Another noob from D/FW

[country_3030]

Welcome, Nice Truck

[Botlfed]

Did slick 68 change his name welcome bud.

[Grumpy]

Thanks guys. I should mention....my truck is headed for its next phase....taking the motor back to its roots.
I'm swapping out all the carb stuff to take the motor back to efi. Working out a trade to get most all of the stuff needed to swap it...and finally get it running a bit cleaner.

I've got a 750 and a 650 Holley to choose from and dual AEM wideband a/f gauges to monitor things..... both carb's are fine for the track but on the street they wanna run either lean or rich....generally rich.

[Crazy Blu]

very clean truck you should bring it by lsx powersports for us to drool over!

[Grumpy]

that sounds like it could backfire tho...and be hard on my wallet.

OK...finally back up....pics and story below:

here's my truck as it was when i got it. Needed a hood and def some different wheels/tires


parts truck with front disc brake and rear suspension parts for my '68:


so I took the '72 apart....and started putting my '68's body on the '72 chassis.


after the chassis swap...can't see it but '68's original frame is against the wall:


and the 383 upgrade:


interior has more black now (carpet, kick panels, visors, dash pad, etc.)...but this is close:


and after getting a set of 15x8 rallys and 275/60-15 BFG T/A's, swapping out the grill and the truck was looking like this:



now at this point you'd think I'd be done. Truck was running probably in the mid-high 14's, looked good, and drove good. Me....noooooooo...I had to pull apart a perfectly good looking and running truck!

I'd always planned to take the '68's original frame and rebuild it with upgraded components. '72 brake and suspension upgrades from the parts truck, plus a restomod on the chassis and drivetrain...meaning lots of changes. It all started when I found a '09 LY6 crate motor for sale by a local new car dealer chain. They had bought a bunch of motors at the end of '08 when GM was having a fire sale on anything with value. I had missed several good buys Sewell was having on these new in the crate 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 motors... so I was really watching and bidding when I finally won one of the 6.0L motors. I saw a new 4.8L crate go for $911 (and no more that cheap afterward). Had I been bidding on it I would have owned it too. Look close and you can see the '68 frame standing up against the wall:




Now that I had the motor....I was excited to get going with the project. So I got the frame out and started cleaning it up for paint. I also put the motor on a stand so I could pull off the efi stuff (and I should have kept) and test fit the carb and intake. Before long...I was ready to start pulling my truck completely apart so I could move/prep any parts that were staying...and find a new home for the rest.



I built a stand for the bed and put the front end inside the bed, then wheels and tires and other parts went underneath. Even so....I was quickly running out of room. I had planned to keep the 383/350 combo for another project...but floor space and an empty wallet got the better of me and I sold them. Here the 383/350 are out and the front end mostly stripped down.


some of the most fun (I must admit)...was the steady flow of nice new parts coming in for my project:



and in no time the new LY6 was ready to go into a nice clean, freshly painted frame. Next time....I won't do it by hand tho, I'll get it sandblasted and powder coated. note - the exhaust manifolds got replaced with headers.



OK....taking a break. I'll finish the story tomorrow!

[Grumpy]

...continued.

one of the motor mods was the new cam, 4x gear, and LS2 tensioner in removing the VVT stuff.


.650 dual springs w/titanium retainers new locks, seals


added the 200-4r



Dynatech 1 7/8" x 3" headers




heater hooked up / new power brake booster / new master cylinder


new drive shaft:


Flowmaster custom 3" dual exhaust with turbo mufflers


1/2" -8AN fuel system


Trick Flow canister filter - weak Carter Street Pump - replacing with 14psi/135gph pump


chassis buildup included tubular upper control arms, 2.5" drop spindles, 1" drop springs, all new brakes/bearings/seals with slotted/drilled rotors and s.s.brake lines


custom 19gal. aluminum fuel tank w/baffles.


1 1/8" rear sway bar


accessory drive in place, front 1 1/4" front sway bar


circuit boss - 7 circuit


light weight insulation


new carpet - B&M megashifter


gauges include the normal plus 2 AEM wideband a/f gauges...one for each bank.


optima red top, MSD 6LS-2, aluminum 14" air cleaner, aluminum vacuum storage tank, oil catch can, adj. rear brake bias, s.s overflow tank


halogen tri-bar headlights


cowl induction hood


and back together




and....on track days...like this with 315/60-15 MT ET d/r's. maybe a bit big

[RS/SS 4.8]

Man thats a really nice truck. favorite color and bodystyle. is that 200r4 gonna hold to that motor?

[Grumpy]

thanks and uh....no.
slips into 3rd at WOT. Planning a 6L90 (or 6L80) upgrade.

[sierraman]

nice setup, welcome to the site

[Grumpy]

Thanks!

I'm looking for a 6speed auto to go with the efi change....I know its slightly longer....but is a 6L90e much larger physically...then the 6L80e?