Scott Ward's 1963 Chevy K-20

15 November 2006
# 1722

From Scott :

           Here's what we're going to drive to Kansas City next year. Scary thought ain't it? It's actually running in the picture. I was jockeying some vehicles around so I thought I would snap a few pictures. The drivetrain is completely done -- notice all of the shiny clean stuff.

           It's a '63 Chevy K20 and it's in my shop now. I had to push it off to the side to do Brad's (Birdnow's 1947 Chevy Panel 1-Ton Dually) chassis or I would have been quite a bit further along by now.

           I have this one "before" picture" from when I bought it about six years ago.

           Here are some of the details -- the engine, transmission, transfer case and front differential are from a '77 K20. It's a warmed-over 454 with a TH350. The rear is an Eaton locker. I relocated a fuel tank to hold more gas. I rebuilt every possible piece of the drivetrain, suspension and brake system and painted everything. The only thing that got saved from the old blue body was the roof and the front box panel.

           I found a C10 longbed body fresh from California just 20 miles from where I live. The California body had a rusted out roof from the sun baking the paint off and mine had everything but the roof rusted off. So the roof got replaced but had to be converted to the big back window that the rest of the cab came with. I never get an easy repair .

           After that, I started in on the doors. Not only was there some rust needing repaired, some previous owner sawed some 6" x 9" speaker holes in each door, even took out some of the inner bracing. So, I'm about done with the doors.

           Next will be some cab welding where the doglegs of the A-pillar usually rust out and repairing some other hack job holes and then it's off to the sand blaster. Then the fun begins -- fixing what I didn't see and 40+ years of dents and dings.

           I've located a brand new, never seen the light of day, 1962 Fleetside tailgate. A farmer took it off of his '62 in '62, the day he brought his new truck home. After he slid the stock rack into the truck, he stashed the tailgate in his garage rafters until now. He sold it to me for $150 with the original chains still covered by it's original sleeves.

           I'll post more as I complete the phases of its resurrection.

Scott Ward
"48bigtrucks"
Stovebolter # 4443
Center Point, Iowa