The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Do I really wanna do this?

I just restored a 1953 Schwinn recently, and it went so well that now I'm considering restoring something with 4 wheels. Specifically, there's a '64 Chevy pickup for sale down the road, and others on Craig's List. This is a big purchase and commitment, so I'm hoping you guys can advise me on whether or not to jump in. A few questions:

1) Most of the trucks I've seen have been 4-speed manual V8's. I've seen a couple automatic V8's. Maybe a 6-cylinder here and there. I don't care about horsepower, speed, or torque. I mainly want a decent looking truck to kick around in, and it would be nice if the gas mileage was as good as possible. So it seems like a 6-cylinder would be best. I don't know how to drive a straight, but I could learn. What's your advice on that topic? Should I get a V8 or a 6? Are parts for a V8 more readily available? Or is it about the same, and totally up to my personal preference? What about automatic vs. straight? Any benefit to either, other than I already know how to drive an automatic?

2) Speaking of parts, how hard is it to find parts? I saw some reproduction bumpers and things online, and I saw some new brake parts for sale. But what about engine parts and other mechanical things? Can you get those parts at Autozone, or do you have to go through ebay or something like that for used parts? As in question 1, is it easier to find V8 parts than 6-cylinder parts, or vice versa?

3) Are these trucks any good for day-to-day driving, or do they lag so far behind newer vehicles in comfort that they sit in the driveway untouched days at a time?

4) How much do I have to worry about rust, especially on the frame and floorboards? Since I'm not a welder, should I avoid trucks with heavily rusty parts?

5) Slightly tongue-in-cheek here, but there's no power-steering and power-brakes in these beasts, right?

Thanks for you help, everyone! I really appreciate your advice!

Thanks.
Steve.

i bought a 66 last year as a winter driver while i re worked my corvette and found myself having more fun with the truck than the vette. i drive mine every day and it does fine even in the iowa winter. not a hot rod by any means ( 6 cylinder with 3 speed on the floor )but very reliable and extremely simple to work on. look up LMC Truck on the web and you will be amazed. you can practically build a whole truck from the cataloge. i am currently putting in a 350 with automatic only because i want to do highway cruising to shows and what not. i say go for it. there is a ton of knowledge on this forum and the group of people here are great help.

ditto

i just picked up a 62 1/2 ton a couple of months ago. advice i'd give is to go 64 and up, it seems like alot of the catalogs skip 60-62 on alot of parts. and the windshields are a little cheaper if it needs replaced. my six cylinder 235 only gets about 12 mpg. it tops out at 70 mph freeway and is screaming.. i'm guessing a 350 would get about the same mpg with more hp? have a look underneath and make sure the frame isn't bent and check for rust. cab corners floorboards, actually what i would recommend is picking up a book called "how to restore your chevy pickup". flip through it and i think you will get a really good idea of what you might be in for. also it will give you a good idea of what to look for in your potential truck. whether the wiring has been updated-rear end gearing-part interchangability, and what might be trivial and what might be serious. i love my truck but i wish i had read that book before buying it.

Don't buy an apple if you want an orange. Like wise, don't buy an old truck if what you really want is a new one. If you decide you want the old, but don't want to spend the bulk of your life repairing it, then buy the best one you can afford. I recommend looking West and finding an original, unmolested survivor with lower miles and no rust. You'll pay a little more up front, but it'll cost you less in the long run. It will also be much easier to sell should you decide not to keep it.
Parts are everywhere, from used, to repros galore, to NOS if you want to go that way.
lastly, yes, power steering and brakes were/are available along with A/C and other niceties, but options cost money... back then, and now as well.
Good luck and have fun.

A lot of the mechanical parts are still available through parts stores. This includes the engines, brake shoes and internal drum parts, hoses, radiators, starters, gaskets & etc.. You may have to order the parts and wait, but the parts are usually in the nearest big warehouse to your location. This usually means at least a business day or so.

If this is your first old vehicle project, buy something that is running and on the road. Even if you don't tinker with it every week, you can still enjoy it and haul stuff with it or go to the store in it. A good friend of mine who was an old car guy told me this before I bought my truck and it was excellent advice.

You need to make sure you can work on your truck at your residence/neighborhood. Lots of places now have silly laws about doing even the most basic maintenance at home.

1960-1966 buyer's guide here at the 'bolt:

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/buyers_guide_60_66.htm

The buyers guide discusses various things to check for when going to look at one of these old rigs.

You can put power drum brakes on or there are front power disc kits available. In most cases you will have to change to a larger wheel to accommodate the caliper for the disc brake.

My truck has power drum brakes, but I don't drive like a crazy man, most of the time and rarely have an issue unless someone pulls out at the last minute on me... whereas I'd have just as much trouble in a disc brake vehicle with ABS.

There is a kit made by REZ engineering to put power steering on these old trucks. If you are driving it pretty often, I recommend it. My '65 c10 long bed had PS when I bought it... I test drove a few trucks that did not have it and it makes a world of difference.


pics of the REZ kit, plus a scan of the install directions, courtesy of a fellow bolter, persh:

http://www.persh.org/pickup/steering.htm


Check out the links in this post above here and review the links I sent you in PM, this should help further your knowledge.

Feel free to ask more specific questions in this thread if you like.

-W

Hi, everybody.

Thank you so much for all the advice! If anybody has any more thoughts, please post them! It's a big decision to me, but it's sooo tempting.

The real decision is whether or not I want to start another expensive hobby that's going to be so addictive and time consuming. I really need to balance my hobby time and my family time. It seems like one of those always gets starved while the other gets my full attention. If only I could work on something just a couple hours a week...

Regardless, if I jump in, here's what I've gotten from your posts so far:

1) For either a 6-cylinder or an 8-cylinder, new parts are readily available. I won't be scrounging through junk yards looking for an alternator or something.

2) Power steering and power brakes are available for extra money, or I can buy a kit to put power steering and brakes on a truck.

3) I didn't see too much regarding automatic vs. straight, so I assume it's personal preference there.

4) Gas mileage is going to be low regardless of the engine, but I assume a 3-speed manual 6-cylinder would give the best gas mileage.

5) I should buy a truck that is already road-ready so I can enjoy it as I work on it.

6) This is going to be a ton of fun, and I'd enjoy the truck when it's finished.

I don't see any hold-up right now, except the time it would take away from my family, which is a big deal. Has anybody found away to strike that balance?

Thanks again for all the well-thought-out and quick advice. I've got some thinking to do, and I'll also see if my library has "How to Restore Your Chevy Pickup."

Steve.

Your family will love riding in "the old truck", too.
My '65 has a 250 6-cyl. and 4-speed out of a '74 car, and I'm getting close to 20mpg. I rarely exceed 45-50mph because I don't have to.
I'd love to spend a couple grand on it and make it really nice, but I don't have to. For now, it's just an old driver...but it's so cool!
Best luck.

cm

it can be a great family thing, I dont know about your kids, but can be a great father son- daughter thing(and some girls like these sort of thing,Its all what you expose them too), wife, my wife likes to go to things like car shows, old drive in where they do the elvis thing, or just take rides in the early morning with the windows down, grab a coffee and ride (or she sets and watches me work hehe,dont just make it your project, that is if you just want it that way, its cool

i am prob in the minority but i prefer the inline six. i have drove exclusivly 63 to 66 trucks for years. the sixes are easier for me to tune work on and you have way more room to do it. everyone wants a v8 so 6 parts aren't too bad price wise. some of the internals will interchange with the v8's. only one head gasket, one valve cover gasket, quicker valve adjustment, easier to change fuel pump, easier to reach dist, exuast easier because more room, spark plugs easier to get to, and a lot of the sixes haven't been beat like a scalded dog like the 8's.
about the only disadvantage is the manifolds tend to warp because the are long. because these trucks are work trucks don't expect them to go too fast. that will add lots of life to your truck. the milage might not be as bad as you think. my trucks don't get that much worse than a lot of newer ones. but the top speed is something different so don't expect that. trust me you will be able to buy a tanker truck full of gas with all the money you save on mechanic bills and high parts. i could type a list from here to the moon of crap parts that are unbelievably high on new trucks and take high dollar hourly wages at the shop. once you get spoiled you're mouth will drop when friends tell you what their repair bill was. yes it happens on newer trucks a lot. yours will be running down the road for pennies.
now a full restoration is another story. have i sold on the idea yet? but don't shell out to much, a good deal can still be found. i have drug them in for free, paid $50, $75, $200 so don't be afraid to look for cheap. the most i paid for a 62 2 ton was $1000.

Thanks guys for the responses.

hoggyrubber, that's great advice. I'm liking the 6's too.

Regarding family, my daughter is 11 months: too young to help and too small to take care of herself while Daddy is tinkering outside. I hate to leave it all up to her mommy, so I need to limit my truck time to just a few hours a week. With some willpower, I should be able to do that.

I found "How to Restore Your Chevrolet Truck" at the library and got it yesterday. Amazing book! I read all the intro and Chevy info, and I skimmed the restore/rebuild advice.

One thing caught my eye and may have ruined the whole deal for me: the gas tank.

Apparently it's inside the cab behind the seat on all the 60's trucks. Who came up with that idea? I'm not sure I can ride around with a bomb 6 inches behind me. The book said some people have moved the gas tank to the back of the truck. Sounds complicated. Have any of you guys done that or heard of that?

Thanks again!

Steve.

Ok, I just found the gas tank conversion kit at LTC:

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cbe/full.aspx?page=71

How involved is this? Does it just bolt in, or will this require welding and the like?

Has anybody here done this?

Thanks.
Steve.

So just how many exploded trucks have you seen or heard about? You know, the one's with the "bomb" inside of them? Now the ones with the tank Outside of the cab have a higher incidence of incidents. If you want to move your tank outside of the cab, that's all well and good. But you're actually putting it closer to that speeding 18 wheeler that you can't get out of the way of. And if you want to keep it in the cab, well that's all well and good too. But don't think that you'll be more safe either way. If an accident gets to your in-cab fuel tank enough to cause an explosion, you were already in deep [censored] anyway.
If you're building one of these trucks to transport your daughter around the countryside, maybe a new car with airbags better suits your needs.

Thanks K10 for the good logic. You make very good points. I've never heard about a tank inside the cab or outside the cab blowing up, except for the rigged thing they did on Dateline a few years back.

"bomb" was a little harsh. Sorry about that. I had just never heard of a vehicle with that configuration.

Yes, this truck is for my enjoyment, not to carry my daughter anywhere. Still, I want to be as safe as possible, and if a $500 or $1,000 expense can move the tank to a safer place (if the rear is safer), then it's worth it. Same logic applies to giving the truck power disk brakes and shoulder harness seat belts. There's got to be a balance between fun, coolness, expense, and safety.

So the question then is whether the tank is safer inside or outside the cab.

I do like the idea of having some extra room behind the seat.

And I am still curious how hard it is to do the conversion. Anybody tried this?

Thanks.
Steve.

if you are mechanical in anyway you can do what you want to, or have a mind to do, its not alway easy, and sometime takes some serching or asking on these sites , but you can GET ER DONE, THESE GUYS HAVE DONE ALL OF IT, SO EITHER DO A SERCH, or ask, youll get some help,
and as far as the kids, I use to rebuild motorcycles when I was younger, when they were with me I just moved the playpin out in the back yard or garage, depending where I was working, then later I would just give them something to do or let them play, of coarse it took a little longer to do something, but they were with me, just cant get flustered when you have too stop something and play with the little one instead of get your project done that day, kids are more important, now for me its the grand kids, its always put kids first, of coarse the project will take longer, but its just a project

Well said, hamrs_62!

So if I want the tank in the back, I should just do it. I'm mechanical enough, and I'm sure I could find a friend or a local shop to help me. And you guys will always be there for me. Awwww...

So that's my call.

And the kids vs. project perspective is perfect. The truth is there's nothing wrong with me taking on a new hobby. I just need to be a responsible adult and get my priorities straight. Family first. My wife is sooooo giving. She knows my track record of spending hours and hours every day neglecting my family while I tinker with a project, and she's ok with me starting a truck. I don't need to take advantage of that by following my same old habits.

If I'm going to buy a truck, the right thing to do is buy one that is road-ready, work on it a little at a time, and make it a lower priority than my family time. I can do that. Even if takes 2 years to finish the project, it's just that much more time to enjoy working on it. And if I get tired of it, I can sell it.

hamrs_62, thanks for leading me to that conclusion. Sometimes it just takes a wise grandfather to set us young kids straight! :-)

the gas tank conversion is pretty easy i have done it twice. i doubt it's any safer but my wife doesn't like the smell or even the thought she can smell gas. so i like keeping her happy so both mine are outside under the bed. cost was around $250 or so.
again i am prob in the minority here but i don't think power steering or power brakes are that much safer. people think they need them because they are used to driving 70mph down the road or faster and following close because their car only weighs 3000lbs. your truck will prob have a crusing speed of around 50mph and as long as you drive accordingly i would take the stock components over some overseas kit or junkyard conversian any day. not saying doing so is wrong, buy i haven't had trouble stopping at all. when an animal runs out or when a light changes it ok. if you are going to try to drive the truck like most other cars and gas brake, gas brake, or speed up to the stop light, or talk on the cell phone while you are diggin on the radio sure change it over you will be safer.
sorry not to get off subject. the worst part of the gas tank under bed is figuring out where to put filler neck and cap. will take cutting and some work and any place has some drawbacks. also you may want to weld up the old hole in the cab and repaint it. good luck i hope you find a truck.

i just bought a 65 steepside with a 230 three on the tree back in dec. we did a few monor fixes to the truck over the last few mounths. i took it out yesterday for its maiden voyage, i got three different thumbs up and one nice truck. my truck is no show truck but i had a blast just driving it for about two hrs. and maybe i put 60 miles on it. the neatest thing about the truck is the simplicity of everything on the truck which is the complete oppisite of everything vehicles have on them today. i would tell you that you wont regret getting an older vehicle . good luck on your decision.

my self I would go small v8 with a standard trans, I find them more fun to drive and you would get better milage with a stick . As far as parts go there is lots out there from catologe shops such as brothers truck and LMC. I prefer brothers truck my self.As far as other parts shops go if you can find a good shop with someone with knowledgeyou should be able to get what you need. I have never had a problem with my 1965 GMC exept for emblems but they can be made up.Power stearing and brakes can be added no problem there are kits out there.My self I would stick to the 64 to1966 models. If you have any more Questonns I would br Happy to help out as I have done a few of these trucks. Here is my photo bucket album name. Just punch in photobucketradical65gmcif you would like to see some pics
Hans

a good thing to do in your position might be to try and find a truck where someone has already done the gas tank conversion, there are nice truck popping up on craigslist all the time. alot of people have put alot of love into them and just get in a pinch, so you can find one with updated discs up front, wiring, rear tank etc... i have an 18 month old and my truck is my daily driver, so trying to do repairs start to finish during his nap so i can get to work the next day has been pretty insane. sometimes he wakes up early and you gotta slap everything back together in a hurry! that was the thing where the book came in handy was knowing which mods would fit into your picture. my tank is behind the seat, which has given me no problems, i have heard people complain about gas fumes though. and i'd rather be in my truck than in the 06 scion i was driving when it comes CRUNCH time....

Thank you, everybody for your great advice and thoughtful insights. I really value your support.

I've decided that I do want to buy and restore/rebuild a truck, but I'm going to take my time in getting one. When the time seems right, and when I find the right truck, I'll jump on it.

For the record, my ideal truck to purchase as I know it is:

1964-1966
6-cylinder three on the tree
Running well
Minimal rust but not perfect
Gas tank location doesn't matter

I would probably put power steering and power disk brakes on it. I would move the gas tank to the frame if it's not already there. I'd smooth out the body and get a nice paint job and get it running really well. I'd also do my best to restore the interior.

The time will come sometime! I know a lot more about these trucks than I used to, so when the right one comes along, I'll be ready to jump in.

Thanks again for everything! I'll post again when I've got a truck to work on.

Steve.

They put the gas tanks in the cab way back in the 30's and 40's also.

Chevy took it out on one model year... late 1940's... I forget which year, but the 1947-1953 body style(advance design as they are referenced).

They found that with the roads back then... this was pre interstates and paved roads everywhere... they found that road debris and working in woods, fields or a job site would damage the gas tank and make it leak. The owners of the trucks told 'em to put it back in cab so they would stop having problems.

The tank was in the cab until sometime in the 1970's.

I've had my 1965 c10 since April 2003 with the tank in the cab. I've seen some photos of wrecked trucks like mine and my feeling is, if the gas tank punctures, I'm probably already dead from the impact.

The old mechanics and guys with these trucks when they were new have told me that as long as you keep the seals, fittings and hoses in good shape, you should not have any problems.


About the only real reasons for taking it out:

having more space for storage behind the seat.

you are going to run a larger fuel tank.

you current in cab tank is junk and you want to do the above or the cost is less.


I saw a truck a fella had, it was a '55-'57 with the tank out of the cab and he built these really nice shelves in there with a lip on each shelf to hold stuff in place. He had his detailing stuff, oil and basic tools back there.

Some people install stereo systems back there, others use it to stash tools or things related to the primary use of the truck.



-W

Wow, W. Thanks for the great explanation. That really makes a lot more sense, now. And all the things I could to with that extra space in the cab...

Now that we're back on the subject of moving the gas tank, I'm curious about the in-the-frame tank kit I saw on LMC. Do you know if that places the tank in front of the rear axle or behind? I think in front of the axle is supposed to be the safest.

I know I might be more concerned about this than need-be, but I need to do whatever I feel is safest. Gotta be in comfy in my truck (whenever I get one), right?

Thanks again for the great info.
Steve.

behind

Thanks, hamrs.

You're right. I searched Google, and every Chevy restoration photo I saw had the tank in the rear.

I've started a new thread about gas tanks since it's so interesting to me.

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=623730

Thanks again.

Steve.

With the drive shaft entering the rear axle in front, it is virtually impossible to locate a fuel tank between the frame rails, forward of the rear axle.

Alright, so as I said above, I do want to do this. I thought it would be good to come up with an estimate of what's in store financially before I jump in. You guys can correct or question my guesses here.

I want to buy a 2-wheel-drive 1964-1966 Chevy pickup that runs well and has little rust. I want the inline 6 three-on-the tree. I want it to be mostly stock when I get it. Then I want to make it safer and pretty. That in mind,

The Truck: $4,000
Convert to Power Steering: $600
Convert to Power Breaks: $800
Move the gas tank: $250
Two Seat belts (3, 4, or 5-point harness): $200
Vinyl Seat Cover: $200
A new chrome bumper: $200
A decent paint job: $1,500
Jack stands: $50
Miscellaneous tools bought and rented: $200

Total Cost: $8,000

I tried to overestimate when I wasn't sure of the cost of something. What am I missing? Where are my guesses way off?

Thanks!
Steve.

The *new* chrome bumper will not be as thick or as nice.

The reproduction ones are known to be shaped wrong, made thinner and sometimes the bolt holes do not line up, in addition to the chrome not being very thick, so it rusts fairly quickly.

If you buy a truck that is a base model, with most things painted... then, you can simply repair and repaint.

It all depends on how fancy you want to get. The thing is tho', lots of people want to get fancy, so they have original used painted pieces to get rid of.

So, if you want more of a truck than a car, that is something to consider.

-W

Thanks, W.

That's great. I could save some cash by banging the dents out of the original bumper or grabbing a used bumper that's in good shape.

And I thought of wiring harnesses. If I wanted a new wiring harness, that would add to the cost. Am I reading LMC correctly that it would cost close to $900? Maybe I'll take my chances with the old wires.

You may want to consider a wiring harness that is not stock. Check out the Kwikwire website. I bought a full American made harness for $140. All of the wires are marked and I installed it in a weekend. Very very easy. A little patience is needed, but very easy.

Bad62, Nice! Thanks. I would like new wires, and that sounds like a good alternative.

How about the power dic brakes for $800 and power steering for $600? That's more than I expected. Are those accurate estimates?

Also, I think I read somewhere that disc brakes aren't possible on the stock wheels. I'd have to move to a bigger wheel. Is that true? Anybody have an estimate of how much it would cost to move up to just-big-enough wheels to install disc brakes? Nothing fancy. I still want to give the illusion that this is a stock truck.

Thanks.
Steve.

i did a complete resto mod on a 63 gmc .86 chevy posi rear ,72 chevy front end with big disc brakes 385 chevy crate,700r4 trany the rest of the body and glass is new or restored .a few $$$ spent but nothing to hard to find

Very nice, 63_gmc. You put a lot of work into it. I don't want to fool myself into thinking this is going to be easy, but all you guys make it seem like this is a very doable project. Just gotta get the finances in order first...

Thanks again, 63_gmc. Your truck looks great.

Here is something to think about. Gas mileage depends on how hard the engine is working, right? I can almost guarentee that I can get as good or better mileage from a small block V8 and auto transmission geared for highway usage than the average Joe can get from the 6 and stick. The 6 has to work too hard. Just my 2 cents worth but based on 50 years experience.

Woah... That is something to think about. That's totally opposite of what I was thinking.

Thanks, Justhorsenround. I just created a new thread based on this topic!

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=635109&#Post635109

Personally speaking, I'd rather drive my 64' with the 6 banger, 3 on the tree, no power anything, no A/C...than to have a new truck. It's a blast to work on, has more character than any new truck will ever garner, and turns head anywhere I go. Not to mention all the fine folks i've met since I've gotten it up and running. I'm like Hoggyrubber about the 6 banger also. Easier to work on all the way around, less parts to deal with, and there is something magical about the song a 6 banger sings for you when it's running right and making the blacktop talk to you.
Go for it and include the family whenever you can, whether it's fetching a wrench for you or loading up to go to a local car show. Any time you can spend with the family is time well spent. Thjis site has some of the best folks in the world that will help you in any way you can imagine to get your truck up and running or keep it running when it decides to throw a fit. And yes...sonner or later it will throw a fit.

Well said, Tramp.

You make it sound even more fun than I imagined, and it doesn't have to come at odds with my family life. That balance is up to me. I hope to find all kinds of ways to involve my wife and daughter in the work.

Yeah, I plan to get the 6-cylinder so I can enjoy doing the labor myself.

I bet 60's Chevy truck owners do get lots of comments. I imagine there's a conversation just about every time you stop to buy gas.

Can't wait to get started.

Thanks for the encouragement, Tramp.

Steve.