August 08'-09' Build Off: 1969 Chevrolet CST/10
 

It's big.

It's bad.

It's very Orange.

And it's back.


http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3.../Chevyy061.jpg
For those new to this, this is my back story: http://www.xmodsource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7609



Yes, it runs, and it's mean:

YouTube Video

It's a 1969 Chevrolet CST/10, long bed 2wd. Freshly rebuilt 350 small block backed with a rebuilt TH350 tranny, twisting over 360 ft lb of torque to a monster Dana 60 rear axle (very rare on half tons). Exhaust flows through Heddmen long-tube headers to a dual 2.5 in pipes that run through a mystery set of mufflers and dump just past the axle.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_5189.jpg

I bought way back in January of 07.

Why wait so long to enter? Hell, I had no money. My daily driving day dream of a Firebird had it's own costs. And with a alleged 83 mph speeding ticket, I simply can't afford to keep driving it and cover the ticket and expect to finish the CST/10 anytime soon. So, off goes the bird to the next owner (still in the family though) and hello to
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...d/IMG_0195.jpg

:p

The up to date plans:
-Next weekend I'm hittin my favorite yard for a 73-87 C10 front suspension, which bolts right up to my frame. They have brakes that can stop (I have front drums), and apparently ride and handle better than the 67-72 geometry. Also the master cylinder and brake lines will be off the 73-87 truck. So with all that, and replacing the common parts it will run me 350-400 bucks at most, as opposed to a 700 dollar kit from any one of the venders.

-Fuel sending unit today, picking one up in a bit and bringing home the gas tank I bought a while back. By the end of the day the CST10 should be running on it's own gas again. The original tank was rusted to hell so after that one day, we didn't start it up using that tank again.

-Seats/seatbelts. I can use the stock bench seat, but it's torn up. That, and my dad won't let me use this beast until it has shoulder belts. So, I'm thinkin' of buying the set of > 2007 GM truck seats I saw at Charlies for 200. Their 2 buckets with the center armrest/seat, and has built in belts. That's two birds with one 200 dollar stone right there.

-Powersteering, buying the pump and brackets tomorrow, and possibly the A/c brakets too.

-Interior, got a plan for that Olds 442 steering wheel I got. Seats will be changed. Door panels have to be done. The gauge cluster will be finished up w/the Cadillac clock once we get some more wiring done. Any added on stuff (EX: Radio, amp) will be ran on a custom harness to keep it out of the stock harness.

-Wheels, totally unsure. But sticking with the steel wheels ATM
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...redownload.jpg
The other option, but needs some work to fit.

-Suspension: Getting 2 inch drop springs all around for $20 off the guy who I bought the tank from, shocks will be around 40 a piece.

As it's sitting right now:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy001.jpg
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Looks pertty bad bro and sencie you' re going to change the master cilinder for the braks I would sugest to buy a crome one or chrome the one you bought as well as the boster and the alternator to give it a crome look, and is that a K&N filter you got or is it just a stock one? But it's coming a long very well Texan.

I just want it on the road, shiney parts cost too much... Plus chrome M/C cover on a rusty truck is counter intuitive. :lol:

True but it is a project truck :lol: It really not that expensive if you now were to buy or you could just have them dipped in crome, But some one that acually know what their doing.

Both of which are out of the budget. And silly, why make an ugly part stand out even more?

I do actually know what I'm doing and what I'm talking about when I say billet and silly chrome bits are not in my budget right now. Suspension, brakes, engine, and getting it street legal are far more important.

A can of rustoleum spray paint is 4 bucks, and does the job much better. If I get so daring I can touch it with the engine orange used on the air cleaner and block. Buying the same shiny bits that every one else has is not as cool.

I did not mean you bro, What I meant is that I have seen cromed out parts done by knock off companies or poeple that look nasty.

this looks like a fun project! definitely more room to work under the hood than i tend to get in my teggy... oh and you need to update your sig if you dont have the firebird anymore.

id sure love to see two draggin bowties in your hands, you got one sick truck there. I bought one for 250 bucks awhile back with plans to retore it, but sold it a week later for 900 bucks haha. Cant wait to see this thing come to life though. 2 grand will be gone super quick. but man it will sure go a long way.

The ingenius way to clean out a semi-rusty gas tank:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0238.jpg

1st, we used garden rocks from walmart and tossed in a few handfuls in the tank, we used a teeter-totter motion (My dad and I holding the tank at each end, one going up, one going down). This was like a rock tumbler, knocking off TONS of the rust.

Step 2, take out the rocks, nothing really fancy... Putting fingers inside the sending unit hole and catchign rocks as they roll past.

Step 3, while vacuuming took a good bit of the powdered rust out, it couldn't get it all. Thus, our ghetto... HIGHTECH FILTRATION DEVICE:

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Fuel fitting form the sending unit, to rubber line, through a jeep filter, through the screw-on filter, down to the electric fuel pump that was on the truck when I bought it,and back into the gas tank. Run it for a few minutes, shake the truck (easy when your shocks don't stop the sway), and let it filter out the shacken up rust. After 15 minutes, the gas was coming out of our little rig clear as pump-fresh gas.

:metal:

Started it up on it's own tank in nearly a year. Just gotta have time to let it warm up and get the idle set and she'll run like a beast again.

thats pretty friggin smart. i wouldnt have the patients for something like that haha. nice job!

[QUOTE=texan_idiot25;198798]The ingenius way to clean out a semi-rusty gas tank:

1st, we used garden rocks from walmart and tossed in a few handfuls in the tank, we used a teeter-totter motion (My dad and I holding the tank at each end, one going up, one going down). This was like a rock tumbler, knocking off TONS of the rust.

Step 2, take out the rocks, nothing really fancy... Putting fingers inside the sending unit hole and catchign rocks as they roll past.

Step 3, while vacuuming took a good bit of the powdered rust out, it couldn't get it all. Thus, our ghetto... HIGHTECH FILTRATION DEVICE: [QUOTE]

:lol: Wow what a sofisticated way of rocks to take out rust.:lol:

You learn paitents when on a small budget.

Can't wait for saturday, pure and simple. It's time to bust *** on this truck.

Gotta tune the carb too, it doesn't like to idle at the moment. But it's awesome to start it up again and listen to that beast go.

It's going straight headers on the 1st day of school, screw Officer Harrasser

PLEASE GOD, TELL ME THE CHEAPEST AND EASIEST WAY TO GET DISK BRAKES ON MY **** PICK'M UP TRUCK!

While the 67-72 forums say one swap, the man at the Junkyard (also really knows what he's saying) says something totally contradictory. So, yay, no ****ing clue once more. Just trying to not have to buy the $700 kit.


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But, good day no less, brand new seats out of a wrecked 08 Silverado, just gotta clean them up and fix one of the seats:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0300.jpg
They look different shades of grey because the driver's side was wet from the carpet cleaner. But sweet setup no less, and for $150, cheapest set of seats priced so far!

Then went to go pick up the springs:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0291.jpg

His project truck, and why I'm getting springs. Laid out on air bags, just started his project. So anyways, talking to his dad since he had left earlier, pull out my wallet to pay the man for the springs and shocks, and he asks,

"What's that for?"
"The springs and shocks," I say.
"He told me to just give them to you"

I was excited, called up the guy and he says "Yes, merry chistmas!"

So that's 250~ bucks saved!

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0299.jpg
Got home and ripped out the stock springs:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0303.jpg

Toss in the lowered springs, not noting their exact drop, but realizing the moment the wheels hit the ground, the grins on my dad and I's face was large. It's too low to run, considering the axle tubes only have an inch until the bump stop, and maybe 3-4 inches until it hits the frame. So in the end we'll run 3inch drop springs instead of the 5 inch springs (later found the parts number) so that the truck can still haul and drive, but check out my ***!

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0309.jpg
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Tossing on the 3 inch front coils tomorrow.

Also I saw a *****en silverado with rockwell axles, and a car on fire!
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cool man! loking so sick! thats a cool score on the springs!

your truck have a sun roof?

Unfortunately, yes. And if you don't close it a special way, it leaks. Some one tossed it in some where in the last 40 years.

hollly ****! where do i start?

i guess first off, those seats are sick!! very good choiice.

that bagged chevy is exactly what i want!! sooo ****ing awesome.

kick *** deal on the springs!! gotta love days like those.

rockwells are the EFFING SHIZZNIT! that is soo badass. Texas rules for their lack of lift laws lol.

and whoooO! burning cars! haha.


wish i could help on the disc brake job, but im clueless. but if you tell me the 2 ways you have been told. i might be able to provide some more insite on it. i have a little knowledge in that area. but not a ton.


oh yeah... the drop looks ****ing sicckkK!! cant wait to see the front lowered. very nice!

rip it out, and switch it to a cali rag top :) cooler looking. nicer finish. doesnt leak!

and not very expensive.

I've thought about it, later on for sure.

Thanks! Can't beat them and they are the coolest seats I've seen in the yards
The 60-72 C10s are just about the easiest trucks to bag, the rear suspension is perfect for it. Trailing arms instead of leafs, so you can pretty much bolt bags right on the rear with out worrying about a 4-link/etc setup.
Free is a price I can afford
As long as it fits under the traffic lights and between the lines, it's basically legal
Hahaha.
Swapping the entire front suspension of a 73-87 C10, and putting on aftermarket six lug rotors. That's what the 67-72 guys say

Junkyard charlie says I only need spindles, and they'll work with the 69 ball joints. But he also says I don't need a proportioning valve so... His idea may work, but may not be right.
[quote=SPR;199684]

hmm well thats really iffy. swaping the suspension of course will work. but to me that would be pretty costly, and you would be better off going with teh $700 kit.

swaping spindles and changing the hubs to me sounds logical, on a lot of cars its as simple as that. So i would atleast give it a shot. if worse comes to worse.. try and sell the parts, recoupe some money. and go the other route.

Err that sucks it didnt look too sound.. the one on my car the rails rusted out so when its closed it rattles and it leaks a very tiny bit only time i noticed it was in the car wash.. i normally have the back flipped open even in the snow and rain lol so it doesnt really matter to me.


the leak causing any rust issues?

Both ways are cheap as hell. Literally no more than $140 out of the yard. But, this is swapping parts to different generation parts. Now, from the frame to the lugs if it swapped it'd be fine. But when you start making a hybrid of parts between the frame and the lugs, that's where it starts to not work right. Logic says that my ball joints won't fit the 73+ spindles. I mean, if it was as cheap as swapping the spindles it would be the easiest swap ever and everybody would be doing it. But, the entire front suspension swap has been done before, some even citing saying that you could basically roll the entire front suspension and front x-member from the doner truck onto the 67-72 frame, but the Junkyard say otherwise.

It's crazy.



No, not really. Not compared to the other leaks the truck has. I just don't open the roof ever and it doesn't leak.

well **** if its only 140 bucks. do the full suspension swap. i never woulda dreamed it would be that cheap. but of coures it will work better doing all of it, since its designed to work with all of it. Prob will hold a better alignment too which is waht you really need to think about the most. tires arent cheap!

Problem is, don't know if I'd be buying $140 bucks worth of usable stuff with so many different opinions on how to do it. But, this is how it might work out:

I have to 1st order the custom rotors so the Junkyard knows what spindles to give me, different sizes were given for the different thickness rotors. He'll sell me the spindles and calipers for about 35-40 each side. I go home, and try it out. If that doesn't work right, he said then he'll go tear down the whole truck for the rest. And we buy a proportioning vavle from some place else, since he thinks it's not needed... lulz.

He says he's done this swap before too, but so had the 67-72 forum guys and their way. But, might as well try the cheapest option 1st before buying the rest of the suspension of the doner 73-87 truck.

****, i wish i could find some seats like that in a junkyard around here, i can't even find a seat worth recovering in our junkyards =/ after you get the drop springs all around, take some pics with the big ghetto chrome rims on it, toss some DUB stickers on it too =P looks nice, awesome to see your suspension starting to come together. bowtie FTW.

I'm still unsure about those rims! Will see after I figure out what I want to do with these white wheels. They don't looks so bad when their filling out the wheel wells. But their getting sand blasted and painted black when I get it on the road and to my school.

Holy awesome, I drove the truck.

So, it was backed out of the driveway, and turned around in the street, but it's movement. It's also hell. Every try a 3 point turn in a 5000lbs truck with no power steering? Ha... hahah... But it's a rumbling beast no less.

Anyways, backed it into the garage, it's cold, windy, and miserable outside.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy010.jpg
Bet you can't find the lower ball joint nut! Love 40 years of grease
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy012.jpg
Also gotta love 3 foot breaker bars that can break 40 years of grease.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy011.jpg
Anyways, 3 inch drop springs vs the stock spring.

The 1st side was easy. All was said and done in 45 minutes. The passenger side. Well... The lower ball joint was so worn out, trying to pry the spindle off it, was **** near impossible. Pulling the spindle up to pry off, pulled the ball joint along with it! It took 3 hours of hammering and mess unitl it finally popped out. But, spings in and down on the jacks:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy022.jpg

Sits perfect at front. While the body does sit level, the rear tires are still tucked in more than the fronts. And with the travel issues, eventually I'll throw in 3in drop springs instead of the 5s. But for now, the CST10 is down nice.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy021.jpg
Finished up the steering wheel, Olds 442 wheel looks badass, and is a much nicer size than the original wheel. Went a head and ripped off the old cracked dashpad, just got tired of it. And re-installed the guages and finished the Cadillac clock.

This is starting to look really, really nice, Texan. Awesome work and determination. :D

Cheers,
Kyle.

B. E. A . UUUTIFUL!!

looks awesome. but what the hell you workin in good clothes and shoes for lol. you'll learn quick not to do that haha. look good though.

my buddy just finished his prosteet truck yesturday, when he post pics on myspace of it ill have to show ya, its right up your ally, you'll love it :)

You replaced that ball joint, right? I hope so. Sounds like they all need replaced if that one had that much movement.

Anyways, looking good lowered.

i hope he didnt. waste of money. if he is planning on changing out the suspension to do a disk brake swap, then he would just be changing the balljoints then anyways. no reason to do it now.

Will do when the front end is finished. Right now it's just bolted snuggly together for mock-up. We'll have to tear it down for the disk brake swap anyways, so at that point new lower ball joints go in both sides. Trust me, that side has gone to hell :lol: Driver's side wasn't much better in terms of ball-joint health

Thanks man.

Thanks man!

I've been in the garage for 17 years, I know the dress code. But, Vans are shoes, shoes get dirty, shoes can get cleaned. And I had a jacket on most of the day, just after turnign that truck with no power steering, well, I was all worked up and such.

Power steering pump will be put on ASAP.

Looking good!
You have some skills with the camera, all your shots come out looking real nice.
Looks like we'll have to fallow this one closely.

Chill out, man.. You know very little of the swap plans or of what I did and didn't do. Let me answer other people's questions. ;)

Thank you Sweedy. Plus, when I use the flash, my truck looks like hell. The shadows hide the uglyness :lol:

was only saying... it would be a waste of money since u plan to swap. there was no reason to be putting in a new balljoin now just to rip it back out... just common sense..

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy012.jpg

if that the hammer you are using I can see why it took a few hours. a few smacks on the knuckle with good sized hammer and the taper should vibrate right loose. I can give you some tips on changing that ball joint with no press or other special tools if you need it.

My dad left the BFH at work, but we were trying every way known to knock it out of the lower joint, including going full force on the spindle. Even with the jack under the brake to load some pressure onto the ball joint it held. It was just 40 years stuck. He was gettin mad knowing that normally it does only take a few whacks with a hammer. But the **** thing just wouldn't go until we let a large squirt of GM penetrating lube do it's work for the 4th time.

PM me the tips. I'm sure my dad is probably on the same mind train as you. But were doing the joints the the garage anyways, can't drive it up to the dealership just yet and work on it with the ultimate set of tools.

One of these days this week I'm heading to his work and sandblasting and painting the steel wheels black as well

Started it up, and pulled it out today to see it on the ground. Oh how I love that V8 rumble. The Carb doesn't like the cold, but starts well with out a choke.

YouTube Video

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Great progress tex!! Its really coming together!!

Wow tex, I love that stance! Glad to finally see some progress here. Just do me a favor and put some tasteful rims on it. Nothing I hate more than ugly rims on nice cars.

passenger front tire look a little low ;)