72 K30 Build

[7dee2]

Me too, inquiring minds! But I’ll say these repro pieces are pretty nice, and fit very well. Sprung for the whole enchilada including LMC’S premium bumper.



Here’s with the bumper installed and an open garage door for some light. Hadn’t started it since the front clip went on, everything seems to be functioning AOK! Hopped in and moved it back and forth a little, running the AC and radio for a few minutes as well. Really, big grin followed!

Flatbed update; Plan is to drop the fuel tank and spin it around for our left-hand fill bed (righty to a lefty). Get it out of the garage and go for a test putt around the block prior to loading it up for our Tuesday install appointment. Once it’s back I’ll start the shake down process.

[Dieselwrencher]

You should be very proud! That is very so nice and you completed the build really fast too. This is gong to be a sweet rig for years to come!

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

You should be very proud! That is very so nice and you completed the build really fast too. This is gong to be a sweet rig for years to come!

Naw, what he should be doing is building my truck for me! LOL!

[rgunlock]

Sprinting for the finish - looks great - exciting! Truck looks like it is ready to go and its wondering whatcha waiting for?

[ryanroo]

i need to check in here more often! fantastic work, Brett! this thing is amazing.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

You should be very proud! That is very so nice and you completed the build really fast too. This is gong to be a sweet rig for years to come!

Thanks Ryan, I’ve really appreciated your comments.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Naw, what he should be doing is building my truck for me! LOL!

You’re doing such a great job on your truck Mike, I’d just mess it up! Wish you were closer and I’d be over to borrow that blast cabinet of yours!

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Sprinting for the finish - looks great - exciting! Truck looks like it is ready to go and its wondering whatcha waiting for?

Thanks Rick, your right especially this last pic! Really can’t wait to start enjoying this truck.

Originally Posted by ryanroo

i need to check in here more often! fantastic work, Brett! this thing is amazing.

Thank you, Ryan that’s really very nice of you to say!




All ready to go.

[7dee2]

Did this trying to back up the drive way, oops! Made it around the block (talking a big .6 miles showing now! ), I'm sure they won’t have any trouble with the truck while getting the bed installed. Ha, last pic is the Where’s Waldo for the day…

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice! Is that the shipping depot to get it sent to me? Haha

[Zane M]

This truck is so stunning! Amazing attention to detail. I can't wait for the pics after the bed is installed!

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very nice! Is that the shipping depot to get it sent to me? Haha

Ha, is that what it's doing there!

Originally Posted by Zane M

This truck is so stunning! Amazing attention to detail. I can't wait for the pics after the bed is installed!

Thanks Zane!




It's back!

[7dee2]

Got almost 15 miles so far.

[rgunlock]

saweet!!!

[rgreathouse]

looks amazing! flatbed fits the truck great.

[flashed]

That is one FINE truck and the bed is perfect .

[Dieselwrencher]

I have to say, after all your hassles and long wait for the bed, it sure does look great on there! And quit going to get ice cream and drive that thing. Haha

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

saweet!!!

Thanks Rick!

Originally Posted by rgreathouse

looks amazing! flatbed fits the truck great.

Thank you rgreathouse!

Originally Posted by flashed

That is one FINE truck and the bed is perfect .

Thanks flashed!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I have to say, after all your hassles and long wait for the bed, it sure does look great on there! And quit going to get ice cream and drive that thing. Haha

Thanks Ryan, hope I wasn’t whining too much about the hoops that had to be jumped through to make that bed happen. You know, driving the big vanilla ice cream sandwich with Ice Cream Man playing on the radio is just the bestest!



Got to give kudos to Semi Service and their shop forum (Andrew Roberts) they did a great job, very happy with the results.

Hoping our luck continues to hold, truck goes straight down the road with hands off the steering, ride quality is far better than I thought it would be. Steering wheel was off center a smidge and the console trim ring was vibrating a little, both took just a few minutes to adjust. Haven’t plugged in the GVOD yet, trying to get 25 miles city first (that's a lot of ice cream ) and then take it up on the highway. Ran it up to 40+ mph no problem, seems fairly peppy for being a tank!

While waiting for the K30 to come back my boys helped bring the Camaro project out of our storage unit. We’ll get the K30 dialed and start on this one next.

[Dieselwrencher]

I'm glad to hear there aren't any major issues. As nice as you've built it I'm sure there won't be any.

What are the plans for the Camaro? Stock rebuild, or a little pepped up?

[7dee2]

Peppy? Oh yes, kind of a late 60’s drag car, the plan has always been a tribute car to Grumpy’s Toy III. Don’t know if we will actually letter the car but I like everything about one of the first big block Camaro’s. Here’s a pic of the actual restored car.


No new news on the K30, parked it for a couple of days while they repave the main road by our house. Only got a little over 16 miles hoping to double or triple that this weekend. Blacked out the CM logo to try and make it not as obvious, I know it’s just the fuss bucket kind of thing I like to do.

[rgunlock]

I'm jealous now. The car I got my senior year of high school was a 69 Camaro. Dated my wife in it, then she totaled it after we were married. Always wanted another 69. Waited so long that now you can't find one for a reasonable price and I couldn't see it being my first restoration so I started with less expensive trucks to get over all the learning curves. I've still got my 59 Apache to do before I think about a Camaro. At the rate I get my trucks built, a rusted out hulk of a 69 Camaro will be $30K by the time I can get to it

Please do a thread for yours - I'd love to follow that build.

[Dieselwrencher]

Brett, that will be awesome! I had a 69 Camaro once and sold it like a fool. I still check CL for muscle cars at least once a month. (Like I need more projects)

I wasn't trying to say I thought you were fussing too much about your flat bed. I was discouraged for you. That was a real mess for sure. You're not alone though. I know another member on here from New Mexico who had similar issues and a long wait for his flat bed from I believe Bradford built. It's always something.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

I'm jealous now. The car I got my senior year of high school was a 69 Camaro. Dated my wife in it, then she totaled it after we were married. Always wanted another 69. Waited so long that now you can't find one for a reasonable price and I couldn't see it being my first restoration so I started with less expensive trucks to get over all the learning curves. I've still got my 59 Apache to do before I think about a Camaro. At the rate I get my trucks built, a rusted out hulk of a 69 Camaro will be $30K by the time I can get to it

Please do a thread for yours - I'd love to follow that build.

You aren't too far off there. There's a parts yard near me that has a few first gen Camaros and he wants $4k for a bare shell with a title. And they're rusted out turds. He has a 68 Firebird with no title, half rusted out for $1500. I just shook my head and told him he is smoking something illegal.

Brett, please do a build thread in the alternate tinkerings area so we can follow along. I'm sure it will be sweet after seeing you build the K30!

[swamp rat]

Very nice!! and cool next project!

[First c10]

Hey Brett, that thing is looking nice, very nice. I hope my project will look as nice if it is ever finished!

it has been cool to follow you in this build!
Keep it up my friend!

[waco]

Brett:
Congratulations on completing your build. I want to thank you for all the great details & pictures that you provided.

I have been collecting parts & pieces for the last 5 years to start my '70 4x4 project and your information has been invaluable to my collecting. I will be using many of your ideas & methods during my build.

Again, thank you for such a detailed build thread. I know it will be great help to many in the future, including myself.

Andy

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

I'm jealous now. The car I got my senior year of high school was a 69 Camaro. Dated my wife in it, then she totaled it after we were married. Always wanted another 69. Waited so long that now you can't find one for a reasonable price and I couldn't see it being my first restoration so I started with less expensive trucks to get over all the learning curves. I've still got my 59 Apache to do before I think about a Camaro. At the rate I get my trucks built, a rusted out hulk of a 69 Camaro will be $30K by the time I can get to it

Please do a thread for yours - I'd love to follow that build.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Brett, that will be awesome! I had a 69 Camaro once and sold it like a fool. I still check CL for muscle cars at least once a month. (Like I need more projects)

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

You aren't too far off there. There's a parts yard near me that has a few first gen Camaros and he wants $4k for a bare shell with a title. And they're rusted out turds. He has a 68 Firebird with no title, half rusted out for $1500. I just shook my head and told him he is smoking something illegal.

Brett, please do a build thread in the alternate tinkerings area so we can follow along. I'm sure it will be sweet after seeing you build the K30!

Glad to hear you guys would like to see another build thread from me, I will start something in the alternate tinkerings area soon and post a link. When we bought the 67 it was down to it, or a 69 RS 4 speed that was less $$$, but had front end damage and had been stored outside in a field for years (it was rotten, with a bent front subframe, a true 69 RS!).

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I wasn't trying to say I thought you were fussing too much about your flat bed. I was discouraged for you. That was a real mess for sure. You're not alone though. I know another member on here from New Mexico who had similar issues and a long wait for his flat bed from I believe Bradford built. It's always something.

I know you weren’t, that was a very nice compliment you gave, no worries Ryan it’s always something! I was getting really, really frustrated several times over going through that process, trying hard not to absolutely go off! All done now and worth the aggravation in my book, pleased with how everything turned out.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Very nice!! and cool next project!

Thanks Mike, I'm excited about starting on another project!

Originally Posted by First c10

Hey Brett, that thing is looking nice, very nice. I hope my project will look as nice if it is ever finished!

it has been cool to follow you in this build!
Keep it up my friend!

Thanks Scott, I'm sure it will and looking forward to see you finish it up!

Originally Posted by waco

Brett:
Congratulations on completing your build. I want to thank you for all the great details & pictures that you provided.

I have been collecting parts & pieces for the last 5 years to start my '70 4x4 project and your information has been invaluable to my collecting. I will be using many of your ideas & methods during my build.

Again, thank you for such a detailed build thread. I know it will be great help to many in the future, including myself.

Andy

Very nice of you to say Andy, thank you I appreciate it!



OK, so I lied, didn’t (couldn't ) wait clear until the weekend, a few days ago I took some back roads to go see a friend of mine about finishing up the exhaust. By the time I got back it had over 30 miles on the clock and decided it was time. Stuck a fuse in the GVOD digi brain thing-o and went out hoping for some OD magic, guess what? No OD magic, but since I was out heading for the highway anyway decided to try it. Success, 60 mph with just a little bit of vibration, not too bad. Came back after that bit of excitement grabbed the GVOD book and found out that ding dong (that’s me ) hadn’t turned it on. Apparently, it needs to be turned on to work, who knew! Let’s try that again, hey, hey, it started shifting into OD this time. Went back up on the highway and went right up to 70 mph, really smooth and only turning about 2500 rpm, sahweet! Up to a whopping 43.3 miles on the odometer!


And yes there's more, yesterday afternoon took Mrs. 7dee2 to go snag a book shelf and did a very short video. https://youtu.be/j9J44GDEPWk