'80 C10 drag truck project

[blue1969camaro]

Ok here are some pics of the ladder bars tacked in place. Tomorrow I will clean up the frame where I put in an 1/8" plate to add surface area to the end of the cross member then I will weld the plate in. After I double and triple check my suspension travel and all the brackets for square, I will take my time and weld all the brackets so that nothing gets warped. Then I can bring in the rear section of the frame I cut off the other day and level everything up and start on my C-notch. I guess i should budget in some time to get my DD 1500 back up and running so I can drive home Fri, I'm hoping all I need to do is change the plugs and wires to get rid of a stupid sputter and also finish putting the exhaust manifold gaskets on.













I ordered my axles and strange center section with spool and 4.11 gears yesterday... Ouch! But I know I won't have to mess with the rearend when I can put a real motor in it!
I'll try to update before I leave Fri but that will be the last one for over a month because I don't have internet at home. If not Happy Holidays everyone.

[blue1969camaro]

Well I'm back at school now and have been making some good progress. Today the truck "rolled" although it was held up by jacks because I don't have the upper shock mounts in. I got my pro nodular iron center section with 4.10 gears and spool and 35 spline axles from Strange and man this is some heavy duty S**t this will definitely hold up everything I got for a while. I made my solid transmission mount today so that I can measure for a drive shaft soon. I think I'm going to do something to stiffen it up, maybe put two bars parallel to the drive shaft and connect them to the ladder bar cross member then i can put my drive shaft loop between them. I just need to figure out a way to make the trans cross member removable to ease in trans removal. I also need to change the output shaft and extension housing to a 400 one that is a 350 one which makes it a th375 or something if I remember correctly. I put a set of junk heads on a junk block that was laying around the shop and bolted my headers on to make sure I will have plenty of room for exhaust. The headers are a set I picked up at Carlisle a few years ago, I need to patch one hole and they are a little beat up but I guess they will work on this mild motor for a while. Here is a few pics.


I also got some motor work done. I finished the porting on both heads, cleaned them all up and ground the valves and seats. I then started screwing in the rocker studs, I tapped the bosses a while ago, making sure to use plenty of sealant and torquing to 45 ft/lbs. The first head went great, but on the third stud on the second head I heard a weird click that was not my torque wrench so I turned it more and sure enough it cracked the stud boss. I was pretty pissed because I had so much time it the damn thing but oh well, I have another set 062 vortec heads at home so Ill just grab one next weekend when I go home and start all over. I did install the other head and rockers though so its starting to look like something. Here is a pic of the cracked head that we used as a magnafuxing demo in class.



And here are a few pics of the good head that I "ported" it was really only a gasket match on the intake side and cleaning up the rough walls a little, which I will probably do to the intake also. Its just a cheap summit one and the casting is real rough.

[blue1969camaro]

I was reading Super Chevy last night and this '70 C10 tearing up the auto cross at Holey LS fest caught my eye so i decided to look it up. This thing is really cool and has some excellent work done, its very similar to what I had in mind for mine except mine is going to be more drag oriented, but I still might steal a few ideas. Here is a link for you guys to check it out over at Protouring.com
http://www.pro-touring.com/showthrea...quot-1970-C-10

[tazzz2]

That truck is really cool and the guys did a great job of it..... Look for a host of C-10 to show up on the Pro-touring scene this year.. I stand to be corrected but I heard as many as 18 trucks are under construction and it sounds like C-10's will be celebrated as the "Belle of the Ball" as far as popular builds this year....

PCHrods, Smitty's, Roadster shop and Rob over at no Limits all have built killer nice stuff.... We're (Carbon Kustoms Ltd & VRP products) in the throws of starting "10 Pass 2" and hope to have some fun with our 6 speed C-5 independent suspension based truck as well this year...

[blue1969camaro]

I saw that truck too. I love the pro touring and pro street trucks, they defy what everyone else is doing with small light cars.
Made some more progress, the engine is complete just waiting on valve covers and a water pump pulley. And one of those ugly blue motors to get off the dyno so I can break it in and get some power numbers.
I also made half of my rear frame and started filling unneeded holes in the frame. Tuesday I'm going to pick up more 2x3 and round tube to finish the rear frame then I need to stop procrastinating and work on the body. I really don't have the patience for body work but nobody will see it once its on so I just need to get it done.
Its hard to tel but the 2x3 is in the frame and notched around the ladder bar crossmember then another small piece was cut at an angle to make the square edge and provide a little support. I can tell its stronger than the OEM frame already, if I lift the back of the new frame the whole back end lifts with very little twist.


Also my buddy gave me this fiberglass fender. It has a few cracks on the lower edge, but it doesn't look like its ever been installed. There is no markings on it though and I need to know a manufacturer so I can find an match. Who made fiberglass fenders for these trucks?

[1972 CST]

first off i want to say nice build i am doing almost the same thing to my 85 and second i have been looking for fiberglass front fenders for a while and the only company that i could find was unlimited products upp22.com i actually just ordered them today. nice build

Tom
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[blue1969camaro]

Thanks 1972 CST. I have seen the unlimited products too also USbody, but they don't have just fenders. I think its weird I cant find a name or stamping on mine. I will prob end up using steel for now but post up some info on your fiberglass ones when they arrive, I would like to know the quality and fitment of them. Also post up a few pics of your truck or a link to your build thread, I'm always interested in other trucks to maybe steal some ideas.

[blue1969camaro]

Ok time for a BIG update. I know i haven't posted in a while I've been really busy. I dynoed my motor and made 310 hp at 5500 rpm and 350 ft.lb at 3000 rpm. No spectacular but good for basically a stock motor with flat top pistons and a cam. I also got the rear end in and watts linkage all set up. Then I fixed the cab and cut a huge hole in the floor and firewall so I could set it on the frame. Man does it look good at ride height. I also make a "basket" for the fuel cell. No for the pics.
"Dyno" sheet. We have an old dyno that you have to read an analog gauge so not very accurate but I know it runs and doesn't leak.
1st pull 32 degrees total advance

2nd pull with timing change to 30 degrees total advance

3rd pull I put my holley 750 double pumper and holley blue pump and set timing to 39 degrees with no vacuum adavance
Rear end and watts linkage in with my buddies 15x14 prostars.



Cabs on!

Ride height



Big hole in the floor and firewall. I have the headers on now, had to make some more room but they fit will post pics later.


Fuel cell mount. Also you can see the lower shock mounts and shock dummies waiting for an upper mount on the roll cage.


I still have to make a hold down for the fuel cell tomorrow and mount the fuel pump. I ordered tubing for the roll cage yesterday and it will be in either tomorrow or friday. Monday I will cut some holes in the floor and bend some tube! Before I weld the tubes together I have to clean up my trans hole and paint the underside of the cab. I will try to post more frequently but I only have till May 10 to get this thing rolling so I can take it home.

[SmokeShow]

Bump. Sick build! Especially for being a "student"!
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[low&slow]

Man this build is sick shizz. What school are you going to, to be able to build that? If it's a college, I'm defiantly interested.

[Marv D]

Always fun to watch a quality build going together. KUDOS to you on some VERY nice work.

[blue1969camaro]

Thanks for the comments, I know its been a while since i posted. But I graduated from Alfred in the spring and had to move the truck home. At home i had an old barn to work in and honestly did not make much progress except working my ass off to pay off some loans and save up for more parts! After I graduated I had the itch to learn some more and had heard a ton about the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) in Houston, Texas. Well I finally decided that I wanted to focus more on engine building, so now here I am across the country in Houston. The first day of class is tomorrow and I am really excited. Unfortunately that means I don't get to even look at, let alone work on, my truck for at least 18 months. So I guess when i graduate and get some more work done on the truck I will start a new thread. Until then I will definitely be watching all the other sweet builds on this site.