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'73 K5 - Stevoandaredk5's Build - [Pre-Summer Update - (4/5/11)]

Thanksgiving break, do some work!

motormech1 said:
Hey Stevo, don't know if you knew about this already but this gave me hell for a few months chasing a "phantom" leak. I was both pissed and releived when I found out. Hope it helps. http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/MysteriousSmallBlockChevyOilLeak.htm

Good luck and great build!
Kenny
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Awesome, thanks kenny! I've been sooo busy with school this semester, and tomorrow and Saturday are my first days at home in a few months that I'll be able to work on her. I'm gonna be looking at this oil leak, swapping a heater core, etc etc. Probably work on the 1st gen as well. Updates with pictures to come. :D
 
Made some headway over the break. Swapped in a new heater core (we think it was the original unit that failed, was about 3 times heavier than the new and had "Harrison" stamped in the end). Installed the ORD swaybar disconnects and poly bushings. Changed the oil from 20w50 back to 10w30 for the cold months.

The oil leak was still there with the 20w50, but only at highway speeds. With the switch back to 10w30, my oil pressure with the motor at operating temp (180 tstat) never went over 30psi (even at cruise), and the oil leak came back with a vengeance. i'm gonna have to get this figured out and soon.
 
It's not even cold yet! I think you pre-empted the cold weather oil change. As for the leak, it's less stressful to find it and fix it than to worry about what weight oil you have in it.
 
Recon! said:
It's not even cold yet! I think you pre-empted the cold weather oil change. As for the leak, it's less stressful to find it and fix it than to worry about what weight oil you have in it.
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yeah, but by the time i head back home in a few weeks, I bet it will be. It probably would've been fine. I could've worked on finding it over the break, but i didn't want to make it worse since I had to have my truck to drive back to Austin.
 
Haven't been able to do much over the break, but I pulled the truck bedbox cause it was way too big for my needs (I want to have room for a 35" spare eventually) and cause it was squeaking enough to drive me bonkers.

Went to the zone and picked up the $25 one-piece rubber Felpro oil pan gasket that comes with all new hardware, installed it this afternoon and changed the oil. First impressions look like that fixed the leak, but I won't know til I make a highway drive tomorrow.

My dad found a sweet deal on some Corbeau seat covers(Here) because the "super deal" seats I got, the top-side fabric is not holding up well. These black ones will look sweet with the red harnesses.

Other than rewiring my switch for the blower motor for heat, I won't do much else over break. Gonna work on the '58 Buick or my dad's 1st gen. :D
 
Rust is a real Beotch for sure.

I started on my 84 Diesel K5 last summer and got the body off and then found that it had quite a bit of rust and had been tweeked in a roll over.

The frame was straightened and looks fine but I decided to look for a better body.

Found a nice clean 85 K5 with a lovely body on it for $300 (Craigs List)

Going to swap everything good off the 84 Diesel onto/into the 85 rig and go that way.

Good luck on the project. Its all worth it when its done.


Snowy
 
A Small Update is Better Than No Update? (1/14)

Got my set of ORD swaybar discos installed a while back

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It's amazing how much of the binding they take out of the stock suspension. Can't wait for this summer to get the money together and get that 4" lift on.


Got out today and with my dads help, put the heater/blower motor on a relay, as well as replaced the horn relay.

Have yet to order up those Corbeau seat covers, and I need to do it soon:crazy::

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Also ditched the big aluminum toolbox (too big, squeaked, etc) and swapped over to this light plastic "Action Packer". I like it.

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I head back to Austin tomorrow sometime, to start up this Spring semester on Tuesday(my 20th Birthday). Grind it out and live for the summer. haha
 
Smokinthehippies said:
werent those seats like brand new?
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Oh yeah, but now i've found out why they were on super sale. That top cloth fabric just disintegrates. So do the straps that hold my harnesses in place over the backs. However, the vinyl looks primo. Awesome, even. So, Happy 20th Birthday to me from my parents, I'm gonna put a set of these black, all vinyl Corbeau seat covers on: Clicky.

I'm not happy, but it's not the end of the world, and I did get a sweet deal on the seats.
 
I remember the deal on those seats I even thought bout ordering some. I guess it's not terrible since it can be remedied. But still not what ya hope for
 
Smokinthehippies said:
I remember the deal on those seats I even thought bout ordering some. I guess it's not terrible since it can be remedied. But still not what ya hope for
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Yeah, it's frustrating to have something that looked so good come apart like that, but I just remember that if I add up the seats, mounting hardware, harnesses, and the seat covers, I'm still way under the price tag of just the seats from a place like PRP or Mastercraft. And it's not like i'm worried about something being a little rough looking on this ride...:haha:
 
Seat Covers & Some thoughts about lift - (2/3)

Well, alot of my tinker time over the break went to researching and working on one of these fine rides that I hope to have my sister in come summertime. This isn't a picture of the one at the house, but I don't have a good one on my pc. It's a restored, as-original, 1958 Buick Special. e.g.:

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I've been working on the signals and the brakes, but otherwise, the thing is in stellar shape. It's awesome to drive.

Anywho...:whistle:

Well, I got one Corbeau seat cover in (2nd should be on its way, mixup with the order, still got the pair for $100 :D). Haven't gotten over to the truck to do a test fit, but the quality is awesome. Gonna look great with those red Corbeau harnesses. I'll have to snip some stitching and then restitch to make slots for the lap belts, but that's no biggie. Pics will come asap after I make some progress.

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As for the lift, the more I read and think about it, the more I'm swayed toward saving up a little more money and going with Tuff Country springs instead of the ones from RC.

Ryoken was right:
i'd piece a kit together thru ORD... Stephen'll hook ya up with everything ya need for a good working 4" setup...
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Not only could I support a CK5 vendor (ORD?), but I really do want this thing to ride and flex as good as I can get it to. And I know that Stephen and the crew at ORD are the guys to call.

The lift is still a long time in the making. I've hopefully already got a job lined up for the summer, but being in the middle of my college career makes money tighter than I'd like, and the truck takes a backseat to school. I miss working on it while class is in session, and I'm itching to go try these seat covers on.
 
Slight Pre-Summer Update - (4/5)

Not a whole lot to update about sadly, I've been so busy with school as of late. In reality, my week of Spring Break I spent at home I worked mostly on that '58 Buick for my sister (Brakes and Signals are working :woot:) I want her to be driving that thing. Anyways:

Seats
Seat covers I ordered are made for stock Rhino/RZR (side-by-side) seats and not these size seats, and so they're too small. Kinda disappointing, but I never could get solid measurements on them from the web. So instead of dealing with a return, I've decided to have my upholstery guy work them into entire new covers for these suspension seats (keeping the Corbeau logos :pimp:) and then covering the back seat to match. Hopefully I'll get that accomplished sometime this summer.

Timing/Pinging
After the drive home for Spring Break, decided to back off the timing to get rid of the bit of pinging I was having on the highway going up hills. I had tried running higher octane fuel through it to no avail. Backed it off a few degrees, and it got better.

Decided that the ride back to Austin the weather was just too nice to ride with the top on :D:D

k5atxtopless.jpg


Ended up stopping on the side of the road on the way to back it off just a tad more, and now it's just about perfect. Probably sacrificed a bit of power somewhere, but the seat-of-the-pants-meter didn't notice any difference. Starts easier now and has a smoother idle as well.

Lift

After a lot of reading, I've decided to take Ryoken's (and abunch of other's) advice and work with ORD to run TC springs and all the goodies for a solid, flexible 4" setup. Whatever difference in coin will be worth the better performance and ride and customer service. I know Stephen and the guys at ORD will take care of me.:waytogo:

The plan is to lift it and then hopefully find a body donor vehicle for the quarter panels, doors, etc. that are rusted out/Bondo-ed up. Now that the drivetrain is beginning to iron out, now I can make it look a bit better, and slightly more stock.

I'm gonna have to wait on the lift for now, as I'm moving into an apartment here in Austin at the end of the summer, and have some school expenses that are higher on the priority list.

Hands down, this is still the best $25 I spend every year. Hats off to you guys. :bow:
 
Looks good. Not to be rude, but about how much did that rear seat job set you back?
 
chalet2506 said:
that's not bad. Thinking about going the refurb route on my 72's rear seat.
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Not too bad at all. After the hassle I had installing the aftermarket front buckets, I didn't want to deal with all that again. I know this rear seat fits and bolts up. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. :haha:
 
yep. Sometimes better to use the oe stuff, much less hassle. What kind of material is the bench seat upholstery? Looks like some of that newfangled naugahide stuff.
 
chalet2506 said:
yep. Sometimes better to use the oe stuff, much less hassle. What kind of material is the bench seat upholstery? Looks like some of that newfangled naugahide stuff.
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As far as I can tell, it's just some really nice vinyl. I like them alot. PICS:

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