Project Pancho Villa - 1978 SWB

[Chevylongbed]

Nice truck and cool work

how is the Vintage A/C?? Is it good, does it stays long time with you??

[bigsj]

Very nice build thread great job.

[Low Elco]

Did Pancho ride again?
Posted via Mobile Device

[BruthaMan]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Did Pancho ride again?

Not yet. I had a guy helping me out last year. He changed out the Lunati cam (way too much lope for me) with an XR264HR-10 retro roller kit. This is one area I'm weak on...motor building.

He got the motor back together, just barely, but didn't get the electrical, radiator/fan and accessories hooked back up. He's since moved out of state. I've not made the time to get out there and finish it up.

Was supposed to work on it last Saturday, but the guy helping me out couldn't make it.

Hopefully will work on it more this Saturday. Really anxious to get everything finished up. I may be putting it up for sale (haven't decided yet) once everything is perfect. There's so much money in this truck, more than I ever imagined.

[Low Elco]

Sell it? Wade, you haven't used it! Let life settle. Ask around town. Find a good guy and button it up, and enjoy it. Seems such a waste of time and money just to give it away at the 11th hour. What does Momma say?
Posted via Mobile Device

[BruthaMan]

I haven't made a firm decision yet. Just something in the back of my mind. If I do, it would not be a "fire" sale, by any means. It's an exceptional truck and only the best parts (many NOS GM) were used to restore it.

[Low Elco]

Viva Pancho!

[BruthaMan]

I'm polishing up the radiator before we put back in. As well, for all the aluminum brackets, etc, polishing then sealing them multiple times, so I don't have to do it so frequently in the future.

Got the process down for polishing aluminum. POWER is the key! I have a buffer/polisher setup, but can really only do flat items. Had been using a die grinder with compressor, and not have good luck at all.

Finally decided to break out my dewalt grinder and put a cloth cutting wheel on it. Man oh man, night and day difference! That dewalt is a bad mama-jama with 10 times the power I was getting with compressor and die grinder.

Wish I had more time to play, but work is backed up (and I work for myself...self-employed).

[WIDESIDE72]

Updates?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Low Elco]

Darn, thought there was somethin' happenin'! Come on, Wade, we know you're alive!

[BruthaMan]

No updates on Pancho, but I am motivated. Today was the first time I've been able to set aside some time to work on my trucks, and I put the time in on my '72.

10 hours straight, bruthaman be hurtin' for sure! My mind thinks I'm thirty, my body is quick to reassure me those days are long gone.

Put in a parallel flow condenser. Should have been a few hour process at most, but it was universal fit, and had to alter the universe to get it in there!

Tomorrow will get battery tray/battery back in, mount compressor, add oil, pull vacuum, stick pins in the evil truck voodoo doll, cross fingers, pull a chicken wishbone, look at pictures of shamrocks and rabbit's feet on google images, and of course, a few prayers...that it works!

Gotta find my camera too. My wife probably stuffed it in a drawer somewhere. Love her, but she drives me nuts moving sh...stuff all the time!

[Low Elco]

Don't forget the chicken blood cross on the drivers door with the snakes nose! Good luck!
Posted via Mobile Device

[BruthaMan]

I've been quietly working on Pancho the past few months to get the truck complete. A lot of the work is simply redoing what had already been done, so I haven't updated the thread.

Previously, we put on AFR 195 Street heads and a Comp Cams roller cam kit on the 383 stroker and at some point, life, laziness, family, work, etc. took over.

Finally got it started up, did the break-in, and took it for a short ride to see how it drives. An amazing feeling after all these years!

Pulled the truck out today to give it a good wash and started polishing it out. Took a few pics and posted over on this thread.

[Low Elco]

VIVA PANCHO! Congratulations on getting him up and running!

[BruthaMan]

Thanks Low E!

[Flatlandsurfer]

What an inspiring build, your 78 is stunning. I have only just begun my build and the more I look through these build threads, the more I'm inspired... but also overwhelmed. These trucks take years to complete when done properly, and they nickel and dime you till you've spent tens of thousands! I've read many builds in this forum and am shocked when I get to the end and the owner has decided to sell it. I couldn't understand, but I think I'm starting to. I understand that maybe some peoples enthusiasm fades, the goal for absolute perfection become daunting, the money being spent is overwhelming, and after a couple of years pass, our lives and priorities just simply change. Thanks to you BruthaMan, I better understand how to move forward with my build. You've done a superb job on Pancho and I only hope that my build will turn out as beautiful as yours did. Thanks for a great thread and good luck on your 72 C10.