Almost done with my son's first truck

[jwatts]

I enjoy seeing some of the project vehicles that get posted on here, so I thought I'd share my latest. I'll come back and add pictures to the post.

It's a pretty big day for my son. We bought a 93 k1500 as a roller a few years back. It's his first vehicle. Over the past year we've been working on it, and today it's 90% there. I need to replace the steering box seal, find an obd1 scanner to reset the abs module, and charge the a/c. Otherwise he's in business.

Here's a few shots from the day we got it.

 

[jwatts]

We completely stripped the interior down to the paint, cleaned everything, and went back together with it. Surprisingly all of the trim and seats were in good shape. The dash was another story. We replaced the majority of the dash components with parts from LMC and dyed it all to match. We replaced the dash illumination bulbs with LEDs. We got the courtesy lights and glove box light working too, after having to trace a dead short to ground in the harness.

 

[jwatts]

We were going to LS swap it. I have a 4.8 4l60e combo for it. Right before we started the swap I found a complete drivetrain from a 95 model, with a deal top good to pass up. It's a vortec crate engine, 4 barrel intake, and a TBI adapter. I got the ECM and a PROM that was burned for that specific setup. I also got a spare transmission.



The 95 transmission is a beast of its own. I found a 95 model in the junkyard and stripped the harness. I unpinned all of the transmission wiring from it, and repinned it in the 93 harness. I made a few other changes to make the 93 harness match the 95 ECM and it's working flawlessly.

 

[jwatts]

Now on to cleaning up the old adhesive residue where the previous owner had chrome molding at the bottom and deciding what to do for paint.

Get your kids involve with your projects. Teach them to read schematics, troubleshoot using a service manual, and how and why things operate on a vehicle. If you don't know how things work, you'll get to learn with them. It's a worthwhile job.

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool project...following

 

[jwatts]

Updated with pictures

 

[jwatts]

Here's a preview of my next two projects. First, remove the tired (but extremely reliable and all original) TBI 350/700r4 setup from my 87 GMC in favor of an aluminum 5.3/4l80e combo. Second (probably first in reality) is to assemble and start using the cnc router that's on those cardboard boxes.

 

[mtmuley]

Here's a preview of my next two projects. First, remove the tired (but extremely reliable and all original) TBI 350/700r4 setup from my 87 GMC in favor of an aluminum 5.3/4l80e combo. Second (probably first in reality) is to assemble and start using the cnc router that's on those cardboard boxes.
View attachment 364869

YES! mtmuley

 

[Southern Elk]

Y’all will have to take me for a ride next time I see you.

 

[jwatts]

Y’all will have to take me for a ride next time I see you.

We'll do a burnout. I paid for this round of tires

 

[Caseknife]

Great project with a teenager, good for you. He will take pride in that when he drives by his buddies.

 

[jwatts]

Great project with a teenager, good for you. He will take pride in that when he drives by his buddies.

I built my first vehicle too. Everyone needs to know how to work on a shitbox. Builds character.

 

[mtmuley]

I built my first vehicle too. Everyone needs to know how to work on a shitbox. Builds character.

When I drive by the High School parking lot in my little town, this isn't the case. Was for my kids. Heck, even for me still. mtmuley

 

[Caseknife]

And when it quits on the side of the road, he knows what to look for.

 

[jwatts]

And when it quits on the side of the road, he knows what to look for.

That's absolutely true. I work out of town for 2 weeks at a time. It'll come in handy for him

 

[jwatts]

When I drive by the High School parking lot in my little town, this isn't the case. Was for my kids. Heck, even for me still. mtmuley

If i didn't have to work on something before using it, I'd think something was wrong. It's really a shame that kids aren't exposed to basic mechanical skills like they were in the past.

 

[mtmuley]

If i didn't have to work on something before using it, I'd think something was wrong. It's really a shame that kids aren't exposed to basic mechanical skills like they were in the past.

My kids have been out if school awhile, but they learned. I could take my car into the school shop and work on it in High School. Vo Ag class meant wrenching on the Camaro. mtmuley

 

[jwatts]

My kids have been out if school awhile, but they learned. I could take my car into the school shop and work on it in High School. Vo Ag class meant wrenching on the Camaro. mtmuley

Same here. I did a lot of work on my truck in votech auto mechanics class. I want him to leave home with basic mechanical, troubleshooting, electrical, and carpentry skills. I hate having to pay someone to do work for me, and I hope I can pass a little along to where he won't have to rely on paying others to do basic tasks. Except cutting the grass, I'll pay someone for that.

 

[buck23]

He will enjoy that 93 4wd those ole Chevys last a very long time and not at all hard to work on either. The dash on that one is great shape they are usually cracked bad and expensive to replace. One of my hunting buddies has a 95 and I got a 91 both with the 5.7l good old 350 chevy. I'd drive it like that a while may not even have to paint it looks like a hunting truck.

 

[jwatts]

He will enjoy that 93 4wd those ole Chevys last a very long time and not at all hard to work on either. The dash on that one is great shape they are usually cracked bad and expensive to replace. One of my hunting buddies has a 95 and I got a 91 both with the 5.7l good old 350 chevy. I'd drive it like that a while may not even have to paint it looks like a hunting truck.

That's a new dash. The other one crumbled when you touched it. LMC makes a complete replacement now. It fit like the original, but man it was a pain to get it all swapped out.

I figure he'll ride it around like that for a while. I want him to get the normal bumps and bruises that come with a first vehicle before we make it look pretty.