1983 Chevy C20 Pickup Restomod.

This poor old truck has been chugging along admirably for quite some time now. I took it out of storage after a few years, put fresh gas in it, and drove it for a while. I changed the oil recently and have been driving it daily for a few months now. The 250 CID straight six engine has been reliable, though under powered for a 3/4 ton truck. It has done well. I recently went to change the brakes in the front and ran into issues, so I just slapped new pads on a ruined rotor and went about my life. I've been limping this thing along for many years now, and that's about to change.

I got a new job recently as a maintenance engineer, and am working much over time to get caught up financially. I don't have much free time for projects anymore, but I will have enough money to just knock out a bunch of things. This truck is still going to be a daily driver and a work horse, but I plan to give it a break. I went to look at some vehicles recently and found a nice van. It's a massive people carrier with a wheel chair lift, and I plan to buy it and build a camper inside of it. I'll start by just using it as a new daily driver so I can get the old truck off the road and into the shop. It needs a ton of work.

New brakes, all four wheels

New brake lines all around

New wheel bearings all around

New brake caliper, passenger front

Drum brake rebuild

New shocks, all 4

Tie rod ends

Steering box

Power steering pump

New steering linkages

New horn

Replace new temporary wiring with marine grade

LED headlight upgrade

Towing kit installed

Winch installed

New bumpers

Body work

Paint

Undercoating/paint

New seat

New dash

New dash cover

New inner door panels

Upgraded alternator/dual alternators

Second battery(Winch and such)

Raspberry Pi touchscreen interface

Custom cruise control

New engine

New transmission

New rear axle

New tires

Finish rewiring truck

New starter

Interior insulation(currently bare steel)

New speakers and stereo amplifier

Reasonable sub woofer(single 8 to 10 inch sub, under seat)

Upgrade to locking rear differential

I expect the full rebuild to come in around $15,000 to $25,000. This is a ton of money just to rebuild a crusty old work truck, but there is a good reason for it: This is a test platform for a much bigger project. The goal is to make a sustainable work truck that I can use for the rest of my life. The truck is one of the easiest vehicles out there to get parts for and repair. Servicing this thing is so simple it's weird. I'll happily pay the extra gas to run it, to save a few thousand on all the stupid little repairs of more modern cars I can't do myself.

The engine is the biggest upgrade the truck will see. I plan to order a rebuilt 292 CID straight six, and build it up with marine grade and racing parts for reliability. That engine is known for torque and reliability. It's not the most efficient option, but it is the simplest. The end goal is to produce, purify, and compress my own biogas to run this truck Having a large, simple, carbureted engine will make that simple. I was going to go with a diesel engine, but producing one's own biodiesel is not feasible for me at the moment. Eventually, I will get through all the biogas testing, then replace the gas tanks with fuel bottles and produce my own fuel for the truck. I may be able to run it on compressed natural gas, which can be bought, if needed. The truck could run on biogas most of the time, CNG when needed, and gasoline in an emergency or when a long trip is needed. Modern engines are too complex for my taste, so I will be going the old school route. I expect the engine build to cost at east $5,000, which I can have set aside in a few weeks of saving. I could upgrade to fuel injection and a turbo for more towing power and fun, but then it is no longer sustainable, unless the computer could be tuned for biogas. That may be an option worth exploring in the future.

The transmission is the next big item, at around $3,000 or so in parts. The truck has a TH400 3 speed auto trans in it now, but I want a 5 or 6 speed manual. I prefer standard shift for the efficiency and precise control. The current 250 straight six engine screams at highway speeds, and tops out at 90mph wide open. It sounds like it is going to explode. I'd like to be able to cruise on the highway at a reasonable RPM range, and have control over the gearbox for things like towing and pulling equipment out of stupid places. I haven't decided on the exact transmission yet, but am leaning towards the Tremec T5, I believe it's called. I want a fairly simple installation, and something that will bolt up to standard GM engines and mounts. I have considered a 700R4 auto trans with a locking torque converter, but I really want the simplicity and control of a standard.

The final big item is a new 14 bolt GM rear end with a locking differential. This truck is horrid on anything aside from dry pavement. I've been stuck on wet gravel multiple times already. That gets old real fast. I do add weight to the bed in winter. I may just rebuild the original rear end if it's in good shape. It looked great when I pulled the diff cover to replace the gasket, but I want a professional to tear it apart and check. I may also change the gear ratio once I get the torque numbers off the new engine. If that engine puts out enough torque, I may change the ratio towards lower RPM cruising, instead of low speed torque. This truck will tow from time to time, but not always.

The truck will be getting a custom bed camper at some point, but the new van would eliminate an immediate need if I get it. I decided to buy a new daily driver as quickly as I could to get the truck off the road and into the shop. Once it's mechanically sound, I'll take the new(used) vehicle to the shop for full inspection and any repairs, upgrades, and maintenance it might need. The poor old truck is about to get the care it needs. I bought it as a dumb kid, and now have the skills, knowledge, and funds to finally treat it right.

Driving with bad brakes is a surefire way to make any drive more exciting. I knew the brakes needed some work, but found that they were safe up until very recently. Yesterday marks the first time since I bought the truck in 2015 that I've had to do anything with the brakes. I find that very impressive, considering the vast amount of driving I've done with the poor thing.

Having replaced both disc and drum brakes multiple times in my life, and with the experience I have gained in my past life as a metal fabricator, I figured I could handle this job. I was right, but as always, things went weird. As the brakes had started grinding, and constantly, I assumed the caliper on the driver front wheel was seized, so I bought a replacement. I was correct, and the back brake pad had been worn down to the bare steel. The rotor is severely gouged as well. I went to replace the rotor and found that it didn't come with a bearing installed in the back. I suspect they are not actually press fit in like I first thought, so I will double check. I had replaced and repacked the bearings before, so I remembered how that goes. With the nice cold Ohio rain pouring down on myself and my tools, I decided to just replace the caliper and pads, so I could at least move on with my life. Yes, I am aware that the ruined rotor will destroy the new pads, but the brakes are far better and safer now, and I can at least make the few short drives I need to while I await the new parts. Instead of replacing both front rotors, pads, flex hoses, and a caliper, I replaced a single set of pads and a caliper. I did upgrade the one bleeder screw to a self sealing bleeder so I could bleed the line without help. It has a little check ball and spring inside that allows the air and fluid to come out, but stops air from getting back into the line. The other option is to have someone push the brake pedal slowly down, with the bleeder screw loosened, then tighten it while the pedal is still being pressed down. I have done this before, and it's a pain right in the cheeks. I highly recommend these bleeder screws to anyone who has to do brake work. I also highly recommend paying a professional to do brake work, if at all possible. My budget has never allowed for me to do this, and I'm quite mechanically inclined, so it hasn't been a problem for me. Just an annoyance. Oh yeah, and before I forget: NEVER use regular copper lines for brakes. It will work harden over time and split under heavy braking, when you need it most. Someone recommended this to me a while back and I knew better, just based on the properties of copper. I will be running copper-nickel lines at some point as I enjoy copper and love the fact that those lines won't rust out like the damn steel lines I have. Mine are in decent shape, but it's only a matter of time now.

I have plans to redo the entire brake system properly, but that must wait. I start my new ob soon, which will allow me to get far more done on this project. More o that later.

I recently spent some time adding lights to the old truck, so I could actually see where I was going. I'm still missing a headlight, but I have the hardware to fix that. I added LED flood lights as fog lights and backup lights with my Dad the other day. The original backup lights are entirely useless. I didn't drive at night because I couldn't see to back out of spots and driveways. The lights are 1,320 lumens each, which is plenty bright. I bolted them to existing holes in the front and rear bumpers and put them on their own switches, with fuses. I can see again.

The oil line for the oil pressure gauge melted when I had an unfused wire burn up, and it was pouring oil into the cab. I capped it off, but that cap failed. I had the extra money so I bought a new copper line for it, with hardware. I installed that, bled the line, and now have a working oil pressure gauge and stopped a bad oil leak. Baby steps, but it is coming together.

Today was fun. By fun, I mean tedious and tiresome. It's almost midnight already. I'd gotten the truck started this morning, then told my friend I didn't need a ride to work. Shortly after it was too late to get a ride to work, I noticed the engine start to idle faster and the system voltage had dropped. I'd spent the last few days trying to repair the wiring harness that had been butchered by a friend, and now this. I determined that a sketchy electrical connection had failed where the alternator output connects to the battery, causing the already crusty old alternator to fail completely. I'd planed to replace it before it failed, but faculty wirimg said otherwise. My friend picked up a new alternstor from Summit Racing Equipment for me, so tomorrow should be new alternator day. 

I missed yet another day of work, but I got most of the truck rewired. The original fuse panel has gotten quite crusty and unreliable, so I mounted a 12 circuit marine grade fuse panel from Blue Sea Systems to the side of the passenger foot well in the cab. It's unconventional, but does make sense for what I'm doing. Everything electrical in the truck is on the passenger side, including the battery. There were some parasitic drains as well, so I bypassed as much of the original wirimg as possible and rewired everything. I have a racing switch panel with the flip up safety covers and the push button start. I really enjoy the switches and button so far. Ignition button goes to the distributor, electric choke, and will go to the alternstor field wire. Start button goes to the starter solenoid. Accessory 1 goes to the USB charger, voltage gauge, and the after market gauge lights. The heater blower motor is fed through a new line going to the new fuse panel and a proper fuse. Headlights have also been wired to the new fuse panel. I hope to have the entire truck rewired and cleaned up by the end of this weekend. It feels so nice to know what's going on with the wiring. Aside from the alternator, passenger door light switch, cab floor light, horn, and a few of the original gauges, every single feature on the truck works. By the end of this weekend, I should have the truck 100% functional. After that the upgrades can begin. I'll likely start with the seat, battery, light bulbs, and some trim pieces that are missing. I have big plans for this truck. I'll be adding some microcontrollers for automation and management, as well as a Seeed ReTerminal as the entertainment and navigation system. 

I'll try to do a more detailed post with pictures soon, but I just need to get through the work for now. 

It's been a stressful week or so, but I've got the truck almost ready to go. Everything on it works, aside from the horn, 2 cab lights, and a front running light. I spent a few hours today tracing out all the wiring in the truck, and removing anything that was not needed. I found that my new used battery had died completely overnight, and traced it back to having the electric choke hooked up to the wrong circuit. I hooked up leads for a battery charger, and unplugged the choke, leaving the truck on a trickle charge for the time being. I have to finish wiring up the choke, electric fans, horn, and the voltage gauge.

The engine and drive train seem to be in decent shape, as well as the brakes. There is some body work to be done, such as replacing the cab corners and rocker panels, but that can be done later. I have 2 new tires to put on it as well. The shocks need replaced, but they aren't dangerous. I plan to clean up all of the wiring even further, and replace the fuse panel with a marine grade fuse panel when I have more time and money. I will replace the brake lines, transmission cooling lines, and vacuum lines with copper-nickel lines in the near future to upgrade all 3 systems.

I found a tow truck of the same body style and will go get the engine, transmission, windshield, dash panel, door panels, and perhaps the rear axle. The current plan is to overhaul the entire truck to ensure it is mechanically sound, rebuild an engine and transmission for it, then swap those out for what's in it now. I'll rebuild the originals and keep them as spares or for something else.

Once the truck is reliable and safe, I will start adding features such as custom cruise control, a winch, strobe light bar, work lights, tow hitch, rear disk brakes, and any other upgrades I want to add.

It's been hectic lately, but I should have my truck road legal tomorrow if all goes well. If so, I'll take it out for a test ride. Perhaps to the nearby park.

Recently I decided to buy my old truck back and start restoring it once again. Life has been crazy, but I realized that I need a vehicle to reach my new goals. I finally have some solid short and long term plans for life, and the truck is the key. I'm currently sitting with friends watching "I Love Lucy", and need to get off the computer and get ready for bed. A few quick updates and some photos.

Today was the day I cut out all the household wiring and light switches that my friend put in to start the engine. I ended up installing a racing switch panel from Summit Racing Equipment. The ignition switch is hooked up to the power for the distributor, and the start push button is hooked to the starter solenoid that actually starts the engine. It works quite well. I got a used battery from Pull A Part to save some money, and it leaked acid the first time I charged it. I returned it the next day, but they didn't have any more that would fit. I ended up drilling holes into the tops of the lead terminals and bolting the battery cables to them directly. The battery is way too big, but works great. I can finally start the truck without using light switches.

I still need to replace the harmonic balancer, hook up the new reverse lights to the switch panel, refill the rear differential, tighten the engine mount bolts, and do some wiring clean up. I'll throw some pictures below.

The new oversized battery. Cables are too short, so I just have it sitting in the engine bay for now. Starts and runs great.

New switch panel, in it's temporary hole. I used stainless steel screws and drilled the holes bigger to fit the bigger screws.

I sold the old truck to the first friend I ever had. It has a good home now, but I just couldn't justify the expense of keeping this and moving it to Calirfornia with me. Especially since it might never be road legal. It's an old gas guzzler. Time to move on. We had a good run over a few years. Had some fun, but it ultimately was just one big frustration after the other with that truck, as I needed it as a daily driver and it wasn't quite ready. Goodbye old friend.

I got this old truck towed to my new house a few weeks ago, and have been slowly working on it since. I got the engine running well enough to drive the truck to the next street over where it promptly stalled and would not run. Ran great with some gas poured down the carb, but died after about a second. That tells me there were fuel supply issues. Turns out the carb was full of rusty gas and water. Both fuel tanks are rusting on the inside and clogging the entire fuel system. They're only about $100 each, so I'll start by replacing the driver side tank as soon as I get caught up on bills. I think I'll get new fuel level sending units and such if they're crusty too. This truck has a new purpose that I haven't mentioned either: lumberjack truck. I started working as a tree climber and need to haul gear to the job sites. I can also haul wood home if I want. I'll have a near endless supply of wood. That's great as I'll eventually be building a wood gasifier to power the truck with firewood. Free fuel. 

I did a bunch of little stuff on the truck today. Fixed the snapped off turn signal lever. Blew another bulb immediately, so I get to deal with that. Took the burnt out cab lights out to find replacements. Bypassed the fuel tanks and did a complete carb tear down, which brought the engine back to life. Replaced the connector on the temperature sending unit, as it failed and I couldn't tell how hot the engine was. Replaced the old fuel lines with longer ones that route fuel farther away from various heat sources. I washed the truck and scrubbed the windows and adjusted mirrors so I can see where the heck I'm headed. For the time being, there's a 2 gallon gas can under the hood feeding the fuel pump directly. It's the sketchiest thing I think I've ever done but it works. More updates to come.

I moved to South Dakota recently, and I hear that the winters are far more brutal here than I am used to in Ohio. I had already planned to add an engine heater to my truck before, but now I think it should be a priority. The town here is so small that the engine wouldn't even get a chance to heat up driving across town and back. My new apartment has an outlet with a light switch on it that sits in front of my parking spot. I could just plug the engine heater into that and flip the switch whenever I want, but that's too simple. I might not wake up early enough to turn it on. I plan on getting Google home set up in my apartment already, so I want to tie the engine heater into that system. The easiest method I found is to use a smart outlet. They actually make outdoor ones that would work great. The one I am looking at now is the iHome ISP100. This one is rated at 1800 watts, so it may not be enough. I will research that more later. If it comes down to it, I will just install a smart light switch to control the outdoor outlet. That might be better so people can't steal my smart plug.

Sometime around January, I decided to get rid of everything I owned and start a new life somewhere else. I found the area I'd grown up in to be toxic and full of painful memories. It's rather ironic that I made a ton of great new friends and memories as I was preparing to leave. During the process of leaving, I left this truck behind and abandoned it. I was overwhelmed and didn't have the resources to do anything with it. I recently found out that my old neighbor actually made some repairs to it, and has been safely storing it for me this entire time. I'm very excited as that truck was one of my favorite things and my favorite project. I hated it for a while because it was my daily driver and kept breaking. Where I live now, both jobs are within easy waling distance and I am starting a business from home. I won't even need the truck at all. It will be nice to have it and not need it. I'll be able to rebuild it like I was dreaming of and get my DIY truck camper project rolling as well. I previously scraped this and the camper project when I thought I lost the truck forever. I'll likely be taking the 1,000 mile train journey from South Dakota, to Ohio to get it after Christmas. Or I will just have it shipped here, depending on what kind of condition it is in when I am ready to get it. I would love to drive it home. It's actually cheaper for me to buy 2 one way train tickets, stay in hotels, fuel the truck, and spend a few days in my home town tan it is to ship the truck. I'd also get a Christmas vacation and can take my assistant with me on her first big adventure. I am worried that the truck won't make the drive, so I am going to ask my neighbor to tune it up for me and I will pay him and send him money for any parts and supplies needed. I'm not sure what will happen at this point, but I do know that I will be getting my dream truck back soon.