my sorta crew cab short bed build

[Dieselwrencher]

Ant updates on this one?

[BIG V]

Update,

i have the two frames, they are at my shop they will be prepped to be cut and welded this weekend. work and family have made it hard for me to make any progress i finally found a short bed 4x4 truck in the paper for cheep, sold the tires and wheels of off it and scrapped the body to make my money back cheep. Finally in getting this show on the road...

[BIG V]

Here's the sb frame, and the burban frame. I've done some measuring and I know where its getting cut. My wife is even getting involved in the clean up. She made sure the new house we moved in to could fit the frame in the garage so she could help me work on it evenings after the kids went to sleep.

[justpball]

Sweet! Always great when the wife helps!
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[BIG V]

Finally more progress on this snail build. This has to be the busiest ive ever been when I started this build i was bored out of my mind. Anyhow heres the shortbed frame stripped ready for the MODIFICATION.... ive pulled all the lines and everything. The motor is a 290 hp 350 crate motor with 35000 miles and a gm replacement th700r4 with 35000 miles on it also. heck out the flowmaster exhaust that also came on it. Its keeping a carburetor for now I have a set of L31 Vortec heads screaming for a new home and all im looking for to make it good is the Vortec T.B.I intake manifold. back to the real deal. this prep work is taking for ever all parts removed have been glassbead blasted and wrapped for future paint,chrome, or power coating i haven't decited yet. My wife is still up in the air about what color, she mentioned baby blue i heard Marina Blue and white two tone. Let me know what you think.

[kezark31]

awesome man keep up the good work!

[ghettoluxury]

Originally Posted by BIG V

My wife is still up in the air about what color, she mentioned baby blue i heard Marina Blue and white two tone. Let me know what you think.

I think that's what she said, she just didn't know the techinal terms.

[BIG V]

Yep that is what i was thinking.....

[BIG V]

well up date time, I got both frames prepped. The motor got swapped today and a set of not my 4:56 axles got put in today with rollers. both are marked and prepped for the cut. I know its taking forever but I'm only able to work on it one day a week from 8am to 3pm, but its well worth the wait. So Im understanding that a LS motor is the prefered. I'm gonna put a carbed motor in it and do the shake down run, 6-9 months of driving to "work out the bugs" then its going to be motor swap time. so heres some pics of the work today. look at the 2wd steering box, for crossover steering. the pickup frame got the rear axle and the burb frame got the front axle. i'm going to rebuild the axles and plan on doing a complete write up on the rebuild im going to go with 4:88 gears with 35's i think. but hopefully next sunday will be the weld it up time. Now lets go look for a np241 with a cable speedometer.

[BIG V]

I would like some advice..... 5.9 cummings, duramax , 6.5 turbo diesel , or the 350 crate motor?

[N2TRUX]

Since its a 4wd I would go with the 6.5 TD

[STOCKISH]

Cummins 12 valve is the way to go. No computer to deal with, one million times more reliable and about the same amount of power potential. The 6.5 is OK, but doesnt hold a candle to the Cummins.

[BIG V]

well today was the cut day. it was cut and welded today there is a fishplate to be added to each side and some minor clean up. there was a couple hurdles that had to be cleared but all in all I would do it again. Next is putting the blazer 30 gallon tank in the back of this frame. I plan on relocating the shocks to under the bed behind the axle. I'm going to smooth the frame rails where the shocks went.

[Igorsgonemadd]

Ok, so I'm confused. I'm planning on a Crew cab short bed dually, static drop & a supercharged 5.3. I thought I just shortened the frame 14 inches behind cab and 6 in back. So I don't understand the need to join the frames together. Also how do you make the dually short bed, since they never made one? Can you just take any 73-87 short bed and slap the dually fenders on there?
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[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work! That's a nice Cutlass in the back round!

[BIG V]

Yea the Cutlass has a blown 406 smallblock in it, all Hotchkis under it it runs good too

[Dieselwrencher]

That is freaking sweet! Very nice man!

[ghettoluxury]

Originally Posted by Igorsgonemadd

I thought I just shortened the frame 14 inches behind cab and 6 in back. So I don't understand the need to join the frames together.

He is using 2 frames because it is just as easy and the frames are also and they are both 4x4. The 2 frames that are being used are both 2 inches shorter than a factory crew cab frame so it will be that much lighter.

Originally Posted by Igorsgonemadd

Also how do you make the dually short bed, since they never made one? Can you just take any 73-87 short bed and slap the dually fenders on there?

A dually bed is just a fleet side bed with a bigger wheel well opening and holes in it for the dually fenders to attach to. To make a short bed dually you just cue the openingto match the inner wheel tub and drill the holes as needed.

[BIG V]

thanks for the explanation on what i'm doing i didn't even see that post. I thought it was 18 behind the cab.

I'm building this like this because I refuse to let the bank give me a loan for 35000 for the truck i want so instead i'm going to build it for less than 10,000. I have mostly everything to build it at this point I have 300 in it not including my time.

[BIG V]

Finally gonna have time to work on this again. lets talk powertrain. diesel or gas? I've stayed up nights thinking about this, what motor to run Diesel or Gas? I was watching another build where a 7.3 powerstroke is going in to a chevy.... I want to try it too I think.

[Dieselwrencher]

That guy is doing a 7.3 non powerstroke. A powerstroke will be a PITA due to all the wiring. I say diesel either way.

[rs72z]

Still have the dually wheels? For sale?

[BIG V]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

That guy is doing a 7.3 non powerstroke. A powerstroke will be a PITA due to all the wiring. I say diesel either way.

PITA tells me its right up my alley. so the wiring is going to be fun i love a challenge. now who makes some funny adapters from a ford trans to a chevy tcase?

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by BIG V

PITA tells me its right up my alley. so the wiring is going to be fun i love a challenge. now who makes some funny adapters from a ford trans to a chevy tcase?

Just install a ford dana 60 or high pinion ford D44HD. I'm not sure many places make an adapter for an E40D or a 4R100 that will go to a chevy input tcase. You might be able to get a chevy 208 or 241 to bolt on but the input shaft may be the problem. Keep in mind you're going to need the ECM and PCM from the ford and you'll need to get a ford or dodge rear axle so you can get the speedo to work if you want to use a ford powerstroke gauge cluster. I did a psd swap in a 92 F-350 and it wasn't wrth the time IMO. It would be cool though. In Iowa some where, NE area I believe, there is a guy that has a square body 4x4 with a 7.3psd if I remember right. I'll see if I can dig it up for ya.

[Igorsgonemadd]

Why not a cummins? Seems like alot easier and cheaper swap. Are you still planning on keeping this 2wd?
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