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1966 C10 Stepside Chevy


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  Owned by Bart Brannon
East Tennessee
Victoria Day
19 May 2008
# 2326

From Bart :

           Thanks Stovebolt for a wonderful web site. It has become my favorite stop! I am usually mesmerized by pictures on the site and spend time reading about the trucks. I have been viewing here for a long time and finally have finished our old family 'Bolt and I would like to submit it to be added to the Gallery.

           Our truck is a 1966 C10 Stepside Chevy that has been in our family since 1975. I went to pick up the truck with my Dad when he purchased it from a man in New England*, just outside of Trenton, Georgia. I'll never forget the day. I was 6 years old. I remember standing up in the seat and looking out the small back window and thinking how great this truck was.

           The truck was originally gold with a white top and had the wood bed. It came with a 235 and "3 on the tree." The engine had a cracked head when Dad purchased the truck so he soon picked up a junkyard 250 engine from up North to go into the truck.

           Dad drove the truck to work every day for about the next 20 years putting, we believe, over 300k on the second engine. In all, we believe the truck has about 419k on it right now.

           A couple of years ago, Dad decided to restore the old truck and hand it down to me. I was very glad because I have always loved the old truck. Many folks have tried to buy it over the years but I'm glad it stayed in the family.

           The truck is committed to my youngest daughter who is now two years old! I have a '67 Chevelle that my eight year old daughter will inherit. It has not yet been restored but is in relatively good condition. It was my first car purchased for me when I was 13 years old.

           The "frame-off" on the Bolt was performed by S&L Body shop who did a tremendous job. The paint is nearly flawless and all rust was removed and replaced with new steel panels from LMC Truck. I also asked that the fenders and doors be undercoated with POR since we have fought rust in the old girl for the longest.

           Pictures: bed / engine / interior / rear

           The body is now in better shape than when it rolled off the assembly line, I am convinced. Dad also replaced the wood bed with a new oak kit and stainless trim from LMC.

           It took quite a while to finish the job and the result of the truck sitting for all this time, the seals in the old engine just all seemed to fail at once. So, I started looking around for a replacement engine. I wasn't that interested in a rebuild since the old engine was an engine with the integrated head (not desirable for maintenance) and was not original to the truck. However, this old engine paid Dad back the $300 it cost him many times over.

           Luckily, I found a fresh rebuilt 250 out of a '69 C10 on eBay. The fellow in Manhattan, Kansas found a Corvette engine for his old truck so I lucked out.

           I have also added an air conditioner for comfort in our humid summer heat down in east Tennessee. Dad put new speakers in the old AM radio which I believe was the only option, besides the stepsides, added to the truck.

           Overall, Dad did an excellent job on the rebuild and gave me one of the best gifts ever. Not just a great truck but a great truck that provides me some of the best memories a fellow could ask for! I remember going quail hunting with him many times in the old truck and looking down on a row of fresh birds going home with us for supper. Wow!

           This truck is now my daily driver. The only downside to driving the truck is that I can't go anywhere without stopping to answer questions. Sometimes I'm late just answering questions and letting folks look it over. This truck seems to spur great memories in everyone that sees it.

Bolter Bart

           You learn something new all the time around here! I asked Bart about this idea of purchasing a truck from a man in New England and picking it up in Georgia. I figured I was missing a step / link / detail here. But no, there is a NEW ENGLAND GEORGIA. This is great:

New England is a community within Dade County, Georgia. Trenton is the center of Dade county and the city thus the place that everyone knows around northwest Georgia. For example, I was raised in Dade County within the community of Wildwood. Wildwood actually has a post office and a zip code, 30757. New England is the next community over but does not have a post office or its own zip code. It is a community of a few hundred folks between Wildwood and Trenton. Dade County is about 30 minutes southwest of Chattanooga, TN. Only folks that live in Dade county for a while would know the community of New England so maybe its not relevant.

           Well, I guess if in Maryland we can have a Hollywood and a California (only a few miles apart), I suppose a "New England" in Georgia is way kewl! Thanks for the info, Bart! ~ Editor

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