Now that I have the pics figured out, the first order of business was the motor. I had a bad feeling about it and I was right. I drained the oil and, well, there was no oil in it. Just water. So I yanked it and ripped it apart.
Without knowing how long this truck was sitting outside with water in the block, I chalked up the motor as a loss. I know, it was just a 283, but it ran great when my bro sold it and it was just sad and disappointing. I saved the C3BX intake and the carb and gave the rest away. Now I needed a new motor. Word got around that I was looking for a 350 and the guy in the shop next door said he had a 327 that's been sitting in his shop for 10 years. He said I could have it for $300 and I don't have to pay him if it doesn't run. What a deal!!!! I snatched it up and looked up the casting#. The motor was not a 327. It was a 1979 010 4 bolt main 350!!!! I ripped the heads off and the oil pan. Its also bored .040 over!! I looked it over, cleaned it up a little and it appears to be good. So I buttoned her back up.
I know what you're all going to say, "the motors out, rebuild it, paint it!!" I know, i know, but I'm still undecided on this motor or going LSx. It looked like a fairly recent rebuild and the guy i got it from turned and oiled it frequently. For now, I have the itch and I just want get a motor in this thing and drive it while I build a chassis. So next is a water pump, radiator, carb rebuild, and all the other little things to get this motor back in. Hopefully within the next couple of months I will have it in and running.