Blank Slate (or mind) you decide.

[panhandler62]

My truck has one more truckly duty to perform in its current guise as a hot rodded farm truck ...



We just finished moving into our house, hauled all of our belongings and a mess of construction supplies there and have one big dump run to make, after that the truck is going to be disassembled and the long road back to something it never was is going to begin.

Step one will be restoring the frame (don't know yet.. I'll see what good and what isn't when I tear it down!)

Step two will be building the chasis.

I want to set it up with a 4 link rear and c4 front end. I plan to run 16 or 17" rims with performance profile tires, perhaps 225/45/16. I am looking for a car like ride height, perhaps a 3/5 or 4/6 drop.

I've been reading through a lot of these threads and have a somewhat better developed idea of how to proceed but I have some questions and and somewhat lobbying for suggestions.

1. I have a C-20, will this present special problems?
2. How do I get my ride height where I want it with the body off?
3. I want a comfortable but performance oriented suspension, should I go with an air system or springs?
4. If I have a C4 front suspension what do I use for matching brakes out back?
5. I guestimating $3 to $4.5 thousand for getting the chassis set up, am I stoned or am I in the ball park?

I'll probably be sometime tearing it down and then getting the frame cleaned up but thought I should get a grasp on the overall project early so I can keep an eye out for deals while I'm wire brushing, grinding and sneezing over the frame.

Any help is greatly appreciated, including wild ideas.. it's still blank canvas time, all I am sure about is that I want it to be a long, heavy musclecar and it's going to be bright orange.

[jimmydean]

My guess is with a C4 front end, you could spend $4k just doing that. I have not done this myself, but looking at PB's drop member, plus C4 arms, bags, joints, rack, and brakes, I would think that is around $4000 unless you have a wicked sweet parts source for all of this.

I would think a Ford 9 rear with disc brakes would be the most cost effective option for the back half.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Porterbuilt

It'll run $1500 WITH a custom width power rack. Comes with all the same stuff as the regular Dropmember kit. C4 suspension components can be had... brakes, spindles, hubs, and arms for less than a set of Strong Arms! You do have to use Shockwaves, if you're going air, so that makes the overall cost of the kit a little more spendy, but not too bad!

Porterbuilt C4 front c.member w/R&P @ $1500.00 + used Vette suspension pieces @ $800.00 + ART Shockwaves @ $850.00 = $3350.00(est).

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Porterbuilt C4 front c.member w/R&P @ $1500.00 + used Vette suspension pieces @ $800.00 + ART Shockwaves @ $850.00 = $3350.00(est).

Wow, not a bad ballpark guess then. A little more depending on what you replace on the Vette parts (ball joints, bushings, whatnots)

Still the baddest setup on the planet IMHO. I hope to have my truck to the level that would allow me to do that without feeling silly about it. ($3000 on the front end would feel silly when I've spent less than that to date on the entire truck)

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jimmydean

Wow, not a bad ballpark guess then....

That's what I was thinking.

[panhandler62]

OK.. so call the chasis about $8k then...

$4k for the front, $800 for a complete read end, $1200 for 4 link with shockwaves & $500 for incidentals and toss in $1k for things you can't think of ahead of time.

Not so bad I guess.. just adds time.. lol

[panhandler62]

Still the baddest setup on the planet IMHO. I hope to have my truck to the level that would allow me to do that without feeling silly about it. ($3000 on the front end would feel silly when I've spent less than that to date on the entire truck)

If the chasis is right everything else will follow. I would rather have a beater body riding on a high end chasis than a piece of art on a rusty wagon frame.

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by panhandler62

If the chasis is right everything else will follow. I would rather have a beater body riding on a high end chasis than a piece of art on a rusty wagon frame.

I hear you there! I'm the same way, just look at my sheet metal.

The rule of thumb I follow (even though I hate it) is to take your best guess on a budget, then double it. That way, if you end up under budget, you don't feel bad. I know when I go a few $$$ over, I get in trouble with the boss (wife).

[1LoC10]

heres a decent start
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-...QQcmdZViewItem

[jimmydean]

Man, some day I will have a real shop again an I can tear my truck down proper like.