1983 K20 - Pep her up or leave her alone??

[82sbshortbed]

If you already have the parts slap them bitches on. You could slap on the new intake and hedders in a weekend easy. Cam takes a bit more but, could put it in later. You won't regret pulling all that smog **** off too.

You ain't selling it so who gaf what others like? What do you like? That you have the parts already then that tells me you've already made up your mind and it'll make the wife happy too. Win, win to me.

Think you just need some encouragement so here ya go. Get that **** on and enjoy it. I know you like driving it now but, you'll LOVE driving once you get the parts on.

I liked driving mine before fine. Now that I swapped in the BBC I LOVE driving it now.

Once you feel the difference after the hedders and intake you'll be dieing to put that cam in. Go Fer it!!

 

[SirRobyn0]

It's only my opinion, but things are only original once and there are fewer and fewer of those as each year passes. I would leave it alone and continue to enjoy it as is.

I have to agree. These trucks, and any older vehicle are getting rarer and rarer original. If you really want to pep it up, without making it look any different consider rear end gearing.

 

[gmbellew]

I have to agree. These trucks, and any older vehicle are getting rarer and rarer original. If you really want to pep it up, without making it look any different consider rear end gearing.

that's what I think also - regearing. I will drop in 4.10 or 4.56 and keep my tbi 350 mostly stock if I ever change anything. I am running 33s.

 

[idahovette]

Drive it and keep it up. If and when things finally go south, then you can go wild or not.........it's your dime and I don't see anybody offering a check so do what ya gotta do

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

She's already lived her life original and she wants change! Life is too short to not switch things up with the opportunity right in front of you! Years down the road you'll regret not doing it. . .

Especially if you have alot of time on your hands, would be a crime not to!

Stock is indeed special, i can compare to that. Just take a ton of pictures of it now so you can respect it later down the road.

Heck if everything comes off clean i'm sure you could sell it to someone who wants their truck to be more stock.

Just my two cents; in other words, FEED HER THE ONIONS!

 

[Blue Ox]

She's already lived her life original and she wants change! Life is too short to not switch things up with the opportunity right in front of you! Years down the road you'll regret not doing it. . .

Obviously it's personal preference, but when we got the truck we were adding all kinds of custom stuff to it make it stand out or just look different because every GM truck around looked pretty much the same. As time marched on those things gradually came off and it ended up going more and more back to how GM made it. At this age they're unique enough just being themselves. Never regretted any of the things we took off. I'm even looking forward to getting back to the steel wheels and poverty caps.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Keep in mind, if you swap on new heads, you run the risk of oil blow-by. With the the top end being new, if the cylinder bores are worn out, rings worn out, cylinder bores out of round, it will suck oil right past the rings. So, if you have to tear it down to check cylinder bores to know if you can just hone them, and re-ring the pistons, you may as well do a full rebuild, and add some power goodies at that point. Or just get a crate engine with more power, and put the original in a corner. You can add the original accessories to the new engine and nobody will ever know the difference, or you can add the bling. I like a stock-looking rig, including the engine bay.

 

[Octane]

Obviously it's personal preference, but when we got the truck we were adding all kinds of custom stuff to it make it stand out or just look different because every GM truck around looked pretty much the same. As time marched on those things gradually came off and it ended up going more and more back to how GM made it. At this age they're unique enough just being themselves. Never regretted any of the things we took off. I'm even looking forward to getting back to the steel wheels and poverty caps.

After many years I put the stock breather back on my Chevy. And then considering putting the original wheels and hubcaps back on it since I still have them in stock. Not too many people can say they got the original wheels and hubcaps to a 77 model truck

 

[RecklessWOT]

I struggled with this for a while. My current square was all original when I got it (something that was unlike any other I've owned before) and I was tickled to have such an unmolested vehicle. But then as things started to wear out and needed to be replaced, I came to a realization that a lot of the stock parts were junk.

Some random mid 80s suburban or late 70s pickup ain't a collectors item. If it had 10k original miles and was still in the plastic wrap sure that's worth something for a whole other reason. But we're not talking a numbers matching '63 vette or a convertible 1970 4spd Hemi 'Cuda. Exhaust got rusty, why not replace it with something that flowed freely and sounded great? Pulley on the air pump started to bind up, was I really so concerned with preserving the history of a ****** era where big American V8s were choked out by emissions to match economy *** car power levels? Dry rotted tires and worn out suspension? You know those little station wagon tires were starting to look pretty lame anyhow...

I'm not talking about dropping in some stupid LS or ripping out your bench seat and putting in leather Escalade seats or replacing your factory gauges with some dumb **** that looks like it belongs in Tron, or tearing off a nice round eye nose and grafting the front of some newer truck on there. Nothing that will take away from the core essence of the vehicle and defeat the purpose of what it is. But if you want some free flowing heads or a bigger cam or something else, hell I doubt the guys at Mecum are gonna have much to say about your '83 K20 with a real world daily driven amount of miles on it not being nut and bolt original, because they would never be interested in it anyways. You got a great truck, but being "original" only means so much and only in certain situations. Do what you want, it's your (and the wife's) truck, make it put a smile on your face!


However, if you tear off that beautiful '83 Silverado grille, we're gonna have some ******* problems lol (semi-kidding. But don't do anything stupid there, out of the square eye trucks, you got the best one as far as I'm concerned, I plan to convert my '87)

 

[DoubleDingo]

After many years I put the stock breather back on my Chevy. And then considering putting the original wheels and hubcaps back on it since I still have them in stock. Not too many people can say they got the original wheels and hubcaps to a 77 model truck

Got the stock 16.5's for both my '65 and my '81. Been thinking of getting the old school Traxon Tires from Coker so they look the part, not just being old and still on the road

 

[Octane]

Got the stock 16.5's for both my '65 and my '81. Been thinking of getting the old school Traxon Tires from Coker so they look the part, not just being old and still on the road

Old split rims,I havent thought of those in years either.My hubcaps have been stored for many years, and the wheels.It is odd to see that old stuff still.Something is to be said about an old original/ survivor antique.I would drive mine much more if it had a/c and got better mpg.....even if it doesnt have cupholders.lol

 

[idahovette]

I'll have to post pics later, but I have the original wheels AND TIRES for my75 K20. Tires have been stored inside for 45 of the 46 years that I have owned it. 8.75x16.5 mudgrips. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow

 

[DoubleDingo]

Old split rims,I havent thought of those in years either.My hubcaps have been stored for many years, and the wheels.It is odd to see that old stuff still.Something is to be said about an old original/ survivor antique.I would drive mine much more if it had a/c and got better mpg.....even if it doesnt have cupholders.lol

Maybe not original for the '65 if '65 meant split trims, but they were on the truck when grandpa got it ready for me before he passed. Now I need to look in my manuals

 

[Octane]

Maybe not original for the '65 if '65 meant split trims, but they were on the truck when grandpa got it ready for me before he passed. Now I need to look in my manuals

I believe it was the 3/4 ton trucks that had the split rims back in the day.But they were put on other trucks also. Dangerous rims also.We always called them 16's, but maybe they were 16.5?

 

[Octane]

I'll have to post pics later, but I have the original wheels AND TIRES for my75 K20. Tires have been stored inside for 45 of the 46 years that I have owned it. 8.75x16.5 mudgrips. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow

Okay,I was thinking that the old 16 wheels were stock on the 3/4 ton trucks.But maybe they came stock on the 1/2 tons also?