Sick of jeeps, time for something cool! |
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garage gnome
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 12 Jan. 2011 Location: Western MA Status: Offline Points: 2834 |
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Posted: 26 Dec. 2013 at 2:35am |
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Yep, I said it! I'm sick of jeeps! Time for something that is different and totally cool. Something that is easily modified, rugged, reliable, usable, and just looks awesome! And what would that be? An '83 K20!!one!!1!!!1!!
Look at all the cool mods you can do! Fuzzy dice +10HP dice valve stem caps +5HP Cartridge door lock knobs +5HP Cup holders +20HP! And stickers! Each one +5HP But sadly, the cab and frame are so rotted away, it has a nice sag to it now after a good beating in the woods... So what do you do with a rusted out junk pile of junk that has an awesome running 350 small block? You buy a new frame and body for it! I stumbled across this sweet rust free '55 Chevy 3800 1 ton that just happens to be missing the engine and tranny... Stay tuned for the rest of the build (which has to wait until after I finish the '49 jeep)! In all seriousness, I bought the K20 just for the drivetrain. I saw right away that the frame was bad on it. Had some fun with it with my friends . I got that in the beginning of November. The '55 came along a few weeks later. My dad totally hated the K20 because it was so crappy, but I told him that I was going to find something cool to put the drivetrain in which I did! He digs the '55! The first pic is how I got it. The second one is of the first piece I bought for it, the hood emblem! The plan for the '55 is to make it good at being 4WD, drag racing, taking my engines to shows, and street drivng. The stock rear end has 5.14 gears. I picked up a set of 4.56 gears. I can regear the front axle of the K20 to that. The lug pattern is the same between the two trucks, so I can use the stock dual wheels. I also have the set of wheels off the K20 and another set of those wheels too. One set for off road tires, one set for drag racing, and the stock wheels for engine shows and driving on the street! The K20 has a turbo 400. It will get the 350 and a 700r4 tranny. Why a 700r4 over the 400? With the overdrive of the 700r4, it will have a final ratio of 3.20. Not bad for the track! The 700r4 also has the lowest first gear (3.06) over the turbo 400 and 350. Perfect for off roading! Oh yeah, I'm not going to paint it either! Just find all the chrome pieces it is missing. I'm also going to keep the factory flatbed. It just needs to be narrowed up so it doesn't stick past the cab and look doofy.
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Nate
1953 3A, 1949 3A, 1947 2A, 1918 IHC Titan 10-20, 1905 IHC Famous, other hit n misses |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6123 |
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garage gnome
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 12 Jan. 2011 Location: Western MA Status: Offline Points: 2834 |
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SWEET 59! LOVE that patina!
What really got me on making it 4WD was the Hemmings article on the Napco 4x4 conversions. I think this style of truck looks awesome with 4WD and a slight lift. I'll probably never wheel it, but it looks cool and fits my style. |
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Nate
1953 3A, 1949 3A, 1947 2A, 1918 IHC Titan 10-20, 1905 IHC Famous, other hit n misses |
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garage gnome
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 12 Jan. 2011 Location: Western MA Status: Offline Points: 2834 |
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I also wanted to add, all my friends are into the square body Chevys. So I figured I'd join the band wagon, but have something a little different.
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Nate
1953 3A, 1949 3A, 1947 2A, 1918 IHC Titan 10-20, 1905 IHC Famous, other hit n misses |
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sonoblast77
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2010 Location: Warrenton, MO Status: Offline Points: 186 |
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I have a 55 1 ton with napco 4 wheel drive I bought off my uncle for $500. I shortened the flat bed width and length, put a headache rack on it. Took the duels off and put singles on. Put a 327 in, used the sm420 with the divorced transfer. Changed gear ratio to 4.11. It runs good but I can't pass a gas statiion. I think it rides rougher then my 2a or 3a. It's at my dads place, so I can't post a picture tonight. Thanks WADE
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6123 |
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My truck is a 59. Born the same year as me. I've heard those NAPCO systems are rough riders, but these trucks do look tough with 4wd. Mine is pretty terrible in the snow. Those fat tires, light rear end and 320 horses make that rear end want to get in front of you pretty quickly if it is slick out.
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3-48s
Member Joined: 18 Sep. 2008 Location: Upstate, NY Status: Offline Points: 2780 |
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[QUOTE=garage gnome] Yep, I said it! I'm sick of jeeps! Time for something that is different and totally cool. Something that is easily modified, rugged, reliable, usable, and just looks awesome! And what would that be? An '83 K20!!one!!1!!!1!! SICK OF JEEPS? Really? You are talking to the wrong crowd here Nate. Maybe you could tone it down a bit. These little trucks "are what they are", and for the time they were put on the market they were different and totally cool & still are. Old JEEPS & Old Chevy Trucks are both totally cool. I have both and love all old vehicles. Maybe you just have to many choices or you are just a real hot rodder? That's OK too, and you are entitled to your feelings but SICK OF JEEPS really does not fit here. |
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1945 CJ2A #10536
1948 CJ2A #176528 "Elmer" 1948 CJ2A #155970 "Gray Mule" 1948 CJ2A #155365 "Old Yeller" (GONE) BANTAM T3C # 6147 (GONE) BANTAM T3C # 30856 |
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3-48s
Member Joined: 18 Sep. 2008 Location: Upstate, NY Status: Offline Points: 2780 |
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P.S. Nate,
If you need parts for your 55 I may be able to help you out. I have some spares and have plenty of contacts for 55-59 Chevy Truck Parts. |
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1945 CJ2A #10536
1948 CJ2A #176528 "Elmer" 1948 CJ2A #155970 "Gray Mule" 1948 CJ2A #155365 "Old Yeller" (GONE) BANTAM T3C # 6147 (GONE) BANTAM T3C # 30856 |
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F Bill
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 05 Dec. 2005 Location: central Texas Status: Offline Points: 7752 |
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Napcos are pretty rough riders as they were built to do real heavy duty work...like phone company trucks for going down the power lines , etc. I have been around several and owned one once. F-500 that would pull down a barn without noticing it was hooked to anything. Stan's truck is as cool looking in person as it is in the pictures. I'm sure Nate isn't really sick of jeeps. wink wink. See his Forest Service jeep. I better not tell you what I have been working on the last couple of days while watching Christmas specials on TV. (Hint....factory paint on it is called Violet. ) |
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If you haven't checked out the tech FAQ section, go to:
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/tech-faq_forum57.html for a lot of great stuff you need to know!! |
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Bob3b
Member Joined: 08 Mar. 2010 Location: Akron, Ohio Status: Offline Points: 3095 |
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I never liked the square bodied chevys at all, much too basic looking, but I do love any chevy truck from the 1950s! Lots of style.
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1946 CJ2A #23881
1953 CJ3b, nice! 1949 Jeepster 1947 Empire Model 90 1985 CJ10A Spen "S" Utility trailer Kubota l3400 |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1297 |
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That will be a sweet ride when finished! I much prefer swapping the drivetrain over to the older truck. I grew up around the square bodied chevys. I still have a hard time feeling like those are classics. In the mid 90s when I started driving that was the "nice used" trucks that were running up and down the road. Crap my 04 Duramax is older than some of those trucks were then. |
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berettajeep
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 03 Feb. 2009 Location: Astoria OR Status: Offline Points: 4304 |
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Same for me. Had a '79 C10, '78K20, '79K10, '76K5, '84K20. |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1297 |
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I learned how to drive in our 77 GMC half ton moving hay for dad. We could get from the hay fields to the farm without going down any highways. I was probably about 10. I remember looking through the gap between the top of the dash and the top of the steering wheel! That truck was long wheel base with a factory 454, turbo 400 transmission. The first time I figured out how to power brake the truck was a blast. Did it every chance I got out of sight of the farm, that is untill dad made me buy a set of tires
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Rob H.
Member Joined: 21 July 2005 Location: Petersville, Ky. Status: Offline Points: 1471 |
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Nothing wrong with old Chevy trucks! I'm kinda partial to the 67-72 body style. One of the first trucks I drove around the farm was Dad's 70 C/20. My 72 with 67 front clip, a work in progress! LOL
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Rob H.
1948 CJ2A bits and pieces of three 3A's 1967-72 Chevy C/10 kinda combined them LOL |
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52 M38
Member Joined: 26 Nov. 2012 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 1286 |
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Gnome, now this may be blaspheme, but I would like to see what you would do with a GMC Syclone. Those are baaaaaaad. Hands down the fastest little thing with a pickup bed.
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