Well i finally drug my old highboy in and started messing with it yesterday.
It is kinda a new project but I have owned it for about 25 years and put close to 400,000 miles on it, so it has been parked for several years waiting on a restore.
This a picture of how it's been for quite a few years. It was a work and severly abused rig, but it always did what was asked of it. Plus my 21 year old son rode home from the hospital in it. lol



I removed the bed plus the under bed mounted air tank and a bunch of added iron. I think I will give it a lot easier life for the rest of it's years, so it might as well be a few hundred pounds lighter. lol



I got the new (old bed) sitting on it. Also a pic of the donor 77 for a fresher body.





It was windy today so instead of working on it I went and picked a ZF5 for it, so it would have overdrive this time around. I will lose my low granny but I think with todays speed limits and not using it for a work rig anymore it will be worth it for the overdrive with the 4.10 gears.



My plans were to swap the whole body, but I changed my mind and will just use the doors and front clip, and keep the cab that doesn't have the shoulder belts, plus I will still have the right vin # and it is solid, just needs some dents addressed.

I cut the tool box out from under the bed on the old bed and am going to try to install it on the other side for dual tool boxes.
It will be running 6.9 ZF5 d60 rear and hd D44 open knuckle front any other suggestions.

 

Good start to project. Keep it up!! And keep us up to date!

 

I asked this in the paint and body forum but there is not a lot of traffic there, and I know some of you guys are pretty good at body work.
I cut out the panel out of the old bed for the toolbox. Is there any drawbacks or reason I can,t mount it on the otherside and have dual boxes under it. That is where my air tank was mounted, but it is easily relocated.
This is going to be a long term project as time and MONEY allows so any suggestions and opinions are welcome. I really only want to do this once.

 

Starmilt,
For what it's worth, I have seen build threads on putting a second tool box on the driver side. Turned out beautiful! Just get under there on the passenger side to see how the original one was mounted and copy it on the driver side. Sounds easy I know, since I've never done it, but given the project you are undertaking I think the tool box may very well be the LEAST of the issues you will have to deal with!

Don't forget to post more pictures as you progress, and good luck!
Dak

 

Thanks but actually except for the ZF5 I have dealt with everything else years ago. This pickup has had a 6.9 since late 85 and has way over 300,000 miles since I've had the motor in it.
There was no readily available info on it back then and no internet, so I will make some changes and hopefully improvements this o around. lol

Just looking at I can't see any problems except a little custom work on the race track trim.

 

looks like the start of a good project. keep us updated

 

It will be slow going, as it isn't a priority, plus I'm getting lazy. lol

 

good luck on the project man

 

sounds like your gonna have one hell of a truck. but unless they made a high first that i don't know about arent all zf 5 spd's granny first?

 

Well the ZF42 is way higher than I would prefer, I have always had the 435 behind it and prefer it over all three of my 85 and 86 models with the T19 and high first gear.

The zf47 has a lot lower first but I have a 42 so for now that is what I will use.

 

ok, i love the idea of the dual toolboxes. the side toolbox was one of the most useful options ever on a truck, i have no idea why they quit using them

 

Well I went to play with it, but froze out pretty quick the wind is blowing pretty good and we had a little snow this morning. So not much will happen today. lol

 

Any interests of getting rid of that headache rack?

 

I am getting rid of it for sure. but you can build a nicer one probably cheaper than shipping would cost you to cheyenne.

 

PM me, I don't have the things I need to make one, and it'd be helpful to have one.
send me a price, and if I get the chance, I'll grab my wife's car, and come get it if need be.