Advice request from a newbie

[Johnny Too Bad]

Well, I recently caught the '60-'66 fever. Even though I'm in the middle of a restore on my '78 square (and I have a long way to go on it), I can't seem to shake the desire to pick up one of these older beauties.

I'm looking at a '66 SWB stepside and I wanted to see what all of you with expertise in dealing with these great trucks could offer. What should I look out for? What are the common issues that these trucks have in common? Is there anything, aside from a ton of rust, that would be a 'deal breaker'?

I've scoured the '60-'66 threads pretty much non-stop for the last couple of weeks and seeing some of the trucks on here just makes me want one that much more. So, any advice at all is appreciated. I'm pretty dead set on getting one and I want to go in with my eyes open. Thanks.

[Rich 5150 69]

Biggest rust issue would be A-pillars at the top of cab and above windsheild, probably the hardest to repair, other than that the usual , bent frames, damaged cabs, don`t make it any harder than you have too, otherwise you lose interest when projects take to long on down time...

[DPowers]

Plan on doing rockers, cab corners, some fender, floors and hood work as well. There was a link that I remember seeing that listed some usual problem areas, but can't seem to put my finger(s) on it right now. Major rust areas around the upper roof or windshield- I would walk away. Hope that helps.

[Rich 5150 69]

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bu...uide_60_66.htm

Here ya go,,,

[Johnny Too Bad]

Thanks guys! That definitely helps. And thanks for the link, Rich. Good info.

[LeftCoast32]

The best word of advise would be to get the best possible truck to start with. Paying a little more initially makes for a lot cheaper in the long run.

Most of these Cabs out here on the "Left Coast" are in pretty decent shape. Try to find one that has not been setting too long. I find that the ones that set have the worse rust problems. Typical problems with the cabs are the floors near the footwell vents as that is where water will puddle and cause rust.

The Doors out here can be either clean or destroyed. Make sure it has not been worked on before. Most doors out here have had the drains filled or covered over so they hold water and rust out. The other bad thing with doors is the speaker holes. So many of these trucks have holes for all different size speakers.

The Front Fenders out here can be pretty bad because the support on the back of the fenders gets filled with sand and dirt. Drill some holes in the bottom to help keep them dry and rust free.

[fryer1979]

Originally Posted by Rich 5150 69

Biggest rust issue would be A-pillars at the top of cab and above windsheild, probably the hardest to repair, other than that the usual , bent frames, damaged cabs, don`t make it any harder than you have too, otherwise you lose interest when projects take to long on down time...

Pretty much says it best right there.

[Johnny Too Bad]

Thanks Left Coast, I'll be sure to check those problem areas before I buy.

On another note, the truck I'm looking at comes with a straight 6 and I'm planning to drop a 350sb I have in a '77 parts truck I'm using on my other project. It seems like a lot of you have done this, so I'm guessing it won't take too much to make it fit. Am I wrong?

Also, would it be better to drop the TH350 in it at the same time, or would the three speed on the column it comes with be sufficient? I've never converted a three speed to an automatic before and would be fine leaving the manual in if it could handle the bigger motor. BTW, I'm not looking at building a hot rod here, just a strong running truck that can pull a small 14' aluminum boat.

[Captainfab]

I would drop in the 350/th350 at the same time. If the straight 6 is a 292, then you will have to change the motor mount frame brackets. Working on the '60-'66 trucks is really very easy and simple. Just keep in mind that everything on the frame of a ********** will work on the '60-'66 frames. Sometimes a little modification is necessary, but it will work.