1973 C10 "The Purple Truck"

[mrk5]

While I decide what I want to do with the O2 sensor failures and the weather's nice I decided to just drive it with closed loop and learn turned off. It idles a little rougher and doesn't accelerate smoothly, but aside from that it runs fine. Fuel mileage is down just a tad, but not enough to really matter.

An interesting improvement is that it doesn't die when I put it in gear for the first time in the morning. That has always been an off and on issue since I installed the PF4, but it hasn't done it once while driving with closed loop and learn turned off.

 

[mrk5]

I'm still driving this truck to work every day. I'm coming up on 40,000 miles on the crate engine and it's running good. Every once in a while the ProFlo irritates me.

Sometimes the smallest things are so satisfying. Not long after buying this truck I put in a separate electric washer pump. Recently that failed so I looked for an upgrade. I found that some people installed washer tank with pump setups from early 90's S10 trucks. I ordered a new one from RockAuto. The only other thing I had to do was get the correct connector from the junkyard. I love that it looks like it could have been installed from the factory.

 

[sweetk30]

i run a 88-94 gmt400 bottle . it holds a LOT of washer fluid . us northern snow belt people need our juice to see .

 

[mrk5]

@Raggedy_Ann, @rderosier, and I were working on Raggedy Ann and we took some time out to do an old school lowering job on my C10. I just wanted to drop an inch in the front so we heated with the cutting torch. I'm probably the only one that really notices the difference, but it made me happy. Didn't have any change in the ride quality, just notice the headlights are pointed too low now.

 

[K85 Octane]

Looks perfect

 

[mrk5]

I made a new sticker that is appropriate for my truck. Because it's loud I get people wanting to race all the time. I joke that I get more attention from dudes then a hot, big-boobed blonde in a convertible; they're always revving their engines and trying to show off when I'm driving next to them.

And their available in our Etsy store.

 

[82355]

A high school kid here in town had that on his Mustang a few years ago. It made me laugh.

Martin

 

[mrk5]

Here's a better stance photo.

 

[kennyw]

Here's a better stance photo.

View attachment 523230

Looks like a longfoot with the color scheme.

 

[mrk5]

I'm so used to a long bed that I think short bed trucks look oddly truncated.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I'm so used to a long bed that I think short bed trucks look oddly truncated.

I’m so used to my truck having the tool box on it that it looks extra long when it’s off.

 

[6872xtc]

I'm so used to a long bed that I think short bed trucks look oddly truncated.

That's been my perspective for years, even though I made the decision in the nineties to shorten my K10.
I just think that the lowered C10 shortbed thing makes the cab stick up too high.

 

[ktmoutfront]

A 1/2 ton short bed, is just a fat El Camino, without the good ride qualities.

 

[mrk5]

I want to put a power window in the passenger door. Will that be a pain in the ass with 1973 doors? Did they have factory power windows in 73?

I'm not worried about the wiring.

I'm only wanting to do the passenger window because of my dog. She loves putting her head out the window. And there are other times it's nice to be able to roll it down from the driver's seat.

 

[kennyw]

Did they have factory power windows in 73?

I think 77 was the first year.

 

[imiceman44]

I want to put a power window in the passenger door. Will that be a pain in the ass with 1973 doors? Did they have factory power windows in 73?

I'm not worried about the wiring.

I'm only wanting to do the passenger window because of my dog. She loves putting her head out the window. And there are other times it's nice to be able to roll it down from the driver's seat.

I put power windows on 73.
The door will accept it with a few added holes IIRC.
And power lock as well

 

[mrk5]

The ac compressor locked up on me yesterday. I have a serpentine setup I pulled from the junkyard and I'm thinking this might be a good time to swap that in. A replacement compressor is about as expensive as the parts I'll need for the serpentine conversion. My quandary is the new compressor setup. I'm 90% certain the brackets I pulled are for the pancake style ac compressor. I haven't found a lot of good info about swapping compressor styles. The big thing I'm wondering about is the hoses. Do they cross over or do I need something custom made? This is the first squarebody I've had with air conditioning so I don't know much about it.

 

[Wes Harden]

I am guessing your 73 has an A6 compressor ? Yep the serp belt set ups had/have an R4. You could probably source a R4 manifold hose hose assembly from an 80's square and make it work. You get a parallel flow condenser for same truck as hose.

If the 73 has a POA metering system you'll want to update that to an orifice tube type, witch will mean more hoses, an accumulator, and low pressure switch, if you have an electric fan on this one a trinary switch will also be a nice add. Hose can be made or sourced from a donor.

If I where going to go to all the trouble of redoing all the hoses and metering system, I would go to the Sanborn style compressor. The R4 has reliability issues.

 

[6872xtc]

I put a Sanden style, Chinese knock-off, on my '90 in 2018 when I swapped the body over to this chassis.
I got it from Max-Air AC parts, IIRC.
I used Dirty Dingo adapter kit.
I admit that it has low hours on it, but as of 2 weeks ago, it's still working well.
I had hoses custom made at NAPA, using a couple of ends that I had. It's not show quality, but it's been working well.

 

[ktmoutfront]

Don't run those Chinese Sanden pumps to 6500 RPM. They do not like it. Ask me how I know.