Sandy~~1984 C10 L86/4L80 build

[1957 Chief]

So decided to do a build thread on Sandy, as she is known.

It all started last year after returning from LS Fest. My buddy, who went with me and my 1986 C10, called me and said he wanted to build a Squarebody. So we started searching from Oklahoma to the Atlantic Ocean. We saw a lot of trucks, only to leave each time with an empty trailer. Low and behold I found one 50 miles from my house, in the same town as my mom and dad live. Showed up the next morning and bought the truck.

She is a 1984 C10 Custom Deluxe with only ONE option, AC. Manual steering, manual brakes, no radio, no cig lighter... She had 64,000 original miles and is powered by a 250 I6 with 3 on the tree. She came from Clarksville, AR, and was the parts delivery truck for the local dealership there.

As soon as we got the truck home, we put put a 5/7 drop on and put all new brakes, hoses and ball joints. The truck was driven daily until the original radiator started leaking and couldn't be fixed. At that time instead of buying a new radiator for the 6cyl, that we decided that we would just pull the trigger and go all out.

Here are some stock photos:

[1957 Chief]

As I mentioned, we will put an L86 (6.2L) with a 4L80 in the truck. My buddy owns Gwatney Performance Innovations (GPI) and we had the heads ported and better valve springs installed, Stage 3 cam, aftermarket rods and pistons and other stuff. Truck should make 600 hp. Another buddy of mine built a 4L80 with billet internals with a 3000 rpm stall. For the rear we have a 12 bolt with 3:73's, Detroit true-trac and moser axles. Truck should be pretty stout...

[rodstored-72]

nice clean start! will be following along...

[1957 Chief]

So the work has begun. Already switched out the pedal assembly for an automatic, the steering column with auto and tilt, added a power steering box and a jeep steering link.

This morning I pulled with bed with a jig I built. Removed all of the old exhaust brackets and parking brake brackets. Pulled the stock tank and added the Boyds tank.

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by rodstored-72

nice clean start! will be following along...

Thanks buddy!

Forgot to mention that the truck is getting built for a real good friend of mine. We were stationed together back in the early 90's and have been thick as thieves ever since.

We already have the Holley terminator, headers, mounts, flex plate, and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff for the truck. We bought everything from Kim at MCB's out in California. They are a supporting vendor here so make sure you give them your business if you can.

To say this build is expensive, is an understatement. With the world events going on we all know everything has gotten more expensive IF you can find it. We just about got everything for the truck now. We only need a few odds and ends left to complete it.

Bubba

[lunatic1968]

Nice truck, I also looked forever but ended up buying a rust bucket. And they are getting pretty expensive.
When you said you plan to go all out, what exactly does that mean?
sounds like fun either way you go. I'm following.

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by lunatic1968

When you said you plan to go all out, what exactly does that mean?

All out meaning we were just gonna pull it apart and change just about everything.

Pulled the front clip yesterday and the engine this morning. Everything went smoothly. Now to pressure wash the frame and paint it. Should get the rearend this weekend and will be able to install that and the rear disc brakes.

Pulled all the old fuel lines and miscellaneous clamps and brackets from under the truck.

Waiting on the Holley transmission crossmember and the front engine mount pedestals now. Expected ship date is the 24th of this month.

[LT7A]

Good work, you guys are wasting no time. That's a neat little truck, in good shape, and will be fun to drive.

[Low Elco]

Dang, that's clean! Oughta be a mover!

[Hart_Rod]

In.

[SCOTI]

Nice start & cool list for the upgrades. I'm in to watch the fun!

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Dang, that's clean! Oughta be a mover!

Originally Posted by Hart Rod

In.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Nice start & cool list for the upgrades. I'm in to watch the fun!

Thanks guys, appreciate the interest.

Got the rearend all installed and the disc brakes on. Pushed the truck outside tonight and press washed the rear and front frame rails. Also scuffed up a few spots with a wire brush. Will spray bomb the frame tomorrow and move on to the next step.

I know this last year and half has been anything but normal, but Im really disappointed in Holley. We ordered the engine/trans mount kit back in June and they just pushed the estimated ship date out to October. Obviously some of their stuff is made overseas and is hung up over in the ports, but come on man...engine mounts? and trans crossmenbers? That stuff should be sourced here in the USA. We got tired of waiting for them and I contacted Scottie at Tejas metalworks for a crossmember and the fine folks at Metaltek for the engine mounts. I would have used Tejas for both of them, but the Metaltek guys engineered their mounts for a Holley (luckily we got one) shallow pan. I wanted the engine to sit in the truck a little lower and back. Especially needed with the LT valve covers and the brake booster.

Anyway I should be able to post up some pics tomorrow of the rearend and the frame cleaned up.

Bubba

[LEEVON]

I remember seeing this truck for sale on Marketplace! Glad you ended up with it, such a clean old workhorse

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

I remember seeing this truck for sale on Marketplace! Glad you ended up with it, such a clean old workhorse

Small world indeed!

Ok folks, sorry for the lack of follow up, been busy with other stuff. Currently waiting on the motor mounts now. When I get them I can put the mockup motor/trans in the truck to check clearances and what not.

After all that gets settled, then hopefully things can move ahead at a quicker pace, IE install the driveline.

Also got some v-band clamps welded on the header collectors.

Bubba

[1957 Chief]

Dog gone, can't believe its been that long since I have updated this. I reckon with the holidays and all that, time slips away.

Anyways pics/details of the progress...

Finally got the motor mounts from Jamie at MetalTek Fab up in Michigan. Met him at LS fest and he said he was workin on some LT mounts for a C10 using the Holley swap pan. Other mounts that I have used in the past put the motor up and forward, which makes the driver valve cover to almost touch the brake booster. Not to mention intake options are limited with the motor that high. Jamie's mounts put the motor down and back.

I had a spare L83 engine and a 4L80 trans case so I slid them in there with the new mounts. Worked with Jamie sending him pics and measurements along the way and he made a pretty darn good set of mounts. Also test fit the headers we got from Speed tech, absolutely zero issues with mounts or frame. We are also using a Stifflers rear 4L80 driveshaft loop too.

[1957 Chief]

Next up is the real driveline, the 6.2 and the 4l80. Since the LT engines didn't come stock with a 4L60/80 behind em, we had to get the TCI swap flex plate. Its a really sweet piece of equipment, and for the price it better be. When I was installing the flex plate, the ARP fasteners that we got for the install were too short (TCI flex plate is way thicker than a stock flex plate) so we had to research and find longer bolts for the crankshaft and the torque converter. After we got that lined out, everything else went right in as expected.

With a lift and a trans jack its easier to put the motor and trans in separately.

Using an LT2 intake off the new Corvette. Accessory drive is a CVF black out kit.

[1957 Chief]

Also decided to install a new evap core in the truck.

[1957 Chief]

Next up is installing the Terminator and running all the wiring...stay tuned.

[SCOTI]

Nice work on sorting through the location/placement & adaption issues. The LT-2 intake is clean enough for a factory piece (much nicer than say the older TBSS intake style).

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Nice work on sorting through the location/placement & adaption issues. LT-2 intake is clean enough for a factory piece (much nicer than say the older TBSS intake style).

Thanks brother, and oh absolutely it looks better. My buddy bought the corvette intake cover to go on it. I just don't have it yet.

Bubba

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 1957 Chief

Thanks brother, and oh absolutely it looks better. My buddy bought the corvette intake cover to go on it. I just don't have it yet.

Bubba

Nice!

[1957 Chief]

OK folks, its been too long. Time flies when you are having fun, and the nose to the grindstone. Last time I updated it was before Christmas. Since then a lot has been done.

After getting all the accessory drive stuff lined out, it was time to install the front clip. With that the radiator, condenser, aux trans cooler, PS cooler and overflow tank could be put on. On all of my square body LS swaps I have used a factory 2007-9 Silverado HD radiator and fans. A lot cheaper than those custom built ones, and if it was good enough for GM to use it, then that's good enough for me. Also since the truck has a higher stall converter, figured it wouldn't hurt to have an aux trans cooler plumbed. Added a PS cooler cause its a GM type 2 pump with an external reservoir. Just so happened to have a stock GM cooler that I used. And also used a Silverado overflow tank.

[1957 Chief]

Next up was to figure out where to mount the battery and decide how to run the Terminator wiring. Decided to mount the battery under the passenger seat on the frame rail and go from there. With it being behind the front wheel, I fabbed up a guard for the components. My buddy wanted a kill switch and there was no place near where we mounted the battery to put one. So we decided to put a solid state battery disconnect on the truck and remote mount the kill switch to an undisclosed location. Initially we had just a bottom mounted battery bracket, but then switched to a full cage type for a more secure grip. Ran the battery cables for the starter through the frame and the terminator wires over the frame and through the floorboard under the seat.

[1957 Chief]

Next up was to lay out all the Terminator wiring. Since this is an L86 it requires a GDI (gasoline direct injection) controller in addition to the Terminator pcm. T say there is a lot of wiring, is an understatement. Deciding where to put it, and how to run it took me a few weeks of lookin things over and sleeping on it. Finally decided that it would go under the seat and it would come out the cab where the factory ESC wires go. Just had to open it to about 2 inches. Wireds run from under the seat, under the carpet, along the trans tunnel, behind the AC box and then out to the engine. What a major PITA to run. Holley makes the wires either too long, or too short, ha ha. But I got it whipped.

[1957 Chief]

Progress pics: