So how many original B.B. 396's are out there?
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Well!!!
I guess we are not off to a good start here anim_63
So does anybody have a idea on how many B.B. trucks were actually made?
I know i had to argue with the auto parts store every time i went to buy parts for the truck, they swore Chevy/GMC did not offer a B.B. motor, of course when they read a little DEEPER they figured out they were wrong....
Rick
I guess we are not off to a good start here anim_63
So does anybody have a idea on how many B.B. trucks were actually made?
I know i had to argue with the auto parts store every time i went to buy parts for the truck, they swore Chevy/GMC did not offer a B.B. motor, of course when they read a little DEEPER they figured out they were wrong....
Rick
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I know they had them just not that many.Think most were in 3/4 and 1 ton versions.
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HMMMM mine is a 12 bolt 2 wheel.... i am actually going out to my dads house to start cleaning the house this week end to get it ready to sell, i will post up some pics of the old girl when i get back home Sunday....
Rick
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The big blocks were mostly in the 3/4 ton and up trucks, both 4 wheel and 2 wheel drives. Some in the camper specials and some in the CST's. or you may have found a special order, which would be a nice rare find. In 1970 71 72 they may have been listed as 400 however they were 402's earlier then 1970 would have been the 396 cui. This is just what I have found over the past years working on C10's
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So i went out to my fathers house this weekend to get my fire wood for this winter, and take care of stuff at his house.
So while i was there, i charged up the battery, washed off the cobb webs and burned some rubber for a couple of minutes anim_63 this was the first time she has seen daylight in at-least 2 years
The truck was originally Olive Green with a white roof, i am not sure why my father primer-ed her? but in 1983 we painted the truck Root Beer brown, cut a couple of coils out of the front and installed the rear end on top of the lief springs to lower her some....
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This is the original sticker on the inside of the glove box door, if you look in the second row 3rd from the top you can barley see option L47, 396.
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Rick
So while i was there, i charged up the battery, washed off the cobb webs and burned some rubber for a couple of minutes anim_63 this was the first time she has seen daylight in at-least 2 years
The truck was originally Olive Green with a white roof, i am not sure why my father primer-ed her? but in 1983 we painted the truck Root Beer brown, cut a couple of coils out of the front and installed the rear end on top of the lief springs to lower her some....
This is the original sticker on the inside of the glove box door, if you look in the second row 3rd from the top you can barley see option L47, 396.
Rick
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I'd be driving that bad boy. ! !
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That's the game plan buddyI'd be driving that bad boy. ! !
If i had a place to store the truck for this winter at my house, i would have already had her at my house, but my 57 and the wife's D Max get's the garage.
She is warm, dry and safe in my dads garage until next summer, then i plan on bring her home, getting her road worthy again so i can enjoy driving her for the next couple of years until my son is old enough for us to start the frame off restoration on her beer
Bye the way, was it you that said some of the 396's were actually 401's or something like that because the General actually bored them out to much from the factory?
Rick
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Think I'd be buying rear tires on that one pretty regular.lol
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The rear tires that are on it know are pretty dry rotted, so i plan on BURNING those baby's down to nothing before i install new rubber on her next summer. I think in the 2 short years i drove it in H.S. I had to buy 3 sets of rear tires...i can IMAGINE why anim_63
Rick
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Hi RickThat's the game plan buddy
Bye the way, was it you that said some of the 396's were actually 401's or something like that because the General actually bored them out to much from the factory?
Rick
Yes I did say that, it's actually tagged on the fender as a 400 however it would actually be a 402. Now some have heard that GM bored the 396 030 over which would be a 402. However the actual 402 that was built as a 402 in the early 70's. now the difference is you can't take 396 030 over pistons and use them in a specific built 402, and visa versa.
Remember the 71 Heavy Chevy ? Those were 402's
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Thanks Steve, makes total sense to me now...
I am hearing this truck being it is a short bed with a B.B. in it is pretty rare...
So if the motor is already bored 0.30 over, am i going to have issues with boring the motor again to clean up the 97,000 miles that are already on the motor?
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No Rick, that big block will take 060 over with no issues, however you could try 040 which may only be 010 but enough to clean up any issues with the bore. If it didn't have a rough life, it may need very little attention. Are there any noises or smoke that you are concerned with ?
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WELL!!!!
No noises and good oil pressure according to the stock oil gauge...
When i started the truck at my dads house 2 week ends ago, she was SMOKING like a Ban-chi.... but after i ran the 8 year old gas out of the tank and dropped in 2 fresh gallons it cleaned up allot.
If remember wright, it was oil fouling plugs back in 85, but we installed a hotted plug, and it quit fouling plugs.
I am sure the umbrella seals are all but gone on the valves, especially since my father has maybe at the most put 20,000 miles on the truck since 85, and she has been sitting awfully lot.
I plan on doing a compression test on her when i get her home next summer and go from there, if the compression test checks out half way descent, i will install a set of umbrellas seals on the valves, and start getting her road worthy again and drive her for a couple of years before i start the frame off with my son. I hate just letting her sit there and rot away, so i plan on using her again. If i had a nice dry place at my house for this winter, i would bring her home, but as it is the D Max and my 57 Chevy get the garage ....
Rick
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Rick I would do as little to it till it needs it. Maybe a mild freshen up. That being a short bed and a big block is a nice sot after truck. You don't see that combo every day....
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Rick I would do as little to it till it needs it. Maybe a mild freshen up. That being a short bed and a big block is a nice sot after truck. You don't see that combo every day....
I hear ya buddy.......if i can drive it for a couple of years just like it is, i will...when i do get around to the frame off, i plan on keeping the motor as stock as possible.
Rick
My son just bought a 67 fleetside short bed with a 396, turbo 400 and a 12 bolt 411. Could any of that be OEM. It has original paint and absolutely no rust. It has a tilt column (cadilic), power steering (cadie also), Disk fronts. We put 2 1/2" dorpped spindles and1" coils, Lowered the back. 20" wheels all around. Someone drilled some holes in the top of the bed sides, but other than that maby a couple bruses about the size of 50 cent pieces and that's it. He paid 6K for it. I thought it was a great buy.
Sharkey!!
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Sharkey!!
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What up everyone, Thats a sweet truck you got there, I thought I share what I just got. Its a 71 Cheyenne with factory 402, PS, PB , 12 Bolt Posi and AC(all there). It has little rust and will be my sons truck one day. Oh, and it is a 1/2 ton, Shortbed.
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