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Hello All, been lurking on the various GM forums since picking up (no pun intended) a '66 C 10 short stepside pickup in Dec '21.

My wife & I own a small mom & pop warehouse & out door storage business. Thru that business I received title to an old abandoned RV that happened to have a 454 engine. Naturally, my first thoughts were "I need an old truck to put this engine in".

Back in the 60's & early 70's I was a real gearhead, but somehow I got sidetracked into motorcycling. Spent the last 40 yrs doing everything from racing motocross to tour cross country coast to coast. Now that I'm of a "certain age" aka old, the bikes are taking a back seat and my 66 Stepside is front & center.

I grew up working & hanging out in my fathers garage business in the 50's & 60's. I learned a lot , but the skills I'm seeing on the various old car & truck forums, including this one, is truly humbling. I've spent my whole working life refurbishing old(er) trucks & equipment to put back in service for the self-employed business's I've owned, but wasn't prepared for the professional level work that is being done in backyard garages & even just backyards.


I wish I'd have studied these restoration threads before starting my project. But, I'm here now & hope to learn a lot & maybe make a contribution now & then.

RB

Edit by Peggy M . 8.3.23: RB started in the Welcome Centre and moved up to the DITY Gallery in just a few months. He's done such a great job with his "story," and such detail, his "story" was really a resto-blog. So, we asked if we could move to the Project Journal area. And here it is!

We believe there are plenty of folks who would like see what he's been doing. And judging from the 2,357 views in less than six months, we think his C-10 saga is in the perfect spot for sharing now! thumbs_up

We kept a few of the greetings from the WC but for those who are looking for ACTION, it starts here a little further down this thread.

Soak it up!

wave
Attachments
IMG_0709.jpeg (76.69 KB, 49 downloads)
Before photo

Last edited by Phak1; 06/07/2025 1:25 PM. Reason: Added before/after pictures

1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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RLB has dropped a note in the Southern Bolters Forum in the thread looking for the Florida truck folks. thumbs_up


~ Peggy M
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Pics? My inlaws have a place in Polk County. About as far away from either coast as can be, ha. Where ya from? Id like to relocate in that direction. Currently from Pennsylvania. The land of taxes, lol. Hope to see ya around.

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Thanks for the welcome. I'm in the Melbourne area of Brevard County.

Last edited by Peggy M; 07/13/2023 3:43 PM.

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Originally Posted by Rusty Rod
Welcome (back) to the 'bolt. Please post some pix of your project.
Attachments
96B1CB0A-675B-4772-B825-05BB38F9AB7D.jpeg (190.46 KB, 412 downloads)
E651D4B2-D527-4D9F-9F46-95620C9CD20C.jpeg (313.75 KB, 409 downloads)
127A8BE5-A63A-4857-B5D9-565A9CFB1B37.jpeg (197.46 KB, 412 downloads)


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Step-by-step ~ and on-going resto build
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Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT
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Welcome RLB from a fellow self-acknowledged "gearhead" - LOL! thumbs_up

You are right in the midst of a whole passel of folks just like yourself. Previous knowledge will come back to you the more time you spend with your truck. The "skill" side comes with getting in there and doing the hands on stuff, but am sure you already know that from your own other experiences.

Glad you decided to join us in our madness!

Looking forward to seeing pix and sharing conversation in the other forums!

Dan wave

Last edited by Gdads51; 07/19/2023 11:26 PM.

~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
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My wife & I own a small warehouse/ outdoor storage business. A few years back a tenant gave me the keys & title to his RV that he had quit paying for rental space. Thinking it was an old Chrysler chassis, I was surprised to find it had a Generation V 454 engine First thought I had was: I need an old Chevy pickup to put this engine in After several years off casually looking, I stumbled on this 66 C10 in Joblin, Mo via eBay. Four days & $2500 & it was in my new shop in Florida TBC
Attachments
IMG_1331.jpeg (249.76 KB, 408 downloads)
IMG_1330.jpeg (209.51 KB, 402 downloads)
IMG_1326.jpeg (238.48 KB, 406 downloads)
IMG_1327.jpeg (239.28 KB, 403 downloads)

Last edited by Peggy M; 07/13/2023 3:47 PM.

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The Plan for the truck was to keep it looking stock but install the 454 with a m20 4 spd. Using as many GM parts as possible. Pretty much like we would have done back in the 60’s or 70’s. I decided to first get the cab & chassis more or less squared away before starting on the engine /drivetrain First order of business was to strip the cab & remove it & bed from the frame. I had a 2nd generation sandblasting guy that I’d used years ago. He was happy to help me out. First the cab then the frame.
Attachments
IMG_1344.jpeg (277.15 KB, 383 downloads)
IMG_1348.jpeg (188.97 KB, 381 downloads)
IMG_1364.jpeg (247.61 KB, 381 downloads)
IMG_1353.jpeg (264.75 KB, 382 downloads)

Last edited by Peggy M; 07/13/2023 4:10 PM.

1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Correction: I had the frame sand basted first, then the cab. Also, just to be clear, I picked up the C 10 in Dec '21. Started work in early Jan '22. So I'm posting off photos I've taken along the way & my memory (which may or may not be reliable)

While the cab was at the SB 'ers. I Por 15 rustproofed the frame. Brushed it on rather than sprayed, but it flowed out very nicely. While looking the chassis over, I realized how rough life had been for this 'ol C10. The one of the front lower control arms was bent & one of the rear trailing arms was broken in half, minus about 10% that was holding it together.

I'm just guessing here. The title for this truck indicated it was last purchased by someone in Kansas in 1978. I think t lived out it's former life as a farm truck. After it's usefulness as a work truck was finished, I believe the farmers kids finished it off by off-roading it in the woods & fields surrounding their farm. I'm not sure how it could've gotten in such rough shape underneath otherwise.

I ordered both new re-pop trailing arms complete with bushings & a complete re-pop front suspension & steering linkage kit.

I installed the trailing arms while waiting for the cab, but decided to hold off on the front suspension installation.
Attachments
IMG_1366.jpg (283.8 KB, 418 downloads)
Installing the new trailing arms
IMG_1361.jpg (307.39 KB, 411 downloads)
broken trailing arm
IMG_1360.jpg (236.34 KB, 418 downloads)
Por 15'ng the frame

Last edited by Peggy M; 07/13/2023 4:11 PM. Reason: typo

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After getting cab back from the SB'ers, I had mixed feelings. On one hand I was happy to have old the old rust, dirt , corn husk, seeds , birds nests, rodents nest etc gone. OTOH, I was disappointed to find rust in places that I thought were OK. But, it was what it was, so I started in on it.

Maybe some have noticed that I was starting work in a brand new building with no tools or shop equipment other than some hand tools & a few power tools left over from my former life. After thinking it over, I decided my priority (at age 76) was to have an old 454 powered C 10 I could ride around in & tinker with, not to have a fully equipped shop for old truck restorations. With that settled , I started in.

First off, I dug out an old pair of iron saw horses that were left over from my family's former garage business. The story goes that my father bought them from a iron works & fabrication shop in Balto Md that went broke in 1933 (During the great depression) I used them along with a couple of yellow pine 2x12's to hold the cab up off the floor & also used my over head lifting device to help steady it as well. Once I was satisfied with the safety aspects, I started in on the drivers side . Well, actually I put a quick coat of primer on the whole cab. The salt air enviroment here in coastal Florida is brutal on bare metal.

I'm posting a few photos from the drivers side. After looking at my photos again, apparently I started work on left side of cab before taking it to the sandblaster's. Once I started cutting rusted metal out , I decided to sandblast it before going any further.
Attachments
IMG_1333.jpg (274.79 KB, 387 downloads)
IMG_1354.jpg (345.77 KB, 387 downloads)
IMG_1355 (1).jpg (218.95 KB, 380 downloads)


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Well Rob, you certainly have a good attitude there. "With that settled, I started in."

I did notice the clean shop (admittedly, some of us do! grin ). That was a nice set of images in the earlier posts, plus some great explanation and story. Now, the recent rust ones! Oh my. That's sad to even see!! But, I get you'll get it done!!

Keep us posted and know that the gang is here to help with questions.

shake

Last edited by Phak1; 01/07/2024 1:25 PM. Reason: Spelling correction

~ Peggy M
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Rob,

It looks like you are going like gang busters in make progress on your project! thumbs_up

Very interested in seeing more as you can share. Of course all the pictures you can muster are always greatly appreciated! wink

Dan


~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
Follow this story in the DITY Gallery
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Thanks, guys. Last couple wks have been busy with family visits & other stuff. I'll try to post more regularly now.

As I said, sandblasting an already rusty cab revealed even more rust damage than I knew about. I used a 4 1/2 in grinder with HF cutting disc and began triming back the rust damaged parts. As I recall, on the drivers side that included the lower front door post, floor pan up into the lower firewall, lower kicker panel, rear cab corner & inner & outer rocker panel. Some rust damage extended pass the limits of my new patch panels, for those extended pieces I used sheet metal made my own patch extensions. Also front & rear floor braces were gone as well.

I know my methods are not the current way of doing things, but I was determined to use my existing experience (from years past) along with tools I already owned to keep my project moving forward. Here, I refering to my cutting away of the rusted metal to allow for approx. 1 " overlap of the new panel (whenever possible) This allowed me to use self tapping screws to bolt every thing together tightly.

Apparently I didn't take photos of the cut away, but the photos of the installed patch panels prior to welding should show my results.

Ment to show brazed panels in next post. Since, as I said earlier, I wanted to keep job moving along with skills & equipment I already possessed, I chose to braze panels in. I already had a torch & full bottles of gas & air leftover from the old days. After brazing, top & bottom, I removed metal screws & brazed up the screw holes.
Attachments
IMG_1382 (1).jpg (241.15 KB, 289 downloads)
IMG_1381 (1).jpg (193.5 KB, 292 downloads)
IMG_1374.jpg (199.42 KB, 289 downloads)
IMG_1377.jpg (213.63 KB, 288 downloads)

Last edited by RLB; 07/20/2023 12:10 PM. Reason: additonal info

1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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More photos

The left side door was not in too bad of shape, so I was able to re install it to double check fit & gaps prior to brazing new panels in place. Gaps were not perfect, but close enough.


My apologies for being a little disorganized with the photos & narrative. I took photos with my phone a year & half ago for my own record. Now I'm having a little trouble sorting them out . Hopefully, I'll get better at it as I go. As an example, I was certain I had a photo of the left door fitted prior brazing , but now can't find it.
Attachments
IMG_1379 (1).jpg (209.81 KB, 290 downloads)
IMG_1383.jpg (243.15 KB, 290 downloads)
IMG_1414.jpg (203.54 KB, 291 downloads)
IMG_1349.jpg (133.22 KB, 289 downloads)


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
HiPo
Step-by-step ~ and on-going resto build
in the Project Journals
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,389
Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT
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Rob,

Thanks for the continued updates and picture postings. We all very much understand when family visits and other stuff can take over as the priority. Your pictures show great progress and explanations confirming checking/verifying door openings and such fitment before full welding (brazing in your case) are a testament to your knowledge and skills.

Keep up the great work and will continue to follow your projects progress!

Dan

Last edited by Gdads51; 07/20/2023 2:30 PM.

~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
Follow this story in the DITY Gallery
"My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine"
1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver)
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Thanks Dan.

Hopefully, a few more photos of the left side will show up below lol.

After brazing up the drivers side, I switched over to the passenger side. That was pretty much a re-run of the drivers side. A few photos before I started cutting out the rust. The photos don't show it but the right side front & rear floor braces are completely gone as well.
Attachments
IMG_1392.jpg (201.02 KB, 259 downloads)
IMG_1376.jpg (226.75 KB, 266 downloads)
IMG_1372.jpg (184.77 KB, 263 downloads)
IMG_1383.jpg (243.15 KB, 262 downloads)
IMG_1385.jpg (142.38 KB, 264 downloads)
IMG_1384.jpg (197.66 KB, 263 downloads)
IMG_1378.jpg (200.69 KB, 262 downloads)


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
HiPo
Step-by-step ~ and on-going resto build
in the Project Journals
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,389
Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT
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Rob,

That's a bunch of work to resurrect that cab, but you are certainly getting it done. thumbs_up I've seen Swiss cheese with less holes than some of the cab sections you are replacing - haha!

Keep on it sir. You are becoming quite skilled with adding photos. Due to a glitch in the UBB software that the site runs on, if you don't add your own captions to new pics, the caption from previous pictures carries over to your newer pics (you can see the caption along bottom center of the pics when displayed). You can take one more step to make your pics better by adding "captions" when you upload them via the Attachment Manager.

When you can, maybe take a look at this post by Peggy M as it gives you everything you may want to know about posting pictures. If you look at the lower section of the first post by Peggy, you will see an "EDIT" by fellow member and moderator klhansen (Kevin) that has a link to a short video he created that gives you what you need to do to add a caption to the photos in the easiest way possible.

After watching the video, give the steps a try for your next pictures (you need to do the steps for each picture as you add them) and the captions you add will match the content of your picture.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Dan wave


~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
Follow this story in the DITY Gallery
"My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine"
1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver)
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Thanks Dan. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks but I'll see what I can do.


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Apparently, I didn't take photos of the right floor rebuild, but as I said earlier, it was pretty much a repeat of the left side. With one glaring exception. On the left side I had a decent door for trial fitting prior to brazing everything in place. The original right side door was not re-usable or reparable. When it had been damaged prior to my owning it, the inner panel that supports the door hinges was badly damaged. At the time, new re-production doors were pushing $1,000 if you included freight & sales taxes. In retrospect, that might of been my best bet. After checking Craigslist daily, I found a door that was rough but fixable for 50 bucks.

After sandblasting the door, I painted insides with rust prevention black paint, installed new outer skin & lower inside panel, brazed it up, did necessary grinding & sanding with body filler & shot it with two coats of Viper red . I admit my painting is a little rusty, like the rest of my skills. OTOH, painting as I go gives the metal protection & gets paint in places the might not have gotten it if door were mounted in place.

Now I had a usable door for test fitting my right side of cab floor, rocker, cab corner, floor braces, etc prior to brazing them up.
Attachments
IMG_1395.jpg (226.44 KB, 304 downloads)
Used door with most of damaged outer skin removed
IMG_1398.jpg (245.69 KB, 303 downloads)
Used door inside
IMG_1401.jpg (217.14 KB, 304 downloads)
same door after sandblasting, rust proofing the guts & new skin prior to brazing
IMG_1402.jpg (237.09 KB, 303 downloads)
same door with inside lower panel installed
IMG_1458.jpg (214.62 KB, 305 downloads)
right door after brazing, sanding/body filler for blending old with the new & paint


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
HiPo
Step-by-step ~ and on-going resto build
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Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT
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Rob,

Thanks for the great pics, including the captions (woohoo!) and filling in the details on the right door. thumbs_up

Dan


~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
Follow this story in the DITY Gallery
"My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine"
1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver)
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That before and after pix sequence of the door is amazing. You are doing a remarkable job here.

The captions help a lot here!!

Thanks thanks!

(I'm thinking you have stepped up from DITY to Project Journal material. Way to go Rob!)


~ Peggy M
1949 Chevrolet 3804
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Hi Peggy.


If it's all the same to you, I'd rather just stay here in the DIY section. The projects & builds section has some really nice work that is a step (or two) above what I'm doing. I'm just a former truck & equipment mechanic bringing a truck back to life much like I'd have done years ago. A trip down memory lane, so to speak.

Having said that, I trust your judgement on what's best for the SB.com forum. Thank you for being the glue that holds it all together.


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After trial fitting of the right hand door, I finished brazing new patch panels, used sanding disc on 4 1/2 in grinder to removed old flux & excess material, used seam sealer on all joints or seams & primed.

Next, I started finishing the cab corners. Using the 4 1/2in grinder with sanding disc, I removed all excess brass & flux from brazing & roughed up metal surfaces prior to using body filler to smooth transition from new cab corners to existing metal. The photos I'm posting will look like a lot of excess bondo but ends up being just a paper thin covering. The goal is to have a perfect feather edge where the filler meets the metal, with no dips or high spots visible when painted.

Next step in finishing the filler is priming & sanding to fill any imperfections or pin holes in the filler prior to final sealer/primer & painting.
Attachments
IMG_1394.jpg (203.38 KB, 282 downloads)
Passenger side floor
IMG_1418 (2).jpg (204.56 KB, 283 downloads)
Floor after brazing, seam sealer in all joints & primed
IMG_1399.jpg (241.79 KB, 280 downloads)
left side cab corner with un-sanded filler
IMG_1400.jpg (228.3 KB, 284 downloads)
right side w/ un-sanded filler
IMG_1419 (1).jpg (165.77 KB, 283 downloads)
right cab corner sanded & primed
IMG_1415 (1).jpg (199.65 KB, 284 downloads)
left floor & cab corner sanded & primed


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Nice job!
You definitely have skills that I can only dream about!


Rich
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Thanks Rich, I appreciate that.

I skipped a step in the process. Once the cab floor & associated parts were installed, cab was set back on the frame. I wasn't concerned about the rear cab mount location, but the front mounting area had received a lot of work with potential for mis -alignment . Thankfully, all lined up well. I used the newer style polyurethane bushings. Since then I've read some are complaining they ride too harshly & help transmit noise. They're in there now, so I'll just keep the bolts tight & see what happens.

I have to admit, it felt good to have cab mounted on frame again. Felt like I'd finished phase one. Only 999 more phases to go LOL.
Attachments
IMG_1417 (1).jpg (254.56 KB, 266 downloads)
front view, cab mounted on frame
IMG_1393.jpg (264.77 KB, 267 downloads)
rear view
IMG_1391 (1).jpg (221.35 KB, 264 downloads)
left side view


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After placing cab on frame & finishing up the body work, I decided to paint the bare cab. Back in my working life, we always painted our trucks red. Inside & out. While I really like the original Chevy green, tradition won out. Paint is Viper Red. Acrylic enamel w/ hardner added .

First, I had one of those surprises that sandblasting the cab uncovered. On the '60/'66 models that have been sitting for a long period time mice crawl up into the eyebrow section of the roof (That area directly above the windshield) & build a nest. Then they urinate in the area next to the nest & cause rust in that area. When I picked the truck up in Joplin Mo, the seller pointed out that those areas were not rusted out on this truck. Sort of a bonus point, I guess. And, in fact, it did look good. However, the sandblasting said otherwise. I had rust through areas on both sides of the windshield & on the inside behind the passenger sun visor area. All three areas were about the size of silver dollar + or -
I cut the offending rust out used some sheet metal I had to bend patches to match the cut out areas. Luckily for me, the flange that the windshield rubber connects to was not damaged. After brazing the patches in place, areas were leveled out as well as I could then I used body filler to finish prior to painting. Sorry, I didn't think to take phots of this repair.
Also, while rust was cut out, I used those openings to use high pressure air to blow out any mice nest or other debris from that area. For those not familiar with the 60 thru 66 models, the headliner area is a metal panel, making the area between the roof & inside ceiling impossible to get to.

The new paint job revealed two things to me. Number one was it was too much red. I did not like the red interior. Number two was that I had good size but very shallow dent in the top of the dash. Near the left side defrost vent & radio speaker area. I had just not noticed it before but the shinny new red paint made it stand out.
Attachments
IMG_1424.jpg (171.76 KB, 251 downloads)
Cab painted Viper Red
IMG_1423.jpg (249.43 KB, 247 downloads)
Another angle of cab painted
IMG_1426 (1).jpg (157 KB, 252 downloads)
right side cab where new corner patch panel installed
IMG_1425.jpg (213.95 KB, 253 downloads)
Windshield area where eyebrow rust repairs done


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Nice.... I was looking at the pix and was distressed that you did all that work, but didn't fix what appeared to be a "crushed" cab roof!!! Then I saw it was paper!


Another quality post.
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Originally Posted by Rusty Rod
... Then I saw it was paper!

I was looking at that too, Rusty. Paper? dang Wow.

Rob is doing such a great job with truck and giving us a very detailed blow-by-blow. thumbs_up


~ Peggy M
1949 Chevrolet 3804
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Hey! I'm not above screwing up now & then. But not this time. I'm saving the roof for later on. Even though guys make fun of me, I've always used yesterday's newsprint for taping off paint jobs. That's difficult to do in this age of internet news. That's OK though, I don't plan on doing any more paint jobs after I finish this one. LOL

Somewhere along the way, via CraigsList, I found a really nice bench seat that had just recently been completely redone. Black vinyl with grey cloth inserts. It was in Ft Meyers Fl, which meant it was a full day's drive round trip. The seller had a really nice '72 that he decided to install bucket seats in. We pulled the seat right out of his truck. The '72 seat doesn't fold forward like the '66 but otherwise s a bolt in swap.

It also, since I didn't like my red interior, gave me the new color combo for the interior. Slate grey with flat black dash & kicker panels.

I fixed the dents in the dash that I mentioned in the previous post. It was pretty straight forward, but I was happy that the windshield had not been installed yet. Gave me much better access to the top of the dash.

At this point in time, I'm trying to get as many parts up off the floor & on the truck due to some new interior walls going up in my shop. As it turned out, I, along with my neighbor & my wife ended up doing the whole job ourselves. Due to the building boom & shortage of help no contractors even returned our calls. The construction project pretty much shut down the truck work for about 5 months.

When construction is complete, I'll have gone from a 2400 ft shop to 800 ft. Still plenty of room plus now I've got income from the other two 800 ft bays I'm renting out.
Attachments
IMG_1464.jpg (204.63 KB, 268 downloads)
Cab taped off & slate grey interior
IMG_1454.jpg (239.72 KB, 267 downloads)
IMG_1455.jpg (227.85 KB, 272 downloads)
IMG_1508.jpg (152.1 KB, 266 downloads)
right door installed
IMG_1487 (1).jpg (287.95 KB, 270 downloads)
new tinted windshield installed (not by me, used local installer)
IMG_1486.jpg (246.77 KB, 268 downloads)
IMG_1488 (1).jpg (198.42 KB, 273 downloads)
back glass


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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I thought the same thing! He's worried about the dash and the roof is caved in?


1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1956 Cadillac Sixty Special Fleetwood (The Godfather) | 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (The Purple Knif) | 1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe | 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
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Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT
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The rumpled roof line was a tad confusing to me too until I looked closer (through my tri-focals - lol) to see the newsprint peeking through the red paint. grin

Thanks to Rob for coming back and clearing up that little eye challenge - haha!

Dan


~ Dan
1951 Chevy 3 window 3100
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"My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine"
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Looking better all the time! The gray interior does look really nice.


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Thanks Rich. I like it too. More importantly, the Missus does as well

After 5 months of framing metal studs , hanging 5/8 sheetrock, & caulking & painting, not to mention dealing with building inspectors, I was happy to start work again on "That darn truck" as my wife calls it.

First I mounted a Cardone rebuild 68/72 power steering box, The 68/72 box seemed to be a popular choice on the old truck forums, so I went with it. It's not a bolt on swap though.
Copying what I found on the 'net, I heated & hammered in a curve in the side of the frame rail similar to the 68/72 frame. Also the new box has 4 bolts thru the frame rather than the 3 bolts that the 66 manual box has. One of the original holes lined up with one of the new p/s box . I then marked & drilled the other three. Also, the later model frame comes with the bolt holes protruding outward about a 1/8th inch. Helping to off set the box from the frame rail slightly. I used double grade 8 flat washers to replicate the protrutions. It looked like it belonged there when finished. A well respected member on another Chevy truck forum sells an adaptor bracket to do the same job. It seems a lot of guys use that bracket & make it a bolt on job. But I'm happy with the way mine turned out.

Next, I stripped the front suspension so I could install the complete new reproduction suspension kit, including big block rated coil springs, I had waiting. Also installed new standard ride height , 6 lug, spindles & disc brake conversion. New after market front swap bar too. All straight forward remove & replace , except the sway bar took a little bit of drilling & fitting. Also, the idler arm that is listed in most parts books is not the correct one for the '66 C10. I found a NOS item on Ebay.

Next in line was a new Ididit tilt , no shifter, unpainted steering column my daughter & grand daughters had given me for the previous Christmas. Preet straight forward nstall . I did use the old original '66 lower shaft that connects the steering column to the rag joint. I shouldv'e used a later model, colapsible shaft, but like the steering box mod, I had all the stuff on hand to get 'er done. As opposed to ordering more stuff online & the bills that go with it.

Treated my self to a Grant 15" steering wheel to top it off.

Sorry, not too many photos. Mostly of the finished product.

Next up is starting on the engine & transmission
Attachments
IMG_1629.jpg (275.42 KB, 247 downloads)
Rebuilt Auto Zone/Cardone p/s box w/new suspension & disc brake installed
IMG_1626.jpg (313.44 KB, 243 downloads)
R.F. suspension
IMG_1752.jpg (191.42 KB, 243 downloads)
Grat steering wheel on Ididit tilt steering column
IMG_1716.jpg (263.93 KB, 253 downloads)
'66 steering shaft conecting new Ididit column toNewrebuilt Cardone '68/72 power steering box (Phototaken much later in project)


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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My goodness gracious. Everything is so clean and purrrrdie. wink That dash looks amazing. The gauges look so classy. Wonderful chrome on the steering wheel and the shift rods. I really like it!

Thanks for all the details! thumbs_up


~ Peggy M
1949 Chevrolet 3804
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Thanks Peggy I think the shift rods you mention are the turn signal lever & the tilt steering wheel lever. Shifter is a Hurst floor shifter connected to a mid '60's wide ratio Muncie 4 spd
This model steering column came with no shift levers, it's especially for trucks with floor shift transmissions.


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I decided the C10 was finally ready for an engine & transmission. As I said at the beginning of this thread, I had acquired an old RV with a 454 engine A '92 model, which meant it was a Generation V 7.4L/454 cu in one ton truck engine. The up side to the Gen V eng is the one piece rear main seal . The downside is no provision for mechanical fuel pump or boss on left side of block for mechanical clutch linkage. Most hot rodders do not like the small (peanut) port heads that came on this model. But the internet reports I've read say they make good low to mid range power, which is perfect for my application. My goal is to have a smooth, lively powerplant that pulls good vacuum at idle & runs well from idle to 5000/5200 rpm. In short I wanted good low end torque with decent, usable hp.

To help achieve this, I've done away with the TBI & installed a Weiand 8122 aluminum intake w/a Edelbrock 750 cfm carb. Removing the TBI required a different distributor as well. For this, I used a Jegs (house brand) R2R (ready to run) unit. This is an electronic unit, but uses a standard 40,000 volt coil rather than a separate ECM. Also, it has small dia distributor cap which really helps firewall clearance when installing the BBC in a"66 C10. Especially when using the stock "66 rear motor mounts.

Due to the low zinc content of today's mainstream engine oil's, I read a lot of reports of wiped cams from guys who had installed high performance flat tappet cams in the 454. My Gen V engine came with the flat tappet cam, but the Gen VI came with a roller cam. Gm sold (up to just recently) a Gen VI 454 high output (425 hp@ 5200 rpm) crate engine . I managed to find a new take out HO roller cam from a hi performance Chevy dealer online (Pace Chevrolet) for half price. The Gen V cant use the Gen VI roller lifters, but I managed to find a set of Morel street rollers (up to 6000 rpm) on year end clearance, I could use the Gen Vi HO pushrods , Pace had a set of those on sale as well. I used Comp Cam rotater eliminators, CompCam retainers & CompCam.050 off set locks. It only took a minute or so to type the above, but took about a month of research & then measuring of everything. This cam was about the most hi performance I could've used without cutting the valve reliefs in the pistons & probably machining the tops of the valve guides.

Since the engine ran so well when I had it running in the RV (And since I was already in sticker shock at my monthly credit card bills) I was determined to not dis-assemble the eng if I didn't have too. I knew if the heads came off the engine due to the cam install, mission creep would set in & the expenses would greatly increase.

A few pics below. Sorry, I didn't take photos of the cam install & valve train upgrades.

To be continued
Attachments
IMG_1644 (1).jpg (273.19 KB, 204 downloads)
454 in RV , ready for removal. Since the RV was junk, I used a sawzall to cut the cowl away soeng could be removed w/ a forklift.
IMG_1645 (1).jpg (307.45 KB, 202 downloads)
Using forklift for eng removal
IMG_1651 (1).jpg (293.05 KB, 202 downloads)
first test fitting og eng

Last edited by RLB; 08/03/2023 6:27 PM. Reason: additonal info

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Once I had the 454 out & cleaned up, I had to figure out how to make it fit the C 10.The goal was to do it as close as possible to how we would have done it in the "old" days.

That meant using as many existing parts & or donor vehicle parts as possible. In typical Chevy fashion (in my experience) the bell housing from the '66 6 cyl bolted up to the 454 just fine which gave me the ability to use the stock rear motor mounts along with the stock clutch linkage(With one exception) However, once Chevy enlarged the BBC to 454 cu in., it began externally balancing the crankshaft assembly via the harmonic balancer & the flywheel. When searching online, I found lots of confusing info regarding which flywheel had the correct balance factor for which crankshaft assembly. But I found no definite answer for my combo. I finally decided to use the KISS method. Since I had what was a '92 one ton engine, I checked on a '92 454 one ton aftermarket flywheel. It was a 168 tooth ring gear as was the 6 cyl flywheel that formerly fit inside my bell housing & after receiving it I saw it had the balance weight in oz stamped on it as the flex plate for the auto trans that came on the 454. I ordered a complete '66 11" clutch kit including pilot bearing & throwout bearing at the same time. It all fit together perfectly.

I had earlier, via CL again, found a good condition mid '60's M20 Muncie 4 spd trans with older, original style Hurst shifter. Since they were about the same yr, the front bearing retainer on the transmission & clutch spline fit perfectly into my bellhousing & clutch. Things were coming together nicely, but I still had a couple hurtles to overcome.

If you recall, I mentioned in the last post that the Gen V did not come with the typical Chevy clutch linkage boss cast in the block. I found another hi performance Chevy dealer in Tx that sold a stainless steel bracket for mid '60s Corvettes that allowed them to use the Gen V or VI engine & retain the stock clutch linkage . I made the correct guess that bracket would work on my mid '60's truck as well. Some minor grinding of excess material & slightly reworking one bolt hole & it fit perfectly.

My next problem was exhaust. The truck manifolds that were on the RV weren't going to work. The left side exited right where my newly figured out clutch linkage had to reside. I reasoned that if mid 60's Corvettes clutch linkage & left side exhaust manifolds co-existed on Vette's, then they would do the same on my C10. I found a pair of mid '60's 427 Vette manifolds on AutoZone for cheap. I knew the top of the frame would need a little clearancing, but so would just about any exhaust I came up with.

Again, sorry. Not many photos of this phase of the project.
Attachments
IMG_1867.jpg (256.6 KB, 175 downloads)
Corvette clutch bracket
IMG_1651 (1).jpg (293.05 KB, 173 downloads)
trial fit in chassis with 427 exh manifolds installed (Have photo of manifolds before installation but it will not load for some reason)
IMG_1870.jpeg (10.92 KB, 100 downloads)

Last edited by RLB; 09/12/2023 5:51 PM. Reason: photos/ exhaust manifolds

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In the above photo of trial fitting there's a white chalk mark on the firewall by the valve cover. This area needed a light but firm re-shaping with a 2 lb hammer to allow engine to move rearward enough for rear engine mounts to line up. Also chalk mark is visible on top frame rail . This area needed to be ground out to allow clearance for the 427 exh manifolds. The left side firewall & frame received similar treatment.

Once I had firewall clearance, frame/exhaust manifold clearance, I had to work out the front engine mounts. I ended up using stock replacement '66 front mounts on the original front brackets in the original crossmember & top of frame flange bolt holes. Original brackets were modified to clear the down sweep of the 427 exh & lowered about 1/2 inch to keep carb level .


I like using the original '66 engine mounting system as it provides for a 4 corner mounting system. Keeps the engine as rear mounted as possible & helps with weight bias. Plus, that's how we did it in the old days. LOL.
Attachments
IMG_1654.jpg (255.58 KB, 169 downloads)
engine with firewall clearance, including room to remove valve covers if needed
IMG_1652.jpg (304.86 KB, 169 downloads)
Closer look at firewall interference


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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Your progress is amazing and documentation on your build is top notch! Keep up the great work!

Last edited by Phak1; 08/09/2023 1:28 PM.

Phil
Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals

1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube
Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes
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Thanks Phak1. I admit I'm struggling a little to transition from body work to mechanical. The mechanical took so much more time & research, especially working out the roller cam & valve train upgrades but have so little (none, really) photo documentation. But, I'll keep posting & if anyone has a question about anything they can just ask .

I was thinking over the previous post where I outlined how all the original '66 bellhousing, clutch & rear motor mounts plus a '92 one ton stock replacement flywheel all came together perfectly, but forgot to mention one other important part. The '66 starter has a 3 bolt mount that bolts directly to the bell housing. The '92 454 starter is much heavier duty but bolts, via 2 long bolts, directly to the block. I'd read that by doing some grinding & matching that the 2 bolt starter would work with the 66 bellhousing. But I had also read that some guys were having trouble with the starter drive gear not properly engaging the ring gear on the flywheel. We overcame this by installing the nose cone & bendix drive from the '66 starter with the '92 454 starter. Bolted up like a stock '66 & worked perfectly. Sorry, no photos of starter as modified.

Once all fitment issues had been resolved, engine was painted, had intake & distributor installed then installed in truck for (hopefully) the final time. Engine & transmission were installed as one unit. Then 750 Edlebrock & stock 8 mm plug wires, along with the original '92 RV plug wire holders. I was even able to reuse the original '92 sparkplug shields which I believe are visible in the photo below. Anything to save a buck, if possible.
Attachments
IMG_1693 (1).jpg (306.38 KB, 137 downloads)
Engine installed for final time
IMG_1694.jpg (312.8 KB, 138 downloads)


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