The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 66 chevy milk truck

I am now the proud owner of an old milk delivery truck that is becoming the project of two of my sons and myself. The front is a typical c30, but the back is a custom box. I am in search of any info that will help us restore/customize it. For example, who built the dash and can I get a part to replace what was cut out. Who built the box? The refer stuff will be re-purposed for a cold room. It has a 350 that is out of a 1970 fire truck or c60. I want to get the cross member out of a newer c20 and convert it to disc brakes. Any other ideas? Here is a link to some pictures http://profile.imageshack.us/user/chevymilktruck

Very nice project i remember these trucks when i was very young, good luck with it

Thats gonna make one kewl ride. Welcome to the Stovebolt Durkin. Just be patient. Lots of knowledgeable folks around here. Be patient and I'm sure it'll all come together.

Great Graphic on that truck I drove a chevy milk truck similar to yours in the mid '70s for Sealtest. Congratulations

Neat piece of history. Your '66 has a '63 grille assembly on it. Keep us posted with pictures of your progress. Welcome to the stovebolt and good luck with your project.

Sweet ride!

Thanks for all the encouragement. The graphics on it are going to change, part of the deal of my buying it is I would paint the dairy's current logo on it. I will use it to pull the 4-h float in parades and they want the advertising. I haven't seen any others like it so I'm guessing most were scrapped? I know this one has been pieced together from other trucks. I found a sticker on the inside of the cab that reads "Field body co Inc. 2656 lashbrook ave, S. El Monte, CA" does this ring a bell with anyone? Is this the company that built the fiberglass part or just a body shop that may have worked on it?

I think the one I drove was maybe earlier like 63 or so. It appeared to be a milk truck all its life without any piecing from anything else. I wasn't interested back then (1976) in the truck other than if it would get me back to the yard at the end of the route each day. Had a single hinged door in the back and a sliding door for access from the cab. I remember one time banging the carb with a rock as the float would sometimes stick and flood so I could get through the day.

mine has two overlapping doors in the back and spring loaded bi-parting doors separating the cab and the ice box. I will take some more pics and post them if you would like.

Here's a pic of a truck like yours at the local salvage yard here in SC. Maybe it has some parts you need.

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt269/fastboatman29212/65%20Chevy%20C10/milktruck.jpg

It's a little different. The box on mine is all fiberglass. My doors slide back into pockets instead of folding. The front fenders are modified 66 chevy fenders, the ones on that truck look like 2 pieces. It look very similar other than that. Maybe it's just a different year? Thanks for the pic. I have not seen many even close.

That is going to be a cool ride!

I don't know much about '66 trucks, but the gauge cluster looks to be from a '54-'55 1st.

I agree - cool project.

That is interesting about the gauges. I was at the salvage yard a while back and the kid at the counter was cleaning on a cluster which appeared to be from a 58 truck so I asked if he was restoring one. He said he got it out of an old delivery truck and was just cleaning it up for a display and that he had no idea it was for a pickup.

We also found the gauges for a 34 Pontiac in a 1940's school bus at a different yard but that is a different story.

That's very interesting about the gauges. I never thought they would be from a different year truck. I just thought they were from the company that built the dash.

so an update on progress.... I've got the front end almost ready for the cross member swap with an 86 3/4 ton. I uploaded new pictures that show my latest discovery. the fiberglass has worn through and split where it sandwiches between the firewall and dash.

http://profile.imageshack.us/user/chevymilktruck/

Wonder if GM produced a 12v gas gauge for the '54 gauge cluster in your milk truck, or if the gauge has a resistor to reduce it to 6v?

if the driveline and chassis are actually 66, then likely the dairy kept a truck in play by using the van body from a previous era truck on a later chassis [and title], and that's obvious by the break at the back of the cowl - those custom bodied trucks would have had the delivery body added to a factory cowl and chassis [no windshield] .... OTOH, that dash itself looks pieced together not AD but not fully 60's, and the gauge set could as easily be Ford with that bezel in the center

Bill

the 350 motor came out of a 1970 c60, the power steering is Pontiac. The front and rear frame look to be 60's era, but the center section has been cut out and lowered so you can stand up in the cab. The drive line carrier bearing is actually above the frame. The cowl resembles a 66, but is all one piece. even the fenders mount differently. It looks to me like the van body and chassis were assembled at custom factory but the other thing were pieced together by the dairy to keep the truck running. I have found one other truck in a wrecking yard with the same dash on a 63 chassis, but the whole thing was metal. It made mine look showroom new