Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)

[Fixwhataintbroke]

I agree i may have to add a relay before my hei just for the hell of it

[Paul83]

$25 LMC and 2 hours. I like it. The led lights cost $10 and fit right in the stock sockets.

[kikkegek]

the white gauges are soo cool!

so they are only $25,- at LMC?

[Paul83]

Yeah they are just the faces. I had to stick them on and get them to sit right. Well worth the work though.

[ChefCy]

subscribed

[Houston Ben]

For later...

[asphaltburner]

I'd love to inform you all about ALL of the stuff I've done to FRANKENTRUCK for less than $50, but the thread would go on forever,...perhaps it's best that I send you to the build thread and you can see for yourselves.
From interior restoration to primer paint, this truck has been built the way Chevy never did, and for cheap/but acceptable, and in a working truck. Big stuff cost me more, but I was able to accomplish a tremendous amount for cheap, and maybe you'll find some good ideas in the thread:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=301610
If nothing else, you'll enjoy the story of this salvaged '78 K20 with twin stick T-case, TH400, 4.11:1 gears, and 325hp 350ci that I built from scratch.
Todd.

[dave`12]

Great thread!

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by dave`12

Great thread!

Glad you found this thread!! Yeah it was fun reading and seeing all the cheap mods.

So let's bring it back to life by adding some new posts. I'll start:

I don't have a before pic, but my yellow paint was peeling away and I couldn't find the correct color to use. So I cleaned all the paint out and gave the corner molds a good polishing. The I just painted the little bowties black again. I liked it so well, I decided to leave it. Spent less than $50, all I had to do was buy some black touch up paint.

[TKCR]

Here's another cheap mod and adds SO MUCH more light to the cab. Got a courtesy light kit for LMC:
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/full.aspx?Page=191

Spliced it into the one light that's already there. Added less bulbs and WOW what a difference in lighting.

[rich weyand]

The most useful mod was putting a momentary switch on the floor to run the wipers. I can mist-wipe any time I want, and no fumbling for the dash switch.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=27235.0


Hooking up an original thermac from a junkyard and cobbling up a heat muff and stack for the headers helped cold weather carburetion immensely.


The silver cold air inlet has since been replaced with an aftermarket black flexible one, and a chrome lid on the thermac. There's no fan or shroud because I went with an electric pusher fan.


Adding a second fuel gauge in the empty dash position so both tanks had their own gauge was cool.


Headlight relay kit from autolumination has worked well. About a fifth of the way down this page, they call it "automotive headlight brightener". I bought the "H4 9003 P43t" for my 78. $25. It came with the ceramic sockets, and the existing headlight socket plugs into the harness. I didn't have to change the harness they sent at all, just connected it to the battery, plugged it on to the headlights, and then plugged into one existing headlight socket.
http://www.superlumination.com/headlights.htm


I also put in a set of Hella glass headlight baskets that take the plug-in bulbs. Also under $50.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by rich weyand

The most useful mod was putting a momentary switch on the floor to run the wipers. I can mist-wipe any time I want, and no fumbling for the dash switch.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=27235.0


Hooking up an original thermac from a junkyard and cobbling up a heat muff and stack for the headers helped cold weather carburetion immensely.


The silver cold air inlet has since been replaced with an aftermarket black flexible one, and a chrome lid on the thermac. There's no fan or shroud because I went with an electric pusher fan.


Adding a second fuel gauge in the empty dash position so both tanks had their own gauge was cool.


Headlight relay kit from autolumination has worked well. About a fifth of the way down this page, they call it "automotive headlight brightener". I bought the "H4 9003 P43t" for my 78. $25. It came with the ceramic sockets, and the existing headlight socket plugs into the harness. I didn't have to change the harness they sent at all, just connected it to the battery, plugged it on to the headlights, and then plugged into one existing headlight socket.
http://www.superlumination.com/headlights.htm


I also put in a set of Hella glass headlight baskets that take the plug-in bulbs. Also under $50.

Those mods are sweet! Especially the foot wiper switch

[kikkegek]

thanks for sharing man, those are some pretty cool under 50 mod...super (Y)

[ranger danger]

Rich, could you give some specific details on the wiper switch please? I tried the electronic kit and it was such a pain in the --- I just took it back out and through it on the bench. Thanks

[rich weyand]

Originally Posted by ranger danger

Rich, could you give some specific details on the wiper switch please? I tried the electronic kit and it was such a pain in the --- I just took it back out and through it on the bench. Thanks

There's a link to the write-up just above the picture in my post above. Is it not working?

[ranger danger]

Yes its there and working. Sorry I missed it. Thanks

[rich weyand]

Originally Posted by ranger danger

Yes its there and working. Sorry I missed it. Thanks

No problem.

I also did a write-up on the thermac induction system for headers:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=27239.0

Another budget mod I like is adding three 12-volt sockets under the ashtray for all those windshield electronics.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=715684

[Jay2Cor517]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Here's another cheap mod and adds SO MUCH more light to the cab. Got a courtesy light kit for LMC:
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/full.aspx?Page=191

Spliced it into the one light that's already there. Added less bulbs and WOW what a difference in lighting.

TKCR, thanks for this mod. I read your build thread and a while back (love your truck). Then I went to Ace-Pick-A-Part on Half-Off day and found three of these from trucks/suburbans; spliced two of them into my truck. I hadn't bought LEDs for them but used 1156s bulbs instead of the 1003s(?). It made a major difference. The best part about it was two fold. When searching for the under dash courtesy lights, I found a multiple sets of quad relays in '93+ trucks/burbs/tahoes (just pull out the glove box, they sit on top of AC/heater stuff). When all was said and done, I got the relays for .50 cent apiece, they charged me for the wiring harnesses at $2 apiece but only for three of them and the lady gave me the three courtesy lights. So, those are my mods for under $50.

P.S. If you haven't done the headlight relay mod, go to the yards, find those relays and cut the harnesses too; this should be done if you keep the origninal sealed beams, buy the high performance Sylvania Silverstar sealed beams, Hella H4/H1 bulb setup or any other headlights. That way you can enjoy looking & seeing better AND being SAFER!

[kikkegek]

I found this LED tail light mod online that is well under $50 and improves tail lights big time. Chris Cortest posted it in a C10 Facebook group. thought I'd share it here.

You buy a couple of round LED tail light and just follow his instructions:

I uploaded it to Youtube so you guys can see the video too:
https://youtu.be/LksBztrPIoo


I think these are the LED tail lights he used. He bought them locally. But you can also buy them online

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/2-4-1...509283843.html

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Jay2Cor517

TKCR, thanks for this mod. I read your build thread and a while back (love your truck). Then I went to Ace-Pick-A-Part on Half-Off day and found three of these from trucks/suburbans; spliced two of them into my truck. I hadn't bought LEDs for them but used 1156s bulbs instead of the 1003s(?). It made a major difference. The best part about it was two fold. When searching for the under dash courtesy lights, I found a multiple sets of quad relays in '93+ trucks/burbs/tahoes (just pull out the glove box, they sit on top of AC/heater stuff). When all was said and done, I got the relays for .50 cent apiece, they charged me for the wiring harnesses at $2 apiece but only for three of them and the lady gave me the three courtesy lights. So, those are my mods for under $50.

P.S. If you haven't done the headlight relay mod, go to the yards, find those relays and cut the harnesses too; this should be done if you keep the origninal sealed beams, buy the high performance Sylvania Silverstar sealed beams, Hella H4/H1 bulb setup or any other headlights. That way you can enjoy looking & seeing better AND being SAFER!

Cool. No I have not done that MOD yet. I'll have to look into that ONE, Thanks

[Jay2Cor517]

TKCR, my bad. I was just encouraging anyone who hadn't completed the headlight relay mod to do it--that wasn't meant to you directly (and definitely not taking a shot or anything). Like I said before, love your truck. So keep doing what your doing and posting great ideas---Jay

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Jay2Cor517

TKCR, my bad. I was just encouraging anyone who hadn't completed the headlight relay mod to do it--that wasn't meant to you directly (and definitely not taking a shot or anything). Like I said before, love your truck. So keep doing what your doing and posting great ideas---Jay

On the contrary, I like that MOD. That is one thing I hate, is not having bright enough headlights. Your good, there was offense taken

[Houston Ben]

Jay2Cor, how exactly do you do this headlight mod???

[vht]

Got a link to the headlight mod?

[Jay2Cor517]

Houston Ben & VHT, there are so many smart people on this site who have posted ideas and pics on how to do this mod, I would be doing you an injustice on posting just one link. Since we all take in data and info differently, my suggestion is too simply type in "Headlight Relay" in the search box and you will find TONS of info that will make sense to you. But here's one to get you started: Headlight relay mod revisited...my way to do it and save some money http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=188478