The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Junkyard find--'64-'66 Big Window LB, well optioned...what to get

Just stopped at my favorite junkyard, because every now and then they get decent trucks. I've pulled a bunch of stuff there for my '62 Suburban over the last two years.
There's a '64-'66 LWB big window there. Unfortunately, they pulled the engine and crushed the Deluxe heater box on the way out.
Also dented the aluminum front grill badly, but might be able to straighten. I'll check again.
The front bumper was pushed back into the rust-free driver's side fender.
A lot of the Deluxe trim is pulled off. The Deluxe steering wheel ring is broken off too.
The Big Window cab is in good shape, rust free above the windshield and the cab corners, but they pushed the passenger side of the bed into the cab and bent it.
Has factory power brake booster and master still there.
Add-on A/C running the full length of dash. Everything under the hood except the condensor is gone.
Auto trans column is complete, and the steering wheel (minus the trim ring) looked good at a glance.
V8 engine mounts.

I'm going to get the engine mounts, brake booster/master, steering column and brake pedal assembly, and maybe the under-dash A/C set-up. I didn't think to look at the instrument cluster to see if it's full gauges or not.

Is an auto-trans cross member worth getting out on a '64-'66 truck? I know it is on a '60-'62. Does anyone know if it's riveted, or is it bolted in place?

What about the big back window? I could probably buy the cab, but I don't want to store it. Is it worth it? If I don't get it, history has proven someone else will, so I'm not worried about saving a piece of vintage truck--I'm looking at it from a return on investment standpoint.

Thanks,
-Brad

i would buy the whole thing tow it home and dismantle it. you can prob get well over 1000 for the parts mabey 2000 before it's said and done. what's left turn it into short steel and sell it too. it won't even take the weekend. i know it sounds heartless but it's headed for china now anyway. might as well let it give some others some life. some salvage yards are funny about selling complete cars or trucks. it is illegal for them to sell them without title even if they bought them illegally without one and they don't want to get in trouble. you might have luck cutting the frame in half between the cab and bed if they give you grief and "buy" both halves. it will suprise you what all the small parts will bring you wouldn't have time to remove at the yard. good luck hope you score big. hr

Just because they got without a title doesn't mean that they got it "illegally". Most stated, if a vehicle is scrapped w/o a title, it is issued a scrap title (black title in Illinois) that prevents them for selling the whole vehicle. There are exeptions to this. A licensed rebuilder can buy a scrapped vehicle and retitle it for street use, in which case it is issued a rebuilt title.

Georgia doesn't issue titles for vehicles 20 years old and older...until the mid-'60s, a car didn't even come straight from the dealer with a title, only a bill of sale.

I've tried though, and this yard won't sell the whole vehicle.

-Brad

not that it has anything to do with brad getting his parts- i was just going off what they have told me. of course it may or may not be true. for a junkyard to buy one here they have to have a title, or they have to be cut in pieces smaller than 1/2 the vehicle. that does not always mean they do this. i have sold them several vehicles over the years and if they know you and they know it's not stolen they might buy it. but their general line if someone comes in with a vehicle w/out a title and they don't who is they "can't under any circumstance buy it".
the problem i have run into is wanting to buy one of these jewels. even though they know me they won't sell me one they bought without a title unless it is just the pieces. they yards i am used to will look to see and they won't have ANY paperwork on the vehicle, no black title, no scrap title, nothin. and if they take one with out a title they will write "mix" or "tin" on receipt not 1963 chevrolet vin c15XXXXXXXX on it too. they won't do like most individuals and just give you a bill of sale. there is some government body that checks up on them because they go thru phases of being more picky. when the price of cars shot up last time one yard started writing down your driver liscense # on your ticket just like they do for copper at the just scrap places. then after a month they stopped. so they are the ones that said they are buying them "illegally". why would they pass up prob a dozen cars a day if it wasn't really illegal for them to buy them?

Get all the parts you can. Would love to have that under dash unit.

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The tally:
Complete change-over for Automatic trans; column, pedal, rod going from the column to the linkage pivot on the frame, the bracket with the linkage pivot from the frame, and the trans cross member. The pivoting arm was MIA.
Decent Deluxe steering wheel with busted trim ring
2speed wiper switch with push-button for windshield washers
Power Brake booster and master cylinder
V8 engine side mounts

It has a power steering box that I might also go back for.

Windshield has chrome trim around it, the whole cab is $150 if someone wants the big back window. Floors are solid, rockers are good, passenger cab corner is damaged and needs to be replaced.

Also has at least two good, original 6-lug wheels. 1 of the 4 is curbed, and I didn't look close at the 4th.

Sent BLU64 a PM.
-Brad