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turbonator's 1978 k30 plowtruck build thread...

63K views 657 replies 32 participants last post by  Bigboytoys 
#1 · (Edited)
hey guys, this week we finally signed our big commercial snow contract, and since we dont even have a plow truck, we went truck shopping today...:HiHi:... looked at a 1997 dually with a blown head gasket and huge rust for $1200, a 1994 3500 gasser that has a totally pooched body, and a hood that wont open for $800.00, a 1998 1500 gasser with a 4.3l and 4l60e combo that was not bad, but too small/light for snow removal @ $1500.00, same guy has a 1991 3500 with a 6.2l/4l80e combo for $500 that has no keys or papers....:banghead::banghead:

on our way home we went out of our way on another highway that always has stuff for sale along it, didnt see much, until we were almost to the turn-off to take the highway through gov. land(no houses or population) when we found our truck, a 1978 k30, with rust, gas engine, automatic, and a tree growing through the bumper.....:hehe:... it already has the plow frame on the front, all the hydraulic circuit run, and a tilting hydraulic flat bed on it... needs a lot of TLC, but we got it for $300.00 with papers, and you can bet that the gasser will be going bye-bye, and it will have at minimum a N/A 6.2l going between the frame rails ....:clap:.... going tomorrow to bring it home, so we will get pics of the process....:thumb:
 
#230 ·
newer front valance maybe, but the 1973-78 have a skinnier grill, with a 4" valance underneath it, i will compare the 2 here and take pics, gives me an excuse to bring it in and thaw off the ice, and clump of leaves on the end sitting on the ground...LOL
 
#237 ·
 
#240 ·
My 80 has a solid one, but it's base model.
 
#241 ·
#242 ·
the proper headlight bezels for it are on the seat of the truck where i got the trim.... have to see what the bezels and trims look like that are coming, maybe end up going with OEM steel stuff that matches my chrome bling piece, or just clean it up and put it in stock and run the new stuff thats coming..... :confuzeld.... as a side note, we also found a real nice, rare piece, a GMC tail gate chrome insert...:drool::drool:..
 
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#244 ·
I saw one of those go for $3000 on ebay, how much did you get it for?
 
#245 ·
Wonder if it went over seas, there are a few guys from the middle east with oil money behind them buying all sorts of NOS stuff and paying what ever it takes..
 
#246 ·
And here I didn't like that fancy chrome trim on my tailgate....
 
#258 ·
I put a chevrolet tailgate on my last truck and it started acting like a girl...love me, need me, want me pay attention to me. Took it off and put the GMC back on (fixed the latch) and it went back to being the same old dirty bastard it used to be
 
#262 ·
forgot to post pics of the front side marker lenses, and the one front signal lens that we got as well... also pics of dash bezel all painted up...:thumb:
 

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#264 ·
got all the soft brake lines in stock now....:thumb:
 

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#266 · (Edited)
check the rock auto, for all those lines on clearance, was like $18.00 CDN plus shipping... cable internet is not fun when its -20F and the cable tightens from the pole to the house and the connection becomes patchy, and we need to take turns going out with our reaching stick and tapping the line to get our connection back...:hehe::hehe:
 
#277 ·
been tinkering with the door panels and such, cleaning and painting them, also all the post covers etc, also, scored another nice set of front lenses, these ones are the amber ones, with the chrome trims, got an extra one thrown in because one is broken in the back.... pics of panels before and after :thumb:...
 

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#278 ·
I like the amber ones , they give the front of the truck some colour, nice find.
 
#279 ·
working on spring packs and hangers, and the diffs the last couple days... some before pics, and some of the after ones up til tonight...
 

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#280 ·
to bad the rear diff is only a one wheel wonder, might put our orb of traction in it, and search out a locker later on....
 
#281 ·
you guys are keeping up a nice tidy shop...what's wrong?
 
#283 ·
makin money out of er now....:clap:... got to keep it clean....
 
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#284 ·
por15 is fer rich folks..:hehe:.. the springs are just flat black paint we had around, when the packs get re-assembled, we coat in between all of them with thick axle grease, stops them from rusting and bulging.... all we ever use is foundation tar to coat frames and stuff, just brushed on.....
 
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#285 ·
pulling diff out of the grumman to have some spare parts, its also a one wheel wonder, but has the big 3" brakes, and fairly new spring packs, so off they come, going to need the leafs to swap around for the hodge-podge, and might as well upgrade the brakes from 2.5" to the one ton 3", so pulled the bearings out of the drums, and gave them a good tap-tap cleaning to knock off most of the scale, a shot of high heat flat black, and washed out the bearings, going to order new seals monday... pics...
 

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#286 ·
I will look, I may have a spare 373 locker. The one in my truck wont unlock so gotta change that, but may have 1 more.
 
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#287 ·
thats pretty cool, thanks dude.... we have actually discussed swapping 3.73 into rattlepuss in place of the 3.42, and using the 3.42 to go back to 4.10, so we could use the 4.10 in the plow truck, and 3.73 in the rattlepuss.....:coolnana:
 
#288 ·
working on the dana 44 right now, it has leaky axle seals, so apart it come$....:hole:
 
#289 ·
well, got it tore down some, following is the list of parts we will need, anyone wanna take a guess on cost?...:whistle:
 

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#290 ·
$500-$800
 
#297 ·
got the first quote this afternoon, for the list above it was 480.00 tax in, but probably all china-craft, didnt think to ask..... still waiting on the final quote from marinette custom cars and repairs for the same list of parts......
 
#291 ·
new front end stuff is starting to arrive... first is the headlight bezels(thanks mccr, they are real nice...:thumb:)..... pics
 

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#292 ·
pics of 14 bolt, just waiting on drum seals, but all back together...:thumb:
 

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#293 ·
pics of dana 44 up on the stands...
 

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#294 ·
Hope they fit as good as they look. Is that a drain plug in the diff cover?
 
#295 ·
yep, a drain-plug/temp sensor port, but, taking the temp from the diff. is like looking for a needle in a stack of needles....:hehe:... so, a fancy drain it is...:thumb:
 
#296 ·
more stuff in the mail today.....:bounce: grille and upper and lower chrome trims....
 

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