79 C20- yes i said C20

[AntiBling]

i might as well start a build page for my project truck.


the previous owner named her Betsy. she is a 1979 Chevy standard cab long bed TWO WHEEL DRIVE 3/4 ton truck. the truck has lived in las Vegas since new and has no rust anywhere. the rubber has all but rotted away and i have been replacing cab mounts, door seals, window seals.

she runs a 350 crate motor with some RV cam that was installed a few years before i picked her up but i have added a few things to bump up the performance. like an Edelbrock manifold, edelbrock 600 cfm carb, MSD distributor, MSD 6a ignition box with adjustable timing controller, powermaster 160a alternator, high flow water pump, Holley fuel pump and out of the factory exhaust manifolds a 2 into one exhaust with 3 inch flowmaster muffler that cuts out right before the rear axle.
the front suspension has Fabtec 4 inch coil springs. the shocks had to be replaced so a set of rancho 5000's have been added. to get the ball joints to work with the new springs i flipped the upper ball joint to under the a arm and a spacer was installed between the ball joint and the control arm. the rear suspension is bone stock down to the shocks. it does have a rake typical of a "prerunner" but i don't mind. it also rode like a brick until i added a dual battery set up. still rides a bit stiff, but better with the added weight.
i have wired just about everything like headlights and horns to relays and the headlights have been swapped out for H4 conversion bulbs. then i added HIDs to those. don't worry it works great, the beam has good cut off and doesn't glare oncoming drivers.
in the cab i have added autometer gauges to the dash. (oil pressure, water temp, voltage, tach, fuel level) a wide band O2 sensor/gauge is ready to go in as soon as the new exhaust system is built.
in the bed i have a standard aluminum tool box that i am setting up for expedition type of travel. i have two yellow top batteries, jumper cables, two 800w inverters and plans to mount my hi-lift jack and shovel to the box. i will add an air compressor system in there as well as some way to charge the system via solar and the alternator off the motor. also i have two spare tire mounts (but only one is being used right now)

the first rule is to not have the truck down (non-drivable) for any length of time. a parked project grows weeds better that one that runs and drives.
i plan on converting the truck to 4wd with a ORD coil spring front suspension. Muddysub is donating a 8 lug front axle (not a dana 60 but better than nothing) and that needs a way to be mounted. then i will tackle the drive train by adding either an 5 speed modern manual transmission or swap in a 700r transmission along with a np205 transfer case. the rear 14ff rear axle will stay. i will re gear later but the 3.73 in both front and rear axles should be fine for what i will be doing. the rear suspension will get different spring hangers, springs and shocks. this should be the easiest part because those parts are easy to get and install.

i have a tube bender and two welders so tube bumpers and brush guards will be fabricated along with a chase truck rack going over the cab and front part of the bed area. my dream would be to retrofit a 6.0 and a matching transmission but budget will have to catch up after the suspension as it gets priority.



my to do list so far:
install electric fuel pump
install fuel filter/water separator
buy/install dual oil filter set up
install roller rocker arms
install headers
build new exhaust system
buy/install new radiator

install dual 12 inch pusher radiator fans to supplement the mechanical fan

wire HID off road lights

buy/install LED lights in grill
install wide band sensor/gauge
replace rear spring mounts over to 4wd units
install stereo and speakers
install CB and antennae

buy/install HAM radio and antennae

buy/install Off road designs coil over front suspension system

buy/install 4 inch rear springs and shocks (maybe shackle flip)

build "chase truck" rack

build rock sliders

build front and rear bumpers

add suburban 40 gal fuel tank

wire rear 12v power to front battery setup for self recovery/charging

build on board air compressor system

convert manual transmission over to automatic overdrive transmission

buy/install transfer case and rebuild drive lines

buy install 37 inch military hummer wheels and tires

convert to EFI (maybe a 5.3 or 6.0 swap)

 

[Deuling]

Subscribed

 

[AntiBling]

ok good news. ORD stated that the coilover kit WILL fit my truck. i will have to replace the cross member but i was already anticipating that. since the truck is already 2wd the steering box will work with the set up as well.

since the kit will run over $3000 with the options i will need to finish (like brake lines and other odds and ends i'm sure will come up) i will have to save up to get it. i will be doing other projects until the funds are enough for the coilover kit.

 

[AntiBling]

picture added to the first post and a couple of other ones posted here.....older pics but you get the idea of what o am working with.

 

[muddysub]

i've always loved Betsy, can't wait to see her evolve into what she's meant to be!

 

[Deuling]

I'm really excited to see the coiled front.

It's gonna be one bad rig I feel

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

I like it.... I dunno why.... But I like it.

 

[AntiBling]

update:

plans have been altered a bit.

after visiting Muddysub yesterday, and talking about the direction he was taking with his build, a closer realistic cost benefit analysis, alterations have to be made to my build.

i will be still swapping in a front axle (picked up from Muddysub yesterday) but i might have to rethink the link front suspension. for how i will be driving this rig and the money investment, i am now looking at a leaf spring set up in the front. Muddysub provided a source for the 5.3 motor/electronics as a whole package. the package cost less than what it would be to rebuild the motor i already have. then the added cost of upgrading that small block to an aftermarket EFI would add more money to that. so that didnt take much thought to go the 5.3 route. even with motor mounts and crossmembers already being part of my suspension/drivetrain budget already how could i NOT go this route?

so now i have a 8 lug 10 bolt sitting in the back of my truck that will be gone through and upgraded for cross over steering. i will take measurements of Muddysub's frame rails and compare them to my frame and parts will be ordered for suspension parts. i am kind of bummed about not going down the 4 link route. but i have to be realistic here. this truck will not be a hardcore rock crawler. it will be mostly daily driven and taken down dirt roads and light/medium trails pulling about 500-700 of gear in the bed and pulling a 1500# expo trailer. so, i think the front 10 bolt should be fine with an open diff, 3.73's and 35 inch tires. the 14bolt in the rear will get a detroit locker, a resealand upgrade to rear disk brakes and a line lock to act as a parking brake.

the transmission is another issue i need to think about a little more. i was leaning towards the 700R4 transmission because it would be easy to bolt to the rear of the small block i already have but since i am going to a 5.3 i could go with a 4L60-E or Its Big Brother The 4L80-E. i am leaning towards the 4L80-E. i will have to source that as well but i have a budget so first things first.

 

[Cili]

You could do a radius arm and coil spring setup in the front. When you add all the costs up it is very comparable to leaf springs and should ride and handle better.

 

[Deuling]

You could do a radius arm and coil spring setup in the front. When you add all the costs up it is very comparable to leaf springs and should ride and handle better.

I know wish I would have

 

[AntiBling]

i havent ordered any parts as of yet. i will look into the radus arm set up. thanks for the heads up. any links to this type of set up?

 

[y5mgisi]

Subscribed!

 

[Mr.Clean]

Truck already looks awesome. Guage cluster is sweet

 

[Cili]

Ik folkenheath on here has a nice radius arm setup, although with coil overs. My plan is to buy some coils from BDS for like a 6 inch lift for an f150 and build te arms with a big heim on the frame end and bushings at the axle end all from ruff stuff. And if you don't have the skills/time to build all the brackets, ruff stuff has those too.