"Cheap C20" build thread

[dtch]

Hi all. I wanted to start a build thread for my Cheap C20. Still don't have a good name for it but that will come with time. I'll keep an index on here of all things done to it with as many photos as possible for any others trying to do the same.

I just picked this thing up today. I traded my home made Subaru Ute for it.

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Goodbye Subarute, Hello Squarebody!

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I'll run ya through it real quick. It's a 1984 C20. Originally a 454 truck but currently has a 350 swapped in. No idea what happened there. She's crusty, missing both rockers and cab corners. Previous owner had just put in new water pump, radiator, alternator, and fuel pump within the last year. It wasn't getting driven very much so I nabbed it.

The plans are: I want this to be dual purpose. It has to tow a fully loaded car trailer and be a rad street machine. I think this can be accomplished.

Eventually: 383 Stroker kit, 4L80, complete cab restoration.

I want this thing to be able to cruise at 70mph and be caddy quiet on the highway and still be a fun beast to romp around town with. I think a Hooker Attitude Adjuster with 3" pipes will be the key, as well as a ton of dyna mat in the cab and all new rubbers.

I'm sure I'll have a ton of fun building this thing.

[INDEX]
04/27/2019 - Initial Purchase

 

[HotRodPC]

I like the plans. Some say you can't make a 3/4 ton go fast. I call ******** !!!

I once had a 62 half ton. I got so sick and tired of breaking rear ends and driveshafts. It got costly not to mention a PITA. So this guy 1 day says he has a 64 GMC 3/4 ton that has a bad motor and it has to be moved he's about ready to call the local Pull A Part to haul it off. I didn't know the big difference between Chevy and GMC back then, until then. It had a leaf spring rear end, and a Dana 60 at that, not the GM Corp axle. He said, it has a Posi too, I thought ********, everyone says that. It had a SM420 Granny Gear 4 speed. I asked, so what do you want for it? I want $100 and it hauled off today. SOLD !!! I won't go into all the in between what I did with the truck, but eventually I decided I was tired of maintaining and insuring 2 trucks. So to hell with it. The Muncie M21 and massaged 327 went into the 64 GMC. I did find out, he wasn't lying about the posi either after owning the truck for about 6 months and installing some horsepower in it. Turned out to be the funnest most wicked truck I've ever owned. I had every combo you can imagine in it. M21, M22, Th350, Powerglide, Th400, Granny 4 speed, I6, several small blocks, a couple of big blocks. The best part... I never not 1 time broke a driveshaft or axle in that truck. Much stronger parts and they held up to the abuse. I'd do a 3/4 again any day of the week. And I was spanking all those little boy 1/2 ton trucks. Well, there was a couple that I didn't get, but I got the mast vajority of them as well as the Dodge boys. In fact, I even rope towed a couple Dodges home from the street races a time or 2. Just so I could let everyone seeing a GM powered truck towing a Dodge.

 

[dtch]

That was my whole thought behind nabbing the C20. Everyone puts a beefy axle under their street machine. As far as I know, the key differences between the C10 and C20 were: axle, suspension, frame. A thicker frame just means it won't twist from all the power, a few leafs could be pulled for ride height, and it's already got a beefy axle. That's winning all around!

I noticed you're in OKC. Ever race those 405 boys?

 

[HotRodPC]

That was my whole thought behind nabbing the C20. Everyone puts a beefy axle under their street machine. As far as I know, the key differences between the C10 and C20 were: axle, suspension, frame. A thicker frame just means it won't twist from all the power, a few leafs could be pulled for ride height, and it's already got a beefy axle. That's winning all around!

I noticed you're in OKC. Ever race those 405 boys?

Hell No. Them dudes are running in the high 6's and low 7's in the quarter. Most don't realize how fast they are actually running. My **** ran in the high 11's and low 12's. I don't have money to run that fast. Though I've met just about all of them and known since before the show. Most of them have auto shops and being a tow driver, I've dropped at all their shops and always seen their cars and had to go look and talk about the cars. Chuck had and I think he still does just that someone else runs it now, his own high performance Honda shop and he was a ricer racer for awhile before going American muscle. He's also a service writer at the local Honda dealership so I've seen him several times and given him lots of keys when dropping and talking about the show. My bro mows Reaper's lawn. You'll see one episode this season where Chief and Murder Nova were at a car auction buying derby cars. That was at the impound lot I work at. I was there that day. Dominator and Daddy Dave had been there the night before picking theirs out so I talked with both of them too. Farmtruck I talked to all the time at the track long before the show, and he'd come to a Pizza place where I worked part delivering part time for medical benefits. Monza and Derek have shops in the same complex I have mine so I seen them often too.

The guys I did race with before, is the OLD So Cali boys. Gypsy Mike and his nephews. I about **** when I seen them on the show and they're still racing.

 

[Frankenchevy]

That was my whole thought behind nabbing the C20. Everyone puts a beefy axle under their street machine. As far as I know, the key differences between the C10 and C20 were: axle, suspension, frame. A thicker frame just means it won't twist from all the power, a few leafs could be pulled for ride height, and it's already got a beefy axle. That's winning all around!

I noticed you're in OKC. Ever race those 405 boys?

Interesting info on the specs on the gm heritage site. Axles, suspension and emissions are the big differences. Frame on 3/4 and 1/2 tons are the same. Unless it’s a crew cab. The 3/4 ton crew cabs get the one ton frame, iirc

 

[HotRodPC]

Interesting info on the specs on the gm heritage site. Axles, suspension and emissions are the big differences. Frame on 3/4 and 1/2 tons are the same. Unless it’s a crew cab. The 3/4 ton crew cabs get the one ton frame, iirc

Yep. Some say the 3/4 ton frame is up to 1/16th inch thicker. I have my doubts about that, but nonetheless otherwise it is punched and same dimensions as a 1/2 ton and you can swap springs and even the front subframe carrying the A frame assemblies so can convert either one either way if you want 1/2 ton springs. IMO, the little weight difference is probably no more than 1 human being and for the strength and reliability, I'll deal with it and lose just a hair of time in the 1/4 mile. Is that just enough to lose a race or 2? Yep, sure is, but still, I have the confidence my **** will hold together and the guy over there in his half ton or passenger car has a bigger chance of breaking than I do. You can win a race when you're broke. Not to mention, that added weight also helps you hook better on launch and a better weight transfer so there are couple advantages to that extra weight and I'll take it and suffer the .0XX in time slip at the other end.

 

[dtch]

Hell No. Them dudes are running in the high 6's and low 7's in the quarter. Most don't realize how fast they are actually running. My **** ran in the high 11's and low 12's. I don't have money to run that fast. Though I've met just about all of them and known since before the show. Most of them have auto shops and being a tow driver, I've dropped at all their shops and always seen their cars and had to go look and talk about the cars. Chuck had and I think he still does just that someone else runs it now, his own high performance Honda shop and he was a ricer racer for awhile before going American muscle. He's also a service writer at the local Honda dealership so I've seen him several times and given him lots of keys when dropping and talking about the show. My bro mows Reaper's lawn. You'll see one episode this season where Chief and Murder Nova were at a car auction buying derby cars. That was at the impound lot I work at. I was there that day. Dominator and Daddy Dave had been there the night before picking theirs out so I talked with both of them too. Farmtruck I talked to all the time at the track long before the show, and he'd come to a Pizza place where I worked part delivering part time for medical benefits. Monza and Derek have shops in the same complex I have mine so I seen them often too.

The guys I did race with before, is the OLD So Cali boys. Gypsy Mike and his nephews. I about **** when I seen them on the show and they're still racing.

I actually met Farmtruck and AZN when they were up here at Wagler Competition getting their hearse built. I guess Farmtruck is related to Jeremy Wagler somewhere down the line. They're pretty cool guys.

I never knew they were running 6-7. And that's in their 'heavy'/not-a-pro-mod car. Damn. I don't think I'll ever race mine on the strip, or if I do it'll just be bracket racing. Would be fun to see how much it gains with each upgrade.

 

[HotRodPC]

I actually met Farmtruck and AZN when they were up here at Wagler Competition getting their hearse built. I guess Farmtruck is related to Jeremy Wagler somewhere down the line. They're pretty cool guys.

I never knew they were running 6-7. And that's in their 'heavy'/not-a-pro-mod car. Damn. I don't think I'll ever race mine on the strip, or if I do it'll just be bracket racing. Would be fun to see how much it gains with each upgrade.

Yes, that's in the Murder Nova and the GTO Crow, now in real time finally painted solid black with the GTO graphics. So when you see it next season on the show, it's now painted. Yes, metal roof and quarter cars with a real VIN plate. No Pro Mods. Fireball and Goliath 2.0 all in the same range. Chief is deeper into the 6's. He don't want anyone knowing his real ET but there is video floating around somewhere, where he did a 7.04 but he pulled the chutes at 1000 foot and let off before the end of the 1320 feet 1/4 mile so you can imagine how fast he'd have been had he not pulled the chutes and let off at 1000 feet. I seen a time for Murder Nova at 6.950 or something thereabouts. He's in the 6's I know that much.

 

[dtch]

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Misc Update 05/02/2019

Busy day today. Yesterday I found out I have no dash lights, no brake lights, no tail lights, no turn signals. All that has been fixed (ground issue). On top of that, the passenger window motor is shot and so is the wiper motor. No blower motor either.

Picked up a window motor earlier today. Will go on tomorrow.

Also picked up these wheels! I had some tires sitting around I was gonna throw on the truck but these wheels were only $100! Mounted the tires at home and getting them balanced tomorrow.

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Will get a good before/after shot when I put them on the truck.

As an aside, I'm surprised how easy everything is to get to and remove on these trucks. Dash comes out with 5 screws. Cluster comes out with like 8 (it is missing a couple over the years). Amazing. Fun to work on too.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Good score for $100.

It’s May 2nd, btw! Had to give you a hard time!

 

[dtch]

Good score for $100.

It’s May 2nd, btw! Had to give you a hard time!

Haha. I'm a little behind today I guess. And yeah, not a bad score. 16x8 with -5mm offset (4.3" backspacking). I was actually looking at similar wheels last night, minus the weird lip/fake-lock.

 

[gotyourgoat]

I am curious as to who takes a sawzalled subie on trade...

 

[dtch]

I am curious as to who takes a sawzalled subie on trade...

The same kind of people who have Geo Metros hanging out in their yard.

 

[gotyourgoat]

The same kind of people who have Geo Metros hanging out in their yard.

It's more confusing now...

 

[HotRodPC]

The same kind of people who have Geo Metros hanging out in their yard.

Hey, I'd have a Geo Metro for a commuter. Remember those things has no value at all. Look for one now. You'll pay for it. That 3 cyl Suzyuki engine gets 45-50mpg depending on it's engine health and tune condition.