1996 Chevrolet c3500HD CrewCab BEAST - Junkyard Rescue Take II

[CRF450R]

Long Term Plans:

454 Vortec; possible future upgrade to 8.1L or 12v Cummins
4L80e; Would prefer a NV4500
Grey Cloth Interior; want black interior with leather seats from newer Chevy
Regular Truck Bed; dually
2015+ Tow Mirrors (I don't like the west coast setup)
White or Black Paint
Window Tint
Overhead console
Headache Rack
Third Brake Light
GMC or Silverado Grille Swap with 88/89 headlights

I'm thinking it should stay 2WD. I don't want a stupid tall truck with a SAS if I am going to be potentially hauling goosenecks or fifth wheels.

Traded the guy this MacBook Pro for the truck. I was going to give him the iMac I bought from ebay for $104 but it is just too nice and I like it too much. Mid 2011 model too, got it stupid cheap.

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I'd say if you're starting from a truck like that build it the way you want from the start if you're thinking Cummins don't bother with the gas pig 454 the Cummins is an upgrade you'll never regret. Other then that sounds like a nice build I'd think twice about the 88-89 headlights they really make a truck look old never suited the 88-98 trucks and I'm told there very dim they make glass 90-98 style aftermarket headlights witch from what I here are a nice upgrade. That's a rare truck you got your hands on I always wondered why the upper body line ended behind the back door on them crew cabs I'd definitely continue that body line if I was building one.

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[GarrettGmc]

only if it's used commercially.

Not necessarily, you can have a little Toyota with a flat bed on it and you're supposed to stop. Anything with flatbed is, in chp, mind a commercial vehicle, one reason I never put one on the ram. But if he plans to put a bed on it they tend to let that slide more. Also since is rated for 15k I'm not to sure what dmv would class it as. Use to haul livestock so when i wanted a flatbed I got told by couple shops that even though it's a private vehicle I'd still have to stop

 

[Z71Hobbs]

I've been trying to look for wheels these past two days, and it's all a shitton of money. To buy four out of Florida on ebay would be $645.80 which I think is a little excessive for rusted out rims (probably from a flood truck lol). Or $278 for two rusty rims from Illinois. I posted on a Reno Buy/Sell group so hopefully someone has some by happenchance.

I swear if there is one thing I dislike about this truck, it's the fact that it was missing the rear wheels. I wish I could just fit 16" ford rims on it but it is literally impossible to fit those on the front due to the rotors and calipers being super huge.

Didn't realize how much of a unicorn these things really are! 10 lug problems

Here is a pic of one I'm trying to track down for you. Only pic I have, and it's from nov of 2016.

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[gstubbz]

I think I could register it as a 10,000gwvr although if I ever got weighed towing something heavy I would probably get boned. I like the idea of the regular bed because nobody would think anything different. Whenever I go to Susanville from my house there is a weigh station halfway through my trip and they usually are weighing trucks at least three times a week on my way to work.But personally I don't know anything really about the California truck laws outside of a bunch of money to register everything every year!

I'm still lost on the engine idea, I do think a cummins would be nice, I have personally never owned one and all the 12 valves I've been in (even modified ones) seemed gutless to me. Maybe a 24v would be a better option. For this truck I'm not really opposed to a manual or automatic, I would be cool with either. Good news is there is plenty of room for an intercooler!

Let me know @Z71Hobbs I need to find something before winter hits!

 

[GarrettGmc]

The 12v wasn't meant to be fast, yes some are depending on alot of factors, but they were meant to pull pretty much anything you hook to em. The best were 94 to 98 an even then still have some things that should be update such as the killer dowel pin. There's a couple companies that'll build crate motors and not to expensive but still more then what the 454 will cost.

I've come up empty on rims for ya. Unless some older semi rims would work but Idk if they would

 

[Tavi]

I say skip the 454 and Cummins. Start looking at a DT466 or 3306. Plenty of pulling power. Plus if I'm not mistaken. That was the original purpose of the spacer in the grill.

 

[gstubbz]

Hmmm, how about a 6V92 out of a bus? I don't even know how I would fit it or what kind of transmission setup I would go with lol

https://chico.craigslist.org/pts/d/552-detroit-diesel-engine/6240451378.html

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[Z71Hobbs]

Here is another option...he still has the wheels.

 

[Tavi]

Hmmm, how about a 6V92 out of a bus? I don't even know how I would fit it or what kind of transmission setup I would go with lol

https://chico.craigslist.org/pts/d/552-detroit-diesel-engine/6240451378.html

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With a welder and a BFH. There are lots of transmissions that will bolt up to that. Just need the proper bell housing. I'd opt for less gears. Probably 6. In a truck that light you'd be skipping gears all the time with anything more than 9.

 

[CRF450R]

There's a guy on YouTube with a 98 5.9 Cummins 3500HD with 18spd it's aswome. I'm the odd ball I'm for some reason really wanting a 6.5 1500 Z71 but I don't think a 6.5 would be happy in a massive 3500HD.

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