Hello S-10 Forum! I am recently a new member here and I have an 85 short box standard cab pickup. I have owned it for about 10 years and it has been a slow work in progress. The truck is about 80% complete, but this thread will bring you up to date from the beginning. I hope you all enjoy.
This is the day I brought her home. 305 engine w/stock manifolds, 700R4 trans, open diff 3.08, roll cage, extreme rims with new rubber, 91 front end conversion.
This poor 305 was so beat it leaked every kind of fluid and constantly puffed blue smoke out the tail pipes.
Didn't take me long to take it all apart.
Here is a picture of the roll cage. I was going to keep it in for looks but turns out the only seats that will fit between the cage rails are Summit Pro Racing Polly seats. Not Comfy! Also looks like the cage was build out of fence posts.
A few days later I had most of the truck apart. Attached it to a car tilter ( you can kind of see it in these pictures.) and blasted the frame, floor of the cab and firewall. Threw on some epoxy primer to boot.
After blasting, painted up the back half.
Here is the '79 350 I purchased for $250, mostly torn down. It's a two bold main block and had smogger head on it. The motor came from chevy van.
The only thing from this motor that I kept was the block and crank.
I had the block hot tanked and clean up by a local engine shop, Precision Performance Motors. They zero decked the block, spun the crank 10/10, bore it .030 over, new cam bearings and freeze plugs. Cost $450
Here is the motor partly assembled. I'm running a stock bottom end and rods with forged Speed Pro flattops, 305 HO heads from a 88 TPI Camaro.
Motor all assembled!
Put on a Summit alternator bracket with aluminum under-drive pulleys.
Dropped the Motor into the truck with mounts from Jaqs that run. Also fond my self a T5 WC from a Camaro. Motor fits tight fit with the Moroso oil pan, had to cut out some of the frame. You can kind of see my Griffin radiator and Flex-a-lite dual fans.
You can see how low the oil pan is in this picture.
This is the day I brought her home. 305 engine w/stock manifolds, 700R4 trans, open diff 3.08, roll cage, extreme rims with new rubber, 91 front end conversion.
This poor 305 was so beat it leaked every kind of fluid and constantly puffed blue smoke out the tail pipes.
Didn't take me long to take it all apart.
Here is a picture of the roll cage. I was going to keep it in for looks but turns out the only seats that will fit between the cage rails are Summit Pro Racing Polly seats. Not Comfy! Also looks like the cage was build out of fence posts.
A few days later I had most of the truck apart. Attached it to a car tilter ( you can kind of see it in these pictures.) and blasted the frame, floor of the cab and firewall. Threw on some epoxy primer to boot.
After blasting, painted up the back half.
Here is the '79 350 I purchased for $250, mostly torn down. It's a two bold main block and had smogger head on it. The motor came from chevy van.
The only thing from this motor that I kept was the block and crank.
I had the block hot tanked and clean up by a local engine shop, Precision Performance Motors. They zero decked the block, spun the crank 10/10, bore it .030 over, new cam bearings and freeze plugs. Cost $450
Here is the motor partly assembled. I'm running a stock bottom end and rods with forged Speed Pro flattops, 305 HO heads from a 88 TPI Camaro.
Motor all assembled!
Put on a Summit alternator bracket with aluminum under-drive pulleys.
Dropped the Motor into the truck with mounts from Jaqs that run. Also fond my self a T5 WC from a Camaro. Motor fits tight fit with the Moroso oil pan, had to cut out some of the frame. You can kind of see my Griffin radiator and Flex-a-lite dual fans.
You can see how low the oil pan is in this picture.