New truck!

Back when this body style first came out I fell in love with them, and promised myself I would someday have one.

Well this past week I was driving by a lot and spotted this little truck setting towards the back. I stopped and took a look, liking what I saw I looked inside. A stick! Hard to find a manual transmission any more it seems.

To make a long story short, they wanted $4000.00 + TTL, which would be $661.00. The salesman had been eyeing my Impala (look back at older post) since I drove in, and asked me if I would sell. I said sure, and he asked how much. I said it just so happened I wanted $5000.00.

Well I drove off with the truck and $339.00 dollars and he had the Impala's title in hand.

So here is my 1995 Chevy C-1500 Cheyenne, 4.3 liter Vortec V-6, and 5 speed manual transmission.

Slow goings

12 days since my last post, wow. Time marches quicker than I sometimes realize.

Not a lot has been done, I've been down with a chest cold, I had a family member's funeral to attend, and yesterday was a sand storm the likes I haven't seen since I was a boy.

But I have got a little accomplished. The bed has been pulled off. Rusty, broken bolts and all. And the front windshield and back glass have been removed.

                                       

Moving on

The Model A is sold and has been taken away. I had big plans and high hopes, but the new truck spurred more "want to" in me than did the Sedan. So now with a pocket full of cash, and a goal in sight we continue on.

Interesting engineering

A few post ago I mentioned that a lot of things on this truck was cobbled together. I took a few pictures to prove my point.

First off, here are the motor mounts. Not completely terrible, but certainly not the way I would have done it. Seems to be some sort of brace of un-known origin, welded in place. Not very good weld by the way. Then a piece of galvanized pipe bolted in, with a square tube bolted in from side to side, running under the oil pan.

Next is some highly customized exhaust work! I gotta admit I had to laugh at this one.

Front sheetmetal

The front sheetmetal is now off. This should have been a easy job, but the previous owner welded the bottom of the front fenders to the cab. so it took a little cutting to get them apart.

Thinking engine...

I pulled the hood off, just to say I had done something. What a depressing sight this motor is. I ran the numbers and the 350 the owner says is in it, is really a 305. It's not that I was going to run this motor the way it is, but had it been a 350 I might of considered re-building it. Knowing now it's a 305, well, it's headed for the scrap yard.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but I have a nice 283, with a set of power pack heads. I will want to go through it before I put it in, but this may be what I use. Good solid motors, and with a few little tricks can be made to be a healthy little street engine, that won't break the bank keeping the gas tank full.

Here are a couple of pictures to show the sad shape everything is in. The cats had to be some of the worst cobblers I've seen in a while.

The beginning

   After much moving about, and after a good sweeping, the new truck is in the shop. With winter moving in it will be slow at work and I will have more time to work on it. I have already bought the winter supply of of wood to burn in the wood stove, and I know what needs to happen next.
   So with that we're off and running....