If this is your first restoration, before turning a wrench I would suggest sitting down and developing a project plan first. Two critical priorities on a complete frame off restoration are focus and finances. I’ve built all my own cars/trucks over the years so I’m a champion of doing it yourself, but I’ve also seen many enthusiastic owners have their projects go down the road as a pile of parts, when the never ending flow of money and work ultimately interfered with family life, and failed to produce a completed vehicle. Try to determine if the project can be completed in months, or if it will take years, and how this fits into your life style, space available, etc.
Next issue is determining a ballpark cost for the project. The best method I’ve found for estimated project expense is to write up a list of all the work, repairs, and parts, then put a price to each entry. Try to include both the things it needs, along with the things you want. Add it all up, then double that figure, and that will be pretty close to the actual cost. It just turns out that way, there being so many small trinkets that add up to as much money as the big ticket items.
Mechanical repairs are relatively easy. Rust repair is expensive if you can’t do all of it yourself. So is replacing body panels. By the time all the replaceable panels are purchased, more money may have been spent than what it would have cost to buy a better truck. And that doesn’t include things that cannot be replaced by bolting on new parts. Having a body shop replace things like rusty windshield headers, rocker panels, cab corners, floors, etc can cost a fortune, and for good reason. It takes many hours of effort at the going shop labor rate, and this is assuming you can find a reliable body man that will commit to timely repairs. And once all the parts are purchased and repaired, the owner still must have the talent, experience and enthusiasm to get it all back together successfully.
This isn’t meant to be discouraging. I just have a lifetime of experience building cars, and in my youth I didn’t start this way. I found something I liked, bought it, tore it all apart and started spending money. Many times I was greatly disappointed half way through a project I realized I could have bought something I wanted even more for less money than what I already had invested, and I could have avoided many months of hard work. By making an informed decision now you’ll be happier in the end, and will feel you are in charge of the project instead of at its mercy.
If you do decide a frame off is the way to go, buy a digital camera and takes more pictures than you think you’ll ever need. Store these on a computer and create a back up copy. They will come in handy when you can’t remember how to put something back together, and are a sense of pride when you go to brag about the before and after comparisons. And make sure to take lots of pictures of the overall truck before anything is touched. It’s always a big regret after years of investment to find there are no “before” pictures. Buy the large economy boxes of different size Ziplock bags and bag everything you take apart. And take more pictures. Use a felt marker on each bag identifying the contents, and try to store them in some arrangement that mimics where they go on the truck. Keep the bolts and fasteners with the parts they go on if possible, even if you have to tie wrap the bag to the part. Anything too big to put in a bag, write directly on the part with a felt market what it is and where it goes. This includes things like wiper linkage, door latch mechanisms, window winders, etc. Felt marker wipes right off with lacquer thinner so don’t be shy about identifying parts. And take more pictures!
Where to start is a personal choice. Many start with the chassis, so once completed the rest of the truck can be assembled on top. Others start with the body work first, especially if it’s going to be difficult or expensive. If the sheet metal has to be transported to a shop for paint and body work, figure out how that is going to be done.
Again if this is your first restoration, I usually recommend doing smaller projects or improvements first, even if a frame off comes later. A running vehicle is always more likely to survive the restoration process that a pile of clutter clogging up the garage. If at all possible, break upgrades or projects into increments that can be accomplished in a weekend. This way the truck gets back together by Monday (or perhaps the following weekend). You have instant gratification you’ve accomplished something, and the vehicle remains self propelled. Once everything has been gone through, the frame off becomes mostly a cosmetic exercise because all the other work has been completed.
For books, the Chevy Truck Shop Manual is a must have. For a 1966 I believe you need the 1963 Shop Manual, and the 1966 Supplement. Here’s a link to one source.
http://www.classicparts.com/searchprods.aspThe direct link doesn’t work, so just type “shop manual” into the search engine and it will pop up. I’ve read where several members have been disappointed with the electronic versions as they are harder to navigate, so a hard copy may be preferred. Book stores also offer books on Chevy truck restoration, but I’ve never used one so I can’t comment on their value.
Good luck on your project. It can all be a lot of work and somewhat overwhelming, but the results and rewards in the end make it all worthwhile.
