New IL member with a 76 K20

[zbhover]

Good morning everyone, just thought I'd do a quick introduction.

This is Zach and I'm near Peoria IL and have been around square body's pretty much all my life. Growing up we had a K5 blazer that was so rusty it would have probably fell apart if we took the top off and a C10 pickup that was rust free but someone hit it and totaled it.

Later in the early 2000's my dad and I built a 78 K20 Chevy for my mom. The K20 had a 350, TH350, and NP203 that we picked up for $500, and it was VERY rusty. We ended up swapping beds, and doors, and welding in new rockers, floors, cab corners, cab mounts, etc. After we finished all that it was a pretty nice truck, but my mom then decided she hated my dad and refused to drive it, so I ended up using it to drive to school. When I went to College the truck got sold to by my sister a Neon, talk about a disappointment LOL.

Anyways I'm also into building hovercrafts, woodworking, and I'm building a V8 powered convertible VW bug that I'm thinking about converting into a truck, its on a shortended and lowered S10 chassis with a 350 chevy up front. http://www.zbcreations.com
I really haven't had time to work on any of those things because we bought a repo'd house and we are fixing it up.

So I've been getting tired of having to borrow a truck whenever I need to haul something, and I really like Square body's so I've been keeping my eye out for one after I got my Christmas bonus.

Last week I found a 1976 Chevy K20 that used to be a California truck and has only been used to plow a driveway since it came to IL and is still almost completely rust free! The same 350, TH350, NP203 combo as the 78 I drove in highschool and it runs great. The only rust on the body is the lower front portions of the front fenders, everything else is solid, including the rockers, floors, cab mounts etc!

I'm not planning on jacking it up real high or making it a pretty show truck, I just want something nice for hauling stuff, and a bit of a toy LOL.

It has add a leafs up front, so I think I'll add them on the rear also to level it out and give it a little extra height. But first I need to find a used set of tires (or some 16"s and tires) because the 34" narrow Interco Super Swampers on it must be pretty old, they have TONS of tread left, but have some HUGE cracks in them, I'm afraid to haul much with them. In the spring I also want to work at keeping the truck from starting to rust so I'm going to clean up the underside of the floor and rockers and such and prime and undercoat them, etc.

Anyways enough talking here are some pics:

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[donmateo]

Nice rig! Welcome. I spend a bit of time down there. If you're ever down where Farmington and Sterling meet in Peoria, there's a black 80s lifted C/K on a side street.

 

[CSFJ]

Welcome, Those skinny 34" LTB swampers have only been offered for a few years, all swampers seem to show a lot of cracks, so I wouldn't woory about them structurally, but for douing any hauling you'll probably want to change them out. I'll bet that thing was a beast in deep snow with them on it though.

 

[zbhover]

Nice rig! Welcome. I spend a bit of time down there. If you're ever down where Farmington and Sterling meet in Peoria, there's a black 80s lifted C/K on a side street.

I've probably driven past it several times, I'm actually out in Glasford. I'll keep an eye out for the truck next time I'm passing through.

 

[zbhover]

Welcome, Those skinny 34" LTB swampers have only been offered for a few years, all swampers seem to show a lot of cracks, so I wouldn't woory about them structurally, but for douing any hauling you'll probably want to change them out. I'll bet that thing was a beast in deep snow with them on it though.

I'm not sure I'll be able to find out how it does in the snow this winter, there have been more 50 and 60 degree days than I can count LOL

The old owner did say they were only 2 or 3 years old and they've been holding air just fine, but judging from the cracking I figured they were older? I have 1 or 2 loads of broken concrete to haul about 40 minutes, otherwise it would just be lumber and such here and there. Here are a couple pics:

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I've had my eye on some ford 8 lug rims that have been for sale for a few weeks, the guy wants $100 for them, and the tires aren't great, but it would be easier to find some decent used tires for the 16" rims vs the 16.5" I have now. Plus the aluminum rims would be nicer than the spray painted steelies on there now. I'm just not positive the 16" aluminum rims would fit over the HD brakes for sure or now, maybe I can talk him down some?

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[87scotty]

Welcome from just north of ya

 

[CSFJ]

I'm not sure I'll be able to find out how it does in the snow this winter, there have been more 50 and 60 degree days than I can count LOL

The old owner did say they were only 2 or 3 years old and they've been holding air just fine, but judging from the cracking I figured they were older? I have 1 or 2 loads of broken concrete to haul about 40 minutes, otherwise it would just be lumber and such here and there. Here are a couple pics:

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I've had my eye on some ford 8 lug rims that have been for sale for a few weeks, the guy wants $100 for them, and the tires aren't great, but it would be easier to find some decent used tires for the 16" rims vs the 16.5" I have now. Plus the aluminum rims would be nicer than the spray painted steelies on there now. I'm just not positive the 16" aluminum rims would fit over the HD brakes for sure or now, maybe I can talk him down some?

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If I remember correctly, the newer 3/4 and 1 ton trucks went to a 16" rim anyway. I'm pretty sure that's what is on my 3/4. The up side to it is those swampers should be easy to sell, they absolutely rock offroad on an older jeep. The down side is they're not very good for hauling heavy loads. The tread compound wears pretty fast, and unless you run them at lower pressures, they'll wear unevenly. They're a bias ply tire instead of radial, and they tend to get a little squirmy at low pressure.

 

[1973c10]

welcome

 

[Mr Clean]

from N.E.

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[HotRodPC]

Cali truck made it's way to IL !!!

Welcome to GMSB !!!

 

[Georgeb]

Nice solid looking truck. Welcome.

 

[87scotty]

Snows com in.buddy gonna kept today though

 

[87scotty]

Alpha tire sells uses military tires for a decent price for them 16.5s I've been happy with em thus far

 

[zbhover]

Last week I picked up a set of 17x8" aluminum wheels with 265-70-r17 tires on them, 2 brand new 2 about 40% tread for $100.00! They are some aftermarket rims the guy had on a 06 duramax he was building and bought new ones and these were in his way. They were pretty dirty and have over spray on a couple, but with lots of polishing they look pretty good, there are some scratches and pits in the chrome here and there but they look great for a hundred bucks. Then I turned around and sold the old tires and rims for $60 so really it was only a $40 set of tires I guess I should have asked more for the old tires, people were just about fighting over them for $60 LOL

After Polishing them up

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Before with they cracked up 34" narrow super swampers on spray painted steelies

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After with the "new" wheels and tires:

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