Squirrelly McNuts
Newbie
Firstly if you don't get the quote reference then watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Now I will be laying out my entire build plan first. Then I will post links to the individual sub-builds as I do them, with some photos and summery here. So this will be the hub/summery of the entire project. This will not be a quick project by any means.
So what am I stating with? A 1994, C 1500, Silverado with a 350, 4l60e and a 3.73 open diff. In the interest of full discloser I was, until I got this truck, strictly a Ford guy. While I really like this truck there are some things I still like better about Fords. But I digress. I bought this truck because I needed a daily that could pull a 27 foot fifth wheel camper. At the time I was looking I could not find anything in my price range that was not a rusted pile. Any one in NY will tell you trucks are hard to fined for a reasonable price and not trashed. Also I wanted an extended cab, stick shift and 2 wheel drive. I got this truck because it was in really good body shape for around here. I gave up on the stick because they are just imposable to fined now a days. It had some problems when I got it. Notably the exhaust was mostly missing and leaking at the manifold. The driver's seat was rocking and it was not running right. All of which is why I got it at a rock bottom price for around here of $2,500. I fixed the seat with little issue as well as the exhaust (plus it gave me an excuse to put a 3" cat back exhaust on it). The running issue fix was a little bit of a happy surprise. My normal procedure with new to me vehicle (yes I have a procedure. I have had a lot of used cars and most of them in the last 3 years.) is to give it a full tune up and see where that leaves me. I find that most issues used car come with are due to crappy maintenance. This one was no exception. Turns out cylinder 8's spark plug wire was not seated on the plug properly. So cylinder 8 was not firing at all. The rest of what I have done to the truck so far has been fixing the previous owners handy work, routine maintenance that had never been done (like shocks) or setting it up to tow with. All of this had led me to love the truck for its ability to never die even when it should have and how easy it is to work on. Now that I have decided to not get rid of it I have decided it should live forever and this is my plan to make that happen.
My goal is to have a fun daily driver that can still pull a fifth wheel safely. I want to be able to take it to the drag races and have some fun with but still use it like the truck it is. I plan on doing this in 3 stages.
Stage 1: Supporting mods/Restoration
I put these two together because I will be bouncing between the two as time, convenience and money allow.
Stage 2: LS Swap
What LS is still up for debate but I have some time before I get there. It will likely depend on money.
Stage 3: Force induction
More than likely this will be a blower because I had a supercharged truck once and I miss it ever so much. The supercharger whine still gets me hard.
Finally, I will show you the pictures of where it stand as of now. Also I will post later a more in depth layout of what Stage 1 will include and hopefully you guys can help me with some of the questions I have.
You never fined rockers this clean in NY on cars 20 years newer!
Why my seat was rocking.
Not pretty but it works.
I put the rails in but it is all so a good shot of the bed.
Now I will be laying out my entire build plan first. Then I will post links to the individual sub-builds as I do them, with some photos and summery here. So this will be the hub/summery of the entire project. This will not be a quick project by any means.
So what am I stating with? A 1994, C 1500, Silverado with a 350, 4l60e and a 3.73 open diff. In the interest of full discloser I was, until I got this truck, strictly a Ford guy. While I really like this truck there are some things I still like better about Fords. But I digress. I bought this truck because I needed a daily that could pull a 27 foot fifth wheel camper. At the time I was looking I could not find anything in my price range that was not a rusted pile. Any one in NY will tell you trucks are hard to fined for a reasonable price and not trashed. Also I wanted an extended cab, stick shift and 2 wheel drive. I got this truck because it was in really good body shape for around here. I gave up on the stick because they are just imposable to fined now a days. It had some problems when I got it. Notably the exhaust was mostly missing and leaking at the manifold. The driver's seat was rocking and it was not running right. All of which is why I got it at a rock bottom price for around here of $2,500. I fixed the seat with little issue as well as the exhaust (plus it gave me an excuse to put a 3" cat back exhaust on it). The running issue fix was a little bit of a happy surprise. My normal procedure with new to me vehicle (yes I have a procedure. I have had a lot of used cars and most of them in the last 3 years.) is to give it a full tune up and see where that leaves me. I find that most issues used car come with are due to crappy maintenance. This one was no exception. Turns out cylinder 8's spark plug wire was not seated on the plug properly. So cylinder 8 was not firing at all. The rest of what I have done to the truck so far has been fixing the previous owners handy work, routine maintenance that had never been done (like shocks) or setting it up to tow with. All of this had led me to love the truck for its ability to never die even when it should have and how easy it is to work on. Now that I have decided to not get rid of it I have decided it should live forever and this is my plan to make that happen.
My goal is to have a fun daily driver that can still pull a fifth wheel safely. I want to be able to take it to the drag races and have some fun with but still use it like the truck it is. I plan on doing this in 3 stages.
Stage 1: Supporting mods/Restoration
I put these two together because I will be bouncing between the two as time, convenience and money allow.
Stage 2: LS Swap
What LS is still up for debate but I have some time before I get there. It will likely depend on money.
Stage 3: Force induction
More than likely this will be a blower because I had a supercharged truck once and I miss it ever so much. The supercharger whine still gets me hard.
Finally, I will show you the pictures of where it stand as of now. Also I will post later a more in depth layout of what Stage 1 will include and hopefully you guys can help me with some of the questions I have.
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You never fined rockers this clean in NY on cars 20 years newer!
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Why my seat was rocking.
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Not pretty but it works.
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I put the rails in but it is all so a good shot of the bed.
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