The '89/'92 Chevy/GMC Build up AKA lil' Black

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

For those of you wondering why my name is as it is, this truck build is the insperation for it.

I bought the '89 Chevy K1500 RCSS three years ago now form my dad's cousin for $1000. The truck is in need of a lot of TLC, especially the 350 in it, seeings how it's 21 years old and pushing 400,000 kms. I was using it as a daily driver for a few months after I first got it and worked out all the electrical bugs, but the seals for the oil filter relocater have cracked and I had to put it into storage until I could finance the restoration of it and for me to find a parts truck. So it has been sitting for a little over a year now.

Last summer I found a '92 GMC C1500 RCSB Theft recovery at SGI salvage auction site. So I picked it up for $860 to use the body and interior and any other parts I could transfer that are still good. So far haven't got into it very far yet either.

The plan for this summer is to strip the Chevy down get the engine rebuilt, go through the drive train completely, swap the bodies between trucks, fix the body panels that need repairing, brakes, A/C recharged, glass, tires, and paint. Basically putting it back to a stock truck so I can use it right away.

The GMC will get roughly the same treatment and probably sell it to fund the rest of the project on the Chevy once I have bought another truck for a DD, but I have been thinking about building a drag truck out of it or oval track race truck, because there is a circit here that I can enter it in.

Anyways here are some pictures of the trucks.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

Trucks are finally together at the shop. Box sides and cab corners are bought and ready to be installed once I get a chance to start working on it.

I would add more pictures, but I am having trouble uploading now.

I have looked into doing the 5.3 swap, but have decided that the rebuild 350 is probably what is going in this truck for now and the LS is a later project.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g408/driftpounder/Lil Black 4X4/?action=view&current=006.jpg
Cab corners.

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums...l%20Black%204X4/?action=view&current=024.jpg&

Hauling the GTA to the shop to get to work.

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums...l%20Black%204X4/?action=view&current=013.jpg&

Replacement Fleetsides.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

So it has been a while since I have been here and updated anything.

Haven't had a chance to get any progress done, but there is some engine potential, built 350 that a friend wants to sell. I am still thinking about an LS engine at this time, but am not sure about it just yet.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

Well things are finally moving along this summer. I got a chance to strip the trucks down and get ready for the body swap to begin, just waiting on some parts and I also need to wait for a few weeks until I get the time to continue. My motor plans have fallen through so I will be pulling this motor and seeing what is wrong with it, once I know I will make my next move.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

I was able to do some more work this week. I got the oil mess washed off the back of the tranny and motor in the 4x4 and installed the fuel tank. I have a few tips for anyone that is installing a new tank and new straps. First tip is that the new straps, at least the ones I bought, are a lot heavier steel then the original OEM ones. The back strap goes on without any problem, but the front one seemed like the bolt was about two inches to short. I got it some what shaped around the tank and then with a large flat blade screw driver pushed on the bolt while resting the screw driver on the frame and trapped it with a dead blow hammer on the strap to get it to shape of the tank so the strap could reach through the hole. Another tip is that the front strap has a fold on each end of it, when your riviting it back onto the support bracket, or bolts like I used, make sure that the fold is facing down on the end with the bolt rivited to it. If you do that the fold won't catch on the lip of the tank once you have tightened it down and you will be able to loosen the strap off fully and add a the rubber strip underneath the starp more easily then the way I had to do it.

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I did some clean up and painting of the fender skirts, I think they look a lot better. One suggestion for anyone else doing this is to clean and paint the bolts if your looking for that new look. I may go back and paint them once I start putting it back on the truck.

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This is before paint.

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After, in person you can't see those dimples on the top of the skirt, again lazy body work by me, but I am still learning.

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Sorry about upside down image, I can't seem to fix it on my computer.

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Final product.

One evening after dad was done work, we moved the black cab over. We used a little different technque to prevent any damage to the cab. My suggestion if your going to do this and have a shop to do it in, is remove every ounce of removeable parts. Interior, glass, and doors this will relieve a huge amount of weight. We don't currently have access to a building, so we went with spreading the weight out over a larger area by using a 2x10 and some blocking. We had to pull some trim around the doors so it wouldn't slide, but not to much and it looks like we never did anything to it.

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Here is the 305 in the 92, it is doing the same thing as the other motor only not nearly as bad. I got the gasket kit for the 350 and I plan to install it sometime next week possibly tuesday.

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['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

Got the motor apart for the small things I plan to do to it for now. Seems to me that the motor is not oiling properly because of a massive amount of carbon built up because of improper maintenance. Seafoam will be a must for this beast once it is running again.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

After further inspection today I have decided that this motor can't be left like this. I am not sure as of yet what to do, I do know that this motor has to come out of it.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

Dad had time to help with the body work tonight, so we got the cab corners cut out and the patch panels welded in and primed. Just need to add some body filler and that will finish off the exterior of the cab for now.

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Planning to move the box over once I fix the vent tube fitting on the rear diff. Once it is moved over the box sides will get replaced.

Motor is still in the truck, I'm not around next week, but dad said he will see if he can get it out and take it down to just the block if he has time again after work.

I also took the steering column apart in the brown cab, I have recovered enough parts form that column to fix the one in the black truck that was broken when it was stolen.

 

['89/'92Chevy/GMC]

I pulled the column apart in the brown cab Wednesday and cleaned up the parts I am using.

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Thursday I was able to take the column apart and reassemble it with the pieces I took off the other one. Only problem I had was that the ignition cylinder in the brown cab turns without the key and the one in the black cab turns out to be the same after further inspection, so I ordered a new one. It was supposed to be in this morning, not sure if it did as I am not around to put it in.
Here is where I got to, the turn signal apparatus is just set into place so that it isn't just hanging form the wires.

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