Something to tinker with...

[VintageIron]

Howdy, picked up a 1992 1500 W/T 2-wheel drive with a bad 4.3L.

The overall condition is really nice, no rust or major body damage. Had an automatic tranny, but with the bad motor, no way to verify it as a good or bad one.

Plan is to shorten it from the long wheelbase to short wheelbase, and change out the 4.3L V-6 with a V-8.

Started out researching the process to shorten the existing fame and relocate all the necessary brackets, while also searching for a reasonably priced short bed parts truck. Around here, shortbeds are hard to come by, at least reasonably priced 2-wheel drive ones, 4x4's and long beds in all price ranges seem to fall out of the trees!

Anyway, the truck is now stripped down to a rolling cab and frame and I was able to move it inside my small shop in time for the nice weather to start heading for other parts.

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[VintageIron]

Also found a 1993 1500 W/T, long bed, a running and driving 4.3L with a 5-speed tranny. The engine isn't long for this world based on the rod knock, but tranny seems good and there are a few body parts I can use to replace the damaged ones on the 1992.

Leaning towards pulling the 5-speed and all the associated parts and pieces and changing the 92 over to manual. It was a company truck in it's former life, so is in pretty poor cosmetic shape, but for $225.00, I figured I could over look the warts.

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[VintageIron]

Working by myself without things like a lift or overhead crane, leaves me at times to get creative...

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[VintageIron]

I did manage to find a clean, straight short bed off craigslist.

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[VintageIron]

Found a 93 short bed, 454SS clone truck on craigslist. Had been stolen, wrecked and recovered. The owner was parting it out, so I asked him to contact me if it got parted down to a point that he was going to send the leftovers to the crusher.

Got a message about 3 weeks later that if I wanted the leftovers, I could have them for $150.00...I knew it was a gamble since it had been stolen and wrecked. But I figured even if the frame was bent or twisted, I could use it for a pattern to get measurements for cutting down the long bed frame.

It still had a couple of decent parts that I pulled and saved, and sent the rest to the crusher.

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[VintageIron]

Found a 1970 350, numbers indicate from a full-sized car, 2 bolt mains. It appears to have had the top end recently done, and it was supposed to be a back-up for a fellow's El Camino, but he changed his mind, so he needed the space and parted with it.

Will flip it over at some point and check the bottom end, freshen it up with new gaskets and such. Then after it goes in, the GM intake will go and get replaced with aftermarket parts.

Goal is to eliminate all the ECM and related hardware, and make it old-school. No fuel-injection, will be carbed with no more electronics other than what is needed to make it run, start and stop... we will see how that works out!?!

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[VintageIron]

Labor Day weekend, the local Pick-n-Pull had a half-off sale and any seats for $15.00. Spent a few hours wandering around and found a few tidbits!

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[VintageIron]

That is about where it is as of now. I will be working on it over the course of the winter when I have time between other commitments. Will update the thread when I make any real progress.