Latest Lost Cause Project: 1979 Z28

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Midnightmoon

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2020
Posts
1,126
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Location
Pennsylvania
First Name
Justin
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
305
Made a deal this evening on a '79 Z28. The good, it's overall solid with just a couple of spots of rust on the driver's side floor, and a small area in the truck pan. Body seems to be otherwise decent. Interior is all there and fairly good. Glass is clean and clear with no cracks or damage including the T-Tops. Decent reman TH-350.

The bad...puking antifreeze out of the exhaust like a fire hose. Wiring is a mess to the point that I'm probably going to start from scratch. This was a car out of an estate where the owner passed away mid project. Not 100% sure of what I got myself in to. But, the bones seem good and there are enough decent aftermarket parts on it already that I can sell some things off and recoup most of the purchase price if things turn out to be worse than I suspect.

Anyway, here are a few pics to start with. I'll get more after I get it home this week and start seeing exact how big of a mistake I just made.
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MaicoDoug

Junior Member
Joined
May 16, 2025
Posts
7
Reaction score
7
Location
Bryan, Texas
First Name
Doug
Truck Year
2007
Truck Model
2007 Level II Ranger
Engine Size
4.0 V6
There is a test to look for hydrocarbons in the cooling system using a changing color chemical that is in a test bottle that connects to the radiator's fill port. Also a leakdown test works, just don't over pressurize the system while watching the leakdown gauge. Eventually the leak will stop when 2 things happen, 1) you run out of cooling fluid, & 2) the suspected head gasket reseals it's self, but not totally. The engine will still overheat. Could be a crack in the head also. Either way the tests mentioned need to be preformed to prove out the common expected areas of gasket/head failure. The only way excess cooling fluid gets to into the exhaust system is past one of the two situations mentioned above.

Good luck, you'll get it. Bad news before the good news.
 

Drauka99

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2023
Posts
144
Reaction score
483
Location
Northwest Florida, USA
First Name
David
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C-10
Engine Size
6.0 LQ4
Kevin Tetz has a good video on reshaping the seatbelt pockets on the rear seats to allow for some pretty wide tires with no other modifications. If that's something you are interested doing on this at some point.
 

Strick

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Posts
1,693
Reaction score
4,415
Location
Dunn, NC
First Name
Harold
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C20 Crew
Engine Size
350
That looks like a great car to start out with. There are many clues that point to it being a '79 Z28 for certain. I love that deluxe interior in red along with the 5-spokes red as well. It has 80-81 fender pockets but the scoop and front grille are 78-79; the squared dash tells that it's not a 78 as well. Looks good to me overall, I wish you well with the engine cooling system issue and hope to see more pics. I love those second gen F's...

HS
 

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