just got her Thursday, I've got big plans and less motivation so hopefully the end product is kinda cool, the 228 and old 4 speed are still there and I believe them to be salvageable, would like to do a drop front axle and hammer the back (hopefully convert to half ton suspension and shorten the frame and find a bed or just make another flat. any advice or tips on these old trucks is welcome here's how it looked when I picked it up, the old rotten bed had to go back home with the front end mocked up love the door logos lot of work ahead of me my grandpas old welder I might pull behind it
It's not mine in in a junkyard in Southern Illinois, the guy is really reasonable and there are a lot of good parts there. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=797254
cool. we are working on my 49 gmc at school. Gotta love that grill. Mine was a longbed when I got it. I planed on cutting the frame until I found a good deal on a short one. If you plan on swapping frames check craigslist, rat rodders post them regular when they do s10 swaps. As far as I can tell a chevy frame will work but you will need to swap the front cross member because the gmc core support and gmc motor mounts are different. I have some good long bed side panels and halfton front axle assy.
thanks for the help guys. I haven't got around to checking numbers yet, there's no telling what kind of frankentruck I've got. It was originally owned by a bridge building company in Frankfort, ky. They had the bed set up to hold their welding torch tanks and such. I'm tempted to find a longbed s10 frame and throw some bags I have laying around under it but I may have found a half ton drop front axle so we'll see. I really want to keep the inline six if possible (more unique than a 350/350 combo) the guy I got it from seems to think the clutch is stuck to the flywheel and that's why it won't turn over. still oil and antifreeze in the engine and the radiator was pressure tested so it's usable, the plugs and wires don't look very old so I'm thinking it may have been running not too long ago
Personally I hate bagged trucks, and anything "laying frame" or anything on any late model frame, but it is his truck and he can do whatever he wants to with it.
thanks guys! the next few months will probably be spent rounding up parts and perfecting ideas and hopefully getting the old 6 running where might I find clutch parts for this beast? what other transmissions can be easily mated to this engine that are easy to find if the 4 speed doesn't pan out?
pre-89 manual T5 s10 trans... lots of info out there on it. heres one: http://www.mongosgarage.com/tech/t5/index.htm
That patina'd logo on the door is killer! Some of my first hotrod memories are of a guy who had a five window with deep dish cragar's on it bright red down at the end of the street at the Texaco station. I would get up on the running boards and stare in the window at it. He used to fix my bicycle tires for free! Keeping the six banger would be cool for sure.
While on jack stands with rear hanging,Grind the outer rivet heads off that attaches spring hangers to the frame and hit the hangers with a sledge to get em off, then scoot the rear diff assembly forward to short wheel base specs shown, then redrill holes and re,attach using grade 8 bolts, you will also need to get the drive shaft cut and rewelded,and cut the frame excess off in the back. Thats the way I did our 2nd series 55, The rear diff sits a little forward in the frame hump but who cares,it wont be seen. I never even had to cut the brake line,just scooted forward and rebolted. I cut and shortened 56 ford truck frame once but I would have done it like this if I were to shorten one again.
thanks for all the tips and comments guys would it be blasphemous if I converted the front to six lug with a drop axle and left the rear 8 lug and put duals on it with a new flat bed and a smoke stack? that's been floating in my head.
The online manuals will have track widths. Hard to believe of the 20 people I know that have a AD truck nobody has factory ass. Manual.
Front Track: 57.6" Rear Track: 60.0" http://53truck.ez15loan.com/howto/faq.htm http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090729095650AA7aWyP
thanks, I've got a really nice grille with it, looks like it was kept indoors, just didn't get pics up