71 lwb k10

[RatRod68]

Well, here is my 71 K10. I bought this truck out of Riverside, CA hoping it would be a California native.... Wrong. Its from St. Louis plant, but that is ok. The truck has been in Southern California since the early 80's, and there is no salt damage whatsoever.




I bought it with the intentions of taking it back to KY with me and swapping in a 6-oh. With the 68 project, and my Ranger getting a 6-oh in the winter, another drivetrain swap seems like a wad bigger than i can chew. I haven't decided on if I am going to take it back with me or sell it here, but one thing is for sure, this truck is awesome.

I have always wanted a 71-72 4x4 long bed. No offense to anyone, but i just dont like the short bed 4bys and i dont like the 67-70 front end on them either, so when i seen this truck on craigslist, I had to own it.

Here is what it looked like when I bought it





The truck is a true K10 CST, 350, 4 speed, 205 T-Case, 4" Lift, 35" tires (backs are good, fronts are about 50%), glass pack duals (ugh..), HEI setup, Blazer bucket seats WITHOUT a console, super cool door handles..., electric fan, GINORMOUS tach, and a set of Autogauge gauges where the heater controls should be.


As you can see, the truck is a bit rough... Here is a list of the known issues:

*Master Cylinder is bad
*Heater Core is bad
*heater controls are not connected
*No Radio
*Bottoms of doors are rusted
*Bottom of passenger fender is rusted
*Cab mounts are shot
*Cut up water hose for heater hoses
*Needs plugs... BAD
*Idles a little high
*No reverse lights
*Window regulators are horrible
*Wing window latch is broken
*Windshield wiper knob falls off
*Interior is... well... gross.
*No key to the door locks
*Need to finish registration
*Horrible exhaust leak at the header


That is the list as of currently.

Things I did since i bought it are below:
*Adjusted carb back to where it wasn't running like ****, but the idle is still too high (man i hate carburetors...)
*Billet grille insert (Never liked the factory style)
*H4 headlights
*Clear side marker lights
*Patched the tire
*Girl Friend's first time EVER working on a vehicle was installing a new shift knob


Things i have here at the house that will be going on in the VERY near future:
*New door locks with keys
*Heater Controls
*Heater Core
*Clear Bumper lights
*Clear Tail lights
*Master Cylinder
*New window regulators
*New wing window
*New header-block gaskets

[RatRod68]

I tried to get the registration done, (yea freaking right...), a PO removed the vin tag on the glove box, so i have to go to CHP to have them verify it.

After driving around SD all morning, i went to the hobby shop and steam cleaned under the truck. A few mud clods, gravel, cheap spray paint, gear oil, and cob webs later, the underside was clean. Great news... NO ROT!!! This made my day.

Third thing i had to do for sure was fix the tire. My passenger side tire kept going flat after just a few hours. Being the savvy SOB i am with tire patches, I pulled this one off and found a hole you could fit an ink pen through. Catch is, someone tried to fix it before with a plug. I got all that mess cleaned up, and patched up. Good as new.

4th and most important thing i did.... CLEANED IT! It looks better clean, not great, but better.

I also removed the beauty rings so i could hit them up with some CLR and try to get them shiny-ish. Also going to paint the wheels back silver, so the rings were in the way.

The ol lady and i took the old truck up to Escondido for Cruisin' Grand. Truck ran good-ish, but you can definitely tell it needs a tune up, and the carb still isn't right. It's idling high and after cruising on the freeway for a little while, it's like the truck just reaks of unburnt fuel and lacks in the power department.

Hoping tomorrow i can get the master cylinder on and maybe the window regulators in. We will see....

[RatRod68]

BTW, if ANYONE can help me out with finding a rear bumper for cheap, I'd appreciate it...

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Welcome to the board.. Nice looking truck for sure and congrats on the no rust.. Why were you looking for the vin in the glove box? It should be on the drivers side door jamb..

[RatRod68]

it was an out of state truck, so they have to see two vins. The one on the door jam was there, but we needed another one.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Look above the steering box on the top of the frame rail should be one in that area also.

[RatRod68]

ah, ok. I will lok there today and let you know.

[RatRod68]

Frenchblue,

i looked man, but didn't see anything. Could you take a picture of where your's is?


Worked on the 71 a little more yesterday. Got both wondow regulators in. Best 40 bucks i have spent on this truck. I left the door panels off, because i am either going to get them recovered, or i am going to dye them. They look pretty beat. I also got the new master cylinder on. truck stops better.

Ordering some new door handles and interior screws today. I had to drill out 3 of them suckers.

[RatRod68]

New Pics!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Ill go get ya a pick hold on..

[RatRod68]

Thanks Bud!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Sorry it took so long and the pic sucks but hopefully this will help ya..

[STPrider]

awesome truck! i really like the color and she cleans up well! keep it up man looks like a fun truck

[RatRod68]

Thanks STP. Frenchblue, the picture is too small and i dont know how to make it bigger

[RatRod68]

well, i did a tune up on the truck yesterday, and when i put the synthetic blend oil in it, she started burning oil like it was going out of style. When i changed the plugs, the number 4 cylinder plug had oil deposits all over it fauling it out completely. The truck has been running on 7 cylinders for god knows how long. Hoping its a valve seal and not the piston rings, but that's not the only problem....

After i got the truck back to running, busted the ears off the yoke and drive shaft. No telling how long it was that weak, but just a little clutch pop and it just snapped like a tooth pick.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Ill see if I can steal the camera to get a good pic of it in the next day or so.

[RatRod68]

Thanks brother

[RatRod68]

Worked on the 71 last night. Got the new yoke and drive shaft installed. I changed all the gear oil as well.

Since this is the first time i actually could drive it after the tune up, I think it runs much better. Still smoking (burning oil) though. Going to try and replace the valve seals this Saturday after class.

Also got the clear tail lights and LED's in. I think they look really good with the blue and silver. Planning on pulling the wheels and sand blasting them, then painting them back silver and clear coating them.

[RatRod68]

new Tail lights

[RatRod68]

i have been working on the ol blue truck a good amount here recently. I took out the bed liner to show off the wood bed, put a center console in it, new heater core, and a new set of hvac controls. Got it all legal with new CA plates. Put the old T handle shifters on it since i will be selling the ol gal.

[RatRod68]

Got a couple new pictures up