A while back I was in the market for another c-10 truck for a daily driver/work truck. Brian had a friend up in Maine trying to sell a '79 GMC. logistics were a nightmare but I finally got my hands on it in January of this year.
I bought it without even going to look at it. It came on one of the freaking coldest days EVAR!!!
made some room in the garage and in she went. Now in the pics I was sent she look awesome..... In real life not so much. Kinda like a night of drinking and takin a broad home and waking up to the mess the next day (don't act like you don't know).
Pic I was sent:
Some jackass painted the truck with a brush and what I can only guess is rustoleum paint.
The wheel wells were caked in sludge and salt, bed was all banged up and rotted, sheet metal riveted, crappy rocker repairs, ugly ass interior someone spray painted red (must be color blind none of the reds matched) etc.
What's the first thing I do?? 4/6 drop!!!! At least I thought. But the front seemed to come down alot more than 4"
Rear axle flip (6") and drop spindles/lowering coils up front
I also shaved the tail lights and rear bumper and installed the 94-99 Cadillac Deville lights upside down
I was super excited to get her running once the warmer weather started happening, I was told it needed an oil pump so I dropped the pan and found the sump screen stuffed with old gasket. Hmm maybe that's why there's no oil pressure?? So I cleaned it all out and put it back together and I got great oil pressure. I installed headers and some exhaust cutouts and decided to take it for a rip. Down to the gas station about 2 miles down the road. Filled her up and put on a horror show pulling out of the parking lot. Halfway home theres blue smoke pouring off the back of the truck and up through the hole for the 4-speed. NOT good!!!
Truck dies as it rolls into the driveway.
Decided to pull the engine and install a low mile lo3 I got from Anthony,
Changed alot of stuff around and just couldn't get the carb/timing/fuel pump to work together. Along with having issues with it dying as I down shifted to 3rd or 2nd. So out that motor came.... I still haven't driven the truck more than 5 miles at this point, as its sitting in the garage all this time I get the bright idea to do some dashboard work.........
How about chopping it ALL out
Found this 67-72 dash up in my father barn, and got a few items from No Moa
and other various ppl around the country.
Actually had to stretch it a few inches to get it to fit.
Also got a true piece of western culture sent up from my cousin in New Mexico, what's a rod without a serape??
Add some baby moons and now we're talking!
Flash forward a month or so and I'm getting really irritated with that shitty paint job. I spent one entire day with some tail strip and a DA and removed that abomination of a paint job
I kinda like it the way it is
Pushed it back into the garage and it's been in there since.
google searches are my worst enemy, I looked at about 100+ pics of lowered trucks and started getting itchy.... The air ride system had been out of the caddy for a while and was just sitting there. I had everything but a 4-link to complete the job so why not right?? At this point a daily driver or work truck hasn't been a thought in my head for quite some time.
What better way to do a bag install than to pull the bed right off,
C-notch kits on eBay are like $170!!!
Seriously for a couple of pieces of steel? No way, went to a local metal place and bought a sheet of 3/16" traced out a cardboard notch and cut them with a plasma cutter, and a grinding wheel. Spent the next weekend welding/tack welding them into place. note in the pic I removed the leafs and built a temporary 2 link from some 2x2
Cut the frame out with a sawzall and would ya look at that!
Top of cab to floor in this pic is less than 59" and it's not even as low as she's gonna be.
This is the what I found for a bed floor UNDER another bed floor someone screwed in over that one!!
Decided to scrap the whole bed.
Another trip to my old mans barn and found this in a few pieces. I think it's a better choice
Few dents to knock out but over all good shape.
Al's silverado is lower than a pepsi can, but mine might be lower than a pepsi bottle cap
That's what I got so far. Engine bay is empty until I finish putting the lt1 back together, (from the caddy) also planning on a Z to the front frame rails and a few other tricks,
More to come........