Northeimcustom '83

[northeimcustom]

Well have reading so many post through out the years, I have finally decided to start my own build thread. I love comments and all and any criticism.

Here goes nothing.

This pickup entered my life sometime in 2004 or 2005 at the age of 19/20. The first time I saw it, I knew I had to have it. I traded an ATV and some cash and it was all mine. I don't really have any good pics from when I first got it. But it had a razor back and a visor and a poorly done sun roof and mud flaps and 15'' smoothies and a 305 and 4 speed manual. YUCK! yes, yuck to a lot of that.

AND the worst thing, ITS YELLOW!!!!

At any rate, I just had to have it. It was the straighest truck I have ever seen. And it looked kind of cool. But with the help of my touches, it would suffice. I removed razer back and mud flaps. Added some new clean tail lights and trim. And cruised it around. Sort of fun with the 4 speed.

















p.s.

not very good pics, but you will see my photography skills do get better, a little......

[mooseknuckles]

holy...yellow! I actually like it...looks good and straight man...the sunvisor has to go tho..and it needs to be way lower.....

[luifer76]

nice looking truck and i agree with moose need to be closer to the ground...

[northeimcustom]

I really didnt drive the pick up much. Didnt have a nice place really to keep it. Mainly, because I still had my Mustang and Blazer.







I ended up selling both. Getting a different job and buying a house of my own. With my own tiny garage that my truck would barely fit in. (Hence the cramped, terrible pics in the first post.) Then I bought a Jetta for a DD.

Still, not driving the truck much at all since I had no real nice place to wrench on it. Sometimes, i forgot I even had the thing.

So, I found an amazing deal on this!



That was fun for a summer.....but it got old, as was I by this time so, yup, you guessed it, sold it.

[northeimcustom]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckles

holy...yellow! I actually like it...looks good and straight man...the sunvisor has to go tho..and it needs to be way lower.....

HATE the visor. Not into the body work yet at this point in my life, maybe someday......

[northeimcustom]

Originally Posted by luifer76

nice looking truck and i agree with moose need to be closer to the ground...

Thanks! I am working on it. keep following, i got more to go!

[northeimcustom]

After selling the bike, now all I have is the VW and the pickup and some cash. Did some minor home improvments. All work and not much play, I still truley knew where my heart was at. The 83. So I made a call to a place named Coys.









It was like magic, just like that, my living room was the coolest room in the house!

[luifer76]

didn't noticed the visor on the first pic but yeah that has to go pronto lol.... love the wheels...

[northeimcustom]

Just like that, I had the Chevy pickup itch again.


(^^^^ notice the mirror folded in, only way it fit into garage!)



I drove it a little bit that summer. At this point I MAYBE had put 2000 miles on it since owning it. I always had found nice storage to put it in from mid October ish to sometimes as late as mid June. Just for the fact that it took up most of my beer drinking space in my tiny garage. And I had other toys.

[rusty76]

Sweet a snowmobile! Don't see those around here....Cool truck! I like the smoothies.

[northeimcustom]

The current fleet. (2009)


As the story goes on, I was putting my truck into storage that year (2009), decided to do one last burny, oh, and I wanted to really give her, I really got the RRrrrr's up and let the clutch dump on that blacktop road..........

and....

BOOOOOOM!

Sounded as it my driveshaft was spinning 100 mph on the road. I was affraid to get out. But I did. After the first visual inspection, everything underneath appeared to be intact, despite the crazy sound I heard. Tried to drive away, first and second gear gone. Oh well. I was thinking the damn 305 would have blew before the tranny. So I parked it until I could gather some $$$$.

[mooseknuckles]

looks good with the wheels man!....I'd keep the old rotax outside..lol.

[northeimcustom]

Originally Posted by rusty76

Sweet a snowmobile! Don't see those around here....Cool truck! I like the smoothies.

Thanks! I bet you dont see too many snow banks as high as VWs either ?!

haha

[northeimcustom]

Fall of 2011 a friend had a nice shop that was free to use for the winter. It had all the important things. Concrete floor, lights, tools, heat, and most important a FRIDGE! And I thought to myself, self, it would be fun to do something in there this winter. This is when I remembered I had a pickup with a roach 305 and a junk tranny.

Sorry for the history lesson. Now the build starts. If you're following along yet.

OUT WITH THE OLD!





The 'NEW' mill. 1000 mile rebuilt 4 bolt main with Thumpr Cam


Removed Thumpr and added something else....




Timing gear and stronger valve springs....


Adding a little paint....

[northeimcustom]

Adding a little BLING






And before you know it




*let it be noted - At this time I also had a 700r4 built (non lock up 2200 rpm stall) and am adding it to the 355. b&m ratchet shifter. yada yada yada

[northeimcustom]

Click for short video.

[mooseknuckles]

nice!

[northeimcustom]

At this point, I drove it a little this summer (2012), but not much. There was still something that was missing in my life to make me have ambition to really start to wrench on this truck. Because after all, it NEEDS to go lower!!!!

The Route of all EVIL.

the 14'x26' bust to hell, windtunnel, old tilting garage had to go!










Well, thats all taken care of!

[Low Elco]

OOOOWWWWWWeeeeeee! Much love for the new shop! Always go bigger. Truck is cool!

[northeimcustom]

Finally, something I have been waiting for for a very very long time. My own 'shop' if you will. A place where I can do SH** all for my self! However, nothing way over budget, just a cozy 26'x28' will have to do for now....

So it begins.....

the pour on a very hot day in June!

sealer on! look at the water bead!




one week later, the REAL fun begins!







At this point it is ending of July. Progress is kind of slow. Due to the fact the guy building this is working by himself!
yep, just me!

[northeimcustom]

But dont worry, I still have fun too! Picked up a little toy.


And I like to get wet once in a while too!

[northeimcustom]

Slowly but surely....


Here I have the rig home. Driving it once in a great while. Notice my driveway, or lack of. Not fun going in and out.



^sometime between this picture, and the next one, the front of the oil pan gasket decided to blow out. but I think I had 250 miles on this summer so it got parked for the year. I had many other projects to complete before winter. Like a driveway!

^^ notice the cardboard and whatnot under truck so it doesnt stain new concrete!

[northeimcustom]

For everyone who is wondering, yes I got the driveway poured before winter and huge dirt piles are also gone too! I guess me and my girlfriend are the ones who are most excited about that....and probably the neighbors

Getting a little more up to speed here with the current situation, we got a puppy!

teddy bear yorkie mix


off topic?? his name is Chevy!



anywho.... driveway poured. winter is coming. need to work on truck!

did a little electrical. built work bench. and some of this and that....

[northeimcustom]

This next photograph was taken a few weeks ago, marking the first real project in the 'shop'


The start of AOL



drop shackle

[northeimcustom]

bumpstops gone


cut and drilled for notch, down to 2 leafs


temp removal of flip bracket


wire wheeled dirt of and priming