82sbshortbed
Fuckemall!!
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2018
- Posts
- 15,973
- Reaction score
- 53,811
- Location
- SE Texas
- First Name
- Doug
- Truck Year
- 1982, 1984
- Truck Model
- 1500 shortbed, 1500 longbed
- Engine Size
- 454, 305
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I mean, I don't know how to saddle or shoe a horse either, because technology...It's okay to not know how to tune a carburetor.
Some of the rest of us are driving carbureted trucks that start easily when cold and don't flood when hot... without bogging, stumbling, stalling, or loading up. Cruising, working, climbing, off roading, towing. My truck can be hopped in and driven by someone who's never set foot in an older vehicle, and other than having to depress the accelerator to set the choke when it's cold, they can drop it in gear as soon as the engine fires and treat it like they would a fuel injected vehicle from there. And I'm pretty fond of sound of the secondaries opening on a Q-jet.
A lot of the "half ton" trucks got stupid tall final drive ratios circa 1981-forward, so many would be capable of of 100mph+ without stressing anything (though wind resistance usually limits your speed to around 100mph and often less. I don't think I'd want to trade my 700R4 for a THM350 or 400 though, as the extra gear does make the truck more versatile.
A very small percentage. Federal 55 speed limit was in place from 1974-1987.Some of these carbureted non overdrive squares were built when the speed limit was 75mph
I love my 84 C10 with 305 & 2:73, 700r4. I just got through hauling a half pallet of grass for my son. Had no problem at allIt looks like a solid start. All I'd do with it is put headlight bezels on, get it running good, fix any leaks, and make sure the AC blows cold. If you can achieve everything I just listed, you already have a better square body than a lot of people.
As for engine swaps, I'd keep that 305 running for as long as possible, it'll do everything a 1/2 ton truck needs to do. If you insist on a swap, a 5.7 Vortec would be the easiest "modern" option since it's based on the old school small block architecture and pretty much bolts in. A LS swap is far more involved and difficult, but it has been done many times.
Pay attention to your steering and front end components when installing a lift kit, it's easy to end up with a wobbly mess if you don't adjust things correctly or use the wrong parts.