Tony Garcia's 1963 Chevy Fleetside Long Bed

        I have a 1963 Chevy Fleetside Long Bed. I bought "Da Beast" three years ago from a guy out in the desert. She didn't look too good. Had a black front bumper and grille, cracked windshield, the ugliest blue you ever saw and had huge rainbow stickers are both doors. Of course, it was love at first sight.

        I decided to rebuild "Da Beast" rather than restore so that I could continue to use the truck while under re-construction. I have found The Stovebolt Page extremely helpful in locating other "old truck junkies" and getting ideas on repairing body work, engine, locating parts (original and refurbished), as well as just tips on fixing things.

        So for the past three years, got rid of those stickers, tried to do something about the paint, and basically rebuilt her part by part. She now has a '72 rebuilt Vette 350 w/ the original three-on-the three trans though. She's got dual exhaust with Edelbrock headers which gives her a great purrrr. I chromed those bumpers and now she is respectable -- after, of course, rewiring the whole truck, adding a bench (seat) instead of a crate, and some other "extras."

        I'm the third owner. She has always been in California but was in the desert for most of her life until I brought her outta the sands and into the city. The first work done was giving her turn signals because in LA traffic, you could kill someone without them.

Then I went on to the engine, choosing a Corvette rebuilt 350 over the original six cylinder because parts are easier to come by. Then I played with the linkage so the three-on-the-tree would not act up on a hill.