http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/blog.php/14295-tbplus10 GM Truck Club, the premier forum for CHEVY TRUCKS, SUVs, VANS and more. Chevy Truck forums, photo gallers, how-to and more. en Fri, 24 May 2013 03:00:12 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/images/styles/FunkyFresh/misc/rss.jpg http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/blog.php/14295-tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/2126-My-latest-Chevy-Project Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:50:58 GMT My latest GM project isnt a truck but still one I think GM lovers will appreciate.
I recently swapped a Toyota "S" Runner pick-up I was in the middle of building for a running but well worn 1 family owned 1970 Chevy Nova II SS.
This ones not particularly a rare car as it had no options and only the 327/4spd manual, original color was white, black top, gloss black SS striping, and black interior.

A neighbor of mine had the car, his 93yr old grandmother gave it to him as a graduation present last year since she hadnt been able to drive it for the last few years. He's going to college this fall and decided it wouldnt be a good car to have since something breaks on it every other week and he wont have his dad at college to help fix it or pay a mechanic.

The Nova will be my wife's for when she gets tired of driving her HHR.
As stated its a 1970 Chevy Nova II SS, it's originally a bare bones car with the only option the "SS" package which added ralley wheels, stripes, blacked out grille, gauges, bucket seats, center console, floor shifter, power steering, power brakes, and "SS" badging.
For some reason the car had the bucket seats and center console deleted and was delivered with a bench seat but the "SS" floor shifter and a short console with a tach, oil pressure, water temp, and amp gauge are there.
Other than that its manual windows and no A/C.

The exterior isnt terrible, no body damage or rust, a few trim items missing and it's got a bad Maico repaint.

Engine/transmission run ok, 327 with Muncie M22 4 speed, no mods, still wearing factory paint, they have 127,xxx miles on them, the clutch was replaced 5K miles ago and a tune-up was done by a local shop recently.

The suspension, front and rear, along with the brakes were rebuilt last summer so all they need is to be cleaned and painted.

The interior was the best part of the car, the PO's father owns a local interior buisness and recently redid the interior, seats, door panels, and console in leather, OEM headliner, and OEM carpet kit. They put buckets in while redoing the interior but as part of the deal they recovered the factory bench and I'm gona put it back in.

The wire harness is in great shape with none of the normal cracked and bare wire issues.

Our plans are to repaint it, right now it's white with a black vinal top, we'll replace the top and paint the car Charcoal metal flake grey with matt black SS stripes.

This winter we plan on pulling the engine/trans and doing a rebuild. We'll rebuild it stock, the 327 was never a particularly powerfull engine and our plans are to cruise the car so we dont need big HP.

Already ordered a "Vintage Air" Factory AirConditioning kit to install, a power window/power lock kit, and a Vintage tunes radio to replace the aftermarket radio swapped in.

Our goal is to do a Custom restoration, it wont be fully restored and correct but it'll look like it is with new electronics and comforts. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/2126-My-latest-Chevy-Project http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/1819-New-Years-Resolutions Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:30:51 GMT It's the last few days of the year and time to make those New Years Resolutions.
I'm usually not a big fan of New Years resolutions because I hate to start anything I'm not gonna finish, but this year I have a few I plan on keeping:

I'm gonna keep in better contact with family and close friends, at least once a month I'll personally contact family members and close friends via facebook, telephone, or face to face.

I'm gonna limit the amount of project vehicles I have at any one time to 2, yea I'm a packrat, horder, call it whatever ya like I cant ressist any deal on motorized transportation thats interesting, old, neglected, rare, ahhhh the reasons go on and on but the outcomes the same if it has an internal combustion engine I always think it can be saved and restored.

I'm gonna spend more time with family doing things they want to do instead of having them help in my projects to spend time with me.

I'm sure everybodies got at least one or two resolutions they'd like to work on this year post them up.
We can look back later this year and see how well were doing on them. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/1819-New-Years-Resolutions http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/1812-New-truck-time-to-Mod Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:59:41 GMT Bought a new 2011 Chevy C/C Silverado LT 1500 a few weeks ago, with the holidays here I knew I wouldnt get time to do any mods for a while but the other day my son in law came... Bought a new 2011 Chevy C/C Silverado LT 1500 a few weeks ago, with the holidays here I knew I wouldnt get time to do any mods for a while but the other day my son in law came over and offered to help put on a few of the parts that were stacking up on my work bench.

Now dont think I dont appreciate his help but his mechanical skills are near zero, I helped him work on his own car last summer and when he repeatedly asked what certain tools I was asking for looked like I figured out real quick he was not a skilled and trained mechanic, but my hope is to teach him enough to take care of his own vehicles someday so I took him up on his offer and we went to work.

First up was a Billet Grill insert, not a hard mod as far as required skill but that first cut of plastic or sheetmetal on a brand new truck is always mentally hard, this time wasnt any different. But after the first couple inch's of cutting my Dremel Roto tool was cutting the factory mesh out of the grill like nothing.
I chose an insert because in my area there arent many of this style being used yet, also I like the look of the horizontal center bar and Chevy bowtie, and I have a replacement Texas Flag sticker on its way to go over the center of the Bowtie.
The whole job took about 45 minutes.
Next was Rear wheel well liners, I used original GM parts wheel well liners so the truck and the liners were pre drilled, installation was as easy as placing the liners in place and snapping the provided Dzus fasteners in the holes, finished in less than 20 minutes.
Next we tackled under seat storage for the rear seat. Here I think I made a mistake, I bought an aftermarket brand kit and not only dont half the fastener holes match up but the color is off from the rest of my interior.
Not a hard install, sit in place then run the fasteners through the pre drilled holes. I left it in place with about half the fsteners holding it in but I think I'm gonna remove it and order a Genuine GM storage kit, the holes line up and the colors match.
The final item was installing a CB.
When I was at 4WPW last week I saw a real nice Cobra 40 channel remote mount CB for $89 (remote mount has all the controls and channel indicator on the mike so this is the only part you see, everything else can be mounted under the dash or seat), this reminded me I had a Midland remote mount CB in the garage.
My truck has the 60/40 split seat that the center portion folds down and turns into a center console, I mounted the mike in the center console by drilling a hole in the inside bottom corner of the console and used a fish tape to pull the power, ground, and antenna wires through the seat and below the cushions, then I used the fish tape again to pull the power and ground wires under the carpet to the firewall dash area.
The antenna wire I pulled under the carpet to the back wall, found a hole with a cap, cut an "x" in the cap, ran the wire out between the back cab wall and front bed wall, then up over the bed rail to the bed front left corner where I mounted a 4' adjustable fiberglass antenna on a 2 position mount. The mount is set-up so I can fold the antenna down and horizontal along the bed rail when I dont need it.
Back in the cab I found a hole in the firewall with a cap and cut an "x" in it and ran the wires into the engine compartment, then up to the top of the fenderwell.
I then installed a Marine West 8 terminal Marine fuse block/terminal connected to the battery via a 40 amp relay signaled from an ignition keyed switch.
Notes on this installation:
Whenever doing electrical work always soldier wires if at all possible, soldier connections are much more reliable than crimp connections.
Whenever running wires through sheet metal or across sharp objects always use a grommet or cushion so as not to cut the wires and cause shorts.
Always use an SWR meter to tune CB radios whenever you install a new radio or antenna.

I still have a few more mods to do later, installation of brighter back-up lights, 2.5" rear lowering kit to level the truck, underhood work light and power outlet, louder exhaust, and a switch panel on the dash for the new lights I'm adding.

I need to find a source of switch's that retain the factory look.
Anyone with recommendations or suggestions jump in I'm always open to new ideas or parts sources. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/1812-New-truck-time-to-Mod http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/191-I-really-dont-understand-people Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:27:10 GMT Yesterday morning about 9am I was heading out to do chores, I tried to get on I20w and it was shut down. Ok we'll use the service road, gives us a legitimate excuse for going by the Harley shop and having a beer or two.
Traffic only got worse and every street around the Interstate was either shut down or blocked with cars so after a couple beers at the H/D shop I went home, only 4 blocks from the Interstate to home but it took me 50 mins.
The local Fox news reported that a man was on a bridge over I20 threatening to jump off, he'd been there since 6am.
Unfortunately he eventually jumped and killed himself but what really stuck with me were;
1. People on the Fox Blog were so hateful to this guy for inconveniencing thier lives with traffic, they were blogging some of the most hateful things you could imagine. I hope the hateful things they blogged come back to haunt them, I'm sure this guy didnt plan to intentionally disrupt thier lives, whats a little traffic compared to a life.
2. My mom is presently fighting the final stages of terminal cancer with every ounce of strength and my dad died of cancer/treatment side effects 2 years ago, either one of them would have changed places with the jumper in a moment to be able to live a longer life, his problems were so bad he wanted to give-up life to be rid of them he couldnt see any way to reconcile things?
I would encourage anyone that suffers from Depression no matter how minor they feel it is to seek help, these are trying times we live in but at some point things will change, once you make the decision to end your life you can change that it's permanent. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/191-I-really-dont-understand-people http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/170-My-New-Truck-Project Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:26:15 GMT I bought a running 1981 Chevy Crewcab dually a few months back for $350. The truck was a father son project that never went anywhere. It came with lots of new parts a 91 front... I bought a running 1981 Chevy Crewcab dually a few months back for $350. The truck was a father son project that never went anywhere. It came with lots of new parts a 91 front clip, Billet grill insert, Goodmark steel 3" cowl induction hood, new rear fenders, tailgate, running boards, new window seals, new replacement fuel tanks, and various other parts.
Soon after starting the project they found it had corrosion on the frame and cab that was unrepairable and the project sat for 5 years until I bought it. I planned on scrapping the truck for the steel and selling the parts but havent got around to it, everytime my grandaughter comes over she wants me to take her for a ride in it, we usually tool around the neighborhood and shes happy.
My wife suggested I fix the truck up and make it street legal but theres too much wrong with it for this.
Last week I loaded it on the trailer to take it to the metal scrappers the wife and grandaughter stopped me and asked if there wasnt some way we could salvage the truck. After letting them know this truck really was a pile of junk we decided on a plan.

Were agreed on a $10,000 budget to build a GM dually Crewcab in 12 months.
Heres our wishlist for the project:
Body: 1973-1987 GM Crewcab dually
We'll be using the newer front clip and hood we have, remove all the door handles and exterior chrome, a simple two tone paint job (dark metalic grey top, pewter lower panels).

Drive train: basic 350 engine, 700R4 trans, factory rear end.

Suspension: Airbags on all 4 corners. This truck wont be able to drop and drag but it will have the abillity to sit lower while still being capable of hauling a gooseneck trailer, fifth wheel trailer, or bumper pull trailer. The bags we plan on using have a range of 6" from top to bottom. The rear suspension will be a 3 link bolt on system and the front will retain the wishbone style.

Interior: Front bucket seats, rear bench. If we can afford leather in the budget we'll use it, but I think it's gonna be tweed. AM/FM/CD with 6 speakers, if the budget can afford it we'll see about a DVD set-up.

Heres how the plans gonna work:

I have April and May to find a suitable candidate. We plan on spending no more than $2500 for a truck, running gear wont be a factor, but we want all the bodypanels, steering, glass, and electricals intact. Were keeping the rusted junk truck for now in case we need any parts from it.

June we'll strip the truck down to the frame and sandblast all the parts, but concentrate on the frame.

The Suspension shop will install the suspension, all 4 corners will cost $1500, they'll supply the new bags, new bushings, and rubber for the suspension. I have to supply and plumb the air compressor and reserve tank, also supply the steering gear and they'll install it. They get the frame for July and August.

The paint shop gets the body for August and September, for $1800 they'll spray 4 coats of color and two coats of clear, color sand, and buff. I have to have any body work and paint stripping done before dropping it off to them (removing chrome and filling holes, removing door handles and tailgate latch, straighten any panels).

We bought a remanned 350 and 700r4 from City Motor supply for $1050, I have to give them the core when I strip the truck down.
After I paint the frame I'll install the engine/trans. The rear axle in the truck I already have was rebuilt a few years ago. This should take place in September while the body's getting painted.

The body and frame should get put back together in October and November and we have 4 months to assemble everything else.

We're waiting on estimates from a couple of upholstery shops to see who we'll use. I hope to have that finalized by June so they can start on the interior pieces while the body's getting painted.

The shops were dealing with gave us discounts because were letting them have the truck a couple months at a time so they can work on it during their slow periods.
I expect to have a few cost overruns and surprises but most of the major components either are already payed for or will be payed for before we actually start the work.
We'll take pictures as the work progresses. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/170-My-New-Truck-Project http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/136-New-project-looking-for-ideas-or-suggestions!! Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:29:01 GMT I always wanted a 70's model Corvette, as a kid had a collection of Corvette Hotwheels and Revell models. Recently I sold my 51 Merc to finance the project.
Then a friend turned me on to a fully optioned 1975 Big Block Corvette his brother-in-law had that's been in storage for four years.
The car overheated and was driven until the engine siezed and cooked the transmission.
This car was a graduation gift in 2005 to the owner from his grandfather who bought it new in 1975. Given the asking price, fact the car sat for 4 years, and info that "some parts are missing" I was skeptical about the condition.
I met with the owner and grandfather, grandpa grilled me for an hour about my plans for the car before he'd let me see it.
Surprisingly it's in great shape, all accessories work with a fresh battery, the leather interior's factory fresh, carpet looks new, and no scuffs or chips on the exterior paint. 48K original miles.
Missing parts are hood, driveshaft, and battery.
I had to promise not to chop the car up, hotrod/ratrod it, or part it out (not my build plan anyways), when I get it running Grandpa wants a ride, and he wants a professional photographer to take pictures of the car.
After haggling we settled on $900 for the car and $1000 on back owed storage fees.

My goal:
A classic cruiser to take to Sonic on Friday nights that'll get 20+ mpg, be able to commute to work on rainy days, able to take short out of town trips, and still turn heads.

My Plan:
Leave the body factory, interior hide an AM/FM/CD somewhere and install new speakers.
The original drivetrain was 454/400 combo, after teardown (it sat 4 years still assembled with water in the oilpan and cylinders) I concluded it'll never run again and would best serve as a boat anchor.
I bought a Vortec 350 roller motor with Dart aluminium heads, stainless valves, mild cam, roller rockers, and serpentine belt drive with underdrive pulleys. The engine's from a wreck with less than 3K on a rebuild by a trusted friend of mine.
I'll use a Holley ProJection system or something similiiar, new Ceramic coat headers out to the factory rocker panel side exhaust, and an MSD ignition.
Swap the rear 4.10 gears for 3.43's or 3.07's
I'm undecided on the transmission, should I go with a Turbo 350 with an aftermarket overdrive or a 700r4?
Anyone got any recommendations or Suggestions to help with the build? ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/136-New-project-looking-for-ideas-or-suggestions!! http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/109-Moms-1974-Chevy-truck Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:13:03 GMT Couldnt post this before because it was a surprise for my mom and she's been on this website once in a while looking for info on HHR's.

When I visited my parents in the spring of 2007 they had a 1974 Chevrolet Scottsdale C20 setting in their barn.
What made this truck special was my dad had bought it brand new April 26th 1974 from Bob Frink Chevrolet in Sacramento Ca. the day he retired from the Air Force.
It came equipped with A/C, pwr wndws, pwr lcks, tilt, cruise, plastic floor covering, 4 spd w/granny low, Camper Special package, 350/350 engine pkg, and an almost unheard of at the time Sunroof option. All for the price of $3,865.00.
The truck took us all over the U.S., Mexico, and Canada on family vacations for the next 5 years racking up an impressive 230k miles.
Unfortunately while on a trip to Baja in 1979 it was stolen and wrecked. It was towed 700 miles home and left to sit behind my fathers buisiness.
In 1983 the truck was rebuilt and put back on the road and passed from family member to family member. It somehow ended up at my dads ranch in Nv. in 2002. In 2004 he decided to rebuild it to original condition, but during the build his cancer returned and he could never get restarted on the project again.
When I found it in 2007 it was partially disassembled but still ran and was being used as a trash hauler.
I had it hauled to my home in Texas and started a rebuild on it so I could give it back to my dad. Unfortunately in late 2007 my father passed away. I couldnt seem to find the drive or the heart to finish the project until early 2008 when my mom asked about the truck. At that time I decided to complete the rebuild and give it to her.

During the rebuild I had to replace the bed and front clip due to damage. They were replaced with parts from a 1981 as my father had always liked that year grill. The cab required major repairs as the sunroof had leaked over the years and rotted out the floors. Unfortunately I was unable to repair the sunroof and decided to skin the roof over as the roof had a lot of stress cracks from the factory sunroof.
The engine was rebuilt with a Crane Fireball cam, roller rockers, Hypertheuretic pistons, a Holly Pro Jection intake system, and a few other items to make it last many miles.
I replaced the 4spd granny low trans with a new 700R4.
The front and rear suspension were shot so after having the frame soda blasted and painted I replace springs, bushings, and rubber parts with new parts from LMC. I converted the suspension from 3/4 ton to 1/2 ton since mom will probably never haul a load in it and it now sits lower so she can get in easier.
I replaced the factory rear 4.11's and axle with a rebuilt axle from a 72 Chevelle wagon with 3.07's.
The goal was to make the truck look original but drive like brand new. Last week my daughter drove it 1325 miles to deliver it to my mom and managed 23mpg at an avg. speed of 68mph And mom was surprised and extremely happy to have the truck back.





]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/109-Moms-1974-Chevy-truck http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/97-Just-got-back-from-Singapore Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:39:52 GMT My company sent me on an unexpected buisiness trip to Singapore, 5 hours notice before the plane was due to leave. They offered first class and all expenses for my wife to... My company sent me on an unexpected buisiness trip to Singapore, 5 hours notice before the plane was due to leave. They offered first class and all expenses for my wife to accompany me (I suspect they thought she wouldnt be able to go since it was last minute). But we keep our passports ready and the wife always seems to have vacation days to use.

The only issue was we had promised to take the granddaughter trick or treating, but she was cool with us going away as long as we brought her home a surprise (we got her a bunch of T-shirts, and bamboo snake and lizard toys. 4 year olds are so easy to please)

We went to Singapore for 5 days, Thailand 4 days, Japan 3 days, and the Phillipeans 3 days. I've lived in or visited all these countries while I was in the Navy so it was a great chance to catch up with friends I havent seen for a while.

We spent Halloween in Singapore at the Hard Rock Cafe. The best Halloween party I've been to in years.
I took lots of pictures planning to post them, but I got a little drunk and accidently dropped my camera down some girls cleavage, while I was reaching around to find the camera the wife started smacking me around with a Banana tree branch and the girl ran off with my camera. Oh well, I've still got my mammories, uh I mean memories.

For anyone thats never been to Asia I highly recommend a visit. Visiting as a civilian was ten times better than any trip I took there while on active duty I could go to all the "Off Limits" places without having to look over my shoulder.

Unfortunately I have to take the same trip in December to modify some of the equipment I installed. I dont think I'll bring the wife next time, maybe I'll be able to find my camera and get it back. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/97-Just-got-back-from-Singapore http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/56-Is-it-me-or-is-the-California-state-goverment-stupid Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:14:09 GMT Sometime between April and Sept 1984 my 1984 Toyota 4Runner was stolen from the Longterm/Deployment parking lot aboard NAS Alameda in Alameda, Ca. I didnt find out the vehicle... Sometime between April and Sept 1984 my 1984 Toyota 4Runner was stolen from the Longterm/Deployment parking lot aboard NAS Alameda in Alameda, Ca.
I didnt find out the vehicle was stolen until I returned home from deployment in Aug 1984.

When I returned home I recieved notice from the city of Sacramento that the vehicle had 19 outstanding parking tickets between May and Aug 1984.
The vehicle was impounded in Aug. for parking violations.
After filing a Stolen vehicle report with Alameda police and Navy NCIS I took copies of both reports along with my orders for deployment and went to the Sacramento impound yard.
Only to find they had released my vehicle (to me they said) 10 days earlier. Impossible I was in the middle of the Pacific ocean at that time, I had the deployment orders to prove it.
They told me I still had outstanding balances for the parking tickets that needed to be paid.
But as my luck was running since they had me available they felt it was best to arrest me for the outstanding balances and hold me until they were paid or I had served enough time to them work off.
4 days later I finally went before a judge, he was shown my orders and heard testimony from my Commanding officer, he then released me and struck the tickets from the record. Listing in the record the vehicle was stolen, the tickets were incurred while I did'nt have posession of the vehicle, and I was'nt to be held liable for them.
I was paid off by insurance for the vehicle and it was listed in Calif. DMV records as stolen/not recovered.

I left Ca. in 1991and never heard another word about the vehicle.

12 days ago I recieved a letter from Redding Ca. that my 1984 4Runner had been recovered and was being held in the impound.

I called and informed them they needed to contact DMV and the Ins. company as the vehicle had been stolen in 1984 and I was no longer the owner.

4 days ago I recieved a letter from California DMV stating I owed $36,763.27 for vehicle parking fines, late registration, impound fees, and penaltie and interest incurred between May 1984 and June 2008 on my 1984 Toyota 4 Runner. There were also two bench warrants out for my arrest for two separate hit and run accidents committed by the vehicle in 1989 and 1994.

To say I was a little shocked and angry would be stretching the truth.
After faxing every piece of information I could find to the Ca. DMV proving I wasnt in Ca. during the time frame these acts were committed and information showing the vehicle had been listed stolen/not recovered in 1984 the Court clerk informed me I should come back to Ca. turn myself in and let the court decide. Yea that'll happen.

Yesterday my lawyer called to tell me the court is thinking of possibly dropping the charges if I agree to pay the fee's and fines. I'm sure you could guess my response.
Today Texas sent me notice my Texas DL is revoked because I have outstanding charges and fines from the state of Ca. Now I gotta go deal with DPS on Monday.

I'm trying to figure out who I pissed off that has this kind of power. ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/56-Is-it-me-or-is-the-California-state-goverment-stupid http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/50-How-much-stupidity-is-one-man-supposed-to-endure Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:50:46 GMT Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh four months ago my daughters boyfriend lost his job, I'm not sure how you go about being fired from a security job for a supermarket, but he was.
I should have taken note.
Instead I gave him a job driving one of my Hotshot rigs.
In four months he's managed to back into a customers car while loading it, tear up 4 tires on a trailer at one time, run the truck out of Diesel on the highway twice, drive off with the gooseneck unlatched so it ripped off the tailgate, loose 14 tie down straps in 6 weeks, and this morning he lost a car off the trailer while on the highway. Luckily it was 4am and there were no other vehicles around.
When I fired him he actually looked me in the eye and asked me why he was being fired!
Thankfully insurance will cover the damage.
How does one get to the age of 25 yrs old being this stupid and not end up a statistic? ]]> tbplus10 http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/entry.php/50-How-much-stupidity-is-one-man-supposed-to-endure