What would you do?

[Truckaddict]

So just for fun. And a little insight. What would you do with a clapped out 62 step side, good running stock 454, and 3 grand cash?

[short&wide65]

Probably address brakes and suspension.

[nsb29]

How about a picture

[Truckaddict]

I'll get one up tomm when I get home from work. Pretty rough though.

[jayoldschool]

Brakes, suspension, electrical, cooling, fuel. Then find a cheap TH400. Then buy cheap tires. Then buy another set of cheap rear tires. Repeat.

[Truckaddict]

Only pic I have right now. Will get some more tomm.

[Captainfab]

It doesn't look that bad in the pic. I have seen much worse brought back.

[jayoldschool]

"Feed me, Seymour"

[Truckaddict]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

It doesn't look that bad in the pic. I have seen much worse brought back.

Its rougher up close. It isn't so bad I can't get it going but there are a few fabrication issues I have never tackled before. Guess I am gonna get a trial by fire. lol.

[SkinnyG]

Two words: "air ride"

Followed by: "smoke show"

[Truckaddict]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

Brakes, suspension, electrical, cooling, fuel. Then find a cheap TH400. Then buy cheap tires. Then buy another set of cheap rear tires. Repeat.

Like your way of thinking. Already have the TH400.

[Nappers]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

Brakes, suspension, electrical, cooling, fuel. Then find a cheap TH400. Then buy cheap tires. Then buy another set of cheap rear tires. Repeat.

I like it! I have a TH400 as well!

[mike's1965]

I put a 396 and TH400 in my 1965 C10, thought it was a 454 since I pulled it out of a 1974 Chevy truck.

You will need some heavier duty front springs or truck tilts much more forward after having BBC with original springs, when braking it was really severe and felt weird.

Later did disc brakes and power steering and rebuilt front suspension, it sat for years, last September I bought Edelbrock pro flo 4 multi port injection for it, going on this fall, and new summit brand ceramic headers for 1960 and up BBC truck, no idea if they fit.

With the 3.73 gears the TH400 makes truck slow on freeway unless you want to run crazy high rpm, guess it depends where and how you drive the truck.

I think about going 700R4 but it's not cheap and it probably break while the TH400 would not, Magnum T56 would be awesome but it's a lot of $$$.

My truck definitely has patina and rough paint and body, good thing that's in!

So maybe don't worry about paint and body, make it mechanically safe #1.

Good brakes and steering first priority, along with tires.

I'm sure you know 454 and TH400 or even 396 and TH400 = gas hog.

If it's just a toy and you have a daily driver then no biggie.

How is the electrical on the truck, it sounds like truck has been sitting?

Just got mine back on road and no issues with wiring when I parked it in 2013, but when getting it going all 3 light harnesses were brittle and causing the lights and signals to not work, the harnesses were about 200 bucks.

Stuff ages if it's being driven or sitting.

Maybe tell more about the truck and show more pics, does it have a running drivetrain?

[Truckaddict]

Originally Posted by mike's1965

I put a 396 and TH400 in my 1965 C10, thought it was a 454 since I pulled it out of a 1974 Chevy truck.

You will need some heavier duty front springs or truck tilts much more forward after having BBC with original springs, when braking it was really severe and felt weird.

Later did disc brakes and power steering and rebuilt front suspension, it sat for years, last September I bought Edelbrock pro flo 4 multi port injection for it, going on this fall, and new summit brand ceramic headers for 1960 and up BBC truck, no idea if they fit.

With the 3.73 gears the TH400 makes truck slow on freeway unless you want to run crazy high rpm, guess it depends where and how you drive the truck.

I think about going 700R4 but it's not cheap and it probably break while the TH400 would not, Magnum T56 would be awesome but it's a lot of $$$.

My truck definitely has patina and rough paint and body, good thing that's in!

So maybe don't worry about paint and body, make it mechanically safe #1.

Good brakes and steering first priority, along with tires.

I'm sure you know 454 and TH400 or even 396 and TH400 = gas hog.

If it's just a toy and you have a daily driver then no biggie.

How is the electrical on the truck, it sounds like truck has been sitting?

Just got mine back on road and no issues with wiring when I parked it in 2013, but when getting it going all 3 light harnesses were brittle and causing the lights and signals to not work, the harnesses were about 200 bucks.

Stuff ages if it's being driven or sitting.

Maybe tell more about the truck and show more pics, does it have a running drivetrain?

Truck has been sitting for several years and will need complete drivetrain minus rear end.

Mine is def a 454 as I have pulled the numbers just to be certain.

Don't really care about gas mileage. Will just be a weekend cruiser. Def gotta roast tires though.

Electrical looks fairly decent but I and going to redo anyway as I used to build harnesses for a living. This one will be very easy compared to what I used to build.

The body panels are not very good. When I removed the from clip I twisted the metal completely out of the core support and have numerous holes in the structural areas of the inner fenders. The cab needs the usual rockers, corners, and floor repair but also needs repair above windshield, firewall has some nasty looking spots, and drivers side cab mount brace(?) looks like is isn't even there.

My biggest question is suspension and brakes. I have found a front end from an 83 that has what I think to be everything I need. I want it to handle well enough to be comfortable to drive, but am not looking at an autocross suspension. At least not right now.

I see disc break kits online that I could fit in my budget but am not sure if one of those would solve my handling issues also. Want to get away from the ball bearings but from what I understand, the X frame actually rides pretty good. Can I just do a conversion kit and keep the factory torsion suspension? Can I even make the upgrade since I have the torsion bars?

I am just looking at getting this on the road safely and comfortably and I will upgrade and update as I go.

Thanks for any input.

[Truckaddict]

Couple pics I have. I will get some close up shots tomorrow.

[Truckaddict]

Anyone ever use this kit for brakes?

https://www.classiccarautoparts.com/...ke-conversion/

[mike's1965]

The price is not bad, I was just adding up in my mind CPP stuff I bought the booster, master and prop valve was about $350, then CPP 6 lug rotors, and CPP custom tie rod ends, at least another 200.

Used the spindles from the 1974 truck and put in 1974 upper and lower ball joints, my original ball joints were wore out anyways, 1974 outer tie rods and 1965 outer tie rods as inners, traded the 1974 calipers in as cores for rebuilt calipers at AutoZone.

Had a bad master cylinder from CPP and they kept telling me to bleed, after bleeding gallons I got mad and overtightened brake line going into fitting that screwed into back of prop valve, stripped thread.

They only sold complete prop valve to get that adapter fitting, over 100 bucks and shipping.

Never would honor warranty on master cylinder and the tech guy acted like parts are never had, went to a Napa auto and bought a brand new not rebuilt master cylinder for a 1968-1982 Corvette, forgot what year I told them maybe 1970, and it bled super easy, the CPP probably had bad seals, Napa Master cylinder was about 80.00.

So 699.00 looks like a good price, I remember a company called Early Classic Enterprises that sold these kits 20 years ago and the prices were higher back then.

Most likely all this stuff is from China, I thought CPP made the 6 lug rotors, took them about 6 weeks to 2 months after I payed, seems they were drop shipped from China as the boxes said made in China.

[Captainfab]

If you want a booster bracket that fits the '60-'62 firewall correctly, let me know. The one in that kit is not correct for a '60-'62 firewall. Personally I would buy everything possible from your local auto parts store. That way you have a choice on the quality of the parts and if there is an issue, you can get it taken care of right away. You won't be able to get the '60-'62 conversion dropped spindles and 6 lug rotors from your local auto parts store. I would just get those from Summit.

[Truckaddict]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

If you want a booster bracket that fits the '60-'62 firewall correctly, let me know. The one in that kit is not correct for a '60-'62 firewall. Personally I would buy everything possible from your local auto parts store. That way you have a choice on the quality of the parts and if there is an issue, you can get it taken care of right away. You won't be able to get the '60-'62 conversion dropped spindles and 6 lug rotors from your local auto parts store. I would just get those from Summit.

Thanks a ton. I will most likely be contacting you about pricing and availability. I have been looking at many different ideas. Once I am settled I will give you a PM. Thanks again.

[clarsen]

Swap in the later model front cross member. For a few hundred bucks you'll get power steering, power disk brakes, sway bar and coil springs. That's a huge upgrade to the handling over what you have now, for a fraction of the cost of upgrading everything separately. Unless of course you prefer the torsion bar set up. With the money you save swap the rear-end and make both tires smoke! Take a look at what I did to my 62. I did all of this and don't regret a thing.