'89 Chevy C1500 because reasons.

Nothing like a ~90 Mile round trip commute to find problems with your new 30 year old truck. 

It's getting a bit hot in interstate traffic, it starts cooling down in slower traffic. I'm suspecting a fan issue, I know the fan shroud is in terrible shape. May look into E-fans soon. 

Very loud rattle/tap from the bell housing ousing area. Previous owner said he had had trans out recently so I'm wondering if the converter bolts are trying to back out. I'm at work with no tools right now so I guess I'm going to have to baby it on the drive home and then park it until I can get time to check it over. I'll want to check the TV cable and shifter linkage too while I'm under there. 

Also look at tge flexplate. They tend to crack, apparently. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

Looks like the last guy thought that too. The flex plate appears to be a new one.

Also looks like we're puking fluid from around the speed sensor.

Sweet! Another C-1500 GMT400 Build! Looks like you have a decent start!

So my oil pressure gauge is definitely dead. Checked the oil and it was way low. I didn't want to add any because i don't know what was in it. So today it got whatever was in drained and 5 quarts of fresh 10w30 and a new filter. On the 2nd startup the tapping was gone. But while it was sitting for a week it leaked a noticable amount of ATF onto the driveway. So next is fixing that VSS seal. Debating on go ahead and doing a a fluid and filter change. Normally I like to do that pretty quick and higher mile used cars but what leaked out looks very fresh, which makes sense seeing how the previous owner had the trans out recently. 

I was thinking about my inventory of garbage and my 3 GM project cars. I was strongly considering putting the L98 back in my GTA, but Patrick reminded me that numbers matching block doesn't matter when the numbers are gone, and I sort of bought an LS swap kit for a 3rd gen f body already. So new plan for the L98 is to freshen it up with a decent pair of heads and a better suited cam then eventually swap it into the truck. Will probably swap over to multiport fuel injection with a megasquirt setup when I do. 

In reply to spacecadet :

Ball joints are tight, control arms are quiet, sway bar bushings are trashed, tie rods are good, cab corners are solid, dash has one minor crash above the gauges, seats are clean but out of a newer truck so don't actually fit.

Next on the list is tracking down some early Tahoe/Suburban buckets and console. After that is stereo because I need to know where my seats are gonna be before I start trying to make a sub box fit in a regular cab.

In reply to Daylan C :

I just saw the meme on book of faces and went... 

I HAVE A PLACE FOR THIS. 

I like the 90's chevy trucks. 

I would like a lingenfelter Suburban. 

In reply to spacecadet :

Gearheade30's got me liking 2000 Tahoe Limiteds a lot after seeing his. Probably tied with 454SS for peak GMT400. He needs to put up a build thread for that thing.

Im running a plk db8 in a small sealed downfiring box under the passengers seat in mine. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

Kind of what I was thinking, which is why I need to have a seat in there permanently first. I would hate to make it fit with this seat then it doesn't fit with the next seat. I realized the truck not having any sort of stereo at all (the rigged setup that was in it got thrown out), I have a good opportunity to try my first whole setup from scratch. Probably gonna go with that same single din Pioneer I had in my Mustang, no clue on the rest of the components though.

So this truck is currently a little broken but I haven't confirmed as to what extent. And I don't like it as much as I thought I would without turning it into a major project...and on top of that I've maybe found something I like a lot more.

So now the full extent of the plans for this truck are; swap my spare driver door on, new lock cylinders in both doors, finish diagnosing this engine noise and decide if I'm fixing it and listing the truck for "running and driving rust free short bed" money or "rust free short bed with a time bomb engine" money. 

The truck isn't staying even if I don't buy this other thing I've found.

I like these trucks in theory, I like how they look lowered, I just don't like sitting in them. Even when new. I wonder why that is? 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Honestly for me I think it's because it doesn't have as much character as the older trucks I've had, and it's not as good of a truck as the newer trucks I've gotten used to. Part of me definitely wants to daily this truck with a 4/6 drop and a manual trans. But I have a long commute, and don't want to put work/money into actually doing the 4/6 drop and manual swap at this time. Also old trucks aren't nearly as nice to drive every day as I remember. 

Daylan C said:

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Honestly for me I think it's because it doesn't have as much character as the older trucks I've had, and it's not as good of a truck as the newer trucks I've gotten used to. Part of me definitely wants to daily this truck with a 4/6 drop and a manual trans. But I have a long commute, and don't want to put work/money into actually doing the 4/6 drop and manual swap at this time. Also old trucks aren't nearly as nice to drive every day as I remember. 

Happened to me when I purchased my ranger. I wanted to enjoy another lowered mini truck but couldn't get hyped to do it after buying the truck. I didn't sell it yet but it's just been used as a beater truck for winter. I'll be sad to see it go but it made me realize a conformable full-size is alot more practical for my daily life.

Picked at it a bit more today. Adjusted the rocker arms so now they are way quieter and actually opening valves now. Truck still has about as much power as a stock tbi 350 is expected to. It's back together enough to start and move now so I parked it out of the way and unhooked a battery cable. I'll probably get in the mood to do more with it later but for now the wagon and Saturn are getting more of my attention.

After more investigation the truck is still running like garbage but I think it's a fuel/ignition issue rather than internal engine damage like I originally feared. But never the less I posted this truck for sale on marketplace. And a friend of mine messaged me like 15 minutes later.

"I know you said no trades, but I'll trade you the third gen for it"

DANGIT! MY WEAKNESS!

I've pretty much talked myself into this. It's a 1984 former V6 car that was 350/700r4 swapped pretty cleanly. Basically the deal is he keeps his wheels and engine, and I keep the 350 from the truck. Car comes with all his 3rd gen f-body parts stash too. I'd probably end up borrowing a lot of parts from my GTA for this car. 

I'm waiting for him to make his final call, we both stay pretty busy during the week so it'll probably be Friday before he gets a chance to come over and look at my truck and decide if he actually wants it. 

So if this deal goes through. The plan is to throw a motor and trans in it. Then go from there. Either the TBI 350 from the truck or possibily the old 350 from my other friends '92 RS (if he still wants to sell it to me for as cheap as he offered last time we talked about it. The car is currently set up for a carb, large cap HEI and mechanical fuel pump. I haven't looked but I don't think the '89 block in the truck has provisions for the mechanical pump but I can work around that if needed pretty easily. I also have the L98 from my GTA still so I have options when it comes to the motor.

He says it blew a rear brake line last time he drove it but I have a complete set of hard lines for a 3rd gen in my stash. 

Has an open diff 7.5 10 bolt with drum brakes and probably a 3.42 gear currently. Considering borrowing my 3.27 gear LSD disc brake 9 bolt from the GTA. Basically I'm borrowing all the stock WS6 stuff from the GTA that was going to be changed later if I ever got around to building it. The 9 bolt will probably go back in the GTA later after I come up with an LSD and rear discs for the baby 10 bolt. 

Basically. I miss the Mustang. The 200ish hp Mustang was a fun car, this car is going to have around the same power or a bit more and be lighter. So a short detour from the wagon's LS swap to throw a spare parts Camaro together. Then we go back to the cool car. That's my thought process on why I'm considering getting another stupid f-body. 

In reply to Daylan C :

Every time ive gone down the path youre proposing, i find another car to distract me from ever getting the initial project done. 

Be aware, this may happen to you as well. Which is why my duster has moved three times in a year, the neon doesn't even roll, and the 49 f1 is still a bare frame.....

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

My dad had an interesting theory on this though. 

"A non driving hard top V8 Camaro might be easier to sell than a non driving truck"

But the whole point I wanted to sell the truck in the first place was to help fund the wagon. (The LS swap means that thing went from challenge budget to "berk this better be good when I'm done" quickly) Which is why I'm really ok with whichever way this goes. 

Also an added issue, it means I'm stuck with the GTA because all of its good parts would be on the Camaro until I replace them. Which sort of cancels out the exit strategy if the Camaro doesn't go to plan come to think of it.

Decided to pass on the Camaro. May still sell my buddy the truck cheap as a roller, possibly partial trade for some LS parts. Just doesn't make sense to start what I hope to be a quick and dirty project in October when I already have the wagon's LS swap started. 

Welp. Pretty much the end of my story with this truck. New owner is a friend so I might update this thread if he's made any progress with it next time I see it.

In reply to Daylan C :

so be it.. you're going through projects, but the wagon is continuing to move forward, so i see all of this as a positive. 

In reply to spacecadet :

Yeah part of the deal is "I'm going to dig out all of my LS parts I don't have a use for and you can come take what you need". So definitely a plus for the wagon.

Got a text from my buddy that owns the truck now. It apparently lost 1st gear and reverse today. So while I was trying to chase engine issues the trans was on its way out. Glad he's got a good sense of humor about this and planned on building it anyway.