1979 C10....The last 20 years

[bowtieguy79]

I have looked back on my posts here and realize I've never shared the back story on my C10.

My dad and I bought the truck when I was 17 years old, in 1997. It was great! White alum topper, full hub caps, compass on the dash, CB AM/FM radio. Working factory air, drove like a new truck. Had 150k miles on it. 350/350 3.08 Locking diff.

We traded my gas hog 78 K20 farm truck on it and a lowly $500 to the dealer. I was young and dumb and didn't stop to get the camera out and snap a photo of what it looked like the day I got it. So many times I wish I had.

Here it is less than 48 hours after I got it. My brother had a set of alum wheels and nice tires that he was not using, so he loaned me those. I was set!

17 and had a nice 2wd truck just begging for upgrades!



During HS I bought a truck from a family friend that was very rusted out, an 81 GMC with nearly new dual exhaust. ( gave $200 for truck ) I pulled the exhaust off of the 81 and put it on the 79, I now had some nice pipes and glass packs every kids dream! I also scored a set of look alike Cragar SS 15's and bought a set of tires for them. Really changed the looks of the truck. The rust was starting to get the better of it come late 98.





As I started college I drove it to and from school about 40 miles one way and it was eating into my wallet. So I parked it and started looking for rust free parts. Again, didn't take time to snap any photos, but they are still pretty fresh in my mind.

I found a pair of rust free GM fenders locally and bought them, the doors where solid and the bed was needing replaced pretty bad. Had a hole in the floor near the rear like many did and the fender wells where eating away. I located a bed in northern Illinois for $400, had some dings but zero rust. I bought it and hauled it home upside down on top of my bed! We used C clamps to hold it in place. Over the next few years I started to replace the rusted fenders and eventually found a guy who would weld in the cab corners and rockers, as well as spray it.

In 2000 It was back on the road and not looking to bad at all.



I got tired of the SS replica wheels and found a set of Wheel Vintique corvette rallies from a friend. They really changed the look of the truck. In college I had also built a 355 small block topped with a Holley 750 vac secondaries. Long tube headman headers, and duals with magnaflow mufflers. Had Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, cam and springs as well. Old truck ran great!





With anything time takes it tole and I didn't drive the truck much, as gas was starting to creep up and my minimum wage job didn't give me enough to run it much. It sat, carb got junked up and never would be right again. I swapped to a Demon carb but with it sitting it soon found the same fate.



In 2003 wife and I got married, the truck failed to run enough to drive away from the wedding

In 04 or so I started to find a little rust on the doors and one fender. It was time to start on it again. and it took me roughly 3 years go get it back on the road again. And when I did, it was sporting an LS, I was done with carbs and sitting around not getting used.



























It was running great, not shiney loved it! Drove it on 2 legs of the 09 Power Tour and it was a hit. Was not many LS swaps at that point.





Even made it to Cordova to see what she would do!


Right is with 3.08 Gears and the left is with 3.73 gears.


More when I get a chance to.