The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Finally a Big Bolt Member!!!

Well I finaly own a Big Bolt, i have been waiting for this day for a long time. Its a 1961 Chevy Viking 60, it has the inline 6 engine, 4 spd trans, 2 spd rear axle, pto power hoist, and power brakes (hydrovac i believe is what its called? that big booster looking thing under the driver side floor) i picked it up this past saturday and hauled it home with my 64 chevy K10 (black betty) boy was that interesting, first of all it barely fit on the trailer (width wise, length we checked and were fine) wish i woulda took a picture with it on the trailer, it was quite a site to behold. once i got the ole girl home i filed the points checked the gap and little gas down the carb and vroom she fired right up (last time it was ran was last spring the guy said) she smokes the Blues and could use a good tune up and carb rebuild, and an oil change BAD!! Had to bleed the clutch and the brakes before it would move. The clutch was a pain. it needs new clutch slave cylinder... leaks, and atleast one wheel cylinder on the pass. side back (i think theres two per wheel on the back?) hoist works good and 2spd rear end works also i was grinin ear to ear drivin down our gravel road here. heres a link the check out pics
1961 Chevy C60
i have few questions about it i know what slit rims are but not fimiliar with the ones on big bolts so i was i'm curious if the rims that are one my truck are split rims, i think they are but i'm not sure and if it matters they are the five lug on the front and 10 lug on the back. and if they are split rims are the one piece rims available that fit this truck? Also the front suspension is the torsion bar style and i was told that you cannot get parts for these anymore is this true? and if needed could i switch the truck to a solid front axle if parts are not available for the torsion bar style?

thanks for lookin and thanks for the help
Nate

Sounds like fun!

For info on wheels go here to the wheel and tire tech tip:
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

Not sure, but I would guess that it is quite a job to trade the torsion bar front for an I-beam axle and leaf springs?

Grigg

OldIronChevy,
that is a nice truck. It looks like it has decent sheet metal. The dash looks really amazing. Can't wait to hear more. Some folks have been posting videos or audio tracks of the first amazing moments when it roars to life!

Congratulations on your new truck. The picture of your wheel appears to be the 3 piece wheel.

I think the rims look like the widow makers that I have on my 65
C50 wrecker. And thats not a good thing.

Kick azz looking big bolt, Congrats!

Its been a very long time but I think your hoist may be a Perfection brand. At least that is what comes to mind from looking at the pump. Thirty years worth of a fading memory since I had my mits on one but I know its a cast iron gear pump, cable control (or lever, both would work)and about 12 gpm @1000 rpm. At one time I was a Perfection dealer.

You didn't ask but this is just FWIW. Nice old truck and a fun project.

i'm sure it would be a big job to switch it from torsion bar to leaf springs and its not something i would look forward to doing thats why i'm hoping you can find parts for the big truck IFS suspension. Would anyone happen to know why chevy put that style of suspension in a big Bolt?

Some of the sheetmetal is in fairly rough shape, the front fenders are bad there is some rust out in the floor and the driver side running board is twisted up pretty bad and it has the same rusting out above the windsheild like my 64 Chevy K10 (looks like another mouse made his home above the windsheild too, also like my 64 K10)

I'm thinking that it might be the two piece middle split rim because in that close up pic that i have of the rim when you feel on the side of that hump looking thing thats to the inside it feels like its apart of the rim that has the bolt flange so i think i'm stuck with just haveing to say heck with it and take one off and take it apart and leave it apart....

the controls for the pto and hydraulic pump are cable control, (i think level and linkage rod, although complicated would be a better route, to disengage pto i have to crawl under truck and move the lever) Are these perfection brand pumps real good units?

Thanks for all the comments and info unfortenately it will have to sit and rest for a while since i have other trucks that are top priority but i think i'll have to just spring the money for a new slave cylinder so i don't have to re-bleed the clutch every week

Nate

Nice looking truck!
On those cables for the PTO and hydraulic pump, I'd first try cleaning them up and lubing them. Also, check over any other linkages that are involved, and clean, lube and tighten them. If necessary, the cables can be replaced. I would much rather have those, than to butcher up the floor to put levers in. Those cables worked for 47 years. I'm sure you could get them working again.
Just my opinion.

I belive I see a locking ring on the wheel which would make it a 3 piece wheel. I don't consider these wheels widow makers.

The truck may have a combination of wheel types.
Friend of mine has two 2 tons from the 60's, each has a mix of three piece wheels and the two piece "widow makers".

Grigg

congrats... cool truck.

-W

Nice truck could be the big or older brother of my 64. The wheels in the picture are two piece widow makers note the absents of a removable ring on the inner wheel seen through the hand hole of the outer. The small squared off ridge that runs around the inside of the wheel that you see on the outer is where it comes apart. I do have a full set of three piece wheels with 75% tread on 8 1/4 20" tires mounted on them for sale shoot me an e-mail if you are interested.

Those hoods are just awesome on a big bolt. It has a real mean stance.

I like it.

John

i absoulutly love the 61 hood, i know 60 is pretty much same but pods are different i've been looking for that style of hood for my 64 chevy 1/2 4x4 so i think i might "borrow" it off big truck for now it'll be a while till i get to fixin it up, got alot of other stuff thats been waiting first right now main thing is to get a new clutch slave so i can atleast drive it without having to bleed the clutch every time, and pinch the brake lines that go to the wheel with leaking wheel cyl. one thing i noticed is i believe the 235 6cyl in it has the famed 848 head

heavy hauler i'd be interested in the wheels just don't have the money for it and washington is a ways from minnesota, i looked at your 64 and see that you call it big ugly, which is what i was thinking of calling my big truck... i wrote a story in high school bout me having a 61 chevy 2 ton and it was called big ugly

Nate