The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks My newest truck, a rare '65 C-30 pickup

First post in a while. Yes, I bought another truck a while ago!

Pictures

A '65 C-30 with factory 9' step bed, a Coca-Cola truck. I Got it for $600, and so far I love it more all the time. It is very rusty and beat up, one of the worst I've seen, really; but a superbly heavy duty truck. No comparison at all with a half ton "truck", IMO.

It has a SM-420 four speed and a 1964-67 2 barrel 195HP 283 with the "power pack" heads (came on all 283's '63 up) that is running great. The wheels/tires are 7.50-17 bias ply tires on original (I think) three piece locking ring wheels. The fronts & spare are pretty badly checked, but the 8 ply rear "extra-traction" tires are still very useable. The rear axle is an open carrier 5.13-1 full floater, HO72 Eaton I think. At some point a 12 gauge treadplate bedliner of sorts was added, along with what I guess you'd call fender gaurds.

It should make a superb hauling truck. And it's certainly heavy enough to pull a trailer, must weigh 5,500-6,000lbs empty. It needs some work, but not that much really. Front tires are the only real thing left to get; I need to find two good 7.50-17's or some later tubeless 16's and good 235/85/R16 tires. Not a big deal.

Some interesting tidbits are that the truck came from GM without a radio, cigarette lighter, seatbelts, or a rear view mirror, but came with the big back window. (And yes, the tag indeed says 346 "JNK".) It also came from the PO with the original title from Coca-Cola, and the original factory key that looks like new and still has the knockout intact, pretty neat.

-Chaz

Great find! I should have you shop for me. You got a great deal. You'll have plenty of fun. What are your plans?

Awesome truck and thanks for posting. Heavy duty... check out the rear spring pack!

WOuld it be possible to post up some more photos of those upper fender guards? That's a new one on me!

Thanks for the compliments! I uploaded some more photos, got a couple of the fender gaurds, too, John, if you want some more just ask. BTW, the whole axle with drums/hubs should be around 500 pounds. Rear wheel/tire weighed in @ 90 pounds. Why/how GM said that the cab/chassis was only around 500 pounds heavier than a half ton is beyond me.

Hi Jay! I plan to fix the major body damage, paint it semi-gloss black with some tractor paint, and fabricate a heavy duty step bumper & towing setup. Then I'm going to put it back to work hauling stuff and pulling trailers and see where it goes from there. Also, I haven't been on here in a while, is your truck driving yet? The m20 in my fathers '66 started whining like it was a straight cut box, ate a bearing or something I guess, so my '65 went from sitting dead for seven years to being driven close to 500 miles a week for several weeks straight now. The 230 & three speed is really pretty nice with 3.73s, IMO. Good fuel mileage, too, I calculated 18MPG. Oil consumption is rather high, though, at a half quart or better every 100 miles! Still runs great though, somehow.

-Back on topic; I also swapped the traction tire back onto the wheel that was on the rear that had a steer tire on it. Pretty easy, really. Just tapped the outer rim down with a mallet, stood on it to compress it down away from the ring, and carefully worked the ring out with a prybar; after that you break the outer bead and that outer rim comes off. Did the same to the inside and then the center/inner rim comes out of the tire. No tricks going back together other than cleaning the ring and groove of rust with a wire brush to make sure it seats easily. I just used two pry bars, a homemade wood mallet, a schraeder valve tool, a wire brush, and a spray bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap and water (besides the can of paint and compressor) to do the job. No magick tools needed. The truck looks much better now, too, IMHO.

-Chaz

Quite the interesting truck you have there. The diamond plate bed and fender covers look to be very well done. Just when you think you've seen it all something like this shows up.

Thanks again for the photo's.

John

My first truck was a '66 C-30.

Neat truck. I dig it.

What is going on there, with the hood partially open?

-W

I remember seeing your C30 in the gallery, Doug, sounds like you had fun with it. I can wait to drive this one myself.

Woogeroo, that is the ultra-rare forward opening hood option. No, I'm kidding, that picture was taken just after I got it and the left hood hinge was broken.