Well guys here my truck, I named it the tank cause it's well....a tank.
I PCS'd to Anchorage AK in June, soon after buying a clean (ish) 1988 crewcab chevy ($3200). It was a 454/th400/205 with 4.10 gears. I drove it for awhile getting 8mpg before I lost it over the gas mileage and parked it. I bought it to build a AK camper hauler, sled hauler, do it all rig.
Soon after I bought this ole girl ($3400).
And my prize
After I pulled the engine from the donor I sold the roller for $1500 so I was into the swap for $1900 at this point. I soon put $200 in gaskets into the engine along with a bunch of small stuff, PS pump, piece of exhaust etc that added up to another $200. So $5500 invested at this point. Along the way I bought a set of nearly new tires, $300 on CL. So about $5800 in her at this point.
I built new crossmembers and modded the stock dodge mounts. $600 for engine mounts? HAHAHA ya right.
This is about the point I stopped messing with it because winter set in and I bought this:
Got it for $200 of CL. Did I mention I love CL lol!!!!!
The other thing that stopped forward progress on the ole girl was a knocking noise I couldn't get rid of. A couple of "experts" said it had a rod knock. So out came the engine, had to build a custom stand to hang the engine on, it would have killed a parts store one. Actually it nearly did. I hung it on one and you could watch the damn thing flex. So I pulled the rods and mains, mains were good, rods were worn. Nothing had "spun" so no reason for the noise. I mic'd the crank and replaced the rod bearings, Yup, another $150 in gaskets, grrrrr.
So reassembled the truck, installed an oil pressure gauge. Yup knock still there, 60 psi oil pressure. Did I say Grrrr? So the websperts said I must have an injector knock. Pulled them and had them tested, yup they were all good. Another $60 down the drain in test fees and new copper washers.
I PCS'd to Anchorage AK in June, soon after buying a clean (ish) 1988 crewcab chevy ($3200). It was a 454/th400/205 with 4.10 gears. I drove it for awhile getting 8mpg before I lost it over the gas mileage and parked it. I bought it to build a AK camper hauler, sled hauler, do it all rig.
Soon after I bought this ole girl ($3400).
And my prize
After I pulled the engine from the donor I sold the roller for $1500 so I was into the swap for $1900 at this point. I soon put $200 in gaskets into the engine along with a bunch of small stuff, PS pump, piece of exhaust etc that added up to another $200. So $5500 invested at this point. Along the way I bought a set of nearly new tires, $300 on CL. So about $5800 in her at this point.
I built new crossmembers and modded the stock dodge mounts. $600 for engine mounts? HAHAHA ya right.
This is about the point I stopped messing with it because winter set in and I bought this:
Got it for $200 of CL. Did I mention I love CL lol!!!!!
The other thing that stopped forward progress on the ole girl was a knocking noise I couldn't get rid of. A couple of "experts" said it had a rod knock. So out came the engine, had to build a custom stand to hang the engine on, it would have killed a parts store one. Actually it nearly did. I hung it on one and you could watch the damn thing flex. So I pulled the rods and mains, mains were good, rods were worn. Nothing had "spun" so no reason for the noise. I mic'd the crank and replaced the rod bearings, Yup, another $150 in gaskets, grrrrr.
So reassembled the truck, installed an oil pressure gauge. Yup knock still there, 60 psi oil pressure. Did I say Grrrr? So the websperts said I must have an injector knock. Pulled them and had them tested, yup they were all good. Another $60 down the drain in test fees and new copper washers.
Last edited:
