'94 c3500 Farm Truck w/ Frankenstein 454 - Project Thread

Hey all,

Thought I'd spin my journey out from the towing section, as it quickly turned into a build thread: https://www.gmt400.com/threads/thinking-gmt400-3500-dually-for-track-day-towing-thoughts.66809/

This is a wild trip so far and a cascade of questionable decisions. It's a 1994 crew cab, long bed, RWD, 454, dually that started out life as a diesel truck: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/280073804890277/

It's been in North and South Carolina as farm truck for it's entire 30 year life. I believe I'm the 4th owner. At some point The 6.5 was swapped for a 454 of unconfirmed origins. I had thought it was an original 454 truck until I went to look at it for the first time. It's not running really well, it chokes out and backfires. I only made it about 7 miles after buying it before it cut out on me. Thinking this mostly has to do with bad gas, not enough gas, and an out of tune carb. Since the truck was stranded on a hill, I had to get it towed to a shop. It's been at this shop for 2 months now. They're far behind and the lead owner and mechanic is passing kidney stones. I've only sat in the truck for 15m or so. I'll hopefully be collecting the truck at the end of this month and that's when I can ID the block VIN and overall status of the swap.



All power plant issues aside, the body and frame on this truck are really clean. No rust and the only paint wear is on the tailgate. The build goal is a reliable race car and project car hauler. Even if this needs to be repowered to achieve that, it's still a promising starting point. I think I can hobble this truck along on the 454 that's in it until it's better baselined or re-powered. I don't think going back to diesel is a great idea, if I need a new power plant, I'm thinking an ht502: https://www.chevrolet.com/performance-parts/crate-engines/big-block/ht-502

Oddities to fix first:
1. EFI harness hookup to re-enable use of the gauge cluster. Only working gauge now is an aftermarket tach on the dash
2. Figure out the fueling system. The PO installed an aluminum auxilary tank in the bed that was the primary operating tank since it was easier to spot the fuel levels. This means that either, it's been running on this tank only and the main diesel tank was bypassed or I've got a dual tank system. The PO claimed he could run it on both, but it's unconfirmed at the moment.
3. Cracked window
4. Various bit of trim and lights

Subbed for sure. I love a good project like this. There’s something satisfying about un-hacking a truck from a previous owner.

Heard back from the shop, they don't really know how to handle this work but they did confirm a few things. It's kinda jank in the wiring harness, saw speaker wire. It has an incorrect carb on the motor. The fuel delivery system doesn't seem right.

They refused the work, annoying after waiting these months.

I'm looking around now to see if there's a hot rod shop with carburetor experience. Looks like most shops are refusing the work and I might be up a creek without a paddle.

Found a shop that's going to look at the carb, what would be some good replacement units to look at? Block VIN is still unknown, but this explains the discrepancy in the listing with it being a quadrajet 750.

These are the other photos I have from the original listing. Wish I had one of the engine bay.

Have you contacted the seller to see if he has any more info on it? Since he's not trying to sell it anymore, he may be more forthright... or he can point you to the shop/mechanic/neighbor that might know more secrets about the truck

Keeper said:

Have you contacted the seller to see if he has any more info on it? Since he's not trying to sell it anymore, he may be more forthright... or he can point you to the shop/mechanic/neighbor that might know more secrets about the truck

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I did get back up with them, they don’t really know much about it. I don’t think they were the ones to do the swap and the farmers son is the one that threw the new parts on it. They were hoping to use it as a personal truck and put at least some time into it. All sketchy farm hacks though.

The bed pan on the passenger side floorboard really sells it.

Looks like a score if you were able to negotiate down on all the jank.

Erik the Awful said:

The bed pan on the passenger side floorboard really sells it.

Looks like a score if you were able to negotiate down on all the jank.

Click to expand...

They listed at $9k and dropped it down to $7.5k. Knowing what I know now, I think $4-$5k might’ve been more fair. It’s done now though haha.

Seeing as I have a diesel cluster that isn’t hooked in, this seems timely:
OBS TRUCK GAUGES: NEW CLUSTER FROM CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am at the parts availability for this platform coming from the 60-series Land Cruiser community.