Scootro

Bought an 89 c1500 'rado with the idea of doing a quick 5.3 swap for a D.D./grocery getter. Sooooo, here I am 6 months later with a frame and about a million and 1 parts spread out. I got a little OCD about this, then that, and next thing ya know a "quick under $4k budget build" became a full resto-mod. Although I have been building Euro/rice burner cars for many years, I got tired of putting all that $$$ into getting my @$$ handed to me by lightly modded muscle. Rather then fight them, I joined them. Being my first American build I am probably going about this all wrong, throwing my attention in 100 different directions all at once.

So far I have the truck broken down completely. Sanded and painted frame. Replaced complete brake system, Steering rack, all body mounts and control arm bushings, tie rods, and was about to tackle fuel system when I decided to turn my attention to the interior and deep country mods performed by previous owner. Yes, I am taking pics along the way but did forget to get a pic of how the racing seats were previously installed..... All I will say is stock seat risers (Not bolted down to cab), a 2"x8" wood board run across full width of cab, and seats with miscellaneous nuts and bolts to tie it all together... NEED I SAY MORE??

So yeah, the interior is completely dismantled and I am converting complete interior to black using Duracolor vinyl die/paint on plastics and replacing carpet and steering wheel. So far so good. In the mean time I have a completely disassembled 5.3l engine from a 07 classic 'rado taking up space in my shed waiting for a trip to the machine shop for complete overhaul. Once complete I have a set of 243 heads (Stock for right now), TBSS intake w/ 90mm TB DBC waiting to mount to it. Still researching cams, though I am leaning toward the TS 228R for streetability. LTH and SLP Exhaust in the near future. I have a 700R4 tranny but plan on switching to 4l60e. In the end my hope is to achieve about 400-450 rwhp.

Sorry for the long write up and for those that decided to stick it out, thank you for your time. I hope to get to know guys and add any input I can.

BigBlock90

iTrader: (4)

Welcome!!

Sounds like you have a good start to that "snow balled" project. Good luck with it and be sure to post some pics!

Wolftrk99

iTrader: (5)

Welcome to the club..... Sounds like my snowballed resto/mod/engine swap..... Gotta love having to fix someone elses good ideas!!!!!! Just wish at this point id have pulled my cab and cleaned my frame up while i was 6 bolts away anyway!!!!

Where in carolina are you???

Scootro

Thanks for the welcome guys. I live in the Raleigh area. Truck is about 30 mins away from me since I live in an Apt and they frown heavily on rebuilding your car in the parking lot: Only get the weekends to work on it and with football season I am down to one day a week.

Wolftrk99

iTrader: (5)

Wow, sounds really familiar, i was an hour away from mine and spent the majority of time it was torn apart working 7 13 hour days a week then 2 hour round trip ride to and from every nighti wasmt too exhausted to go work on it to work on it for 3 or 4 hours at a time......

Townhouse sucks for working on vehicles too!!!!!

mikeyjm1

Welcome Scootro. Im deployed at the moment but dont live too far away and I normally work in Raleigh.

Scootro

Yep wolftrk99 that sounds pretty accurate to my situation.

Mikeyjm1, see you're in Creedmoor. Spent a lot of time looking for a house in that area. Really like it but distance is crazy for working in the E. Raleigh area I work in now. Looking to move to Wendell or Zebulan area at this point but still might end up your way.

Wolftrk99

iTrader: (5)

Just dont do what i did and ignore the warning signs of an apparent heart attack i kept being told was indegrstion which ended up being pneumonia and 3 block arteries, 2 100% blockages and one 80%, work kicked me out and told me not to come back til i had been to dr, went to er, what i thought was really bad sinus drainage abd indestion turned into a triple bypass at age 37, some hadheaded *** was walking around a junkyard 3 days after i got released from the hospital and week later i was back out there working on the truck, fristrated as hell cuz i had a 10 lb weight restriction... Abd i busted the wires holding my sternum together!!!

mikeyjm1

I lived out near Pilot for about a year and a half. Loved the area. I work at the Joint Forces HQ near the fairgrounds. For me my drive time stayed almost the same. But my distance got shorter. I do love the Creedmore area. It's nice small community with lots of organizations and events and great local businesses. I live in an area we refer to as But-Moor, right near 85 between Creedmoor and Butner. I love being just outside of Wake county. Granville has about 60,000 people to Wake's nearly 1m.

Budakane

Welcome!!!!