My '79 Stepside - Introduction

[6cylinderstepside]

I love square body stepsides, and I love inline sixes for their simplicity, and I found one last weekend on a man cave forum and it is a true farm truck, I have the plates to prove it!

It has almost zero body damage and a basic interior but the gem of it is that it is all original and unmolested although not wonderfully maintained.

It has the dreaded integrated head inline 6 with a three on the tree but it runs like a bat out of hell and half the vacuum lines are disconnected! It really is a strong engine and also since this little sweetheart has power brakes, power steering AND the dealer add-on AC, I am going to keep it with the existing engine. It runs awesome and the brackets are different for the regular 250 inline so why change if it ain't broke. The integrated head also comes with a 2BBL and a factory header so that's nice.

The only thing I "need" to do to it is straighten out the vacuum lines and fix a tail light, but I plan to put new wheels and tires on it and restore the interior too along with buffing out the paint. I am not looking to do a show truck, just a cool looking cruiser that is still used as a real truck. Haven't decided if I want to go street with Cragars and 275/60s all the way around or go with off road tires, I like both equally.

I attached two photos, one of the engine and the other is from the car wash, shiny because it is still wet... but it sure looks good like that. Not a bad $1500 catch for a good running truck in my opinion.

[Sidepiper]

Awesome truck

[flashed]

WOW ,that is a nice one .

[78 Big10 454]

That truck is a beauty. I'd keep it bone stock.

[Rich84]

Sweet truck..

[Katrina/10]

That's a great looking truck, a friend of mine bought one just like it brand new in 79. 275/60s are a good tire choice, and if you can find some 8 inch wide rally wheels, I think that would look nice.

[burb1085]

Very nice!

[6cylinderstepside]

Yup 275/60's are definitley the street tire of choice for these trucks IMO too, I've owned nine of these 73-79 trucks over the years and 6 of them of them were stepsides and four were inline sixes. I got the tail light fixed yesterday and got it inspected with the out of state VIN verification and got my tags and title transferred too so I am 100% legal now. It feels like it had a new clutch and new brakes and I kind a like shifting the three on the tree too, so I'll keep it like that for now too. I do have one issue with the window but I'll post that with a specific title if I can't find the answer through a search.

I plan to keep it pretty much bone stock but convert it to a 73-74 look with some "eyeliner" around the headlight rings, a '73/74 grille and 73-76 round tail lights rather than the square ones. All OEM stuff though. The only thing aftermarket I would like to do is the wheels but they will be tasteful for the truck. If I can't find any, these will be just fine for now.

Thank you for the positive comments!

[bob_o]

What a score! Great looking truck! Your plans sound solid, can't wait to see them happen

[6cylinderstepside]

I sold my last three vintage campers and my '74 Monte Carlo and now I can get back to work on the stepside!

I've already yanked the three speed manual transmisison, and have a fresh rebuilt TH350 with zero miles on it sitting in the bed, I am picking up a non-integrated head inline 6 with P/S and A/C brackets for $150 tomorrow and dropping it off Monday at City Motor supply for a full rebuild with an RV cam. The 250 that is in there now runs great so I am going to swap to an auto/tilt column and the auto tranny and drive it while I finish the new engine and tweak out the running engine that is in the truck so I can hopefully sell it with the ability to do a test drive since pulling an inline only take a couple of hours.

In the meantime, I picked up some 10" Chrome smoothies and today mounted them with new Cooper 275/60s. Nothing like old school chrome and white letters to make you feel right at home.

At any rate, the big fun today was getting the new socks and shoes mounted on the beast. I think it looks bad assed and no, I am not going to lower it

[Chaplain]

Thumbs up for another 79 stepside.

[old Rusty C10]

Awesome truck my current project is a bare bones 74 stepper ( was originally a fleetside but I am making astep side ) and my son is making the donor truck I had into a street rod

[6cylinderstepside]

I've already got the full grill setup to do the conversion to a 73/74 grille which are my favorites. Along with some front bumper guards. Been sitting in my shed for five years... "I'll use that someday" just came through!

[6cylinderstepside]

Today I picked up a 250 from a '76 Nova that needs a rebuild, it was very clean on the inside I can't tell what is wrong with it, but it's getting rebuilt period. I got it for $150 which is basically $50 since I sold my old steelies off the truck for a hundred bucks today too. If you know or care about six cylinders at all, you'll see why I jumped on his one... Factory power steering AND AC brackets! The ones from the integrated head won't fit the non-integrated head so I feel like I really scored since those P/S brackets can go for $150 by themselves! I stripped the engine this afternoon and it's ready to be dropped off at the rebuilders Monday morning and should have it back by Friday!

I need to get in gear to get the engine that's in the truck now tuned up and painted and get an ad up for it and the manual tranny that's behind it.

Oh last but not least I found a valve cover with the Chevrolet script in my shed!!

[dvdswan]

gorgeous.

[6cylinderstepside]

With the new wheels on the truck, I was dying to take a cruise and take it to the car wash so I put the driveshaft back in and the linkage on the transmission so I can drive it since that's all I had disconnected so far and I am still waiting for all the parts to do the tranny swap anyway and the truck runs great as-is, the upgrades I am doing are just so I will have a new truck. I adjusted the clutch and linkage when a reattached them so the three on the tree works like it should now.

Couldn't resist a pic with my vintage camper too!!

[flashed]

Very cool pics ,love the old camper too.

[lilpoindexter]

I have an integrated head on my '78, but it doesn't have that hideous valve cover monstrosity...it has an air pump. i got brackets from an Integrated Head straight six nova clone and added Power steering. I was gonna get the pancake AC compressor brackets, but realized i wouldn't ever add the AC, and i didnt want the brackets clogging up the engine compartment. If my integrated head ever cracks, i think i'll try to fit a regular straight six.

[6cylinderstepside]

Yeah, mine runs good right now, but while I have the money I am going to do the swap and then sell my engine while it's running good rather than waiting, and hehe that valve cover is part of the reason too!