Jerry Cade's 1966 Chevy C-10

23 May 2007
# 1955

From Jerry :

           My dream vehicle has always been the 1964 – 1966 Chevy C10. I have nearly obsessed over getting one of these for more than 20 years. I had a 1965 Chevy Stepside back in 1985. That was the year I met my wife. She did not like it. But back then I wanted her more than the truck, so I got rid of the truck. I still have the wife.

           Recently I had the opportunity to acquire this 1966 Chevy C10. I had it shipped from North Carolina. When I went to pick it up, I was pretty amped up. The anticipation I felt on the way there was like the feeling you get after eating a greasy meal while sailing through 20 foot seas. That is not a pleasant feeling.

           That feeling was quickly replaced with joy when I turned the key and that V8 roared to life without hesitation. Starting my new truck brought back memories of my first old Chevy.

           On the way home though, the joy was quickly replaced with frustration and disappointment. The truck quit running and would not restart. It was then when I found myself on the downward part of an emotional roller coaster. I eventually towed the truck home and have come to the realization that the truck is exactly what I wanted: a diamond in the rough.

           I got to looking at the wiring and it looks like a rat's nest. There are more than a few splices and various gauges of wire in the truck. There a couple that were burned through. I am guessing that is why she quit on me.

           So, now I am waiting on my new harness that I ordered last Friday. I am going to follow the same steps that I found on your Tech Tips page. Morris Cox "Texmo", re-wired his 1963 with good results. I figured I would give it a shot.

           I am a Bio-med tech by trade. I figure if I can assemble an X-ray machine with a set of directions, then I have a better than fair chance of being able to re-wire my truck (hopefully).

           My goal is to restore this baby to as close to original as my meager paycheck will allow. Although there is a clutch pedal in the truck, the tranny is an automatic, which i like. I want to put the shift on the column and get rid of the B&M shifter. Also want to replace the V8 with an inline 6 250.

           I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I cannot wait to start.

Jerry Cade
Big Point, Mississippi