Advice/idea's Tips

[Jae77]

Hey guys/gals?

 

pics of my 81 4x4 GMC 1500 are in the link.. if it doesn't work please let me know

i have 31x10.5x16 on it right now.. but other than that and a new dual exhaust system i haven't done much to it..

 

I have a chrome rear bumper i'm getting off my friends truck soon as well..

 

It has a bed liner in it which i wanna toss and put rhinogaurd or some other box liner in it..

i have a friend who is a bodyman who is going to help me with body cancer and touch up's and i do plan on getting it painted..

 

what i'm looking for is advice or idea's *pics would be greatly appreciated* for trucks around my vintage so i can compare

 

i've thought about a lift.. body?? suspension? idk which one cause i don't want it to high up there

 

it's got an awesome 350 in it thats been rebuilt.. other than my carb which i need to get rebuilt/new one or w/e .. it runs awesome..

 

any and all advice is appreciated

[Jae77]

should i post this in another thread?? x.x

[Jae77]

no one out there with a late 70's early 80's short box 4x4 with tips and advice on where i can start on my project??

[Mike G]

What would you like to do with it? I would get the interior comfy once again. Get the motor running perfect and enjoy it. The one thing I like about the square wheel wells, putting big Bushwacker cutouts and stuffing the wells with tire (cures the cancer too). If course that leads to regearing and all that is associated, but it looks tuff.... I was $500 away from doing that to a '73 Blazer I had, but sold it for something more practical.

--Mike

[Jae77]

as of right now

it's got a rebuilt 350 with only 25k on it.. so no worries there

the tranny is a 400turbo or something iirc x.x with a stage 2 shift kit?? that was rebuilt when the engine was done

3:73 gears

new 31x10.5x15 tires

 

gotta get the tie-rods for steering re-done...asap

 

other than that i'm at a bit of a loss

i want to tune my quadrajet.. or replace

the interior is in useable shape minus the seat.. which has a seat cover on it now

 

i like the colour so i'm planning on keeping it dark chocolate brown..

 

i'd like to lift it.. but i don't know if a body lift would be better or a suspension lift??

 

there is so much to do with this truck i guess i just don't know where to start

 

the short box 4x4 seem to be very rare down around these parts so i'd really like to just make it look good.. i don't plan on doing any mudding in it .. but i do hunt and fish up in the mountains around here so i don't want it to fall apart ..

 

i've been surfing the web for pictures and it seems there is mostly just long boxes around..

 

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=363404 that is really the only one i've found that kinda looks like what i want i guess

 

just looking for advice on where to start i guess haha.. i'm on a budget so i will be doing things i can afford first..

the cancer is one of the things i wanna look after right away .. and luckly i got a friend who is a body man who will help me for a few cases of beer

 

was hoping some ppl would be able to post some pics of their trucks around the same year as mine so i could see or compare or get idea's as well

[sboutin]

(imo) only!

 

lose the grandpa running boards,..a rear chrome bumper wouldnt look to bad,..or paint the current one,..

 

maybe a tougher looking toolbox???,...chrome exhaust tips to accent the wheel well liners (if your keeping them)...they can be a harbor for rust.

 

??maybe two tone the paint,..or the cab,..those years came from the factory with the top half of the cab black. if your trying to keep it nostalgic.

[JRLZ71]

I say put a body lift, put some bigger meats on, fender flares, black the windows out, and get er painted black. That would look nasty

[Jae77]

i've been looking around at exhaust tips .. i just had my exhaust done from the manifold to the back.. i was going to go straight out the back but i prefer the angled look from behind the tires..

 

the length of tip is where i'm having a problem figuring out .. when i go to exhaust shops they keep saying to go with 18~20" long

 

i need to update my pics to show the new tires/exhaust as well.. i should do that this weekend

 

i like the idea of a checker plate *tool box* for the back but they aren't easy to move in and out are they??

 

and the running boards are gone.... not to sure what style of nerf bars to put on though.. i tend to like the shortie look.. but only able to find then for crew cab styles online to look at..

any recommendations on websites that wholesale them??

[Jae77]

gf was saying a flat colour.. no metallic..

 

not to sure i agree on that...

[Jae77]

for lifts...

which brands are dependable and not to expensive

[sboutin]

gf was saying a flat colour.. no metallic..

 

not to sure i agree on that...

 

 

so u are painting it? thought u said u were keeping the brown?

 

not sure what u mean by moving the toolbox in and out?

 

last time I checked (my area) most auto store have the shorter nerfs in stock..

hell...have ur auto body buddy help you fab up some out of some pipe and paint to match the bumper....not sure what kind of budget your on?...but check your local autozone,..advance auto..ive seen them there.

 

lifts? looks like you can run 33's with out it.

[Jae77]

right now it's to shades of brown.. hard to see in the pics but the box is a lighter colour than the doors.. i want to keep it a darker brown.. but paint will come later on in the game as other issues need to be addressed first

 

this is something i'm planning on doing over the next yr or so.. it's more of a fun project truck

 

i'd like to be able to remove the toolbox out of the back of the truck so i can get a few more inchs haha

 

trying to figure out a game plan on how i'm going to go about fixing it up.. and in what order

don't want to just buy random stuff and put it on here and there..

[Mike G]

That blue truck you posted for the pic needs wider tires and bigger flares. You can pick up a 4" suspension lift for that truck just about anyplace. We did a blazer once like that with a 12" suspension lift and a set of 40" Cepeks. Drivelines and gears were replaced of course but that looked GOOD when we were done. Pick up a catalog from LMC trucks too.

--Mike