The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk any tips on restoreing a 64 chevy 1/2 ton

im 13 years old an im tryin 2 restore my 64 chevy half ton by my self i have almost completed my body work and im fixen to pull the motor my grandaddy gave me the truck he bought the truck new in 1964 an i want to finsh it so he can see it i jus wanted any restoreration tips an how i can do it cheap but still have a good daily driver all tips are welcome thanks

Hi 64Chevyrebel,
welcome aboard the Stovebolt! I think that you can get a lot of good tips for your truck restoration on this board. However, in order for you to get the best answers, I am going to repost your question under Truck General Questions. When I was your age, I wasn't fixing trucks but I was fixing people's television sets!

64CHEVYREBEL:

Welcome aboard. It sounds like you have a good truck to work with. My grandfather helped me get my first truck when I was fifteen, back in 1980. It was a black '65 Chevy C10 lwb fleetside. I also did most of the work on my truck, with limited money and resources.

The cheapest way to do many of the things that need to be done on your truck, is to do it them yourself. If you know how to do bodywork and you can wrench on your motor, you will save some money over having someone else do this work for you. If you are mechanically inclined, you can do the majority of the work necessary on the brake system, fuel system, suspension and steering, due to the simplicity and ease of working on these systems.

If you find yourself in a pinch, ask lots of questions. Someone on the stovebolt will be able to assist you. I also suggest getting a '60-'66 Chevy Truck Factory Assembly Manual, a 1963 Chevy Truck Shop Manual and a 1964 Chevy Truck Shop Manual Supplement. These manuals will be a wealth of information and they are full of helpful diagrams, sketches and step-by-step instructions. These manuals are available on eBay and from several aftermarket truck suppliers. They are well worth the investment.

Good luck with your project and we will be looking forward to you keeping us posted on your progress. Make sure you send John and Peggy some pictures and information on your truck to be posted in the Gallery. Take care and get your '64 Chevy truck done so your grandfather can see it.

Tony

be patient and don't get in to big of a hurry, think safety and most of all enjoy it.

Welcome 64CHEVYREBEL,

You have found the best site on the Internet to help you with your truck.

If you have a question about anything on your truck post it here and we will do our best to help you.

Again welcome to the Stovebolt page.

Hobert

my 64 has been good to me i have had it a year now and i have put a new bed on it an redid the brakes but plan to put disc on being patient has been the biggest problem because i cant let it sit i just cant help it i have to drive it i have also put a new exhaust system well new pipes no mufflers all this was free thanks to a good friend who runs a muffler shop body work has not been a problem for me it has been easy it doesent have much rust mostly because it sat under a shelfter for 20 years an i got it runin in a day not countin rebuliding the carb i have bought my paint light blue with white top just like orignal i cant figure out what kinda rims to use im gonna run 33 by 10/50's an my motor run fine its a 283 with a 1 ton 4 speed an a grany gear an she will pull motor an trans all thanks to my grandaddy customazin the motor runs good but the rings are gone so she smokes a little i have a 1969 supersport chevelle with a 383 an im planing on puting the 383 in my truck an a big block back in the car what do ya'll think like i say i aint no pro but i do no alot about car an trucks

As said above, do the work yourself. Saves labor cost. Make friends who really know how to fix things and fabricate, like some of us.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Think about what really needs to be done.

Shop around for quality parts at a good price, Cheap doesn't mean better always.

Have a plan and stick to it.

Don't rush just to get it done.

Keep coming back to stovebolt. We're all here to help!

Reading/ Education is the most valuable tool you can have.

Any time you have a question just ask me. I have been redoing and working on the 64-66 GM's for 10 years now. I am willing to give you guidance where ever needed.

thanks Wrench Fetcher i have been luky enough to do the work my self and have a buddy that can lay a good weld an instead of paying him i get to work of my dept

Try to complete one subproject at a time before starting the next. This will increase your focus and reduce your clutter. Doing each task slowly and correctly will be faster and cheaper than doing it twice. Do the brakes and suspension first. Then work your way from the rear axle forward. Body, paint and interior should be last. Just my 2 cents. Good luck and have fun.

WUT COLOR SHOULD THE INTERIOR AN HOW CAN I RISE THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK UP I WANT TO RISE THE HOLE TRUCK UP MOSTLY THE FRONT WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT SIT UP LIKE A 4X4 ANY CHEAP Safe ways to do this

Hey 64CHEVYREBEL, I got my truck when I was sixteen and now I'm 18. I am just like you in that I want to drive it, and am on a tight budget. My advice: Do everything, and I mean everything yourself. Save up for quality parts. And do it right the first time. I would reccomend doing a frame off, meaning take everything off and clean paint and put it back on. Do everything now while you got time and are young, and you wont regret it later, I have learned this. It don't have to be a show car restoration, just do your best and put the best paint on it you can afford. Just do everything now and do it right so you can enjoy it for a long time and not have to worry about it.

As for your question to raising it: don't. If your truck is 2wd, just keep it stock, it will look better and be worth more if you ever need to sell it. Just get tall tires for it when your done and it'll look great

thanks Oswalds65Chevy i think it well come up a inch or 2 when i replace my 43 year old shocks

Hey Rebel,

I don't have much to offer that hasn't been said yet. It's always nice to see a new face. I'm a little jealous of your early start in this great hobby. I'm 24 and didn't get my 61 until I was 21. I am in the same boat in a lot of ways. Not a lot of money, but plenty of time.

As for the lift, if you want to do it, I say go for it! There are plenty of company's that make lift kits for 2wd pickups. Fabtech, Pro Comp, and others. The only drawback is that you would have to have a lot of it made custom and that ain't cheap.

I think that 2wd trucks look good with a little lift. And seriously it's your truck. It would make it more functional in a lot of ways too. You could fit a larger tire and gain quite a bit of ground clearance.

Good luck on your project. Let's see some pictures!!

Kyle

well fort knox my name is kyle to well im gonna get yall some pics and i was wondering if any off yall have put a truck my body style on a 4x4 chasie thats my plan i was wondering how hard that would be

Hey Kyle, you'ld be surprised at just how big of a tire will fir your truck without doing much of anything to the suspension. I've put 32x11.50x15s under stock 1/2 tons from '64-'72 without any rubbing problems. To get it up on the cheap, you might consider putting 3/4 ton springs in it, that should get you at least 2" lift. I would advise putting power steering in with any wide tire, they can be a bear to steer without it.

Hey Kyle! I have seen a lot of people that do a 4x4 swap into the 60-66 trucks. I think that the donor truck of choice is a 73-87 Chevy/GMC. Keep us posted.

Kyle

if i get a chevy long bed it shouldnt be alot of cutin and weld or am i wrong

Kyle you said you have a 69 SS ? If so and the engine is the origional please please don't do the engine swap. The 69 SS is worth a lot of money for people who restore them. You realy need to look into selling it and buying the engine and other parts you will need for the truck or selling the truck to finance the SS.
As far as restoring the truck,you need to decide if you want to really do. That is to say do I want to restore (origional condition) or do I want a realy sharp looking custom truck? After that decision is made get yourself a legal pad (note book) and write down what your plans are and the changes you intend to make. As stated in previous posts get your books (manuels) and information together before you start. After that make a parts list of the things you have to have to complete the job leave this list open for adjustment as you will find more stuff you will need when you start dismantleing the truck.
Document your progress with pictures, nothing makes for a better restore than the notes and pictures you make along the way.
Hey, and if you run into a wall don't let it get you down. Just come to the bolt and post a question. Most of us have learned the hard way on how to do or how not to do a project.
GOOD LUCK! HAVE FUN!

hey Toyvo my 69 ss chevelle is mostly restored an im sorry to say the motor is a a 383 stroker but its a true ss car an im getting a big block to put back in it i dont no were the original motor went i have only had the car 9-10 months but if it was the orignal motor i would not even think bout takeing it and putting it in my truck

My advice is to take your time and love every minute of it.

where in nc are you?

Zenish im in a big town called louisburg

Kyle , No your not in the BIG town of louisburg. Your in Louisburg. N.C. I work that area sometimes .
If I can be of help let me know.
George

george i no im not in a big town an im glad i my be 13 but one of the good things about a small town well at least in my part of louisburg there aint many cops and i get to play in the road with my truck i leave my share of burnout marks in 56 hwy i no its wrong but its fun

Kyle, Glad to hear you are not going to ruin another classic car such as the 69 SS. Way to many cars have been distroyed over the years by people that didn't have the forsight that the car would some day be a collectable.
Also it is good to hear that you at the age of 13 are wanting to repair an old truck rather than buy a new truck. It is also good to know that some kids are not stuck in front of the tube playing video games. It gives us old farts a chance to play.

hey toyvo you want belive this but i did have a all numbers maching 70 GTO an sold it it was not restored an that was y i sold it parts cost way to much for a goat

my brother went to collage in louisburg.

how far is stallings from louisburg feel free 2 come an help with body work lol

if i could do bodywork,my truck wouldn't look like crap.

oh well dont come make mine look worse lol body work hasent been real hard to me

Hey Rebel,let us know what wheels you put on her.I got a '64 LWB with standard wheels & tires on it,makes it look top heavy,, am looking for some wheels & tires to give it a wider look, nothing major, just something wider that won't git in the way of the steering arms, this is ole Ray64FS in Cowtown

Why hasn't antone asked how a 13 year old come across a # matching GTO, an SS Chevelle and a 64 C10? Also how does a 13 YO legally drive and then recklessly?

None of my business. Fella asks for truck advice, that's all-don't matter if he's 13 or 113. Brian

Sometimes it's better if you don't know how or why,if it don't come out of your back pocket($),PLAY WITH IT

hey 64fleetside thanks but my daddy bought the 70 gto an it some how became mine an i sold it an i now have the SS chevelle an my grandaddy bought the truck new in 64 an i think 5west ur just jealous because i have thes cars an i have even more cars sittin in the woods waitin there trun an when u live out in the country you can play in the road an it aint really your business hey rayk64fs i have 31x10.50x15 but i want to put 33x11.50x15 or something in that ball park with the original wheels

Some kids get cars and trucks, some get writing lessons. To each, their own.

well i got the cars an trucks an i could use some writing lessons

Hey, you guys are right, no sweat off my back where he picked up his cars. I've been watching other posts by 64rebel which prompted my post on this one. I had a good friend of mine go on leave to his wife's parent's back in 1989 and he never returned. It seams while riding his brother in law's motorcycle on a dirt road (legally) he was hit head on by a 15 year old on an illegal joy ride in mom's sedan. These are the posts which caused me concern, all were posted by 64rebel:
Zenish im in a big town called louisburg

george i no im not in a big town an im glad i my be 13 but one of the good things about a small town well at least in my part of louisburg there aint many cops and i get to play in the road with my truck i leave my share of burnout marks in 56 hwy i no its wrong but its fun

what kind of trans should i put in my 64 chevy i want to be able to blow the doors off of them little tunners an any FORD'S that pull up beside me but i also want to be able to pull a trailer with my chevelle on it she has a 1 ton 4 speed with a granny in it now

You're not into street racing are you?

well steppenwood not really but i love to leave them them sorry little cars behind me at a stop light hey zenish were can i get a 700r4 to build

i cant stand the sound of them little cars but im sure there are folks that dont like my straight pipes

baldy my truck hooks up an takes off like a bat out of hell an it well only do a burnout if i hold d brake an if any off yall r round Louisburg an want to see how slow it is im 4 miles out on 56 east

64REBEL, I'm not jealous of you by any means. It's great that you had the opportunity to be given all these fine cars and trucks. I am saying you need to be responsible with what you have. Street racing and racing from light to light is not the place to prove your pride. Please check into local drag strips. Most of them have grudge match nights where you can run all you want for around $20. Race the Chevelle, not the truck. The Chevelle will handle much better and you'll end up not getting hurt or not wishing that you hadn't hurt someone else.

well do any of yall that live in N.C. no any drag strips around louisburg couse i really want to see wut my chevelle well do its off topic but help me out

Jacksonville, N.C. (quarter-mile)
(910) 347-2200 http://www.coastalplainsraceway.com/dragway/

http://www.nhra.com/streetlegal/tracks.html