So long time no update, not much to report.  I bolted the bed to the cab with rubber washers isolating them from vibration and covered the back of the cab with kilmat.  

The plate the compressors are mounted to was a little too big and vibrated the overhang so I trimmed that off and put kilmat on the underside of it also.

The rattles are greatly reduced.

I also swapped out the carb for a new Holley 600.  It likes that more than the 750 and no longer burns the eyes.

I haven't really worked on the truck too much, I've been working on another buddy's 76.  

That dude is getting vintage air, rack and pinion, and a 5.3 running terminator x with a Texas speed 228r cam.  

His is going to be a great driving hot rod.

Worked on covering the bed hole today.  I found a guy on the C10 FB group that changed out the bed floor on his long bed that was even red and I got his old one from him.  The rear of it was rotted where fertilizer had sat but I only needed 60" of it.  So a 40 minute drive to pick it up and 40 minutes home and I have bed metal.

I should have taken a before pick but with my buddy helping we reduced it down to what we needed and then cut the lower bed ridges so it would bend.  So I used a death wheel to cut the parts I needed and switched to a grinding wheel to open the cuts up.  A little folding and it got to where it is now.  I have to weld the parts that were cut back together and I'm think of dzus it on, thoughts on fastener?

I always love seeing updates on this truck. What timing do you have that new engine set at? On my stock 350 I currently have it set at 13 initial advance, 34 degrees total. I get some pinging if I really step on it when I have the truck loaded down. Will probably have to back it off to 32 degrees total mech. Advance.

I'm at 35-36ish total on my dial back light.  The initial is just where ever it ended up and I adjusted it to idle there.

It runs good and has better power than the 350 but that's because the 350 was a terrible combination.

Worked on the tunnel cover today and I'm 90% done with it after tonight.  I lack a permanent mounting system and some minor trimming to fit the wheel wells.

Here's what I had to do to make the bends


Here is what the cuts look like welded up



I really liked how the welds came out and I think I'm going to leave them undressed and just linseed oil them.  I think it will fit the look of the truck.

So after it cooled off I scrubbed it down with CLR and scotchbrite and reinstalled it.  

Here it is after scrubbing, the red got brighter for sure

I had time to work on the rear wheel wells this evening after work.  I am happy with the results so far.





This took about three hours and two different welders, lol.  So now I need to fill a gap and I'm thinking of using a mud flap or floor mats as a filler/gasket for this:



I do also have more leftover bed floor I can cut up too.  I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any.

Wheel wells done.  I just have to get my ride height sensors done in the front and I'm pretty much done so this may be the final update.  Thanks for coming along for the ride

Thanks for sharing, this has been a cool thread and as a former squarebody owner (two, actually) I think it's awesome you saved a truck and made it road worthy again.  Enjoy the ride and feel free to share more photos at any time.

Awesome updates, OP

Love this truck

How have I not seen this until tonight?

Great project. Thanks for the updates.

I thought I would brag about the newest thing I've done with the truck lately.  

So short story time I took the truck up to wash it before a cruise in at hoodlum alley and when I left my power windows didn't work.  So it's like 90 out so I opened both vent windows and the back window, with the vent on it was not too bad.

Well after it was over I cruise the thirty minutes home and run out to buy a test light since I left all my electrical stuff at my buddy's with the green C10.  I look for power at the switch and I have nothing.  I trace it down stream to just above the kick panel to the plug going to the door and I have juice so it's between here and the switch.  I unplug the harness and pull as much as I can through the door accordion and bingo.



Now I have no tools to fix it so I go to the store and buy some heat shrink butt splices, electric tape, and crimpers.

I splice it all up and wrap it well with tape and pull it back through the accordion and hook it all back up.  Now not only does my windows work again but also my power locks!

Well what goes better with power locks than remote entry?  So $15 on Amazon later...



I now have this!

So I'm still plugging away with this thing.  The gauges have been flakey and glow shift had a great sale so I jumped on their gauge package for it.

They work!



I've also built another motor for it, y'all may have seen my dirt cheap engine thread.  Basically a small cam, pro comp heads, and flat tops.  I've worked all month with no days off so I don't know when I'll swing it in the truck.

Trans pulled out in the gravel... Again.

It's going with a different core back to the builder with a trans go no yo yo kit for a third attempt at getting me a good one.  

The new motor has a noisy lifter on the passenger side so I'm replacing all eight on that side and I think I'm going to break down and clean the eight on the driver's side.

Perfect opportunity to swap in a 4 speed

P.s. the truck is awesome!