Project "Blacked Out" Begins!

[jkaylor68gmc]

thanks, i am looking at possible powerplants

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by jkaylor68gmc

thanks, i am looking at possible powerplants

What kind of budget do you have?

[Lrall]

Where did you get the truck bed?? I might be looking at getting one down the road....

[jkaylor68gmc]

I got the bed from a board advertiser TRI-PRO. I would recommend the bed as it did go together nicely.

As for an engine I may go with a GM Goodwrench 350/285 horse or whatever that cheap one is and install the Holley RamJet style EFI on it. It is easy enough to install. I will probably back that up with a Bowler 700R4 and an aluminum driveshaft. That is the plan anyway.

I am going back down Friday so we will see just how it looks then, I can hardly wait.

Josh

[55dude]

looks good so far. how was the "fitment" of the replacement panels? the reason i ask is different parts different fit and i hear mixed reviews from people mostly because of differing skill levels. the fit goes from crap to good at best. most of them forget that the original parts didn't fit but barely. if they were building lexus's back then....

[jkaylor68gmc]

Yeah they fit pretty good. The bed was great, Took the usual twisting to get the bolts in which is normal.

The rockers fit. The bead rolled section was a little short and we compared them exactly to the originals and they were close enough that most people would not know. The inner cab corners took the usual tweaking and the door jamb peices fit quite well. Trucks vary so much.

[jkaylor68gmc]

Okay I have another update. Here she is with the new rockers, door bottoms, inner and outer cab corners and firewall finished. Had to patch a few places in the rear floor.

The floorboard is not in yet because we are waiting for the inner kick panels to arrive. However we built a brace and installed it and laid the cab on the frame. I am so stoked.

[jkaylor68gmc]

Here are some more

[jkaylor68gmc]

Here ya go 55 Dude. The panels are 100 percent in.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looks darn good keep up the good work.

[jkaylor68gmc]

Thanks, the cab is now done after it had to recieve every part available, but hey, it is now all new. It also has tubular motor mounts and trans mount. I think it has to go though to buy a house.

[jkaylor68gmc]

The TRUCK IS HOME!!!!!!!!!!

So we brought the truck home friday and it is partially assembled. Decided to set the body panels but not fully bolt them on until I had enough bolts to do it right for now.

Blaydes installed the motor mounts and finished boxing the frame and now the real work starts. We decided to sell the truck but after bringing it home and having it. I think it will not be going anywhere. The doors are in great shape but I think I will get some with the push button handles.

Here is it in all its glory!

[jkaylor68gmc]

Since the front rotos are so large, I had to remove the rotors and installed a set of 57 thunderbird steel wheels. The rear looks pitiful with the nasty space saver spares.

[jkaylor68gmc]

This morning I began looking at possible powerplants. Looks as though the standard GM 350 is going to recieve the nod hooked to a Bowler 700R4. Should be a good combo. I just can't decide if I should go big billets or steel wheels, Because I really dig the front as it is.

[solidaxel]

Take a look at Scoggins and Dickey, and Pace Cheverolet and see what they have to offer. Some have a good deal on shipping to a business near you with a fork lift.

[solidaxel]

If budget was out the door I would be calling Turnkeyengines.com

[jkaylor68gmc]

I wish budget was out the door. I am too busy saving for a house. Casey and I have continued to discuss selling the truck to get us straight into a house but we cannot make up our mind and I have dumped a ton of greenbacks into it. So unless I can get my money out of it I am just going to hold onto it.

[jkaylor68gmc]

it looks like i will go with a cheap 350. I would rather have reliability than horsepower.

[mylow53]

if your plans are to sell be careful these trucks aren't worth what you put in. i saw a cherry 53 go for sale on Barrett-Jackson and it only fetched 30 k i'm sure the builder put more than that into it. then again it's worth as much as some one is willing to pay... do a web search on your year and see what kind of numbers are out there before you drop the big doe...
just my 2 pennys
GT

[jkaylor68gmc]

Thanks. yeah well like I said right now if someone wants to buy it, I threw a price out there. If not it can sit in the garage and I can keep working in it. Doesn't much matter to me. I would rather keep it anyway.

[jkaylor68gmc]

So she is now in the garage and I have removed the sheetmetal and yes, i sttof the '57 frame up in order to work on the truck. I unbolted the control arms because my coil-overs are suppose to be here in a few days.

Plan is LS-1/ 4L60E

I am going to install a stainless tank, lines, brake pedal and lines before i paint the frame. My girlfriend Casey who many of you know picked out 17x7 and 17x10 inch Americans for it!

josh

[forcedinduction]

Very impressive build. Please keep the updates coming.

[02snoma]

Looks like you are making some pretty darn good progres there. Keep up the good work!

[50'sBurbanman]

everything looks pretty sweet. should be a nice riding truck when everything is done. and great choice for the wheels, i plan on using the same wheels, sixe and all, on my 50 suburban that i am building.

[jkaylor68gmc]

thanks. last night I disasembled the bed, loaded it up and took it to the shop (girlfriends house) and reassembled it. It looks good back on the frame, now it is gonna be time to do the booster/master and route lines on the chassis. I also need to purchase my fuel tank and begin to get the lines ready.

josh