Heirloom - 73 C10 Cheyenne

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I had completely rebuilt the motor in the thunderbird almost a decade before this. I knew, at least, the basics. Me and a buddy even hand assembled, plastigauge, etc the whole bit. It ran great when we were done.

That being said I really didn't want to screw this thing up. I started taking it apart and looking into some local shops for a little bit of help. I wasn't going to farm out the whole job but at the very least I needed a machine shop I could trust.

Inside I could tell it had been put together previously with forged pistons that were 30 over (by the stamp # on the pistons). Further research put the limit on the block at 60 over but I really didn't want to go there. Cylinders looked ok at least to the unpracticed eye. I couldn't identify any hatching and didn't have a micrometer, but there wasn't any identifiable lip at the top.

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Talked to quite a few of the shops in town. Ended up going with the third shop that my buddy with the chevelle went to. Figured that if it was a good enough place for him to spend money at it was probably good enough for me too. Did plenty of research before dropping off the block and heads.

The shop tanked the block, decked it (made sure they didn't deck the ID #'s off), and honed out to 40 over to correct a slight ovaling. I had the owner go ahead and assemble the short block and check clearances. We converted to full roller up top, a comp xr276 cam and the rest of the usual, bearings, valves and springs, etc.

The shop was not fast, in fact it took most of the summer, but I had told him up front I was interested in quality, not speed.

As far as colors I went a bit different than normal. Instead of chevy orange or black, I went mostly with natural colors (aluminum and cast iron). Might or might not hold up, we will see (at least it isn't going to be as tough to keep clean as yellow). I plan on a lot of black powdercoating in the engine bay, not much flashy chrome.

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The shop wasn't exactly expensive but it wasn't cheap either. What really jacked the price up was the three or four Summit Racing orders that came after. I will say this...those of you doing LS motors are probably getting the power cheaper than you can with a big block. And those of you building a stout 350 or 383 are probably at half the price.

I found a decently priced Moroso oil pan with deep sump and windage that fit great. If anybody gets curious let me know and I will find the part #. Went with a Holley 770 street avenger up top. Kept the mechanical fuel pump, and most of the rest was the standard accessories. Felpro rubber gaskets with steel core, bit of the appropriate RTV here and there, and no leaks so far. You want to make sure you get some RTV in the corners of the oil pan gasket where it goes around the rear main and up at the front too. Otherwise it went in dry and held.

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Bolted on new flexplate, torque converter with mild stall, and hooked it up to the trans.

Had spent some of the time with the engine gone on cleaning up and painting the trans case. Also changed the fluid and filter, replaced seals, etc. It shifted fine before I took the truck apart, I guess we will see how long it holds up to the new motor.

Putting the motor/trans in the truck together was a tight fit but made easier by the lack of a front clip.

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I should mention that for those newbies like me trying to put together a motor and wanting to do it right, this is a good reference book.

http://www.themotorbookstore.com/978...FROTfgodLMQC0w

I have a shop manual but this other book did a better job of putting all the torques together in one place and had a better detailed step by step process. Torque procedures too (especially on the intake, where order is important) are all included. Anyway it helped me out.

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I had run new brake lines from inline tube while the motor was at the shop so those were good. I ended up polishing and clear coating the old fuel lines to re-use them, but I had to do the soft connections at the motor and at the tanks and switching valve.

I did the hidden connections with regular fuel line but started working with braided line and AN fittings up at the carb and fuel pump. I went with all silver fittings instead of the typical red/blue. Best way to cut the braided line that I found was to tighten a hose clamp at the cutting point and then use a grinder with a cutoff wheel. Loosen the hose clamp and twist/shove into the AN fitting. Other methods I've seen online did not work for me.

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Put in a Griffin all aluminum radiator (had to re-mount the front core just for this). Had to weld up some lower radiator mounts that fit. I had just bought a Hobart handler 140 mig welder (with the hope of tackling some body work) and this was my first foray into welding. My brother welds some and came in to help the untrained. The mounts turned out nice (actually figured out how to make a decent weld or two) and with some rubber isolators my engine cooling was in business.

At this point it was damn near December and the garage was getting cold. It was time to fire the motor. I stuck on some old long tubes and worked a night trying to get it to fire it with a bump switch. No luck, it was just afterfiring out of the carb. Messed with timing, checked distributor for being 180 out, no luck.

Came back the next day and double checked my wires. Of course they were one off all the way around. Tried it again and it fired right off. Ran it for 25 minutes at 3500-4000 and then cooled it down. I had made up a "dash" of gauges that I hung from the ceiling to watch engine vitals, it performed flawlessly and the lope out of that cam at idle sounded badass.

I've got video but I'll have to figure out where to upload it.

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Earlier that fall we had gone to the local K&N goodguys car show. There was a late 60's Chevy there that caught my eye, the color was awesome and I thought, wow, that would look awesome on a squarebody.

Found out later from a local paint shop (that had sold the paint to the original owner) that it is stealth gray/slate blue (a current GM color found on pickups and cadillacs).

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With frame, suspension, motor (hell even interior) done, I was now faced with what I knew nothing about: body work and paint. I started talking to local people, friends, even went to a few shops around town. Spent several months trying to find some place willing to take on a full body paint job for 5-7k (or less).

I got a budgetary quote from the last shop I talked to, and I kid you not, $21k. Come to find out, it was probably worth it, but who can afford this stuff? The more I hear...nobody will do this work any longer for cheap. And the ones who will usually are not putting out any kind of quality.

I was driving home from that encounter and damn near ready to give up. I was seriously thinking about trying the mythical Krylon paint job. I was on the freeway and my phone started ringing. I don't spend much time on the phone, it really isn't my thing.

This was a guy that I've known for a long time, our wives worked together when I was in college, but he and his wife are about 10 years our senior. He was just checking in with me out of the blue but we got to talking about the 67 mustang he and his son were prepping for paint. I told him about the shop I'd just been at and his response was "no big deal, come over to my place and let me show you how it's done".

To get a little philosophical, even religious (and this isn't the only recent example): I no longer believe in coincidences.

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The next afternoon I was at my friend's place. He showed me his compressor setup, had me spray a little bit of thinner, mixed, spread and sanded a little rage gold on a junk fender. I took notes on every piece of gear he had. Simple stuff you need:

Set of durablocks
80 PSA sandpaper, use amazon
devilbiss starting line spray guns
napa ft220 lacquer thinner, 5 gal buckets, look for sales, it goes for half price
harbor freight DA and 6" PSA conversion pad

Stuff like that. Amazing what just a few pointers will do for you.

I jumped into it the next few weeks. I had a long bedside I needed to work on for the 83 crew cab and I started sanding the hell out of it. It did not take too long before it was apparent that my 20 gallon husky compressor was not going to be up to running a DA or a spray gun.

I figured, I'm saving thousands of dollars doing my own body work, I can afford a compressor. Flimsy logic but it is nice to have decent tools. I was just happy to have a feasible path forward. So online I went, got about the biggest single stage compressor I could find. A lot of guys will say you need a two-stage but this one has been awesome so far. CH TQ3404 if I remember right.

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You can find some very simple design diagrams of how to set up a good air compressor system online. I bought 3/4" copper tubing and set up some cooling coils leading with multiple outlets and drains. I have one outlet now hooked up to a air hose reel for shop use while the output of the cooling coil goes over to a air dryer and regulator for use in painting.

I have a shutoff valve leading to the dryer so that the dessicant doesn't wear out when I'm not actually using that line.

Drains on the compressor and in the lines are good to evacuate condensation from inside the lines. Apparently this can get into your paint and cause fisheyes and other issues. Always slope horizontal runs away from where your air dryer/painting outlet is so that water doesn't collect there.

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I had DA'd the bedside for the 83 but wanted to have more surety that I wasn't going to have any rust on the body panels for the 73. Brought some parts up to a local sandblast shop. They used crushed buttons etc and the old man there is good at not overheating/warping the metal.

I started by bringing him the rear stepside fenders and they cleaned up very nicely, but of course there were issues. Luckily I had qualified shop help to cut into the requisite labor time.

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Sorry to get back on the subject of coincidences but it was a call from my dad this time. We weren't exactly what you would call wealthy growing up but my folks worked their way up. There were a few single wide trailers in my early years but by the time I graduated high school we owned our house in a nice neighborhood. Almost that entire time though, dad cut cost for the family by not driving a new rig.

I guess that is probably understating it. He drove, for most of my life, a 47 dodge power wagon.

Well right before I graduated high school he finally felt like he could afford to go get something newer, and came home with a crew cab f350 that was only 2 years old. I went to senior prom in this thing, very nice truck (for the time).

So dad calls up and says "I'm thinking of buying a new truck". Seems like we always call each other when we want somebody to tell us "no" but I'm not going to tell dad no when he's spent half his life driving a 50 year old rig for the sake of being able to afford housing.

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Dad's new truck shows up in his driveway (pics related, holy crap they make nice trucks these days). And then he is looking to sell the old ford.

Well, I am not unwilling to work on other brands, and I am very interested in any rig whose history I actually know. So the ford comes home, and goes to work with me.

Of course that makes three crew cabs I now own...

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The twin square body crews go on the block. I figure I have about 1500 in the yellow one now, with the body work, interior work, and a few other fixes.

The blue one goes on craigslist, or I am willing to part it out. Surprisingly enough the 4x4 1 ton crew is in high demand and it gets carted off the first day for 800 bucks. Great deal seeing as how all I did was store it for a year and made $300!

Wish I had a picture of the guy that came and picked it up. Had a newer lifted squarebody suburban with a cummins. Looked like it was a hauling machine. Our little hobby is alive and well in the world...

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More "coincidence". My wife works at the local university and one day is talking with a student employee when the stepside comes up. He has to stop and show her his 80's squarebody on his phone. Turns out he worked in a shop and has some experience. He primered the squarebody and left it on the other side of the state.

And...he's tired of driving his Honda, knows the yellow crew cab from when it was on sale in town and might trade labor.

So we work a deal for cash and labor and go back to work on the stepper. The yellow crew is gone but is in in good hands. At least one modification is made immediately.

[MTCK]

Nice work so far. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

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Shortly after the crew cabs drive off I got some of the first epoxy laid down. Rear fenders:

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I had most of the bed sandblasted at this point. One thing I found out about sandblasting is that it leaves a residue on the metal, like little pieces of sand all over. Most of it is attached solidly enough but apparently you are supposed to take it off so that it doesn't come loose underneath your paint.

A quick trip over it with 80 grit on the DA does a good job. However, there are lots of pieces on the truck that the DA won't reach, which leaves you finger sanding nooks and crannies...like on the tailgate.

When I bought the truck I thought it was pretty straight. Man I did not know what I was getting into. After blasting you know where every little imperfection is. That being said...the tailgate on this truck had never been hit and was gorgeous. After sanding the letters out it was like a work of art.

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You start noticing things when you spend hours with a piece of sandpaper on a piece of metal. Like how the factory spot welded things together and then left the spot welds right out in the open (note them across the top and bottom of the tailgate).

You start wondering if these are things that should be fixed or whether these are just the way it was originally (factory "damage" if you will). Some of it I ended up laying a little filler in just to get a nice smooth surface, but didn't end up doing this much. I figure if it was good enough when it was new, it is probably good enough now.

After a little more prep the tailgate went under epoxy.

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More "qualified" shop help. I had to make sure she wasn't banging the pieces she was taking apart against the pieces I already had epoxied. Again...storage has been a constant issue on this project. I need another garage. Or a real shop. And a downdraft paint booth. And...

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Our college student bodyman brought big yellow over one night and we welded up a few holes in one of the junkyard bed sides I had put on it. Had to rattle can primer the welded spots and he decided it would be faster if it had a race number on the side. Can't argue with that logic...

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Got most of the bed blasted, sanded, hammered and straightened/filled best I could, and then hung it for paint.

Couple of things I found out in the process.

My right bedside was made first thing on a Monday morning when everybody was hungover.

My left bedside was made in the middle of Wednesday afternoon when the factory lines were humming along perfectly.

And both bedside tops were near ruined by years of a canvas cover pulling on them. I took a 2x4 (to spread the force) and an engineer's hammer to most of the bed rails trying to get them to lay back down and be somewhat straight. Then lots of passes with filler and sanding.

Of course before all this started I had to drill out the old canvas cover snaps and then weld things shut. That went pretty good (bedsides are thicker metal than other places on the truck) but I probably warped some things with the heat too.

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I also took some scrap metal and welded some ends on the bedside rails. It always bothered me that these were left wide open, they didn't look finished.

This was actually a fun easy addition to the project and good welding practice too. A little filler at the end and it turned out very nice.

Before I had hung everything for paint I actually test-assembled the bed to see how things were turning out:

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I wasn't willing to rent a trailer to take the cab in for a sandblast job. Figured it would be a lot cheaper with harbor freight DA paper.

Yes my neighbors are glad they live 600' away from my garage. Got a regular body shop going, it is not quiet.

The dolly under the cab was made out of a couple old 2x6 oak pallets and four caster wheels from harbor freight. I kind of guesstimated the difference in height between the front and the back and it was a surprisingly solid mounting surface, even though I didn't bolt the cab down. Nice to be able to roll it around and out of the way when you need to. Also to put it outside so that the dust from three previous paint jobs didn't permeate the garage.