The Cinder Block Loses a Wheel VIDEO ON P. 15

[crypto]

The gas tank is back in, so today I threw in 3 gal from a shop tank and cranked it up to make sure it still started. Yep.

I've got an edelbrock truck carb on deck to swap out with the Holley, because I think its going to be much easier to adjust the Edelbrock. It still backfires when coming off idle too hard, and braxton and I verified that the timing was in the ballpark and the vacuum advance worked right. It's definitely a fuel issue at this point.

Also, I need to buy a new transmission pan, this one is still leaking despite gasket replacement.

Here's some pics of it back together, with the powdercoated trim parts on!

[Tater Raider]

It's really looking sharp now.

[Vicarious_Lee]

Aww shit, man. That looks wonderful.

I've been thinking of doing something with my rotting 1970 GMC step side that my grandpa willed me back in '94, and I think harder about it every time I see this truck, but I've decided to do nothing to the body, and leave everything my grandpa spent 20 years doing to it (custom bed rack over the cab, custom mesh tailgate welded together in his garage, etc) and just fix the rust and upgrade the go parts.

I was briefly thinking of fuel injection and a modern V8, but good God that can triple the cost of a drivetrain in short order. So I think I'ma get a 350 crate motor and as modern a carb as I can put on, and I don't know why I'm hijacking your thread I'll shut up now.

Your ride looks bleeding fantastic.

[crypto]

Lee, thats most of what I wanted to do to this truck to preserve the character. I stopped rust, and left dents where they were.

[Tater Raider]

Lee, thats most of what I wanted to do to this truck to preserve the character. I stopped rust, and left dents where they were.

You and Braxton have done a hellova job doing just that. Simply awesome.

[Dawgboy]

Really coming together there Crypto. Very nice.

[Vicarious_Lee]

Lee, thats most of what I wanted to do to this truck to preserve the character. I stopped rust, and left dents where they were.

Respect. Definitely.

I had these grand dreams of putting in something like GM's e-rod motor complete with EFI, computer, and even catalytic converters, but after talking with a client who rebuilds classic trucks as a hobby he convinced me that it would be WAY more cost than it's worth. Like, 3 times as much, and that GM mod motor is simply hideous (and not that powerful).

My plan is to frame-off the truck, strip and paint the undercarriage, get a good crate 350 and modern carburetor, 700R4 trans, limited slip diff (or locking, can't decide which), modern shocks, disc brakes, tubular front control arms, AC, good seat, maybe some sway bars, wider wheels and modern truck tires, and call it a day.

I think the hot rodders call that "Rustification", whereby you stop the rust, restore, and modify a truck, but you keep the character of decades of body panel abuse right where it is, and then feel free to add more.

I love your truck, dude. Add Truck Nutz, and I'll lick them if that's what you bring to MilCopp in June.

[crypto]

. So I think I'ma get a 350 crate motor and as modern a carb as I can put on,

Get a modern edelbrock or holley carb on it, with an automatic choke, and dont try to trick it out for performance, and it will be an easy trouble-free starter.

[Tater Raider]

. So I think I'ma get a 350 crate motor and as modern a carb as I can put on,

Get a modern edelbrock or holley carb on it, with an automatic choke, and dont try to trick it out for performance, and it will be an easy trouble-free starter.

I suggest a cat back exhaust and high flow air intake too and let the engine breathe easier, but agree with Crypto to avoid the performance mods. Anything above that and you start to monkey with the reliability.

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

So. Very, very, very. Awesome.

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[Braxton]

IT's ALIVE!!!!!!!!

[bacpacjac]

That is one beautiful truck!

[crypto]

Braxton and me took it for a little shakedown today, put some gas in in it, and realized I needed a new accelerator cable when it stuck open Not good when you have drum brakes lol.


Anyway, heres where this project stands today as of an hour ago:









I am pretty happy at where we are on this right now.

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

I am pretty happy at where we are on this right now.

I would be too. Good job guys.

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[Vicarious_Lee]

It's just perfect, man. The stance, the bumper, the dents, the gray on black.....I mean it looks absolutely perfect to me.

Every time you bump this thread I end up at my parent's staring longingly at my '70 GMC.

In fact, I'ma start researching crate 350s and stuff right now.

Just a beautiful truck.

[crypto]

SETBACK!!

Well, kinda. We brought a problem to the fore. The shitty old Holley 4bbl in it.


This thing has had a really bad stumble and backfire bringing it up off of idle ever since I bought it, you really have to ease into power on it or it forefires through the carb and dies. It's a pain in the dick.

Well, today, I took off the vacuum actuator and manual choke from the side of the carb to try to diagnose the problem. Put it back together, and there's a massive, massive air leak somewhere, because it idles at about 3K now. Could not fix it after 2 hours of fucking around.


Well, I've about had a gutful of holleys at this point. I've got an edelbrock Thunder AVS off-road 4bbl sitting on the bench that needs rebuilding, so we're calling around to some speed shops near braxton to try and get one of them (preferably the Edelbrock) rebuilt and tuned.

On the other hand, today we got in a new accelerator cable, isolated the slow drip from the transmission to a bad dipstick tube o-ring, and welded and glassed in some holes that were Bubba'd into the transmission hump by a previous owner.

[Blasphemous]

If it's a driver, put the Edelbrock on, you'll appreciate it more. The Holleys, IMO, are better for power and racing.

[crypto]

Yeah, I really don't need this thing to be a power monster. Given that it's a 360 V8, and given that I'm not going anywhere fast, I'd just as soon get there with as much gas left in the tank as possible, and that it start up every time.

[congochris]

You know what I tend to use Holleys for? Plugging holes my dog dug under the fence. But part of that is altitude here. Holleys just don't seem to like being a DD carb at 6K feet.

[Blasphemous]

I use Holleys on my race cars, but I actually use Thermoquads/Quadrajets on my drivers. My Dodge has an 850cfm Thermoquad HP on it, much better suited for driving.

[Dawgboy]

I also think finding a Quadrajet would be the best choice for an AMC 360. I was going to do that to my Waggy but ended up selling the beast instead. Sniff sniff...

[Blasphemous]

I also think finding a Quadrajet would be the best choice for an AMC 360. I was going to do that to my Waggy but ended up selling the beast instead. Sniff sniff...

Once they are tuned in, the mileage won't be beat. A spreadbore card is the best for mileage and drive-ability but lacks some user friendliness. The Edelbrock is a good combination of driveability and tunability.

[crypto]

The edelbrock runs!


Today we crossed our fingers, threw the edelbrock on, and fired it up, and it started. A little bit of tuning later, and its running much better than the holley ever ran. The stumbling/backfiring is gone, and I can mash my foot all the way to the floor and get power instead of pops.

Huzzah progress!

ETA: The edelbrock was of completely unknown vintage and origin and condition, I got it from Hawk's friend for $50, and it currently has a old Holley automatic choke spring on it.

[Vicarious_Lee]

So, I know you're going to stick with carbs and all, but I just saw this thing that intrigued me:

http://www.atomicefi.com/

Apparently, there's no return fuel line needed, and it's got several baseline settings.

Seeing as I don't know jack about carbs, I get weird every time I hear about trying to tune them.

ETA two thousand dollars. Back to looking for a nice carb.