Engines, engines, engines...

 To sum up the engine solution, it was definitely an adventure to find the engine that was destined to be with the truck.

The original 235 was shot and would need custom pistons or sleeved. I prepped it for the machine shop and found a crack in the block so out it went. I found another 235 that was out of a running truck so I picked it up. While cleaning it up for paint, lo and behold another crack.

 This led me to a crossroad. 235's aren't easy to find and I didn't think I could stand it to find another cracked block. So I decided to look at other engines. The thought of just dropping a 350 in the Truck did cross my mind,  it just didn't feel right. I figured if I was going to keep a 6 cylinder, I might as well give it an upgrade. I had a 250 in my old Nova and that thing ran no matter what, so I started looking.

I found a good candidate out of a 67 Truck and I brought it home. It had good compression and no ring wear so I figured I would clean it up, paint it, and throw a gasket kit on it and call it good. Well, I got it all wrapped up and life kinda got in the way. We bought our first house and work on the truck ground to a halt. But while looking through Craigslist about a year later, something caught my eye. I found a listing for a 292 that was rebuilt with 3k miles on it.

I couldn't pass up the price so I went and picked it up and promptly sold the 250. Along with all the intakes and parts and pieces I had gathered through 5 years of picking up good deals when I saw them. The only downside to this was the 292 was to much of an engine for the little t5 that I picked up. So the search for a new transmission began

The Beginning

Grandpa's Truck sat in the field by his house for as long as I can remember. I recall always thinking it was the coolest truck I had ever seen and that one day I wanted to drive it. Well, when I turned 20 I started asking Papa if I could have the Truck every time I saw him. The answer was always the same "I can't, your Uncles want to fix it up and would throw a fit." But I kept asking to the point that he always laughed because he knew I was going to ask. Than, 10 years later, I got a phone call and Papa asked "You still want that truck?" I replied "Of course I do, I haven't been asking for no reason" He told me he was tired of my Uncles arguing over it and I could come get it if I wanted it. I was there 3 days later, and little did I know the fun was just starting..

The Examination

Once it was home it got a good bath and than it was in the garage to see exactly where it was at. It was laid down on the drivers side years ago. My Uncles, Freddy and Bailey, had started repairs, but unfortunately it never made it back on the road. While the Body was good, the truck had definitely been used and had seen better days. My initial plan was to get it running and go from there. As I dug deeper and deeper I learned more about the truck.

This guy had seen construction sites, it was used to haul lumber, produce, and anything else that was thrown at it. I realized I needed a better look at the engine compartment so that front clip had to go.
The rings were shot on the motor and it had already been bored out to .060" I knew at this point I wanted to rebuild her the right way, I just wasn't sure what way that was. So I started looking for an engine and figured I would go from there.