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75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
That's cool, I'm going to keep it bone stock, only thing I'm going to do is the bodywork and put it back to Glenwood green with the black grill. Just really don't know what to call it though since it's like a mixture of a C20 and a C30. Front seems to be a C20 unless there was a C30 single tire. Cab is odd in that it has the 3 center marker lights but not the 2 outer, can't really find any C20 that had cab lights, looks like it was an option you could get though so who knows. Wheelbase of 133" was only available as a 1 ton, same with leaf springs with the aux springs. Searched all over for a build sheet, no luck. The vin tag is on the drivers A pillar, but no vehicle rating sticker anywhere so, doesn't say gross weight on title or any of the ancient registrations either. Once I get the factory assembly manual, maybe I will get it figured, lol.
 

75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
So, based on your picture, is yours a 3 on the tree?
 

DoubleDingo

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Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
That's cool, I'm going to keep it bone stock, only thing I'm going to do is the bodywork and put it back to Glenwood green with the black grill. Just really don't know what to call it though since it's like a mixture of a C20 and a C30. Front seems to be a C20 unless there was a C30 single tire. Cab is odd in that it has the 3 center marker lights but not the 2 outer, can't really find any C20 that had cab lights, looks like it was an option you could get though so who knows. Wheelbase of 133" was only available as a 1 ton, same with leaf springs with the aux springs. Searched all over for a build sheet, no luck. The vin tag is on the drivers A pillar, but no vehicle rating sticker anywhere so, doesn't say gross weight on title or any of the ancient registrations either. Once I get the factory assembly manual, maybe I will get it figured, lol.

Back then, to my knowledge they did the C30 step side very similar to the C20 fleetside, except the C30 step side got the 5.14 gears, 9 foot bed, but other than that, and maybe a thicker frame, I believe the rest is very similar, if not the same. Was your truck originally a step side? Hard to tell, but the truck as it sits now, says to me it began its life as a 9 foot step side that got fitted with different stuff on the bed, and now had a stretched fleetside bed on it.

That's cool you're keeping it stock. I probably would have on Crusty Biscuit if I hadn't already bought the front disc conversion kit for Mean Green. Well, that and the fact that the BW overdrive's freewheeling feature is scary as hell when you're trying to stop and don't have any engine braking whatsoever. I have to say, though, switching to front disc was a night and day difference. If you do decide to go to front disc, and you think the mounting is the same as what I showed you in the PDF, hit me up for the CAD file, the plate and the studs were maybe $100. But I did already have the other parts, so there's that little detail. Either way, if you change you mind I still have to CAD file.
 

DoubleDingo

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First Name
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Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
So, based on your picture, is yours a 3 on the tree?

Yeah, it's a three on the tree. I am going to switch it though, to twin stick manual. Ranger OD and SM420. I was going to leave this steering column in it when I do the swap, so there would be the handle on the column, and two sticks through the floor. If that wouldn't mess people's minds if they wanted to take it, I don't know what would. But, I do want to get the other two trucks put into one, and will be using this BW OD setup on it. So, I will be using the column from Mean Green in Crusty Biscuit when I do the drivetrain swap, and setting this operational three on the tree column aside to be used later. Actually the column from Mean Green is also a three on the tree column, and so is the other column in the yellow truck, but both of those had their handles removed years ago. So the insides may be good, but no handles for those two.
 

DoubleDingo

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Location
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Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
The build sheet may be between the seat springs and padding the seat back. That's where min is, but without deconstructing the seat there is no way to remove it without tearing into pieces.
 

75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
Mine is long gone, unless it is under layer of foam, lol. Couldn't find even a tiny leftover piece anywhere. I have contemplated going to disk and newer axle since I've got the full leftovers from the 89 C30 teardown, a buddy of mine did the swap with the complete crossmember assembly and bolted it to his 65 frame, steering is funky though, he got the newer box mounted and then made a custom connection to the column with a Jeep wrangler unit severely butchered, lol. I may add power boost since it was an option so it would look stock still, trying really hard to force myself not to change anything, very hard since I suffer from CLSA (can't leave **** alone). ;)
 

DoubleDingo

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Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
I bought my kit from CPP, bought the booster and MC from REZ Engineering. I don't think REZ is still in business. Sadly, I had to replace most of the parts included in the CPP kit, as they were not good quality at all. I really only used their spindles, backing plates, calipers, and a proportioning valve that I had to buy separately. Everything else I bought locally. Really a waste of money getting the kit from CPP,. Then the MC was for a corvette, and I wasn't going to disc/disc. So I got an MC for an '81 C20 and mounted that to the booster. If you have all the parts, all you really need is the spindles, replace outer tie rods, and replace the lower ball joint to the 73-87 style. It will press into the lower control arm. It's really that easy.
 

DoubleDingo

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Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
REZ Engineering also made a power steering conversion kit, and it was a breeze to install on these trucks. Came with an adapter plate and new or reman steering gear. I had to find a pump and bracketry, and shorten the steering shaft, and modify the driver's side exhaust manifold a little bit. I haven't converted Crusty to power steering, only because the stock manual box is still tight. The rag joint should be replaced, though.
 

DoubleDingo

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Right where I am
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Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
After driving the truck for a while in traffic, you may decide to swap in power brakes.
 

75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
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Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
Not going to be a daily, more of just restore it the best I can. Drive it around town once in awhile, just a big family heirloom, lol.
 

75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
My brother found an old slide of what we think was the truck, it had duals in back but the single rim style in the front, the 5 point super wide camper mirrors and a camper that looked almost twin to this one. This is a 66 GMC found local for sale.

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DoubleDingo

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Right where I am
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Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
I wonder if the rear hubs were changed. The HO axles have parts that interchange. But the wider fronts on the 30's, I believe started later, like maybe '66. I don't know. Because they had options that could be available on the 10, 20 and 30 models, it complicates things. If you had a 50 or 60 model it would be a little easier.
 

HotRodPC

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Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
That looks like a 1 ton Long Step Side truck to me all day long. Do you have the VIN? That will tell all. A great one to have nonetheless, even though many wouldn't want thing if it was given to them. I'm all about the 3/4 and 1 tons but everyone who wants an old truck like that wants a C10 which is exactly why I can do without a C10. Candy ass station wagons with a truck bed on them that all the little boys want.
 

75Monza

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Location
Colville, Washington
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
1980, 1982, 1985
Truck Model
K30, K20, K20
Engine Size
454, 383, 350
Mystery solved! Finally found some pictures from 1970, a year before I was born, showing truck in original form. Was White, not green...turned out the valance was replaced, no green under fenders or cab. It was originally a 1 ton stakeside dually. They built the camper to fit perfect into the stakesides, lol. When Raphael and grandpa rolled it, the flatbed and camper were ruined, so he custom made a bed to fit and made it single tire, then they built another custom camper to latch into these custom rails in the bed and match the bed length of 8'7". The chevy dually that was green with a chinook camper on it that we found pictures of was actually one of my grandpa's brother-in-law's.
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DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,250
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17,176
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
Some cool history right there. Now to fix it up and run it.
 

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