My 85 Chevy K20 7.3l IDI project (bowtie bound)

[towcat]

I thought he could get away with it if he does a full front clip swap? It didn't sound like he was doing just the hood...

the rest of the front clip is not a big challenge. how the hood meets up with the cab is going to be the challenge. but then again, there's many things I have yet to learn.

 

[gonecrazyi]

That is probably the only chevy I've ever wanted lol. Those crew cabs look great lifted on 40s.

 

[Tex_50613]

welcome to the site
i don't mean to ruin your day, but you will have your work cut out for you on swapping over the hoods. 81-87(C&K)/91(R&V) have majorly different hood & cowl compared to 73-80. the early truck has the hood that goes all the way to the windshield whereas the 81 and up uses a removable cowl piece. where it gets really interesting to fab up is the hood hinges. I've seen it done but not without a ton of fab work. nice pics tho

well I'm swapping the entire font clip which is a bolt and go operation which I have done atleast 9 times so far, take everything from the firewall out on the 85 off which includes un-plugging wiring harness for the headlights and front markers from the firewall side of the fuse panel and taking off the windshield cowl and firewall hinges since the 73-80's hood hinges are entirely mounted to the front fenders, the fenders bolt on without any modification and the harness from the 73-80 will plug directly in and work (past a 87 I'm un sure about but before 87 it does)

 

[manimal]

Glad to see you made it here! So you did get my link,GREAT!

 

[gunz]

Front clip os bolt on, as stated. No real tricks to chevys. Only fiference it 2 or 4 headlights. I have doen swaps on countless chevys to go from early.mid 70s to 80s ear front clips. My favorite is the 89 1 ton clip that was also used on later burbs.

 

[Tex_50613]

Glad to see you made it here! So you did get my link,GREAT!

yes I did, thanks for that

 

[Tex_50613]

here's the back side of the tailgate since I hadn't had any pics to post up for ya

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the back don't look as good as the outside cause I plan on hurculinering it then getting a aluminum tread plate tailgate protector

 

[junior20762003]

awesome rig build

 

[gunz]

I love these old square body chevys. it will be my next build from the frame up...

Probally be a 12 valve cummins powerplant with a 5 speed tho. Plan on keeping my 7.3 as the work truck till its built.

 

[Tex_50613]

finally got the box in paint tonight

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[Tex_50613]

got the cab gutted and started in on sheet metal

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also scrapped out a 74 C-65 today and kept a couple goodies for my truck

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and a set of Senior West Coast Mirrors, which the option sheet say it's sposto have

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here's the option sheet in my glovebox

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[GOOSE]

Keep the pics coming I'm liking the mix of medium duty parts

 

[Alex S]

very nice work. ! ditto the 73-87 chev trucks are my faves trucks and you can pick up a fuel pump at 711

and the gauge cluster is kick ass did not know they had one with a diesel tac on air pressure

 

[Rot Box]

Hey thats pretty interesting. A factory cluster with a tachometer was somewhat rare during those years, but I've never seen one with the fuel gauge and the tack together like that--pretty cool

 

[Tex_50613]

Hey thats pretty interesting. A factory cluster with a tachometer was somewhat rare during those years, but I've never seen one with the fuel gauge and the tack together like that--pretty cool

I think that's cause it's for a medium duty truck (c-60/c-65) and a air pressure gauge is where the fuel gauge would be in a normal tack cluster, here's a couple shots of the cluster after I got it all dis-assembled, cleaned up, and re-assembled earlier

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