How to make a daily driver?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

roundhouse

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Posts
669
Reaction score
527
Location
atlanta ga
First Name
justin
Truck Year
77,78,79,80 ?
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Thats a lot of work to end up with a 350 vortec and the intake/injector replacements arent cheap, much better off with doing a LS swap. The LS already has the mpi intake 0411 ecm and can be bought for about the cost or cheaper than the MPI intake for vortecs.
We did a LS swap
Used one that had 270k on the clock but ran good
We paid $500 for the engine , harness and computer and we just replaced the oil pan and valve cover gaskets , did a compression check and dropped it in .

My teenage son did the harness rework and sent the computer to
“Team208motorsports”

If I did another one I’d send him the harness too
He does em and they come back with a fuse box attached and three or four wires to hook to the vehicle

The fuel pump and lines will take some time and money too

But it’s a great swap
Seems like about double the power of an old 350
 

4WDKC

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Posts
2,366
Reaction score
1,090
Location
Southern Florida
First Name
Kacy
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10
Engine Size
350
Looks like he even found some bumper guards for it too. They really give the front end a good look.
I was thinking that too!!

Also if it rides like real rough check the shocks, someone put the lift on my truck and reused stock shocks.. makes for a real rough ride when the axle tries to droop over bumps and the 3/4 ton spring forces it down very quickly till the shock bottoms out at full extension.
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
If I did another one I’d send him the harness too
He does em and they come back with a fuse box attached and three or four wires to hook to the vehicle

750 is a bit steep for a reworked stock harness, ouch.
 

roundhouse

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Posts
669
Reaction score
527
Location
atlanta ga
First Name
justin
Truck Year
77,78,79,80 ?
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
750 is a bit steep for a reworked stock harness, ouch.
It’s a little high but you send your harness and computer and it comes back ready to plug in and crank

There’s a lot of work to reworking the harness , I did it but don’t know if I’d want to do it again
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
It’s a little high but you send your harness and computer and it comes back ready to plug in and crank

There’s a lot of work to reworking the harness , I did it but don’t know if I’d want to do it again

I'm doing one currently, it sucks lol.

But companies like PSI have all new ones on the shelf for like 450, and a guy local to me, Johns Custom Wiring is reworking them for about 350.

I'm all for paying for good work, but damn lol.
 

roundhouse

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Posts
669
Reaction score
527
Location
atlanta ga
First Name
justin
Truck Year
77,78,79,80 ?
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
I'm doing one currently, it sucks lol.

But companies like PSI have all new ones on the shelf for like 450, and a guy local to me, Johns Custom Wiring is reworking them for about 350.

I'm all for paying for good work, but damn lol.

208s price also includes the computer reprogram so there’s not
Much price difference

I’d highly recommend getting a harness that comes with its own fuse box and just a few wires to hook to the battery and ignition switch

You can do the harness yourself , its not too difficult but it’s very very time consuming

And getting the harness mods and computer mods from the same business means they have to take responsibility if it doesn’t work

If you get the computer my modded by one guy and the harness by another they will just blame each other if something doesn’t work right

If I do another one I will send out the harness and
Spend that time doing the fuel system

The fuel pump tank and
Lines took me forever
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
208s price also includes the computer reprogram so there’s not
Much price difference

I’d highly recommend getting a harness that comes with its own fuse box and just a few wires to hook to the battery and ignition switch

You can do the harness yourself , its not too difficult but it’s very very time consuming

And getting the harness mods and computer mods from the same business means they have to take responsibility if it doesn’t work

If you get the computer my modded by one guy and the harness by another they will just blame each other if something doesn’t work right

If I do another one I will send out the harness and
Spend that time doing the fuel system

The fuel pump tank and
Lines took me forever

Well now I wonder what you paid for the reflash lol. My local guy does the whole shebang for 500, and he's local, so I can go there and punch him if need be.

I only charge 150 for a reflash. But, I have learned that sometimes charging more for the same thing is the key to selling alot of it lol. To each his own, personally, I'll continue to do my own, once I did one, I was able to do the second in about two hours.
 

roundhouse

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Posts
669
Reaction score
527
Location
atlanta ga
First Name
justin
Truck Year
77,78,79,80 ?
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
Well now I wonder what you paid for the reflash lol. My local guy does the whole shebang for 500, and he's local, so I can go there and punch him if need be.

I only charge 150 for a reflash. But, I have learned that sometimes charging more for the same thing is the key to selling alot of it lol. To each his own, personally, I'll continue to do my own, once I did one, I was able to do the second in about two hours.
Probably paid too much
Was a few years ago and not many people doing it

I live near Atlanta and couldn’t find anyone who could reflash the computer
Would have been a lot easier to use some one local
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
Probably paid too much
Was a few years ago and not many people doing it

I live near Atlanta and couldn’t find anyone who could reflash the computer
Would have been a lot easier to use some one local

Hey, if you're happy, that' what matters. But there are more options now.

I actually had my ECU reflashed for 45.00 on Ebay before I bought the HP Tuners software to allow me to do it myself. I opened the tune file up and it's impeccable, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary with it and exactly what the guy advertises.
 

Honky Kong jr

Super Sarcastic Man
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Posts
14,968
Reaction score
9,789
Location
Denver,PA
First Name
J-me
Truck Year
87
Truck Model
V10
Engine Size
Lil BB 407
I still am sticking by with my earlier post of how to make a daily driver.........it easy and simple.......ummmmm drive it daily.:D
 

4WDKC

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Posts
2,366
Reaction score
1,090
Location
Southern Florida
First Name
Kacy
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10
Engine Size
350
I have heard of new harness' for $700 but not a reworked factory. Does a reworked factory still have the oem cruise functional ?
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
I have heard of new harness' for $700 but not a reworked factory. Does a reworked factory still have the oem cruise functional ?

Depends on whether it was drive by wire or cable, DBW is easy to keep cruise functional because the ECM does it, DBC would need a module and some other stuff, so I'd have to say no, not as a plug and play solution.

And really, I doubt either do, because they are standalone products, not integrated into the factory wiring.
 

4WDKC

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Posts
2,366
Reaction score
1,090
Location
Southern Florida
First Name
Kacy
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10
Engine Size
350
Depends on whether it was drive by wire or cable, DBW is easy to keep cruise functional because the ECM does it, DBC would need a module and some other stuff, so I'd have to say no, not as a plug and play solution.

And really, I doubt either do, because they are standalone products, not integrated into the factory wiring.


I know an aftermarket harness does not but a reworked factory could if they spent the time for the DBC system. A friend did it with his from a truck into an 84 Pontiac Parisienne
 

Jrgunn5150

Questionable methods
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Posts
2,739
Reaction score
1,412
Location
Ionia Mi
First Name
J.R.
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
6.slow
I know an aftermarket harness does not but a reworked factory could if they spent the time for the DBC system. A friend did it with his from a truck into an 84 Pontiac Parisienne

Its factory, reworked for standalone. The only thing it takes from the factory vehicle harness is 12v power, key on and constant.

SO while yes, you can make a factory LS harness work with older factory vehicle harnesses for cruise, or air, or whatever, this particular reworked harness can, because it's generically reworked to simply run the engine. Also, you need the correct module and switch, which most squares don't have the right switch, and none have the module.

SO yes, you can make cruise work, it's quite easy, that harness isn't going to do it as plug and play, because it doesn't have the extra parts.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,102
Posts
909,111
Members
33,586
Latest member
ssgmike
Top