Project Cannonball C10

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Yes, the difference between them is staggering. I guess there are probably two types of enthusiasts here, the ones that like old trucks for their styling, and those that enjoy the classic ride and handling of an old pickup.

I'm in this group for the styling. If I didn't live in a major metropolitan area with mostly freeway driving I would like to have the classic handling too, but I feel like driving the blue truck around during weekday commute hours puts me in a handicap.

The RS chassis has removed every bit of classic ride and handling. It truly feels extremely similar to my E46 M3...the only real giveaway is the longer shifter throw and skinny steering wheel �� After 20 mins to get comfortable it pushes you to drive it aggressively all the time. Its pretty much the antithesis of most bagged truck builds which are great for cruising with one hand on the wheel and one arm out the window. The ridiculously wide tires and aggressive alignment mean brutal tram-lining on the freeway and constantly both hands on the wheel to keep things in check, but with harnesses on and miles of twisty roads you forget everything else and just enjoy the drive.

The setup I have is definitely not for everyone...in fact I would guess that the majority of the enthusiasts would prefer driving something like the Roadster Shop Spec chassis setup. But if you like fast cars and want a pickup then this is the way to go

Thanks for the feedback. I have been looking hard @ one of these chassis vs. building up a stock frame for my 67. I don't need to lay frame. I want it to handle well (very well), be low all the time, & be worry free. While all can be accomplished w/a stock chassis as the starting point, it's the ride quality @ that perf level that I feel is the difference. Spec designed/engineered components will outshine pieced together/upgraded stuff.

Funny about your comparison vehicle..... My X had a 08 E92 M3 & they are quite the car. I would love to have one as a DD but the cost of the LS3/T56 swap (in addition to the car ) takes them out of my financial comfort zone. Their small alum V8 just didn't do it for me. The 06 335i she had before it actually pulled harder (compound turbo strait six) but the M3 'drove' better (much better IMHO).

[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Thanks for the feedback. I have been looking hard @ one of these chassis vs. building up a stock frame for my 67. I don't need to lay frame. I want it to handle well (very well), be low all the time, & be worry free. While all can be accomplished w/a stock chassis as the starting point, it's the ride quality @ that perf level that I feel is the difference. Spec designed/engineered components will outshine pieced together/upgraded stuff.

Funny about your comparison vehicle..... My X had a 08 E92 M3 & they are quite the car. I would love to have one as a DD but the cost of the LS3/T56 swap (in addition to the car ) takes them out of my financial comfort zone. Their small alum V8 just didn't do it for me. The 06 335i she had before it actually pulled harder (compound turbo strait six) but the M3 'drove' better (much better IMHO).

It sounds like a Fast Track chassis might be perfect for you. Too bad you aren't in the Bay Area or you could come drive mine. It's worth a call to them to talk it over. I also talked with Art Morrison and Scott's Hot Rods which are other good options.

I also had an E90 M3 (4 door model) which I sold off and moved back to the older E46 chassis. The V8 sounded amazing but was nothing like an LS motor. The E46 is, to me, the absolute best M car and i will never sell this one.

[SKT]

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You planning to run this through an Auto Cross course?

Would love to see a video of it doing so.

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SKT

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You planning to run this through an Auto Cross course?

Would love to see a video of it doing so.

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Yup autocross is in the plans. Would try at Pleasanton in August, but they are still excluding Squares from the festivities due to the pre '72 rule.

[SKT]

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Saw this awesome pic. Hopefully someone can post it click-free:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKUlzkcA5ac/

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Originally Posted by mikentosh

Yup autocross is in the plans.

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...also saw this auto cross video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKdyPGPBm2C/

Sounded like a slight throttle blip near the apex of the turn spun her around.

Still fine tuning the suspension?

Looks and sounded great!

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[mikentosh]

Don't have a copy of that first photo, but do have a few from our weekend down at the NMCA West event in Fontana...





Tires finally look broken in

[mikentosh]

Also got a great in-car video of that first run with the spinout.



Truck performed great for our first time out. Managed a best run of 53.2 which put us into 3rd fastest truck of the day, behind the C10R and a pro El Camino.

[MTCK]

Love that you rip on this truck and drive it like it's made to be driven.

[mikentosh]

Found some more photos from the weekend over on lateral-g: http://lateral-g.net/hot-in-fontana-...kis-autocross/

[SKT]

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That in-cab video is

Truck looks amazing and as others have said, job well done driving it like it should be!

Here are some of the click-free pics:

[rusty76]

The truck looks awesome. Dig the interior.

[mikentosh]

Found another one from last weekend:

[mikentosh]

Another thing we found during the runs last weekend was the power steering system isn't keeping up during heavy use. Not really a surprise with 13" front tires and a quick ratio fox body steering rack. First thing to do is put in a steering cooler. I happen to have a nice Setrab unit that matches the oil and trans ones, but we skipped putting it in when we did the initial build last November.

The other issue I have discovered, which doesn't seem to be talked about much, is cast iron GM type 2 power steering pumps max out at 5000rpm. Above that and they really cavitate the fluid and mess things up. I've got a 5.5" pulley on the pump, and a 7.48" crank pulley which works out to > 5000rpm at the pump when engine rpm is at 4000. One option is to put a bigger pulley on there, but not a lot of space between that and the oil thermostat. Other option is to move to an aluminum pump like the KRC ones, which maxes out at 9000rpm instead. The nice thing about those pumps is their reservoirs have AN fittings so no worry about crappy power steering leaks. Unfortunately they are really, really expensive pumps We might get it out to Crows Landing next month for another round of autocross and will see if the steering holds up again...then maybe an upgrade over the winter.

[SkinnyG]

I had a car whose power steering couldn't keep up as well. Running synthetic helped a little bit, but a larger reservoir worked too - it seemed the fluid didn't get back to the pump fast enough. No idea if this is the issue with yours or not. Just more data.

[SKT]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Tires finally look broken in

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Below is a pic of them getting broken in:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKizMMGASsB/

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[NewType72]

Not only does she look great but she performs great as well!

[mikentosh]

Finally got around to troubleshooting the major front end squeaking we've had for a few months. Became convinced it was the Delrin bushings in the lower control arms causing the troubles. Had to pull apart most of the suspension to get at the bushings and did find that the bushings were wider than the steel sleeve by three hundreds of an inch on both the front and back. There was also wear marks on the edges. So I took the dremel to a spare set I had and shaved off a generous amount, then liberally lubricated and reassembled. Took it out in the heat today and it's silent up front now.

Unfortunately the 90F heat now uncovered a potential cooling system issue. First time I've driven it in stop and go with the A/C on and saw temps creep up over 220, when it never tops 210 normally. I checked the fluid level and it's all topped up so perhaps I need to rethink the fan strategy, or even move to a larger rad. Always the moment you solve one thing, another pops up.


Posted via Mobile Device

[OutlawDrifter]

Sometimes the LS platform can give you fits with cooling side, is the system properly "burped".

[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Sometimes the LS platform can give you fits with cooling side, is the system properly "burped".

Yeah this is something I've also been thinking. I'll have to look into LS burping techniques. It's got all the proper steam vents installed so nothing out of the ordinary for plumbing.
Posted via Mobile Device

[SKT]

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Saw this awesome interior shot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3STqohko3/

Any plans to get a professional photographer to take some pics of this one?

This truck delivers in every way - job well done w/ it for sure!

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SKT

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Saw this awesome interior shot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3STqohko3/

Any plans to get a professional photographer to take some pics of this one?

This truck delivers in every way - job well done w/ it for sure!

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Check out the Cannonball feature on C10source: http://c10source.com/cannonball-c10/

[SKT]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Check out the Cannonball feature on C10source:

http://c10source.com/cannonball-c10/

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Thanks - hadn't seen those great pics yet!

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Yeah this is something I've also been thinking. I'll have to look into LS burping techniques. It's got all the proper steam vents installed so nothing out of the ordinary for plumbing.
Posted via Mobile Device

Got some time to try burping the system. Followed instructions I saw on ls1tech, which is basically leaving the rad cap off and bring it up to temp until thermostat opens, wait for it to suck more fluid in and top off the rad. I did this but didn't find it dropped, though I think it might have pulled additional fluid in from overflow tank. The lower rad hose never got hot...not sure if that's good or bad. But after doing this it wouldn't move above 190F, and even taking it for a few miles around in the afternoon I didn't see more than 193F. I think that might have fixed it, but won't call it success until I try it in some stop and go traffic.

[OutlawDrifter]

It seems like it doesn't take much to create issues! Hopefully it solves your problem.

[mikentosh]

Finally got around to filling the radio hole in the dash. In the blue truck we put a RetroSound unit which does look nice, but 99% of the time I'm listening to satellite radio or something from my phone so a full head unit isn't required. Since I'm running an amplifier for the speakers anyway I decided to set everything up hidden away. That left the dash hole, so I searched eBay to find an original radio delete plate. Since there were a bunch of dash styles and finishes over the years, there is a corresponding number of different delete plates made for these trucks, so make sure you get one that matches your dash grain. This one was labelled 73-77 and matches quite nicely.

Now I just need something to fill the tank switch hole...kill switch, taillight cutout...