What needs to be done to this truck?

[UATahoe]

Help me out here guys. What does this truck need? Been working on it for 2.5 years now and its running great! Now i am down to what needs to be done to the exterior. Raise the front up a little with heavy duty springs or drop it 2.5/4? The tires are brand new, just bought them, so they will stay. They are a 30.5 tire on the stock rally wheels. I also have new rails for the bed rails. Just been waiting to put them on. Motor is a 383 TBI Stroker with a 700r4 trans. I also have a new set of Aries Nerf bars that i nought for it. They are 3" bars though and not sure i want to use them. They are a lot bigger than i was expecting.

So, any thoughts?

[Gigem]

I would raise the front end - did it to mine. I don't like the "low" look. I just put new big block springs in mine to get the effect... I would flip the tires around, I don't like white letters showing...

Other than that - drive it!

[UATahoe]

LOL yeah, the white letteres was a little bit of an installer error by the shop. They forgot and just went with white out because thats how the old tires were. They said they would fix it so no worries.

How rough ws the ride with the big block springs? Those are the Moog 6454 springs right?

[bnoon]

Wow, you two have different ideas than I do on how that should go... drop it and leave the white letters out! Hahaha! 2WD trucks get lowered, only a 4x4 goes up.

Also, I'd ditch the TBI and get a carb and let that 383 breathe!

[ironroad9c1]

leave it as is and drive it, white letters out rules, blackwalls are for old people..

[RandyP]

I put the 6454's on my 87. I have the white letters out. My long bed makes it look different though.

The ride is no different in my opinion, it just raised the front up about 2 inches. No telling how worn out the old original springs were though.

[Eyegore]

Nothing more than to drive it with a big smile on your face, I'm sure it will have some think back to the 80's, probably the only good thing that came out of the 80's!

[UATahoe]

So all of the different opinions are exactly why I am struggling. Lol. Just can't decide what look I want to go for.

I mocked up the nerf bars and they are just too big. Doesn't look right to me.

[Rubble]

Originally Posted by ironroad9c1

leave it as is and drive it, white letters out rules, blackwalls are for old people..

X2. Looks good just the way it is!! Bout the only thing I might change is put some 15x8 & 15x10" cragar 5 spokes...

[jitteryguy]

I have low'rd every two wheel drive vehicle I have ever own'd (include'n a few full size van's) . with that said and the tire you have I think I'd raise the front to level it out. you can always go back later and low'r it if you choose to.

[UATahoe]

Here are the nerf bars mocked up. They just seem way too big and bulky to me. Can't find any less than 3" around. 2" would look much better. Oh well.

[Malo83]

Originally Posted by UATahoe

Help me out here guys. What does this truck need? Been working on it for 2.5 years now and its running great! Now i am down to what needs to be done to the exterior. Raise the front up a little with heavy duty springs or drop it 2.5/4? The tires are brand new, just bought them, so they will stay. They are a 30.5 tire on the stock rally wheels. I also have new rails for the bed rails. Just been waiting to put them on. Motor is a 383 TBI Stroker with a 700r4 trans. I also have a new set of Aries Nerf bars that i nought for it. They are 3" bars though and not sure i want to use them. They are a lot bigger than i was expecting.

So, any thoughts?

Good looking truck, me personally I would lower it, I notice a lot of Southern and East coast trucks have bed rails? why bed rails? Just a Cali guy wanting to know

[UATahoe]

Honestly, they were on the truck when I bought it and I kind of grew to like them.

[lilpoindexter]

I would leave the nerf bars off, and lower it.

[school boy]

I would leave it alone on the exterior, except maybe some stainless exhaust tips. I see too many trucks "overdone" keep it simple and clean. Personally I like the stance on this truck, and this is coming from a guy with a lowered c10 and lovin it.

[UATahoe]

Definitely appreciate all of the feedback guys

[bluex]

Id leave the nerf bars off, they dont look right for some reason. I also wouldn't raise the front, i think trucks need to be .75-1.5" higher in the back. I don't really like the leveled look an i despise the tail dragging look that has become so popular lately. Just my opinion though. Nice truck however you go with it. The 2.5/4 drop still rides nice an improves the handling a lot. That's what id do if it was mine...

[UATahoe]

Definitely with you there. I don't want the rear lower than the front. Just don't like that look.

[78 Big10 454]

Dump the nerf bars.

Raise the front end level with the rear.

Reverse the tires - blackwalls out.

[nekkidhillbilly]

Originally Posted by ironroad9c1

leave it as is and drive it, white letters out rules, blackwalls are for old people..

thats the first time ive ever heard anyone say white letters are for young ppl

[ironroad9c1]

ditch the nerf bars, all us young guys in the 80's had white letter tires.. , unless you are running a short sidewall tires you have to have something to break up all the black in the sidewall. otherwise it looks like you are riding on big round balloons.

[Sodell]

That's funny. B/C I built a few race cars in the 80's and the white letters out were a no go. I think they look cool on 15" rally's, but I would lower the truck, or just do what you want. It really does look good as it sits in my opinion, but following you on here with the engine swap, like myself, you wont be able to leave it alone, LOL...Do you know anyone that has a lowered one, I never thought I would do it but a guy in town has one and it looked like fun.

How's that engine running with the TBI now? Glad you got all running!! Throw up some pics of the engine bay...

[UATahoe]

I can do that on the pics! The truck is running great. The tune is spot on now after a couple iterations. It's a totally different truck now. Love driving it. The new tires made a huge difference too. The old tires were bald and wore out. Lol.

[UATahoe]

Engine bay

[rs74]

I like it the way it is but also would vote for a mild drop. Personally while I am not old but not young either (39) I would vote for white letters on rallies with the drop. For me its a classic look that never goes out of style. JMO.