Grandpa's old farm truck('86 Silverado, The Goose)

[thebooger13]

Well I posted my other Chevy awhile back and now I'm finally getting around to posting about this one.

When I turned 18, my grandpa gave me his old farm truck, a 1986 Chevy K-20 Silverado. It had sat for about a year and a half, due to Grandpa's age and inability to drive the truck. He had a hard time getting in and out of it just to drive around the farm and eventually it wouldn't start one day when he went to do chores. I started monkeying with it changing the plugs and wires, oil, filters and other little things, then I got it started with the help of my uncles and my brother. I started driving it as my daily driver, and did so for about 6 months, until the engine seized up due to a spun rod bearing. Like a young idiot I had over looked pulling the oil pan down and cleaning out the sludge. That mistake cost me a lot of money, but led to one of the best summers I've ever had.

At the time I was between high school and college and my brother was between jobs. I had asked him for help rebuilding the motor and he agreed to help me. We spent most of the summer pulling, rebuilding, and reinstalling the engine. I didn't have the money to put in a bunch of high performance parts into it, so it went back to stock. In hind sight it probably wouldn't have cost that much more for the better parts but I guess I didn't know that then. Once I had the truck running again I got into tech school and started working a couple of part time jobs. One of those jobs was at the local body shop.

I started work there during my summer break. Working there in the morning, and my other (retail)job at night. My retail job eventually pissed me off with scheduling issues, my manager kept changing my hours in the middle of the week. So after two or three weeks of that I told her to get it straightened out or she consider this my two week notice. Needless to say in two weeks I quit, and went to work for the body shop full time.

After a month or so of working full time I started working on the body of the truck stripping it down and getting it ready for primer. I managed to get the hood fenders and doors sanded and had the painter at the shop hit it with primer. Then I went back to school and that winter I slid the truck off the road hit an ex-telephone post turned fence post. I smashed up the hood, radiator support, passenger fender and the tie rod. Luckly I didnt put the front bumper back on yet or it may have done some major damage... damn i'm dumb.

The body is still smashed up, although I did fix the tie rod and other front end parts to get it driving again. Installed new brakes all around, rebuilt the carb, put on a new fuel pump... or two...or three... Had a bad rash of those going out, still dont know why. Also put on a new fuel tank to replace the leaking driver side tank. Then I got a car to drive as a daily driver and stopped driving the truck so much. I saved up some money and bought some very nice OEM parts to replace the damaged ones.

Now I don't have time or money to work on the truck, and it sucks big time. I dont have a place to keep it at home so I keep it in my home town, out doors, in the weather, rotting away. I don't have many pictures of it but here's what I do have.

[Jabes1]

Growing up sucks... I feel you. My truck sat a friends place for awhile while I was going through some stuff to include buying my first house. It will happen....

[91V3500]

Originally Posted by thebooger13

put on a new fuel pump... or two...or three... Had a bad rash of those going out, still dont know why.

I had a problem with one of my trucks one time where the cam lobe that runs the fuel pump was worn out to the point where it wouldn't push the rod enough to run the pump. It drove me crazy trying to figure that one out!

[thebooger13]

Yeah, the fuel pumps I bought had issues, they were stock replacement mechanical pumps, the diaphram kept cracking and starved the engine for fuel and dumped gas into the crank case. Dont know what caused it to this day. finally went to a different auto parts store to get the one thats on it now.

[79Betty]

Growing up does sucks. Trying to rebuild my truck get a house get married all at once.
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[gvchevy]

Growing up does not suck. It is the decissions you make along the way that determine the outcome. Hang in there I am 47 and grew up building these trucks. I have owned and had to sell a 1968 k20 big block 4 speed completely done and an 86 k20 the same way. Patients saves money. I know have the truck I always wanted to build a 86 k30 CCSB single wheel. So hang in there !!