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Need to save money

980 views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  BogiesAnnex1 
#1 ·
Hello, I just bought a 1958 GMC 100 about as stock as you can think. I want to leave the interior and exterior totally original (rat rod vibe) but I want to put a 383 stroker with 465hp under the hood with a manual transmission. As I said everything is stock, and I'd like to be under about 7000 including tranny and engine costs. I would also like to tub it out in some way. Where does my money need to go?
 
#3 ·
As I told another newbie tonight, I'm tired of wasting my time on one-post wonders (fellows who come on and ask a question and then I spend the next couple of hours with a detailed answer and we never hear from the fellow again). Finish filling out your profile with your age and location for one thing, then make other posts with photos of your truck and what you want to do in detail. If I see that you're going to be staying around, I will and I'm sure others on here will do every thing they can to guide you in spending your money wisely toward the end goal that you want to achieve. Tell us about your family, where you went to school, the girls you dated or are currently dating, your experiences and so forth.
 
#4 ·
ill answer the question first if need to save money....Dont get married.!!!!!! then you're more money to invest in your project .... i think a 350 with a blower.and dual turbos would do it for ya. dont tub it if you want it stock looking,id upgrad the rear with a posi 12bolt or one from a vette..
 
#6 ·
Not knowing your skills, your available tools and facilities, and how much of the work you can or want to do yourself, it's difficult to provide concrete guidance here, but here are some suggestions.

First, spend money to make the truck safe to drive. That means steering, suspension, brakes, lights, tires, etc.

Second, consider a used LS motor instead of a 383. 6.2 truck motors are pretty common in wrecking yards and can make ridiculous amounts of horsepower fairly inexpensively. You don't need to build the ultimate motor now, but drop in a stock-ish LS and get the truck up and running.

As you drive it, you'll get a better idea of what else it needs, what that will cost, how much you can afford to spend, and in all likelyhood the direction of your project will change anyway.

Good luck and have fun with it.
 
#8 ·
There is a lot involved with upgrading the electrics, cooling and the transmission that runs into big bucks alone to support an engine change. Those old trucks had the bellhousing mounted to the frame, which may complicate a swap if you want to go to a scattershield. You may be able to retain the cast iron bellhousing with a little work. If your fabrication skills are strong and if you are resourceful (also motor head friends are essential) you may pull off the swap.
 
#9 ·
Good news is a 383 built on a 1969 to 1985 block bolts to your existing bell housing, actually the 1986 to 1995 does too but needs a different flywheel or flexplate and come with crappy Swirl Port heads that need replacing for anything beyond pulling a 7 bottom plow. The 1996 to 2002 also will bolt to the bell housing and brings the same fly/flex issue which isn't a big deal but since these have a unique fuel injection system to either use that or convert back to a carb gets to be a hassle. The 86 through 2002 also use the factory serpentine belt system which requires a backward turning coolant pump and at least to me with their big cast brackets look huge ugly. These engine's will take fabricating or buying adapters for their forward mounts.


To put a modern transmission into this truck requires redoing the mounts this requires some mechanical and welding skills as the existing mounts front and rear at this point need to be removed and replaced. That up front requires picking up the stock mid block mount position and back behind and under the transmission a cross-member and its tranny mount needs to be incorporated. So you measuring, metal shaping, cutting, drilling, grinding, and welding skills will be tested. This is not really a complicated job but it does involve a lot of details and work. Everything will be through several mockups and tear downs. You'll want a dummy block and transmission if you go this way just to get the weights you have to block up and shove around to get measures down to something that isn't a body killer.


Bogie
 
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