1976 C20 body on a 2000 Tahoe Z71 4x4 chassis: swap at the firewall or strip to the frame?
Hey guys!
I'm picking up a 1976 C20 this week and plan to make it my winter build, starting after Dinos Git Down in November. The goal is to put the C20 body on my 2000 Chevy Tahoe Z71 4x4 (4" lift, 350, auto). I want a 4x4 big brother to the orange and white '73 2WD long bed I already have.
I've seen a few YouTube builds that put a C10 on a 2003+ Tahoe for the LS and modern features. I get the appeal, but I already own the 2000 and want to use it.
Questions:
Firewall vs. bare frame: Should I cut everything off the Tahoe but keep its firewall, then cut the firewall out of the C20 and graft the cab to it? Or strip the Tahoe to the bare frame and build up from there?
4x4 shifter: The Tahoe's 4x4 is a push-button switch on the dash. I have a 1992 with a floor-shift transfer case. Is it worth swapping to the floor shifter for a cleaner square body interior, or should I keep the electronic setup?
Bed: The C20 is a long bed. I'm planning to skip the stock bed, and I'm weighing three options: shorten the long bed, buy a short bed, or build a flatbed. Which way would you go?
Other details:
The engine and transmission are healthy, so I'm keeping them stock for now.
I have three OBS Chevys, so I have plenty of parts. A lot of the Tahoe's parts will go into Big Red, my '98 C3500 crew cab.
I buy and sell OBS trucks all the time, but this one is going to be my main squeeze.
Any advice from people who've done a square body on a GMT400 chassis is appreciated. Pics are of my tahoe donor the c20 and the third one is just a ai rendition.
Any thoughts or comments, please let me know what you think.