1985 C10 Project: Big Blue

[DCohoon]

So I have been lurking this site for years now looking at everyone else's builds as I slowly work on my own. I haven't started my own thread for some time just due to lack of pictures during the process as I always forget to take some as I go and of course school, life in general and work we all contend with. I finally believe though I have enough to post up and start showing my progress as I put this thing together and make changes. This project started for me years ago when I was just graduating high school and going to college. I bought the truck (1985 C10 Short box) with the original intent of using it as a hunting truck and maybe one day just building a hot motor for it when I found a better truck to use around the farm. Well as all these kind of projects go one thing led to another and the gear head in me built a sweet little engine and started driving it daily until hitting a deer one morning while ironically headed to help a friend pick up a deer he had just shot. That was the excuse I needed to start from scratch with the truck and build it from the frame up into a Pro Touring truck build which was really always just a dream but now reality. The truck even once "complete" will see many suspension changes as these projects are never really complete. For now I just want it back on the road as a good handling truck I can take to a few auto crosses each year and cruise around in on the weekends when I'm home. At that point I will start saving for more suspension upgrades I have planned when I decide to start competing more than cruising not that it wont be set up decent to begin with. Ill post some pictures I have taken here and there, this is my first ever post so I may screw it up so just bear with me.



As it stands now the truck: Is in a million pieces but has turned the corner to assembling it again instead of tearing it apart and soon I will have a full rolling chassis and then I will start the body work.
- 350 bored 40 over- now a 357, full hydraulic roller set-up, aluminum heads, 10.5:1 compression, just tons of goodies inside. Just ask if you want to know more.
-700r4 Transmission- built all out. not much left of the original trans but the casing haha
-tubular transmission cross member
-12 bolt rear end, narrowed 6 inches, Detroit limited slip, 3.42 gear U.S Gear, moser axles, big ford ends, disk brakes, and lots more.
-New to me/ the truck frame that I had a very good family friend of ours put on his frame rack and check it for laser straightness then cut and put tubes through frame like modern pick-ups/ cars.
-BAER Rotors with Wilwood calipers up front
-Eibach 2 inch drop pro touring truck spring, progressive rate spring
-CPP 2 inch drop spindles/ 1 inch narrowing spindles to help tuck the big front tires
-Caster mods made to the lower control arm cross shaft/ and soon to come bump steer mod
-5&1/4 rear drop by moving the leaf spring brackets up the frame and modifying them, Detroit spring- spring liners, polyurethane bushing. (eventually going to a No Limit Engineering 4-link)
-Working on custom aluminum fuel cell that will mount behind the rear end to not only increase fuel capacity, help weight distribution greatly, but also increase safety.
-Will be going with 20 inch wheels from billet specialties, but I have also been looking at some other brands- ya'll know how it is, nearly impossible to pick the right wheels. They make or break a car or truck in my opinion.
-I have thought about buying an additional set of 18 inch wheels for autocross competition but that will be costly and down the road.
-Have been working on designs for a roll bar/ cage set-up. I will be pulling the daily driver/ comfy seats and installing racing seats when I decide to go to the track and want to have the ability to mount harnesses properly but also don't want to compromise my own safety on the street with a million bars running all over the cab. I will be keeping it simple/ minimal. Something similar the C10R build.
-There are a million other things to list or talk about but I'm sure we will get to those when the time comes or just ask if you have a question about what Ill be doing in a certain area.

[DCohoon]

[DCohoon]

[DCohoon]

[DCohoon]

Help from the lady is always appreciated

[DCohoon]

Soon to be homemade blasting booth

[DCohoon]

Accumulating an assortment of parts







Frame Coated by me in a Hammered texture grey tone along with all suspension/ frame components.



Front Suspension Mock Up

[DCohoon]

Always nice to have friends helping. This is one of my very best friends who happens to be an accomplished engine builder and he and I are the ones who built the current engine for the truck.

[DCohoon]

All New parts for my 12 bolt rear end!!







Just deal with the leaf springs for now- I know lots of auto cross events have been run with cars/ trucks and leafs and while not ideal/ what I wanted money is restricting my budget and time since I need to be getting this things back on the road and out of my shop. ( it is monopolizing a lot of room) Soon enough it will be getting that 4 link from Rob at No Limit

[DCohoon]

The engine is getting a few upgrades ;)

[DCohoon]

[DCohoon]

So there are obviously tons of things here and there I have left out, missed, or didn't get pictures of but I will do my best to take more/ better pictures as I go along. Luckily I'm taking a two week vacation at the end of
December so hopefully I will get some work done on the truck between family time and hunting.

[Auto Rod Technologies]

Looks like a nice project, very thorough!!!

[Slonoma]

Can't wait to see the final result. This body style is quickly becoming my favorite truck

[DCohoon]

UPDATE: Progress has been slow but parts have been ordered and are steadily piling up which is the good news. This includes new ignition pieces for the MSD, new torque converter built by precision, new to me set of original GM doors with no rust/ body work, interior pieces, Primer, sealer, Paint, & Clearcoat, and lots of others random stuff.

Bad news is that my engine that I just re-cammed, put lifters and valve springs in is in bad shape in other areas. I suspected I might have some metal that had gotten into my main and rod bearing due to a previous rocker arm failure although not a bad one. I decided that since I am not in state to work on the truck through the week and in a effort to speed progress I farmed out some additional engine work to my local machine shop who does a great job watching out for me.
And for peace of mind I wanted them to look at the bearing and replace them if needed along with checking my piston to valve clearance with this new cam, set the lash on the cam being it uses a roller button to locate it, and just do an overall eval. Well long story short I have had to replace pistons, rings, all the bearing, polish the crank, new gaskets, and reassemble. There goes a chunk of change unfortunately!! But... Its done now and a trip to the dyno is scheduled to tune the motor and make sure all is well before we set it between the frame rails. Ill update again once this is done!

[Munssey]

Suuuubscribed! Looking good sir!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looks like a fun project! Keep it up!

[RBEAST]

I like what you have done so far! any updates?

[DCohoon]

Yes I finally have an update with some progress!! We went down to Paris TN on Saturday to Dyno Tune Engineering to strap the engine on the dyno and get her all tuned out and ready to go. My buddy and I were in a mad dash from Friday afternoon after work until literally 30 minutes until out appointment time at the dyno to finish up a bunch of loose ends with the engine so it could actually run. I will forever hate building my own spark plug wires and taking the time to make them look worth a crap!..but I digress we had a great time, then engine did PHENOMINAL and the guys from the shop were really good guys and did a great job. Saturday was definitely a highlight day for me as we loaded the motor up to go back home knowing it is in good order and ready to be set into the frame. I snagged a couple pictures and videos while I was there at there and will upload the videos as soon as I get them imported from the camera and edited down to a reasonable time. Also to add to the progress I got my radiator support in primer and sealed on Sunday and now it just needs to be scuffed and painted. PROGRESS MADE!!!

[2ndroundko]

This truck is going to be absolutely sick. how did the motor do on the dyno? I have a 85 c10 so I'm definitely interested especially in the engine since I locked mine up last week.