I bought my 1971 chevy c20 camper special as a junior in high school. Its almost completely rust free, has factory air, and only 78,000 origional miles on the clock. From the day I bought it I started coming up with ideas on how to restore it. The original idea was to make it k20 (4x4) and put a nasty small block in it, but after hauling my dune buggy and banshees to the sand dunes on our senior skip day and blowing the 350sbc up on the way home. I decided I wanted power like what was in my diesel that I drive daily has. So i got on the internet and found myself a '97 cummins motor and that was it, I was doing my first cummins swap. Its been two yrs since I bought the motor and I finally have enough parts to start putting it together.

Its getting a p-pumped 12v and a nv4500 with a np205 t-case.
South bend cluth
12bolt front end
4in suspension lift
3in body lift

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Any suggestions or ideas will be appreciated

 

Personally, I don't like the idea of a 1000 lb motor sitting on top of anything less than a Dana 60...and that's just arguing knuckle and spindle strength...let's also not forget that "1/2 ton" axle shafts break easy enough with a decent built small block, let alone the torque potential of a Cummins.

Your project sounds sweet, but being a fellow 4x2 to 4x4 conversion-ist, I'd look around for a set of 1-tons. The old military GM D60/14-bolt combo can be had fairly cheap and generally come with 4.56's and some sort of locker, which would put the cherry on top of the already proven Cummins/NV4500/NP205 reputations... I'm also not much of a fan of body lifts, but to each their own. Just my two cents.

 

Yeah I've been looking for some one tont axels, this is just what I had laying around. It will eventually get boxed frame and lockers im just trying to get it on the road. Amd I agree I don't like body lifts or blocks but I was after the fire wall clearence if I have enough im gonna get rid of it. Thanks for the input...ill post some pictures as soon as I figure out how haha

 

just had time to figure out how to upload pictures and had time to do it

 

more pictures

 

I love it!

Awesome start to a great build!

 

Heck yeah im getting ral close to finishing it I just have to find time between working on the new house preping my new snowplow truck and work haha....it will probably be finished just in time to put it away for the winter