K10 Back-half Revamp! **posted wheelin' pics**

[Avery4jc]

TaDa! Here's my Rivets-b-gone method...

Took about 20 minutes to do all four of these...

The first pic shows my progression starting at the bottom left going clockwise... slices with the cut-off wheel... more slices... flat spade on the pneumatic chisel... then a punch on the chisel...

 

[Snoozer]

Constructive criticism

I agree that you should find a not-so-perfect bed to cut up for your frankenstein experiments... Your truck is NICE the way it sits!

I wish I lived closer to you. I'd offer my white, shortbed as a trade for yours. Mine is straight, but its not perfect like yours is. And you have the dual, square fuel doors that I want.

Colorado doesn't have the clean examples of CK's like yours. They put too much crap on the snowy roads that rusts them out!

More power to you. But if this is your first truck, I think you may regret it down the road, if it holds any sentimental value for you. If you ever decide to go back to the way it was, you'll be spending some major money to do so.Trust me. My brother just spend $1800 in body labor to get his near-perfect '74 K5 body issues fixed. And the problems were fairly minor IMO.

Nice work on the suspension mods though!

 

[FRIZZLEFRY]

Why would he want to start with a POS as a base for his build?So he has a nice truck that he wants to make more trail friendly,big deal.

There is nothing special about C or K series trucks.Cut it up and enjoy it

And you would be finished with the flip already if you were not takin all these pics and goofin off on the net

Cant wait to get started on the tube work

 

[Snoozer]

I guess we all have different preferences.

Enjoy.

 

[greengiant0311]

What exactly is going on? Are you doing the bed or the lift or the rear axle. All that was stated was rear end. Please explain. Anyone

 

[Merv]

Typical. People from the rust free states are all for cutting up a beutiful truck. There has got to be something less nice to start butchering.

 

[FRIZZLEFRY]

What exactly is going on? Are you doing the bed or the lift or the rear axle. All that was stated was rear end. Please explain. Anyone

I'm going to tube out the back with a halo behind the cab (a full cage is in the works down the road but for now this is a start). I'll cut the bedsides off the bed and come up with a way to quickly attach/remove them to the tube but I'm going to do a mini-boatside so the front of the bedsides will be at the normal width and the rear will be frame width.
My plan right now is to get the suspension done but I figured since the tube/bed work is next on my list I might as well remove it now... plus it makes it really easy to work on stuff without the bed in the way

I could be wrong,but I think this is it in a nutshell

Kind something like these but a little different and with bed sides.

 

[FRIZZLEFRY]

Typical. People from the rust free states are all for cutting up a beutiful truck. There has got to be something less nice to start butchering.

Typical comment from a guy who lives somewhere where they salt the roads

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Yeah, you CA and SW boys need to remember that these things aren't NEARLY as common in good shape in the rest of the country. That's why we cringe when we see you cutting on them.

Mine's in GREAT shape and I'm sure it needs new front wheel wells and probably a new D-side door, new rockers (going to do rock rails), front fenders, and I HAVE to do something soon about the bottom of the bed behind the rear tires as it's got a healthy coating of surface rust back there.
However my floorboards are A+ shape so that makes it head and shoulders better than most local vehicles.

 

[Snoozer]

Exactly!
I'm glad a few guys have chimed in. I was beginning to think I was the only one left who thinks this way!

Its like buying a perfectly good house and then tearing it down to build something else.

These CK trucks hold a classic style that just about every car enthursiast appreciates! Be they Ford, Mopar, or whatever enthusiasts.

 

[FRIZZLEFRY]

Its like buying a perfectly good house and then tearing it down to build something else.

I bought a perfectly good "house" and just keep tearing it down and rebuilding because I like the piece of property underneath it

 

[Snoozer]

Well, the 73-87 frame isn't exactly "prime real estate" to build on, if you know what I mean!

 

[FRIZZLEFRY]

Then what is going on here is perfectly fine

This is the age old purist vs. hot rodder debate...

 

[Ten_Bucks]

Subscribed. Can't wait to see how well this will turn out, Avery! You're off to a good start already.

Scott

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Then what is going on here is perfectly fine

This is the age old purist vs. hot rodder debate...

Not so much since most of us have modified trucks. Mine's cut up and slightly lifted with 38" tires.

However it's just harder for us to watch the massive truggy and buggy building a lot of folks out west do since we have a hard time finding a decent shape truck to even start with.

Think of it as "absence makes the heart grow fonder" in truck form. I lived in San Diego for 4 years so I appreciate all too well how much more common they are in great shape out your way.

 

[plumber mike]

It is sad to me,but I am excited for you.I would probably sell a $4000 truck and buy a $400 truck if I was just going to take it out and trash it.That would leave more money for the hardcore parts.Looking back to my high school days I scored a rust free 70 K5(rare in NY where I grew up) and proceeded to beat the sh!t out of it(while everyone around me cringed)I blew the rear and sold it for $500 which was what I payed so I thought I was doing good.I have always regretted what I did to that truck now that I see similar one's going for 8-10K.Nuff about me.More about your truck.Fiberglass bedsides with Dzus fasteners?I like where your build is going,but I too hate to see clean trucks get cut up. Good luck and have fun and ...keep us posted

 

[tymbom]

His name is on the title, so he can do what he wants to with his truck... He said he can't afford another truck to build on the first page. If you live somewhere where it is hard to find nice trucks then move. I like it.

 

[muddermilitia]

There is nothing special about C or K series trucks.

HOW DARE YOU!

Kind something like these but a little different and with bed sides.

Got any more pics of the one on the left? That's very similar to what I want to do to my rig

 

[original balzer]

Dang Avery you started a war!

Its looking good.

I too crave clean sheet metal living here in Utah but It to replace the crap I have now. Even on my beaters. My crew cab got the good doors off the red 83 and it will be a trail truck and get beat on and cut up. Its front fenders where rust free but they got cut as well. SO I cant rag on you, cut away my friend, cut away!

 

[Avery4jc]

Holy smokes... I don't even know where to start commenting on the last two pages so I won't.

All I can say is I'd rather start with a somewhat clean slate and build from there than start with a POS rust bucket that I have to fix a million things on before I can start building... plus I think we can all agree that a truck on the trails is better than letting it spend it's whole life cruising my butt to In-N'-Out on Friday nights.

Ok here's some progress pics... I put 5 coats of clear on the shackle flip brackets since I liked the way they looked in bare metal with the bluing from the welds so hopefully they won't rust but if they start to I'll just paint them down the road, it has a cool industrial look to it though.