When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I bought this pickup this summer for $600 with a worn out 283 with intentions to build a reliable daily driver that I could put good exhaust on and not have to pass emissions with when I finally move back west. But in my parts-buying spree, it very quickly developed into a bigger aspiration-- I used to have a pretty stout Duramax, and my buddies had pretty quick diesel pickups and I remember for a while being unable to comprehend why anyone would want a gas pickup instead? Well, to go against the flow, I want this pickup to be 100% daily driveable, *and* capable of hurting the feelings of your run-of-the-mill tuned diesel pickup.
Part list includes:
108,000 mile 5.3
PSI ECU and Harness
Perfection dual disc clutch/pressureplate
LS2 flywheel
SM465 is a fairly new rebuild with hardened input shaft, new gears etc.
Hydraulic clutch setup out of a late 80's GMC pickup
Detroit Locker, new 3:73 gears in front and rear, Moroso cover girdle
Pacesetter longtubes, Summit Maf, cold air intake, monster fans, underdrive pulley, steering stabilizers, 20 gallon fuel cell with sending unit, MSD fuel pump.
Motor will be left mostly stock, save for possibly a cam, but by next summer I hope to have had it running and driving, and have it taken back apart for a turbo build. This pickup would be worlds more fun on 10 psi.
I've done a lot of interior work too, including a brand new classic unstruments cluster, a lot of sound deadening, a 1200w boss stereo, and I'll post more pictures when I'm able or answer any questions I can about someone else looking to build something similar.
put an nv4500 behind that instead of the sm465. cool build, in for progress!
Haha, funny you mention that! I just bought a 93' chevy 3500 with a 6.5 and a NV4500 with less than 60k on the drivetrain fora steal. The 6.5 isn't anything I need and runs like absolute crap, but the NV4500 will definitely go into the pickup at some point. I've already got the hydraulic clutch with the earlier style steel braided line set up to use with the factory 4 speed.
Just to get it started though, since I know and trust this transmission it'll be in it for a bit haha. I've had several pickups with Sm465's and semi-built motors, and anyone who knows them knows they're nearly indestructible haha. I can't count how many times I dumped the clutch while rolling backwards down a hill in the pickup I had in high school. The tranny itself never broke, but everything around it did! Haha. The bottom pic shows the donor pickup.
Has prothane bushings now, but in the pics they aren't in the front springs because Summit managed to send me the wrong set.
Tons of new parts. Gauges, full sound deadener, stereo, good clutch, exhaust and seats out of the donor pickup. Good gears and a trutrac too, haha. Pics may not be in any particular order. Needed a new grill and bumper too! After I'm done, all it will need is cab corners and paint and it will be like a new truck. The bed is about the cleanest I've ever seen, not a spot or dent in it. Truck had a camper on the back of it all it's life, and I actually genuinely feel bad having to cut it to put in a fuel cell. I have new wheels too and 35" MT Baja Mtz's, but they aren't on it yet.
So my guess here is that your truck was originally 2wd based on the c10 badges and you made no mention of a crossmember swap. So I assume it's on a later model chassis. Can you expand on this?
I'm close to pulling the trigger on an LS for my 72 k10 and know it will not fit without swapping my front crossmember.
Thanks I look forward to seeing more information on this build.
Actually, I believe they badged the 4x4's as C10's as well, at least from all of them I've seen. It's titled as a K10, anyway. And your factory crossmember will not work, I took mine out and fabbed up a tubular one for it I'll try and get some pictures. Also, I figured out the hard way that the motor will not clear the stock firewall without a body lift, being that I bought a suspension lift instead. It took quite a bit of massaging with a hammer to make everything fit, but I'm very happy with how it sits now.
You may be able to use your stock crossmember with a different oil pan, but being that I wanted to retain the stock truck pan it didn't work.
Interesting for some reason I thought they used a different badge but I've never investigated. I know there's no K10 badge. 4th digit of the vin is a k it's a factory 4x4
About the firewall this is the first I have seen or heard of clearance issues. I know that 4x4 engines sat back farther than 2wd which is why there is a steel pipe spliced in the upper radiator hose on factory 350s
Fortunately, the guy who runs my local parts store is doing a similar swap in his 71 swb K10, so every time I go in for party he takes me into the back shop area and shows me what he did, and we collaborate a lot haha. He used a body lift to clear the firewall. And on the factory K10 thing, mine still had the steel radiator pipe on it when I bought it haha.
And originally, I intended to use the factory in-cab tank, but I really wanted a subwoofer back there and more space, plus I put sound deadener on the back of the cab. I went with a 20gal fuel cell. Not mounted yet, pics to come.
It may have been the block, I don't remember. I just know I couldn't get it to sit low enough with the original crossmember there.
Awesome build man. My dream truck is a 67-72 lwb 4x4. Glad to see you went with a 70 grill instead of swapping in a 71-72 like I've seen so many do. Can't wait to see it finished
Awesome build man. My dream truck is a 67-72 lwb 4x4. Glad to see you went with a 70 grill instead of swapping in a 71-72 like I've seen so many do. Can't wait to see it finished
The 69-70 grill is the best looking one, as far as I'm concerned. My dad had one when i was little and it left an impression! Haha.
I should have some pics of the crossmember and motor mount situation tonight. I'll try to get more of how clean the bed is too. I finally got my wheels in and got the tires mounted. The 35's really filled up the wells nice, it's gonna look good.
Sorry, been busy but here's some more pictures. I have more done now as I've turned towards steering issues and suspension, but the motor is in, wiring harness is in, and I'm still plugging away at it. More updates to come!
Nice truck.
I run a 5.3L/465 with 35" tires and 4.10 gears and it's about just right.
The creeper gear doesn't see much street use but it's a 3400# Wrangler, 2nd pulls out of stop lights just fine. So with the higher 3.73s you're probably gonna be right on for using all 4 gears.
My 465 came from Midwest Trans, it was a rebuilt one with the aluminum top. The steel top one put the shifter just barely inside my firewall I had almost a 90° in the shift arm, the aluminum top made it workable.
Good luck on the build looks like great progress.
Last edited by deucestudios; 11-17-2014 at 08:47 AM.
This is all pretty awesome. That body style Chevy has always been one of my favorites. Plus, backed with a reliable 5.3 that can handle big power, I'd say you're truck is going to be nothing short of bad *** when finished. Are you planning on leaving the exterior/paint untouched?
Are you planning on leaving the exterior/paint untouched?
If the running boards/cab corners weren't rusted through, I would say yes. But since it's bad, I do intend to send it off for body and paint after I get my student loans paid off, haha. I think the value both fiscal and sentimental will go way up if it looks new and shiny. Being young and building hot rods is a tough gig to pull.
But for the next year or two, I'll look into a temporary patch job and just drive it as-is.
10-28-2014, 02:38 PM
1970 K10 5.3 SM465 diesel-hunter 
