1:52 p.m.

In reply to 1SlowVW :

The 5.3 is now probably destined for my buddy’s RX-8. The tear-down is largely cosmetic. I put the block through our parts washer at work so it can get painted. 

Since the RX-8 is naturally aspirated I was thinking of putting some 4.8 pistons in to raise the compression.  Probably gap rings in case of juice.  And install the TSP 220/220 cam and the other goodies that are sitting on my shelf...

Basically just making way more work for myself.  I guess to make up for having an already swapped truck fall into my lap. Now if I can just get my hands on a turbo. 

 

ebonyandivory
ebonyandivory PowerDork
5/23/19 4:51 p.m.

I have one thing to “say”.

 


 

GoLucky
GoLucky Reader
5/24/19 12:21 a.m.

In reply to ebonyandivory :

Well said!

Run_Away
Run_Away GRM+ Memberand Dork
5/24/19 12:43 a.m.

Horray for C10 goodness!

Please continue making progress, I need motivation for mine bad.

ebonyandivory
ebonyandivory PowerDork
5/24/19 7:10 a.m.
Run_Away said:

Horray for C10 goodness!

Please continue making progress, I need motivation for mine bad.

Not to repeat myself nor pollute this fine thread but go to YouTube and look for anything related to Roadkill’s Chevy Muscle Truck.

Just the burnouts and that ear-bleeding sound will be motivation enough. I think David Freiburger said “Never has so little horsepower sounded so good.”.

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