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'79 K20 Minor Mods. 203 is out.
- Thread starter Mark1968
- Start date
I'm on call this weekend so I didn't plan on getting much done. Started the day with a no heat call but had nothing else come in thanks to decent weather. I didn't want to tear anything up too much in case I got another call, so I gutted the interior in preparation of the 4 speed swap.
While I've got everything apart I'm gonna do floors, rockers and probably cab corners. The running boards will go back on until I tear them off on something.
I still lack locking hubs for the front and to somehow reconnect my e-brake. It's a bit too short after putting the lift on. I'm thinking about making a dropped bracket to hook the rear cables to.
One side of the cab floor had been patched previously with pop rivets and silicone. Lots of silicone. Gonna cut that out and burn some proper metal in. Also found this groovy orange carpet underneath the drivers side. Thinking about covering the floors in that instead of a rubber mat.
While I've got everything apart I'm gonna do floors, rockers and probably cab corners. The running boards will go back on until I tear them off on something.
I still lack locking hubs for the front and to somehow reconnect my e-brake. It's a bit too short after putting the lift on. I'm thinking about making a dropped bracket to hook the rear cables to.
One side of the cab floor had been patched previously with pop rivets and silicone. Lots of silicone. Gonna cut that out and burn some proper metal in. Also found this groovy orange carpet underneath the drivers side. Thinking about covering the floors in that instead of a rubber mat.
We had a good weekend here for working outside. Had thursday and friday off, which is unusual for an hvac man in the summer time. Thursday was our 10th anniversary, friday started one of the bigger swap meet/car shows in the area http://ohioswapmeet.com/. It's worth the trip if you are within 2 hours or so of springfield.
The wife and I headed off but not before throwing the wagon in the back of the truck. It usually hauls my youngest one, today it hauled parts. I have to give some credit to my wife, she seems to have the uncanny ability to spot things that I would have overlooked. And she pulls the wagon while I'm busy scouting ahead. What a champ. We found a vendor selling sheet metal made in the US of A, somewhere upstate.
So far it all seems to fit well. Real nice guy too, gave me a discount since I bought so much. I would see him again soon..
The wife and I headed off but not before throwing the wagon in the back of the truck. It usually hauls my youngest one, today it hauled parts. I have to give some credit to my wife, she seems to have the uncanny ability to spot things that I would have overlooked. And she pulls the wagon while I'm busy scouting ahead. What a champ. We found a vendor selling sheet metal made in the US of A, somewhere upstate.
So after we got back I was ready to do the 4 speed swap, with 5 days off I figured that would be plenty of time to get it swapped over and tuned in. The wife wanted me to do sheet metal work instead (probably didn't want to lose a flip flop in the gaping hole in my passenger floor). So I did that instead because hey, I like to weld stuff.
Tore out the previous patching that was done. Wasn't too bad, lots of silicone and probably a dozen aluminum pop rivets.
Got that off.
A decent shot of my rocker
Tore out the previous patching that was done. Wasn't too bad, lots of silicone and probably a dozen aluminum pop rivets.
Got that off.
A decent shot of my rocker
WTH is this? I think it used to be undercoating. Burns really well.
I should mention that's about as far as I got that first night. The inlaws came over, a buddy came over. Then rain came over and I was done. That's about the time I realized I needed inner rockers. And I have had plenty of people tell me I can fab them and I'm sure I could have. But I figured by the time I had one side fab'd up, I could have driven back to springfield, bought two inners and been back. So the next day that's what I did. An hour and 5 to get there, $7 to get in, 20 min to find the guy and get my stuff and another hour and 5 to get home. It was worth it IMO. The inners fit up real decent. It's a shame I ended up cutting it about 1/4"too short.
I should mention that's about as far as I got that first night. The inlaws came over, a buddy came over. Then rain came over and I was done. That's about the time I realized I needed inner rockers. And I have had plenty of people tell me I can fab them and I'm sure I could have. But I figured by the time I had one side fab'd up, I could have driven back to springfield, bought two inners and been back. So the next day that's what I did. An hour and 5 to get there, $7 to get in, 20 min to find the guy and get my stuff and another hour and 5 to get home. It was worth it IMO. The inners fit up real decent. It's a shame I ended up cutting it about 1/4"too short.
I had read in car craft or somewhere the real nice way to fit and butt weld panels is by overlapping them and then making a small cut right at the seam. So I figured I'd give it a shot. Got a small piece of scrap and dialed in the welder best I could, I've not done thin sheet metal in about 3 years. I wasn't real good at it then but I had high hopes.
Looks decent. Started making the cut.
Little more. Doesn't look horrible yet.
Looks decent. Started making the cut.
Little more. Doesn't look horrible yet.
This is where I lost daylight and pulled off for the night. Over towards the right corner there's a mass of booger welds I tried to build up because the metal was thin.
Casualties for the weekend are one good pair of pants, one good shirt, my left shoe and a bit of pride when the neighbors saw me hop around and scream trying to get that shoe off. They are nice people though, they tolerate me tearing things apart in the driveway and don't complain when they hear the song of the angle grinder at 9pm at night.
All in all a decent weekend.
Casualties for the weekend are one good pair of pants, one good shirt, my left shoe and a bit of pride when the neighbors saw me hop around and scream trying to get that shoe off. They are nice people though, they tolerate me tearing things apart in the driveway and don't complain when they hear the song of the angle grinder at 9pm at night.
All in all a decent weekend.
Good job!
I use that sheetmetal technique all the time. You get a "feel" for the cutoff wheel riding along the outer sheetmetal patch and it makes a perfect match to the other part.
-G
I use that sheetmetal technique all the time. You get a "feel" for the cutoff wheel riding along the outer sheetmetal patch and it makes a perfect match to the other part.
-G
Minor update, I've not done much of anything. I do residential hvac service and I've been slammed. Too hot and tired when I get home at night to do much of anything except hold down the couch.
Although I did make a minor purchase recently. I probably should not have, but you only live once I suppose.
Although I did make a minor purchase recently. I probably should not have, but you only live once I suppose.
Minor update. Drivers side floor is done, it turned out real decent. 
I'm waiting on some sheet metal for the passenger side so I decided to put my hydro pedals in. This one is missing some meat where the rod from the master rides, so I tried to fill it in with some weld. It took 2 or 3 times tacking and grinding but it came out alright. 
I'm waiting on some sheet metal for the passenger side so I decided to put my hydro pedals in. This one is missing some meat where the rod from the master rides, so I tried to fill it in with some weld. It took 2 or 3 times tacking and grinding but it came out alright. 
y5mgisi
1 ton status
I seem to have missed this one. Subscribed.
Ordered about $400 bucks worth of stuff from lmc today. Also found a couple of parts for my 6.0 in a yard, oil fill and dipstick. The motor is from a 2004 van, the van oil fill and dipstick are a mile long since the van motors sit so far back. Also drilled a couple holes in the firewall for the clutch master. My drill battery died before I could drill the last. This truck has a 350/400/203, the large open hole is where the rubber plug went for the 400 kick down wire. Also cleaned up the 4 speed and t case. looks like the trans is leaking from the front, rear and pto covers.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Sweet!
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Ooops.
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
I love CK5 , in comparison to other "build" sites.... 
On CK5 it's like, "Minor Mods".... Like a 4-speed swap.
On CK5 it's like, "Minor Mods".... Like a 4-speed swap.
I love CK5 , in comparison to other "build" sites....
On CK5 it's like, "Minor Mods".... Like a 4-speed swap.
Compared to some of the build threads on here, a 4 speed swap is pretty minor.
Subscribed for my two favorite things: LS motors and manual transmissions 
