Hi

[ericlonseth]

oh sorry it turned out to be a 350 my bad

[turner15]

hey little man, welcome. In the mid 80's I bought my dad's 79 gmc and I loved that truck like a woman on a hot summers night. Then I got married and was told to sell it. I regretted this for almost 15 years and bought an 80 gmc 2500 with 3 on the floor. I loved that two and then when my 71 was completed with a complete 6 year frame off I decided to sell the 80. More regrets (except for the gas savings). I sold the 80 truck to a student who helped restore it. He DID drive it like a woman on a hot summers night and beat the old girl good. Last month his dad called me and asked if I wanted to buy it back and of course I jumped on it.

This form is the best tool in your toolbox buddy you will get lots of good advice.

Keep us up to date on your baby.

[ericlonseth]

hey congrats on getting your 80 back it sounds like a nice truck....and building your 71 with your students sounds like an awesome project too ....a few of us in my class are always bugging our shop teacher to let us bring our trucks in for some work but he says we dont have room ....anyways i hope i can get my truck running and rebuilt right and i'll have pics along the way

[ericlonseth]

well my intake came on tuesday and then yesterday i put the engine in and just when i was ready to set in down in place 2 of my friends came over and helped for a bit so now its all mounted and i got the fuel pump in too.....one thing though, the rad got redone (new core) and its too long (by 3 inches or so) to fit back into the place it should be so i need some help here....other than that and the starter, i can do the rest myself and get it running soon....does anyone have suggestions of what to do with the rad? please help

[ericlonseth]

just one thing....i found out my rad actually fits right its just that i thought it sat a little farther ahead than it does and that solved my problem....i got new outer front fenders a couple weeks ago so now it'll look a little nicer hope to get this thing running soon

[ericlonseth]

hey i came home today and found that my dad got me a brand new starter i was pretty happy about that.....and i made a wish list of stuff i would like to do and it came to 29 grand

[WigglesTheHoly]

wow thats a bit of a price tag lol

[ericlonseth]

well i got my license today on the first try so i better get the truck going so i can take it for a spin....the list that remains before it runs is:
-put in the rad
-put on connectors on intake for rad hose lines
-connect rad-intake and rad-water pump hoses
- connect both tranny cooler lines to rad
-tranny dipstick
-new tranny mount
-connect the driveshaft up
-wiring for distributor
-water neck
-battery box and battery
-antifreeze reservoir and hoses

Later stuff
-outer and inner R fenders
-inner L fender
-hood
-grill
-air cleaner
-valve covers
-headers(cutting off the 3" - 2.5" - 2" connectors so its 3" straight
-guage cluster
-dash pad
-guage cover
-seat and seatbelts
-side marker lights
-cd deck
-heater controls
-dash controls
-interior trim
-speakers
-put the box on
-cab corners
-back fenders
-roll pan
-taillights
-fix wipers
-fix wobbly? back left axle
-and much more stuff that i can't afford

[Charles Hettich]

what kind of exhaust you got on it now?

[ericlonseth]

um open headers :p i might stick on the cherry bombs that came with the truck for now but eventually it's going to be chrome headers feeding twin turbos with 3" dual exhaust with electric cutouts, with each pair of pipes coming out side-by-side in front of the back wheels with 4" slanted chrome tips. its so i can choose how it's going to sound and you have trouble figuring out which pipe it's coming out of.....or i could have both pipes on either side merge into one pipe coming out either side. so it's either 2 4" tips on both side or just one on each side.....hope thats not too confusing....

[ericlonseth]

-put in the rad -done
-put on connectors on intake for rad hose lines -done
-connect rad-intake and rad-water pump hoses -done
- connect both tranny cooler lines to rad-done
-tranny dipstick
-new tranny mount-almost done(need to figure out if the nut i need is metric or not)
-connect the driveshaft up-done
-wiring for distributor-done
-water neck-done
-battery box and battery
-antifreeze reservoir and hoses

Later stuff
-outer and inner R fenders
-inner L fender
-hood
-grill
-air cleaner
-valve covers
-headers(cutting off the 3" - 2.5" - 2" connectors so its 3" straight
-guage cluster
-dash pad
-guage cover
-seat and seatbelts
-side marker lights
-cd deck
-heater controls
-dash controls
-interior trim
-speakers
-put the box on
-cab corners
-back fenders
-roll pan
-taillights
-fix wipers
-fix wobbly? back left axle
-and much more stuff that i can't afford

[nbpro]

from Alabama

[ericlonseth]

thanks man

[hotrod_991]

welcome from TEXAS!! awesome build thread bud. I jsut read through all your post and its almost 2am here and man now all I want to do it go out to the shop and tear into my truck again hahaha. good job man a keep on keepin on

[Charles Hettich]

i like the idea of both pipes on one side. did oyu mean turbochargers or turbo mufflers?

[ericlonseth]

turbochargers

[ericlonseth]

thats where the boost guage comes in

[ericlonseth]

-put in the rad -done
-put on connectors on intake for rad hose lines -done
-connect rad-intake and rad-water pump hoses -done
- connect both tranny cooler lines to rad-done
-tranny dipstick- done
-new tranny mount-done (M8 metric nut and lock washer solved that problem
-connect the driveshaft up-done
-wiring for distributor-done
-water neck-done
-battery box and battery- getting my cousin to help me with that hopefully in the next day or two
-antifreeze reservoir and hoses- done
-spark plugs and wires- done
-straighten power steering pump- done by my cousin Ben (whybuyaford)
-painted rear frame and suspension black - done
-new block heater- ordered it today

Later stuff
-outer and inner R fenders
-inner L fender
-hood
-grill
-air cleaner
-valve covers
-headers(cutting off the 3" - 2.5" - 2" connectors so its 3" straight
-guage cluster
-dash pad
-guage cover
-seat and seatbelts
-side marker lights
-cd deck
-heater controls
-dash controls
-interior trim
-speakers
-put the box on
-cab corners
-back fenders
-roll pan
-taillights
-fix wipers
-fix wobbly? back left axle
-and much more stuff that i can't afford

The spark plugs i picked up are AC Delco R45TS, and the only things i have left till the truck will run are to drain the rad fluid so i can put the new block heater in and put the fluid back in...put the battery in and make sure its wired right (and make sure the starter is wired right too)...some gas in the tank....fire it up...add the rest of the tranny oil, and do the cam breakin and the rings breakin....after that it sounds like freedom

[ericlonseth]

oh one more thing...my cousin ordered a stage 2 shiftkit for his th350 today when i ordered my block heater....the race will be closer now...or farther apart because hes probably going to waste me

[ericlonseth]

well tomo is a long weekend so i might get around to adding some pics then...got the block heater now but i've been away all week working so it hasnt got put in yet...tomo again...one random thing, i got to ride in my friends 2010 Challenger this week - wow, what a sweet car...3.5l but its got some serious power it puts you right back in your seat...and to think my truck might be able to beat it? can't wait to find out

[Charles Hettich]

itl beat it.

[ericlonseth]

sick

[ericlonseth]

well the truck is coming together...block heater and rad done, starter wired but probably not right since it spun over no matter what way i wired it...just not throwing like it should...yesterday my brother and my dad put the box back on the truck...i got the seat in last sunday and the seatbelts in wednesday night...got the gas tank selector switch, the heater controls, and the guage panel all wired up and in place...just getting ready to do the air ducts then put the guage cover and dash cover on...thats all for interior, then i need outer front right fender, both front inner fenders, grill, hood, and mount the box and put in the tailgate...and put the mufflers on....only 2" inside diameter tho ....they'll work for now tho...for my next unrealistic goal im trying to get all that stuff i listed done so i can drive the truck to the states next friday...and license it...safeties already done....lots to do

[MikeJones16]

Hey fellow Saskatchewan resident. I'm in Saskatoon.
and slowely converting my truck to 4x4 in a month.

[steemin_ehman]

And another hello from Saskatchewan! ..or former Sask resident anyway. My truck is still plated there so thats gotta count for somethin!

I started in the same place you did.. except I was 16. We're definitely lucky to have dad's that help teach us! You'll know your truck inside and out in no time, and have a truck you'll be long proud of. Keep it up man!