Muscle truck?

So I have this idea brewing in my head.

Buy something like this: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1986178293.html

An early 80s/late 70s Chevy C10 that is just a beater. The SBC is common as dirt and go-fast parts are easy to find for cheap. Ideally a Holley 144 Powercharger will fit under the hood. Long tube headers fit with ease. And lowering kits can be had for dirt cheap as well. I am thinking of not touching the exterior and just making it loud, obnoxious and possibly fast.

This is my inspiration: http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_0906_1974_chevy_c10_build/index.html

Cool or a waste of time? I'm thinking of selling my '61 Olds F-85 to fund the project (or offer it for trade).

^ i'VE WANTED one of those too. I was going that route with my '89 reg cab shortbed but things got in the way and it was sold off.

Cool as hell.

Just bear in mind that there's a fine line between "cool" and "redneck as hell."

i like that type of project. Our friend Pat on team External Combustion has a really cool dodge D100 with a 440.

I built and drove one for several years... a swb '79 Silverado with a late 60's 350 4 bolt main basically built to LT1 specs. Slightly lowered, wide tires, headers and moderately loud pipes. Decent paint but still more truck than rod.

Was a great ride, huge fun (even did a few laps at Summit Point in it one day), and dirt cheap to maintain.

I left the steep (posi) economy rear in it... nice for the interstate (with the TH350) but still had serious traction issues on launch.

Rust was my main issue on the '79... year round use in the salt ate it up in a few years.

I like the earlier C10's. But other than that, I like the idea.

This model -

Please build it!!!

DILYSI Dave wrote:

I'd rock this . . .

I fully support it. Finding shortbeds dirt cheap can be hard (If you even care about the wheelbase).

Also...they all rust...so while there are millions of these things on the road and in the junkyard...they're all rusty.

Clem

Ah, the usual. I don't have time/money/skills or the truck. I know there's two in the neighborhood I'm stalking should the planets align...

This project would hinge on me getting rid of my '61 F-85. I don't have room for everything and frankly the F-85 doesn't do it for me anymore (I got it for free so I'm not in it for much $). My other motivation is that I miss having a truck. This could scratch two itches at once.

I like the idea. I enjoyed driving my '87 R15, but it wasn't worth putting the money into to fix the issues that it had.

Something like this?

WWJD

HRTH rear suspensions are da bomb!

I like the SWB Chevrolet pickups. The parts are a deal compared to Datsun parts where I see guys begging for 510 parts.

do it

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/t.aspx

I drove this at the CMP Fall Lemons race.

It had this in under the hood.

That's a 6.0 Liter Escalade motor with a carb on top. A stand alone MSD box ran the ignition.

No, it wasn't a $500 truck. We expected to be heavily penalized and were. We run more for fun that to win so it didn't matter that we ended up at the bottom of the field.

It ran like stink. Fast as hell. Handled pretty good too. It had a spool in the rear so you had to brake in a straight line, off brakes for turn in, hit the apex, and then gun it out. The reason you gunned it out was so the rear wheels would slide out and rotate the truck to complete the turn.

Thing was b!tching fast.

This was what the office looked like.

I neglected to mention that I originally built the truck for my Dad. Between it and the ex-diesel Caddy with a warmed over Olds Rocket 350 driving the front wheels, he came within a point of losing his license... was in a "high risk" state insurance pool for years.

His current "hot rod" is a Vortec 454 Suburban with loud pipes... but he's matured a lot so I think he can handle it. ;-)

We had a '70 or so GMC where I worked after college: long bed, Powerglide, 283, power steering. The truck was in like-new condition. It had a really low final drive, though. It was excellent in town but didn't have much business on I-285.

In reply to Xceler8x:

That truck is bitchin . . . more info, please!!

my little brother and I are hoping to finish his 1984 beater F150 with a hot 302. He is pretty excited about it.

(I am trying to get him to swap a step side bed on it, and lower it a couple inches, but his buddies have mudder trucks, so its an uphill battle.)

In reply to Platinum90:

I like the idea. I liked the HotRod truck too. got me thinking but I never acted on it. Hope you get a lot farther than I did.

my oldest brother still has a 67 CST short bed. Darn thing still flys. He's toasted a few tranies (4std) and a rear end chevy 302 with soild lifters and roller rockers.

44

http://jalopnik.com/5297014/oklahoma-home-of-the-sleepiest-sleeper-truck-ever

this truck still makes my pants get tight.

xceler8, do I know you from the 67-72chevytrucks board? I am Bowtie001 over there. You guys cheated. A lot. I sat this one out, but my team was in the Tunachucker Amazon with the Spaceballs theme.

Hot rod trucks are a dime a dozen down here. Sorry, I have to give this idea a thumbs down.

Now a STi Baja would rock my world.

If'n I hang on to my '88 GMC work truck, I'm dropping a 383 stroker, TH350, LSD etc in it, and keeping it 100% stock on the outside. Probably leave the utility cap on the bed, too - you know, for a little extra weight over the rear for launches.

Iggy's truck up there is seriously one of the coolest vehicles I've ever seen. Xceler8x's is right behind.