The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk First restore

Got a 69 c10 for 1k, body looked decent a few spots, 2 spots at the lip on the fire wall, motor turned over but was told there was a bad lobe, turns out that a valve was stuck and the housing is cracked so the head is junk, disconnected everything and will pull the motor out tomorrow. The 2 piece drive shaft was a pain, only had u bolts on the rear and had to pry and get bearings off to get it out, can I get drive shaft rebuilt? While under ( it was in the weeds and did not get that great of a look underneath) the beams going across the bed, and the cab/ under the floor/ and cab mounts are more rotted then I would have liked. Honestly I got discouraged tonight. I hope all is not waisted. I was hoping to keep it somewhat original , with the 292 and 3 on the tree. Any suggestions, tips, pointers or other help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Some of life lessons can really burn! Most of us have been where your at, hang in there. Take inventory of your project and decide what you need to do. Better to find out now than after you've stuck 5K into it? Just my 2 cents.
Phil

JJT, welcome to the Stovebolt. You are now on a journey. Don't get disgusted. It does take time. Visit here often to ask questions and you are even allowed to whine, complain and rant if that will help. We've been where you are. Ask questions, get opinions and advice before you make your final decision. I'm know there are other bolters in your state. Keep watch in the Side Lot where folks go to meet other bolters in their area. You may have someone next door!

Yes, drive shafts can be rebuilt. I actually work part time for Carolina Driveline. Tom has been doing driveshafts/pto's and such for about 30 years. New joints, carrier bearings and such can make a big difference as well as balancing them.
Take it easy, make a plan and do "first things first". Good luck, we're here to help.

Thanks,
pulled the motor today and it went rather well, got most of it apart. Just need to get a stand and finish it off, then can get it baked and checked for cracks in the block,

I think I should be able to get a floor and cab supports through LMC or classic parts.com, I'll get every thing off the frame and get some POR to coat everything, I heard that stuff goes on right over rust(after the loose stuff is off)
Put in a new fire wall, I check some junkyards to for stuff, it will cost more then I had planned but with time I think I can get it

Hang in there and don't get discouraged. It's easy to get one all torn apart and then lose interest when you're in over your head. Sometimes it helps to do small stuff first so you can keep driving it in the meantime. Guess it's too late for that for you, but hang in there. And there's plenty of help and encouragement on these forums.

15 minutes every day. Even if its just cleaning a part on the bench grinder, priming/painting it, and then sticking it away as a "done" piece for the truck. You'll be surprised how much of this you get done, and fast. This keeps work going on while you wait for some money for the "big ticket items". You can do it. We are already seeing the results.

I have a '70 C10 LWB stepside that I bought in 2001. Took 6 years of plugging along doing work on just about every part of the truck until I had it "completed" in 2007. It isn't a trailer queen but turned out pretty nice for a back yard resto and I am proud to say that I did it all myself. You can get almost any replacement part you need from LMC and other vendors and don't forget to check Ebay, too. I got a brand new dash pad for mine on Ebay at a very decent price so it pays to shop around.

The restoration will take time so don't get discouraged. Whenever you feel like giving up or feeling like it will never come together just take a step back, catch your breath, and as said, work on small parts that can get done pretty quick so you can actually see some progress being made. When you finally get that baby finished you will be glad that you stuck with it.

We all look forward to seeing some pics of your truck and the progress you make.

The weird thing is, when you are "done" with it, you will go out to the shop and stare blankly, walk around in a few circles and wonder, "What do I do now ?" and "What is my purpose in life?" and "Where might I find another one to drive me absolutely nuts trying to put together?"

Thank you everyone for the encouragement, I do have a few people I work with to that are going thru projects or will be, so it will be nice to encourage each other,

Thanks again

Welcome . Remember this is fun . This is a hobby .

I understand where you are coming from. We are doing a complete frame off restoration. So every nut and bolt is getting attention. And I mean EVERY nut and bolt. Seems like it'll never get done. But like Achipmunk said...small things while you wait and you'll be surprised how much gets done. That's what we did and in 7 months...we have the frame, suspension, steering, drivetrain, brakes and all engine components rebuilt and painted. Now this is 3 of us working on it so that helps. But I myself did all the rebuilding and painting of the engine parts as well as brackets, cab mounts, e-brake rods, clutch and trans rods at night in garage. All the loose items that bring it all together. 30 min here, 2 hours there, 45 min here. It all adds up and you'll be amazed at what you get done in the long run.