1991 RCLB Driver

dave_erald said:

Surprising amount of rot in this thing, where did it spend most of its life?

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This is not rot. Check out JustinS 496 build thread if you want to see real rot. What I have is peeling and it's really not bad. I assume this truck has spent 25 years in NY. I wouldn't have bought it if the frame was worse or had holes in it. I don't do the rotted frame thing. The body is bad, I know this but it's all correctable. If the frame were shot I would have dumped the project. What I see is a frame that wants to be nice but needs some elbow grease. I work in stages so stay tuned.


If this tells you anything: the dust shield bolts came out with just a 3/8 ratchet. No heat, no stripping and no broken bolts. I have yet to take a torch to anything I have done to this truck.

Some people start with the body work and then sort the truck out, I work the other way by sorting the truck out then worrying about the body work. I would hate to drop G's into the body only to find out something catastrophic mechanically. Then I would be stuck with a pretty truck that doesn't move versus an ugly truck that runs like a top. Plus I like that I can drive it to Lowes and people won't park near it...exact opposite of my green Nissan that only goes to the ice cream shop and back on nice days. I feel if the truck looks the part it must act the part, if it's nice looking and runs like ****...shame on me.

That's my own fault for saying rot, I keep looking at new vehicles or finished projects and then I go back and look at other peoples projects and get the wrong impression. And I keep forgetting where my vehicles have started and a lot of the other vehicles that drive around my place are currently.

My bad, no insult intended.


I remember when I put together my blue 2wd the front brakes had two options regular and Heavy duty and you couldn't use pads with the other rotors, or rotors with the other calipers or some BS like that, I never got into it with the parts store because I didn't really bother to ask. But you are using C3500 calipers which is completely different right?

If i'm not mistaken, 88-91 regular cabs pretty much all came with the smaller front rotors, and 88-91 extended cabs, and all c1500s regardless of body type 92 and up came with the larger rotors. I believe I read it somewhere on here, but I think the spindle shaft is a little bit shorter on the smaller rotor style since its not as thick.

I bought dropped spindles for my Blue 2wd and I couldn't honestly tell you if it asked me one way or the other about brakes or otherwise, all I remember is 88-94 2" drop

dave_erald said:

My bad, no insult intended.

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No worries man! I am not offended. It does have its issues. I am just enjoying owning a GMT!

Love my Dremel!!! It made short order of removing the molten mess that used to be bolts and nuts used to hold the brake hoses to the upper control arms.




Next I wiggled my fat ass under the truck to remove the final front brake line, the one that travels under the engine oil pan. The line looked factory with OEM looking bends, not shade tree mechanic like it is going to look after I am done LOL! (no pics of fat ass under the truck...sorry).

Added a new sticker for additional HP.




That's all I got until I get rotors(still researching). Hopefully this week then I can start putting this beast back together.

In the guitar world we call all the items that come with the guitar (owners manual, tools, stickers, ect.) 'case candy'. Well digging through this trucks owners manual I found some 'case candy'. Pretty cool!

Rotors ordered. I'll have them Friday. Next I need brake line and fittings. Truck seems to use both 1/4" and 3/16" lines with 1/2-20 and 3/8-24 inverted flare fittings. I have a small roll of 3/16" line left over but no 1/4". I might just buy a couple pre-made lines of 1/4" since I need than a foot of it. The 3/16" line I will have to cut and crimp myself. Well at least I will be able to continue on the project soon.

Rotors arrived, looking good. Also finally purchased banjo bolts. Not sure how much time I will have to work on the beast this weekend but if the chance comes up you know I will be working on it.

Got home early so I repacked the bearings and proceeded to install the rotor and caliper on the right side. It's dark out and I get scared of ghosts so I called till tomorrow.