Piecing together a full vert! (This Blows)

[Rugby_7]

A little Progress

Got my steering brace all welded up. Not too many pics I'm sure everyone has seen it done. Removed my front body mounts and spring hangers in anticipation of the A-bomb coming. Cant wait until it shows up!

Also had a successful trip to the salvage yard. Got the grill brackets and center for a 73-74 front grill, unfortunately the grill was missing a chunk in the corner. Got a shift indicator for an overdrive transmission when I get my 4l60e. Got a shift handle. Finally i got tailgate straps and mounts for my current tailgate and for the tailgate I want to get. I have a 2nd design one (says Chevrolet on the right side) I want the 1st style with Chevrolet in the middle. I'm keeping my eye out for a clean one.

 

[Rugby_7]

Came home today and this was at my door

 

[Rugby_7]

The thing is huge! I had to see how it looked mounted up man is it hard to do by yourself, I cant imagine lifting it with a winch too. Now to get it all painted up.

 

[Rugby_7]

On a side note got my junkyard scores cleaned up and painted

 

[GWeakland620]

Lookin good!

 

[Rugby_7]

A little more progress on the blazer. I got my A-Bomb all mounted up. That thing is a beast! Really stiffened up my front end. Kert and Diy4X have great customer service, I buggered up one of the inside brackets trying to pull it together and Kert sent me a new one.
To fit stock style springs all that needs to be done is cut back the front bushings 1/4" on each side and bolt up in the first hole

 

[Rugby_7]

Another part came in that I have been really looking forward to after seeing it so many other build threads, the TNA engine cross member. This thing is really heavy duty and everything is build with so much precision! I cant wait to paint it and have it mounted! Such an improvement over the stock stuff

 

[Rugby_7]

I also mounted up the tailgate, mostly for fun and to see how it looked. I'm still searching for the earlier model tailgate but this will do for now.

 

[Rugby_7]

Well had a busy week last week. We moved from La Crosse to Oregon WI. The downside is going to be a little while until I can get much work done on the K5 but the bright side is I get a bigger garage!
I put my front clip on to make moving everything a little easier. I was surprised of how well it lined up, its not perfect but works for moving. It's only held up by the front body mounts and two fender bolts.

Front clip

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

Loaded up

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

Ready to go

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

New Garage

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

Side view

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

In garage

• Rugby_7
• Oct 6, 2015

 

[campfire]

Oregon, eh? Looks like you're right on the edge of Mad-town. We come through there on US151 every couple months (or so). Lemme know if you ever wanna meet up.

You're also about an hour from streetrodchev. Time for a mini CK5 gathering!

 

[Rugby_7]

Oregon, eh? Looks like you're right on the edge of Mad-town. We come through there on US151 every couple months (or so). Lemme know if you ever wanna meet up.

You're also about an hour from streetrodchev. Time for a mini CK5 gathering!

Sounds like a good idea! It will be a little more fun once mine runs under its own power. Yup just right on the edge, still getting use to getting around the area. Wasn't much fun driving through town with the 20' U haul and car trailer with all the traffic .

 

[campfire]

Sounds like a good idea! It will be a little more fun once mine runs under its own power. Yup just right on the edge, still getting use to getting around the area. Wasn't much fun driving through town with the 20' U haul and car trailer with all the traffic .

Yeah, welcome to da big city. It's not that large of a city, but it seems to have the crummy traffic patterns of a much larger town. I'm happy to avoid it. What brought you there from La Crosse?

I feel your pain when it comes to trailering though Madison. I recently came through there driving my Suburban, towing my Blazer, dealing with a failing 700R4 tranny (Read about it here). THAT was unfun. And the next 3 hours of road time were no fun. And running out of radiator water right at the end was even less fun. Come to think of it, I lost an alternator belt on the trip South to go pick up the Blazer. So I had two breakdowns in a row. In Madison. At the same intersection.

Thankfully, my more recent trips through Madison have been uneventful. Otherwise I probably wouldn't wanna ever go back through there.

 

[Rugby_7]

Yeah, welcome to da big city. It's not that large of a city, but it seems to have the crummy traffic patterns of a much larger town. I'm happy to avoid it. What brought you there from La Crosse?

I feel your pain when it comes to trailering though Madison. I recently came through there driving my Suburban, towing my Blazer, dealing with a failing 700R4 tranny (Read about it here). THAT was unfun. And the next 3 hours of road time were no fun. And running out of radiator water right at the end was even less fun. Come to think of it, I lost an alternator belt on the trip South to go pick up the Blazer. So I had two breakdowns in a row. In Madison. At the same intersection.

Thankfully, my more recent trips through Madison have been uneventful. Otherwise I probably wouldn't wanna ever go back through there.

WOW! That is an eventful trip, going to be some great memories. That is really cool your wife tackled that gauge cluster! You got some good speeds coming out of your burb, our farm truck with the 6.2 only see's that going downhill
We got here from my Lady getting a new job. Oregon was close to her workplace but yet far enough away where it is a little quieter. I'm finding all the places I need to go without venturing into Madison too much.

 

[Rugby_7]

Started disassembling my "rust free" "1977" front clip. After a little further inspection I found some cancer on the inside lips on the front of the hood and it looks to be some more on the inside of the core support. The core support seems to be from a 1973-74 truck based on the bolt holes with captured nuts by the headlights and the curved center mount. So the front clip turned out to not be 100% rust free or from 1977 (year doesn't bother me) but for $100 cant complain too much. The fenders and inner fenders seem to be solid so far. I will have to look more into the rust to see if it something to be fixed or to be replaced. I'm going to ditch the aftermarket bar grille for a more nostalgic look of the 73-74 sunken grille.

Hood Off

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

Hood Corner rust 1

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

Hood Corner rust 2

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

Grill Bolt Holes

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

Grill Center Support

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

Grill

• Rugby_7
• Oct 7, 2015

 

[campfire]

WOW! That is an eventful trip, going to be some great memories.

Yes. That is definitely one for the record books. With the howling of the engine in 3rd gear, our ears were all hurting for that last 3 hours. My baby daughter pretty much cried the whole way from Madison to home. Not something that will fade from memory for a while.

 

[campfire]

That is really cool your wife tackled that gauge cluster!

I'm glad she tackled the gauge cluster. She's just awesome like that! The last several weekends she has been helping me re-build the roof on our house.

It's worth noting that the cluster is not noticeably brighter now that it was before. I think it's actually dimmer than Big Blue's cluster. Not sure why. There are other members on here who have used those LEDs and had great results.

 

[campfire]

You got some good speeds coming out of your burb, our farm truck with the 6.2 only see's that going downhill

Keep in mind that the speedometer in that truck lies to you by 10% or so. And the engine is spinning faster than I prefer when going those speeds. But my K10, with 3.08 gearing, is still happy at 75MPH and above. Happier than I am, that's for sure! I get a little bit of culture shock every time I leave the woods. Up here we're surrounded by fairly empty 2-lane roads with 55MPH speed limits. So traveling down to the inhabited regions requires a whole different style of driving.

 

[campfire]

We got here from my Lady getting a new job. Oregon was close to her workplace but yet far enough away where it is a little quieter. I'm finding all the places I need to go without venturing into Madison too much.

Sounds good! Staying outside Madtown is alright by me.

 

[AbramJ]

Truck looks great so far. In your picture you have labeled as the grill bolt holes those look more like the bolt holes for the battery tray hanger to me. I'm on my phone, though, so I might have missed which ones you meant.

 

[Rugby_7]

Truck looks great so far. In your picture you have labeled as the grill bolt holes those look more like the bolt holes for the battery tray hanger to me. I'm on my phone, though, so I might have missed which ones you meant.

Thank you! They look to be in the same position as the the brackets I removed for the 73-74 grille at the junkyard. They could also do the work of holding the battery tray. I could be wrong though. Ill check it out tonight.
From this article it looks like they are mount holes: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/1973-1980-chevy-square-front-clip-grille-swap/

Grille Parts

• Rugby_7
• Oct 8, 2015