Project "Simple Green" - Turbo LS 1965 C10

[zghorner]

I hate to disappoint any fellow speed demons out there but at this point I am considering converting the truck to 4x4 instead of going fast. I hung out with Mr. Glock the other day and we were swapping ideas about the pickup back and forth and something he said really stood out in my mind..."whatever you do just be sure your kids get the same fond memories out of it that you did". He was on the same page as I was about making it a hotrod to stay true to my dads original intentions but that little bit of advice really stuck. I took a step back and thought about it for a few days and if this thing was to become a 10-11 sec truck like i had envisioned, I doubt I'm going to drive it as much as id like to think, and really doubt my ol lady will even let my kids get near the thing.

For the past few months Ive been looking for a long bed 4x4 tbi truck for working around the house and cruising into town so I didn't have to drive my 4 door powerstroke everywhere. And it turns out that I could just buy a '91 or older suburban 4x4 and do a body swap onto it without a great deal of difficulty. I would use literally everything I could from the burban, including the TBI 350 which I love (they don't make power but damn are they dependable). So I would end up having the 4x4 work truck I have been wanting, and get to have my kids sliding all over that bench seat as we farted around the house. Save the LS swap for that 59-60 Biscayne ive been wanting

Nothing is completely set in stone yet but I am definitely liking the idea of 4wd better. I found a pretty nice 4x4 88 suburban in Kansas for $1,500...if he still has it this weekend I'm going to check it out.

 

[zghorner]

The last big project like this that I worked on, we just swapped the truck body onto a newer frame to get the upgraded suspension and drive train. I don't know if that would help you out any on this build but you might want to look into it.

lol...shoulda just listened to you from the get go man.

 

[Mad Professor]

Any specific reason on a Suburban frame? A regular cab long bed has the same wheelbase. I would think the frame from the cab back would be a better fit.

 

[zghorner]

The frame on the suburban has the "kick up" further back than trucks (from my research...cant say ive seen this for myself) and apparently better suited for the 60's body swap. ALSO, 4x4 burbans can be found quite a bit cheaper than trucks.

 

[swampratt]

And you can always shorten the frame and put the tires where you need them if it comes to that.. or move the shackles.

I will say the TBI is kind of reliable but not so much the ones that cruised the highway at 1700rpm in high gear.
That puts a tremendous load on the main bearings and I have rebuilt some of those 350"s that were very well maintained and the cranks were locked up tight from stacked bearings.
Cruise speed of 2200 or more is much better.
It is not the low rpm alone but the load at that rpm .. wind and drag. Then many pull small loads puttering around under 2000 rpm..That just is not good in my book.

OIL pressure on the failed engines I rebuilt was always spot on. The customers stated just going down the highway and she locked up.

I actually ported an intake and the heads and ex manifolds on a TBI vortec with swirl port heads.. Made Zero difference..ZERO!!

That was a waste of many man hours.. I contribute the turdiness of that engine to the tiny TBI system.
Slap a Qjet on it and I bet it would pick up 50HP.

 

[O4L]

lol...shoulda just listened to you from the get go man.

That swap was also onto a 4x4 frame.

 

[zghorner]

And you can always shorten the frame and put the tires where you need them if it comes to that.. or move the shackles.

I was just told the wheel base is about 4" longer on the suburbans so I will need to figure up the easiest way to shorten it some. I sure wish I had a lift...gonna get real old picking the cab and bed up and down and up and down until I figure out the correct amount of spacers needed to get everything to line up. Any suggestions there?

Found this post during my research: "i put a '64 chevy c10 onto a '78 chevy suburban frame wasn't really all to hard just had to use some 2x2 square tube as shims original intent was body lift but i needed to use two stacked plus the body mounts from the suburban in the front for the core suport and just a single 2x2 for all four monting spots for the cab and then for the bed just the front 4 mounts need a 2x2 and the back four are just on the frame i also had to cut off bout 8 in. of frame on the back cause it stuck out that far. big thing is to take all the mounting brackets off the your 66 frame and bolt them to your new frame (core support ones can be left on just need a plate to move the hole back? i couldn't relocate cause the powersteering gear) and my clutch linkage is all rigged up cause i couldn't find the right parts so i used several pieces from differen't trucks, you'll also have to shorten the steering shaft 1 in. give or take a hair if you use the original column not sure what you'll all have to do to use a newer one...."

I will say the TBI is kind of reliable but not so much the ones that cruised the highway at 1700rpm in high gear.
That puts a tremendous load on the main bearings and I have rebuilt some of those 350"s that were very well maintained and the cranks were locked up tight from stacked bearings.
Cruise speed of 2200 or more is much better.
It is not the low rpm alone but the load at that rpm .. wind and drag. Then many pull small loads puttering around under 2000 rpm..That just is not good in my book.

OIL pressure on the failed engines I rebuilt was always spot on. The customers stated just going down the highway and she locked up.

I actually ported an intake and the heads and ex manifolds on a TBI vortec with swirl port heads.. Made Zero difference..ZERO!!

That was a waste of many man hours.. I contribute the turdiness of that engine to the tiny TBI system.
Slap a Qjet on it and I bet it would pick up 50HP.

Man I love me some throttle bodies...had really good luck with them as far as reliability goes and even a simpleton like me can work on them...if I was building a mud machine or towing rig I would look elsewhere but for farting around I think it would do nicely. If I do end up getting one Ill for sure hit you up for some advice.

I also decided to tackle to rust myself. I can buy a decent mig (thinking about a Hobart 140 or similar), gas, and safety equipment for what I would pay someone to do it for me. And I cant think of a better canvas to learn on than this ol POS knock around truck. Ive welded this and that with my buddies mig using flux core wire and it always holds strong...just ugly as sin. youtube instructionals FTW

 

[zghorner]

That swap was also onto a 4x4 frame.

what year body and what year frame? got any tips?

 

[O4L]

what year body and what year frame? got any tips?

Whew! That was about 25 years ago so I don't remember any of the details other than it was an early 70s model Chevy short bed body put onto a 80s model full size 4x4 Blazer. If I recall correctly, we had to lengthen the frame 9 inches. There was some body lift and suspension lift added so clearance issues were eliminated.

I only messed with the '67-'72 model Chevys so I don't know much about the earlier models.

 

[swampratt]

My buddy had cupon and the mig was on sale it was Harbour freight one.. he ended up paying like 60 bucks for it.
Worth a try at 60..I will say this having welded since i was 12 that cheap arse mig welds very well.
Welded up some gate hinges and exhaust on his corvette i sold him.

I have a lincoln 110 mig and it is ok nothing like a miller 220.
But that ain't what i got it for.

On rust ..for many years on cars when the rear wheel wells rusted out in the trunk i would pop rivet aluminum sheet in place and roll it to the under side of the car and hammer hammer hammer form it to the weld seams and around them..more rivets ..I would then counter sink the aluminum and rivets with a hammer and then lay fiberglass over all of it until it was really close .. then a thin skin of bondo etc etc.
I used an angle grinder sanding pad chucked up in a drill 36 grit to prep the metal for my fiberglass to hold onto.

I made rear flares once from bondo glass on a 72 nova.. Looked factory and my buddy asked how much my air shocks were,,I said I do not have air shocks I raised the fender lip height 3" while i was at it.

I tried to kick them off once when i got rid of the car to the salvage yard..They did not budge.. and we are talking 4" thick bondo.

I used a lot of galvanized sheet metal to repair floors and it always got screws or rivets and then fiberglassed.

I do weld some in now and then but for my rust repairs i grab the fiberglass.
Something to think about