Ah yes, forgot about those pictures, with over 300 posts I didn't even scroll back...

That cubby hole is a handy feature. My '92 doesn't have it but stuff gets lost under the cupholders in that big console. A front cubby would solve that and be a spot for more handy items. Maybe that was an early feature of the 70s?

 

Send them over, along with a few shots from the Snow banks of VT.

 

Photos from Oliver




No hole

Made a hole

Throttle lever installed

Base plate

 

Last night. I took the old choke cable that had been mounted to the lower dash for at least 20+ years and re-used it. I cut down the cable about a foot, than ran the cable through one of the left over holes for the old throttle pedal bolts.

I will not be using the electric FSS, but instead, I will be part of the pull cable club on this build.
Progress maybe slow, but there has been some progress most days the past week.

 

The auto shifter pedestal is painted up and installed. The cable for it is run through the floor and installed.

I am back at making the '89/90 radiator, play nicely with the '94-'97 style intercooler all in a '89/'90 core support with round headlight mounted in the '76 grille location. The lower '76 style valence panel needs some minor trimming for the I/C. The inner fenders needed some washers under the core support to make a little extra room for the inlet and outlet of the I/C. I am happy with the way the custom drivers side I/C tube fits around the trimmed up battery tray, that was also moved 1/4 of and inch further away from the motor to make a little extra room. I used two OEM passenger side tubes cut down and welded back together for the driver side tube to work between the Banks Twin Ram intake horn and the 2nd gen I/C.
A little more trimming / grinding for clearance and a little paint over the open metal surfaces and I should be ready to assemble the core support / radiator, I/C and grille up.

 

Really looking forward to seeing how you set up your core support! Dealing with a similar situation myself with a 78 support. Edit, I looked back and see you are in fact using a non-ic'd rad

 

Hey Ollie,

If you want photos posted, LMK before Saturday morning, as we might be heading to the house.

Weather dependent.

Time to check on the shtshack

 

78PopTop:
Yes I used a '89-'90 NON intercooled radiator for this project.
Some of the reasons are.
The 2nd gen intercooler fits around it easily.
Cutting up and modifying a less sought after '89-90 core support than the '92/'93 one felt better to me. I did not want to cut up the '78/79 core support that came on the RC as I want for another '70s truck that has a rotten core support.
Having the '89 / '90 radiator and the '89 / '90 core support at least match helps me mount at least one item easily and know it is in the right spot.
The '70s hoods, with the dual ponds as I call it, gets very close, if not contact the top of that larger / taller radiator they use in '92/'93.
If I had used a '92/'93 rad., I would have needed to use a '92/'93 fan hub and that can be hard to locate depending where you are. I have a few but they are precious.


I spent most of yesterday assembling the front core support area just to take it back apart. I had to modify the center brace for the core support a few times to properly hold the lower valence panel in the right spot to catch the grille for all the screws and body lines to match up.
I ended up installing an extra 1/4 thick rubber washer under the intercooler lower posts to move it up a tiny bit. I did this so the lower boots coming out of the intercooler are not resting on the inner fenders.

I also cut down and welded back up the secondary hood latch so it will not pierce through my big intercooler living under it. I cut 1 inch out of the center of it and welded it back up.
It is a fine line of leaving room up top for the secondary hood latch and not having the I/C boots stuffed into the inner fenders down low.

I have now come to terms with cutting out an even larger section of my lower valence panel as I can not cleanly give it enough space off the lower front edge of the 2nd gen intercooler. I have a date with the death wheel later today.

T man I will send you some pictures later... Thanks man!

 

Ollie photos:

Headlight bucket cutout

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Thanks man.

As you can see I cut out as little of the old '90 core support as needed to fit the later 70s buckets in the right spot to line up with the '76 grille I am using. I got a set of complete head light assemblies cut out of a rusty '70s core support. That way I still had the old nice metal adjusters to use to move the head lights around.
I used some holes that where already in the '90 core and made a couple others, to attach the cut outs where I wanted them. I would then install the lower valence and '76 grille on. I would then move around the cut out '70s buckets as needed to get them right where I wanted them. I would do this by "slotting" out the holes in the '70s bucket cuts out I was attaching so I could move them slightly and still use the same bolt hole in the core.

I originally was planning to weld the '70s buckets to the '90 core support up when I got them located perfect in the '76 grille. I am now thinking that the bolts are working great so I am going to leave them as is. If the headlights shake, shift or rattle I weld it in.
You will also note the large cut outs for the 2nd gen intercooler. Just under them you can see the welded on 2nd gen intercooler mounting brackets I re used..

Nice "Easter egg" to find in the photos there too.
Mr Doodle.

 

Kinda complicated process but the end result will be worth it. Gotta love the '76 grill and round headlamps!

Good to see the pooch wearing safety glasses during all your cutting & drilling. I guess now you have those pet belts in your trucks too to keep them secure huh.

 

I used a 91.5 IC rad support with the OE "74 grill in the FireWagon. It took plenty of measurements and pondering until I put the plasma cutter to both units. It's definitely worth the time. Nice work Oliver!

 

The intercooler is now installed. The boots and tubes run without contact with fenders. I picked out a nice OEM '89/'90 radiator out of my collection and cleaned it up a bit before installing it last night.
The lower valence panel was spray painted a metallic dark brown, which is the closest I could find to my exterior paint color. About anything would be closer than the orange it was.

The cut down hood latch was painted black and installed. When the hood is closed there is 1/2 of an inch clearance to the top of intercooler.
Black paint was also squirted on the driver's side intercooler tube I welded up.
The fenders were adjusted at the core support for near perfect hood to fender gaps.

Today I will get the fan shroud and fan installed. I need to get some fresh 100% antifreeze at Napa to fill it up.
I also plan to get the grille and valance panel installed up cleanly too.

Then I plan on dropping the fuel tank again to swap out the fuel "sending" unit, so my fuel gauge will read correctly. I ordered a new one and some re-pop sport mirrors for the doors a while back.

I do not know if it will be ready for the 1000 mile trip to Carlisle this year, but I at least plan on being able to drive it this summer. After 10 years of ownership I am getting tired of pushing or pulling it around

 

Nice to see you have the time to get some stuff done today, considering it's finally a day where you can see the orb floating out in the sky, warming up the ground.

Really wanted to be up there today, having breakfast at the diner with ya, but you know how things go.

Say hi to Charlotte from us, give the poochies hugs.

Me Wifey and Ollie's poochies

 

hahahahaha !