Project Overkill 1968

[Indychus]

So my other thread has some issues with the pictures and I got timed out for editing, so here's a fresh start.

Anyways, I'm not technically new here, but if you notice my post count is 14 and my join date is 2010 haha. So I'll introduced myself briefly. I'm a former diesel mechanic and now mechanical engineer. I do freelance machine and automation design and am an engineering manager for a company that manufactures medical devices. I've built a few cars over the years but always wanted a C10.

I have always wanted a 68 fleet side and picked one up about 8 years ago. The previous owner had started a restoration and lost interest once everything was apart. I picked it up for $1200 and it sat for around 5 years due to starting a new career and some health issues with my son. I'm finally making some progress and it's coming together quickly.

Here are some pics of when I picked it up.

[rjs53]

What's the plan? Lowered driver, drag truck, bagged. Looks like a solid truck to start off with.

[Indychus]

Originally Posted by rjs53

What's the plan? Lowered driver, drag truck, bagged. Looks like a solid truck to start off with.

It's going to be a pro street themed truck, but bagged. I'm a recovering minitrucker but I grew up when all of the shows and magazines were full of outrageous pro street cars so I've always loved the look. Big blower, huge tires, wheelie bars, etc.

It's already almost complete, but I lost a lot of my old thread on C10Forum due to the photobucket fiasco and that forum is basically dead now, so I'm starting over here.

[Indychus]

Early on, I cut this out as motivation. It's been hanging on the wall for years, but will take it's rightful place on the rear notch bridge soon.

[Indychus]

The truck sat in hibernation for several years while I collected parts. I also stripped down my old drag car and moved the motor to my shop to freshen it up. It's a 450 hp 385 that moved a lightweight drag car pretty good, but it's not enough for this heavy truck. I've got plans for it that should put it in the 600hp range for now. The ultimate goal is to build a BBC, but for now the little stroker will work.

Before all of the "LS Swap it bro" guys show up, I should mention that I've done more than a few swaps and my daily driver has an LSA/TR6060 in it. LS just doesn't fit the theme I'm after on this build.

Here are some pics of the truck in hibernation, and of my old "ruined" daily (this isn't the car with the LSA haha) putting in some work.

[slowcpe]

Sounds like a cool plan. In to see the progress.

[Indychus]

Here's a few of some of my past projects, just so you can kinda get a feel of where I'm coming from....

[Indychus]

This is my dream truck, so I had to make sure everything was planned out perfectly. I also went back to school for mechanical engineering, had 2 kids, and started a new career. So this was the norm for a while... other projects in the way while the truck waited patiently in the background.

[Indychus]

The final push that kicked off the build was trading my 52 Chevy for a 67 longbed to use as a parts truck. The truck was mechanically sound but had some issues. I drove this truck daily for a few months before tearing it apart. It made the ultimate sacrifice so that my 68 could come to life.

[Indychus]

The first order of business was to tear down both trucks. My 68 had a bent front frame and I planned to Z it, so I swapped the front frame clip from the 67 onto it. I did the Z and moved the crossmember forward 1" at the same time. I also used a 73+ crossmember to gain 5 lug discs and rubber mounted control arms.

I started by tearing down the 68. I have to be creative sometimes doing this stuff alone. I have a ton of gearhead friends but as we've gotten older it's harder and harder to coordinate wrenching sessions.

[Indychus]

Next the 67 got the ax. I always hate to dismantle a running vehicle, but nothing went to waste. The cab and many of the parts were sold off to fund my build and lots of it will live on in my truck.

You can see my wife being pissed about the mess in the driveway haha.

[Indychus]

Some more of the disassembly, and a brief moment of considering building a rat rod. Too many projects though and a decent offer on the cab ended the idea.

[Indychus]

Next I joined the front half of the 67 frame to my 68 and swapped in the later crossmember. The bag plates are Thorbecke.

[Indychus]

Next i sat the engine in to mock up a location for a trans crossmember. This is the 307 out of the parts truck.

[Indychus]

Next i picked up this trailing arm crossmember. Not as fancy as the porterbuilt stuff, but it should do what I need. I took a break for a few months while I categorized and sold much of the parts truck. There just wasn't enough room in my tiny 2 car garage for 2 C10s and 5 years worth of random collected parts.

[Indychus]

Once I got started again, I stripped the rear down. And for some reason, my project budget keeps getting spent on tires for the daily.

[Indychus]

Next I built the notch (don't remember who made it, but it's a generic C10 kit) and cleaned up a little bit. I also had another project going on that sucked some of my truck funds up.

[Indychus]

I mounted the bags in front of the axle. I thought about putting them on the arms, but the twisting moment turned out to be too high if they were offset enough to clear the frame. In front of the axle should still net enough lift and with the RE8's it should still ride nice.

[Indychus]

Then I took a break from the rear and moved to the front. I rebuilt the arms and cupped the lowers. I'm running energy suspension, moog parts, and RE-7s up front.

[Indychus]

More of the arm build....

[Indychus]

Next I added some CPP drop spindles into the mix and it's time to put the front end together.

[Indychus]

Brakes next. In keeping with the pro street theme, this truck is getting manual discs.

[Indychus]

Some wheels showed up... despite my minitruck background I much prefer the timeless look of steel rallies. A quick mock up shows that they clear the brakes and spindle so now it's time to move on to the engine.

[Indychus]

The engine has been through several iterations. It's a very healthy 385 stroker from a weekend warrior type drag car. It was built pre-LS so it's very old school. The heads are world castings and the compression is around 9.5:1. It's got a Lunati 292/292 with solid lifters and 1.6 rockers. It needs to be freshened up and some upgrades for what I have planned for it.

The major upgrade needed was the head studs and a thicker gasket to try to lower the compression a bit and really seal things up.

[Indychus]

I couldn't resist throwing a fender on to see how much wheel it will tuck.... I also checked how much lift I'd get out of the RE7s. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be enough with the 3" drop spindles and 3.5" Z, but it seems like plenty.