af_1132 : 1977 Chevrolet Cheyenne C10 Stepside

[af_1132]

What the hell is that? A golf tee?

What's it failing smog wise?

Yes, it is a golf tee, haha. Since it's been sitting for six years, I have not yet tried to get it to pass. I have a sizable exhaust leak on the passenger's side at the header/downpipe junction.

Yikes couldn't deal with California smog. It's silly with so few older cars like this on the road that you have to maintain factory smog from almost 40 years ago.

Anyways, here's a link with factory service manuals in PDF form for all years 1973-1991. 1977 light truck manual is on the list, should be diagrams in there.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=545416

Yeah, California smog rules and procedures make me angry. I'm sure they would rather me have a car payment for some new truck that I couldn't afford, but just "had" to have.

Thank you so much for the manual. I will be looking through this.

[foamypirate]

Awesome truck! I love these old Squarebody trucks, got 2 of them myself. Looking forward to the progress!

[af_1132]

Thanks bud.

Man the list of things that need to be done is growing LONG with this one.

There is a massive exhaust leak at the passenger header. Bleh

Transmission fluid was just replaced, now it's onto the valve cover gaskets, a permanent battery solution, fixing the broken speedo gear, replacing driveshaft seals, new pan gaskets...oi!

[dhill_cb7]

This looks really fun! I do not think I have ever seen one before. Older trucks do not last long up here in the NE. I barely see any 87-91 fords anymore and this is ten years older and a Chevy.

Did these Chevys come with a lot of trim levels and different size beds? Holy crap it came originally with a wooded bed!???

Sounds like a money maker for Chevy, they knew it would rot out and people would go back to chevy for oem wood.

That gas tank picture made my mouth drop. Can't wait to see how you fix the speedo gear and the bed.

[af_1132]

This looks really fun! I do not think I have ever seen one before. Older trucks do not last long up here in the NE. I barely see any 87-91 fords anymore and this is ten years older and a Chevy.

Did these Chevys come with a lot of trim levels and different size beds? Holy crap it came originally with a wooded bed!???

Sounds like a money maker for Chevy, they knew it would rot out and people would go back to chevy for oem wood.

That gas tank picture made my mouth drop. Can't wait to see how you fix the speedo gear and the bed.

WOAH now, drinking that haterade!

There were a few trim levels for the square body. This one had the Cheyenne package, but my wife's estranged father never took time to care for the wood. Keeping the wood dry and the truck garaged can go a long way.

[Accrdwgnguy]

All the stepsides 73-87 had wood bed floors. And actually, there was an option for wood floor on the long bed fleetside from 73-late 70's, very rare.

[dhill_cb7]

I was not bashing Chevys. I am just not familiar with them compared to fords. Did not mean for it to sound like I was hating them. Sorry. Thanks for the information on the Chevys. I always find the trims levels, different engines/trans combos, and accessories to be really intriguing. I wish we had packages lol. All we get it is trims. I guess you could consider a trim a package or maybe they are different?

Can't wait for to see this truck in action.

Are you able to replace the wood or is it within your abilities to have the bed welded with new metal?

[SOHC-FTW]

Wood gives a truck that ol dapper dan sex appeal I wouldn't weld in sheet metal on one I was doing unless it was being tubed.

[af_1132]

I was not bashing Chevys. I am just not familiar with them compared to fords. Did not mean for it to sound like I was hating them. Sorry.

I know you weren't really hating them, hence the .

Yes, the plan is to get new bed wood, fitted, finished, and ready to go in, but that is a long way off. It's about getting this thing road legal for now.

[AccordWarrior]

Oh, we are definitely keeping the blue plates, no question about that.



I don't know, man. I do like the tires, though.

It is a bit 70's tastic, I suppose. I actually think that specific truck is a resprayed Desert Fox optioned truck. The wheels, brush guard and roll bar seem to match. I've been rewatching the series and when the hood is open, you can see the original tan in the bay.

[af_1132]

Did a ton of work on this truck this weekend, and more will be done next weekend in an attempt to pass smog and present it to my wife for her birthday.

The driver door was complete garbo; just look at the rust around the hinge. There was no way it was worth keeping.





A "new" door off an '84 went on, and I also grabbed a bunch of interior goodies from that same truck.





Booooooy, it was a mistake to pull all that without doing some research. At the face lift (1980, I think), so many subtle design changes were made besides the obvious external changes. Everything from the seat belts to the inner door frame to the hood mounting scheme was changed. I can't make the seat belts work at all with the '77 bench seat, so those are getting returned. Heck, it was even a big job to get the visors to work! But, all in all, the interior looks much better with the stupid dirty cover off the bench seat and all the interior stuff in place.



I will have new seat belts, window cranks, and a review mirror on the way. Hopefully, I can pull a set of side mirrors from the nicest square body at the yard. In the mean time, we are prepping the new driver's door for paint. All that bondo had to go and the door had to be ground down since it was grabbing on the quarter panel.



This carburetor is such crap, probably a Rochester that never had a tune up since the engine was put in. I know it would be financially sane to just get a rebuild kit, but I just want a new one. I took the thing out on the road, and there is either a massive vacuum leak or the diaphragms are shot, because I was on the breaks the whole time to keep that thing from running away and killing me, and the idle surged to about 2.5k when in neutral. Took it back home, turned it on, and the idle was real nice and low. There be gremlins



Up next is a tranny fluid and filter change, draining and refilling the power steering, dealing with the stupid carb, getting proper seat belts and mirrors, and painting the new driver's door grey. How much can I get done before Sunday? Who knows?

[af_1132]

These past few months have been mainly focused on this truck, with an end that some might call depressing. I'm not depressed, though, this is for the best.

She was low on fuel, so that was the first order of business once the power steering bracket was modified so that the belt can hold tension. Riding nice and dirty into town!





That was when the passenger side header was leaking, haha.

Man, so much was done after that fill-up:
- New battery to go with the new tray:

- New transmission fluid and gasket (messy job)
- New oil pan gasket (also a messy job)
- Drained and refilled PS fluid (messy the way we did it!)
- Re-soldered taillight wiring only to find that something is wrong with the wiring in general (both lights blink alternately when a turn indicator is activated)
- Re-worked the vacuum hoses for the carburetor a number of times, and did a bunch or research only to find that the carburetor is some reman of a really old 60's quadrajet with a divorced choke, totally wrong choke setup for 1977.
- Finished the interior with correct belts, window cranks, review mirror, and a side mirror:

- Replaced the driver's side door striker so that it would latch properly.

We went to the smog diagnosis very hopeful...



Annnnd our hopes were shattered when we found out she was running around 20 degrees off timing, and needed a new timing chain and possibly harmonic balancer before a smog inspection was even possible. This, combined with the Carburetor and complete engine mystery (is this a crate motor or an older 60's 350 or what?) was enough to sap all my passion for this project. She is currently for sale, and we will be looking for a '73 to '75 square body fleet side to replace her in the future. I love this truck, but I just don't want to deal with SMOG regulations if I don't have to.

Farewell!

[dhill_cb7]

That is the worst man. I am sorry to hear that it is up for sale. I guess at this point you have parted with it?
I really was enjoying the build progress.

Good luck with your next project.

[Accrdwgnguy]

Man California sucks!

[deevergote]

Bummer! CA really needs to ease up on restrictions for older cars. NJ just did that, and it's awesome. Everything 1995 and older doesn't require inspection of any kind, as of last May. I'm going to be peeling the inspection sticker off of my Miata in a few months, and I'll never have to replace it!

Could you just get a newer engine for the truck? Something more modern... perhaps even do an FI conversion? It would require some work and money to do it right, but you could probably get some nice results, and maybe even have an easier time smogging it.