My 1977 K10 Silverado (Version 2.0)

[CobraJetKid]

Backstory: My Dad bought this truck back in 1995. I got my hands on it in 2009 after almost a year in the Navy. It was the first time in my life I could afford to drive a lifted old truck. Immediately got it into the body shop for some rust reduction surgery (rotten cab corners & quarter panels) and some fresh paint. Updated the stereo, tires & wheels, and a few other bits and I was done with it. Couldn't have been happier being 20 year old kid driving around in a clean '77 Silverado.

Back to 2013: Left the truck in storage when I left for my first deployment and went over 2 years without driving it by the time I got to my current duty station in Virginia last August. Was nice to finally get my truck back but after 6 months here it was broken into and later rear ended by a guy in a Lincoln Town Car doing 50mph...Which brings me into Project 2.0

Here's a few before & after pics:

[CobraJetKid]

I was stopped in traffic and this guy hit me at 50mph without even touching his brakes. Scattered his car across 64E and set it on fire...I drove my truck home. Looks like he hit the bumper and then slid under the truck and stopped at the passenger side shackle. Whiplash put my head through the window, took out half of my (new that day) exhaust, bent the right frame rail in, and tweaked the cab when the bed slammed into it so the doors don't shut right on either side. Other casualties include a nice original Silverado cab molding. I gotta say those step bumpers can really take a hit. I might have been going to the hospital if I was in my '72 C/10.

[CobraJetKid]

I thought my insurance company would total the old truck for the frame damage so I snatched up a really clean '79 K20 project from a shop in VA Beach. It was kind of an impulse buy but I figured I could use it as a base for rebuilding my truck since I wanted to make my Silverado a 3/4 ton someday anyways. The K20 is pretty much just a shell but it came with a 99% rust-free cab, spotless NOS doors & fenders, clean bed with the fuel door filled in, built 700R4 married to a NP205, posi 14 bolt rear end, 36x14.5" TSL Radials on 16.5x10" Weld wheels, and some nice ORD suspension & steering pieces. The insurance company ended up not totalling out my truck so I'm stealing the lift, axles, and a couple body parts off of it for my Silverado.

[CobraJetKid]

The parts truck kinda set me off in full project mode and I want to be back on the road ASAP. I don't just want my truck to be big, I want it to be tough too since I want to be able to beat on it off road and still tow my fullsize mud truck around. Always wanted a 1 ton so I picked up a Dana 60 front end from an '82 K30 off craigslist. Complete with brakes, steering, rollaround tires, and 4:10 gears to match my 14 bolt rear end. I also like the look of wider tires and always wanted to try driving around on a set of Boggers just for fun. Found a gently used set of 35x16" Boggers on some 16x12" Mickey Thompson Classics for a good price. Rims are a little tarnished but the tires look like they don't have too many miles on them. This should be about all I'll need for used parts and I saved a ton over what it would have cost me to buy new.

[y5mgisi]

Thats too bad. I really liked the look of the old truck. Looking forward to the new tho!

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Sh*t man that sucks. I've seen pictures of that truck around and always think to myself "what a clean truck". Glad they didn't total it so it will be able to live on...at least in parts. Glad your okay (that's what really matters) and that you're able to continue on another project. Keep us updated

[CobraJetKid]

Thanks guys. I was a fan of the old truck too. Was quite pissed off after I realized how much was actually wrong with my truck. But definitely happy to walk (and drive) away from that accident with nothing more than a bump on the head. My back is still kinda bothering me though. It's been very nice to have a project to work on again, just didn't think it would be this truck. Will do. I know it's not a crazy project but I'm documenting it here as I go along. Still gotta catch up to where I'm at now.

[CobraJetKid]

The insurance company didn't total it and the shop down the street said they could fix everything so I'm keeping my cab & frame and took the bed off the K20 to save a little money on body work. And since it's getting repainted anyways, I swapped hoods. The green one was kinked on the passenger side and had holes for a hood ornament that I no longer have. The nice straight hood looks worlds better even without the hinges being adjusted right. And now I know to be careful to not bend this one.

First pic is the last time my truck will be wearing all of it's original sheetmetal.

[CobraJetKid]

The first time in a while I've seen my truck with the bed off. You can kinda see how the right frame rail is bent in the picture.

Never really been a fan of the flat bed look...or understood why you would paint your truck without taking the bed off.

[CobraJetKid]

Got the new bed and hood on there and took it to the body shop last week. Been bored after work since I dropped it off but that pretty much brings you up to speed on where my truck is at now. Now I gotta figure out how I'm gonna get gas into my saddle tanks without the gas door on the side. Also need to decide whether or not I'm gonna paint it the same way it's been painted for the last 20 years or change the paint scheme up a little and paint it like the blue/silver truck (except in green/tan). Any opinions or ideas?

[trout]

Nice build
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[83GMCK2500]

Forgive me if I missed it, but why not use the K20 frame? I ask because it is thicker and stronger.

[CobraJetKid]

I thought about doing that. Mostly because I want my truck back on the road ASAP but also because the K20 frame looks like it cracked behind the steering box (a piece of plate steel on the frame with some nasty looking welds on it) and it has a lot of pitting from the rust before it was repainted.

[trout]

Does it have clear turn signals i. The fender? Ne'er seen those thats kool and the power mirrors. Also an you take some pics of the rear flip braket im wanting to do somthing similar on my truck
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[CobraJetKid]

Yeah the parts truck has a lot of cool stuff on it. Somebody was going to have a very nice truck when it was done but now it's getting stripped for my Silverado. Need my truck back from the body shop so I can get the rest of the stuff I need off the K20 and either start parting it out or sell it.

I'll try to get some pictures of the shackle flip after work. If you look up 'ORD shackle flip' on google images you should find a bunch of pictures.

[CobraJetKid]

Originally Posted by trout

Also can you take some pics of the rear flip braket im wanting to do somthing similar on my truck
Posted via Mobile Device

Took a few pics of the shackle flip for ya. Hope these help.

[CobraJetKid]

Truck's still in the body shop. Trying to do what I can with the truck parts I still have here.

I popped the plastic insert off my grille emblem with my knee while putting a new power steering pump a few years ago. Most of the silver backing came off with it so I could just silicon it back on. A couple months ago, I found it laying in front of the truck in the parking lot at my apartment. Foul play suspected? IDK but it didn't make a clean break this time.
New emblems are like $70+ so I figured I'd try out some camo duct tape. Kinda ghetto but it looks ok to me for a free $70 solution. Still might be buying a new emblem if this doesn't look good when it's actually on the truck

[CobraJetKid]

And I think I figured out how I'm going to do my fuel filling without having holes in either bed side. Ordered a couple of these today: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ar...0000/overview/
Gonna mount them in the bed floor right above the fill hole in the each saddle tank. Chop up the old filler necks and use a section of them to get provisions for the vent lines and connect it all up with rubber hose. I think it should work just like the original set up if not better. Thoughts?

[trout]

Yea the pics they have arnt that great
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[trout]

Thanks those help
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[chevyboy73]

truck looks great! planning on putting a 81-85 front end on it? would look wayy good with that green and tan scheme. hope your head clears up!

[Brockwaykid]

81-87 front clips should never have been thought up if you ask me, the body lines on the 73-80s were sooooo much better looking.. I'd keep her the same colors it has been, just to show that she never died, kept on goin through the rough times in life...
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[CobraJetKid]

Thanks much. Absolutely no plans for an 80's front clip. I already have enough people guessing it's an 80-something. I know the two-tone scheme is 80's style but yeah I like the look of the 70's trucks waaaay more. I don't dislike any 73-87 Chevy but I'm kinda glad that they separated the decades like that haha.
And I've been leaning towards the same paint job it's had all these years. I already know I like the look so I can't really go wrong with it.
Green was never one of my favorite colors either but I think my truck wears it very well. And I like how good it goes with the original tan interior.

[CobraJetKid]

After buying my first '72 C10 I said I'd never buy another truck without making sure I got the locking lug nut key...I forgot. Those things suck to remove without the key but 2 hours later I had all of them off and even salvaged my socket. Got the Boggers mocked up on my parts truck. I thought they looked great on there and can't wait to get them on my Silverado.

Still scrounging for stuff to do. Not much left without my truck. Changed the gear oil in both axles and installed some chrome diff covers from Summit. Unfortunately, I discovered that my Dana 60 has 4.56 gears. Regearing is not cheap!! Since my 14 bolt already has a posi, I think I'm going to put the higher gears in the front end.

[mtnsackett]

I personally am not a huge green fan, but your truck looked really sharp.