My truck!! -- teaser!!

[Nick_R_23]

Im redoing my truck and thought Id share some pics of the progress. Its a 1988 Chevy Silveado 3/4 ton, paid 500$ for it and drove it home. It had been in a slight accident (looked more like it clipped a pole) and bent the bumper, hood, drivers fender, core support, and the core support mount on the frame. The passenger fender was stolen and most of the front end wasnt there or usable. I stuck some parts on just so I could drive it. Currently its all apart in the front and gettin some well deserved new parts!!!!! :pics:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-003F-8.jpg

New core support and bumper...also had a new radiator a few years ago.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-004F-8.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-015F-5.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-005F-7.jpg

Old fenders...a little beat up.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-008F-7.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-007F-8.jpg

Fender wells being coating with a rubberized paint (almost like a bedliner)

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-006F-7.jpg

New grille....shiny!!!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-009F-4.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-011F-1.jpg

New fenders gettin painted....gotta love the homemade booth!!!

More pics to come!!!!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[84honda200s]

looking good man. i like the color of the truck.

[Nick_R_23]

More :pics: !

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-010F-1.jpg

New hood.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-013F-4.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-014F-4.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-012F-4.jpg

These are what the truck currently looks like....sooner or later were gonna do all the body work in the back, cab corners, bed sides, dents, etc, and paint the back too. The paint going on now is more of a temporary paint because when we paint the back were gonna do it all at once. Im thinking since we have to pull the interior to do the cab corners, that I want to get rid of the UGLY carpet and spray bedliner just where the carpet used to be. It would be easier to clean out and with how much some of the carpets cost I dont think the price would be that drastic of a difference. Some other things I want are and HID kit, black corner and bumper and tail lights, and have the headlights smoked. For the rims I want a set of the black Daytona spoke style. Its also getting dual glasspacks! :drool: LMK what you guys think, or if you have an idea or suggestion of something I could do!!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[84honda200s]

i like the idea of dual glasspacks. you going to run them rite off the stock manifolds or are you getting some headers for it ?

[SYKO]

are those keystone fenders? I hope you test fit them before paint! good luck!

[85hondaatc125m]

That grill is going to look killer on there. While your at it you should also make a custom front bumper, post some :pics: once you get done!

[edog]

Stand back from the glass packs......:crazy:

Get some cheap turbo mufflers from summit.:cool:

[Nick_R_23]

Thanks for the responces guys!!! Im not sure who made the fenders (If I remember Ill look at the packaging next time Im out there, but they seem to fit real nice! The only problem Ive had so far was the core support...had the worst fit Ive ever seen, but Ive gotten it all to work now.


While your at it you should also make a custom front bumper

What do you have in mind? The one thats on there right now is a new one, but the same as what it originaly had. I dont have the black strip or any other trim on it right now though.


Stand back from the glass packs......

Get some cheap turbo mufflers from summit.

Whats wrong with glass packs? My dad used to have them on his truck, and I liked the sound of it. I have an old set of mufflers, they say Raptor on them and I was told they were turbos, but I was also told that they would be about as loud as our stock '02 Suburban. Im not too worried about the exhaust, I just need something on there and want sort of a low rumble, but not too loud.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[84honda200s]

my father uses cherry bombs on his truck. nice rumble and its not too loud. best part they are cheap.

[85hondaatc125m]

What do you have in mind? The one thats on there right now is a new one, but the same as what it originaly had. I dont have the black strip or any other trim on it right now though.

I was thinking maybe some kind of bumper that might have a 2" reciever on it, and maybe some pockets in it for somekind of off-road lighting, or maybe see if you can make one with a winch on it. I am a member of http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/ and a couple people on there have nice nice custom made bumpers.

[LonesomeTriZ]

are those keystone fenders? I hope you test fit them before paint! good luck!

I was thinking the same thing. Be careful with after market fenders. I agree with the glasspack thing. Why would you do that. Despite what some old hot rodders think, they do not biuld any real power. Plus they are annoying as hell. Your truck will sream with out going any where. We love laughing at those guys.

[oldsking86]

Straight pipe with some dynomax's would be fine

[hrc200x]

How much was the grill? Was is from chevy? I need one for my '92, darn deer are like kamakazi's somtimes.

[Nick_R_23]

I was thinking maybe some kind of bumper that might have a 2" reciever on it, and maybe some pockets in it for somekind of off-road lighting, or maybe see if you can make one with a winch on it. I am a member of http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/ and a couple people on there have nice nice custom made bumpers.

I like the bumper the way it is, but I do think it needs some lighting, and I kinda wanted to get a bull bar and brush guards for it, and mount the lights to that. Need to get it running and driveing perfect before I do anything else though.


I agree with the glasspack thing. Why would you do that. Despite what some old hot rodders think, they do not biuld any real power. Plus they are annoying as hell. Your truck will sream with out going any where. We love laughing at those guys.

Im not looking to build any power, I just want a cheap exhaust system that sounds better than stock. Glass packs really arent that loud anyway. Like I said, my dad used to have them and they are a bit louder then stock but quiet so that they arent annoying as hell. Those insanely loud ones drive me nuts. And yes, I love making fun of guys who straight pipe and think they have the baddest car on the road. :lol:


How much was the grill? Was is from chevy?

The grille was somewhere between 100-150$. Its aftermarket but I think it looks pretty good. Cant really tell from the pic though. All the inside pics look like crap because we only have 2 bulbs in the garage right now. :rolleyes:

BTW I looked on the box from the fenders, it says PartsChannel on several of the stickers so I assume thats who its made by. They both fit really well, better then the ones that were originally on it.

More pics when I can get around to it!!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[threewheelin-feelin]

that truck would look sweet with a 3 inch lift and some 33X12.50 all terrains!

[Nick_R_23]

We priced out a lift before, and the only ones I can find are all the same, they only lift it 4", and since this truck has ladder style suspension, the kits cost about 2000-2500$ That doesnt include new shocks/struts either. Including those it would be about 3000$ total. Not really worth it for that little of a lift.

I wanted to get some of the black spoke Daytona rims, and if I did get that kit then I could get up to 35" tires, I was gonna go with Mud Terrains. Might still do it anyways even if I dont get the lift, just smaller version of the tire.

The front fenders are on, and the hood will be on today, and hoping to get the grille valence painted soon here. After that I can attach it to the grille and have that put on.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Nick_R_23]

Update!!! Front end is finished!!!! With the exception of the hood needing to be adjusted forward slightly, the front end is done and ready to go. Biggest thing holding it up are the brakes, and changing a few filters. More pics!!! Enjoy!!! Sorry about some of the pics, the lightings poor and the cameras a piece. Nothings been buffed yet, so it looks dusty.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-007F-9.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-010F-2.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-009F-5.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-008F-8.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-015F-6.jpg

You can definately tell theres a color change...I think the new color looks a lot better.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-011F-2.jpg

Gotta get the floor stance in. :beer

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-012F-5.jpg

Changing an antenna...yes you really do need to take all that apart. CD player has been added,,more interior pics soon.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-013F-5.jpg

Scored these Pioneers for free...they sound great!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-014F-5.jpg

I got these before I got the grille, and decided to go with the older style, so I dont need these,,,brand new, trade for trike parts maybe? :naughty:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Chevy200s]

Nice work man, those fenders and hood came out nice. I have similar plans for my truck, but I'm going with one of the gray W/T grills instead of the ugly cracked one I have now. I threw in a pic of mine, its an 89 chevy 1/2 ton, 4x4 with the 4.3 and a 5 speed. i wish it was a 350 but I guess it makes up for it with better mileage. i plan on doing a lot of the same stuff to mine that you did to yours, new front fenders, cab corners, etc. I have new fender arches for the rear too to go in soon. the last pic is the night I got it up on the lift, its had a lot of work done since then

As far as exhaust, dude just do what sounds good to you we all have different tastes. I've had cherry bombs, dynomax and flowmaster and theyre all a little different depending on what your looking for. If you want a cheap way to get a little more performance it doesnt hurt to throw K&N on there with a dynomax and *modified* (gutted, haha) catalytic converters. Headers are cool too, just depends on how much your willing to spend.

If your looking for just an inch or two of lift you can always try a shackle flip in the rear and tweak the torsion bars a little (depending on where there at now, dont want to go too much). Thats not the best way to do it, but sometimes an inch or two is all you need to give you enough clearance when going from 32's to 33's or so. And if you want to go bigger, get out the sawzall or the plasma cutter and start cutting, haha. just realized thats not such a great idea considering the new fenders...

if you want any more info, heres another site you can check out thats pretty good with the full sizes and lifting, www.coloradoK5.com

Looks good man, post more pics as you go, lookin great!

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v115/24/7/43002760/n43002760_31051167_5110.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v63/24/7/43002760/n43002760_30667692_6478.jpg

[Nick_R_23]

Whoa!! Kinda looks like I forgot about this thread!!! :lol: ^^^Thats not a bad looking truck Chevy200s!! I checked out the link but it seems they kinda are more with the older style Chevys (should still be good as we might build a couple of those too :naughty:).

Well I guess its time for the finished product. Not 100% done, still needs a few things like the hood needs to be tweaked slightly, and the trim and license plate mount for the front bumper. But overall its finished and im driving it,, and its just itchin to go on our Hatchers Pass trip this weekend!!!

:pics: :pics: :pics: :pics:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-011F-3.jpg
Little dirty from driving it! But thats the way it should be! ;)

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-012F-6.jpg
Other side,, check out how much the new paint reflects compared to the old paint

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/MVC-013F-6.jpg
Dash is done, CD player and speakers are in,,,but should the dice stay?? :crazy:

One thing though, my speedo stopped working the other day, but it worked when I parked it and didnt when I went to drive it again? I replaced the speed sensor, speedo itself, the circuit board, and the entire guage cluster, and the fuses, and it still doesnt work?? The speed sensor was 100$ alone and its nonreturnable, and Im out of ideas....anyone else got one??

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Chevy200s]

Hey thanks for the compliments man, it still has a long way to go, but thats ok I have panels and a plasma cutter waitin to go, hehe.

Dude your truck came out NICE!!!! I was thinkin, until you get the time/money to repaint the rest of it, why not try rubbing out the older oxidized paint? Just get a few things of Mothers or Turtle wax rubbing compound, might bring some color back. either way, the truck looks 100 times better than it did, nice work!!!

as far as the speedometer, I hate to say it but thats a common problem on these trucks, along with the trip odometer going out. Hmmm, if you've replaced everything else it probably wouldnt hurt to see how everything looks down by the tranny. There should be a cable that goes from the speedo or speed sensor (cant remember, its been a while) down to an inlet on the transmission where a gear is spun inside that tells how fast your going. if I remember right thats just a plastic gear and they've been known to get worn teeth/get knocked out of place, that might explain why the speedo has been spotty? Either way, good luck with it, maybe the Haynes manual has some ideas?

Truck looks good man, and dont worry about the truck being dirty, its a Chevy, it can handle it!!!:beer


Edit: Hell yeah the dice should stay, gotta be redneck pimpin yo, goes good with your new grill! get it, because its a grill and thats now a ghetto term and oh man I gotta kill this pun now...haha, yeah I totally had to go back and edit just to say that

[Nick_R_23]

Dude your truck came out NICE!!!! I was thinkin, until you get the time/money to repaint the rest of it, why not try rubbing out the older oxidized paint? Just get a few things of Mothers or Turtle wax rubbing compound, might bring some color back. either way, the truck looks 100 times better than it did, nice work!!!

Thanks, I too think it looks a lot better, I dont think I took a pic of it before, but with the old fenders on it, if you looked straight on to the front end, it looked bent to the side, because one fender was dented in and the other was dented out (I have no idea how they managed to dent it OUT as far as they did :rolleyes:)

We will be doing buffing and all that fun stuff to the rest of the truck, but I wanted to do it all at the same time, you supposed to wait a week or 2 before you buff out the new paint also, so that will happen soon. I might try that mothers trick on the tail lights, ones got a nasty white scuff mark on it.


as far as the speedometer, I hate to say it but thats a common problem on these trucks, along with the trip odometer going out.

Man thats not what I wanted to hear!! :lol: Both the trip AND the odometer went out along with it. Its all electronic, so theres no cable from the sensor to the guage, just a wire. And the sensor is on the transfer case. Its also a magnetic sensor, so the only things I can see it being now are the wire or maybe something happened to the magnet in the transfer case? But I dont know how either couldve happened since it worked when it was parked and didnt when I came back?? The wire connection was tight. Something I forgot to mention too, was after it died, the check engine light came on, and we read the code and that said it was the sensor, and now that I replaced it, the light turned off but it still doesnt work? It didnt show any signs of going out like cutting out or anything, I came back and it was just...dead. :crazy: Idk its just annoying as hell that its doing this.

Oh yeah, It can handle this mud, just wait till we go up the mountain this weekend!! Hopefully we will be going and we will get it DIRTY!!!! :w00t:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Kilborg]

Cool project, makes me miss my 97 3/4 ton. Im building a replica of it with a 427 currently.


Any big plans down the road for this rig? I tend to go for the "insanely overbuilt overweight" kinda fullsize rigs with smallish (35) tires.

[Nick_R_23]

Later on when I have some extra money, Id like to get a lift kit, some BFG Mud Terrains (35") on a set of black Daytona rims (15 or 16"). Id also like to get a Diamond headlight kit and an HID kit. Last thing Id like to do is get a 400 crank and rods and make it a 383 stroker. Still planning on a new exhaust too.

Does anyone have any info on the speedo problem? Im really at a loss at what it could be. :wondering

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[85hondaatc125m]

but me and my old pickup truck
these days we dont pick up much
baby pink furry dice and a candlefilled spice are making us too hot to touch
i know we'll be rolling again someday soon
somewhere around the bend
i know we'll have better luck - me and my pickup truck

For sure, keep them pink furry dice, youll be picking up all the ladies. Anyways, the truck looks great man, you did a good job!

[Nick_R_23]

Man Im PISSED!!! :mad: This things had a slow oil leak, which in and of itself isnt bad,,,Ive been checking it every Saturday, usually takes over a month to get low, but I just went out and checked it tonight and there antifreeze in the oil!!! Dammit Now I gotta tear the damn thing apart, and I dont know yet if its a gasket, head, or cracked block. Its gonna be out of commision for a while, so now I dont have a vehicle for at least a week. grrrrrrrrrrrr....

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[84honda200s]

dude that sucks big time. looks good though. them fuzzy dice should stay rite where they are. lets just hope that the problem is only a gasket.

[Nick_R_23]

Well its back together finally and the coolant in the oil seems to be fixed, along with the oil leak, but now its got a bigger problem. It runs like sh!t, almost like its missing, when its at a higher RPM it doesnt sound as bad, but when it idles lower it doesnt wanna run as well. My dad took it for a short test drive to see what it was doing, when he got back we popped the hood and both exhaust manifolds were BRIGHT F*CKING CHERRY RED!!!! :eek: He hasnt seen this happen before, and apparantly nobody else has, so does anyone on here know whats going on??? This things been down for 3 weeks now, and im pissed because it has more problems now that its been rebuilt then it did before. Im a die hard Chevy fan, but im about fed up with so much crap breakin that im about to buy a ford...Dammit

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Aka_am]

maybe it's running lean?

[slugger]

did you get any dummy lights or check engine lights when your dad took it out for a test?
the only reason for the exhaust to get that hot is running the engine really hot (dummy light should have come on) or the guage should have read in the really hot range.
OR your exhaust is plugged and not breathing ( could be why it's running like *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited*) and the back pressure is creating heat build up.
check your tail pipe for obstructions if its not that check the catylitic converter it may be plugged and creating back pressure (which will eventually kill (destroy) the motor.

I am not a mechanic and I dont play one on tv but that is my best guess.

good luck with it.

slugger

[J.D.]

You did headgaskets to fix the oil leak, right? This truck has a distributor, correct? Check your timing, with a light. Despite common belief, "going by sound" is usually way off.

[BigReds Forever]

I vote timing too, or a fuel problem (its TBI, right?) I dont know what you all had apart, but did you have the timing chain off? if so, not hard to be a tooth of, and they can then mess with ignition to (which i assume you did check?) If your cast manifolds are getting RED... you defiantly have some issues to deal with

OH, and stay away from those fix or repair daily's, thell drive you just as nuts.

[Nick_R_23]

maybe it's running lean?

I dont think it is, but I can check the sparkplugs when I get home.


did you get any dummy lights or check engine lights when your dad took it out for a test?
the only reason for the exhaust to get that hot is running the engine really hot (dummy light should have come on) or the guage should have read in the really hot range.
OR your exhaust is plugged and not breathing ( could be why it's running like *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited*) and the back pressure is creating heat build up.
check your tail pipe for obstructions if its not that check the catylitic converter it may be plugged and creating back pressure (which will eventually kill (destroy) the motor.

No lights came on that I know of (Im pretty sure he wouldve mentioned it if they did), in fact, I think it actually stayed at its normal operating temperature the entire time. The exhaust may be plugged, but I cant imagine why, it was fine before. Unless somebody thought it would be funny to stick something in my muffler, I dont know what could plug it. Could the CC or muffler just suddenly fail and cause blockage? Ive never heard of one doing this before, but then again this truck will come up with the weirdest problems....


You did headgaskets to fix the oil leak, right? This truck has a distributor, correct? Check your timing, with a light. Despite common belief, "going by sound" is usually way off.

Headgaskets were to fix the coolant leaking into the oil, and I checked the timing with a light, but Ill check it again just to be sure.


I vote timing too, or a fuel problem (its TBI, right?) I dont know what you all had apart, but did you have the timing chain off? if so, not hard to be a tooth of, and they can then mess with ignition to (which i assume you did check?) If your cast manifolds are getting RED... you defiantly have some issues to deal with

I dont think it would be a fuel problem, I did rebuild the throttle body, but all I did was basiclly clean it out, I never touched any settings (but I dont think it has any adjustments anyway). I had this apart enough to get the heads off, so just the heads, intake, distributor, TB, exhaust manifolds, and stuff bracketed on. Didnt remove the timing chain, unless it was already 'off' and the distributor was 'off' enough that it was actually timed right?? Anythings a possibility with this truck. :lol:

Thanks for all the quick replys guys, Ill check everything again when I get home.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[J.D.]

Don't forget to unplug the EST connector before you check the timing.....

[blue27]

Does it have a Cataylic Converter still? That can clog and cause that.

[Chevy200s]

Well I havent had that exact problem but I've had a few of them, even if you didnt see a engine light go off or its not on now, it wouldnt hurt to check for codes and see if anything came up that might give you a clue as to were to start diagnosing for problems. For the bad timing, can be any number of problems but some things to check in the order that they've been a problem for me are:

EGR valve or exhaust gas recirculation valve, usually throws a code if its bad but you never know, a simple test to see if yours is bad is to find it, reach underneath and see if you can psuh the valve up and it comes down. it will have a bit of tension on it but you should be able to get it to go up then it comes down on its own. if it doesnt come down it might be sticking. They are cheap for these trucks and easy to fix.

Bad timing, check for plug wires hanging on exhaust manifold. Heat is terrible for these wires especially the cheap ones, sometimes one will hang down on there, heat up and burn through, which will hurt your spark and timing.

check for bad distributor, sometimes they get a little worn out on the bottom of the distributor shaft, very gently see if there is any play in it from side to side or front to back, this is what caused a lot of my problems in my 87 K-5 blazer which was a 350TBI

throttle body leaks, the shaft that the throttle goes to, I think it goes to the blades, I've heard that if this gets worn out or starts to slip you get air leaks, havent run into this myself and honestly dont know if it even happens but its an idea and i figured thats what you were looking for.

vacuum lines, check them for cracks or leaks

i gotta go but I'll think of what else could be a problem, honestly have never seen the manifolds get red like that so I dont know about that part but these ideas might help for timing.

Good luck let us know how it goes

[Erics350x]

Restricted exhaust.
Also change your plugs and wires and make sure they are in the right locations.

[Nick_R_23]

Well my dad took a look at it when I was at school today, and apparantly all it was was the timing. It was 12 degrees off!!! :eek: Idk how it happened, maybe I forgot to unplug a wire or tighten a bolt, but somehow it moved that far out of time! :crazy: At least its figured out and not costing any more $$$.

Thanks for all the replys!!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[blue27]

you have to unhook the timing advance wire to set the timing, similar as removing and plugging the vacuum advance hose on the older ones. It should be a single tan with lack stripe wire SOMEWHERE (GM put them in odd places, found one under the passenger carpet on a S10 once) on the truck. It should be on the fire wall in the engine compartment. That is most likly what you missed the first time. Don't worry we have all been there, lol.

[New2ATC]

truck looks good. glad to hear you got it figured out. I should be pickin up a late 80's style s10 4x4 pretty soon, ill def. post pics when/if i get it.

[Chevy200s]

truck looks good. glad to hear you got it figured out. I should be pickin up a late 80's style s10 4x4 pretty soon, ill def. post pics when/if i get it.

If you need parts let me know, I just got a 94 (same style as the 80's pickups)S-10 Blazer 4x4 4.3 v-6 thats probably going to end up being a parts machine

[Nick_R_23]

WHOA!!! BIG SUPRISE TODAY!!! And it wasnt a good one!!! The electrical has been acting strangely as of late, the speedo, 4WD, heater, etc that kept going out had been temporarily fixed by running a new wire from a 'hot' pin to the back side of the fuse that wasnt getting power, so the stuff would work but still be on a fuse. Well it worked for a while, but after a month or so now it started MELTING fuses, not blowing them, but melting them. Nobody had ever heard of this before, but for the time being I had no way to fix it, so I just kept putting another one in and it would last a few days or so. Just yesterday, it started melting them the instant I put a new one in, so I figured it was probably smart to take some time out and try and follow wires. Im glad I did!!! I traced the problem wire from the fuse box back to the ignition switch.

For those of you not familiar with chevys, they have a 'key' ignition switch, which when you turn the key, pushes a rod and moves the 'electrical' ignition switch. Well I traced the wires back to that one, and DAMN what a mess!! The whole connector was a ball of plastic, and when I tapped it with a screwdriver it was like a freak lightning storm!! So I took the battery off and went at it again, and looking at the connecter somebody had 'fixed' it before, with nothing other then HOT GLUE!!!! WTF!!!! :banned: That had melted and made all 4 of the 'hot' wires short out against each other, melting the connector, but ended up just barely not touching each other at that moment., If I had let this go for a few more days it wouldve let all 4 wires touch for sure and I wouldnt have a truck left, just a pile of ashes. I ended up taking the actual wired ignition switch off, and the thing had gotten hot enough to melt the freakin metal connector pins!! I took it apart and one of the sliding contacts' springs had been all mashed up, letting the metal slide fall out and jump the connections inside, starting all this crap!!! Now I have to get a whole new ignition switch and cut part of the harness out!!! Dammit

Some people should be :banned: from ever touching a vehicle!!!

Im just glad I caught this before it got any worse!!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[RedRider_AK]

Sounds like typical Alaskan Mr. Fix It work. :lol:

[Nick_R_23]

It was nice and warm at 37*F today so I decided to go out and wash the truck and get some updated pics of it. The wiring problems have now been solved, it was a mix of things, so now it has a new key switch, ignition switch, blower motor, and all wires were repaired. I finally got around to putting my subs in, so now the truck sports 2 10" Pioneer 600W subwoofers. I borrowed my friends amp since I dont have the cash for my own at the moment, its a (VERY wimpy) Sony 600W 4/3 amp, but with how I got it set up it will push both subs so hard the box they are in will actually flex if I turn it up a bit (yes its ported on each side too!!), so I think its fine for now until I can get a better one. Anyway, the brush guard has been on since last year I think but I dont remember ever gettin a pic of the truck with it on so heres a new one, all washed and shiny!! :beer

EDIT: Its now straight piped since the muffler and tailpipe fell off on the highway a few weeks ago. :lol:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0003.jpg

Next things...wire up the offroad lights, maybe an electric lift gate in the back :naughty:, and......... TRAIN HORNS!!!!!!!!!!! :w00t:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Chevy200s]

Looking good man, nice work on the front end and also figuring out the problem with the wiring. If you were thinking of fixing the rust on the rear fender (only mentioning it because thats what I'm up to on my 89 right now) try a fender insert and plasma cutter, its a lot cheaper than trying to get a nicer bed and it will last forever if you do it right. again, not that your truck needs it, looks good now just figured if you were looking to go that route.

[Nick_R_23]

I randomly decided today that I didnt like my exhaust, and this is pretty much what happens when you have nothing else to do and too much free will at the local junkyard. :lol:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0086.jpg
Midway thru the project at 2:17 in the morning

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0087.jpg
Catalytic converter removed

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0083.jpg
Whats left of the catalytic converter...we tried to take it apart but didnt get very far...this thing was soooo full of crap it weighed 30 POUNDS!!!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0082.jpg
Cherry bomb taken off another truck, the thing was put on so poorly it came off patheticly easily, and wasnt actually used very much.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0078.jpg
Part of the old exhaust mated with pieces from the junkyard to make the main part of the exhaust for the truck. Fits pretty damn good for welding a bunch of random pipe together. 3" unrestricted all the way out the back!! :naughty:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0079.jpg
Buddys weld job....not to bad considering we used a 90 amp welder with no gas. :rolleyes:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0080.jpg
Extended hanger

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0081.jpg
Other extended hanger

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0088.jpg
Dinky little welder :D

We still need 2 pipe clamps and a bit more welding for it to be completely finished, but more pics when its all done!! Took only about 3 hours to get this far.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Black86tri-z]

save that cat and scrap it in ma that's worth over a 100$

[Nick_R_23]

Only worth 40$ apiece here, but still worth saving. What I need to do is get a truck bed full of either CC's or radiators, you get 1000$ for a bed full of rads!! :w00t:

We had it finished in 15 minutes this morning...it sounds perfect!! Nice low rumble that sounds almost stock at idle, but once you get going it sounds pretty sweet, but not too loud. Hasnt fallen apart yet and no leaks so far. :lol: Ill get pics of the complete exhaust tomorrow morning.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Nick_R_23]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0474.jpg

UH OH!! What could this be?? :naughty:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[outtaline]

what did you break now?

[Nick_R_23]

Everything! :lol:

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[outtaline]

Nice time for a big block :beer

[Custom200]

This is the first time I seen this thread. Last year I had an 89 single cab long box
and did some work. Alot of body work and swaped in a 350 only to sell it before
making a street truck. I've been on the hunt lately but not alot of stuff is turing
up. I wish I still had my truck becausetheres a 1ton locally here for 600 bucks
with a shot body, etc, etc ,ect that has a 454 fuel injected in it. That'd make a 1/2
ton pickup go I'd bet.

[Nick_R_23]

Nice time for a big block

I wish!! Ive got wayyy too much into this as it is!

More teasers. I cant believe I didnt take pics putting all this together! :crazy:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0475.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/Nick_R_23/GEDC0476.jpg

Featuring...

Engine:

Flat top pistons
Oversize oil rings
New crank
Fel Pro gaskets
Hi Flow (80 psi :twisted: ) oil pump

Transmission:

Stage 3 rebuild
Transgo valve body
Shift kit
New pump w/ kit
Alto clutches + steels
Corvette servo w/ modified springs
HD Torque converter

Other:

Quad core radiator w/ oil cooler
Dual transmission coolers
Either solid mount 6 blade, HD clutch 7 blade, or electric fan, havent decided yet
All new coolant hoses
2 piece aluminum brakets
5 rib serpintine belt system
Dual 105A alternators
Emissions delete
And currently looking for a set of stock non emissions exhaust headers

The story behind this is a fun one, I may have already told some people on here. I was on an ATV trip last year when about 5 miles from camp the tranny started to slip badly, had a max speed of 45 mph. I made it there, went on the ride, and when we came back I decided to try and make it back to town, and get it towed from there. After about 2 minutes into the drive back, the engine started cutting out, and I looked down to find the temp gauge floored :eek: (well over 300*). Right then the engine just flat out died because it was so hot. I pulled over and popped the hood, only to find the radiator overflow creating a river of coolant everywhere. After it cooled down for a bit, we tried starting it again. It started, but just barely, and had the worst rod knock Ive ever heard. Dragged it to the nearest gas station, and towed it home a few days later. Took the water pump, thermostat, and other things off to try to figure out why it over heated so fast, but I couldnt find anything wrong, it all worked like it should.

Fast forward a few months, I pulled the engine and tranny to figure out what was broken. Popped off the oil pan, and found not one...

not two....

not three...

not four...

not five...

not six...

but 7 rod bearings almost non existant.

But wait, it doesnt end there....

EVERY SINGLE ONE of the crank (main) bearings were nearly gone also!! The whole damn crank was loose in there!!! :eek: No wonder it sounded so bad!! But with nearly 500K on the engine, what can you expect I guess...

So I got a t-boned chevy van and pulled the engine out of that and rebuilt it, and rebuilt the old tranny in the truck, which are both what you see in the above pics. I spent today putting in the engine, tranny, and most of the small stuff and accessories. It is mostly engine bay stuff that needs finished now.

More pics as progress happens!! Hope you've enjoyed the build so far!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[Nick_R_23]

Hey everyone, havent been on this board for a while! Busy with work and life and the usual junk! Man this place changed! Ive sold off all the trikes except the 250R since I dont have the spare time to ride them all like I used to. Since Ive been doing tons of work to this truck lately I thought itd be a good place to throw in an update.

Engine and trans went in together smoothly. Drove it for a while and with the exception of a bad ignition module its been running great. Took it on a few trips out to Jim Creek and ended up pulling everyone out! This truck can take water up to the hood no problem. Ive changed out the rims to older style Chevy 4x4 rally rims, each rim is +4 offset compared to a stock one so it puts the truck at +8 inches wider overall. Rear seat is folded up and I put a bed back there since I stay out so much. 4" base of regular foam and 8" of memory foam, feels like you're sleeping on a cloud! Also upgraded to a 15" sub, those 10's just didnt cut it!

As for the engine, I figured out how to run dual alternators with no fabrication. By using an alternator bracket off a gen 1 Astro van (passenger side) I can mount that bracket in place of the idler pulley/air pump bracket that took up so much space and had no real purpose. Much smaller and cleaner look. Also gives it a few badass points when you open the hood and see 2 alternators! I an running 2 105A alts and 2 batteries, first alt and battery powers the truck like usual. 2nd alt and battery power acessories like lights, stereo, winch, camper, or whatever else I could think of. Also, a cable will be run between both battery positives with a master switch in the center, so if the #1 alt or battery ever goes out, I can just flip the switch and have the #2 alt and battery power the truck also.

The main thing that concerns me at the moment is the oil pressure. Its fine when it starts up cold, but as the engine warms up it will drop to 15lbs cruising, and sometimes to 0 at a stop/idle and I have to keep the RPMs up a little to keep pressure up. Not horrible but it gets annoying with stop and go driving. Either pump is bad or the bypass on the filter adapter is shot. I will be replacing both next time I work on the truck. The power steering pump is the only thing that was reused, and with 500,000 miles on it, its started knocking. A new one will also be installed at the same time.

At the moment, the truck is down. The rear axle's locker has been acting up for a while (sometimes acts as a 1 wheel wonder, extremely common with this axle), but recently with all the towing in bad conditions and constant need for 4x4 while road driving because of the locker not working has taken its toll on the transfer case. Every once in a while it would slip but hasnt failed yet. What finally gave in was the front axle. I was helping my friend pull a truck out of a snow bank, so I stuck it in 4x4 since the snow was pretty deep and didnt want to get stuck myself. As soon as I stuck it in 4wd the front axle gernaded. I didnt see this one coming, but apparantly a seal had gone out on the way back from town and all the fluid leaked out without my knowledge. Sh!t happens I guess, what can you do? It made it back home but that front axle was making horrible sounds the whole way. I got a new one for it but after deciding the drivetrain needed more work then I wanted to put into it for how light duty it was, I decided to go a different route.

Im not sure if I mentioned it before, but this truck is a Camper Special, which means its a half ton (frame and all) with 3/4 ton suspension and rear axle. Not really ideal for what I do. So at work this parts truck came in, 1988 ext cab long bed, 1 ton utililty truck. Body and engine were already spoken for. But that wasnt what I was interested in. No, I was interested in the 1 ton chassis. I scored the whole deal. Frame, suspension, front and rear axle (full floater, 13" brakes!), and transfer case. Even a blown TH400! All fairly low mileage/use, as the cab didnt even show signs of rust, extremely rare for an Alaskan truck this old. So Im going to tear everything completely apart, paint the frame and axles, and put in all new seals, bearings, bushings, shocks, body mounts, etc everywhere. Then Im going to swap my bumpers, front clip, cab, bed, engine, and trans, etc over from this truck onto the 1 ton chassis. It will pretty much be a brand new truck after this! It will be a while before its completed but I will try and get pics of the process.

Also stayed tuned for some 1950 Chevy pickup teaser pics!

-Nick

[1984ATC200S]

nice truck/write up, im planning on doing smiler with my 93 sierra, 4.3 auto aint cutting it anymore trannys junk, so im gonna swap in a 305, stick, looking for another cab to do the swap, bit may have to use mine and swap out the nessary parts, as there hard to come by.

[gizmo2k]

You did a good job with the restoration job. I am not very good with restoring trucks. The only things that I can typically do is change the oil and check the fluids. Do you work in the auto body industry?

[Nick_R_23]

No, I wish I did sometimes. Im just a mechanic and learn as I go.

Sadly the truck is down again! I got the axle stuff fixed and threw new ball joints on, everything was great but I didnt even get down the road before one of the front wheel bearings went out and broke the cv joint. The tire also kicked to the side and tweaked the spindle and possibly the frame a little where the arms bolt on. No worries since its all being changed out anyway, but I was hoping to get some more use out of it until then. Oh well! Ive parked it and Im just waiting until the snow melts enough to get the new frame out and start getting that ready. Ill probably sell my S10 and use that money to spend the summer getting everything on the chassis exactly how I want it, then swap the body and everything else over right before winter. For now Im going to put registration on and swap my insurance over to the 4by rig and drive that instead for the summer. Been getting too used to my ass scraping the ground in the bimmer so I gotta change it up a bit!

Ill throw up some more pics once I get started on the chassis.

-Nick

[Nick_R_23]

Well, this project has taken a whole new turn! I picked up a 1988 1 ton frame and swapped the body over to that. Has all new steering parts so it should be nice and solid. Picked up a single wheel flatbed that will have extensive modifications down the road. Also decided that the 350 I just built wouldn't be enough for what I wanted, so I picked up a 1991 6BT Cummins to swap in. Going to also change out to a 95+ interior, so quite a few modifications in the near future!