The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Shop/Rat/Art/Truck

I've had this 63 C20 for two years. This is what she looked like when I brought her home. Needless to say the wife was not impressed. hahaha!
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...B0841E49-EC6C-4B44-AFFE-AA4197254A3C.jpg
She came with bed full of spare wheels and parts. Like, packed full. The 350 was just rebuilt and not even broke in plus there's a tranny in it. This is how she sits now. Needs wiring, hoses, lines, brakes and stuff but most everything is there. http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...72B40839-BBE7-4097-AE85-CE63E3B1D997.jpg
I had ideas of putting it on bags and laying frame. That's why it sat for two years. I was never ready to do it. Well, I came to my senses and realized I just need to get the darn running and change things as so go. That made me change my concept from a low rider to a stink bug.

I own a tattoo shop in a small Arizona town. Because of the weather the car scene is huge here. Hot rods and rat rods galore. I'm an artist as well as an enthusiast so I want a truck to represent me and my shop. I have a rustic style of art I'm known for. The bed of nails below was a piece I made for a local charity auction. I've had thoughts of building another one on a trailer that I could haul around to events. But now I'm going to install it right on the truck. The painted door with my logo hangs outside my shop and the other pictures are interiors of the shop and a cabinet I made.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...329737BE-AC55-4AF0-B740-38F53C75A836.jpg
So I want to build a thin long flatbed, four by eight feet, that will ride between the tires and turning it into a bed of nails. I'll build a steel headboard to mount the cow skull and weld some big steel horns on it. I'm thinking of putting dually's with tall tires and painting my logo on the doors. This is the closest thing I've found to my idea. Longer bed of nails. Similar to the sculpture I made. I like the stink bug stance. Tall in the back in the weeds in front.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...51B46017-AA39-4189-9720-396738B7D2E0.jpg

Of course I've got plenty of work to do to get her together and running first. She's in the garage now. First thing is sheet metal and wheels off. Then brakes and bearings. I'll go from there. I hope to keep some good momentum. There's a local show in February I hope to bring her to. Thanks for looking.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...D79ED2AB-5909-4098-B687-F930EAECC855.jpg

Get it running well enough that you can enjoy it. Then change small things. You might lose enthusiasm if you see it sit too long. I had that problem.

Stutter, be sure to keep us posted. Sounds like a very interesting project and something different. I'm also glad to see you are "saving one" that might otherwise went the way of the tin monster or the rust worms. And not tearing up a nice original pickup to make a rat/art pickup.

....I was in Lake Havasu some years ago. Almost took a job with a company called Hydro Dynamics. I do remember stepping off the plane, in mid July, and the thermometer reading 115 at the Rodeway Inn. When I ask a realtor about cutting grass she informed me "we don't cut grass, we rake rocks'. Still, I like the area.
Keep us posted on your project. We are here to help and there is not much these guys haven't seen or helped with. Good luck.

Thanks Lugnutz. That's my plan. It's sat for two years already. Waiting for the perfect just perfect gotta be right time. It never came. LOL I read your build thread. What was it four years before you really dug in?
This thing came with plenty of parts. Most I know I'll change out eventually but I've got to get her going.

Achipmunk this thing was actually saved from being scrapped. I got it from a buddy who had an old rusted out 65 that needed to be scrapped. It was deadly. He was in the process of swapping over when I got it. I'm giving the bed back to him also. He's got a 65 C30 flatbed he wants to make fleetside. The patina on the tailgate is gorgeous and just what an artist would want. But I'd rather see it get used as it's supposed to. Check it out.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...5B5AF081-D7D4-405C-8C47-8A933800067C.jpg

I hate to pop your bubble, but can you run a vehicle on public roads without some protection for your duals? I know semis have to have mud flaps on the truck and trailers. Wouldn't that also apply to your pickup? I'd hate to follow you down the highway and catch a rock in my windshield. Just a thought , you might check on first. Any Highway Patrol officer could answer the question. JP

Thanks Jon, that is thought of mine for sure. They are fairly easy going on what is permitted on the roads around here. They let people register all kinds of off road vehicles like side by sides and sand rails and stuff. We have a big off road community. We're in the desert so we are all rocks and dust around here. Haha! Then in the car show scene hardly any of the Model A's and hot rods around here run fenders. They run a big back tire probably just as wide as some dually's are. I'm going to give it a try and if I run into any troubles I'll fabricate some cool fenders or flaps. I'm also not %100 sold on putting dually's. I'd love to do a big super single wheel but that still puts me with the same issue. But it's the cost of them that's really keeping me from getting them. LOL

Stutter,
I got started on my 65 right away but I lost some steam at about 2 years. Then by the time 4 years came along, I didn't have any more patience. I rushed through some things so I could enjoy driving it a little.
Having gone through this the way I did, I'd do it differently next time. I'd first get the drive train and brakes working safely. If that means letting it sit for a while while I save up funds, then that's ok. Too many folks pull the truck all apart because it seems like they are getting stuff done. Bad idea if you don't have funds to keep the momentum going.
Doing the brakes and getting them working well can usually be done fairly cheaply. They need to be done anyway. Wait for a good deal on an engine if yours isn't gonna work as is.

Lugnutz, thanks again. I've been getting some great advice on these forums. I'm pulling the bed off tonight because I'm not using it. I'm taking the hood and front clip off too. They're barely bolted on anyways and the hood and right fender could use some hammering. It will give me more room in my garage haha It's a tight squeeze in there. Then like I said brakes and bearings. Then yeah, like you said drivetrain.

I got the truck from a buddy. He had a 65 that was his grandpa's that he was building. He realized it was a rust bucket death trap so he bought this 63 and was going to swap everything over. He got as far as the engine and tranny and moved away for work. The engine still has the chains bolted to it. He and his dad rebuilt it and ran it a few times before he swapped it. They say it ran like a beast. It's been sitting for two years so hopefully it's still in good shape.

The truck was at his folks place and he needed it out of there. I got it for $700 and a couple tattoos I did on him. I went over there to his pop's house and he gave me everything. Told me I had to take it all! It had two extra sets of wheels, two gas tanks, two drive lines, two radiators, a generator and an alternator, two brake boosters, an extra windshield, and a couple crates of miscellaneous. It filled the bed of the 63 and the truck I drove over.

I've got $500 stashed to get me started. I'm thinking a wiring harness is going to be my biggest expense. I might grab one while I've got the money. I can easily throw a hundred or two at it now and then. Like you said, brakes are fairly cheap thing to get started on.

If you were closer, we could put your engine on my run stand. Sorry for showing off, but I'm really happy that I built this because it gave me 100% confidence that my new engine would perform well. Video link of my engine run stand.

That's rad!

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...9CD45127-C4DE-44B4-A69C-129E4132F443.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...E84F44CD-ED1C-4DD2-8920-A7E9817CED14.jpg

We got the bed and the front clip off today.

Very nice. You have your own run stand right there. The frame. I had a running truck with a low oil pressure engine that burned a lot of oil. I didn't want to swap engines until I was sure the new one was working as advertised. Thus, I needed a place to test it and the run stand was a fun project.
So, get that beast running and stopping. Then work on the other stuff as funds allow.
Here's my 1963. Link to my 1963 project.

Trying to get something done everyday no matter how small. Pulled the seat and vacuumed. I found the ashtray and radio behind it so that was cool. She's pretty clean in there. No rot.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/...C47158D9-EECB-4A74-92FD-0A84C3CB7ACA.jpg

Stutter,
Wow, that cab floor and just about everything I can see looks to be in awesome condition. Good for you!

Like you, I started posting photos in photobucket. To be honest, I was very unhappy at how slow it made my computer run and that other folks often had trouble seeing the photos.

Take this suggestion for what it's worth. Open a Weebly.com account. LINK HERE
It takes a few minutes to learn your way around but it really is fun to have a BLOG. If you don't want to use it as a BLOG, just upload photos that you want others to see. Then share the link to the photos.

Here's an example. LINK to RANDOM PICS on my Weebly BLOG. A forum member wanted to see pics of a stock Inline 6 exhaust. So I just posted them to my Weebly account on a page I call "Random Pics". I can delete them whenever I want. I have total control. No advertising. No spam. I have complete control of all content on my website. IT'S TOTALLY FREE!

Meanwhile, Keep at it man! Keep the motivation alive! I'll be following along.

Thanks! It really is. Not cuts in the dash either. It's good news too because I don't plan on doing anything to it other than repad and upholster the seat and change out that steering wheel. That saves me a ton of work.

Thanks for the tips on the pics. I've had that Photobucket account for 10 years and haven't used it in a long. It was the first thing I went to because I already had it. Yeah, it's a pain. I'll check into the other site.

Removed the raggity old seat upholstery. I've got a few broken springs in the drivers side. As expected. lol Other than that she's in good shape.

https://imgur.com/gallery/w9HZy

I got her up on stands today and took off the old split rims.
https://imgur.com/gallery/ZC51n
I've got some old Ford 16" rims with decent tires I'll use for rollers for now and get rid of the splits. I already got rid of one set. LOL Luckily I have a hook up with a tow yard. I just drop them off.

This is the only real rot I've found so far. It's a piece of the passenger quarter panel. The one that was dinged up.
https://imgur.com/gallery/dISJl

I want to get these hubs apart this weekend and see what I need for parts.

Ummmm, No. I'd say you have scale rust but compared to most 60-66 trucks, you don't have any serious rust. Just look at mine.
My 1963.

You're right no serious rust. It's rusty just like we like them here. LOL It's an Arizona/California truck so it's had easy life. What I'm referring to in the picture is a piece that ripped off of the quarter panel and is still bolted to the body. As I've been going through this thing I've found lots of things weren't bolted down all the way. I assumed the bottom of the quarter panel wasn't bolted. But instead it's torn away. I've got a couple dents to hammer out but this is the only welding so far.
https://imgur.com/gallery/GHAMl
The other side was fine and not bolted down.

LugNutz, I think your truck looks beautiful. Are keeping the look? What are your plans?

Fender support brace. You can buy that piece and tack it in. All of us East Coasters are envious.

I can only imagine. We look at rust as a sign of aging nicely. An earned battle scar. The character of an old man. You must look at it like a disease and death. haha

I'll drive the 63 as is and make small repairs as I go. Trying to sort out why I have only 90 psi in cylinder #6 when 1-5 have 125psi. Leak test showed leakage through both exhaust and intake valves. Probably should have the head redone.
The project that NEEDS to be done is my 1965 stepper. I have all the parts needed to put it together but I don't want to just slap it together. I need to do it right.
So I'll just keep at it. The 65 will be a 100% reliable driver when done.

Ah, I get. A work truck. I love it. I poked around through the link you posted to find pictures of your 65. Pretty cool truck. I can see why you want to do it right.

This is what appears to be the original plate from my truck. https://imgur.com/gallery/IryD4 The front is still fused the bumper. It's got the original stamp top right corner from 63 when it was first registered. On the left it has what looks like the last sticker from 1973. The truck was only registered for ten years? I don't know much about its origin but this has me curious.

Taking a truck apart is interesting if you like being a detective. You find all sorts of history. Some good, some bad. Sometimes you even find little treasures.

I got hung up this weekend helping my mother in-law so no work on the truck. I'm anxious to start these brakes so I pulled a front hub tonight to see what it looks like. Looks pretty good.
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/hRfpP

Looking good Stutter, a little cleaning, maybe a little paint and it will look better than new......its nice when a plan comes together.

Missing all the parking brake parts?

That looks like a front wheel spindle and brake assembly. Notice the upper control arm in the background? No E-brake parts there.

Yeah, that's a front. I'll get to the backs in a couple days. Life sure gets in the way. lol

Little update-After pulling the hubs apart and inspecting the front suspension I've decided to swap It out. I hadn't planned on converting to disc brakes but if I want to drop the front end I've got to. I thought I could get some spindles but they don't make them. I have a buddy with a tow company that gave me free reign at his yard for parts. I should be able to get most everything I need.

So, since I'm changing out some of that front suspension I'm going to pull the engine and the cab. It's all barely attached anyway. Hopefully by the weekend. I wasn't planning on cleaning up the chassis but now I've got some fun ideas.

And so it begins . . . . the inevitable "I'll just do a little at a time" turns into a much bigger task. It is a lot of fun. Just remember that you can drop it lower at a later time. Enjoy it.

Yeah, not what I planned. But man, the more I get into this thing the more I see what it really needs. I'm still trying to only take apart what I'm working on. I do have some good support with friends and clients interested in what I'm doing. They come by and help with bits and give me good advice.
I can get a whole front end to swap out for free. The engine is only held in with the cross member bolt anyway. And all the pain in the but stuff in the cab is already off. It's just the four bolts left. I'm a good parts changer but that's about it so I'll focus on getting the chassis rolling smooth and looking good while the motor is gone. I have client who's a pro engine guy so we're trading out for him to dial the motor in. I have another buddy who gave me a Muncie tranny to use if I want. So yeah, changes and lots to think about.

I knew I was going to be able to trade out work for this project but I might have to call it, "The Truck That Tattoos Built." Hahaha

Just keep it fun. When it's not fun anymore, progress grinds to a halt. Too many of these trucks start out with good intentions and never end up back on the road. After my wreck, I told myself I'd have my truck back on the road in two months. It's been a year and a half.

Had a mechanic buddy come by last night and we talked about my options. I'm not going to pull it all apart. I should be able to find the whole front suspension in one piece at my buddies tow lot. I'll still pull the engine to swap cross members and my buddy gave me a 3 speed Muncie I may switch to. I'll worry about ride height later but I want to have the right front end for it first.

I'm a sucker for buying stuff I don't need, just because I think I'll MAYBE need it later and it's hard to find.
Went to the salvage yard yesterday because they had a 1973 C10 on the lot. They RARELY have anything older that 1990s stuff. Had to take a look at it. Truck was in shambles BUT . . . . it does have the front suspension crossmember and disc brakes and PS box and collapsing steering shaft that makes a very nice upgrade to any 1960-71 truck. Plus, the engine was already pulled out. I could probably have that whole front suspension out and loaded to go home in 2 hours or less. Talk about easy.
Do I NEED it? NO!
Would it require many hours of work to make it ready for a swap? You bet.
I walked away but still think about it. I did tell a good friend about it. He may come get it.
I just need to fix what I have.

Haha! I could see where it would be hard to pass up. Hope I get so lucky. My buddy says he has 4 or 5 of them but a couple are buried. We'll see. Trying to get out there to see them is tough with our schedules. Maybe by the weekend.

That pretty much describes what happened to my old '63 C10 after I sold it. My Buddy I sold it to drove it for a couple of years, then sold it to another friend who drove it for a while before tearing it down to do more work on it.

Long story short, he never finished his work. He split with his wife, who got the house and the torn down truck in the deal. Last I heard, her new boyfriend was going to work on it. That was over 25 years ago. I never saw that truck again. I was sad when I heard that it was never finished.