Freshening up the 83 C10

A few years back I picked up an 83 C10 for a beater truck and boy have I beat it... Right now it sits with the original 250 I6 and 700R4. It had 189,000 on the clock when I bought it and about 250,000 now. Don't get me wrong, it has done it's job every time I've needed it. I use it to tow my boat, haul whatever and have used it towing my tractor on my big trailer too. I've never had a regret with it but it is getting tired and needs some life put back in it. It'll take me a while to do the few things I need to do, because I'm just not in a hurry. Mostly just a motor and tranny swap but some cleaning up of the well and some new wiring will also be done...maybe some paint later too.
I'm using this motor which I lovingly refer to as "old faithful". This is a motor that has propelled several of my other vehicles over the years and I trust it to carry on. It has over 500,000 miles on it, 300,000+ are miles I put myself. It has been rebuilt 3 times, the last two times by me. It served in a 76 Nova first, it's original car, went to my 72 C10 and stayed there for years where I rebuilt it twice while in that one. It also pushed my airboat for a while on a whim to ride the boat but was never built or intended for that and wasn't a good match. Ya'll might recognize it. It put the first 500 miles on my 31 Ford too! I'm trying to bolt on all the extras I can while the motor is out and have the truck down for less time that way. I painted it and got some new covers a few items to upgrade the looks. Also got the tranny done by Tobby and I know that will be top notch. Got a few pix of the motor and will get some of the truck later and update when things happen as I can.

Now that's the definition of re-purposed! Like the industrial gray too.

My daily driver for last 22 years has been an 1982 C10.
It is long bed with the 250 engine and 3 speed automatic Transmission.

It's funny. Ya'll can see a couple of piles of odds and ends bolts laying on the floor. When I took the starter off this motor, it happened in this barn. I loaned a buddy my starter when his took an unexpected dump on his GMC. He took the broken one in and got a brand new replacement because it was lifetime guaranteed and that one is the one I'm using again. Couldn't find the starter bolts?!? I looked thru every bolt I had and couldn't find the long one. I usually put stuff like that in places where I'll find it again, but not this time....back to the parts store just to get a bolt. I think they call it CRS...

I put stuff in really "safe" places too.

Yeah, I figured when I went and got a new bolt, the other would miraculuosly re-appear but naw.....

Purty! But I'd get rid of that crappy oil filter. I don't trust that brand.

you ever seen the cut away's of the filters I run wix or napa gold

Good looking boat anchor!! Stay after it.

Yeah, I don't usually use Fram either but autozone had a deal going where you get a new filter when you buy enough oil for a change. I don't run them long here without swapping them so it'll be due soon. Oil still nice and clean and was changed before I cranked it up in the 31 so it only has 500 miles on it.

akatao said:

you ever seen the cut away's of the filters I run wix or napa gold

Click to expand...

I've put at least 500,000 miles on motors using fram filters and have never had an engine failure.

This is the beater I'm working on...

Good looking truck, smallfoot!

I've always liked that body style. I had a 73 lwb wide bed with a 454. What a gas hogging boss that was! Would pull a building down! Had so much exhaust pressure after I put a set of headers on it that I couldn't keep mufflers on it, kept blowing them off until I had them welded on!

Yup, I've always liked step sides. And there are lots of square front fans around here too. Still gets alot of comments even though it's just a beater...it's all truck!

Looks like the dog is thinking.
Crap, I was gonna pee on the wheel but I noticed he put up a camera [ddd

Oh yeah, he annoints all 4 if I take that truck out of the yard and he doesn't get to go...

No, a motor didn't fall on me

I'm just slow....
Finally got most of the exterior done as far as it goes. "Old Faithfull" is in. That snazzy tranny that Tobby built me is in. Rides sweet and from 100 fett, it looks pretty good!

New bed is from a "4 board" piece of T-111. Used 3 instead of five bed strips and it worked out good.

Flat black rustoleum on the sheet metal.

It was approved from both ends by my friends, the turkeys!

Way to go Smalls!!!! Looks great.........[cl[cl