4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

We are getting ready to start a frame-off on this '66 Chevy K10. It is a beautiful factory 4x4 with original equipment with the exception of the wheels/tires, exhaust & rear view mirrors. It has 57,000 original miles on the 283 and SM420 with the factory T221 divorced transfer case. We are installing power-assist steering, power brakes & A/C utilizing original factory equipment.

Before someone points it out to me, I know the Custom steering wheel & chrome horn ring is from a '60-'65, not a '66, but this will be changed to the '66 during the project.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

cool!!!:cool:
can't wait for more pictures

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Are you going to leave the wheels? I think they look really good on there.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Wow........Nice truck, can't wait should be a great build.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

are those the original stickers behind the visors? and is that the correct placement forthem on the trucks with a factory inside rear view mirror?

... and put in my vote for the factory wheels /hubcaps, and side mirrors!

looks like a nice one to start with.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

update pics please

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Here are a few of the disassembly portion of the show. This cab and the balance of the sheet metal is the best example of rust-free, I have ever seen in person. We didn't find one area of rust-thru. We also found factory build sheets in the seat bottom and the seat back. I have seen them in the seat back before, but never in the seat bottom. They are usually long-gone by now.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

It comes back from the media-blaster this weekend, so things will start to get interesting. We are pulling the slots and installing factory-correct wheels. Although chrome dog dish caps were not available on the 4x4's in 1966, we are putting a set of chrome dog dish cap on the black powder-coated factory-correct wheels. It should be a real nice look. The wheels, tires, caps & lugs will be sold to help offset the cost of the build. Send me a PM if you are interested.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Couple questions; Is that the factory engine color?? I've seen a lot of discussion about it and was just curious.

Also, when you tear stuff apart, do you re-use the bolts? If so, how do you recondition them for use?

Super-nice truck!!

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

First of all, thanks for the kind words.

Secondly, for fear of starting a fire-storm, I don't know the exact color of the factory 283 and 327 for the '60-'66 Chevy trucks, but I do have few very reliable sources, that are providing actual paint samples for use on this '66 Chevy K10 with a factory 283 and another '66 Chevy K20 with a factory 283, so that is what I will be using, at the owner's direction. I will post photos of the samples and the finished product. Here are a few very nice examples, I have on file. The paint on the 283 in the above picture is not correct for any motor or year on the '60-'66 Chevy light-duty trucks.

Thirdly, I sand-blast or tumble most of the original fasteners, unless they have damage to the threads or heads. The same is true for all the original brackets, clips, fasteners and keepers. I have used the "factory-correct" style fasteners, but stainless steel from Totally Stainless. The fasteners and other miscellaneous clips and hardware for this project will be stripped and refinished in-house or by Missouri Plating. My buddy, who does 1,000 point Corvette restorations, speaks very highly of them and he uses them for all his original Corvette fasteners.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Long day today. My 2 year old son, Cole, and I pickep up the rolling chassis and sheet metal from the media-blaster today. With the actual windshield time, numerous stops for a two-year-old, loading and driving slower than usual, it was a 10 hour trip. The stripper did a great job for a reasonable price and I am very happy with the results. They even pulled the wheels and did the hubs.

They look funny bare-naked, but I like it. There was absolutely zero evidence of any rust-thru on this entire truck. By far, the nicest rust-free example of a '60-'66 Chevy/GMC truck I have every laid eyes on.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Those are the factory original 4x4 stickers, showing shift pattern for the T221 divorced transfer case and the locking instructions for the factory Warn lockout hubs. Believe it or not, they appear to be randomly placed on the several factory 4x4 trucks I have seen. When replacing them, we place them evenly and level, relative to the rear view mirror and the line of the windshield.

The factory wheels will be a little different than the appearance of the polished slots with 33's, but it will be what the owner requested and a very true-to-original, with the exception of the factory chrome dog dish hubs caps, since the 4x4 trucks did not come with caps.

The Jr. West Coast mirrors will look nice and an original factory-correct option.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Really nice looking truck, amazing no rust............Just go ahead and send those doors to me Tony :lol:

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Hey Tony,

I really love those K10's. That is going to be a jewel. I look forward to following your progress on this one. As you say, keep the pictures coming.

TR

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Hey Ronnie, no rust in the fender tails, cab corners, rockers, kick panels, door bottoms, inner fenders or rear wheel arches...do you want those items also? It is nice to have one that has not been diagnosed with rust and suffering from the side-effects for the past 40+ years!

Thanks for the kind words.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Thanks for the compliment. Here are a few more photos of the bare-naked panels.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

That's awesome Tony!!

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

I know all about those long trips, I have a 3 and 5 year old, slows down the process alot.
Is there a way that you can get the cab dipped , so that it has a rust protection coat inside and out? Or is it never going to see rain water again? that would work too!:lol:
amazing to see a completely rust free cab!

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

That's an amazing truck to start with.
Now, the job of getting all the blast media out of the nooks & crannies.
I hate sand-blasting :lol:

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Awesome looking

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

This outfit uses various grades of crushed corn kernels...coarse, medium and fine. They removed 1/8"-1/4" of heavy-duty undercoating from the hood and front fenders, which I figured would be nearly impossible to strip and expose the bare metal, but they did an excellent job.

Although the truck may see some weather in it's future, it will be prep'd, primed, painted and undercoated well, so I am hopeful it will survive another 40-50 years.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Hay are you the guy with the web page with all of the chevy trucks if your i need to talk ot you can you seed me your e-mail thanks.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Thanks for the inquiry. My e-mail address is in my signature below. Let me know if I can help you with anything in the future.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

We welded up some random holes in the bedsides and doors, prior to taking to the painter on Friday.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

i just love virgin factory sheetmetal.looks like a truck that might be 2 years old if that.if i owned that truck i would be afraid to drive it thinking i was going to get it stolen wrecked or stripped.thats a museum piece for sure.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Tony,

Just noticed this 60-66 projects and build forum at the top of the page. I am glad to see that you sold this but sad at the same time. I really wanted to get my hands on this truck, but the bad economy kept me from moving forward on it. What are the new owners plans for it. Will it be about the same build as 66 jewels truck as far as color (Red and White)? Will it have the side molding. It looks to be a little more detailed resto than 66 jewels. Congrats to the new owner as this is a rare truck to find being that it is a factory 4x4 with the big back window, low miles and the amazing condition. I will keep up with this build for sure as this will be known to me as the one that got away.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Nice build! I've had a 66 k-10 for about 15 years now and I'm going to start a complete rebuild myself on it soon, seems to be some what original. I'm going to need some parts but right now I'm looking for a BIG back window cab, and some good doors, transfer case, do you have any? what price? I'm up the road from you in Leavenworth, someday I need to get down and see ya and get some info about my truck. Gary

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

We did a little work on the cab, to make-ready for the factory A/C system and factory power brake booster, before it goes to the painter on Monday.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

The freshly blasted frame, prior to finish.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

We are doing a complete frame-off and it is going back together as a factory restoration, down to the original color, along with the bed wood and factory steel wheels & era-correct looking tires. It was originally a two-tone scheme, in paint code #544, so it is going back the same. We are also doing the body molding package. Overall, it will be the same level as Lee's '66 Chevy K10, with a few exceptions.

Thanks for the kind words and for following the thread. I, too, was sad to see it go, but it is in a good place and getting an extreme makeover for another 45 years of life.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Hey Gary. If you are prospecting a restoration on your '66 K10, make a trip down to KC, Kansas sometime soon and you can check out this build. We can chat about the process and anything you may need for yours. Take care and thanks for posting.

P.S. - I grew up in Platte City and made many trips across the state line in the early 80's. We frequented the Pizza Hut across the way from Leavenworth State Prison.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

A few updated photos.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Looks nice Tony. Was zinc-chromate standard on these trucks? I found some on my front inner fenders. Thought about it after seeing the interior shot.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

No, that is the color of the sealer the painter choose. I didn't want to post the photo because I didn't like the looks of it.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

A few of the self-etching on the rolling chassis.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Looking good.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Thanks for the kind words! Here are a few updates of the rolling frame in Chassis Black. The paint wasn't even dry, so it looks a little uneven and I noticed a few spots we missed.

The slots are just for rolling stock around the shop, but they are for sale is anyone is looking for the old school look for the seventies!

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

Back from paint.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

A few more.

Re: 4-5-6 Chevy Trucks - 1966 Chevy K10 lwb fleetside build
 

you guys are moving fast!
lookin good!