Overview
Welcome to My "Official" Stepside Restoration Thread and More!
I'm assembling a table of contents so navigating this long build thread can be a lot easier. But first, a little story of my truck:
This truck is my first vehicle and I've had it since February of '05 before I even had my permit. When I bought it, it appeared to be in nice shape but a lot of cut corners and hacks by the POs quickly showed themselves after the winter of actually driving it. That coupled with some teen angst and inexperience lead to a rocky road build of set backs and lessons learned. But with everything I did, I learned from and as a result the truck has been through a series of mini-builds that get better each time I do them.
Initially, when I bought the truck it was a hodge-podge of parts from different trucks. My lack of experience didn't recognize it so it made runs to parts stored ummm interesting... It originally was a 305 HO from a Firebird, SM465, 208, with 3.08 10 bolts on an OLD 4" suspension lift with rear blocks and a 3" hockey puck body lift. Anyways, fast forwarding to the first post of this build: I replaced the whole suspension with a 4" tough Country all spring lift, installed polly body mounts, and regeared the 10bolts to 4.10s with a rear lock right. At that point the truck was mechanically sound, but the body needed serious attention and thus starts the build thread. (See the first post below the Table of Contents.)
Table of contents:
Post#/Description/Date:
17. Rocker Panel and floor Repairs. 8-22-06
43. New Paint job. 10-23-06
77. New Wheels and Tires. 1-16-07
94. Eastwood Chassis Coat Frame Painting. 4-21-07
125. Repro Core Support Cracks. 8-5-07
134. Photo shoot. 9-10-07
186. Core Support Replacement/ORD Engine Xmember install. 11-25-07
209. Summit Mufflers. 3-30-08
224. Wheeling Pics. 4-20-08
235. Extended Wheel studs. 9-26-08
255. Headman Headers Installed. 11-4-08
235,272+. Ez-Wiring Harness Installed. 2-13-09
347. New Bed, 14bsf, New Engine Bought. 9-13-09
353. 14bsf 8>6lug conversion. 10-10-09
360. Bed Removal. 11-2-09
397. Front Lock Right Installed. 11-26-09
400. Weld in Steering Box Brace. 11-29-09
411-439,524. 355 Build. 12-8-09
489. A Pillar repair and bed and fender paint. 3-7-10
505. Wheeling Pics. 3-31-10 #505-508
511-520. Bed Plywood and Bumper Paint. 5-6-10
537-550. New 355 Install and Break In. 7-15-10
615,636+. FAST EZ EFI. 8-4-11
615+. Cowl Induction Hood 8-4-11
664. Electric Fan Conversion 10-9-11
674. AGR Power Steering Pump and Box 1-18-12
691. Poser Shots 3-9-12
696-719. New Factory Rear Bumper and Trailer Hitch 3-9-12
720-734. Roller Cam Retrofit 5-6-12
772. Link to Head Gasket Failure and Dart Head Upgrade 10-18-12
779-822. Rear Axle Center Pin Failure and New Gears/Detroit 11-1-12
817. Picked up new Rust Free Cab 11-13-12
828-849. New Cab Sandblasting, patches, primer, and seam sealer 11-19-12
879. New Cab Painted 2-28-13
911. Weight In at the Dump 3-13-13
952. Old Cab problem area Pictures 4-17-13
947,953. New Parts for NV4500 Swap 4-17-13
966,967. Final Wheeling Trip before Tear Down 4-22-13
978-993. Tear Down Begins for Cab Swap 4-24-13
994. Cab is off. Frame Work Beginning 4-29-13
1003-1016. NV4500 Swap 4-30-13
1028-1044. Rear Traction Bar Fab 5-5-13
1054-1060. Frame Coating and Paint 5-8-13
1097. Cab and Bed back on the frame 6-13-13
(still under construction)
Original first post below:
Here is the list:
Both front fenders
both rocker panels
both cab corners
both bed side steps
bed step supports
LH kick panel
RH door
inner rocker panels
all new trim
new weather stripping
door locks
door handles
grill filler piece (between grill and bumper)
On Backorder:
radiator core support
new body mounts (replacing old 3in body lift)
Tuesday I finally got my fenders because they had to be truck freighted to my house. I must say Year One has quality sheet metal.
Here is the massive box I got from Year One
Here they are
Here is the floor support also from Year One
Here are the new side steps also a Year One part
I'm assembling a table of contents so navigating this long build thread can be a lot easier. But first, a little story of my truck:
This truck is my first vehicle and I've had it since February of '05 before I even had my permit. When I bought it, it appeared to be in nice shape but a lot of cut corners and hacks by the POs quickly showed themselves after the winter of actually driving it. That coupled with some teen angst and inexperience lead to a rocky road build of set backs and lessons learned. But with everything I did, I learned from and as a result the truck has been through a series of mini-builds that get better each time I do them.
Initially, when I bought the truck it was a hodge-podge of parts from different trucks. My lack of experience didn't recognize it so it made runs to parts stored ummm interesting... It originally was a 305 HO from a Firebird, SM465, 208, with 3.08 10 bolts on an OLD 4" suspension lift with rear blocks and a 3" hockey puck body lift. Anyways, fast forwarding to the first post of this build: I replaced the whole suspension with a 4" tough Country all spring lift, installed polly body mounts, and regeared the 10bolts to 4.10s with a rear lock right. At that point the truck was mechanically sound, but the body needed serious attention and thus starts the build thread. (See the first post below the Table of Contents.)
Table of contents:
Post#/Description/Date:
17. Rocker Panel and floor Repairs. 8-22-06
43. New Paint job. 10-23-06
77. New Wheels and Tires. 1-16-07
94. Eastwood Chassis Coat Frame Painting. 4-21-07
125. Repro Core Support Cracks. 8-5-07
134. Photo shoot. 9-10-07
186. Core Support Replacement/ORD Engine Xmember install. 11-25-07
209. Summit Mufflers. 3-30-08
224. Wheeling Pics. 4-20-08
235. Extended Wheel studs. 9-26-08
255. Headman Headers Installed. 11-4-08
235,272+. Ez-Wiring Harness Installed. 2-13-09
347. New Bed, 14bsf, New Engine Bought. 9-13-09
353. 14bsf 8>6lug conversion. 10-10-09
360. Bed Removal. 11-2-09
397. Front Lock Right Installed. 11-26-09
400. Weld in Steering Box Brace. 11-29-09
411-439,524. 355 Build. 12-8-09
489. A Pillar repair and bed and fender paint. 3-7-10
505. Wheeling Pics. 3-31-10 #505-508
511-520. Bed Plywood and Bumper Paint. 5-6-10
537-550. New 355 Install and Break In. 7-15-10
615,636+. FAST EZ EFI. 8-4-11
615+. Cowl Induction Hood 8-4-11
664. Electric Fan Conversion 10-9-11
674. AGR Power Steering Pump and Box 1-18-12
691. Poser Shots 3-9-12
696-719. New Factory Rear Bumper and Trailer Hitch 3-9-12
720-734. Roller Cam Retrofit 5-6-12
772. Link to Head Gasket Failure and Dart Head Upgrade 10-18-12
779-822. Rear Axle Center Pin Failure and New Gears/Detroit 11-1-12
817. Picked up new Rust Free Cab 11-13-12
828-849. New Cab Sandblasting, patches, primer, and seam sealer 11-19-12
879. New Cab Painted 2-28-13
911. Weight In at the Dump 3-13-13
952. Old Cab problem area Pictures 4-17-13
947,953. New Parts for NV4500 Swap 4-17-13
966,967. Final Wheeling Trip before Tear Down 4-22-13
978-993. Tear Down Begins for Cab Swap 4-24-13
994. Cab is off. Frame Work Beginning 4-29-13
1003-1016. NV4500 Swap 4-30-13
1028-1044. Rear Traction Bar Fab 5-5-13
1054-1060. Frame Coating and Paint 5-8-13
1097. Cab and Bed back on the frame 6-13-13
(still under construction)
Original first post below:
Here is the list:
Both front fenders
both rocker panels
both cab corners
both bed side steps
bed step supports
LH kick panel
RH door
inner rocker panels
all new trim
new weather stripping
door locks
door handles
grill filler piece (between grill and bumper)
On Backorder:
radiator core support
new body mounts (replacing old 3in body lift)
Tuesday I finally got my fenders because they had to be truck freighted to my house. I must say Year One has quality sheet metal.
Here is the massive box I got from Year One

Here they are

Here is the floor support also from Year One

Here are the new side steps also a Year One part

Specs
- Year
- 1984
- Make
- Chevrolet
- Model
- K10
- Trim Level
- Custom Deluxe
- Engine
- 355 built. Eagle balanced rotating assembly, Dart Aluminum heads, Lunati Voodoo roller cam
- Transmission
- NV4500
- Transfer Case
- NP208
- Steering
- Stock push/pull with AGR steering box
- Suspension
- 4" Tuff Country EZ-Ride springs, Bilstein 5125 shocks
- Axles
- 4.10 gears, 10 bolt front with Lock Right, 14 boltsf rear converted to 6 lug with Detroit Locker
- Wheels
- Ion Alloy 15x10
- Tires
- 35/12.5 r15 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ
- Paint
- 2 stage polyurethane white
ORD Trac bar, ORD engine cross member, DIY4x4 comp engine mounts