Today I started work on the passenger side rocker using instructions posted at 67-72chevytrucks.com by Lewis Fabrication Design Inc: Rockers 101 The instructions are pretty straight forward which is good because I have never attempted this type of repair. Still I was a little worried I might mess something up.
I started by marking a line as shown in the instructions. I then used a cutting wheel to cut along the line. Making the cut took longer than I expected and was not exactly straight but did the job. Once complete I bent the rocker down and easily worked it free from the bottom of the inner rocker. Having found over 10 wasp nests up to this point, I was not suprised to find one hidden within the rocker.
Next I used an air chisle to break the spot welds and remove the remaining pieces of the rocker. With the rocker out of the way it was easy to see the rust damage to the A pillar. You can see in the photos the bottom 3 inches had completely rotted away.
Today I was short on time and had to stop early but was happy with the progress I made. In the next session I plan to clean up the inner rocker and start working on the A pillar.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
700R4 Transmission
I decided the Turbo 400 transmission that came with my truck would be replaced with a 700r4. The 400 is a great heavy duty tranny that works well in high performance applications. The 700r4 is an overdrive transmission. Overdrive is the 4the gear needed to cruise highway speeds at a low rpm. It makes for a quieter ride and better fuel economy.
When my good friend Miguel found out about my project, he offered a rebuilt 700r4 free of charge. It has been two years since the tranny was last used and has been sitting in his garage. The tranny came out of his 86 Chevy 1500. He replaced it with a Turbo 400 which is a better match for the high performance 350 he was running. The tranny was located in Dallas which is 3 hrs away. I typically drive to Dallas several times a month and planned to pickup the tranny during one of my regular trips. Today 12/14, I planned on making a quick turnaround trip to Dallas. Miguel was available so it was all set. I drove up to his place, we ran a few errands, then I picked up the tranny. I was back in Austin by 6PM. Before installing the tranny I will have it cleaned up and checked out by a local shop.
When my good friend Miguel found out about my project, he offered a rebuilt 700r4 free of charge. It has been two years since the tranny was last used and has been sitting in his garage. The tranny came out of his 86 Chevy 1500. He replaced it with a Turbo 400 which is a better match for the high performance 350 he was running. The tranny was located in Dallas which is 3 hrs away. I typically drive to Dallas several times a month and planned to pickup the tranny during one of my regular trips. Today 12/14, I planned on making a quick turnaround trip to Dallas. Miguel was available so it was all set. I drove up to his place, we ran a few errands, then I picked up the tranny. I was back in Austin by 6PM. Before installing the tranny I will have it cleaned up and checked out by a local shop.
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| From Static Photos |
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Front Clip Removal
With this posting the blog will be caught up to actual project activity.
It has been 5 weeks since purchasing the truck. The last two weeks have been spent getting my garage ready for the SWB conversion. I now have a 26 gallon air compressor, a full set of air tools, engine hoist, and additional jack stands. When I am ready to pull the motor I will have to add an engine stand.
As of this morning I had a frame on one side of my garage and a fully assemble C-10 on the other side. By the end of the day the truck was reduced to a rolling chassis with a mounted cab (no doors). The drive train still in place. This was accomplished with the help of my friend Pete. He provided the use of a flat bed trailer and turned a wrench to help get it all apart. The day before I removed the tailgate and unbolted the bed. All we had to do was lift the bed off the truck and put it on the trailer. I heard it normally takes 4 guys to lift a long bed so I was a little worried. Pete and I will never be candidates for the world's strongest man competition but we are a couple of big guys. We started by lining up the trailer behind the truck. Standing on either side of the bed we were able to lift it off the chassis and onto the trailer. The bed was wider than the trailer so it took some finessing. Once the bed was secured to the trailer it was transported to storage. When we got back we started removing the front clip. First the hood and cowl were removed. The radiator was drained and removed. The a/c lines and wiring harness disconnected. We then unbolted the fenders from the cab and the radiator support from the frame. After checking for missed connections, we lifted the entire front clip off the truck and placed it on the trailer. We added the hood, doors, cowl and bumper then transported it all to storage. These parts will remain in storage to make room in the garage.
I was very happy with the progress we made. Big thanks to Pete for providing the trailer and lending a hand! Also want to thank Loyd for lending me his hoist, jack and wheel rollers. They will really come in handy. Next I will start replacing the rusted sheet metal. This will be my first attempt and making these types of repairs. Make sure to check back and see how it turns out!
It has been 5 weeks since purchasing the truck. The last two weeks have been spent getting my garage ready for the SWB conversion. I now have a 26 gallon air compressor, a full set of air tools, engine hoist, and additional jack stands. When I am ready to pull the motor I will have to add an engine stand.
As of this morning I had a frame on one side of my garage and a fully assemble C-10 on the other side. By the end of the day the truck was reduced to a rolling chassis with a mounted cab (no doors). The drive train still in place. This was accomplished with the help of my friend Pete. He provided the use of a flat bed trailer and turned a wrench to help get it all apart. The day before I removed the tailgate and unbolted the bed. All we had to do was lift the bed off the truck and put it on the trailer. I heard it normally takes 4 guys to lift a long bed so I was a little worried. Pete and I will never be candidates for the world's strongest man competition but we are a couple of big guys. We started by lining up the trailer behind the truck. Standing on either side of the bed we were able to lift it off the chassis and onto the trailer. The bed was wider than the trailer so it took some finessing. Once the bed was secured to the trailer it was transported to storage. When we got back we started removing the front clip. First the hood and cowl were removed. The radiator was drained and removed. The a/c lines and wiring harness disconnected. We then unbolted the fenders from the cab and the radiator support from the frame. After checking for missed connections, we lifted the entire front clip off the truck and placed it on the trailer. We added the hood, doors, cowl and bumper then transported it all to storage. These parts will remain in storage to make room in the garage.
I was very happy with the progress we made. Big thanks to Pete for providing the trailer and lending a hand! Also want to thank Loyd for lending me his hoist, jack and wheel rollers. They will really come in handy. Next I will start replacing the rusted sheet metal. This will be my first attempt and making these types of repairs. Make sure to check back and see how it turns out!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Converting to SWB
When I intially started looking for a C-10 I had several requirements and some wants. The wants I live without. The final result was a truck that met every requirement and all but one want. To be a SWB, better known as a short bed. Long beds are cool too but I have always wanted a short bed.
Three weeks after taking delivery, I was browsing Craiglist for parts when I came across a SWB frame for sale. It was only 20 miles away. I called the owner, Calvin, and made arrangements to see the frame. He explained the cab and bed were still mounted but I can check it out. After seeing I brokered a deal with Calvin. He agreed to pull the frame, sand blast it and paint it with POR15. A few days later, I went back with my truck and we loaded it into my 8ft bed. It had 4ft hanging off the back. To keep the cops happy, we placed red flags on the ends. Once I got it home, my neighbor helped me put the frame in my garage.
I still keep in touch with Calvin. It is always cool finding new friends that love these old trucks. And thanks to him I will be doing my own sheet metal work. We'll see how that turns out!
Three weeks after taking delivery, I was browsing Craiglist for parts when I came across a SWB frame for sale. It was only 20 miles away. I called the owner, Calvin, and made arrangements to see the frame. He explained the cab and bed were still mounted but I can check it out. After seeing I brokered a deal with Calvin. He agreed to pull the frame, sand blast it and paint it with POR15. A few days later, I went back with my truck and we loaded it into my 8ft bed. It had 4ft hanging off the back. To keep the cops happy, we placed red flags on the ends. Once I got it home, my neighbor helped me put the frame in my garage.
I still keep in touch with Calvin. It is always cool finding new friends that love these old trucks. And thanks to him I will be doing my own sheet metal work. We'll see how that turns out!
Poof!! There goes the wiring the harness!!
I have had the truck for just over two weeks now and I still have not decided how to rebuild it. I can go all original or custom sport truck. The color is also in question. In the meantime I am familiarizing myself with the truck. I could tell that at some point the truck was repainted and new carpet was installed. The carpet is in good condition but I doubt I will keep it. For now I will keep it stored.
On to the drama..I removed the wheel wells knowing that I will pull off the front clip in the near future. This allowed the wiring harness to drop down above the control arm. It did not appear to be a problem. A couple days later I visited a paint shop for an estimate. While trying to pull out I noticed the steering got tight. I pulled a little harder and it got tighter. Stupid me kept turning not knowing the wiring harness had wrapped around the steering shaft. The tension ripped the hot wire off the back of the alternator causing it to ground out turning my front wiring harness into a George Foreman Grill!! I knew something was wrong when a huge puff of smoke came out of the grill.
When I opened the hood to inspect the damage, I found the harness had burned from the battery all the back to the firewall. It looked bad but was nothing I could not fix. My immediate problem was figuring out how to get back home. Without the front harness the truck had no power. I ended up scavanging a length of wire from the burnt harness and ran a hot wire from the battery to the firewall. It was enough to get me home. The next day I rebuilt the harness using lengths of wire purchased at Radio Shack. I then wrapped the harness in friction black tape. Came out great!
On another note, my first order of sheet metal was delivered from Brothers! It included a rear roll pan, rockers, and floor pans.
On to the drama..I removed the wheel wells knowing that I will pull off the front clip in the near future. This allowed the wiring harness to drop down above the control arm. It did not appear to be a problem. A couple days later I visited a paint shop for an estimate. While trying to pull out I noticed the steering got tight. I pulled a little harder and it got tighter. Stupid me kept turning not knowing the wiring harness had wrapped around the steering shaft. The tension ripped the hot wire off the back of the alternator causing it to ground out turning my front wiring harness into a George Foreman Grill!! I knew something was wrong when a huge puff of smoke came out of the grill.
When I opened the hood to inspect the damage, I found the harness had burned from the battery all the back to the firewall. It looked bad but was nothing I could not fix. My immediate problem was figuring out how to get back home. Without the front harness the truck had no power. I ended up scavanging a length of wire from the burnt harness and ran a hot wire from the battery to the firewall. It was enough to get me home. The next day I rebuilt the harness using lengths of wire purchased at Radio Shack. I then wrapped the harness in friction black tape. Came out great!
On another note, my first order of sheet metal was delivered from Brothers! It included a rear roll pan, rockers, and floor pans.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Initial Tear Down Begins
It has been a week since I took delivery of the truck. Though I have made some changes I have also spent a lot of time looking for online part suppliers and forums. I found plenty of online resources with my favorite being http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com. I go there anytime I have questions.
Though I did not have a rebuild plan in place I knew the interior had to go. I started by pulling out the ventilation system. To my surprise I found the hose leading to the driver's side vent was filled with peanuts! LOL! How the hell did peanuts get in there!
Next all the dash components where removed along with the door sills and carpet. With the carpet out I could see there was rust holes in the floor pans, kick panels and rockers. This is typical of early trucks and can be repaired.
I want to point out that despite removing the interior the truck is still driveable. There are still a lot of items I need before I can do a complete tear down and I will need the truck to get to haul them home.
Though I did not have a rebuild plan in place I knew the interior had to go. I started by pulling out the ventilation system. To my surprise I found the hose leading to the driver's side vent was filled with peanuts! LOL! How the hell did peanuts get in there!
Next all the dash components where removed along with the door sills and carpet. With the carpet out I could see there was rust holes in the floor pans, kick panels and rockers. This is typical of early trucks and can be repaired.
I want to point out that despite removing the interior the truck is still driveable. There are still a lot of items I need before I can do a complete tear down and I will need the truck to get to haul them home.
Day 3 & 4 - New Exhaust
Day 3 was spent getting the truck inspected, the oil changed and finding a muffler shop. A light rain forced me to hit a nearby Autozone to replace the wipers. Day 4 started with a trip to Leonard's Muffler shop in Austin where I had the old exhaust replaced with Flowmaster 50 series mufflers and dual exhaust. Up to now the truck's exhaust stopped just past the cab and both mufflers had holes. It made for a very loud ride. The new exhaust was a huge improvement! It looked much better, reduced the interior noise and sounded great! I took the long way home to enjoy the new sound. Once I got there I pulled the seat and vacuumed what was missed on day 2.
In the photos you will see an electric fuel pump. It was installed by the previous owner. I will most likely replace it with a mechanical pump.
In the photos you will see an electric fuel pump. It was installed by the previous owner. I will most likely replace it with a mechanical pump.
Day 2 - Cleanup
When the truck arrived it was in decent shape but needed a good cleaning. The bed had 6 years of dirt buildup and the interior needed a thorough vacuuming. I forgot to mention the previous owner found the truck next to a barn outside of Abilene where it was parked since 2002. He got it running and sold it to me. The first thing I needed to do was remove the tool box from the bed. Luckily there were solid metal floors underneath. I thought it might be hiding rust holes. With the tool box removed I was able to sweep out the entire bed and remove several wasp nests. I then drove the truck to the car wash and washed out the bed.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
And so it begins..
Before I begin I should provide some history to explain how this got started. Since the early 90's I have been into classic cars. It was thru friends and family that I got interested in the hobby. I started with a 1964 Chevy Impala. A very clean all original car. I made several changes to the car with most being done to the motor. Years later I regreted modifying the original car. During those years I also had a 63' and 67' Impala. The 67' later went to my brother following a high speed collision between my 64' and his 63'. That story could be a blog in itself :) I also had a 63' Nova SS of which I had big plans that never materialized. In 2000 I sold the Nova and moved to California. That was my last classic.
Fast forward to November 2nd, 2008 in Austin, Texas. After a couple of weeks scanning Ebay and Craigslist I found a 68' Chevy C-10 LWB (long bed) for sale in Abilene which is 5 hrs from Austin. It was an original A/C truck, looked good in the pics and had a running 396 motor. I purchased it for $3k and arranged for delivery to Austin. This was the first time I committed to by a vehicle without driving it. Well, the second. The first being a Dodge Daytona Turbo that I purchased thru a catalog when I was in the Army.
On the day of delivery the owner got lost searching for my house. After getting him on the right track I waited outside for him to arrive. While waiting I could not help but wonder if I made a bad purchase. Maybe it was misrepresented and is really a rusted out beater truck?? When he turned the corner to come up my street I could see he had the truck on a flatbed trailer. The closer he got I could see the truck was as he described. It was exactly what I expected! Nice!
Trying not to show my excitement, I waited for him to take the truck off the trailer so I could take it for a test ride. When it was all set I got inside and turned the key. The big 396 fired right up! I pulled away leaving the owner waiting at my house. I got to the far end of the neighborhood and the motor died. Out of gas! I had to call the owner and have him fetch a gas can out of my garage. Luckily it already had gas. After delivering the gas we got truck running and I took it straight home. We finalized the deal and I was back into classics! :)
Here are photos from the original Craigslist ad and in my garage:
Fast forward to November 2nd, 2008 in Austin, Texas. After a couple of weeks scanning Ebay and Craigslist I found a 68' Chevy C-10 LWB (long bed) for sale in Abilene which is 5 hrs from Austin. It was an original A/C truck, looked good in the pics and had a running 396 motor. I purchased it for $3k and arranged for delivery to Austin. This was the first time I committed to by a vehicle without driving it. Well, the second. The first being a Dodge Daytona Turbo that I purchased thru a catalog when I was in the Army.
On the day of delivery the owner got lost searching for my house. After getting him on the right track I waited outside for him to arrive. While waiting I could not help but wonder if I made a bad purchase. Maybe it was misrepresented and is really a rusted out beater truck?? When he turned the corner to come up my street I could see he had the truck on a flatbed trailer. The closer he got I could see the truck was as he described. It was exactly what I expected! Nice!
Trying not to show my excitement, I waited for him to take the truck off the trailer so I could take it for a test ride. When it was all set I got inside and turned the key. The big 396 fired right up! I pulled away leaving the owner waiting at my house. I got to the far end of the neighborhood and the motor died. Out of gas! I had to call the owner and have him fetch a gas can out of my garage. Luckily it already had gas. After delivering the gas we got truck running and I took it straight home. We finalized the deal and I was back into classics! :)
Here are photos from the original Craigslist ad and in my garage:
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