Project AirLS 70
 

I've been watching the forum for a while now, but this is my first post. I hope to document my build of a 70 Chevy C10 short bed step side.

I think I should start with a little history on the truck and try to elaborate on the ever changing goal of this project.

One of my boys decided that he really wanted a truck like this to fix up when he was a 16 year old in high school. He did some searching and located this truck on E-bay and decided it was the one for him. I contacted the seller, and got some information on the truck and a few additional pictures. I asked about rust and the drive train and was told it had some rust in the usual places and the engine had recently had the heads redone and was otherwise a good runner with no knocks or smoke. The usual places for rust being the cab mounts and cab corners. From the pictures it looked like we were getting fairly accurate information.
We were successful (I use the term loosly) in winning the auction and the bells should have started going off when the seller wanted FULL payment before we picked up the truck. Like an idiot, I bought into his story of needing the money to snag up a good deal on some race car parts plus it was going to take me a week or two to arrange the trip from Minnesota to central Illinois to pick it up.
I made the trip down with a car trailer and was quite disappointed in the actual condition of the truck. You could see through the floor in several places and the area above the windshield was rusted through on the inside. The rockers were history as was the bottom of the kick panels on the inside. The rear ends of the frame rails were swiss cheese and the bed was held on with two bolts. To top it off the engine had 3 flat lobes on the cam (but no knock or smoke). This was my last vehicle purchase on eBay.
I got the truck home and the poor condition didn't do much to dampen my son's enthusiasm for this "project". We decided that the easy fix would be to find a new cab as the rest of the truck was actually not too bad. While we waited for the right cab to come along, we tore into the engine and did a full short block. It was good experience for him and a great refresher for me. With some sheet metal patches on the floor and some strategic duct taping, he was able to drive the truck through the winter. Unfortunately he realized that the truck was going to cost him too much in gas to keep driving and he wasn't going to get it done in time as he was planning to join the military when he was done with school. Long story short- I traded him a 2001 Chevy impala for the old truck. Not exactly what I had in mind for a project, but because it was his, I took it on.
I had originally intended to do a typical rebuild/ mild resto mod to the truck. Unfortunately for the check book, I let the project snowball.
My second plan of a stage 1 Porterbuilt suspension has morphed into a stage 2 front and rear with A- arms. The throw some aluminum heads on the small block has evolved into a gen IV 5.3 with a 4L60e. Naturally the rest of the truck will need to be pretty heavily modified to go along with the suspension and drive train, but that goes without saying-right?

I hope you all enjoy following along with this build, as I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy (gulp!) doing it.
Here is a rendering of the direction I want to go. Unfortunately the program (digital paint booth) doesn't have a step side in the database. I would like for the truck to have a NASCAR vibe to it and little to no flash. Very subdued and purpose built is the ultimate goal.
The color is a satin white (looks gray in the rendering).

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I am still trying to locate all my pictures from the early days of the build. They are on one of 4 computers (I think) and a phone or two (I hope).
Here are a few of the tear down.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

More tear down.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

You can see some of the cancer on the rear frame section and the spring doubler above the rear end. The body mount areas of the cab were rebuildable, but I really didn't need to unbolt the cab from the frame. For the most part, the bolts pulled right through the cab mount pads. Its hard to tell in the pictures but the trailing arms were in pretty bad shape too. I probably could have gotten away with patching them up and adding a doubler over the seam, but didn't really want to once I started seeing the Porterbuilt products.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Getting it down to the bare frame- and then some. Say goodbye to the old cab- redneck style! My neighbors must love me.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Im in for another one .

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

that is definitely some serious rust, look forward to seeing your progress we could always use another stepper on the streets

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Going to look great! Looking forward to more updates. I've got a 69 short step I'm working on so this hits close to home.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

sub'ed
did you give the guy good feedback ? lol it is dicks like that that screw sites like that. be HONEST people!!!!!!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I don't think he really cared much about the feedback, but he did get 80 characters of negativity from me! I should have learned after the 67 Camaro convertible I bought a few years prior.......but I didn't.

I had the stripped frame, some components and the rear end media blasted. I was surprised at how clean it all came out, but the heavily rusted areas were pretty much gone. I was able to repair the frame damage with some 11 gauge rectangle tube that I cut into a channel and sectioned. The radius and thickness matches the old frame almost perfectly.
I also fabricated some new upper spring mount/ shock crossmember gussets. I was going for the "Porterbuilt look" as I had my stage 1 front/ stage 2 rear on order. No offense to Nate and the gang- imitation is the best form of flattery!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I'm not an ebay user but I thought you had the right of refusal if the item was obviously misrepresented. Is that not the case?
It looks like your fab skills are up to the task of this rebuild.I like the Nascar theme.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

You really don't have a lot of recourse when you've paid in full. The guy went as far as to have his nephew meet me to give me the title and stuff. Most likely so he wouldn't have to face up to the BS he told me. Its all water under the bridge now, so I don't let it bother me.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I got the reared stripped of the backing plates and lines and prepped it for paint. I used KBS coatings, which is marketed as "the next generation POR15". I did the base coat in KBS rust seal. It wasn't really necessary as I had the rear completely clean from the blasting (can't find that pic right now). I then top coated it with the KBS's appropriately named "top coat". I wanted a satin black of about 20%, which they unfortunately don't make. I mixed some of the chassis black and flat black (75/25) and am very happy with the result. The axels are being replaced with new 5 lug versions of the correct length.
And for those of you that live a little further south- the orange thing in the back is a S-N-O-W B-L-O-W-E-R.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Frame repairs..... I did some frame repairs before I sent it off for blasting. I found a few more spots that needed repair after I got it back. I used the 11 gauge tube for all of the frame repairs- mostly because this is what I had at the time but it also was a very close match to the frame thickness. Back when the frame was newer it probably would have been close to 3/16. but with rust and blasting- not so much.

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And more repair.........

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

And more........
I ended up re-doing the tail of the frame repairs. I had actually used a thinner gauge tube in the first repair, and it just wasn't right. The radius didn't match and it was noticeably thinner. Now it is almost impossible to tell there was a repair.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

subscribed

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I placed my original order with Arizona Performance for my Porterbuilt stage 1 front and stage 2 rear in March of 2012. When I placed my order they had a lead time of about 6 weeks. That date came and went and all I had received to that point was the air system and other misc stuff- no PB! I contacted Travis with AZP and he checked on it to find that they were still back logged.
It was 17 weeks after the original order before my components shipped. Apparently I had placed my order about the same time that PB was expanding/ relocating(?) or some other disruption to manufacturing. This really put a damper on my progress as I needed most of the components to move forward on the frame. I also get pretty busy the last half of the year with work, so my hobby time is limited.
While I was waiting on frame parts, I figured I was safe to start painting the parts of the frame that wouldn't be modified with PB parts (wrong)!

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Happy day! Porterbuilt arrives!

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Another angle.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

To bad on the rip off part, a lot of rust for sure but you sure are doing a fine job on the repair, bet your glad you can do it yourself, many can't so would really be screwed or cost a lot to repair. Interesting build, on board for the long run.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Thanks!
It was a bummer for sure when I first loaded it up. I probably would have stopped bidding abut $1000 sooner had the seller been honest. At least I'm finally getting to use the welder though. I didn't think there would be quite as much frame repair as there was, but it's turning out okay.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Sucks about the purchase. Your story and build is similar to mine. I'm starting to have a knack of finding rusty trucks. My first one was rusted by the drivers spring in the same place as your truck. Sold it for that reason and bought my current truck. While tear down I keep finding more rust. More than likely I will he swapping cabs.

Your frame work looks great.

Tagging along for the ride.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I have bought a few deals like that too, from guy's I thought knew what they were talking about, a few did it on purpose and a few just didn't understand, yours...well they understood. Glad you rescued it though, turning out nice, just more work than you thought.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I got all the cross members out from the trailing arm support back. Easiest way was center punch the head of the rivet and drill it with a 5/16 bit to just below the head/ shank area. Take the air chisel and pop off the head (should be quick) and punch out the rest. It still took a while to get them all out though.
There is also a picture of my "center finder". In this case it was a 1/4 nut- just set the nut in the hole you want to mark and either use a center punch or a drill to mark it. It was spot on every time.
If you have never seen the PB components, and/or have never done an air suspension (me), there is a learning curve for sure. The last pic is the upper rear spring cups. They look similar to the front cups on a stage 1, so there was a little head scratching.
Already some flash rust starting to show- damn humidity!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

The frame gets some new digs! I helped a friend insulate and drywall his 40X40 shop over the summer and he has been gracious and let me bring my project up there. Its great because he has a project of his own going, so we can lend each other a hand as needed. Plus his shop is AWSOME! I did bring up a bunch of tools that he didn't have, so its really a win-win.
The biggest issue I had was getting my partially assembled frame up there. My car trailer was buried under 2 feet of snow, and I didn't really want to dig it out for a 15 minute ride. My Tundra only has a 5 1/2' bed so do the math and you have about 9 feet of frame hanging past the tail gate! I put a Ruth's doggy bag to good use though. Now we will see some progress!!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

OH man. Shop envy going on right now. That looks warehouse big compared to mine.

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Yeah- he has a really nice shop and it is great of him to share it with me. I guess he feels guilty for having me in the attic blowing in the insulation last August.
The mock up continues:
Got the Wilwood discs on the reared.
The trailing arms, bags and reared are on the frame.
The drop member and a-arms arrived.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Porterbuilt drop member going in. This particular dm was replaced with a new one- notice how the lower pass a-arm isn't installed. The first one I received didn't have the pass front lower control arm hole machined to fit the bushing. PB was quick to send out a replacement though. While I was waiting for it, I had the control arms powder coated 20% satin black. The car in the background is my buddies project- 67 GTX.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Made my compressor/ tank mounts and welded a butt load of holes in the frame. Fitting the air system has been a bit of an issue since I'm building a stepper and leaving the stock bed floor. There are not a lot of places to tuck the tanks and compressors. I was originally going to use a single 4gal tank, but it had nowhere to go (that I liked). I picked up a couple of slim 1gal tanks and am piggy backing them on with the compressor.
The brackets were a little "floppy" so I went back and added some stiffeners. Here is a little trick I used to cut the radius in the stiffeners (to clear the compressor motor). I took a large washer and traced around it with the plasma cutter inside of a smaller washer. It turned out pretty smooth, and was the correct size.

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Did some more plumbing on the air system. I don't care much for the plastic lines so I am running aluminum with AN fittings. I made a bracket to mount the valve on the upper rear shock mount. It worked out pretty good and helps keep a symmetrical layout. It also gives enough room for the pressure gauge senders to clear the cross member. The inlet ports on the valve cross over so it will keep the air balanced in the two separate tanks.
Also took a little break and went with my friend to look at a motor for his project car. This was not the engine he was looking at, but it was the one the guy had originally built for the car. This is a 2500HP alcohol injected street driven car. The car is very impressive and you can find it on youtube- just search for 2500 hp valiant.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Nice tube work, I saw the Valiant run on the dyno, killer car, a handful to drive I bet.

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Setting the motor and trans. This is an 08 L5Y with a 4l60 (18K miles). I have a 6l80 that I is currently 4WD, but I have the stuff to make it 2WD. Unfortunately the trans has to come completely apart to swap the output shaft and remove a couple of plugs. Im going to mock it up what the 4spd for now as it looks like the 6 is only 1 3/8 longer at the mount.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

The owner is a nice guy if not a little "chatty". He said the clutch is the worst thing- good quad workout though. The take up feels like engaging a regular clutch and then you do a leg press from there. Impressive workmanship on the car though.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I picked up a set of wheels off of eBay. I figured these would work for rollers at a minimum and might just work out in the long run. I'm not too crazy about the fake bead lock bolts, but I have a plan to eliminate them. There are also a few more pictures of the brake and air lines. Speaking of brake lines, I gave the Nicop lines a try. They are a nickel/ copper alloy and was fairly easy to work with. It was stiff enough to stay straight, but bent and flared nicely. It also has kind of a cool- titanium color to it. I also mocked up the new fuel rails and lines. Not to be too corny, but I'm trying to "color code" the various systems (within reason). The fuel lines will be red, air is natural and oil(s) will be black. All of my AN fittings are going to be either black, silver or red.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Must say that is a nice rim, save the bead lock look, like to see your plan on elimination.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

I'm following along. I like the plan.

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Keep up the good work. It looks like you are making lemonaid out of lemons. Nice attention to detail!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Man awesome work so far! I'm hooked and will keep watching. Glad you are saving it from completely rusting away!

Re: 70 Chevy short stepper build
 

Thanks for the comments guys.
I got some rubber on the wheels- definitely not the tires I will be using eventually, but I had them and they hold air. I think I will be running a little more sidewall when the time comes.
There is air in them there bags. The suspension is actually holding the frame up. First time in a long time and a real motivator. I went with a mild DM and a regular c-notch so not "laying frame", but it will "lay oil pan"- guess I need a new one of those now.