Big ole rear end

Well, seems like time just keeps getting tougher and tougher to leave me some time to work on this project.  But little by little I keep plugging away.  Not much has occurred labor wise on the truck since the last installment, but there have been some major developments in the way of motivation of the truck.  Happened to stumble across yesterday on my favorite truck forum, www.stovebolt.com, that the rear end in my truck was used in 3/4 & 1 tons from 1946 all the way to 1972.  Guess don't change what isn't broke.  Well, apparently in 67-72, there were a few 3/4 tons factory equipped with V8's and automatics.  These trucks featured something that is becoming highly sought after from many regards, but in my instance, old stovebolt trucks.

Apparently, chevy put three gear ratios inside those rear ends, a 5.14:1 (what mine currently has), 4.59:1, and with a 67-72 Factory V8& Auto, a 4.10:1.  So since I plan to drive this truck down the highway, I am very interested in the 4.10.  Will take a load off the engine as well. 

At any rate, the GM HO72 rear end, as they are officially named, oddly enough, though individual components do not interchange across all 25 years of production, the third members do.  So swapping out the gears will be a much simpler job.  Best of all, I have two already spotted and just have to get right on the price! 

In other somewhat less exciting news, I finished disassembling my grill and managed to roughly repair an area on the hood latch panel that was opened more than it was supposed to. 

Soon, more will come.