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Dually Projects \ My newest projectMy newest project
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1badgmc
+1y
So, my dad basically gave me his truck. The only reason he's had it for the last few years is because he knows how bad I want it. I think I need to go find him an inexpensive car to drive for giving me this thing.
It's an '88 CC dually. He bought it brand new in August of '88 with 12 miles on the odometer. It now has 78,xxx. It went through 3 TH400 trannies before he decided to say f it and swap in a 5-speed. The body is in excellent shape with only a couple of dings on the sides and a couple of small hail dings on the hood and roof. The truck has sat outside for the last 19 years and the hot Texas sun haven't been so kind on the paint. It's starting to come off quickly. The sun has also done a number on the dash and interior. All things on my list.
I'm going through some changes in my life right now that are somewhat unfortunate. But, most clouds have a silver lining. The silver lining here is that I'll have more time and money to focus on a new project. I'm still several months out from being able to get started on it, but that just gives me more time to better plan things out.
The Plans:
So, originally I was just going to do a 5/7 or 6/8 static drop and then pull off the chrome simulator caps and paint the stock 16" wheels black and throw on some chrome rings or something. But, after looking around and seeing pics of badass square bodys on air and 22s, I think I've all but decided that I want to lay this thing out and throw on some 22" semi wheels. No bodydrop, just laying frame, but it needs to go all the way down.
For the body, plans are to keep it simple. First thing is to get rid of all the conversion truck bs. The running boards, pillar lights, TV antenna, air horns, brushguard, etc all have to go. It used to have a sun visor too, so all those holes from all that junk need to be filled in as well. I have an '89 GMC Suburban grille update for it, minus the headlights. I need to get a hold of a pair of '90 Celebrity Eurosport headlights for that so I can run composites. Out back I want to flip the tailgate handle and weld on the filler plate for the gate and then just bolt-on a steel rollpan. To me a true dually just isn't right without all the clearance lights on the roof, fenders and tailgate, so I'm not getting rid of them. I had thought about running flush mount LEDs like the taillights on my '91, but I don't know how well they would weather being outside in the elements all the time, so that's out. I'm thinking about picking up a bunch of the dually fender lights from newer model Ford F-350s and running them in all those places and then lighting them with LEDs. I'll probably smoke the lenses on the lights too. I also want to buy the kit to run the LED boards in the stock taillights. I'd love to suicide the rear doors, but that's way down on the list. I also plan to go for the one-piece window kit for the front doors and ditch those damn vent windows. Once all the body massaging has been done, I'm going to go back with solid black. If funds allow, I may try to get a 2-tone done with some sort of blue. I'm seriously considering the same blue from my '91 for the top half of it with maybe a silver stripe separating.
The interior is a burgundy color right now. That's gonna have to go as well. Gray is my choice. I want to get a pair of Tahoe front buckets and a newer model bench with the fold down console for the rear seat. Maybe get a newer model overhead console too. I might try and spring for a nice electric sunroof if I can. I'd like to go with a cluster of Auto Meter gauges set behind the gauge bezel and have a nice center console built. Throw in some nice tunes and a couple of screens to keep the kids in the backseat happy.
Right now my goal is to have the suspension and wheels done by sometime next summer. I think that might be reasonable. We'll see.
The only problem is that if I go through with it this way, it would be really messed up to have the hauler laying frame while the show truck on the trailer behind it still sits an inch off the ground.
Here are some shots of what I'm starting with:
And someone already took the liberty of doing a quick edit for me. Better than stock, but it just doesn't look right dropped with all that excess bs on it.
It's an '88 CC dually. He bought it brand new in August of '88 with 12 miles on the odometer. It now has 78,xxx. It went through 3 TH400 trannies before he decided to say f it and swap in a 5-speed. The body is in excellent shape with only a couple of dings on the sides and a couple of small hail dings on the hood and roof. The truck has sat outside for the last 19 years and the hot Texas sun haven't been so kind on the paint. It's starting to come off quickly. The sun has also done a number on the dash and interior. All things on my list.
I'm going through some changes in my life right now that are somewhat unfortunate. But, most clouds have a silver lining. The silver lining here is that I'll have more time and money to focus on a new project. I'm still several months out from being able to get started on it, but that just gives me more time to better plan things out.
The Plans:
So, originally I was just going to do a 5/7 or 6/8 static drop and then pull off the chrome simulator caps and paint the stock 16" wheels black and throw on some chrome rings or something. But, after looking around and seeing pics of badass square bodys on air and 22s, I think I've all but decided that I want to lay this thing out and throw on some 22" semi wheels. No bodydrop, just laying frame, but it needs to go all the way down.
For the body, plans are to keep it simple. First thing is to get rid of all the conversion truck bs. The running boards, pillar lights, TV antenna, air horns, brushguard, etc all have to go. It used to have a sun visor too, so all those holes from all that junk need to be filled in as well. I have an '89 GMC Suburban grille update for it, minus the headlights. I need to get a hold of a pair of '90 Celebrity Eurosport headlights for that so I can run composites. Out back I want to flip the tailgate handle and weld on the filler plate for the gate and then just bolt-on a steel rollpan. To me a true dually just isn't right without all the clearance lights on the roof, fenders and tailgate, so I'm not getting rid of them. I had thought about running flush mount LEDs like the taillights on my '91, but I don't know how well they would weather being outside in the elements all the time, so that's out. I'm thinking about picking up a bunch of the dually fender lights from newer model Ford F-350s and running them in all those places and then lighting them with LEDs. I'll probably smoke the lenses on the lights too. I also want to buy the kit to run the LED boards in the stock taillights. I'd love to suicide the rear doors, but that's way down on the list. I also plan to go for the one-piece window kit for the front doors and ditch those damn vent windows. Once all the body massaging has been done, I'm going to go back with solid black. If funds allow, I may try to get a 2-tone done with some sort of blue. I'm seriously considering the same blue from my '91 for the top half of it with maybe a silver stripe separating.
The interior is a burgundy color right now. That's gonna have to go as well. Gray is my choice. I want to get a pair of Tahoe front buckets and a newer model bench with the fold down console for the rear seat. Maybe get a newer model overhead console too. I might try and spring for a nice electric sunroof if I can. I'd like to go with a cluster of Auto Meter gauges set behind the gauge bezel and have a nice center console built. Throw in some nice tunes and a couple of screens to keep the kids in the backseat happy.
Right now my goal is to have the suspension and wheels done by sometime next summer. I think that might be reasonable. We'll see.
The only problem is that if I go through with it this way, it would be really messed up to have the hauler laying frame while the show truck on the trailer behind it still sits an inch off the ground.
Here are some shots of what I'm starting with:
And someone already took the liberty of doing a quick edit for me. Better than stock, but it just doesn't look right dropped with all that excess bs on it.
bdydrped
+1y
gots to love the boomerang antenna... if you decide to ditch it send it to campy... itll go well with his mullet.
1badgmc
+1y
My dad had a '75 regular cab dually that he bought shortly before I was born in '76. He kept that one until he sold it after ordering the '88. I've lived with duallies all my life, so they're in my blood. Now I just need to turn it into a proper street truck.
pig rig
+1y
welcome kind of a novel but thats cool looks like you have a good base to start with
as far as the head light I think your after the ones from a 87-90 caprice
as far as the head light I think your after the ones from a 87-90 caprice