Project 72' Green Machine

[88Ironduke]

Well I have been trolling here for some time and have finally gotten my dads 1972 Fleetside transported from western Pennsylvania all the way across to New Jersey. A quick shot of history on this old work truck. My father bought it new in Detroit for about 2300 bucks. Drove it home and first thing to do was remove the cam shaft from the 250 I-6 and replace it with something providing a little more juice. His choice, a 1966 I-6 230 cam which changed the motor entirely. Driven for 20 years in east coast snow and salt the truck is almost entirely intact. The frame 99% solid and the body is finally starting to show its age and corrosion. The old man undercoated for the life of the truck. Used engine oil and many trips down dusty dirt roads. Its a country method but very effective. The bed is solid but bumped up, the bed wheel wells show 20 years of hauling wood and cab is as filthy as can be. Lots of work waiting for me.... But threads suck with out pics.

88Ironduke

[SuperC10Tex]

Another one saved!!!

[Lou Boffa]

Well done, IronDuke. Great color.

[MidLifer]

Looks like an awesome project - can't wait to see it around the local streets! (we're neighbors - I'm 2 towns away).

[88Ironduke]

Thanks for the comments. Its going to be some work to get back to decent condition. Getting a garage in New Jersey is a real PITA but perseverance pays off.
Midlife, if you know any local parts sources for our trucks please advise. I will be needing some parts and shipping kills any budget one may have.

Thanks
88Ironduke

[88Ironduke]

Update this weekend. Cranked up the old straight six 250, after 10 or 15 minutes of futzing around with the carb it finally idled nice and smooth.

Cleaned out the bed of spare parts, if any one needs a straight starter core or maybe three.. Let me know. Old alternators, I got spares. Need stock V-8 exhaust manifolds, I got two sets.... The old man collected all kids of stuff. One I had the bed cleaned out and opened up the holes in the bed floor became visible.

So my question to the truck gurus on here. What is the best course of action for bed repair? An entire new bed floor is out of my budget range. Finding a unicorn may be easier than tracking down a solid truck bed floor to transplant here on the east coast. ??However I will be searching. Has any one used the repair panels from LMC Chevy and how did that work out? Ideas and opinions welcomed.

Thanks
88Ironduke

[slow-1]

My favorite color!

[88Ironduke]

Anyone with an opinion on aftermarket steel panels?

[Scott>72-GMC]

Bowtie truck stop inc They have a fb page good service and everything
Posted via Mobile Device

[stopteric]

Great color! I recently picked up a '71 c10, looks to be the exact same body style and color. I hope that when I can get through working it up that I can find that color code and keep it exactly the same.

[88Ironduke]

Update for the weekend. Have been cleaning and scrubbing. So far its been two 5 gallon pails of "stuff" scraped off the suspension and frame. Its not pretty but I am starting to see bolts and hardware show them selves. My living room is littered with parts to my wifes disgust but progress is good. Bench seat is out and the cab floors looks great.

For those running idiot light dash boards. Does the original 250 have a second location on the block for water temp to support a gauge? I want a separate temp gauge but would like to have the lights work as advertised in the dash.

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ab2861f.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8146a22.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2cd52014.jpg

88Ironduke

[oklalawnboy]

Looks like your off to a fine start. Good luck with the build.

[88Ironduke]

Project update. I have broken the front suspension and bead blasted everything. New ball joints and cross arm and they are ready for reinstallation.
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps12ec709d.jpg
I've cut one rung off the stock front springs to push the nose down 1.5" to 2" so hopefully it will have a nice stance. I haven't tracked down the springs for the rear end. Does anyone have thoughts on a good ratio of drop to keep from looking goofy?
For rims I have picked up a good set of junk yard steel rims. A trip thru blasting media and they came out looking pretty good. A set of sneakers and my truck will be rolling again.
The front core support and fenders were blasted any where that rust was forming. I ended doing a little surgery on the front fender pockets as they were really rotted. I don't think that they will be an issue. The only thing I can see is that I will to fab a replacement bracket to pick up the inner fender forward bolts.
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3ef6b6d3.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9b75d338.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps38562813.jpg

What I do have extra is the original bracket for the evap can assembly. It looks extremely good. I won't be using so if anyone out there needs one that original let me know. I also stripped out the original TCS engine harness for that silly spark control in 1972. It is good shape except for one connector on the end that plugs into what I think would be a temperature switch in the water outlet housing. My housing is too badly corroded and is not serviceable.

I have a good line a 292 to drop so that may be changing the project slightly. Of course I have to get the keeper of the funds involved and sold on the idea of an engine swap.

Its slow going but I am making headway.
88Ironduke

[88Ironduke]

My time in my current garage has been reduced to another month or so. That leaves me getting my truck back together and driving.

More work done this weekend. I spent a lot of time blasting the front core support and fenders removing any rust that had built up. After trolling the internet I concluded that the headlight relay system was the right plan so a trip to the junk yard and I was rewarded with three relays + pug tails.

I discovered that one of my rear springs was broke in two places! So I ordered up a new set and started working. Does anyone have any special tools or ideas for the square nuts in the spring pockets/retainers? I could not break any of them loose. The heat wrench and penetrating fluid was a no go. Worst case they come out with a cut off wheel. For some new tires I mounted up a set of Good year 235/70 R15's on my junk yard rims. Its a nice start. Once the springs are out and new stuff installed I will be turning my attention to the gas tank. Wow is it bad inside. I'm going to run it until my funds are replenished and a new gas tank presents itself. One thing at a time. The old sending unit was trashed and waaayyy beyond reuse. So its going to the trash can.





88Ironduke

[88Ironduke]

Its been a while since I updated my thread but here goes. Got the truck home, in a nice warm garage. Albeit a small one but its got heat and as of recent in the north east.... A small heated garage is the best.
So my fist major cancer find is around my windshield on the passenger side. The pinch weld extending to the outside if the cab is gone but the portion that hold the seal in place is good shape. So I need a some insight as to the best repair in order to maintain the curve of the cab around the corner under the drip rail. The A-pillar going vertical down to cowl area is solid and has surface rust. No big deal. So as not to reinvent the wheel, what kind of repair of the best in this area of the cab?



Need your input on the best fix. I'm thinking a piece from a decent cab corner, carefully remove the exterior metal work from the underlying cab structure and weld in. Thoughts and ideas welcomed.

88Ironduke

[Ilikeredtrucks]

Looking good, your idea to cut and weld the cab sounds good.

[88Ironduke]

Time to update my build thread. The bed has been disassembled and removed. The frame is perfectly solid and has no deficiencies. Thanks to OrangBlaz up in New York tracking me down I was able to buy an entirely new original bed floor that's pristine! A little drive time and this is what I brought home.


The frame has been scraped, cleaned, scrubbed and is ready for a pressure washing. After I found my instructions on how to install my coil springs, I figured out I had my springs installed upside down. So that will have to be taken care of.

[88Ironduke]

A decent side shot, its starting to look better.

[88Ironduke]

A whole bunch of cleaning, the bed floor is sealed and the rear frame is all sealed.

One bit a at a time.

[hanly2]

That looks great. That floor is cherry.

[88Ironduke]

Its been a few months since I last updated this thread. Hunting season has been full on since September and sadly to say the old truck has seen much work. Weekend projects have included wiring up a 100amp CS alternator, addition of a two speed fan in conjunction with a Volvo 2 speed fan relay and modification of the windshield washer pump assembly. I have to send a shout out to Jess down in Lanoka Harbour, thanks for the great deal on the gas tank. 25 bucks and it has a clean bottom and that's great for a 71 tank. Here are a couple of pics along the was, slow but sure. Its getting there.

[zicc1835]

thanks for the mention Paul I am sure we will get together when the weather warms up or maybe sooner if i cant figure the heater out headed out to the Garage now

[BigDaddyV]

I'm in for the ride, looks like a nice Start.

[mx289]

Looking good Paul.

[88Ironduke]

Started welding this weekend. My windshield corner rot has been repaired! I took a cab corner and slowly dissected the surface metal out of it and made a perfect patch panel.
Before:


After:




Now I have to clean up the welds and possibly hit them one more time. then were off to the floors. Not a whole lot but gotta them bad spots patched up, sealed and covered in fatmat. I have had a ton of help along the way from both local friends here NJ and tons of parts that people on here whom I will most likely never meet. There are lots of good people on here!

Paul