78 K20 Custom Deluxe - "modern meets vintage"

[K20Chevrolet]

Hi everyone,

after getting asked a few times on starting a build thread on my truck, here it goes. It will take me a while to upload the pics and info, so please be patient. Its been 12 years of on and off work already, so lots of pictures...

Infos to the truck:

78 K20 custom delux with the J55 HD brake option, HD front and rear springs and shocks, sliding rear window, LS9 350 4bb V8, SM456 4 speed, NP205, 7.50-16 E tires, painted step rear bumper and push button radio, and the gage package with volt, coolant temp and oil pres., that´s about it.

Not much is still the way it came from the factory, but you´ll see after I get the pics up bit by bit...

 

[K20Chevrolet]

this is how it started. still at the former owners place in 2002



home with me (nad as you´d expect in the north east, bad shape):

 

[K20Chevrolet]

valve spring broke, so engine work:

 

[K20Chevrolet]

Ok, here is some more from a few years ago....

after some new wheels and a good polish and wax:





taken apart for paint:






(new replacement 20 gal plastic tanks, the old ones were rusted right through..


this is with the original hood, but the aftermarket fenders in place (big mistake, will never do the aftermarket stuff again on sheet metal!!!)

 

[K20Chevrolet]

after paint (GM arrival blue metallic):





lift kit install: 4" superlift soft ride front springs, ORD HD shakles with greasable bushings, 5.5" superlift rear springs with longer ORD HD rear shakles and also greasable bushings and poly bump stops all around.

 

[K20Chevrolet]

New wheels and tires:

35x12.50R17 Pro Comp Xterrains on 17x9 Pro Comp 6095 Xtreme Alloys



installed on the truck:

 

[K20Chevrolet]

after changing the sealed beams (candle lights) to H4 clear glass lights, which already made a difference, I still didn´t think the lights were good enough.

This time I went all out, getting the best that was on the market in ´06: 90mm Hella Bi-Xenon (HID) modules with e-code beam pattern. These are OEM low and high beam HID´s with shutters to operate the low/high function. And these have a perfect cut off, so no blinding oncoming traffic and light goes where it should. Boy what a difference!!
And to take it even further than any truck I know off I went with what is mandatory in Europe for HID lights, a automatic leveling system, so the lights stay level no matter what. Two ultra sonic sensor measure the distance to the ground in the front and the back. When you accelerate or load the truck and the rear sags, the lights adjust down, when you hit the brakes really hard, the lights adjust up, so you can still see where you´re going. Expensive, but very trick setup and the output is amazing, because you always have the light pattern stay the same. And you never blind oncoming traffic, no matter what load is in the back of the truck...

I would dare to say no other truck has adaptive Bi-Xenon lights.... correct me if I´m wrong...

low beam:



high beam:

 

[K20Chevrolet]

Then the transmission got swapped from a SM465 to a brand new ZF S6 650 6 speed manual with an Atlas II 4.3 t-case.





This transmission is huge!!

It required fabbing a new transmission hump in the cab.

 

[K20Chevrolet]

The original 350 also had to go about a year after for something more powerful and fuel efficient. A GM performance parts L92 crate engine with VVT and full 2008 emission system.





ECU and fues box



Air filter



aluminum radiator with dual 16" fans



ORD HD crossmember and competition style motor mounts



and the new autometer gauges that had to be used with the new motor

day



night

 

[K20Chevrolet]

here is the beast running:



and an inside video (sorry crappy, but I needed on hand to shift) to show how smooth the transmision shifts and the combo works together



and for good measure the stock dyno sheet... the tune has been modified though, she´s got a little more now....

 

[76zimmer]

pretty sweet rebuild, nicely done!
I really like the old maroon color, but the new blue looks good too.

What did you do for the fuel system?

 

[K20Chevrolet]

pretty sweet rebuild, nicely done!
I really like the old maroon color, but the new blue looks good too.

What did you do for the fuel system?

Thanks! Actually the blue will also change when I do the final body work. I might work the original maroon in there somehow. But undecided yet, there are other things to work on before picking the final color!

The fuel system AT FIRST was an original Cadillac Escalade tank with fuel pump. the tank had to be mounted into the bed, which sucked, but it was good enough to make it run. Last May I changed the tank to a custom built 45 gal aluminum tank that sits behin the rear axle, uses a 2008 GMC DEnali fuel pump, holly fuel filter and pres regulator.

Still need to build a filler neck somehow. Not sure where I´ll put that yet. Pics of that will follow....

 

[K20Chevrolet]

this is my new monster front axle:
Dynatrac high pinion Pro series D60, 4.88 gears, ARB, chromolly shafts, F550 inner and outer "C"´s and complete front brake system. these brakes are huge!





and the new rear axle:

Van width (70" wide) 14 bolt FF with 4.88 gears, ARB, Mag Hytech diff cover and dodge 3500 SRW brakes with internal parking brake and custom flanges. These are large as well and work great!





that´s how it looks under the truck

 

[K5Titan83]

This is sweet I really like the idea of new drive train in old body. I really wanna do this to my 83 k5, but anyways this truck is gonna be sick can't wait to see more pics

 

[79rustyk10]

This build is F-in sweet. That's quite the HD setup.

 

[Deuling]

Dayum!!!

Badarse!!!

 

[stan1688]

This build is awesome!

I'm guess from the pics that you used projectors with the HIDs? If so, any pics of the retrofit? I'd like to put some projectors on my truck one of these days.

That front 60 is pretty sweet, too. I imagine it wasn't cheap, though.

 

[max 02]

Awesome Dude!
Not much I don't like about anything you've done...actually I like everything you've done!!

 

[76zimmer]

Dream drivetrain going on here!
I'll be keeping an eye on this build...

I got a bunch of family close to you in the Dexter, Old town, and Millinocket areas, as well up by Shin Pond. love it up there!

 

[magik235]

Outstanding build.