1965 C20 fleet side longbed DD low budget build.

[mattbert56]

im terrible about figuring out technical stuff but im guna attempt to start my build thread....how am i doin so far? this is how i got it after cleaning it up a little. ill post pictures of how it sat for 13 years. story was i bugged this guy for 2 and a half years to sell me the truck, it was a scrap metal running truck the bed was just an 8 ft x 4ft garbage can for years. n the cab had enough papers in it to fill a small file cabinet. when he finally sold it to me for 1200. (pshhhh) i showed up next day with 900 in cash ,a flat bed and my truck walked away with it, its all mine now. sweetest part, not for $1200 either way .1965 chevy truck,
.small back window
.w/ air.
.sm420 4 speed,
.292 i6 ,
.4:11's in the rear end,
-truck was well "loved"

[rusty76]

So what are your plans for your good looking truck? I like it.

[Jeff La]

Great start, how about some cab pics?

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by rusty76

So what are your plans for your good looking truck? I like it.

Originally Posted by Jeff La

Great start, how about some cab pics?

Ditto…

I'm on board for the ride!!!

[mattbert56]

Rusty76, these pictures are from few years ago so this ol girl has come a long way. Keeping the 6 and leaving it a 4 speed. Best car security out there,a dang clutch haha. Doing all basic maintenance to have road worthy, the works ya know. Keeping factory stance. Give it a factory paint job....and drive the wheels off this baby. Maybe a BBC one day....396.Mmmm. Or a 305v6. I got a soft spot for those weird motors.

[mattbert56]

so here is my dilemma, i have a 292 inline 6 in the truck now backed with a sm420 trans with 4:11 gears.the 292 has been built 3 times but has great compression and good lookin cross hatching on all cylinder walls. i have this garret 1 3/4" turbo given to me. i found all the parts i would want, offie intake running a 600 edlbrock and a turbo manifold paired with long down tube headers . keeping engine stock but only want to push 3-5 lbs into the motor to "pep" it up. OR i can go with a small block iv been building thats out of a 71 el camino. its a 2blt main that needs block to be punched out. 487 heads with 1.94 valves 2 burnt 1.5 exhaust valves i can run a comp cam w/ an unknown amount of lift or duration but my buddy ran it for 600 miles and said "its to aggressive for me" so he gave it to me eldbrock dual plane performer manifold, w/ the same 600 carb i would run on the I6, would need all new insides other than rods, crank,and lifters, sooo means new pistons and wrist pins, bearings, ect... i cant make up my mind. any ideas or thoughts r welcom hahah

[mattbert56]

forgot the pics haha sorry

[1963c-10]

Nice project.....Looks like some goodies for the engine!!

[rusty76]

Oooooh a turbo....yummy

[TJ's Chevy]

I say turbo charge that 292! If not..I'll take that turbo off yer hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mattbert56]

okay, cab pics. for Jeff la, finally found em, had to dig a bit. pain in the rear finding old photos. heres the best i got tho. there was plenty of rust on the floor boards but it worked out nicely as it serves its purpose in the winter time. when coming to a stop all the water sloshes forward and drains out of them rusty holes rockers were rusted and replaced one. not much more than that other than the normal spots, bottom of fenders, bottom of doors, parts of the hood, floor board. ect.

[mattbert56]

few more i found of how i found it sitting for 8 years or so ... i think.

[Jeff La]

Thanks man, loving it. Waiting for more.

[McMurphy]

Looks like a great start there !!

[step65]

Nice start good deal for sure. Turbo sound simpler to me.

[mattbert56]

ok so bit of an update... LOTS of photos for all you photo lovers. this is the process/ 1 ish year restoration i have managed to come up with. also at least i don't have to worry about steeling a threat with pictures of my truck because this is my own thread. muah hahaha!

[mattbert56]

truck got a bath for first time in years with soap n water. started painting it with rattle bombs until i could find the time for a real paint job. cleaned all the crap out of the cab. popped trans cover to peak at trans. sm420 lovely surprise

[mattbert56]

re moved the badges and restored them with modeling paint and clear coat. turned out perfect for a DD work truck. started painting small parts white.

[mattbert56]

ended that week with a camping trip up to northern cal for log season/getting rid of trailer time nothin like a little fire to warm up by on cold nights

[mattbert56]

motor time. needed a new harmonic balancer, there was about a quarter rotation of play between the balancer and crankshaft. i happened to find one from my uncles friend in royal Nebraska when i went back. got lucky n picked it up for 80 bucks. brand new!! who'd a thought. intake/ exhaust off n ready to rebuild w/ carb.

[mattbert56]

put it back together, never did get a picture of the new balancer on, sorry all. picked up a new billet distributor for 45 bucks from a guy in santa Rosa who had a 236 i6 n this cap was ment for 230,250,292 soooo, lucky me i guess.

[mattbert56]

first picture is how it ended up sitting for a few weeks then i finally put down some primer after sanding off old paint a little. got the front end cleaned up and painted to where i WAS happy with it, excuse the license plate being put on wrong. and lastly started sanding the top of the cab for a two tone paint job.

[mattbert56]

paint time. gotta love that tractor paint. lays so nice from a gun.

[mattbert56]

paint un masked n drying, this next part i do not know what i was thinking but i obviously wasn't.....

[mattbert56]

the flatbed.... and rust repair. i would take rust repair any day over having to remember why i flat bedded my 65 .