Johns 66
 

Hi All,

I am going to start my build thread...I have posted some pictures on the craigs list find but after getting the truck home and trying to do some research I figured I would make this thread so everyone could view and help since there is a wealth of knowledge here.

A little back story before I start...This is actually my second C-10...The first was given to me by my uncle who back it new...I actually paid a shop to build me a resto-mod truck...Without getting into to many detail I got ripped off and had to bring an unfinished truck home...and as life goes, things happen and I had to sell it.....BROKE my heart to see it go but at the time I had no choice...

So from that day on my old truck was in my thoughts....just like a girlfriend who left I thought of it often....yes I know I'm sick...lol but that truck really meant a lot to me.

So this week I found another truck and lets just say I am extremely happy at this moment....so there is the back story.......Ill post more in the next post.

Re: Johns 66
 

I found this truck on Craigs List about an hour from me...It was a supposed all original truck....except exhaust, wheels and tires and had been repainted years ago. Here are some pictures from when I initially saw the truck.

Re: Johns 66
 

Well Today I went and got it...I took my Uncle Paul with me since he knows a lot about these old trucks to see if I was getting ripped off, plus it gave us some time and allowed us to spend some time together.

After Uncle Paul checked over the truck he thought the body is in great shape, very little rust, it was a very close original truck...So I bought the truck... Here are some pictures of when I got it home.

It was very funny to me that Uncle Paul wouldn't let me drive it home...So he drove it home and followed me...I could see the grin from ear to ear as we drove home.

Re: Johns 66
 

So now for some neat things about this truck...In one picture you will see a black tag license plate...This is actually the original license plate that was put on the truck in 1966. It is stamped Alabama 66 on the bottom of the plate....Luckily for me I can register this truck with this plate...So this told me that this truck was bought and lived in Alabama its whole life...I know Kinda Corny but Hey.....Gotta say this is pretty cool.

Next comes the part I will need your guys help....I have got a few numbers off the truck tonight and tried to do some searching and I either don't know where to look or I don't know what I am looking at.

The truck has a supposed 327 and a 3 spd on the column....I looked at the passenger side head and found this stamped Number on it but am clueless and what it means. The codes is F022IYS...I have searched this number and came up with nothing.

Secondly the paint code in 521, which is white BUT I have no clue what the color inside the trim is, or what it was originally...I have tried to search color combos and when it gets to white it doesn't give the other color...So again either I don't know where to look or don't know what I am looking at...So again I need you guys help.

The number off the breather cover is 6420704..not sure what of anything this means.

The frame on the drivers side has a number stamped in it that coincides with the VIN number...

So if anybody knws about any of these numbers it would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Johns 66
 

So what I am I going to do with this truck now?

Well I have had almost a week to think about this very same question and have come up with a list of a few small things I want to do since this seems to be a very original truck....Unless the engine numbers don't match etc...

Unless I find out otherwise I think its the original motor, tranny and body so for that sake I am going to try the best I can to keep it as original as I can stand....

So my plans are this...The truck has an aluminum grille in it...I am going to find a steel grille and have it chromed and replace it...Chrome is way better to me and easier to take care of...and unless I can get the original grille chromed then I will make the swap.

I am considering putting an automatic transmission in it...a 700R4...along with a factory automatic steering column out of a factory auto 66 truck..Im sure there are some out there. I know it wont be original since the tranny will be different but I will keep the original tranny and steering column for the future.

Since it is Alabama I am also considering putting in Air Conditioning....Matt from MCB a vendor here has given me a great price on a unit...But I am kicking it around and deciding if I can find an original 66 A/C unit to put into it...this just depends.

Lastly I am going to add power steering, again I am going to try and find an original power steering unit and pump...not sure if it will be cost effective etc.....

Other than having the truck painted and replacing the original bed wood that's pretty much it...maybe a retro Stereo...just not sure yet. Also not sure If I will go with stainless strips or have the original ones painted back black like factory.

There is one other thing that I will do to this truck but it was not factory..I am going to install door switches that control the dome light...so open the door and dome light comes on, close the door and light goes out...This is more for safety reasons at night.

Brakes work extremely good, so not replacing to discs as of now.

Re: Johns 66
 

Last post of the night..lol

Everything works except the back up lights on the truck.

Brakes are leaking down a little...not sure where the fluid is going as of yet but think the brakes cylinders may be the cause...pulls to the left when you apply the brakes so that's what I am guessing at this point. In the next few days or so I will pull the wheel off and check the brakes to see how the shoes are and see if I can find a leaking cylinder.

Motor smokes a little but smells terrible of gas so I think its running real rich...Gonna have to learn how to adjust the Quadrajet carb....if that's even possible

Not sure if the gas gauge is reading correctly...hopefully not since it supposedly used a half a tank of gas in a 50 mile drive bringing it home...but will check on that as well.

Lastly if I change the transmission I will also change the rear end gear as well since it seems a little low...Gonna try and determine what gear is in it...hopefully when I get that far the rear end will tell me what it has in it. Not sure if it has a casting number or not...just have to wait and see.

Well I hope you enjoy this as much as I do and look forward to reading about the adventures of Johns 66.

Re: Johns 66
 

Awesome find. Welcome and good luck with your truck. :)
I always check with http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=646002 first when needing answers.

Re: Johns 66
 

Thanks RocknRod...Ill definitely go through that page.

Did a little cursory checking today now that I had a chance to look at some things.

I was able to get under it and noticed a couple of things...not good nor bad just some observations.

It will definitely need some cleaning underneath....has the common greasy/dirt build up...not a big deal.

I did notice that it has been wrecked....not really bad...to me it looks like a small fender bender type thing...The drives side front fender was fixed, not replaced but fixed...It appears that someone cut the fender and fixed part of it...It does not look like an after market fender which is good.....From what I can tell and saw the air box that lets fresh air in was pushed in about an inch....maybe later on I will take the fender off and replace that part ...But whomever fixed it did a real good job. For a truck to be 51 years old and have one minor little fender bender....no big deal to me.

The passenger side fender was replaced...from what I can see and based on my limited knowledge it was a fender off a 63 model the only reason I think that is because of the fender badges holes and the original fender badges have a little bit newer bolts that are holding it on...again no big deal to me since the fenders and doors line up and shut, I am thinking like most of the old trucks the bottom of the fender had rusted out and they found a donor fender instead of replacing.....

But I am still pleased with what I got for sure....

Lastly the backup lights don't work...still see the pigtails to the lights on each side but no wires are running to it..Im sure this is not a hard fix.

I did notice that the headlight switch seems to have a short in it...just gotta play with it to get them to turn on....I can get a supposed AC Delco from the local parts store....another easy fix.

Only bad thing is its raining today so cant "Drive my Chevy to the levy"

Re: Johns 66
 

At least the levy won't be dry 🙂

Looks like a great truck, a nice original truck always beats working with someone else's previous work. I Look forward to seeing some progress!

Re: Johns 66
 

Very cool, Looks like that drive home brought back some fond memories for your Uncle

Re: Johns 66
 

Well I tried to work on it a little between the rain drops...It would rain, sun would come out for a little bit then rain again...It did that several times but according to the weather radar it seems to be set in for awhile now...So Ill try to do some research on a few things.

But here is what I learned today about my ole 66....

It runs really rich...and the youtube videos I watched on how to adjust the carb didn't work...I guess its good to know your limits...My neighbor man said he would help me rebuild it...and that's a good thing. The carb is a Rochester 4 jet...that's was stamped on the passenger side near the back...Don't know if it is the original carb or not...I guess when I get around to taking it off and rebuilding it I can get some numbers off it if there is any to be found.

I did have some leaks inside the cab after the rain..best I can tell its coming from the firewall seam...so I put some seam type sealer on it and we will see how that works.

I did see a couple of drops on the dash so it looks like I may be in for a new gasket.

Ill see after this latest rain that is coming through if I made a dent in the leak problem...Oh and I am specifically leaving it outside so that I can make sure whether it leaks and fix the leaks I find....after that its garage city for it.

I did fix the headlight switch...really don't know what I did except clean the contacts and plug it back in.

So I'm off to do some research...oh joy....just kidding....that is part of the fun of this truck...I guess the journey is just as good as the destination.

Re: Johns 66
 

Motor looks to be correct.
F-Flint
02-Febuary
21-Day of the month
YS- 1966 327 220HP 4 Barrel

Re: Johns 66
 

It did...I remember riding in his truck as a child 40+yrs ago
Unlce Paul is now 73 and I could see the smiles on his face as I watched him in the mirror.
When we stopped to get gas he had a big ole smile on his face.
Does my heart so good to see him smile like that.

Re: Johns 66
 

Thank You so very much..I really appreciate it.
I did some grease cleaning on the motor and it looks like it was a
Blueish/green color...not a big fan of green but when it comes time
Ill paint it back the same color.

Internets down ...bad weather here..Ill post some pictures of the engine bay when it comes
Back up

Re: Johns 66
 

Here is the motor once it was sprayed with degreaser and then washed down.

Re: Johns 66
 

Ok..Need some help here....I have searched many pages and am just about googled out.

I am searching for the correct paint combination for my truck.

The trim tag says 521 which I found is white....what I am looking for is the secondary, 2 tone , paint code...more specifically I am looking for the color of the paint that goes in between the side molding....

I have seen a lot of different ones but don't know if they are correct when it comes to white....

Also I read somewhere that the tailgate letters were black on all trucks or maybe its just the white trucks.

What I am wanting to know is if this is correct or someone just painted it this way.

Re: Johns 66
 

Beautiful truck! I really like the red accents between the molding and the letters. Funny, the house in the picture is painted the same way :)


I'm no expert, but according to the last post on the thread below....white is white....with black lettering. There wasn't a two tone option with 521. Read the verbiage in the right hand side of the flyer.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=548714

On a different note, have you looked for your build sheet yet? I ended up finding 3 in my '66 C-20. Two behind the bench seat on the passenger side and one under the seat on the passenger side. The second one behind the seat, was of the next sequential VIN of the truck behind me at the factory. Weird. Look real close, I actually looked a few times behind the seat, but the paper was faded to exactly the same shade as the material that I missed it at first.

Here is a pretty good reference thread to decode/identify you VIN, tranny and rear end info. Do you think those are original also? Take a look, and see if you can't find some numbers.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=327764

Re: Johns 66
 

rsd6620,

Thanks for your reply. I talked with my Uncle who owned a 63 that he got new....He said that the accent strips were put on many trucks but none every was put on the paperwork....He kinda made its seem like it was "Pin Striping" type of thing. He said he remember seeing them when they came out in 66....It may have been a dealer item so I am really unsure.

Here is a couple of things that I am thinking about...Since this truck has lived its whole life in Alabama ( I have the original license plate from 66 on the truck now) I am going to see if I can find the original owner, or someone in his family that may know.

I haven't really taken anything apart as of yet, just small little things trying to clean them up. I will definitely look begin and under the seat to see if I can find anything..This truck still has the cardboard that goes between the seat and the tank...so maybe its I there.

I know at one time there was a sticker on the inside of the glove box....maybe 3" x 4" but someone removed it.

I do think that the running gear is original...It still has the metal pipe that goes from the radiator to the motor...It also still has the grounding straps that attach to the valve covers on each side...what little paint is left on the engine does coincide with the year and engine type.

Someone in a earlier post said based on the motor number on the passenger side motor that the number suggest that it is a correct year motor...made in 2/21/66 in Flint...it is a 327 as well.....

I'm still degreasing the tranny to see if I can find a number on it as well as the rear end,

I can also say that the front fenders are not original....I crawled up under the truck and noticed that one fender has been damaged at one point, and fixed with a non 66 fender. I can tell this because the fender emblems from the donor truck appear to be from a 63 since the emblems mount vertical instead of horizontal but they are original fenders and not reman stuff.

It looks like it has also been painted twice, once red and then back white again...

I think I am going to leave the truck white with the red stripes and red tailgate letters, just ;like it is painted now...may not be 100% original but good enough for me.

Re: Johns 66
 

Well I have been working a little bit on my truck...apparently the degreasing of the motor did some wonderful things.....it has shown me that the front and rear main seals are leaking....I am not sure if this is because the truck has sat up for a little while or not....but it looks like the motor is coming out to fix these issues.

Re: Johns 66
 

I am thinking that I can lull the motor and replace the front and rear seals way easier out of the truck.
This will also allow me to be able to clean the craxle, firewall and inmer fernder.
I will see the shape everything is in and maybe be able to paint it back while.the motor is out of it.

While the engine is out Ill put new seals.and gaskets and the paint back the original color.

Re: Johns 66
 

I know a guy has to be careful so things don't snowball, but while the engine is out, I would replace the oil pump and pickup as well as the timing chain and gears.

Re: Johns 66
 

Thanks for the suggestion...My brother in law will be helping me do this when the time comes.
He is way more knowledgable than I am in this area...he said that he would be able to tell some things once the motor was out of the truck.
I know he mentioned changing oil pan gaskets...he wants to look at the bottom end when we do this.

I have heard that you can flush the motor with diesel fuel when you are doing things like this so I may try that as well..

I think the timing chain will have to come off anyways so it will probably be a wise thing to do now that I think about it and since the oil pan will be off Ill do as you suggest and change the pump and pickup as well.

The truck has been running rich since I got it and I tried to adjust the carb...not sure that I really did anything so I may either rebuild the carb or have it rebuilt before lutting the motor back in the truck.

While the motor.is out I am going to clean up the engine bay area...maybe paint the inner fenders etc....just depends on how things are going.

But I really do appreciate your input and knowledge.
There are several things I am thinking of doing...mainly power steering and maybe disc brakes but this issue came up first so that is where I am.goimg.to start

Re: Johns 66
 

Well been doing a little to my old truck. Mainly some cosmetic kinda stuff.
Pulled the rear view mirror off and tried to clean it up...The bracket cleaned up really well but the mirror I think is gonna have to be replaced. It looks like it is separating a little bit and is hard to see out of at night.
I ordered a new one from Brothers Truck Parts...I'm guessing it will be here in a week or so..no hurry...I did order a couple of other items. I ordered a new pump for the windshield washer fluid and when it gets in I am gonna get that fixed..not planning on using it much but still want it working.

I have also been doing some research on door jamb switches...I would like the interior lights to come on when the door is opened...mainly a safety feature at night...and I also looked at adding some footwell lighting as well.

Lastly I have been doing research on a variety of things and wanted to get some different opinions on it.

I am going to pull the motor because the front and rear seals are leaking...When I do that I will replace all the gaskets, change the seals, rebuild the carb since it is running way rich as well as cleaning the engine bay up and painting the motor back the original color.

Since my truck is pretty much original except some cosmetic things I am torn about changing much...My friends all suggest adding disc brakes for safety. I am highly considering adding power steering. I would really love to find an original power steering unit since it was offered in 66 but am having a hard time finding one.

I have also considered either changing out the rear end gear since it is way to low for cruising around or changing the transmission to a 700R4...again I would want to use an original automatic column but am unsure at this point if it would work with that tranny.

So if ya have any suggestions, input or advice it would be greatly appreciated....

Re: Johns 66
 

This evening I am going to start "Fixing" my ole 66.

I am going to pull the motor and transmission out...get the entire engine bay cleaned.
Once the motor is out I am going to put a complete gasket set on it, replace the leaking front and rear seals ( reason for pulling motor) I don't really want to rebuild it as it does run strong, does not smoke...
I am going to check timing chain, oil pump and pretty much everything I can without pulling it completely apart.

A nice friend also graciously gave me a power brake booster and a dual master cylinder...new in the box so while I have the motor out I am going to be adding that as well including new brake lines........I didn't want to change to much in way of originality but this change is more for safety as a dual master cylinder will allow me to still have breaks at one end or the other is a leak occurs.

I am contemplating putting in a 700R4 Transmission while I am doing this so that I can cruise at a little higher speed at less RPMS.....I may change the rear end gear to accomplish this...really just depends on the way I decide to go....I do not mind the 3 on the tree...but an automatic would be nice I think...as long as I can get an original automatic steering column I think it would be ok.

While I am doing this I am going to remove the gas tank, drain it and make sure it doesn't have any trash inside of it....It does not leak....

Before I reinstall the motor I will fix some little things like windshield washer motor, put new lines on it...I will also paint the inner fenders and I am highly considering painting the firewall while I have everything out of it...
So in the next coming days and week I will be posting some photos of the progress and kind of documenting costs, time etc for future reference.

Once I get the entire mechanical part straight then I will look at having it painted back original....

Hope you enjoy....John

Re: Johns 66
 

Well the patient is ready for surgery.

Re: Johns 66
 

So I started taking the heart beat out of the ole chevy tonight...my help had to do an emergency repair so I was on my own tonight but that was ok....Got pretty much everything taken off except the exhaust so she should be ready to pull out...not working on it tomorrow...going to church.

But I did pull the carb off as well since it is going to get rebuilt I am going to post some pictures...Tried to find some numbers on the carb to see if it was truly original and didn't seem to find any...maybe someone can chime in if they know about them...One area of concern you will see is that it has some rust under the bottom ...not sure if that is because of the ethanol gas, a leak or ??? I have no clue at this point.

Antifreeze did not look too bad...but I am thinking about sending it to the radiator shop just as a precaution.

Re: Johns 66
 

Here are some of the bottom side of the carb.....not sure if this has anything to do with it running really rich or not but rust cant be a good thing.

Re: Johns 66
 

Today started out with so much promise and ended ....well with some questions....Here are a few pictures of how the day started......Yea the motor is out and surgery will commence in a few.....

Re: Johns 66
 

So after getting the motor out I knew it was gonna have to be cleaned so that I could put the new gasket set on it and get it ready for paint ......So Pressure washed it and started taking things off .......Some of the pictures are part number so that I can preserve for the future and reference them to see how original the truck is. The clutch was toast and the reason it shuttered a bit on take off.....consumable item...no problem.

Re: Johns 66
 

Well then is when the fun stuff started. I took the intake off so that I could get it cleaned and put on new intake gaskets...all is good so far.....Drained the oil and removed the oil pan since I was going to be changing the oil pump as well as the front and rear seals.....This is where things started to change and not in a good way.....The first few pictures look pretty normal...and all looks good...until I noticed the punch marks on the rod caps...hmmmm don't think that is factory...so this bottom half must have been apart......THEN as you see in the last picture one of the main cap bolts "Appeared" to be loose......As soon as I touched it the head fell off.

Re: Johns 66
 

At this point I am unsure what to do...I went ahead and took the heads off to see what the cylinders looked like. I then took some of the valves out of the heads to see what the valve seats looked like.

The cylinders measured 4.0 across, which unless I am wrong that is correct. The valve guides were leaking in some of the cylinders.

So what I thought at the start of the day ended with not knowing which way to go. On one hand the thought of a completely original drivetrain sounded really good, and I could go back completely as it came albeit rebuilt. This motor is a 220 hp motor, probably about 160 RWHP if I am lucky.......decision decisions......

Do I keep it stock or do I change some things? Hopefully someone will chime in with their thoughts on this.

I know there was a 365 hp 327 and based on my limited knowledge the only thing I could think that should be changed is the cam and the heads....I'm not sure if I can grind out the valve seats to put the bigger valves in it or not...I guess the machine shop will be able to tell me that...or should I just find a set of double hump heads and go that route...either way the heads have to be fixed no matter what I decide.

The cam and lifters will have to be changed as well.....lifters look like a saucer on the bottom,

It appears that I will have to rebuild the motor and at this point it probably is the better option because I certainly do not want to do this again in 4 or 5 months...even 2 years....

So my options are to build back stock or build it to the 365 hp specs.....at this point I am unsure what I am going to do.

Re: Johns 66
 

So I shut the garage down and left the ole 66 in ICU awaiting the doctors decision.

Re: Johns 66
 

Well if I was not concerned about being original I would build it to 300hp. Use a set of double hump heads and a mild cam.
The 365hp engine had high compression dome pistons and had a more radical cam. Just not a engine that I would recommend for a truck.

Re: Johns 66
 

Thanks Classic v6 GMC.......I think most say the most HP the better...Talked with Yelmer on the phone tonight..VERY knowledgable man and a super nice guy as well. I am thinking more in your live of just putting a very mild cam in it to give it a nice little rumble, bump the HP up just a little and go from there.

Guy I will search for some double hump heads now......gotta love working on old trucks.

Re: Johns 66
 

A set of 461/462 heads would be nice if you can find a set. The 1.94/1.5 valves will be just fine. No need for 2.02/1.6's. The factory 300 hp 327 cam is quite mild and there are much better cam profiles available these days. When looking at aftermarket cams, keep in mind that any given operating ranges are typically based on a 350 cu in engine. Using a given cam in a 327 will move the power band up a few hundred rpm's as compared to that same cam in a 350.

Re: Johns 66
 

Well after some consideration I have decided to rebuild the motor to around 300hp...
I have also decided to put a 700R4 transmission in it...This truck is going to be a driver, not completely original, but am going to keep it as close as possible. I have also decided to add a power brake booster with a dual master cylinder...Luckily I have a friend who gave me the set up and I am hoping that I do not have to modify things too much...I do not think it will bolt up so I may have to get with Captain Fab and see what we can come up with...anyways here is the power brake booster and master cylinder

I am unsure what this was intended for or if will even work or not so if anyone has an idea..Im all ears.

Re: Johns 66
 

I talked with Yelmer last night for a couple of hours...a GREAT guy and extremely knowledgeable about these trucks...I was so thankful that he was willing to share what he knows.

So instead of putting disc brakes on the truck I am going to see how the power booster does, since I am not building a hot rod truck I think it will be fine...the truck stops amazingly good ....so with in mind I worked on a few things this afternoon....I took pretty much everything I could out of the engine bay so I can get it cleaned up and I also did a brake job on the front brakes.

After pulling the drums off and getting everything cleaned up I noticed that the drivers side outer bearing was toast. also the inner seal was gone as well....I am thinking that this may be the reason the truck pulled that way when the brakes were applied...The wheel cylinders looked good and no signs of leaking so I left them alone. Once I got everything off I rolled it out side and pressure washed pretty much all I could get too...I got a decent amount of crud off the truck but it will definitely need some more cleaning.

The Underneath inner fenders didn't look too bad...a little rust has set in but nothing major...mainly on the cab firewall underneath the inner fender...So I went and bought a bunch of over cleaner and will let it do its thing tomorrow evening after work.....

Anyways here is some picture of what got done to day.

Re: Johns 66
 

Here are a few more...I wrapped the brakes with a plastic garbage bag to hopefully protect the new shoes etc.....when I spray the oven cleaner on the surrounding parts......hopefully this will help a lot.

I did notice that the truck still has the original ball joints on it since they are riveted in.

Re: Johns 66
 

So while I had everything apart I decided to change both the inner and outer bearings and seals on both front drums....I am gonna have to find the inner seals since the local parts house didn't have any but I'm sure its not too hard...I also bought some rattle can paint...I know the drum looked gloss but that picture was taken when it was wet.

I also bought some "Semi-Flat" paint and sprayed the air cleaner after I cleaned it..Since it had the original sticker on the outside I just taped it off and sprayed around it.

I learned yesterday from Yelmer that I do have the original carb and air cleaner but someone cut off the spout to make it shorter...Have no clue why but it is what it is at this point...not gonna change it and it doesn't look half bad sprayed Semi Flat. Ill post some pictures later of all that.

Tomorrow will see what the damage is gonna be from the machine shop....fingers crossed it aint too bad.

Re: Johns 66
 

Looks great John. I have had my truck for over 2 years and you are light years ahead of me! I just drive mine and add oil as it burns...haha Seems like you are having fun and that is the main thing! I am excited to see the progress on yours as it goes along. Alabama isn't far from GA...who knows maybe we will see each other rolling down the highway one day!