Build the 350 in it to around 400 hp. Rebuild the Trans that's in it with a manual valve body. Swap the rear end gear. Will pull the Fairmont no problem and be a great hotrod truck for running around town in.
You can't account for the sentimental value with logic and mechanical evaluation. I recently bought my Pop's 2006 GMC W/T 1500 from my Mom after my father passed. I'm a GM guy so this was no brand loyalty leap, but I can't emphasize how much my father's legacy (and his love) put into this vehicle means. Keep it brother. Keep it stock. Remember Pop every time you drive it. NOTHING surpasses love and legacy!!! Good fathers mean everything to men. :-)
His dad is not dead in fact he is not that old I would think his dad would like to see his boy using his old truck and modding it a bit if he wants it to stay the same he just as well leave in in his garage.
Keep it stock(ish)... how about put a manual transmission back into it, maybe some small engine mods for a little more power.. different gearing.. just have it for a clean street truck. My opinion if you are wanting to do much hauling, find a 3/4T truck.
I would not do a hot rod. Return it to factory with the manual trans and maybe a more powerful engine to make it strong to use it. The truck was meant to be used, but that doesn't mean you have to beat it up!
I vote keep it as original as you can, seeing as it's such a beautiful truck, and a "survivor". I don't know anything about rear diffs, but why not wake up the current engine a little and change the rear gears (if possible) to give it more pep in it's step. But definitely keep it as original as you can, that's my vote
Spindles and axle flip are easy and reversible mods. Wake up the 350, and install a built 4L60E that can handle the extra power. Don't sacrifice the existing towing capacity by removing leaf springs, but certainly don't exceed it either. Add coil over shocks so the trailer load won't squat the tail too much. All springs fatigue naturally over time, so new coil springs on front, a once over to make sure everything is tight in the steering and update your rotors and pads. In all, you can have a serviceable work truck for light loads that won't damage the truck, still have it looking sharp and shop until you find that diesel. Then...if you feel so inclined...go nuts on the truck or, leave it as a well mannered slightly modified attention getter. I've owned 11 of the 88-98 body styles over the years. My favorite style by far and yours is worthy of keeping "mostly" stock. Cheers Eric! Zip~ Or...Give it to Humble Mechanic like he asked lol
Your Truck now...but KISS Eric...Keep it Simple...Make it your work truck. Go through the engine/trans. Fix the issues and get 'er done. You really don't want another Fairmont Project right now...
I agree, but I don't have to do as much to this truck as I did the Fairmont. I also don't have to do forced induction which would save a lot of time and money.
This is a tough question Eric. I think I would evaluate the engine's condition first. If it is in good shape then determine what minor mods would get a needed boost in power without jeopardizing the reliability too much. If the engine is done for, then talk to your engine buddies to figure out what version of a small block will work best for you. Staying with a small block will keep you from having to change the suspension to support a big block's weight . While you are checking the engine, determine the rear diff ratio to find out what is there. If you decide to go with either the manual or automatic, chat with your transmission friend to see what would make sense for the ratio you have and what you want to do. I say keep it stock as near as you can to make upkeep easier.
I have 2 of these trucks and my dad has one this style mainly cause I love working on cars. They're simple and fairly easy to fix and parts are cheap. I'd keep it pretty stock. Polish out the wheels, keep the nice factory lights, a 2/4 drop or something would give it a nice stance. If you need a shop truck I'd buy a cheap full size or something. Definitely a good foundation for a project!
From my experience... Make the truck do everything your Fairmont DOESN'T. Haul stuff, Auto transmission, super reliable daily... And none of that conflicts with dropping it a couple inches and keeping it clean and shiny.
If I were you I would keep it just as is, drive it, enjoy the memories you and your father share with, or in the truck. My father passed away 12 years ago, I have his 1990 Silverado just as it was when he drove it. We had great memories of hunting, fishing, boating and camping. Soon it will belong to my daughter who loves the ole truck as much as I do.
The truck has sentimental value, it wouldn’t make a great shop truck being 2wd and shortbed. I would modify if mildly and get a Ford 3/4 or 1 ton with 8foot bed or a flatbed for a shop truck. Much heavier running gear and capability.
My thoughts exactly, do the mild drop and engine build. I would keep it auto due to the so so nature of that manual trans even if it is good. Then get a separate shop truck. My suggestion for that isn't going to be popular, but I do have reasons for it. Stick with gas. Any of the big 3 will do the job. Ford V10, Chev 8.1 or Dodge V10. Diesel pickups with the possible exception of the 1st gen Dodges are stupid expensive. Diesels make the most sense if you are putting on a LOT of miles towing. For just occasional towing a 3/4 ton or 1 ton gas will come out ahead financially. If you absolutely MUST have a diesel the way to go on that is a Medium Duty Truck. Something like an International with the DT466 or the Cummins 8.3. You get much more for your $$ with an MDT vs a diesel pickup. And while not nearly as nice inside, they are made to work and work hard.
I did a build similar to what you're thinking. '96 GMC short bed single cab black with the original vortec head 350. I was in school for engine building at the time so I 383'd it, 230 at .050 comp cam, full head porting and machining, stock intake manifold with port matching (NOT recommended) long tube headers & 3inch exhaust dumped at the axle and had a flash tune for the ECU. The engine dyno'd with a 750 carb and dual plane intake manifold (way too much trouble removing the EFI stuff from the truck to dyno) it had an even torque curve, 438 hp and 487 lb ft, I was pleased. The truck had a $3,000 built 4L60E that broke 4 times under normal driving, this was in 2002 before info was readily available of how crappy those are for power capabilities. I also lowered it just like you are describing, maybe a little bit more though. I did a 5-7 drop if memory serves. The frame had already been C-notched by the prior owner. Biggest problem was axle wrap/wheel hop under load. Was fun build though
I don't like the idea of lowering it. My opinion has always been to keep everything as original as possible. That being stated, and I don't know why I would even suggest a change... well, the tranny was already swapped, so, I would drop a better transmission into it... not sure if Turbo 400s are still considered good.... yes, I am old. As far as a powerplant, the engine is original and I agree with you, warming it over with the dad/son seems right. I also like the idea of an old carbureted 454. Regardless, I would not touch the appearance.
Conversion back to manual. I hope they didn’t get it all messed up and you get into it, then turns into a huge project. Good luck! Keep up the great work!
That really is a very nice truck, i would not make a mess of it with hot rodding :-( A strong manual gearbox would be my choice, and assess the engine after that. Keep in mind that you might like to pass it on, so make it better but not overboard. Just my opinion eric, loverly truck :-)
I had 1991 Chevy just like yours, mine was white, but same issue; anemic engine & transmission. I did a trans upgrade and a few performance bolt on's and was very happy with it afterwards. I did do a bit of hauling (boat, lawn equipment, etc, nothing real heavy) and she had no issues. I do miss that Chevy.
hotrod hauler. stock height, updated wheels and tires. built 350 with good auto trans. On a side note Eric, if you do lower the vehicle, you and add lift assist airbags to help compensate for the load and keep it at optimal lowered ride height. AirLift makes great kits.
I used to work for a body shop. They had a 96 s10 with 4.3 custom dully rear end for a shop truck very strong and capable of handling anything shop related. Very nice and well maintained. The one thing I personally hate is the braking power on a chevy. You have the power to make it shop or personal!
Tune that 350, put a nice manual trans in it and enjoy it. You can find decent older 7.3 diesels that dont need tons of work. Just gotta keep looking. 6.4s and of course cummins are a great option. Definitely go for used heavy duty
I say "work truck". Just because it's a work truck does not mean you can't still have fun in it or not beat it up. I got a '96 Yukon with 220k plus and the 4l60E transmission, lifted, bumpers, and whatnot. I got a 16' heavy duty trailer that weighs probably over 1000lbs, and I haul my Jeep Cherokee with it that weighs around 3k stock but I have a couple hundred lbs of bumpers, winch, and ect. and the Yukon hauls it no problem. These trucks/SUVs are work horses for what they are.
If you don’t want to LS swap it, highly recommend, build a budget 383 with a FITECH fuel injection. What ever you do is shit can the OBD1 computer junk and the TBI!!! I promise you’ll be glad you did. 👍 Mild 383 will give you the torque you want. 4L80e please! 👍
agreed on all counts but the 383 can also wait until later. you could easily get a mild 350 performance package to get it moving in current form. definitely a 4l80 swap and convert to a decent efi set up. select the best gears in the rear end. drop the truck the 2 inches and get load assist air bags for when you tow or haul. 2 mins with a compressor and your ready to go. best of both worlds.
n12sumfin If he keeps the engine currently in the truck he will need to change from the heads up including the cam. Those TBI heads are worthless and have the weird angled inner intake bolt holes. It depends how many miles it has I suppose?
Great engine and here is why. The 1990 5.7 has all the previsions for a roller cam. Easy swap for good power. Second is it is a TBI, truly a blast to play with, add vortec heads, exhaust, 454 injectors, a few other mods and you can get a lot of power. TBI is fun. Second is towing, if you flip the axle you still maintain the same GVWR. Only your axle is on top, same springs! Something to think about for towing. Transmission is all your preference, I have a 4l60e on mine with 3.73. Towed my 8k lbs camper just find. (Long bed)
Eric, I tend to agree with you. The truck as it sits, is pretty nice. I don't think I'd use it as a shop truck. Like you said, don't go all-out like you did with the Fairmont. You should do a budget build instead. Step 1 is to use drop spindles to lower it a bit. Step 2 is to figure out the engine situation. Either build the one you've got and source a decent transmission, or find a LS1 or LS2 from a wrecked C5/C6 Corvette. As a bonus, you could also use the transmission that's in the donor car. Maybe Pull-A-Part can sponsor that part of the series. Maybe a resto-mod is what the doctor ordered. Find an engine from a C4 Corvette to keep the go-fast parts period-correct.
I'd say to make it as close to factory original as possible. There aren't many of these on the road, and it would definitely be worth something down the road. I certainly wouldn't lower it.
As I watched the video, I didn't even realize how old and rare this truck is. Talking about modifying it to people who know the history is like him wanting to restore every rare Acura, which he gets his hands on.
Eric, if you're going to lower it, I wouldn't go with an axle flip in the back, you lose a lot of available suspension travel doing that unless you notch the frame. I just lowered an 89 c1500 a couple months ago that I had, what I did was lowering shackles and air adjust shocks in the back, and drop coils and shocks in the front. Looking back I would have preferred drop spindles over the coils but it worked. It had good travel all the way around, stiffer and easier to control around corners than stock for sure, and I still had plenty of clearance in the back to haul a trailer or loaded bed.if you'd like, I can send you some pics of before and after and a list of the parts I used on your website, might come in handy and give you a visual on what you could expect.
I think you should do an engine and transmission swap. Maybe a GM Performance 350 crate engine and a new Tremec 5 or 6 speed would solve the power issue. It's a truck and I think you should use it like one. Trucks are never too pretty to work in my opinion.
Great idea if you have got very deep pockets after all of the cash that he through at the Fairmont I do not think he has that sort of money going spare.
What a lot of people do is a 5.3l or even 6.0l newer Vortec engine swap. Having done this my self I’ve got a 1992 k1500 I’ve swapped to a 5.3l k1500. It does give it a very nice power feeling but also something unique that you can do also with the personalization you can do with it all
383/Turbo 400, 4.10 gears, stout brakes, flowmasters. Do an episode per big modification . 5-8 shows. Call out another truck you tuber and meet at a dragstrip ;-)
I bought one of them new in 1992 and used it for 20 years as a low rider, daily driver, tow vehicle and even occasionally showed it and drag raced it. Put 280,000 miles on it. Several of those years commuting 55 miles each way in New York blizzards. 1. Lowering it will not affect towing if you stay reasonable. 2" Dropped spindles, 2" coils front, 4 inch drop in the back with dearched springs. I towed my drag car cross country with it half a dozen times. 2. That manual is fine if you use it correctly and stay under 350 to motor. Second gear is the same as ratio as automatics first gear. So always leave in second unless towing. Then use the granny gear it has. Towed amazing. 3. The stock motor is a turd. Swap in a Vortec headed 1996-1999 350 with economy headers, high flow cat, cat back exhaust, mild cam and an aftermarket F.I. kit. The obd 1 in these trucks is garbage. 350 hp in these trucks with a manual easy smoke shows and perfectly able to daily drive 100's of thousands of miles. 4. If you do it right parts for these trucks are patheticly cheap. They are ridiculously easy to improve on and to fix. Build it basic and it will be 5 times the truck for little $. 5. Lowered they need tires more narrow than the 275's they come with. 245/60-15 iirc. Put back they take seriously wide tires with no fuss and not sticking out.
Should have said stay under 350 hp with the manual trans and you'll be fine driving it correctly. 1st to 2nd is not synchronized. Well it crashes bad when aggressively shifting. 1st for towing and 2nd normally used as 1st.
you can get both things after all, but a "hot rod truck" is.. dunno, kind of ¿lame?, use it as a shop truck, soup it up a little bit but still use it as a shop truck
Turn that 350 SBC into a 383 stroker add a cam and nice aluminum heads, do your manual swap with a tko600, nice 9” rear end and have a fun 400ish wheel horse power truck that could still haul a couple thousand pounds even if you lower it and give it a nice stance!!! Think of it as a light work duty/sporty hot Roddish street/shop truck
I would not mess with the 350 since it's still a good motor and as for the Transmission probably put a NV4500 5-speed but I'm not sure that will fit. But I do know that a guy has his 6.2 Diesel with a NV4500 5-speed runs great. In my opinion I would save the 350 motor because that motor been around for a many years since my Dad had his 72 Chevy Suburban w/350 auto trans. I'm thinking 6 speed trans and you need a good gear ratios so that you can get a good pulling power and save fuel at the same time. I think we need put on our thinking caps on. 8-)
I have the same truck. In my opinion, I think you're on the right track with the axle flip kit and drop spindles. I'm running the 700r4 trans and pulls a trailer with a car no problem. It works hard and plays hard.
Put the 5 speed back in, do the rear axle flip and the drop spindles up front. It's a very quick inexpensive suspension modification, and it looks good. Plus there isn't much else you have to do to it then. The most you may have to do is a C-notch on the rear frame if the axle comes too close to the frame and hits when the springs are at their max compression but that's also an easy change and there are kits to do it. If that's where you are thinking about going, the truck will look awesome, and it's really easy to change it back if you change your mind.
I like your plans so far, the only suggestion I could offer is a BUILT 4L60E transmission. Keep up the great work and remember to stay busy and stay dirty lol.
I agree with the keeping it simple plan. The 4L60E is a piece of shit though. 700R4 that it was made from is a piece of shit as well. Stock 4L80E would be more than this truck could ever use.
Why not 'overhaul' the truck and gift the truck back to your dad as a present? Like have it as a show truck, paint it orange, give it some oomph, have a manual trans. It might sound ridiculous but at least you are giving something back to your dad for his effort over the years, we get to see something rather unusual, and what the hell use the ad revenue and get a proper workhorse :)
+ETCG1 Eric, sounds like you enjoy the truck or want to enjoy the truck for a little bit of everything. Also sounds like you really like having the original engine in it. If you're comfortable with the engine's reliability, want to save some money doing the mods yourself and get some good videos out of it, I'd suggest the following upgrades. Comp Cams full kit including a good cam for towing and "fun", upgraded valvetrain components to match, plus the timing set. Exhaust work to take advantage of the new cam. Lower the rear end gearing, if you don't mind the mpg sacrifice (try for a good balance there). Diablo tuning. Maybe do some improvements to the intake track, depending on how much you want to modify it. If you really want to have some fun, AFR or Edelbrock heads that work with the cam and an Art Carr 700R4. Don't forget to make sure that the torque converter stall speed works well with whatever setup you use. I wouldn't lower it for all around use. Okay, so that was my 4 cents worth of advice. HAVE FUN, _____________.
This could be a nice "Budget Build". Do a 2" front, and 3" drop in the back. Gives it a little attitude, but doesn't sacrifice practicality. Changing it back to a manual out of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton would be a good upgrade for durability. As far as the TBI itself, you could do the "Ultimate TBI" upgrades such as adjustable fuel pressure regulator, smoothing out the top of the body, etc. If you decide to tear into the engine, you could do an LT1 cam swap, Vortec Heads, and GM Performance Parts Vortec TBI intake. Could make a nice build series, or you could do stand-alone episodes for each area.
You can use it for hauling without screwing it up or damaging the bodywork. Just make sure it has a bed liner, and make use of some moving blankets if necessary. You can also use a trailer for the nastier hauling, saving the bed from any damage. The engine might just need to be rebuilt, if its the original engine it may just have enough wear to lose a good bit of power. After putting a new engine in my Durango, I was shocked how much more power it has.
You need a truck, you have a truck, put some bedliner in it, upgrade the engine/drivetrain, take care of it but use it like a truck. I doubt you want to do a diesel swap.
Eric, I love your videos and turn to them a lot for advice. Thank you by the way. Love to see you inherited a 90 c1500. I bought one from a retired farmer 3 years ago and had an 88 before it. I love the Tbi 350 mated with the 700r4 renamed (4L60 non E) in 1990 which is what I have. I also have a 10 bolt open rear end with a 308 ring gear. Great gas mileage on the highway in OD, around 2 grand at 75-80 mph. I run in drive around town to not lug the motor and when I tow so the torch converter locks up. Keep the “million mile” motor going till she needs an overhaul I say. Then maybe a 355 or 383 with a small cam? It’s your ride. Enjoy it! Thanks again.
)film and post a repair vid of it (something that you would be doing no matter what) see what your audience interest is on it, go from there, having said that, MANUAL SWAP ALL THE WAY
I have a 1994 c1500 and I would suggest doing a mild build with the engine, find a t5 trans at a junkyard and rebuilt it to swap in, and do the drop spindles you mentioned, but with drop shackles in the rear instead of the axle flip. Then I wouldn’t use it to haul cars all the time because the frames on those trucks had a weak point between the cab and box, but I would use it for some work like you said. It could be a fun truck that is still useful. Then, buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck for your heavy hauling. I hope this comment is helpful in your decision.
if you do decide to go crazy with it, i recommend doing something 100% unique, something nobody else has done before, i had an idea once of dropping an LT1 in 94 lesabre and turning it into a low end sleeper but i never saw myself actually doing it so i got rid of it
I think a manual transmission and a cool work truck you already have your hot rod in the fairmont that you need to enjoy yet and you would just have to get a work truck as well and your dad would want you to enjoy it and help your business being able to move cars around just my 2cents
That's a great point. He already has his fast car. :) Well, he mostly has it up and going, lol. I guess Eric is just like me in that he dreams about every car, regardless about what's practical.
I'd love to see you flipping cars and the repairs that come with. Even if the parts change or repair is very very quickly done. It would be good/relatable content all around.
I wouldn't touch it, besides going through and replacing old worn-out parts. The C1500 sport isn't a very common truck to begin with, and taking into account it was your father's makes me say leave it alone even more-so. It would honestly be a shame to see it be altered very much, and this is coming from someone who has owned 5 GMT400's (I'm 22.), all of which have been altered in some way. If anything I would say try to return it to showroom new, if possible. OEM parts are cheap, and they would make for good videos. (I.E. dash replacement, other common GMT400 problems. I would pay for a dash video alone, because of how in-depth I know your videos are.) TL:DR - C1500's sports are "rare", their value is going to increase (not that you'd sell it.), and most importantly it was your fathers. I think leaving it the way it is (besides maintenance parts) would make you happier in the future than modifying it.
MrMatte0000 I second this. Ive had a couple GMT400s as well. I'd just look at what's worn out (cosmetic wise) interior and exterior and get on lmc or classic parts catalog and bring it back to factory
Being an owner of a 94 Chevy I understand the engine power issues since it is pre-vortec heads. I think its like 200 hp/300 ftlbs on a good day. A simple LS swap, clean and if done right not expensive. (no silly LS7 ). I would keep it simple, maybe lower it a little, maybe at most a 2/4 drop. Seal up trans. and enjoy. My suburban has factory tow package (3.73 rear gears) and it towed a 24' trailer with a race car in it pretty well. Not great but was in the towing capacity still. I guess I am saying, a nice shop truck thats still fun.
If it was me I would put a manual transmission back in the truck maybe even a 6-speed if you can swing it use it kind of as a show / hot rod truck wake that 350 up maybe put a small blower on it and just enjoy the truck and then get a work truck that you don't have to worry about keeping pretty and run it into the ground instead of the beautiful Chevy
Nice little cam, set of vortec heads, and some slight mods to the TBI, you can get 250-275 hp easy. Low RPM band, they don't rev out very high (stock computer is only good to 5K), but it will open that motor up and let it breath! Change the Y-collector at the end of the y-pipe- that's a choking point for these engines. I ran a '94 C1500 with the 350 and 4 speed auto and 3.73 gears, was my favorite truck.
Would be great to see this truck as in every man's build. I own several of these OBS body style Chevys. And I have plans that are different for each one of them. A more attainable hot rod that's not a complete custom build would be fantastic. Can't wait to see what you ultimately decide!
The 350tbi/4l60 trans is capable of "pulling" 7,000 lbs, with a hopped up 4l60 (proper cooling and temp monitoring) it can "pull" even more weight. The issue is when towing a large amount of weight it's putting forces to push the truck around... left right forward. With a 1/2 ton short bed it's really going to fight you when towing a car trailer, even though it will "pull" it with absolutely no issues. A weight distribution hitch can significantly help however when it comes to the left and right forces, and having really good trailer brakes can help with the forward motion and stop the trailer from fighting you. I think doing things one step at a time could lead to a great tow rig and awesome street truck. This would also provide lots of popular Chevrolet small block c/k footage. For the engine I would not go too crazy. Add some modified vortec heads, aftermarket carb/tbi style efi unit that is fully tuneable (around $1,000 I believe), headers and a maybe a mild cam for more torque/intake manifold designed for torque. Transmission I would keep the 4l60e for now and fix the leaks, add a huge transmission cooler and trans temp gauge. - save up for a 4l80e and a gear vendor overdrive unit. (This is the expensive part) Lower the truck, lowered trucks done properly and not extreme can tow just as well. A air suspension helper would be a nice thing to have. Possible rear axle upgrade in the future. The 10 Bolt can only handle so much stock, it can be upgraded or replaced... which might happen with a rear axle ratio change. Top quality adjustable shocks and good anti roll bars, nothing worse than a sport truck that drives like mush. Only major con is all the Chevy guys are going to point out that your always towing your ford behind a Chevy. A diesel 3/4 ton truck is awesome to have, and if you were buying cars every day and hauling stuff every day I would recommend that route, but owning a diesel truck just to let it sit or daily is expensive, plus as mentioned 11 vehicles haha and nothing is cooler than pulling into the drag strip setting up and looking at your rig from the distance.. dads truck and the fairmont.
*damn! i love those wheels on that truck, I have a 1989 sport myself only difference is that yours has the composite headlights and the paint hasn't blown off of that one yet like mine has. AND there were only 4500 of the 89's made and most of those were wrecked by people thinking they were hot rods. There were many more of the 90- 92's and 90-92 4WD sport trucks made. Below is a link to a pic of my truck! KEEP IT STOCK MAN THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW OF THOSE THAT ARE STILL AROUND THAT ARE ORIGINAL. Mine has 269,000 miles on it i am the second owner and its still going. only ever changed The trans for another 700R4, the water pump 2X and the Alternator once. it's parked in my back yard now because i got tired of people stopping by trying to buy it. THE ONLY thing i would change is put the manual trans back in it AND maybe swap out the throttle body carb for an actual fuel injection. Don't Drop it leave that alone! In the end it'll be worth more stock. Hope he's got that repair light in it by the battery still too. those things are like GOLD* s257.photobucket.com/user/daddytech/media/My%20Cars%20of%20the%20past%20and%20present/001_Mytruck.jpg.html
I'm the same way Erick,I cant pass up a good deal. Needless to say I've accumulated i believe last count was 12 trucks and 8 motorcycles. And to me each has its own purpose. Good luck with your decision, Jack
Oh, and a good compromise is a 4L80E transmission, they are the ones that they put in the chevy 2500 stuff, and with a 3.73 gear ration it will have plenty of power, still look good, and still be able to haul stuff efficiently without doing an LS swap. Thanks again for the birthday wishes,,,,,,,ahhhh you see what I did there....
If the current Fairmont's transmission is recommended for this Chevy, I don't see why a T5 couldn't work, but then there many be special machined parts that would have to be made to get it to mate up with the engine right and that leaves me to wonder, if that's possible with the T5.
Put the manual transmission back in. Give it a nice mild cam. 4.10 or 4.30 final drive ratio, then have a spring shop such as A & B or whoever is near your location put in some new leaf springs on the back. Because it is only a 1/2 ton truck, I'd also put a hitch in the box and run a 5th wheel trailer. It should haul a car or a truck around just fine. We hauled pickup trucks, small farm equipment and all sorts of stuff with 1/2 ton trucks like that for years without a problem. My father's semi had a million miles on it and it still had the new interior smell and no rust when he sold it. Granted, there was a ton of touching up done to it every spring but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and less hassle than buying another truck or having two around.
Lower it, build the engine and put a manual behind it. If you want a truck that can haul and last a lifetime get a late 99-03 7.3 diesel with a zf6 transmission. No automatics aren't stronger, they're just more common in newer rigs because of the extreme amount of gears put in them and the fuel efficiency gain a heavy hauler can get with a 13920 speed over a 24 speed.
Absolutely nothing, as far as size manual transmissions can be made to be stronger in a smaller package--sometimes. It mostly depends on engineering. A poorly engineered manual is always going to be weaker than a well engineered automatic. Typically manuals have less moving parts, in the case of some automatic CVTs like what is in the Prius that is actually not the case and the "automatic" CVT has less parts. Traditional automatics vs Manuals in the common pickup truck? The R&D budget is on automatics so they're going to be stronger than the manual transmissions, especially now that they don't even offer most trucks with manuals, sans things like the Toyota Tacoma or Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins.
I would honestly use it as a work truck that's kept in great shape. Friend of mine has a 2010 RAM with the 5.7 Hemi, she uses it for work but she also keeps very good care of it. So it is possible to just use it as a work truck and keep it in great shape.
Did you watch on and hear that it had a grinding and that those manuals aren't very serviceable, or have parts to service them with for that matter? I wanted the manual in there too before he said the automatics are better for hauling. I can't believe I never knew that.
DE Nichols I believe that it a matter of personal preference ask any trucker what's better manual or auto the majority will say manual. They are simple / cheap and durable the weak point is the clutch. Btw Eric also gave the option to upgrade to a different manual transmission.
Hey Eric I want to say thank u I don't know if u will see this message but I want to say thank you for help inspired me to be a Automotive technician I am still working on getting there but one day I will. U help me so much because before I was in a speal Ed class an i have memories loss And I not the best at spelling and it made me think to my self oh I can't have a great job or I can't have the life I Want but. When I started to learn how to be in a Automotive shop because that's what I wanted to do and when I watch your videos it helps me soooo much and it builds my confidence up I want to be the best technician I want to say I have a skill that no body can take away from me . So I wantto say thank u for being u thank u for putting everything u can in this channel because it making a difference in this world it making a difference in my u are like my Automotive technician hero like a super man but u be your self thank u now this 19 year old can have a dream thank u.
Amazing how projects multiply, isn't it? If you just need a shop truck/scrap hauler on occasion, you could pick up a basketcase long-bed truck and cut it down into a pickup trailer. My dad picked up half a Ranger (the best half, he says) a while ago and it's been great for dump runs, moving, hauling lumber, you name it, without screwing up his Tundra. And if you're after bonus points, find a black long-bed Chevy so it all matches.
Upgrade the Automatic Transmission to a 5-speed, and upgrade that small-block 350 with high-flow and higher compression heads (you may need a different intake manifold), performance cam, valve lifters, engine controller, and ignition system. Then use it to haul stuff.
Why not the best of both worlds? You're right, that engine is absolutely anemic. Dad had one of those trucks (an '88 K1500 manual 5-speed 4x4 with a 350/5.7) and the service manual for it too. I seem to rememeber that it put out something like 180 to 190 HP. Luckily there's ways of fixing that. First thing I would install is a better intake manifold and maybe a K&N filter. Should be pretty easy and straight- forward. The 350's in those days used throttle-body injection or TBI which is basically just two fuel injectors sitting over the intake manifold feeding each cylinder bank, and yes, they make aftermarket intake manifolds for them. If you can find them for a TBI intake manifold (and assuming the truck doesn't already have them) the next thing I would install is a set of GM Vortec cylinder heads. These are generally considered to be the best cast-iron cylinder heads GM ever made. If you wanted to get really crazy, you could install a set of aluminum cylinder heads, but I feel that installing aluminum heads on an engine originally equipped with iron heads and an appropiate compression ratio (in this case something like 8.75:1 O_o) without bumping up the compression ratio to something appropiate for aluminum heads and regular pump gas (say 9.5 or 9.6:1) is just a waste. At that point, you might as well just replace your pistons to get the compression ratio up, and if you're doing that, you might as well check, and if necessary, bore the block, and replace all the rotating internals with forged stuff (which will hold up better whether you're building a sport or work truck) yada, yada, yada, I call giving this a mouse a cookie... Next up comes the valvetrain. For a hybrid work/sport truck, I'd want a wide RPM range (at least 4,000 RPM, ideally more) that starts building power JUST off idle, say 1,000 to 1,200 RPM. One of my favorite programs for doing this sort of thing is called Camquest. It's available for free from their website and has TONS of functionality. It's basically a digital engine dyno based off of engine design parameters and cams. Heck, the thing will even the COMP cams part numbers for the cam you want to run and even a recommended torque converter stall speed lol. Which brings us to our next point... check that transmission! If the pan's perfectly square, you're looking at TH350 3-speed automatic. If one corner is sorta loped off at an angle, you're looking at 700R4 or 4L60 4-speed with overdrive. If the pan looks like all sorts of craziness, you're looking at a Chevy bellhousing pattern TH400. If it looks like a TH400, YANK THAT SUCKER OUT!!! Drag racers and off-roaders and such will pay top dollar for a Chevy TH400. Take that money and put it towards building a 700R4 that can shift smoothly and handle 300 to 400 horsepower. Seriously, that's the best of both worlds- Deep (for an automatic) first gear for towing, coupled with a lock-up overdrive 4th gear for towing or racing. Along the lines of sport/work, I'd dump, what I suspect, is a junky 10-bolt rear-end in the back. Whether you're racing or hauling, it just won't hold up. Trust me on this. There's no better way to spend a weekend with dad than in the truck limping a broken, busted General Corporate Junk 10-bolt 45 miles home in a day and a half. Do what my dad did and find a GM "semi-floating" 14-bolt rear end in a junkyard. You'll thank me later. A 3.73 gear ratio with a Detroit Locker on a stock-size tire coupled to an overdrive transmission would be perfect for a work/performance hybrid. Now for the exhaust... A set of headers can make all the difference. I'm not as sharp on this as I used to be, but even a set of decent "shorty" headers will be better than the cast-iron that are most likely on that engine. Again, I would do your homework and find a pair that makes the most power from idle or just off of to 4,500+ RPM. For a work truck, I prefer an exhaust system that exits to the side. The reason for this is because exhaust that exit straight from the back can build up exhaust gases betweeen the truck and the trailer. Growing up the midwest, that trailer might have horses in it. Not good... However, I have some exhaust systems for trucks like these that exit just in front of the back tires. Lastly, make the exhaust noticeble, but not obnoxious. Maybe slap some of your shop logos on the side of the doors. Maybe take it out your local test and tune now and again. But use it for work too. Let people know about Eric The Car Guy, who he is, what he can do, and what he just did. :D
Oh, you can make it go fast. Anything's possible, it's just a question of time and money. I would say that the time and money aren't worth it for a truck, but that's just lil ol me
My current direction with my projects is to only make survivors. I make a list of issues, prioritize them (failure, safety, rarity of parts, etc), and lay that against cost. For example, I just restored my suspension on my 4WS Prelude... but didn't replace the steering joints, because they had more to give. The engine is the dreaded B21A1, so that will die eventually... so I am going to source a B16 for the swap. Otherwise, my goal is just to collect parts and drive it as much as possible... lost a year with the car because I got too ambitious and lost direction. Right now, incremental maintenance /upgrades is how I keep up with my three cars - all cars are projects. All scenarios you mentioned involved engine work, so I'd start there. Once you see how that goes, maybe you'll see the next step naturally... if not, wait until you do. More importantly, get on the GSR 😎.
I'm thinking keep engine, restore to manual, cam it for more power, but nothing extremely crazy. Then it does truck things well, and keeps the look that reminds you of dad.
Im willing to say its probably got a 700R4 in now. That's a "sport model" it's not really a hauler anyways. Lower it a bit with good suspension and do a nice all motor build. Rebuild the motor. Bump compression up, new heads & cam and supporting mods. Then throw the built T5 you have in it. Detroit locker in the back and .373s. Nothing fancy just good cruiser.
Easy to rebuild that manual trans. I agree lots can be done with the original 350 to get power out of it and still be very reliable. That is a nice truck always loved them trucks
I have a 1998 single cab short bed too, I put drop springs/drop spindles up front and a flip kit in the rear it will sit perfect. You should consider a junkyard 5.3 swap it is definitely an option to liven up these trucks and have them up to 2017 standards.
No clue if you've decided the route you're going to take on the truck but going with an axle flip in the rear is a bit more involved than just the flip itself. That's approximately a 6" drop in the rear which would require a frame notch of some sort for reasonable suspension travel. Personally I'd say a simple 2/4 (2" front 4" rear) drop would be fine and easily reversible as well. You could add helper bags between the rear axle and frame as well also if you ever decide to carry any significant amount of weight in the bed and not bottom out. Additionally, I don't think a [relatively] light, short wheel base truck with light duty brakes and small engine is suited very much for towing regardless. A mild engine build (say a 383 stroker with real fuel injection) and that TKO600 would be a nice combo for it .
"It wouldn't take much to wake the engine up." That there, Eric, is the beginnings of "The Fairmont Project II: The Truckening" ;)
Build it into a hotrod truck like it deserves, and get a donor truck to make a pickup box trailer for it for all the dirty work. Best of both worlds.
YES!! Build it simple, cheap. Something you would have done 20 years ago with this. Hop it up, keep it stock and clean, and ENJOY it!
Build the 350 in it to around 400 hp. Rebuild the Trans that's in it with a manual valve body. Swap the rear end gear. Will pull the Fairmont no problem and be a great hotrod truck for running around town in.
You can't account for the sentimental value with logic and mechanical evaluation. I recently bought my Pop's 2006 GMC W/T 1500 from my Mom after my father passed. I'm a GM guy so this was no brand loyalty leap, but I can't emphasize how much my father's legacy (and his love) put into this vehicle means. Keep it brother. Keep it stock. Remember Pop every time you drive it. NOTHING surpasses love and legacy!!! Good fathers mean everything to men. :-)
Scott Gable
What an awesome reply. I agree. Dad's who spend time with their boys are teaching them to become men.
Ride Alongside
Thank you good sir. You absolutely get it.
Rebuild to a 383 450hp from the original motor. Put back to manual and change gear ratios. Keep exterior original.
tune it up and keep it stock.. just because respect of dad. 😊
His dad is not dead in fact he is not that old I would think his dad would like to see his boy using his old truck and modding it a bit if he wants it to stay the same he just as well leave in in his garage.
Damn right !
It is a beautiful truck. Think you should leave it stock and swap back to manual. There aren't that many around in that condition.
Leave it stock. Restore it back to the manual that it was.
Keep it stock(ish)... how about put a manual transmission back into it, maybe some small engine mods for a little more power.. different gearing.. just have it for a clean street truck. My opinion if you are wanting to do much hauling, find a 3/4T truck.
The Fox Shop Hey its J Fox lol whats up love the vids :]
There is only one right answer... Give it to your ol pal Humble Mechanic
These are not the droids I'm looking for....Move along.
But that's not a Volkswagen!
It's not a VW. Are you sure you can handle that? The lack of German plastic would disturb you.
Mr humble mechanic can look a my video on you tube , 2009 vw gti problem please
Hey, your dad's truck did the Kessell run in 14 parsecs. Don't forget that.
I would not do a hot rod. Return it to factory with the manual trans and maybe a more powerful engine to make it strong to use it. The truck was meant to be used, but that doesn't mean you have to beat it up!
It can still do work and be quicker if built right
I vote keep it as original as you can, seeing as it's such a beautiful truck, and a "survivor". I don't know anything about rear diffs, but why not wake up the current engine a little and change the rear gears (if possible) to give it more pep in it's step. But definitely keep it as original as you can, that's my vote
Spindles and axle flip are easy and reversible mods. Wake up the 350, and install a built 4L60E that can handle the extra power. Don't sacrifice the existing towing capacity by removing leaf springs, but certainly don't exceed it either. Add coil over shocks so the trailer load won't squat the tail too much. All springs fatigue naturally over time, so new coil springs on front, a once over to make sure everything is tight in the steering and update your rotors and pads. In all, you can have a serviceable work truck for light loads that won't damage the truck, still have it looking sharp and shop until you find that diesel. Then...if you feel so inclined...go nuts on the truck or, leave it as a well mannered slightly modified attention getter. I've owned 11 of the 88-98 body styles over the years. My favorite style by far and yours is worthy of keeping "mostly" stock. Cheers Eric! Zip~ Or...Give it to Humble Mechanic like he asked lol
Your Truck now...but KISS Eric...Keep it Simple...Make it your work truck. Go through the engine/trans. Fix the issues and get 'er done. You really don't want another Fairmont Project right now...
I agree, but I don't have to do as much to this truck as I did the Fairmont. I also don't have to do forced induction which would save a lot of time and money.
I agree with WreckDiver99...
This is a tough question Eric. I think I would evaluate the engine's condition first. If it is in good shape then determine what minor mods would get a needed boost in power without jeopardizing the reliability too much. If the engine is done for, then talk to your engine buddies to figure out what version of a small block will work best for you. Staying with a small block will keep you from having to change the suspension to support a big block's weight . While you are checking the engine, determine the rear diff ratio to find out what is there. If you decide to go with either the manual or automatic, chat with your transmission friend to see what would make sense for the ratio you have and what you want to do. I say keep it stock as near as you can to make upkeep easier.
I would purchase a diesel powered truck and keep Dad's truck in its current condition.
I have 2 of these trucks and my dad has one this style mainly cause I love working on cars. They're simple and fairly easy to fix and parts are cheap. I'd keep it pretty stock. Polish out the wheels, keep the nice factory lights, a 2/4 drop or something would give it a nice stance. If you need a shop truck I'd buy a cheap full size or something. Definitely a good foundation for a project!
From my experience... Make the truck do everything your Fairmont DOESN'T. Haul stuff, Auto transmission, super reliable daily... And none of that conflicts with dropping it a couple inches and keeping it clean and shiny.
If I were you I would keep it just as is, drive it, enjoy the memories you and your father share with, or in the truck. My father passed away 12 years ago, I have his 1990 Silverado just as it was when he drove it. We had great memories of hunting, fishing, boating and camping. Soon it will belong to my daughter who loves the ole truck as much as I do.
The truck has sentimental value, it wouldn’t make a great shop truck being 2wd and shortbed. I would modify if mildly and get a Ford 3/4 or 1 ton with 8foot bed or a flatbed for a shop truck. Much heavier running gear and capability.
My thoughts exactly, do the mild drop and engine build. I would keep it auto due to the so so nature of that manual trans even if it is good.
Then get a separate shop truck. My suggestion for that isn't going to be popular, but I do have reasons for it. Stick with gas. Any of the big 3 will do the job. Ford V10, Chev 8.1 or Dodge V10.
Diesel pickups with the possible exception of the 1st gen Dodges are stupid expensive. Diesels make the most sense if you are putting on a LOT of miles towing. For just occasional towing a 3/4 ton or 1 ton gas will come out ahead financially.
If you absolutely MUST have a diesel the way to go on that is a Medium Duty Truck. Something like an International with the DT466 or the Cummins 8.3. You get much more for your $$ with an MDT vs a diesel pickup. And while not nearly as nice inside, they are made to work and work hard.
I did a build similar to what you're thinking. '96 GMC short bed single cab black with the original vortec head 350. I was in school for engine building at the time so I 383'd it, 230 at .050 comp cam, full head porting and machining, stock intake manifold with port matching (NOT recommended) long tube headers & 3inch exhaust dumped at the axle and had a flash tune for the ECU. The engine dyno'd with a 750 carb and dual plane intake manifold (way too much trouble removing the EFI stuff from the truck to dyno) it had an even torque curve, 438 hp and 487 lb ft, I was pleased. The truck had a $3,000 built 4L60E that broke 4 times under normal driving, this was in 2002 before info was readily available of how crappy those are for power capabilities. I also lowered it just like you are describing, maybe a little bit more though. I did a 5-7 drop if memory serves. The frame had already been C-notched by the prior owner. Biggest problem was axle wrap/wheel hop under load. Was fun build though
I don't like the idea of lowering it. My opinion has always been to keep everything as original as possible. That being stated, and I don't know why I would even suggest a change... well, the tranny was already swapped, so, I would drop a better transmission into it... not sure if Turbo 400s are still considered good.... yes, I am old. As far as a powerplant, the engine is original and I agree with you, warming it over with the dad/son seems right. I also like the idea of an old carbureted 454. Regardless, I would not touch the appearance.
Conversion back to manual. I hope they didn’t get it all messed up and you get into it, then turns into a huge project. Good luck! Keep up the great work!
That really is a very nice truck, i would not make a mess of it with hot rodding :-(
A strong manual gearbox would be my choice, and assess the engine after that.
Keep in mind that you might like to pass it on, so make it better but not overboard.
Just my opinion eric, loverly truck :-)
And I was just about to say nobody from GB/Europe would call this an attractive vehicle (not hating!) :). I think it's worthy of a work truck!
JoeyD87 err, I'm from UK and I think it looks GREAT!
JoeyD87 from sweden and it looks awesome 👍😎
My sentiments exactly.
I had 1991 Chevy just like yours, mine was white, but same issue; anemic engine & transmission. I did a trans upgrade and a few performance bolt on's and was very happy with it afterwards. I did do a bit of hauling (boat, lawn equipment, etc, nothing real heavy) and she had no issues. I do miss that Chevy.
It can be a shop truck with a little fire under the hood.
hotrod hauler. stock height, updated wheels and tires. built 350 with good auto trans. On a side note Eric, if you do lower the vehicle, you and add lift assist airbags to help compensate for the load and keep it at optimal lowered ride height. AirLift makes great kits.
Ask your dad what he would do and go with his idea :)
I used to work for a body shop. They had a 96 s10 with 4.3 custom dully rear end for a shop truck very strong and capable of handling anything shop related. Very nice and well maintained. The one thing I personally hate is the braking power on a chevy. You have the power to make it shop or personal!
Tune that 350, put a nice manual trans in it and enjoy it. You can find decent older 7.3 diesels that dont need tons of work. Just gotta keep looking. 6.4s and of course cummins are a great option. Definitely go for used heavy duty
Thanks for the birthday wishes dude, I'm happy to get two!
DON'T LOWER IT! Keep it stock.
Oh gawd yes. There's a reason the engineers designed the stock suspension they way they did.
If he lowers it im out lol
combatjumpmaster89
Loads of respect for that mustard stain, master-blaster!
I say "work truck". Just because it's a work truck does not mean you can't still have fun in it or not beat it up. I got a '96 Yukon with 220k plus and the 4l60E transmission, lifted, bumpers, and whatnot. I got a 16' heavy duty trailer that weighs probably over 1000lbs, and I haul my Jeep Cherokee with it that weighs around 3k stock but I have a couple hundred lbs of bumpers, winch, and ect. and the Yukon hauls it no problem. These trucks/SUVs are work horses for what they are.
If you don’t want to LS swap it, highly recommend, build a budget 383 with a FITECH fuel injection.
What ever you do is shit can the OBD1 computer junk and the TBI!!! I promise you’ll be glad you did. 👍
Mild 383 will give you the torque you want. 4L80e please! 👍
HeadFlowInc I second that. The Fitech is the way to go. And either use a 4l80e or a manual
agreed on all counts but the 383 can also wait until later. you could easily get a mild 350 performance package to get it moving in current form. definitely a 4l80 swap and convert to a decent efi set up. select the best gears in the rear end. drop the truck the 2 inches and get load assist air bags for when you tow or haul. 2 mins with a compressor and your ready to go. best of both worlds.
n12sumfin If he keeps the engine currently in the truck he will need to change from the heads up including the cam. Those TBI heads are worthless and have the weird angled inner intake bolt holes. It depends how many miles it has I suppose?
HeadFlowInc Vortec heads are cheap and easy to come by
n12sumfin It could have either a 175hp 305 or a 210hp 350. 👍
Great engine and here is why.
The 1990 5.7 has all the previsions for a roller cam. Easy swap for good power. Second is it is a TBI, truly a blast to play with, add vortec heads, exhaust, 454 injectors, a few other mods and you can get a lot of power. TBI is fun.
Second is towing, if you flip the axle you still maintain the same GVWR. Only your axle is on top, same springs! Something to think about for towing.
Transmission is all your preference, I have a 4l60e on mine with 3.73. Towed my 8k lbs camper just find. (Long bed)
Pls no hotrod
Eric, I tend to agree with you. The truck as it sits, is pretty nice. I don't think I'd use it as a shop truck. Like you said, don't go all-out like you did with the Fairmont. You should do a budget build instead. Step 1 is to use drop spindles to lower it a bit. Step 2 is to figure out the engine situation. Either build the one you've got and source a decent transmission, or find a LS1 or LS2 from a wrecked C5/C6 Corvette. As a bonus, you could also use the transmission that's in the donor car. Maybe Pull-A-Part can sponsor that part of the series. Maybe a resto-mod is what the doctor ordered. Find an engine from a C4 Corvette to keep the go-fast parts period-correct.
Turn it into somethung nice in respect to your dad. put a manual trans in and wake up that tired 350
I'd say to make it as close to factory original as possible. There aren't many of these on the road, and it would definitely be worth something down the road. I certainly wouldn't lower it.
As I watched the video, I didn't even realize how old and rare this truck is. Talking about modifying it to people who know the history is like him wanting to restore every rare Acura, which he gets his hands on.
Keep your dad's truck as original as possible (swap to original transmission). Buy a cheaper truck with automatic for work.
Eric, if you're going to lower it, I wouldn't go with an axle flip in the back, you lose a lot of available suspension travel doing that unless you notch the frame. I just lowered an 89 c1500 a couple months ago that I had, what I did was lowering shackles and air adjust shocks in the back, and drop coils and shocks in the front. Looking back I would have preferred drop spindles over the coils but it worked. It had good travel all the way around, stiffer and easier to control around corners than stock for sure, and I still had plenty of clearance in the back to haul a trailer or loaded bed.if you'd like, I can send you some pics of before and after and a list of the parts I used on your website, might come in handy and give you a visual on what you could expect.
I think you should do an engine and transmission swap. Maybe a GM Performance 350 crate engine and a new Tremec 5 or 6 speed would solve the power issue. It's a truck and I think you should use it like one. Trucks are never too pretty to work in my opinion.
Great idea if you have got very deep pockets after all of the cash that he through at the Fairmont I do not think he has that sort of money going spare.
What a lot of people do is a 5.3l or even 6.0l newer Vortec engine swap. Having done this my self I’ve got a 1992 k1500 I’ve swapped to a 5.3l k1500. It does give it a very nice power feeling but also something unique that you can do also with the personalization you can do with it all
383/Turbo 400, 4.10 gears, stout brakes, flowmasters. Do an episode per big modification . 5-8 shows. Call out another truck you tuber and meet at a dragstrip ;-)
Best comment yet.
I bought one of them new in 1992 and used it for 20 years as a low rider, daily driver, tow vehicle and even occasionally showed it and drag raced it. Put 280,000 miles on it. Several of those years commuting 55 miles each way in New York blizzards. 1. Lowering it will not affect towing if you stay reasonable. 2" Dropped spindles, 2" coils front, 4 inch drop in the back with dearched springs. I towed my drag car cross country with it half a dozen times. 2. That manual is fine if you use it correctly and stay under 350 to motor. Second gear is the same as ratio as automatics first gear. So always leave in second unless towing. Then use the granny gear it has. Towed amazing. 3. The stock motor is a turd. Swap in a Vortec headed 1996-1999 350 with economy headers, high flow cat, cat back exhaust, mild cam and an aftermarket F.I. kit. The obd 1 in these trucks is garbage. 350 hp in these trucks with a manual easy smoke shows and perfectly able to daily drive 100's of thousands of miles. 4. If you do it right parts for these trucks are patheticly cheap. They are ridiculously easy to improve on and to fix. Build it basic and it will be 5 times the truck for little $. 5. Lowered they need tires more narrow than the 275's they come with. 245/60-15 iirc. Put back they take seriously wide tires with no fuss and not sticking out.
Should have said stay under 350 hp with the manual trans and you'll be fine driving it correctly. 1st to 2nd is not synchronized. Well it crashes bad when aggressively shifting. 1st for towing and 2nd normally used as 1st.
you can get both things after all, but a "hot rod truck" is.. dunno, kind of ¿lame?, use it as a shop truck, soup it up a little bit but still use it as a shop truck
Turn that 350 SBC into a 383 stroker add a cam and nice aluminum heads, do your manual swap with a tko600, nice 9” rear end and have a fun 400ish wheel horse power truck that could still haul a couple thousand pounds even if you lower it and give it a nice stance!!! Think of it as a light work duty/sporty hot Roddish street/shop truck
I would not mess with the 350 since it's still a good motor and as for the Transmission probably put a NV4500 5-speed but I'm not sure that will fit. But I do know that a guy has his 6.2 Diesel with a NV4500 5-speed runs great. In my opinion I would save the 350 motor because that motor been around for a many years since my Dad had his 72 Chevy Suburban w/350 auto trans.
I'm thinking 6 speed trans and you need a good gear ratios so that you can get a good pulling power and save fuel at the same time. I think we need put on our thinking caps on. 8-)
I have the same truck. In my opinion, I think you're on the right track with the axle flip kit and drop spindles. I'm running the 700r4 trans and pulls a trailer with a car no problem. It works hard and plays hard.
Convert it back to a Manual Trans.
Put the 5 speed back in, do the rear axle flip and the drop spindles up front. It's a very quick inexpensive suspension modification, and it looks good. Plus there isn't much else you have to do to it then. The most you may have to do is a C-notch on the rear frame if the axle comes too close to the frame and hits when the springs are at their max compression but that's also an easy change and there are kits to do it.
If that's where you are thinking about going, the truck will look awesome, and it's really easy to change it back if you change your mind.
I like your plans so far, the only suggestion I could offer is a BUILT 4L60E transmission. Keep up the great work and remember to stay busy and stay dirty lol.
I agree with the keeping it simple plan. The 4L60E is a piece of shit though. 700R4 that it was made from is a piece of shit as well. Stock 4L80E would be more than this truck could ever use.
I watched the whole video! I love this truck too. I want a truck of my own so I am jealous. Use it the way you want to and enjoy the thing.
Why not 'overhaul' the truck and gift the truck back to your dad as a present? Like have it as a show truck, paint it orange, give it some oomph, have a manual trans. It might sound ridiculous but at least you are giving something back to your dad for his effort over the years, we get to see something rather unusual, and what the hell use the ad revenue and get a proper workhorse :)
+ETCG1 Eric, sounds like you enjoy the truck or want to enjoy the truck for a little bit of everything. Also sounds like you really like having the original engine in it. If you're comfortable with the engine's reliability, want to save some money doing the mods yourself and get some good videos out of it, I'd suggest the following upgrades. Comp Cams full kit including a good cam for towing and "fun", upgraded valvetrain components to match, plus the timing set. Exhaust work to take advantage of the new cam. Lower the rear end gearing, if you don't mind the mpg sacrifice (try for a good balance there). Diablo tuning. Maybe do some improvements to the intake track, depending on how much you want to modify it. If you really want to have some fun, AFR or Edelbrock heads that work with the cam and an Art Carr 700R4. Don't forget to make sure that the torque converter stall speed works well with whatever setup you use. I wouldn't lower it for all around use. Okay, so that was my 4 cents worth of advice. HAVE FUN, _____________.
Back to what it was when new
This could be a nice "Budget Build". Do a 2" front, and 3" drop in the back. Gives it a little attitude, but doesn't sacrifice practicality. Changing it back to a manual out of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton would be a good upgrade for durability. As far as the TBI itself, you could do the "Ultimate TBI" upgrades such as adjustable fuel pressure regulator, smoothing out the top of the body, etc. If you decide to tear into the engine, you could do an LT1 cam swap, Vortec Heads, and GM Performance Parts Vortec TBI intake. Could make a nice build series, or you could do stand-alone episodes for each area.
Please don't lower this nice old truck!
Alan Marshall
Hear hear!
You can use it for hauling without screwing it up or damaging the bodywork. Just make sure it has a bed liner, and make use of some moving blankets if necessary. You can also use a trailer for the nastier hauling, saving the bed from any damage. The engine might just need to be rebuilt, if its the original engine it may just have enough wear to lose a good bit of power. After putting a new engine in my Durango, I was shocked how much more power it has.
You need a truck, you have a truck, put some bedliner in it, upgrade the engine/drivetrain, take care of it but use it like a truck. I doubt you want to do a diesel swap.
Eric, I love your videos and turn to them a lot for advice. Thank you by the way. Love to see you inherited a 90 c1500. I bought one from a retired farmer 3 years ago and had an 88 before it. I love the Tbi 350 mated with the 700r4 renamed (4L60 non E) in 1990 which is what I have. I also have a 10 bolt open rear end with a 308 ring gear. Great gas mileage on the highway in OD, around 2 grand at 75-80 mph. I run in drive around town to not lug the motor and when I tow so the torch converter locks up. Keep the “million mile” motor going till she needs an overhaul I say. Then maybe a 355 or 383 with a small cam? It’s your ride. Enjoy it! Thanks again.
)film and post a repair vid of it (something that you would be doing no matter what) see what your audience interest is on it, go from there, having said that, MANUAL SWAP ALL THE WAY
I have a 1994 c1500 and I would suggest doing a mild build with the engine, find a t5 trans at a junkyard and rebuilt it to swap in, and do the drop spindles you mentioned, but with drop shackles in the rear instead of the axle flip. Then I wouldn’t use it to haul cars all the time because the frames on those trucks had a weak point between the cab and box, but I would use it for some work like you said. It could be a fun truck that is still useful. Then, buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck for your heavy hauling. I hope this comment is helpful in your decision.
Static drop and upgrade the stock 350. You would have a nice mild hot rod build. Definately go manual.
if you do decide to go crazy with it, i recommend doing something 100% unique, something nobody else has done before, i had an idea once of dropping an LT1 in 94 lesabre and turning it into a low end sleeper but i never saw myself actually doing it so i got rid of it
I think a manual transmission and a cool work truck you already have your hot rod in the fairmont that you need to enjoy yet and you would just have to get a work truck as well and your dad would want you to enjoy it and help your business being able to move cars around just my 2cents
That's a great point. He already has his fast car. :) Well, he mostly has it up and going, lol. I guess Eric is just like me in that he dreams about every car, regardless about what's practical.
I'd go for what you want, not what you feel like the truck is supposed to be. It's YOUR truck now. Don't be afraid to own it.
LS SWAP!!!! LS SWAP!!!
5.3 4L80E and a factory LSA blower with factory takeoff injectors etc
I'd love to see you flipping cars and the repairs that come with. Even if the parts change or repair is very very quickly done. It would be good/relatable content all around.
I wouldn't touch it, besides going through and replacing old worn-out parts. The C1500 sport isn't a very common truck to begin with, and taking into account it was your father's makes me say leave it alone even more-so. It would honestly be a shame to see it be altered very much, and this is coming from someone who has owned 5 GMT400's (I'm 22.), all of which have been altered in some way.
If anything I would say try to return it to showroom new, if possible. OEM parts are cheap, and they would make for good videos. (I.E. dash replacement, other common GMT400 problems. I would pay for a dash video alone, because of how in-depth I know your videos are.)
TL:DR - C1500's sports are "rare", their value is going to increase (not that you'd sell it.), and most importantly it was your fathers. I think leaving it the way it is (besides maintenance parts) would make you happier in the future than modifying it.
MrMatte0000 I second this. Ive had a couple GMT400s as well. I'd just look at what's worn out (cosmetic wise) interior and exterior and get on lmc or classic parts catalog and bring it back to factory
Being an owner of a 94 Chevy I understand the engine power issues since it is pre-vortec heads. I think its like 200 hp/300 ftlbs on a good day. A simple LS swap, clean and if done right not expensive. (no silly LS7 ). I would keep it simple, maybe lower it a little, maybe at most a 2/4 drop. Seal up trans. and enjoy. My suburban has factory tow package (3.73 rear gears) and it towed a 24' trailer with a race car in it pretty well. Not great but was in the towing capacity still. I guess I am saying, a nice shop truck thats still fun.
If it was me I would put a manual transmission back in the truck maybe even a 6-speed if you can swing it use it kind of as a show / hot rod truck wake that 350 up maybe put a small blower on it and just enjoy the truck and then get a work truck that you don't have to worry about keeping pretty and run it into the ground instead of the beautiful Chevy
Nice little cam, set of vortec heads, and some slight mods to the TBI, you can get 250-275 hp easy. Low RPM band, they don't rev out very high (stock computer is only good to 5K), but it will open that motor up and let it breath! Change the Y-collector at the end of the y-pipe- that's a choking point for these engines. I ran a '94 C1500 with the 350 and 4 speed auto and 3.73 gears, was my favorite truck.
Not my birthday, but I'll bank the "Happy Birthday" for when it is my birthday!
Would be great to see this truck as in every man's build. I own several of these OBS body style Chevys. And I have plans that are different for each one of them. A more attainable hot rod that's not a complete custom build would be fantastic. Can't wait to see what you ultimately decide!
I guess you can let Paul check out your manual tramsmission first on the bench. And I guess the engine boys would love to do a power upgrade.
Seconded. Although if Paul says it's a lemon, TKO it and be done.
He said the transmission I have isn't very serviceable and not worth the effort.
Where's the t5 from the mustang that's already built, I believe if you swap input shafts and get a camaro bellhousing you'd have a trans.
The 350tbi/4l60 trans is capable of "pulling" 7,000 lbs, with a hopped up 4l60 (proper cooling and temp monitoring) it can "pull" even more weight.
The issue is when towing a large amount of weight it's putting forces to push the truck around... left right forward. With a 1/2 ton short bed it's really going to fight you when towing a car trailer, even though it will "pull" it with absolutely no issues. A weight distribution hitch can significantly help however when it comes to the left and right forces, and having really good trailer brakes can help with the forward motion and stop the trailer from fighting you.
I think doing things one step at a time could lead to a great tow rig and awesome street truck. This would also provide lots of popular Chevrolet small block c/k footage.
For the engine I would not go too crazy. Add some modified vortec heads, aftermarket carb/tbi style efi unit that is fully tuneable (around $1,000 I believe), headers and a maybe a mild cam for more torque/intake manifold designed for torque.
Transmission I would keep the 4l60e for now and fix the leaks, add a huge transmission cooler and trans temp gauge.
- save up for a 4l80e and a gear vendor overdrive unit. (This is the expensive part)
Lower the truck, lowered trucks done properly and not extreme can tow just as well. A air suspension helper would be a nice thing to have.
Possible rear axle upgrade in the future. The 10 Bolt can only handle so much stock, it can be upgraded or replaced... which might happen with a rear axle ratio change.
Top quality adjustable shocks and good anti roll bars, nothing worse than a sport truck that drives like mush.
Only major con is all the Chevy guys are going to point out that your always towing your ford behind a Chevy.
A diesel 3/4 ton truck is awesome to have, and if you were buying cars every day and hauling stuff every day I would recommend that route, but owning a diesel truck just to let it sit or daily is expensive, plus as mentioned 11 vehicles haha and nothing is cooler than pulling into the drag strip setting up and looking at your rig from the distance.. dads truck and the fairmont.
*damn! i love those wheels on that truck, I have a 1989 sport myself only difference is that yours has the composite headlights and the paint hasn't blown off of that one yet like mine has. AND there were only 4500 of the 89's made and most of those were wrecked by people thinking they were hot rods. There were many more of the 90- 92's and 90-92 4WD sport trucks made. Below is a link to a pic of my truck! KEEP IT STOCK MAN THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW OF THOSE THAT ARE STILL AROUND THAT ARE ORIGINAL. Mine has 269,000 miles on it i am the second owner and its still going. only ever changed The trans for another 700R4, the water pump 2X and the Alternator once. it's parked in my back yard now because i got tired of people stopping by trying to buy it. THE ONLY thing i would change is put the manual trans back in it AND maybe swap out the throttle body carb for an actual fuel injection. Don't Drop it leave that alone! In the end it'll be worth more stock. Hope he's got that repair light in it by the battery still too. those things are like GOLD*
s257.photobucket.com/user/daddytech/media/My%20Cars%20of%20the%20past%20and%20present/001_Mytruck.jpg.html
Check out Jim's channel, guys! ^_^ He has a 360 camera that's really cool.
I'm the same way Erick,I cant pass up a good deal. Needless to say I've accumulated i believe last count was 12 trucks and 8 motorcycles. And to me each has its own purpose. Good luck with your decision, Jack
Upgrade the engine a bit, swap in a manual, lower it.
Just call it the ETCG Muscle Truck™
Oh, and a good compromise is a 4L80E transmission, they are the ones that they put in the chevy 2500 stuff, and with a 3.73 gear ration it will have plenty of power, still look good, and still be able to haul stuff efficiently without doing an LS swap. Thanks again for the birthday wishes,,,,,,,ahhhh you see what I did there....
What about the T5 that was originally going in the Fairmont?
If the current Fairmont's transmission is recommended for this Chevy, I don't see why a T5 couldn't work, but then there many be special machined parts that would have to be made to get it to mate up with the engine right and that leaves me to wonder, if that's possible with the T5.
A t5 won't handle the torque and weight of that truck for very long.
Put the manual transmission back in. Give it a nice mild cam. 4.10 or 4.30 final drive ratio, then have a spring shop such as A & B or whoever is near your location put in some new leaf springs on the back. Because it is only a 1/2 ton truck, I'd also put a hitch in the box and run a 5th wheel trailer. It should haul a car or a truck around just fine. We hauled pickup trucks, small farm equipment and all sorts of stuff with 1/2 ton trucks like that for years without a problem.
My father's semi had a million miles on it and it still had the new interior smell and no rust when he sold it. Granted, there was a ton of touching up done to it every spring but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and less hassle than buying another truck or having two around.
Lower it, build the engine and put a manual behind it. If you want a truck that can haul and last a lifetime get a late 99-03 7.3 diesel with a zf6 transmission. No automatics aren't stronger, they're just more common in newer rigs because of the extreme amount of gears put in them and the fuel efficiency gain a heavy hauler can get with a 13920 speed over a 24 speed.
I've always thought manuals were stronger. What am I missing here?
Absolutely nothing, as far as size manual transmissions can be made to be stronger in a smaller package--sometimes. It mostly depends on engineering. A poorly engineered manual is always going to be weaker than a well engineered automatic.
Typically manuals have less moving parts, in the case of some automatic CVTs like what is in the Prius that is actually not the case and the "automatic" CVT has less parts.
Traditional automatics vs Manuals in the common pickup truck? The R&D budget is on automatics so they're going to be stronger than the manual transmissions, especially now that they don't even offer most trucks with manuals, sans things like the Toyota Tacoma or Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins.
I would honestly use it as a work truck that's kept in great shape. Friend of mine has a 2010 RAM with the 5.7 Hemi, she uses it for work but she also keeps very good care of it. So it is possible to just use it as a work truck and keep it in great shape.
Thats so lame put the manual back in 👍
Did you watch on and hear that it had a grinding and that those manuals aren't very serviceable, or have parts to service them with for that matter? I wanted the manual in there too before he said the automatics are better for hauling. I can't believe I never knew that.
DE Nichols I believe that it a matter of personal preference ask any trucker what's better manual or auto the majority will say manual. They are simple / cheap and durable the weak point is the clutch. Btw Eric also gave the option to upgrade to a different manual transmission.
ricochetey make it a self driver lol.
Hey Eric I want to say thank u I don't know if u will see this message but I want to say thank you for help inspired me to be a Automotive technician I am still working on getting there but one day I will. U help me so much because before I was in a speal Ed class an i have memories loss And I not the best at spelling and it made me think to my self oh I can't have a great job or I can't have the life I Want but. When I started to learn how to be in a Automotive shop because that's what I wanted to do and when I watch your videos it helps me soooo much and it builds my confidence up I want to be the best technician I want to say I have a skill that no body can take away from me . So I wantto say thank u for being u thank u for putting everything u can in this channel because it making a difference in this world it making a difference in my u are like my Automotive technician hero like a super man but u be your self thank u now this 19 year old can have a dream thank u.
Trucks are meant to be trucks......use the damn thing!!
Amazing how projects multiply, isn't it? If you just need a shop truck/scrap hauler on occasion, you could pick up a basketcase long-bed truck and cut it down into a pickup trailer. My dad picked up half a Ranger (the best half, he says) a while ago and it's been great for dump runs, moving, hauling lumber, you name it, without screwing up his Tundra. And if you're after bonus points, find a black long-bed Chevy so it all matches.
put it away and let someone find it in a garage 35 years from now
Upgrade the Automatic Transmission to a 5-speed, and upgrade that small-block 350 with high-flow and higher compression heads (you may need a different intake manifold), performance cam, valve lifters, engine controller, and ignition system. Then use it to haul stuff.
LS the damn thing! + a manual trans
Why not the best of both worlds?
You're right, that engine is absolutely anemic. Dad had one of those trucks (an '88 K1500 manual 5-speed 4x4 with a 350/5.7) and the service manual for it too. I seem to rememeber that it put out something like 180 to 190 HP. Luckily there's ways of fixing that.
First thing I would install is a better intake manifold and maybe a K&N filter. Should be pretty easy and straight- forward. The 350's in those days used throttle-body injection or TBI which is basically just two fuel injectors sitting over the intake manifold feeding each cylinder bank, and yes, they make aftermarket intake manifolds for them.
If you can find them for a TBI intake manifold (and assuming the truck doesn't already have them) the next thing I would install is a set of GM Vortec cylinder heads. These are generally considered to be the best cast-iron cylinder heads GM ever made. If you wanted to get really crazy, you could install a set of aluminum cylinder heads, but I feel that installing aluminum heads on an engine originally equipped with iron heads and an appropiate compression ratio (in this case something like 8.75:1 O_o) without bumping up the compression ratio to something appropiate for aluminum heads and regular pump gas (say 9.5 or 9.6:1) is just a waste. At that point, you might as well just replace your pistons to get the compression ratio up, and if you're doing that, you might as well check, and if necessary, bore the block, and replace all the rotating internals with forged stuff (which will hold up better whether you're building a sport or work truck) yada, yada, yada, I call giving this a mouse a cookie...
Next up comes the valvetrain. For a hybrid work/sport truck, I'd want a wide RPM range (at least 4,000 RPM, ideally more) that starts building power JUST off idle, say 1,000 to 1,200 RPM. One of my favorite programs for doing this sort of thing is called Camquest. It's available for free from their website and has TONS of functionality. It's basically a digital engine dyno based off of engine design parameters and cams. Heck, the thing will even the COMP cams part numbers for the cam you want to run and even a recommended torque converter stall speed lol.
Which brings us to our next point... check that transmission! If the pan's perfectly square, you're looking at TH350 3-speed automatic. If one corner is sorta loped off at an angle, you're looking at 700R4 or 4L60 4-speed with overdrive. If the pan looks like all sorts of craziness, you're looking at a Chevy bellhousing pattern TH400. If it looks like a TH400, YANK THAT SUCKER OUT!!! Drag racers and off-roaders and such will pay top dollar for a Chevy TH400. Take that money and put it towards building a 700R4 that can shift smoothly and handle 300 to 400 horsepower. Seriously, that's the best of both worlds- Deep (for an automatic) first gear for towing, coupled with a lock-up overdrive 4th gear for towing or racing.
Along the lines of sport/work, I'd dump, what I suspect, is a junky 10-bolt rear-end in the back. Whether you're racing or hauling, it just won't hold up. Trust me on this. There's no better way to spend a weekend with dad than in the truck limping a broken, busted General Corporate Junk 10-bolt 45 miles home in a day and a half. Do what my dad did and find a GM "semi-floating" 14-bolt rear end in a junkyard. You'll thank me later. A 3.73 gear ratio with a Detroit Locker on a stock-size tire coupled to an overdrive transmission would be perfect for a work/performance hybrid.
Now for the exhaust... A set of headers can make all the difference. I'm not as sharp on this as I used to be, but even a set of decent "shorty" headers will be better than the cast-iron that are most likely on that engine. Again, I would do your homework and find a pair that makes the most power from idle or just off of to 4,500+ RPM. For a work truck, I prefer an exhaust system that exits to the side. The reason for this is because exhaust that exit straight from the back can build up exhaust gases betweeen the truck and the trailer. Growing up the midwest, that trailer might have horses in it. Not good... However, I have some exhaust systems for trucks like these that exit just in front of the back tires.
Lastly, make the exhaust noticeble, but not obnoxious. Maybe slap some of your shop logos on the side of the doors. Maybe take it out your local test and tune now and again. But use it for work too. Let people know about Eric The Car Guy, who he is, what he can do, and what he just did. :D
Dark Matter Chevrizard
Its a truck. It will never go fast. Leave it stock.
randomsanwhich I have a 51 Chevy truck hotrod that runs circles around what you probably call fast cars. Just saying 😎
carhead How many horses and Torques does it get?
Oh, you can make it go fast. Anything's possible, it's just a question of time and money. I would say that the time and money aren't worth it for a truck, but that's just lil ol me
opl500 yes it is just you
Matrixmaster 22 it's only an estimate. But 350 horsepower and 350 torque. Been driven on the road mostly summers for 30 years.
Vortec heads, 700R4 and 3.73 gears with a 28" tire is a great combo.
To nice for a work truck. Lower, cowl hood and beef up engine. I love that body style.
My current direction with my projects is to only make survivors. I make a list of issues, prioritize them (failure, safety, rarity of parts, etc), and lay that against cost. For example, I just restored my suspension on my 4WS Prelude... but didn't replace the steering joints, because they had more to give. The engine is the dreaded B21A1, so that will die eventually... so I am going to source a B16 for the swap. Otherwise, my goal is just to collect parts and drive it as much as possible... lost a year with the car because I got too ambitious and lost direction. Right now, incremental maintenance /upgrades is how I keep up with my three cars - all cars are projects.
All scenarios you mentioned involved engine work, so I'd start there. Once you see how that goes, maybe you'll see the next step naturally... if not, wait until you do. More importantly, get on the GSR 😎.
I'm thinking keep engine, restore to manual, cam it for more power, but nothing extremely crazy. Then it does truck things well, and keeps the look that reminds you of dad.
Im willing to say its probably got a 700R4 in now. That's a "sport model" it's not really a hauler anyways. Lower it a bit with good suspension and do a nice all motor build. Rebuild the motor. Bump compression up, new heads & cam and supporting mods. Then throw the built T5 you have in it. Detroit locker in the back and .373s. Nothing fancy just good cruiser.
Easy to rebuild that manual trans. I agree lots can be done with the original 350 to get power out of it and still be very reliable. That is a nice truck always loved them trucks
I have a 1998 single cab short bed too, I put drop springs/drop spindles up front and a flip kit in the rear it will sit perfect. You should consider a junkyard 5.3 swap it is definitely an option to liven up these trucks and have them up to 2017 standards.
No clue if you've decided the route you're going to take on the truck but going with an axle flip in the rear is a bit more involved than just the flip itself. That's approximately a 6" drop in the rear which would require a frame notch of some sort for reasonable suspension travel. Personally I'd say a simple 2/4 (2" front 4" rear) drop would be fine and easily reversible as well. You could add helper bags between the rear axle and frame as well also if you ever decide to carry any significant amount of weight in the bed and not bottom out. Additionally, I don't think a [relatively] light, short wheel base truck with light duty brakes and small engine is suited very much for towing regardless. A mild engine build (say a 383 stroker with real fuel injection) and that TKO600 would be a nice combo for it .