My '81 Build... Enjoy!!

[wicked_sky_gazer]

So I am finally getting around to starting on my truck, I have a ’81 C10 short wide, it will be slow progress from the start but will hopefully pick up soon and really take off. I am still waiting on some parts to arrive, and others to be finished up at different shops around town. So bear with me and I’ll try and include as many photos as I can… So here’s the to-do-list as it stands now..

Chassis:
Fully boxed
X-membered
New cross members (less trany and front K member)
New bushings
Tri 4-link w/ cantilevers and watts-link
Rear notch
Rear bumper re-enforcement
Hide-away tow hitch
Air ride
Factory style rally’s 15x8 front 16x10 rear
Disk brake rear conversion
Detroit locker with strange axles (unsure of ratio)

Air Ride:
Slam Specialties RE6 (front)
Slam Specialties RE7 (rear)
Viair 380c compressor
8-10 gallon tank
Custom control box includes:
4 Aro dual action solenoid valves
Custom distribution manifold
Custom control board / interface
Custom wiring harness to connect all components

Body:
Smooth skin tailgate
Remote tailgate
Remote roll top tonneau cover
Remote gas door
Modified 1970 Chevy grill
Arlen Ness side mirrors (upper post mounted)
Modified 1957 Chevy front bumper
Weld in roll pan w/ hide-away hitch
Tail lights (unsure)

Interior:
Phantom gauges (auto meter)
Alpine deck (not sure on model yet
Alpine tweeters, mids and subs
Alpine, Rockford, or Kenwood amp (undecided between three I like)
40/20/40 split bench (late model Silverado)
Dash (unsure)
Door panels custom upholstered

Powerplant:
383 small block (many things undecided)
Ground 400crank
Lannatti voodoo cam (specs not decided)
Flat top pistons
H-pushrods
1.91 and 2.02 valves
Gear drive timing
Serpentine belt conversion
Vortec heads / fuel injection
Borla turbo true dual exhaust

700r4 trans
Hydraulic locking converter
Oversized valves

Paint/color:
Two tone denim metallic silver over black
Burnt orange pin stripe
Rims denim silver
Beauty rings and caps black
Black chassis silver suspension

This is the list I’m working from anyway I feel like I have forgotten a lot of it and I probably have. Questions or suggestions please feel free to ask some things I am still unsure of, and I’ll include pics as I get them. It will be starting slow though as I am doing a lot of the prep work still. Below are the pics of how my truck, and donar chassis are sitting now and I’ll have a pic or two of my motor on Monday.

[old Rusty C10]

sounds great and a good plan keep us updated with lots of pics

[joe231]

what's up dude? you back on this thing yet?

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Very very shortly I was in a car wreck a couple months ago and it has set me back a bit, I have been looking for and gathering parts since the wreck though and have about got enough of them to really get started now, I found a bran new gas tank on c’list for $10 so I snagged it and I also found a ’99 burb that I am trying to grab for a song and a dance for the motor tranny and wiring out of, the guy is supposed to let me know something n January bout the burb, other then that I have disassembled the front end and gone ahead and flipped the leaf spring rear hangers, I’m going to use those to mount my cantilevers. I’m getting antsy myself I wanna drive my truck again, FINISHED this time… lol.... here are some pics from the wreck.. i'll try and get some progress pics on the truck over new years.

[vern350]

ouch! Looking forward to pictures.

[jrsmith_2010]

lookin forward to this one!

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Ok so I have come up with a couple pricey parts this week and I’m very happy with my find thus far… I’ll find out for sure when I pick up the parts Saturday morning…




I’m getting inner grille, outer grille headlights, marker lights, headlight bezels, and trim for $75, basically the whole grille conversion I want to do…. so ill have some better dis-assembled pics of it after the weekend, along with some other goodies.

[wicked_sky_gazer]

So i went and picked up the grille assembly off the 69 this weekend, its gonna need a little work to straiten out a few minor dents in it but all in all i feel pretty good about the purchase ($75) ill try and have some pics tomorrow or the next day, also have started putting together my control box, ill snap a few pics of it also to put on, ill be workin on finishing up cleaning my shop the next couple of days should be done by around Thursday with that then when I have room to work I’ll be ready to start some serious fab work. I already have my 3x4x3/8 tubing for the notch and my bags and front brackets and cups are in the mail… should be here in a couple weeks or so I hope.

[73chevyman]

this is going to be interesting on how ur going to make that grill assembly work good luck with ur project

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Some parts i have aquired along with some progress from the weekend, got the chassis and front end pieces presure washed and started a rough moc up assembly on the front end. Also started piecing together my control box....

[67-72crazy]

keep up the good work.

[joe231]

nice progress!
how big is your control box? and what all are you putting in it?

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Originally Posted by joe231

nice progress!
how big is your control box? and what all are you putting in it?

12 x 12 x 6 (fits perfectly behind the seat) its outfitted with 4 IR ARO soleniod valves, 1 custom manifod/distribution block and the custom programed control board, and 4 presure senders. It will be self contained from the rest of the system for quick easy removal and service. To control and monitor the system we are working on a lcd panel disply with appropriate switches for easy manual over ride.

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Last night i clamped down the crack from the steering box and welded it up, frogot to snap a post pic....

Then i got the bel-tek spindles pulled off of my truck and mocked up the front end....

I got more then i bargained for out of the front end drop, originally i planned on the lca pivots sitting ON the pack of ciggarettes, and worried about being able to make it that low, but ended up sitting on the ground... wich is fine by me


And the only problem i have noticed thus far is the driver side bag rubs ever so slightly on the back side of the cup i made.... i can't figure out why though i measured the two lca's against each other and they are fairly identical with in a 1/32 of an inch, but i determened that isn't enough to effect the problem so.... i'm planning on modifying the upper bracket to get me where i need to be, as that is were i believe the problem is...


Any who pressing on i'm starting to build my rear notch tonight and should have some pics come monday... later

[joe231]

Nice work!!

[Chlsnk]

Sorry I got alittle lost on this one how exactly do you plan on making the 70' grill fit?> Seems like a really cool Idea just curious how your going to do it.

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Originally Posted by Chlsnk

Sorry I got alittle lost on this one how exactly do you plan on making the 70' grill fit?> Seems like a really cool Idea just curious how your going to do it.

yeah i have had a lot of people on here and other places ask me that, there is a little bit of a with issue, as the grille is to wide, so i will have to form it down a slight bit, and re shape the corners sone as the radii on the upper corners is wrong... but i think with a lot of re-forming work and even more patients i can eventually get the finished product i am going for, or the idea could all togeather be a flop and i will end up with a really cool decor peice for the wall of my shop... so i guess to answere your question i have absolutely no idea yet i havent made it that far... but when i do i will be sure to include detailed procedure of how i accomplished it

[smashingchuck]

You're mounting a Hoffman electrical box in the cab of your truck? Also that tiny little compressor is not going to be enough for two tanks. Other than that it looks good so far.

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Originally Posted by smashingchuck

You're mounting a Hoffman electrical box in the cab of your truck? Also that tiny little compressor is not going to be enough for two tanks. Other than that it looks good so far.

Yes i am nounting it behind the seat in the cab due to electronics reasons... my programmer is spending much time and money on my control board and i absolutly do not want it exposed to the eliments...... also i am aware that the compressor is seemingly insuficient in size, but i am not running a dual tank system.... i am running 2 completely independent systems from each other air from the two tanks will not be able to mix, i just have not gotten my other compressor yet.

[smashingchuck]

control board? What could you be doing that a few relays aren't sufficient?

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Originally Posted by smashingchuck

control board? What could you be doing that a few relays aren't sufficient?

relays could possibly work on some of areas of it, but after looking at different auto leveling options from many many places i havent found anything that i really like the options on, so since i have the resources at my disposal i figured why not build it to do exactly what i want it to do.... electronic active leveling, load leveling, seemingly countless presets, one of my favorites on it is that the leveling will be controlled by the trucks physical stance verse say bag presure, or axle travel location. and finally its one more thing that sets my truck appart from the rest.

[1984 swb chevy]

Wow. It sounds like you have it all planned out. Good luck with your project.

[wicked_sky_gazer]

yeah we have about 95% of it planned out still have a few bugs to work out on it before we get started, and if we get it done and it works as we plan we may start producing them... but that is a long way off

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Got some more done on it in the past weekend and few days have fun....

[wicked_sky_gazer]

Also picked up an '83 I believe may be a silverado, but im not sure i could use some help on this one.... power windows and locks, cab band, tailgate band, 12 bolt rear, tilt colum, dual tanks, sliding back glass in pretty good shape. and it was only $100 couldnt pass it up.... sheet metal is really strait only cancer i found was in the cab corners but the rockers are like new same as the floor boards..... lookie