I've been a lurker for a while and thought it was about time I joined in. I know a few people here from other forums who might know me by another name so Hi Chas, Alistair K etc. Over the years I've had a variety of classics, MK1 Cavalier, spitfires, a dolly, two alfasuds, series IIa landy, Suzuki SJ and then latterly a brace of 4x4's.
Anyway, heres my long term project, I've owned her for about ten years or so and she was my daily for a few of years until a combination of lots of niggling problems (like a starter motor that heatsoaked and stranded me at the petrol station for half an hour) half of both exhausts dropping off and me running over the only salvageable bits, the nice chrome tips and so on led to her coming off the road for repairs, unfortunately through a combination of money but no time then time but no money, then kids came along she's been off the road for quite a few years.
Details are she's a 1967 C10 (which means a half ton) long wheelbase (eight foot bed) fleetside pickup. This was the first year for this body shape and the last year without the federally mandated side marker lights that came in during 1968. Oh and its a large rear window cab with a dealer fitted sliding window. It left the factory as a pretty plain jane low option truck.
Mechanically its got a 1969 four bolt main 350ci small block V8 that came out of I think a Camaro, it left the factory with a straight six. Transmission is a TH350 autobox, suspension is coil spring trailing arms, back then you could choose between coils or leaf springs.
I've not been totally idle, during that time I've replaced the exhausts (true duals ending just in front of the rear wheels) replaced the sill, repaired kickpanel, floor, A post on one side, fitted a front anti-roll bar as it left the factory without one as they were optional back then, undone a few previous owner bodges, and most recently done some engine work. I also managed to source a period fibreglass camper shell for the back with the aim being to use it to kip in the back of at car shows etc.
I still need to go right through the brakes, new lines and wheel cylinders etc, firt the power brake setup I have lurking in the garage and a few other its and bobs before she's ready for an MoT.
The pictures
In all her current glory having a chat with my current daily, an 01 Chevy Blazer.
Anti roll bar, this is the thickest standard one and came off a tow truck someone was breaking and believe me its damn heavy, I met the guy at a show at Newark and carried it about a bloody mile back to the car by which time I had a matching dent in my shoulder and one arm slightly longer than the other!
all painted and fitted up with new lowered brackets and poly bushes.
Mmmm, Crusty!
Out with the angle grinder, my first serious foray into bodywork/welding, all my previous attempts in my youth involving chickenwire and a large bucket of plastic padding!
new metal
New exhausts
New high torque mini starter to cure heat soak issues
Latest stuff done was all engine related, first up, Intake manifold, the engine had the stock cast iron maniufold which was designed for a spreadbore carb not the current square bore Carter AFB that was fitted using an adaptor. It also leaked around the thermostat housing due to bad rust pitting so it had to go for something a bit lighter and more efficient.
The engine as it stood.
Off with the old
On with the new and aluminium Edelbrock Performer eps manifold.
At the same time I decided to convert the aftermarket Mallory dual point distributor to electronic ignition, the original plan was to drop in a factory HEI distributor I had bought for it BUT due to the engine being mounted too far back (whoever dropped the V8 in used the original six cylinder mounts) it fouled the bulkhead big time and I didn't want to have to take a BFH to it so I went for a Pertronix kit which is very neat and fits inside the dizzy.
next up was a new engine loom as the old one was so butchered about, jsut the wire to the oil pressure switch had five different colours of wire bodged together. I had a new purpose built loom form a company called M&H in the USA.
getting the old bulkhead connector off the back of the fusebox turned out to be a right swine with the captive nut it bolts into spinning freely in the back of the fuseblock due to rust, in the end it involved brute force and lots of drilling and swearing to get it out. The new loom plugged in nicely though and went exactly where it should.
I also have some "new" period aftermarket micky thompson alloy valve covers I've had soda blasted and polished to go on.
I also decided to strip and repaint the front of the block and heads whilst it was stripped down
also stripped and repainted the water pump which turned out to be a total waste of time as clearly all the goop on it was what was keeping it watertight and it started leaking with the shock of it as soon as it was back together so now I have to fit a new one.
Anyway thats where she stands at the moment as a recent house move has stalled things again but I hope to start work again soon once I've finished wiring up the garage.
Anyway, heres my long term project, I've owned her for about ten years or so and she was my daily for a few of years until a combination of lots of niggling problems (like a starter motor that heatsoaked and stranded me at the petrol station for half an hour) half of both exhausts dropping off and me running over the only salvageable bits, the nice chrome tips and so on led to her coming off the road for repairs, unfortunately through a combination of money but no time then time but no money, then kids came along she's been off the road for quite a few years.
Details are she's a 1967 C10 (which means a half ton) long wheelbase (eight foot bed) fleetside pickup. This was the first year for this body shape and the last year without the federally mandated side marker lights that came in during 1968. Oh and its a large rear window cab with a dealer fitted sliding window. It left the factory as a pretty plain jane low option truck.
Mechanically its got a 1969 four bolt main 350ci small block V8 that came out of I think a Camaro, it left the factory with a straight six. Transmission is a TH350 autobox, suspension is coil spring trailing arms, back then you could choose between coils or leaf springs.
I've not been totally idle, during that time I've replaced the exhausts (true duals ending just in front of the rear wheels) replaced the sill, repaired kickpanel, floor, A post on one side, fitted a front anti-roll bar as it left the factory without one as they were optional back then, undone a few previous owner bodges, and most recently done some engine work. I also managed to source a period fibreglass camper shell for the back with the aim being to use it to kip in the back of at car shows etc.
I still need to go right through the brakes, new lines and wheel cylinders etc, firt the power brake setup I have lurking in the garage and a few other its and bobs before she's ready for an MoT.
The pictures
In all her current glory having a chat with my current daily, an 01 Chevy Blazer.
Anti roll bar, this is the thickest standard one and came off a tow truck someone was breaking and believe me its damn heavy, I met the guy at a show at Newark and carried it about a bloody mile back to the car by which time I had a matching dent in my shoulder and one arm slightly longer than the other!
all painted and fitted up with new lowered brackets and poly bushes.
Mmmm, Crusty!
Out with the angle grinder, my first serious foray into bodywork/welding, all my previous attempts in my youth involving chickenwire and a large bucket of plastic padding!
new metal
New exhausts
New high torque mini starter to cure heat soak issues
Latest stuff done was all engine related, first up, Intake manifold, the engine had the stock cast iron maniufold which was designed for a spreadbore carb not the current square bore Carter AFB that was fitted using an adaptor. It also leaked around the thermostat housing due to bad rust pitting so it had to go for something a bit lighter and more efficient.
The engine as it stood.
Off with the old
On with the new and aluminium Edelbrock Performer eps manifold.
At the same time I decided to convert the aftermarket Mallory dual point distributor to electronic ignition, the original plan was to drop in a factory HEI distributor I had bought for it BUT due to the engine being mounted too far back (whoever dropped the V8 in used the original six cylinder mounts) it fouled the bulkhead big time and I didn't want to have to take a BFH to it so I went for a Pertronix kit which is very neat and fits inside the dizzy.
next up was a new engine loom as the old one was so butchered about, jsut the wire to the oil pressure switch had five different colours of wire bodged together. I had a new purpose built loom form a company called M&H in the USA.
getting the old bulkhead connector off the back of the fusebox turned out to be a right swine with the captive nut it bolts into spinning freely in the back of the fuseblock due to rust, in the end it involved brute force and lots of drilling and swearing to get it out. The new loom plugged in nicely though and went exactly where it should.
I also have some "new" period aftermarket micky thompson alloy valve covers I've had soda blasted and polished to go on.
I also decided to strip and repaint the front of the block and heads whilst it was stripped down
also stripped and repainted the water pump which turned out to be a total waste of time as clearly all the goop on it was what was keeping it watertight and it started leaking with the shock of it as soon as it was back together so now I have to fit a new one.
Anyway thats where she stands at the moment as a recent house move has stalled things again but I hope to start work again soon once I've finished wiring up the garage.
