C10_Blackie
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2024
- Posts
- 64
- Reaction score
- 138
- Location
- Seattle, WA
- First Name
- Rob
- Truck Year
- 1981
- Truck Model
- C10
- Engine Size
- 350
Hi All. I've restored several air-cooled Volkswagens and have owned a couple of 1975 Kawasaki H1-F Triples over the years but have been out of it all for well over a decade. I started to look for a GM square body truck a couple of months ago as I thought having a long bed would be useful as I transition into retirement over the next few years. Dad was a GM engineer for 37 years and always encouraged me to try a domestic project - this would be my first one that wasn't metric, come to think of it, and I'll be doing it in his honor.
So after a couple of false starts, I finally settled on the 1981 C10 Silverado long bed pictured below and bought it last week. The seller claims it has a 350 crate engine with 20K miles on it with a Holley 600 carb and Endelbrock headers. It has a TH350 trans that I do not believe is original, as I see that it has the extra trans radiator up front but was probably disconnected when the engine was replaced, and the only reason I can think of for not keeping it all working is if they replaced the transmission at the same time. The truck also has a frame-mounted hitch and has a trailer brake unit installed and a dual tank system that appears to work fine. The clock even works. The person I bought it from wasn't the one that did the work and he doesn't seem to know a lot about it or have any documentation on it. But it is a strong running and smooth shifting truck with a basically straight body and very little rust that I can see. It definitely needs work, but a lot of it seems to be superficial.
This is going to be a long-term project and I'd expect to keep it until I can't drive anymore or just definitely no longer need or want a truck. I am not a particularly skilled or knowledgeable mechanic but I've got tools, time and the ability to learn. Not going for a show truck, but will continue to protect and improve it until I run out of things to protect and improve.
Next step is to get it to a local mechanic and have it all gone through for safety and to get sort of a report card of how I made out on the purchase (paid $7K). After that (assuming I didn't make a horrible mistake), I'll probably be relying on this forum for a fair bit of initial guidance - so thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Rob
So after a couple of false starts, I finally settled on the 1981 C10 Silverado long bed pictured below and bought it last week. The seller claims it has a 350 crate engine with 20K miles on it with a Holley 600 carb and Endelbrock headers. It has a TH350 trans that I do not believe is original, as I see that it has the extra trans radiator up front but was probably disconnected when the engine was replaced, and the only reason I can think of for not keeping it all working is if they replaced the transmission at the same time. The truck also has a frame-mounted hitch and has a trailer brake unit installed and a dual tank system that appears to work fine. The clock even works. The person I bought it from wasn't the one that did the work and he doesn't seem to know a lot about it or have any documentation on it. But it is a strong running and smooth shifting truck with a basically straight body and very little rust that I can see. It definitely needs work, but a lot of it seems to be superficial.
This is going to be a long-term project and I'd expect to keep it until I can't drive anymore or just definitely no longer need or want a truck. I am not a particularly skilled or knowledgeable mechanic but I've got tools, time and the ability to learn. Not going for a show truck, but will continue to protect and improve it until I run out of things to protect and improve.
Next step is to get it to a local mechanic and have it all gone through for safety and to get sort of a report card of how I made out on the purchase (paid $7K). After that (assuming I didn't make a horrible mistake), I'll probably be relying on this forum for a fair bit of initial guidance - so thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Rob
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