Choose your own adventure!

[drew8mc]

Hello all,
I have owned my '68 C10 long bed for about a year. I am having the itch to dig into it and make it into what I want. However, there are several paths to get to that point. Right now, the truck is kind of scary to drive. So far, I've lost front brakes completely due to fluid leakage, the throttle got stuck wide open at one point, the engine makes very bad clicking noises under load uphill, and one time the entire truck just quit on a busy road in rush hour due to a completely corroded battery cable. In short, the whole thing needs a major overhaul. Before the "Factory Original Police" cite me, know that this truck no longer has its original motor or transmission and it's been lowered already (by what means I am not exactly sure).



The Goal: A great handling (for a truck), low slung (without airbags), moderately powerful cruiser or maybe even autocross machine. I'd like to keep the paint pretty much as you see it but I want to convert to a short bed.

I really love what the No Limit guys are doing. I think their components fit right in line with my intended goal. I also want to be able to drive it as much as possible. Here are two alternate paths. Which one would you choose and why?

Path 1:
New small block engine swap.
Drive it while saving for a completely new chassis.
Swap everything over to the new chassis. Upgrade parts as needed.

Path 2:
No Limit Rear Raised Rail Kit and Fatbar 4 Link suspension (convert to shortbed).
Drive it until the engine gives up (which could be any day).
New engine, new No Limit Wide Ride or New QA1 Control arms.
Upgrade other parts as needed.

Obviously, path 1 will yield a better machine, but I think the time to complete it is much longer than path 2. Path 2 would allow me to basically restore the back half, drive it, and then do the front. We are talking years here either way for me to save enough to do this correctly. What would you do?

Drew

[sick472]

Originally Posted by drew8mc

Path 1:
New small block engine swap.
Drive it while saving for a completely new chassis.
Swap everything over to the new chassis. Upgrade parts as needed.

Are you talking about buying a whole different truck to build while you are driving this one with the new engine swap or just a rolling frame?

Either way, that would be the way I would take. First and foremost, I would assume you would get the brakes fixed and all the issues that make it unreliable along with a fresh motor and then the truck would be good to go for the build of the new chassis. This would allow a lot of time (years maybe) to build one heck of a truck all the while having a nice truck to drive. Secondly, if you buy a truck/chassis to build while your driving this one, you will end up with a truck to build in the end...starting the next project. Not only will this route take a little longer, but it may set you up with a life time of projects.

If you go with path #2, I would consider doing the drive train first then the suspension. And as a disclaimer, I don't know much about the suspension parts you mentioned.

[drew8mc]

Originally Posted by sick472

Are you talking about buying a whole different truck to build while you are driving this one with the new engine swap or just a rolling frame?

Either way, that would be the way I would take. First and foremost, I would assume you would get the brakes fixed and all the issues that make it unreliable along with a fresh motor and then the truck would be good to go for the build of the new chassis. This would allow a lot of time (years maybe) to build one heck of a truck all the while having a nice truck to drive. Secondly, if you buy a truck/chassis to build while your driving this one, you will end up with a truck to build in the end...starting the next project. Not only will this route take a little longer, but it may set you up with a life time of projects.

If you go with path #2, I would consider doing the drive train first then the suspension. And as a disclaimer, I don't know much about the suspension parts you mentioned.

Sorry, I should have clarified. No Limit makes a chassis similar to Roadstershop or other chassis builders. The idea being to have a working truck, and a chassis to build on at the same time, as you mentioned. It would not involve buying another complete truck.

And I've already dug into the battery cable, throttle, and brake issues. Wiring is one of those things that's been hacked at and modified so many times, that it really needs a completely new harness. But that seems like one of those things that should wait till the complete build.

[1968 baby blue C10]

I would probably go with path 1, you could basically have your cake and eat it too. But I am not familiar with those suspension components either. Whichever path you do go with I would personally not convert it to a short bed unless you do it on a separate short frame with a factory short bed. It kills me every time I see an original frame and bed cut up. Everyone seems to want a short bed and more and more get cut up every year.

[71cheyennesuperlongb]

If you look up MAKE IT HANDLE thread Rob of NO LIMIT shows how to raise the bed floor 4 inches.This is using a stock short bed.This thread is long , but well worth reading.You can basically do his rack and pinion steering,and a couple more things and out handle most cars.I would love to buy a complete frame from No Limit,but I have more time,retired,than money,retired.At one time he was thinking about financing some of his stuff,but its been over a year since I have been to his shop.Check him out on facebook.

[HO455]

Hello neighbor. (Assuming your in Oregon). I didn't catch whether or not it was your daily driver. What kind of facility do you have available to work on the truck at? I would suggest doing a compression check on your current engine to get an idea on its basic health. How much oil pressure does it have. The engine may be just be in need of a good tune up. The wiring replacement is a smart idea and when done isn't a huge deal to remove on these trucks once your ready to fluff and buff the sheet metal.
There are some good low buck modifications you can do to allow you to enjoy the truck until you have obtained all of the parts you are wanting to build your dream. And as previously mentioned read the "Make it handle" thread. Several times. I made notes as i was reading it the second time to allow me to reference back to specific posts. Most of all have fun.

[rvrfoot]

Just make roadworthy then fix as needed. Then as you go and get money do some upgrades.

[drew8mc]

Yes I'm in Portland as well.

I did a compression test and one cylinder was down quite a bit from the others. It also burns almost as much oil as gas. I just figured the rings might be toast at this point. As to what the clicking is, I have no idea. I don't think its detonation (but I don't think I've ever heard it before). It sounds almost like their is a loose nut in the oil pan and the crank picks it up and flings it. This is not what is happening, just what it sounds like, and it only does it going uphill.

It is not my daily driver, but it is a truck, so it comes in handy doing things around the house, as you all know.

I did read Rob's make it handle info, at least most of it. I don't know if I will be able to afford a new chassis, but if you start to add up all the other things I want to do to make it handle, you very quickly arrive at a number that is close if not exceeding a new chassis price. The difference being, one has to lay out all of the funds to get the chassis, while the other pieces can be done in spurts.